Fire and Emergency Services Department

Transcription

1 Fire and Emergency Services Department Student Natalie Taylor & Firefighter/Paramedic Shawn Holbrook

2 Motto: Service doesn t come from a manual it comes from the heart. As a member of our community for many years, it is my privilege and honor to represent Titusville Fire and Emergency Services Department. We hope that the information provided in our 2007 Annual Report helps you better understand all of our services and responsibilities as an all hazards service provider. Our team members take great pride in providing these services to our community. As you will see in our report, the services and responsibilities we provide extend well beyond just fire and emergency medical services and many are available 24 hours a day, every day. Unfortunately, providing services costs money and this past year our department was financially impacted by tax reform and appears that we may be affected in coming years as well. We understand the community s concern with the rising costs of living (i.e. food, energy, gas, insurance, taxes, etc.) and the impact it has on their quality of life. Each year, our department also struggles to provide the same level of services with rising costs, expanding areas of responsibilities and shrinking revenues. That s why we continually work hard to build relationships with other community service providers to improve our service delivery system. It is our goal to preserve the public confidence and trust that the community has in our department by continuing to provide efficient and effective emergency services. We believe that our services are second to none and are always available to assist in preserving your quality of life. In your service, Charles R. Bogle 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 As we noted in our annual report last year the only constant is change. Change was the watchword again during Long-term fire chief, Richard Talbert, resigned to accept the top position with South Walton Fire District and our former fire marshal and city community development director Charles Bogle assumed the Titusville Fire and Emergency Services top position as Fire Chief. Chief Bogle became the department s 5th fire chief in November of Detailed in other sections of this annual report are the changes necessitated by property tax reform initiative, which will alter the organizational chart seen below in the upcoming year. 1

5 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. Support for this mission is provided by the Administrative Assistant. Fire Chief Charles R. Bogle Fire Chief Chuck Bogle joined Titusville Fire and Emergency Services as a firefighter in 1986, promoting through the positions of Lieutenant, Battalion Lieutenant and Acting Operations Chief. He achieved the rank of Division Chief/Fire Marshal, overseeing the fire inspection and the public education sections of the department. As division chief, he also served as the department s Financial Manager, monitoring the expenditures of the department and assisting with long range budget forecasting. As division chief, he served as the second-in-command of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. At the request of the City Manager, he assumed the position of Community Development Director in mid-2005, overseeing the functions and activities of the Building, Planning, Engineering, Economic Development and Neighborhood Services divisions. He served in this capacity for 2 years before accepting the position of Fire Chief in November of As Fire Chief, Chief Bogle also fulfills the function as the City s Emergency Manager, directing emergency mitigation, response and recovery efforts city-wide. His education credentials include a B.S. Degree in Business Administration, A.S. Degree in Fire Science, State of Florida Fire Inspector, State of Florida Fire Officer I, State of Florida Pump Operator, and State of Florida Emergency Medical Technician certification. Administrative Assistant Kathy Mosley, a 35-year department member, provides direct support assistance to the position of Fire Chief and 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/liaison 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 The Operations Division contains the largest staffing component of the department. It is responsible for the management and response to emergency situations, the training and skills maintenance of its members, the maintenance of its apparatus and equipment and the supervision of the clerical personnel needed to support its functions and responsibilities. The Operations Chief oversees the operational aspects of the department and directly supervises the EMS/Training Chief, the shift Battalion Chiefs and the Volunteer Coordinator. Operations Chief Mike Woodward, who has 15 years of fire service experience, leads the division. 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. He joined our department in 1995 and was promoted to the position of Operations Chief in Clerical Assistant/Volunteer Coordinator LaWanda Park leads the clerical support component of the Operations Division. As Volunteer Coordinator, she directs the work and functions of our cadre of citizen members who serve the department as community volunteers. She is also the department s designated computer power user, assisting team members with overcoming computer challenges and is the administrator of our statistical data-base program. Once again, our community volunteers were an essential part of our operational success. In 2007, these talented and valued individuals contributed 2, hours of their personal time to assist with varied duties: receptionist, cartographer, logistics specialist, author, proofreader, party planner, filing specialist, spreadsheet enthusiast and much, much more! 3

