Fire and Emergency Services Department

Transcription

1 Fire and Emergency Services Department

2 Service doesn t come from a manual it comes from the heart. The city of Titusville is a growing, thriving community and the members of the Titusville Fire and Emergency Services Department are proud to be part of that community. As fire chief, I am pleased to convey to you our 2005 Annual Report of Activities, with the hope you will find the information and statistics informative and inclusive to better understand the value that our Fire and Emergency Services Department brings to our community. In the coming years, as in our past, our department will be challenged with responding to an increasing number of requests for assistance. Our allhazard approach to service delivery will help meet these demands through training, adequate resource development and deployment, and skilled personnel prepared to provide fire prevention services, fire suppression activities, emergency medical services, emergency preparedness, incident management and community safety education. We look forward to strengthening our ties to our community and meeting your expectations of service. As we close this year and look ahead to the next, I must recognize all of the people that ensure you are provided with the highest level of protection possible. Our 63 civilian and uniformed personnel and our 12 community volunteers, who serve you every day, are to be commended. Adherence to values and principles of professional excellence, innovation and community service and involvement by this diverse group of people ensure that you are protected by the best, with the best, as the best, everyday. We value and protect the trust each of you in the city of Titusville have placed in us and we pledge to do everything possible to nurture and keep that trust. Please, be safe. Sincerely, Fire Chief Post Office Box 2806 Titusville, FL (321)

3 VISION STATEMENT Titusville Fire and Emergency Services Department shall be the leading provider of emergency services in the community it serves. MISSION STATEMENT The mission of the Titusville Fire and Emergency Services Department is to provide the community with emergency services by highly trained, professional personnel in an expedient and effective manner. Furthermore, it is our duty to protect and promote the health, safety and overall well being of the community we serve. We commit to: GUIDING PRINCIPLES Promote teamwork Respect others Be open-minded Be progressive and responsive to change Encourage input Foster a positive and safe work environment Encourage and recognize initiative and creativity Set goals and achieve results

4 ORGANIZATIONAL CHART Department Employees Department Management and Staff members work a 40-hour, Monday through Friday schedule; the Shift members of the Operations Division, which includes Battalion Chiefs and station crew members, work a 24-hour shift, based on a unique rotating school schedule. This allows members the ability to continue their college education on their off-duty days on schedules normally adopted by colleges. Battalion I can take advantage of Tuesday/Thursday classes, and Battalion II can avail themselves of Monday/Wednesday classes. This benefits not only the employee, but also the department. 1

5 EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP and MANAGEMENT Executive leadership of the Fire and Emergency Services Department is the responsibility of the Fire Chief. Visioning, planning, managing and successfully positioning the department to meet the current and future emergency needs of our community are vital functions of this position and his staff. Support for the mission is provided by his Administrative Assistant. Our Department Fire Chaplain is also positioned under the fire chief s management. Fire Chief Richard G. Talbert Chief Richard Talbert, with 28 years of fire service experience, began his career with our department in 1995 and moved steadily through the ranks as Battalion Commander, Training Commander and Operations Chief. He was promoted to the position of Titusville s Fire Chief in Chief Talbert maintains a dual role as both Titusville s Fire Chief and our city s Emergency Manager, where he oversees the preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation efforts of the City s Emergency Management Team. Administrative Assistant Kathy Mosley, a 33-year department member, provides direct support assistance to Chief Talbert and, when required, to the division chiefs. She is a part of the department s executive leadership team and she leads and completes special programs and assignments in support of the leadership, management and visioning functions of the department. She also serves in a support role to the Emergency Manager and is the Documentation Unit Leader under the City s Emergency Management Plan. Fire Chaplain John DeVoss, one of our department s community volunteers, has served in this support role since mid He is available 24/7, providing aid and comfort to our community members in times of crisis. He also aids and counsels our employees after particularly difficult emergencies and participates with us in special programs and on department committees. 2

