October 2012 - City of Richmond

CITY OF RICHMOND - FIRE & EMERGENCY SERVIC ES
Building Bridges
O CTOBER 2 0 1 2
I N S ID E T H I S I S S U E :
Fire Station 17 Ribbon Cutting
1
Humat Valve
2
Employee Spotlight
2
Richmond 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb
5
Technical Rescue
9
2012 Annual Awards
Ceremony
11
2012 Richmond Regional School
13
Fire Station 17 - Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Wednesday, November 7, 2012 at
2PM marked the dedication ceremony
for the newest City of Richmond Fire
Station.
After a little over a year the Fire Station 17 replacement project is finally
complete. The dedication and ribbon
cutting ceremony was well attended.
The Mayor, the Fire Chief, a City
Counsel Person Elect, the Chief Administrative Officer, Deputy CAO’s,
Department Directors, Battalion
Chiefs, Officers, Fire Fighters, Civilian Staff, Neighbors, visitors, and
guest were in attendance.
Almost all of the three shifts from Fire
Station 17 and almost everyone from
Fire Headquarters were also in attendance. Those present appreciated
receiving a special commemorative
pin. The Mayor offered commendation to the men and women of the
Richmond Department of Fire &
Emergency Services for the wonderful work that we perform. The Fire
Chief provided some historical perspectives regarding the Fire Station
17 project. The event activities culminated with the ceremonial cutting of
the ribbon and opening of the bay
doors.
Many individuals helped to make this
dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony a success. Much appreciation to
our staff for making this happen. We
also appreciate the generosity of
Qdoba, Station 2 and Martin’s for donating food items for the ceremony.
Elmond Taylor
Editorial Staff:
Kimberly Wilson
Elmond D. Taylor
Nancy Hall
Robert Hagaman
Christina Smith
Lauren Bonneville
Laura Nunnally
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PAGE 2
Humat Valve
Humat valves were added to the
complement of appliances found
on the new Quint.
Company
training on the Humat valve took
place for three weekends this past
spring. Once the necessary training was complete the Humat
valves were placed in service. In
May field personnel began to work
with the Humat valves and noted
that there was a threading issue
between the valve and some of our
city hydrants. The Humat valves
were taken out of service until all
issues could be resolved.
Over the past six months there
was collaboration between several different agencies to find and
fix the problem with the Humat
valves. Fire Department personnel went out to survey and test
the hydrants in their individual
districts. The personnel were to
insure that the hydrants were
Richmond Special threads and
not National standard
threads. All Hydrant changes
were noted and passed on to the
appropriate agency. The adapters
were sent back to Humat to have
new threads cut to match our
needs. Once the treads had been
cut the adapters were shipped
back to the shop. The shop than
place the adapters back onto the
valve and returned them to the
companies.
As of October 8th all Humat
valves have placed with the assigned companies and are back in
service.
Elmond Taylor
Laura Nunnally
Employee Spotlight: Captain William Beatley
Hometown: Richmond VA (Born
at Stuart Circle Hospital)
Marital Status: Married 25 years
Wife: Frances Sons: Will age 20,
Ben age 16
Hobbies/Activities: Sports with
my sons, fishing, the beach, reading, Muscle Cars, Classic rock/
Southern rock.
How long have you worked for
the City/Fire Department? 27
years
What were your jobs before joining the Fire Department? Worked as Parts Dept.
Manager and Sales for Beatley
Equipment, Inc. Dad’s business. Selling forklifts.
How did you become interested
in working for the Department
and what is your favorite part
about working here? I started
volunteering with Goochland
County Fire Dept. We used to always listen to “The Bureau” on the
scanner. Wow, Richmond was big
time! Two fellow firefighters said
“let’s go take the City test”. We
did, I got hired by the City, they
got hired by Chesterfield FD.
How would your co-workers
describe you? I am really afraid
to know what they say! I would
like to think that I am FAIR
(Chief Ron Lewis told me that
when he promoted me to LT) and
that I do have an attention to detail.
What is your proudest accomplishment while working
here? Personal accomplishment
would be achieving the rank of
Captain. I also hope that I made
an impact on people in the Department when I was a LT assigned to Fire Training. I was
blessed to teach alongside Captain Skip Liverman. Don’t tell
Chief Pulliam, but I really did
love teaching.
What do you see as some of the
biggest challenges facing the
Department today? The
Department has hired so many
new folks in the past couple of
years. A lot of experienced peo-
ple have retired. The older
members of the Department
need to share and teach this
experience and the newer
members need to file this information into their “tool boxes”.
Kimberly Wilson
B U I LD I N G B R ID G ES
PAGE 3
Employee Spotlight: Russell Jeffrey Cox-Griffin
Full Name: Russell Jeffrey CoxGriffin
Hometown: Harlem, New York
Current City: Richmond, Virginia
Education: Bachelor Degree from
University at Buffalo Teaching Certification from Harvest Institute of St.