7 The majority of our resources, tangible and human, are dedicated to the Operations 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. But, we are also not afraid to show our softer side, displaying empathy and compassion to those in need. It s all about providing what is needed by our citizens lives in support of their needs. The effectiveness of this division, however, is dependent upon all other support elements of our department. This necessitates a high degree of teamwork among the divisions and between the various levels of our organization. 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, who supervises the activities of four fire stations and their personnel, and provides command presence at emergency incidents. The immediate supervision provided at each station is by the station lieutenant. The crew under the lieutenant s command is comprised of driver-operators and firefighters. Battalion Chief Rod Donhoff Battalion I Station #10 L-R: Firefighter/Paramedic Tommy Duncan, Lieutenant Bob Steinmetz, Driver-Operator Chris Hitt A 5-year employee, with 20 years of firefighting background, Battalion Chief Donhoff leads the activities of Battalion 1. Also qualified as a paramedic, his additional responsibilities include monitoring and overseeing the ordering and stocking of the department s emergency medical supplies and equipment. 4

8 Number of bicycle accidents: 21 Bicycle versus motor vehicle: 13 Falls from bicycles: 8 Average age of bicyclist: 39 years Battalion 1 Station #11 Firefighter//Paramedic Chad Lindquist, Driver-Operator John McIntyre, Lieutenant Brian Litterilla Pedestrian accidents: 10 Our department cultivates working relationships and enters into assistance agreements with other fire service agencies in our area. When the emergency is unusually large in scope or if multiple events are occurring simultaneously, requiring additional personnel and resources, mutual aid is requested from other local jurisdictions. Number of vehicle accidents: 375 Aid Provided to Brevard County: 8 Structure Fires: 1 Motor Vehicle Accident: 2 EMS: 1 Motor/Vehicle Fires: 2 Wildfires: 2 Aid Received from Brevard County: 3 Structure Fires: 1 Motor Vehicle Fire: 1 Aircraft Fires: 1 Aid Received from Other Agencies: 1 Aircraft Fire: 1 Battalion 1 Station #12 L-R: Firefighter/Paramedic Chris Colon, Driver-Operator/ Paramedic Alan Colquhoun, Lieutenant Mike Chiles 5

9 Battalion 1 Station #13 L-R: Firefighter Josh Hall, Driver-Operator Richard Irvine, Lieutenant/ Paramedic Dave Williams, Driver-Operator/Paramedic Geoff Armstrong, Firefighter/Paramedic Dan Ellis Poisonings/Drug Ingestions: 44 Carbon Monoxide Incidents: 0 Response time has long been a performance benchmark for Fire and EMS systems. Establishing time as one of the benchmarks is an offshoot of studies which verify that the longer it takes for emergency responders to intervene in most medical emergencies, the worse the emergency continues to get, resulting in less desirable and often irreversible outcomes for patients. This is especially true of patients experiencing cardiac, stroke and trauma events. In cases of cardiac arrest, for example, the heart has stopped and no oxygen is being delivered to the patient s brain. After approximately four minutes without oxygen, irreversible brain damage occurs and the likely hood that a patient can be resuscitated begins to diminish rapidly. The clock begins ticking also at severe trauma events, such as vehicle accidents rapid response is critical in facilitating emergency field treatment and stabilization and transport to a trauma center during the first golden hour. To improve the patient s medical outcome, emergency medical first responders must arrive quickly and begin treatment as one of the first links in the chain of survival model recognized throughout the medical community. Quick response to fire scenes is also critical. Fires have certain points when the temperatures from combustibles feeding the fire begin to double and triple in intensity. What began as a fire measuring 350 F can increase almost instantly to F, creating flashover situations which seriously hamper escape by occupants or rescue by firefighting personnel. The more quickly firefighters can put the wet stuff on the red stuff the more effectively the fire can be stopped at the point of the fire s original and prevented from spreading to other areas within the structure. Our emergency response time has remained around a 4-minute average. We measure from the time the call is dispatched to the point our personnel arrive on scene and make contact with the patient. However, we recognize that changes to our response coverage area size and increases to our patient base impact our future capabilities and the levels of service we can maintain. In 2004, our department s response area was approximately 21 square miles; by 2007 the square mile area had increased to slightly over 30 square miles. In 2000, our population was approximately 41,000, but had increased to 44,506 by the end of The planned construction and staffing of a 5th fire station in the south end of Titusville has been delayed for consideration until at least FY09-10 because of the funding cuts necessitated by the legislative property tax cuts in the fall of This will continue to impact our department s ability to place emergency responders on emergency scenes within the desired optimum time frames. Our department will, however, continue to evaluate other options and opportunities to ensure we continue to provide the best level of emergency services to our community within the resources we have available. 6

