Ross Township Fire Department 216 Annual Report
As the Fire Chief of the Ross Township Fire Department, I present to the Board of Trustees this summary of activities for the year 216. I am happy to say that our delivery of emergency services continues to set the standard in the fire service, and continues to be our top priority. 216 again, proved to be a very successful year for the operation of our department. One of the most important capitol assets of the township and its individual departments is a fleet of reliable automotive and fire apparatus. Firefighters depend heavily on the performance and the capabilities of their vehicle when operating to protect life, property and the environment. To maximize these capabilities and minimize the risk of injury, it is imperative that apparatus be equipped with the latest safety features and current operating capabilities. In 216 the department developed a comprehensive apparatus replacement plan to address these issues. The recommendation is to replace a fire engine every 2 years and in reserve for 1 years. Purchase a medic unit every 5 years. With 3 medic units in our fleet this will keep a medic unit in service as a primary unit for 1 years and reserve status for 5 years. The department had conducted an extensive revision of its strategic plan, which was first adopted in 21. A core team of department members worked collaboratively to refresh the organization s commitment to excellence and has developed a path toward future success. By nature, the strategic plan has become elemental in our day-to-day operations of the department. It will require constant review and adjustment to assure continued relevance and focus. The elements of the strategic plan will be managed by the senior leadership of the fire department, but will be implemented by members at various levels of the organization. Fire Prevention continues to be a trademark within our department. Fire safety appearances with our Fire Safety house throughout the Ross Local School district and to the community day care facilities impacted over 8 children and educators. We once again hosted the township s annual open house which showcases our departments. The department also has been very involved with civic activities within the township such as the Black Rd. Community 4 th of July Parade, Brown s Market annual Mud Volleyball Tournament which benefits the Wounded Warrior Project and the Muscular Dystrophy Camp at Camp Campbell Gard. The department responded to 1,365 calls for emergency and non-emergency assistance. This is an increase of 9% or up 11 incidents from last year. There were 14 calls for EMS which represents 76% of our total response. Our Paramedic/EMT s transported over 587 patients for treatment to area hospitals. Our average response time to these incidents was 5 minutes and seconds. The Ross Township Fire Department prides itself on being very proactive, efficient, and exceptionally effective in our delivery of services. We are an exemplary organization thanks to the support of our great community. I want to thank all of the men and women of the Fire Department for their continued support and commitment to the mission of this department. Respectfully, Chief Steve Miller, OFE
EMERGENCY ACTIVITY Ross Township Fire Department responded to 1,365 incidents, up 11 more than in 215. The year also showed a decrease of structural fires with minimal increase of dollar loss compared to the years past. Total fire loss for these incidents totaled $97,5. Of these incidents, a total valuation of these structures or property amounted to $554,5. This equates to saving $457, in property value or saving 82.42% of the fires that we responded to. These incidents included the extinguishment of fires, treatment and extrication at vehicular accidents, fire alarms, weather related incidents, providing Advanced Life Support (paramedics) techniques and hospital transport at medical emergencies. The department also provides mutual aid response to our neighboring departments in accordance with the Mutual Aid Agreement through the Butler County Emergency Management Agency. Our two strategically located Fire Stations utilized a combination of part time and volunteer firefighters. 4 Part time firefighters staff both stations 7 days a week during the day time hours. Our volunteer members provide service when available. Currently there are 53 members on the fire department roster. Of those 53 members, only 8 are volunteer members. 7 YEAR COMPARISON OF DOLLAR LOSS 216 $97,5 215 $261,6 214 $112,236 213 $12,5 212 $1,894,876 211 $843, 21 $499, Total Incidents by Year 14 1255 1365 12 19 171 1 937 832 933 8 6 4 2 21 211 212 213 214 215 216
: 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6: 7: 8: 9: 1: 11: 12: 13: 14: 15: 16: 17: 18: 19: 2: 21: 22: 23: Fire Department Alarm Time Analysis 12 1 8 6 4 2 216 Incidents Call Type Fires 54 MVA's 8 Weather 9 False Calls 42 Good Intent 79 Rescues 9 EMS 848 Service Call 35 Hazardous Medical Assist Condition 27 192 216 Incidents by Day of the Week 25 2 15 177 179 152 179 196 24 168 1 Total for Day Day Shift 5 Night Shift
FIRE PREVENTION The Department responded to 54 working fires in 216. This includes working fires outside of our respective area. Total fire loss for 216 was $97,5. I am pleased to announce that as a result of fires during 216 there were no civilian injuries and no firefighter injuries or deaths. The department responded to 21 structure fires and 7 vehicle fires in 216. The department conducted 8 fire investigations. A total of 43 fire inspections were conducted in commercial facilities in 216. The department participated in many fire safety education programs and appearances which impacted over 8 individuals. Fire Safety programs were conducted throughout the month of October at Elda Elementary and the township s open house. Several public education classes were also conducted on a needed basis for local scout troops. On as needed basis, CPR classes were held for our township residents. These classes are offered at a minimal cost covering the cost of the CPR card and a pocket CPR mask. The Safe Seniors Program that was implemented in 214 is continued throughout 216. A goal for the department is for our seniors to be prepared for a medical emergency. Establishing a patient and EMS provider relationship prior to calling 911 can help in a true emergency. When enrolling in the Safe Senior Program a fire department official will come to the residence to conduct an initial visit. This visit will be to enroll a resident into the program. Personnel will gather all necessary medical and personal information and inspect the home for all possible fire hazards and fall hazards. The official will also help determine the frequency at which the department will visit to monitor the health and correct any hazards throughout the home of needed. The department wants to make certain that our senior residents are prepared and taken care of in a passionate and professional way. All of the valuable and information and care is provided FREE of charge to our residents.