Johns University 9 MBA credits from
University of Phoenix
Marital Status: Single (Janai Gall)
Pet (s): A Yorkie/Maltese named
“Yoshi”
Do you have any children? No
Position at the Fire Department:
Firefighter/EMT
Movies: Harlem Nights, Top Gun
Music: House, Hip-Hop, Soul, R&B,
Soft-Rock, Go-Go, “Alternative”,
Jazz. I’ve been listening to a lot of
Elie Goulding, Anthony Hamilton and
House music lately.
Favorite Color: Yellow
Favorite Quote: “...sleep is for those
people who are broke. I don’t sleep. I
have the opportunity to make a dream
become a reality.” –Curtis Jackson
“No one cares how much you know
until they know how much you care”
–R. Cox II.
Jobs before the Fire Department: Before I joined the Fire Department was the Financial Aid Administrator for Berkeley College in
midtown Manhattan. Before that, I
was an Admissions Counselor at the
University of Phoenix (Jersey City
Campus). Prior to that I was a Job
Training Specialist (Vocational Counselor) for Horizon Health Services
in Buffalo, NY.
What do you enjoy doing with your
family? I enjoy down time with my
family. You have to be thick-skinned
to be in the Cox family. We enjoy
cracking jokes, clowning around, singing and dancing throughout the house.
Holidays are especially nice because
the elements of Sports, Food, and Personalities all converge on one home
and wreak havoc for a day or two.
Scary Movies or Happy Endings? As much as I enjoy scary movies, I have a soft spot for “chik flix”
and happy endings (shhhhhh, don’t tell
anyone, lol).
Do you cry at movies? If so, which
movies make you cry? Ha! Good
luck getting that one out of me, lol.
What would you do if you had a
million dollars? Do I have to pay
taxes on that? I’d call my line brother
and discuss the best way to invest and
make it work for itself.
Are you a good dancer? I’m a
GREAT dancer.
Favorite Dessert? Anything with
pecans or almonds or walnuts and
coconut. German Chocolate cake is
riding pretty high on that list.
If your life was a song, what would
the title be? “Did That Just Happen?!?!”
What was your most embarrassing
moment? I don’t really get embarrassed.
What is your favorite part about
working at The Richmond Fire
Dept? We are “occupational athletes”.
It feels like we’re on a sports team
when hanging around the station,
training, running calls. When the tones
go off, it’s “Game Time”. I Love that!
Where do you see yourself 5 years
from now? RICH! Just kidding... In
five years I will have been eligible for
promotion so I see myself wearing a
White Shirt. I see myself married with
children. I see me owning a home and
no longer renting. I see a business venture or two off the ground and running.
I see a pretty NEW truck, lol... I see me
having an impact in my community
beyond just my occupation.
How would your co-workers describe
you? A man who walks to the beat of
his own drum.
What is your proudest accomplishment while working at The Fire Department? In my, almost, two years
with the Richmond Fire Department, I
have been a part of 5 different successful life saving efforts; people who, had
we not responded with the speed, efficiency and poise of which we were
trained, may have otherwise not been
here today. If I had to pinpoint one singles accomplishment it would be my
first official rescue which happened on
Northside, in Gilpin Court, this summer
at approx 2:30am. We forced entry into
an apartment with smoke banked down
to the floor, a mother passed out on the
bathroom floor, and three small children in the back bedroom crying and
coughing. I was able to scoop two of
the kids in each arm and dash out the
building onto the street and calm them
until the ambulance arrived. That was a
surreal feeling to say the least.
Kimberly Wilson
B U I LD I N G B R ID G ES
PAGE 4
Fire Station 17 - Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Kimberly Wilson
PAGE 5
Richmond 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb
The Richmond Fire Department hosted the 2nd Annual Richmond 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb on September
9, 2012. The event was held at the SunTrust Center (919 E. Main St.)
Continued on page 8
B U I LD I N G B R ID G ES
PAGE 6
Employee Spotlight: Erica Kindell
H o m e to w n: Gu m S p ring ,
(Louisa, VA), currently reside in
Varina (Henrico).
Marital Status: Married as of
9.1.2012 to my childhood friend
Demetrias.
Hobbies/Activities:
shopping.
Traveling,
How long have you worked for
the City/Fire Department? 5yrscity/7months in Fire Department
Describe some of your assignments: Department of Fire &
Emergency Services & Richmond
Public Library HR Liaison - HR
Transaction Form; Recruitment
Requisition; Recruitment Exemption Process; Facilitate & Manage
Pre-Disciplinary Process; Ensure
Disciplinary Actions are Entered
into RAPIDS; Departmental Orientation; Substance Abuse Notifications (identify and assign appro-
priate back-up); VEC Hearings;
Disability Placement; Performance Evaluation; Coordination
with central HR; Personnel Board
Department statements, witness
list, etc; FML/ADA initial review/
submission; Initial Employee Relations Counseling.
How did you become interested
in working for the Department
and what is your favorite part
about working here? I wanted to
transfer from Central HR to RFD
to gain knowledge of a new line
of business. My favorite part
about working with RFD is meeting new smiling faces and getting
everyone’s name/title correct
How would your co-workers
describe you? Quiet
What is your proudest accomplishment while working for the
City of Richmond? I’m not sure.