10 Battalion Chief Chris Threlkeld Battalion 2 is led by Battalion Chief Threlkeld. He has 17 years of fire service experience, 14 of which have been with Titusville. Also certified as a paramedic, he has been a supervisor for 7.5 years. His position responsibilities also include oversight of our vehicle and equipment maintenance and repair. Battalion 2 Station #10 L-R: Driver-Operator/Paramedic Bridget Kozielski, Lieutenant Frank Neeld, Firefighter Matt Bowman 7

11 Titusville s Fire Fighters: # of Battalion Chiefs: 3 # of Lieutenants: 12 # of Driver-Oper.: 15 # of Firefighters: 21 # also Paramedics: 29 (53.7% of combat) # also EMT: 27 (46.3% of combat) Average age: Years of Service: 2-Year Degrees: 21 4-Year Degrees: years 11.6 (averaged) The combat members of the Operations Division work a 24-hour shift. The recurrence of these shifts during a 6-week schedule is based on a unique rotating school schedule. This allows members the ability to continue their college education on their off-duty days on rotations normally adopted by colleges. Battalion I can take advantage of Tuesday/Thursday classes, and Battalion II can avail themselves of Monday/ Wednesday/Friday classes. Battalion 2 Station #11 L-R: Driver-Operator/Paramedic Tiffany Ford, Lieutenant Rodney Perry, Firefighter/Paramedic Jeremy House, Firefighter Mike Abernathy Number of drownings: 3 Bomb Threats/ WMD Calls: 11 Educational Institutions: 9 Commercial: 2 Battalion 2 Station #12 L-R: Lieutenant Roland Carpentier, Firefighter Jamie Johnson, Driver- Operator/Paramedic Brian Strong 8

12 2007 emergency call statistics reflected our trend of steady increases in calls for emergency service by our community members. 2.16% increase in call volume over 2006, 23.7% increase over last 5 years, 35.6% increase over last 10 years, 73.8% increase over last 15 years, and 130.2% increase over last 20 years. Number of Community Blood Pressures Checked: 1276 Our department provides blood pressure checks at every fire station. In addition, Saturday mornings, we staff 4 community locations to provide this free health service throughout our community: Battalion 2 Station #13 L-R: Driver-Operator/Paramedic Jeff Harris, Lieutenant Bill Feagan, Firefighter Alex Barna, Firefighter/ Paramedic Lucas Senger, Driver-Operator/Paramedic David Higginbotham Publix Store, Inc.: 1925 Knox McRae Dr. Searstown Mall: 3550 S. Washington Ave. Swan Lake Clubhouse: 3406 Skimmer Lane Titusville Highrise: 405 Indian River Avenue 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 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. Our motto: Service doesn t come from a manual it comes from the heart. 9

13 Battalion Chief Daryle Blankenship Battalion 3 Station #10 L-R: Firefighter/Paramedic Brook Smith, Driver- Operator/Paramedic David Cody, Lieutenant Jerry Brown, Firefighter David Neeld Battalion Chief Blankenship is in charge of Battalion 3. He has a total of 27 years of firefighting experience, 24 of which have been with Titusville and 5 in a supervisory capacity. Chief Blankenship is also responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of department facilities. During 2007, 3 aircraft-related incidents occurred, with 1 death reported. The department also provided flight stand-bys for landing of 9 large-capacity jet liners Of structure fires responded to in 2007, smoke detectors were present in only 52% of the structures. Of those present, 28% failed to signal occupants of the presence of fire because of missing/dead batteries. Battalion 3 Station #11 L-R: Firefighter/EMT Matt Johnson, Driver-Operator/Paramedic Doug Chamberlain, Lieutenant/Paramedic Brian Marfitt, Firefighter/EMT Adam Vaknin 10

14 Battalion 3 Station #12 L-R: Firefighter Bobby Crocker, DO/Paramedic Scott Einkopf, Do/Paramedic Brook Smith, Lieutenant Phil Jones Battalion 3 Station #13 L-R: Driver-Operator/Paramedic Randy Moore, Firefighter/Paramedic Shawn Holbrook False fire calls comprise a needless danger to our firefighters who respond in emergency mode to the alarm. In 2007, the department responded to a total of 299 malicious/false fire calls, resulting either from malicious intent or malfunctioning automatic fire alarms. It is our mission to stop false calls, either through prosecuting the perpetrators or mandating repair of alarm systems that continue to malfunction. Battalion 3 Station #13 L-R: Driver-Operator/EMT Wally Kohler, Firefighter/ Paramedic Lisa Caron, Lieutenant/Paramedic Jerry Ford Those structural fire calls that result in 3 or more false calls within a 9-month period are assessed a false alarm fee. 11