6 OPERATIONS DIVISION The Operations Division contains the largest staffing component of the department. It is responsible for the management of and response to emergency situations, the training and skills maintenance of its members and the maintenance of its apparatus and equipment and supervising the clerical personnel needed to support its responsibilities. Operations Chief Alex Kracun joined the department in 2003 and was promoted to his present position in With 33 years of total fire service experience, he oversees the operational aspects of the department and directly supervises the EMS/Training Chief, the shift Battalion Chiefs and the Volunteer Coordinator. He is a member of the department s executive leadership team and also serves as the Fire Branch Director under the City s Emergency Plan. Clerical Assistant/Volunteer Coordinator LaWanda Park leads the clerical support component of the Operations Division. As Volunteer Coordinator, she also directs the work and functions of our cadre of members who serve the department as community volunteers. She is the department s designated computer power user, assisting team members with overcoming computer challenges and is the administrator of our statistical data-base program. Our department is fortunate to have had the assistance and dedication of community members over the past three years. They assist us in many ways, allowing us to meet our mission parameters. They have proven themselves to be invaluable in the help they provide. 3

7 The majority of our resources, tangible and human, are dedicated to the Operations Division. Our community primarily interacts with our department through the services provided by this division. We are recognized as one of the most aggressive interior fire organizations in our county. Our firefighters are willing to push the envelope to maintain the safety of those requiring emergency service. Battalion Chief Dave Again Battalion Chief David Again is a 15-year employee. With 35 years of total fire service experience, he leads the operations of Battalion 1. In addition, he also oversees the maintenance and repair of the department s apparatus. Battalion 1 Station #10 FF/Paramedic Colon, Lieutenant Neeld, D/O Hitt 4

8 Titusville s firefighters operate on a rotating 24-hour shift, grouping personnel in 3 shifts, called battalions. During each 24-hour period, the control of shift activities is overseen by a battalion chief, supervising the activities of 4 fire stations and their personnel, and providing command presence at emergency incidents. Battalion 1 Station #11 FF/Paramedic Lindquist, FF Hogue, D/O-Paramedic Colquhoun, Lieutenant Steinmetz The immediate supervision provided at each station is by the station lieutenant. The crew under the lieutenant s command is comprised of driver-operator(s) and fire fighter(s). Number of bicycle accidents: 9 Pedestrian accidents: 22 Bicycle versus motor vehicle: 4 Bicycle versus stationary object: 1 Falls from bicycles: 4 Average age of bicyclist: 34 years Battalion 1 Station #12 Lieutenant Williams, D/O-Paramedic Marfitt, FF Pierce, FF Dixon 5

9 Most emergencies in Titusville (66%) occur between the hours of 8 a.m. and 7 p.m.; 15% occur between 8-midnight, with the remaining 19% split almost evenly between midnight and 7 a.m. Among the days of the week, emergency calls are generally consistent, with incidents occurring at a slightly higher rate on Saturdays. These trends mimic almost exactly the breakdown of the same statistical data sets in Poisonings/ Drug Ingestions: 54 Carbon Monoxide Incidents: 3 Battalion 1 Station #13 FF/Paramedic Ellis, D/O McIntyre, FF Hall, Lieutenant Brown, D/O Irving 6

10 Battalion Chief Scott Gaenicke serves as Battalion 2 s chief officer during its 24-hour shift. In addition, he serves as the department s Public Information Officer (PIO), interfacing with the media and our community concerning department responses and actions and notifications. Battalion Chief Scott Gaenicke Battalion 2 Number of vehicle accidents: Battalion 2 Station #10 FF Strong, Lieutenant Blankenship, D/O-Paramedic Higginbotham 308 7

11 Bomb Threats/ WMD Calls: 14 Educational Institutions: 8 Commercial: 4 Residential: 1 Government Institutions: 0 Battalion 2 Station #11 Lieutenant Feagan, D/O Chiles, FF/Paramedic Ford Beach: 1 Casualties from Fires Firefighters: 0 Civilians: 0 Number of drownings: 0 Titusville s Fire Fighters: Average age: 38.2 years 2-Year Degrees: 13 4-Year Degrees: 4 # of Paramedics: 21 Battalion 2 Station #12 FF Abernathy, Lieutenant Threlkeld, D/O-Paramedic Einkopf 8