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES In 216, the Ross Twp. Fire Department upheld our long standing tradition of being there for our residents and guest of our township when they are in need. This year saw us respond to 1,4 calls for medical assistance. These calls range from very minor or serious medical needs and can involve anything from cardiac arrest to fractures and serious trauma. It is because of the dedication of our members that we can provide quality care in a timely manner. Since our first ambulance call in 1969, the Ross Twp. Fire Department has transported tens of thousands of patients to local emergency rooms. We started out as a basic life support agency then transitioned to advance life support in the early 199 s. If you haven t seen in the patient compartment of one of modern ambulances lately you would be truly impressed. We refer to our ambulances as mobile emergency rooms because we carry many of the same pieces and medicines that are used in the ER s. In 216 the department had seen 1,4 patients and transported 587 of those patients to local area hospitals. While we are proud of the care we have given the sick and injured. Our transport activity also provides an additional benefit; revenue. Working in conjunction with our billing agency, Medicount Management, we are able to recover funds from patients insurance companies in order to underwrite the rising cost of providing paramedic transport services. As one can imagine it takes many months of training and years of experience to become a top notch paramedic or EMT. We are proud to say that our department exceeds the minimum training mandates listed by the Ohio Department of Public Safety Division of EMS. We offer medical training in house by our Continuing Education Instructors. Treating medical emergencies and traumatic injuries require skill, intelligence and equipment. Lots of equipment! Why? The simple fact is that every day and night we don t know what our crews will be faced with. Our department strives to equip our front line ambulances with cutting edge technology in order to save lives. This objective is costly and takes time to regulate and administer, but is worth every penny spent. Every ambulance in each of our stations has the ability to handle a wide range of EMS incidents. In fact our department was one of the first in our county to equip our ambulances with the new Lucas2 automatic chest compression machines. 1975 Ambulance 214 Ambulance
Abdominal Pain Allergic Reaction Altered Mental Assault Threatning Suicide Auto Accident Back Pain Breathing Problem Burns Cardiac Arrest Chest Pain Choking Seizure Diabetic DIZZY DOA Drowning EMS Lift Assist Fall Victim Head Injury Headache Heart Problems Hemorrhage Intoxicated OB/GYN Emergency Overdose Preganancy Psychiatric Problem Sick Person Stroke / CVA Syncopal Episode Traumatic Injury Unresponsive Unknown Injury UTI vertigo with WEAKNESS Fire Department Hospital Designations 3 276 25 2 179 15 1 5 1 1 3 14 16 4 6 5 2 8 15 1 8 17 1 17 1 Transport by Age 4 323 253 2 18 Pediatric ( - 13) Adult (14-64) Senior (65+) 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
TRAINING If we agree with a risk manager s quote predictable is preventable, then one of the primary ways that we can avoid or minimize our risks is through training. The department continues to make training one of our top priorities. Our training program can essentially be separated into three segments. The first is medical training. After initial education, this ensures that our members receive their continuing education to maintain all of their levels of licensure. This also allows them to stay current with developments and innovations in EMS care. The second part of the training program is fire and technical in nature. These programs include firefighting skills, technical rescue skills, extrication, and so forth. The third portion of the training system is personnel and leadership development. Through officer training, we ensure that our younger members are prepared for the future. Through this succession planning, we are developing our leaders of tomorrow, today. The department participated in 1,33 hours of training covering 47 different classes. The department continued its mission committed to responding to incidents and disasters of all kinds by training members in the before mentioned technical skills including rope rescue and confined space just to name a few. As a Firefighter/EMT/Paramedic in the State of Ohio you are required to have continuing education in each discipline that you are certified to every three years. Certification Level 36 Months (1%) Firefighter 54 Hours Fire Safety Inspector 3 Hours EMT Basic 4 Hours of CE to include 6 Hours Pediatric 2 Hours Geriatric 8 Hours trauma to include the Ohio Triage Trauma Course EMT Paramedic 86 Hours of CE to include 12 Hours of Pediatric 4 Hours Geriatric 6 Hours Cardiac care 8 Hours trauma to in include the Ohio Triage Trauma Course Fire Instructor 6 hours CEU and 24 hours teaching Assistant Fire Instructor 6 Hours CEU and 8 hours teaching Continuing Education 2 Hours of Methodology Instructor 6 Hours of Instructing