15 NOTE: OTHER MEDICAL includes such emergencies as: dizziness, insect stings, heat-related injuries, lightning strikes, patient lift assists, snake bites, etc. EMS/Training Chief Bob Allard is a 3 year employee with over 25 years of experience. In addition to his responsibility overseeing the emergency medical responses of our department and providing training in all disciplines 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. Of 457 trauma calls, 205 required transport to a hospital facility by ground transportation 28 trauma calls were severe enough to call a trauma alert and transport to a certified trauma center via helicopter (56% were caused by vehicle/motorcycle crashes) Department initiated Level 1 Trauma Center transports for 3 patients with severe burns (>10% body surface area) Treated 17 gun shot wounds Responded to 24 stabbings Present at 11 obstetrical events Conducted 1 water rescue Titusville Rescue-13 was utilized for transport in response to 3 EMS calls 350 pediatric calls (0-14 years of age) 76.3% of emergency calls responded to in 2007 by our department fell within the emergency medical service fields. All Titusville fire stations and all of our first-run units provide Advanced Life Support (ALS), an enhanced level of emergency care for our community. Average median patient age of emergency medical service calls in 2007 was 60 years of age: Titusville s median population age is 41 years (2000 census) 12

16 In 2006, Parrish Medical Center was granted Stroke Center Certification. Our emergency responders trained and began evaluating patients under the new protocols, resulting in a percentage of patients assigned Stroke Alert Status so that specialized treatment could begin quickly, improving their survivability and viability for a more positive outcome. During the latter part of 2007, Titusville Fire and Emergency Services participated with Parrish Medical Center s Joint Task Force on Acute Coronary Syndrome Treatment for Code STEMI (S -T elevation myocardial infarction). This is a distinct finding on an electrocardiogram (EKG) that is one benchmark used for diagnosing when a patient is experiencing a true heart attack. At that point the patient is subject to having a heart catheterization completed. PMC is seeking national accreditation as a certified receiving and treating facility for this group of patients. Currently, after initial preparation and stabilization at PMC, the patient is then transported to either Holmes Regional Hospital, Wuestoff Hospital or possibly Florida Hospital Orlando. When their accreditation is complete, PMC will be able to fully carry out all required procedures in-house. Why are we involved with such a program and what does it mean for our citizens? The answer lies in the fact that out-of-hospital emergency medical service providers jump start a huge chain of events. When we answer a call for chest pains, our initial assessment and recognition of the STEMI via 12-Lead EKG can immediately be relayed to PMC s Emergency Department. Upon the concurrence of the ER Physician, the Cath Team is then assembled, while we begin advanced life support treatment on scene and enroute to PMC. This treatment includes the use of oxygen, aspirin, nitroglycerin and morphine sulfate as medical standing orders to be carried out prior to completion of transport. Upon arrival at PMC, the Cath Team takes the patient through a fast and direct route to determine and implement the desired cardiac treatments, up to and including heart catheterization. As with all medical emergencies, the more quickly diagnosis and treatment can begin, the better the outcome for the patient. TFES is excited about being in on this ground level planning in support of PMC s endeavor. The result will enhance the level of medical care provided to our community members and guests of Titusville. 341 (7% of medical calls) were cardiac-related calls 50 of the calls involved cardiac arrest 12 arrested patients were successfully resuscitated by Titusville personnel ᄋ 28 patients were issued Stroke Alert Status and transported to Parrish Medical Center 13

17 Parrish Medical Center and Titusville Fire and Emergency Services have partnered together over the past years, improving the health, safety and welfare of our community and our emergency responders. A decade ago, PMC was there to assist and provide support when our department began enhancing its emergency medical service response delivery from basic life support (emergency medical technician-level) to advanced life support (paramedic-level). Today, we actively assist and support their drive to enhance the medical services available within our community, whether through conducting community CPR classes, providing flu shots, distributing public information and safety equipment or providing pre-hospital emergency responses in alliance with new initiatives such as Stroke Alert or STEMI protocols. We remain committed to supporting their vision: Healing Families Healing Communities. Past PMC-Supported Initiatives Rescue/transport vehicles (frontline and reserve status) SERV (special emergency response vehicle) EMS training lab equipment Training software program (EMS Jane) Station medical reference libraries Employee physicals Employee flu shots Vials of Life Community CPR classes (2008) Automatic external defibrillators Paramedic training Cardiac 12-lead monitors Bicycle helmets Public education and injury prevention materials & programs Matching grant funds 14