12 Battalion 2 Station #13 FF-Paramedic House, D/O Carpentier, FF Griffith, Lieutenant Mako, FF/Paramedic Kozielski Titusville s Fire and Emergency Services Department is an all-hazard department, responding to diverse emergency and service situations ranging from fires to vehicle accidents to medical calls and to bio-hazard emergencies. Our department also prides itself on its level of non-emergency services to our community members, such as patient lift assists, emergency water shut-offs, and rescuing cats in trees continued the trend of the past decade, representing an overall increase of 3.10% in emergency response call requests over 2004 and a 27.62% increase in call volume over the last decade. 9

13 Battalion Chief Rod Donhoff A 4-year employee, Battalion Chief Donhoff leads the activities of Battalion 3. He also monitors and oversees the ordering and stocking of the department s emergency medical supplies and equipment. Battalion 3 Station #10 D/O Litterilla, Lieutenant Woodward, FF Duncan Of structure fires responded to in 2005, smoke detectors were present in 48% of the structures. Of those structures having smoke detectors, 68% of the detectors operated correctly, warning occupants of the presence of the fire. Of the 32% of smoke detectors that failed to operate correctly, 89% of the failures were due to missing/dead batteries. The cause of the inoperability of the remaining 11% was undetermined. 10

14 Fire crews conduct inspections of the city hydrants, checking for operability and maintenance issues. Any deficiencies are referred to the Water Resources Department for repair. Inspections were curtailed during 2005 due to a restructuring of internal operations and the department s acknowledgement of the nation s fuel shortage. Battalion 3 Station #11 Lieutenant Ford, D/O Kohler, FF Caron Battalion 3 Station #12 Lieutenant Jones, D/O-Paramedic Armstrong, FF Johnson, FF Neeld Battalion 3 Station #13 Firefighter Smith, Lieutenant Perry, FF/Paramedic Woodward, FF/Paramedic Chamberlain, D/O-Paramedic Cody 11

15 EMS/Training Chief Bob Allard joined the department in late 2004, bringing with him over 20 years of experience. In addition to his responsibility for providing training to divisional personnel in skills maintenance of mandated and desired training areas, he is also our department s Medical Quality Assurance Officer, Safety Officer and Infectious Disease Control Officer. The majority of emergency calls responded to by the department fall within the emergency medical service fields. All Titusville fire stations now provide advanced life support, an enhanced level of emergency care to the members and guests of our community. Average median patient age for calls for emergency medical service was 58 years of age (Titusville s median population age: 42.3 years). Of the 256 cardiac calls we responded to, 51 involved cardiac arrest There were 149 Pediatric (0-9 years of age) emergency medical service calls Of 365 trauma calls, 34 were severe enough to warrant requests for emergency transport via helicopter. The majority of these cases were head and severe injuries caused by vehicle/ motorcycle crashes 12

16 A firefighter requires numerous training hours, both practical and classroom, to maintain his/her competency in the most dangerous profession in the United States. Professionalism is attained through diligent training, learning new skills and undergoing refresher training of previously mastered skill sets. State and federal requirements also mandate continual training in the diverse areas that now comprise the responsibility of today s modern firefighter. Some of the mandated training topics include: Confined space rescue Automobile extrication Self-contained breathing apparatus fit testing/use Driver training May Day training Hazardous materials training EMS training Water rescue Firefighting skills/practices Supervisory skills Also monitored throughout the year is the physical fitness of our firefighters. Their level of physical readiness to respond to the rigors of their emergency responsibilities is maintained by daily exercise regimes and measured annually through physical examinations and physical agility performance testing, often referred to as the toughest two minutes in sports because of the level of exertion and stamina required to complete the allotted tasks. These tasks mimic firefighter skill sets required and demonstrated during actual emergencies. 13

17 ADMINISTRATION SERVICES DIVISION The Administration Services Division consists of three sections fire prevention, public education and budgeting/logistics. The Division is led by Division Chief/Fire Marshal Chuck Bogle, a 20-year veteran of the department. As Fire Marshal, he oversees the functions of the fire prevention section dealing with fire code compliance and the injury/prevention aspects of the public education section. He serves as our department s chief financial officer and is the lead of our department s budgetary team. He is a member of the fire chief s executive management team and also serves as the department s second-in-command. In addition to his regularly assigned duties, he provides leadership in emergency support functions, serving as the Operations Section Chief within the City s Emergency Management operations. He is also the emergency management Region V statewide coordinator for the Florida Fire Chiefs' Association. Fire Inspector Justin Chase Fire Inspector Mark Whorton Fire Inspectors Chase and Whorton, with 8 years of combined experience, perform commercial life safety, preliminary license, hood system and alarm system inspections. They are also instrumental in validating the continued safety of our schools, working in conjunction with the Brevard County School Board to conduct annual fire safety inspections of our city s educational facilities. Part of their responsibilities also include examination of site, building, sprinkler, alarm and hood plans. An eight-year employee, Clerk Jackie Elmore provides direct support to this division and maintains commercial fire inspection records from the data-entry through the billing and collection process. She also supports the activities of the public education section. 14