MUTUAL AID Although Mutual Aid agreements have been in place for numerous years, never has there been more of a need to participate, train, and respond with other agencies than now. Faced with increased budget cuts, reduced staffing levels, and the complexity of today s calls for emergencies, the Ross Township Fire Department, along with numerous fire departments in Butler County, has recognized the values of mutual aid assistance. It is the responsibility of the fire chief to provide sufficient staffing at working structure fires. This is not to be an argument for the number of personnel on an apparatus or on duty within the department. The department should have the ability to provide at least 15 firefighters at a structure fire within a reasonable time. Mutual aid plays an important role in providing these additional resources. Almost all jurisdictions rely to some extent on mutual aid from surrounding areas to provide firefighting resources on a routine or major emergency basis. On average, the last few years, the department had averaged 12 firefighters on structure fires. Often mutual aid departments were called to the scene once our first arriving apparatus reached the scene. To help resolve this issue, the department developed and implemented an automatic response with our neighboring departments on reported structure fires The fire department has a long history of providing the highest level of life safety and property preservation to the citizens we serve. After several years of requests, our dispatch center, (BCRICS) initiated Unit Dispatching for our department. The concept behind unit dispatching is an advanced and faster response times to most critical calls; structure fires and cardiac arrests. It is our hope that with a decreased response time for emergency personnel to these critical call types, the chances to provide for life saving maneuvers are increased. With our neighboring fire departments, we developed run cards for certain emergency incidents where we will be getting Automatic Aid from them. Automatic Aid erases jurisdictional boundaries for all participating agencies. This means that any time you call the closest appropriate emergency response vehicle to you will be dispatched regardless of where you are inside our dispatch area. This ensures first and foremost that are customers are receiving the highest level of care available in the shortest amount of time, and secondly, allows all participating agencies better use of their resources. Each participating agency must adhere to standard operating policies and procedures which allow multiple agencies to work side-by-side on incidents under one Incident Command. This seamless cooperative effort ensures that the closest most appropriate resources are dispatched without a time or distance delay.
216 Mutual Aid Request 8 76 7 6 57 5 4 3 2 15 16 Recieved Given 1 2 4 1 1 5 6 1 3 3 1 1 New Command Unit Car 1 Assistant Chief Caudill OFE Graduation
216 ACCOMPLISHMENTS 216 was once again proven to be a very good year for our Department and its members. Department Accomplishments Delivery of a 216 Ford Expedition Command Unit replacing a 25 command vehicle. Grant for $2,75 from the Ohio Department of Public Safety to purchase EMS equipment. Grant for $1, from the FEMA Assistance to Firefighter Grant Fire Prevention to purchase smoke and carbon monoxide alarms Assistant Chief Caudill received a $1, in scholarships from the Ohio Fire Chief s Association for the OFE program Captain Chris Johns received a $2,5 in scholarships from the Ohio Fire Chief s Association for the OFE program Ben Alvis and Steve May were promoted to the positon of Lieutenants. Jake Smith Hired full time with Middletown Fire Department Cody Meyer Hired full time with Green Twp. Fire Department Shawn Wurzelbacher received his Bachelor s degree in Sports Management Captain Chris Johns Accepted full time Captain s position with the Oxford Fire Department New Hires Scott Huston, Steve Fawns, Mike Brooks, Rob Embry, Jason Bunger, Eric Schaub, Brandon Sparks, Brandon Cable, Evan Seeley, Paul Bromwell Service Awards 216 1 Years Justin Witte Steve May 5 Years Tracy Teetz Department revised its Strategic Plan for 216-22 Personnel Accomplishments Melissa Schmidt Paramedic certification Justin Boyce Paramedic certification Andy Wilkens - Paramedic certification Charlie Caudill promoted to Lt. with Union Twp. Fire Department Shane Packer Promoted to Captain with Colerain Twp. Fire Department Charlie Caudill Graduated from OFE Chris Johns Accepted into OFE Robby Smith Married Chris Goodin Married Will Haas Birth of son Chris Goodin Hired full time with Hamilton Fire Department
Chief Steve Miller District Chief Dan Young Assistant Chief Charlie Caudill Captain Shane Packer Captain Chris Johns Safety Officer Jim Fletcher Lt. Landen Richey Lt. Steve May Lt. Ben Alvis Lt. Jared Morris Lt. Tom Licata Nick Alvis Ben Alvis Justin Boyce Chris Arnold Brandon Cable Scott Miller Evan Seeley Justin Bogolo Kathy Johns Jon DePrie Paul Bromwell Kirk Fisher Robin Grant Melissa Schmitt Randy Alvis Ron Stenger Nate Holt Tracy Teetz Will Haas Steve May Walt Ritchie Randy Alvis Eric Simon Rick Simmons Robby Smith Cody Meyer J. Waldroff Andy Wilkens Danny Steed Scott Miller Jeremy Witte Shawn Wurzelbacher Justin Moody Justin Witte Tyler Caudill Scott Huston Steve Fawns Mike Brooks Rob Embry Jason Bunger Eric Schaub Brandon Sparks Bret Fogel Resignation Chris Goodin Allen Coley Nathan Reynolds Randy Davenport