18 A firefighter requires numerous training hours, both practical and classroom, to maintain his/her competency level in the most dangerous profession in the United States. Professionalism and firefighter safety is attained through diligent training learning new skills and undergoing refresher training for previously mastered skill sets. State and federal requirements also mandate continual training in the diverse areas that now comprise the responsibilities of today s modern firefighter. Training requirements include: In December of each even calendar year, the State of Florida renews our employees medical certifications (paramedic and emergency medical technician). Renewal approval requires completion of a certain number of training hours in mandated emergency medical refresher training topics. Other federal mandates require additional refresher training in other firefighting categories. Thus, a comparison between the distribution of training skill categories between EMS and other firefighting skills training will show significant fluctuations each year as the department focuses to ensure all employees are up to date on their needed skill hours within the mandated requirements. Confined space rescue Vehicle extrication Aircraft rescue/firefighting Driver training May Day training Hazardous materials training Emergency medical training Water rescue Firefighting skills/practices Biohazard exposure/response Wild fire training 15

19 The Administration Services Division consists of three sections: Fire Prevention/Inspections, Public Education and Budgeting/ Logistics. The Division is led by Administration Division Chief Scott Gaenicke. Chief Gaenicke has been involved in the fire service for 22 years and is a 20-year veteran of Titusville Fire and Emergency Services. He also serves as our department s Public Information Officer. The Division Chief of Administration provides management and oversight of the three sections and serves as our department s chief financial officer and leads our department s budgetary team. He is a member of the fire chief s executive management team. In addition to regularly assigned duties, the Division Chief is also an integral part of city-wide emergency management functions. Fire prevention must be the primary focus for the reduction of fire losses, whether human or structural. An accidental fire that is prevented from starting is a success. Fire codes are designed to prevent fires and limit the spread of accidental fires that do occur. This division enforces the city fire and life safety codes through a proactive plans review process, construction/ system inspections and pre-licensing and annual commercial life safety inspections. 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 or chronic failure to address system failures. The position of Fire Marshal was filled by Fire Marshal Ken Gaines. Hired in 2007, Marshal Gaines brought over 30 years of experience to the position. He was directly involved in reviewing commercial construction and development plans and inspections for adherence to applicable fire safety codes, along with monitoring existing construction for continued code compliance. He also monitored programs and the development of local ordinances to maintain an acceptable level of fire safety and oversaw the activities of the Inspection and Public Education Sections. 16

20 Plans Examined Site Plan: 133 Building Plans: 52 Sprinkler Plans: 35 Alarm Plans: 25 Hood Plans: 9 Rezoning, CUP, 12 Variances System Inspections Sprinkler: 68 Alarm: 49 Hood: 25 Other: 12 Fire Inspector Justin Chase Fire Inspector Mark Whorton Clerical Assistant I (P/T) Ruth Miller Fire Inspectors Chase and Whorton, with 12 years of combined experience within our department, perform commercial life safety, preliminary license, hood system and alarm system inspections. Their responsibilities also include examination of site, building, and fire suppression system (fire sprinkler, alarm and hood) plans. They are also instrumental in validating the continued safety of our schools. Working in conjunction with the Brevard County School Board, they conduct annual fire safety inspections of our city s Clerical Assistant Ruth Miller has supported our department for 5 years (4 as a community volunteer and 1 year as a part-time employee). She provides direct support to this section and maintains our commercial fire inspection records data-entry through billing and collection. She also supports the activities of the Public Education Section. 17

21 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 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. A 26-year employee, Life Safety Specialist Reggie Belle is responsible for conducting and managing our life safety and injury prevention programs within Titusville. Child Passenger Safety Seats Child Seats Distributed: 157 Child Seats Inspected: 269 Our department provides free classes to teach parents and caregivers everything about child restraint seats: why they are needed, their proper installation, the laws governing them, and how to safely restrain infants and children in them. Low income families may also qualify under grants to purchase child seats at reduced pricing. 18