18 Fire prevention must be the primary focus for the reduction of fire losses. An accidental fire that never starts is a success. This division enforces the city fire codes through a proactive plans review process, construction/system inspections and annual commercial life safety inspections. Fire codes are designed to prevent fires and limit the spread of accidental fires that do occur. Our customers expect enforcement of the fire codes to prevent the horrific tragedies of our past national experience. This division also follows up on false alarms initiated by automatic alarm systems and addresses the correction of such system malfunctions or works in conjunction with our police department for investigation/prosecution if malicious intent is involved. Plans Examined Site Plans: 103 Building Plans: 49 Sprinkler Plans: 9 Alarm Plans: 19 Hood Plans: 8 Other Inspections Sprinkler: 38 Alarm: 20 Hood: 4 False fire calls are not only a waste of resources, they also comprise a needless danger to firefighters who respond in emergency mode. In 2005, the department responded to 282 false fire calls, resulting either from malicious intent or malfunctioning automatic fire alarms. It is our mission to stop false calls either through prosecution of the perpetrators or repair of malfunctioning systems. Those structures that experience 3 or more false calls within a 9-month period are also assessed a false alarm fee. 15

19 A 25-year employee, Life Safety Specialist Reggie Belle is responsible for conducting and managing our life safety and injury prevention programs within Titusville. Our department is proactive in developing and providing injury prevention and safety strategy programs to help protect the members of our community. Working with local partners in both the civic and business arenas and through other state and federal grant opportunities, we offer a wide range of prevention programs dealing with fire, weather emergencies, elderly safety, vehicle occupant protection, and bicycle and pedestrian safety. Through our programs in 2005, we continued to provide safety training and distributed smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, child safety seats and bicycle helmets. Bicycle Helmets Distributed: 256 Child Seat Events: 14 Child Seat Classes: 34 16

20 Logistics Chief Amy Spillers is a 25-year veteran of the department. She facilitates the maintenance of our buildings and the operability of our systems within the department s Headquarters facility and four fire stations. She requisitions vehicles, apparatus, protective clothing, protective equipment and uniforms and supplies. Chief Spillers is a member of the department s budgetary team, providing oversight of the department s budget and expenditures. Secretary Diane Parker, an 11-year member of the department, provides clerical support for the Budgeting/Logistics section. She supports the financial aspects of the department, such as purchasing, reconciliation, payroll and maintenance of the department s fiscal records. The budgeting/logistics section handles all procurement for goods and services under $1,000, unlimited purchase orders from contracts, procurement of professional services, and specification development for apparatus and other contracts. Our goal is to continue to improve procurement processes that reduce processing times and increase quality of services by making repetitive purchasing of goods and services available through contracts and increased communication with end-user divisions. Our department manages to the bottom line, ensuring that we provide the level of services established by our City Council within the budgetary parameters approved. As approximately 89% of our budget is required for personnel costs, it is helpful to gain an understanding of how the remaining budgeted funds are expended. These charts are indicative of the myriad of other expenditure categories and subcategories that support department operations. 17

21 In 2005, our department initiated our Point-of-Contact Survey Program. This survey measures our citizens satisfaction with the service they directly received when we responded to their emergency calls, performed fire inspections, or provided them with injury prevention/public education presentations and information. The chart below is indicative of our customers overall Although some service area questions were specific to the type of service/emergency response the department provided, in general the service areas surveyed included: arrived promptly and performed quickly, were professional, were knowledgeable, were courteous and friendly, explained and answered questions, were attentive to their needs, inspired confidence, were approachable and provided additional information and/or referrals to provide additional services/assistance. In addition, we also requested our customers provide us with information on the protective safety measures they employ during their daily lives: 85.4% of the respondents were residents of the city; the remaining were visitors or out-of-city business owners 67.6% of the respondents had developed a family exit plan in case of emergencies 93.3% of the respondents had smoke detectors installed within their homes 62.1% of the respondents also had carbon monoxide detectors installed within their homes Of those who responded that they had guns within their homes, 59.3% reported they used gun locks on them Only 47.4% had knowledge or prior training in administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) 97.9% reported using seat belts when driving and 61.46% placed their children in child restraint seats Only 60.4% of the respondents use helmets when riding bicycles 18

22 MILESTONES AND ACHIEVEMENTS To remain the best it can be, organizations must continually challenge themselves to enhance and improve their organizations. Organizations are at their most vulnerable when they have achieved the benchmarks they have set for themselves; resting on its successes and failing to keep trying to do better and raise the bar leads to complacency. Titusville Fire and Emergency Services takes pride in the success of our organization and we recognize the best time to reach higher is when we are at the top of our game. This proactive approach keeps us striving to remain innovative and employ best practices. Created Department Master Plan for Achieved full department NIMS-700 certification compliance of its employees Completed the monumental task of revising and reformatting our standard operating guidelines and procedures Continued participation with Titusville High School in their mentoring program for future firefighters; our paramedic employees provided preceptor services to training paramedics Initiated monthly government television program, DID YOU KNOW, providing information and education on injury prevention and safety issues Initiated MAYDAY firefighter safety training as part of annual training emphasis Entered into community care partnership with Parrish Medical Center Initiated Vial-of-Life Program Provided flu inoculations for community members Initiated Point-of-Contact Survey Program 19

23 Other Programs Made Possible by the Support of our Community (Donated Goods/Services/Second Party Donations/Reimbursements) Vials of Life Program: Parrish Medical Center Child Safety Seats: FDOT Traffic Safety Div. Life Safety Conference: Safe Kids of Brevard Bicycle Helmets: Safe Kids of Brevard Preschool Instructor s Fire Safety Guidebook: Fine Line Printing 1925 American LaFrance Restoration: SCCAACA, Community, and Businesses Water Rescue Water Craft: Law Loaner Program Safety Items: North Brevard Charities Secured thermal imager camera, which places cameras on 3 of our frontline apparatus Secured Anemometers for all stations for use during weather emergencies Secured replacement CO monitors Secured water craft unit replacement for water safety initiative Secured funding for SERV (special emergency response vehicle), allowing patient access within trails, parks and for use during large-crowd special events Led by the Space Coast Antique Auto Club of America, 2005 represented the culmination of a 4-year restoration project of Titusville s Engine One, a 1925 American LaFrance fire pumper, our city s first mechanized firefighting apparatus. Poised to be placed into service by the end of February 2006, our department received funding for replacement of its only transport-capable vehicle. Our 2006 Excellance Ambulance has been received and is currently undergoing equipment mounting, communication equipment installation and final detail work. The unit will be placed in service at Station #13 and the existing unit will be moved to another station. A community partnership between our city and Parrish Medical Center allowed this unit to become a reality. Purchased as part of our department s vehicle replacement plan, with service placement expected the end of February 2006, is our department s latest apparatus, Ferrara s Intruder II fire engine. The unit has been received and is currently undergoing equipment mounting, communication equipment installation and final detail work. The unit will be placed in service at Station #11 and the existing unit will be moved to a reserve status. Secured through the Division of Forestry, the department is in the process of repainting and retrofitting a military 6x6 vehicle to provide brush firefighting capabilities. This unit will replace our existing brush truck unit. 20

24 TRUCK E-One HP/75 Quint 1500 GPM Hale pump w/500 gallon tank 500 HP Cummins Diesel Engine Allison Transmission TRUCK E-One HP/75 Quint 1500 GPM Hale pump w/500 gallon tank 500 HP Cummins diesel engine Allison transmission ENGINE Ferrara Intruder II 1250 GPM Hale pump w/750 gal. tank 400 HP Cummins diesel engine Allison transmission ENGINE Pierce Custom contender 1250 GPM Watrous pump w/750 gallon tank 350 HP Cummins diesel engine Allison transmission RESCUE Excellance Chevy Duramax 4500C Ambulance 21