22 Early detection of fire or a build-up of carbon monoxide is critical to escape from their devastating effects. The Public Education Section continues its educational programs on fire safety how to prevent them and what to do when faced with a fire or carbon monoxide exposure. In addition, we have maintained distribution of free smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to low income families. In 2006, alarming studies indicated there are significant differences in the arousal from sleep of children and adults. Traditional alarms, originally tested on adults, do not wake children because of their difference from adults in total sleep time, slower sleep wave patterns, and higher sleep arousal thresholds. In 2007, we added smoke detectors especially designed with children in mind to our educational programs and our distribution program. Through donations, our department is able to distribute free bicycle helmets to local school children. Bicycle Helmets Distributed:

23 Our department manages to the bottom line, ensuring that we provide the levels of service established by our City Council within the budgetary parameters approved. Approximately 87.7% of our general fund budget covers personnel costs, with the remaining devoted to operating and capital costs. Secretary Diane Parker, a 12-year member of the department, provides clerical support for the Administration Chief and the Budgeting Unit. She supports the financial aspects of the department, handling the purchasing, reconciliation, payroll and maintenance of the department s fiscal records. The budgeting unit handles all procurements for goods and services, unlimited purchase orders from contracts, procurement of professional services, grant reconciliations and employee payroll/payroll records. Funding resources for our department are derived from three major sources: Department-designated City General Funding/Capital Outlay, Grants and Community Donations, and First Responder Funds that are derived from a contractual agreement between the City and the County for the first responder services we provide. 20

24 Logistics Specialist Frank Canada has a 22-year background in the fire service. His responsibilities are to facilitate the maintenance and repair of our buildings and the operability of our systems within the department s Headquarters facility and four fire stations. He ensures that all personal protective equipment (PPE) is maintained in good working order, handles all uniform clothing issues, and maintains the operability of and repairs to the department s radio and communication equipment. All department apparatus, ladder, hose and suppression/rescue equipment records are also maintained by this unit. Significant Accomplishments Finalized conversion of Halmatro Extrication System Modified and initiated semi-annual bunker gear cleaning/inspection program (modifications to cleaning methodology saved over $6,000 annually) Completed orders/placed into service department s 07/08 capital outlay items JANUARY: FEBRUARY: MARCH: APRIL: MAY: JUNE: JULY: AUGUST: Administrative Assistant Kathy Mosley DO/Paramedic Geoff Armstrong Clerical Assistant LaWanda Park Fire Inspector Justin Chase Lieutenant Carpentier, Lieutenant Feagan, DO/PM Harris, FF/PM Senger, DO/PM Kozielski, FF/PM House FF/PM Chad Lindquist Lieutenant Mike Chiles DO/PM Alan Colquhoun SEPTEMBER: Lieutenant Phil Jones OCTOBER: Operations Chief Mike Woodward NOVEMBER: DO/PM Tiffany Ford DECEMBER: Clerical Assistant LaWanda Park 21

25 The only thing that remains the same is change In September, 2007 the State-mandated changes to Florida s property tax structure translated to a $2.7M reduction in our City s General Fund. Our Fire and Emergency Services Department is one of the many city departments whose budget is derived from General Fund revenue. City leaders requested each general fund department reduce their budgets by 10%. Because our budget remains pretty lean from a year-to-year basis, our department s management and budget team evaluated how to best meet the fiscal reduction. It was quickly evident that if the full 10% were enacted, it would result in a reduction of core emergency services to our community through lay-offs and reductions of essential staff. We want to thank the City s nonpublic-safety general fund departments. These departments did the unimaginable they increased the percentage of budget cuts in their own departments so that the City could maintain fire, medical and law enforcement emergency response services at the existing levels for our citizens. Our department did cut non-emergency response staff positions within our department, as referenced in the organizational chart below, along with reducing other budget line items and project reductions REDUCTIONS Eliminated position of fire marshal Eliminated position of administrative assistant upon retirement in mid-year Eliminated position of training coordinator Deferred construction and staffing of fire station at south end of city; will continue to evaluate feasibility Deferred replacement of 2 vehicles Reduced training budget by 87.3% On January 29, 2008, additional proposed property tax reductions through the passage of the constitutional tax amendment occurred. What this will mean for the future of Titusville s fire and emergency services is unknown at the completion of this annual report. What our employees and our citizens can depend on is that Titusville Fire and Emergency Services will do everything possible to continue to be the leading provider of emergency services in the community that we serve. 22