2013 Equity & Diversity Conference
What do you see as some of the
biggest challenges facing not
only the Fire Department but
the City workforce as a whole?
Being able to keep competent,
qualified personnel in light of
budget cuts that include no raises
for staff.
Nancy Hall
P
7
Great
Department Photo
AGE
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Employee Spotlight: Captain Earl Dyer Jr.
Home town: Richmond, Virginia
Marital Status: Married to Anna
(4) Daughters Tasha, Tivonya, Samya, Chelsi, (1) Son Earl lll
Hobbies/Activities: Traveling,
watching sports, movies and spending quality time at home with my
family. This is a change and a very
deep commitment on my part because I have spent a large part of my
life serving in the military.
How long have you worked for the
City/Fire Department? Describe
some of your assignments: 28
years, Station # 10, Task Force # 10,
Station # 12, Station # 8, and AFM
10 and currently assigned as Deputy
Fire Marshal.
How did you become interested in
working for the Department and
what is your favorite part about
working here? Being a firefighter
wasn’t something I dwelled on as a
youngster but after I lost a friend in
a house fire, it was something thing I
considered while growing up. The
opportunity presented itself while I
was home on leave from the Army
and I applied for the job; well the
rest is history. I believe the best
part would be the friends I have
made over the years and the impact
I have had on other lives which is
immeasurable.
How would your co-workers describe you? I will let them speak
for themselves, but depending on
who you speak to I believe you
would get a varying degree of different responses.
What is your proudest accomplishment while working here?
Having served on several committees but the proudest to date as it
relates to your question and the fire
department would be getting promoted to Captain and having the
chance to supervise a group of excellent personnel.
believe that still exists and some
would disagree is that there is still
so much division which continues
to take place, while a number of us
still struggle with our role as leaders, the abuse of our power, and the
lack of people skills.
What do you see as some of the
biggest challenges facing the Department today? I have seen a lot
of changes during my service, but
one of the biggest challenges I
Nancy Hall
B U I LD I N G B R ID G ES
PAGE 8
Richmond 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb
Robert Hagaman
O CTOBER 2 0 1 2
PAGE 9
Employee Spotlight: Mark Ryals
Full Name: Mark Kenneth Ryals
Hometown: Emporia, VA
Current City: Emporia, VA
Education: Graduated Greensville County H.S & Fire
Science AAS from J. Sargeant Reynolds
Marital Status: Not married
Pet (s): 1 Black Lab & 1 Tiny Chihuahua
Do you have any children? Yes: 1 Tiny Chihuahua
Position at the Fire Department: Lieutenant, Engine
11 C
Movies: Tombstone, Goodfellas
Music: A little bit of everything.
Favorite Color: Blue
Jobs before the Fire Department: Worked on a farm
& worked for a contractor.
How long have you worked for the city and briefly
describe what you do in your position with the department: Looking at 7 years real soon. I work alongside my company to complete the day’s tasks, and prepare us for the tasks of tomorrow.
Are you a good dancer? Since you are asking me I
will say YES.
What was your most embarrassing moment? Get
back to me on this one.
What do you enjoy doing with your family? Trips to What is your favorite part about working at The
Richmond Fire Dept? I really enjoy being around
the beach or lake, hunting, and just spending time tothe
people I work with.
gether.
How would your co-workers describe you? I think
What would you do if you had a million dollars?
Pay off mortgage, buy some hunting land & take some they would say that I am friendly and fair. That I
know how to work hard but like to laugh every chance
trips.
I get.
Fire Station - Roof Replacement Project
Roof Replacement projects are underway at stations 1, 15, and 18. The main roof section at Station 1 will be completed by November 20th, with
the deck replacement to be completed by the 21st
of December. Station 15’s replacement will begin this week and the work at 18 was delayed due
to a materials issue, but work will continue beginning the week of the 26th. Per the contract, all
three projects are to be completed by January 3rd.
We appreciate the continued cooperation of all
personnel at these facilities and hope that the progress is worth the temporary inconvenience.
Christina Smith
B U I LD I N G B R ID G ES
PAGE 10
Technical Rescue Call
On July 31, 2012, Companies were dispatched to 737 5th Street for a crane operator experiencing a
diabetic emergency in the cab level of a 200ft crane. Rescue 2 personnel along with one person from
ALS 6 ascended the crane ladder to the patient. The gentleman was alert and oriented. RAA was able
to send medical equipment and glucose up to fire personnel using a pre-rigged pulley system already
established by construction workers. Once the patient had been stabilized, BC Duffus requested Rescue 2 to rig a system to assist the patient as he descended using the stairs to the awaiting ALS unit. A
member from ALS 6 assisted with assessment of the patient at various levels of travel until they were
safely on the ground.
Chris Conley
PAGE 11
B U I LD I N G B R ID G ES
2012 Annual Award Recipients - Congratulations!
MERITORIOUS FIRE DUTY
MEDAL OF HONOR
UNIT CITATION
BC Lynwood Buchanan, III LT Richard Nunnally, Jr.
LT Raymond Neville
CPT Darl Jewell
MFF Thomas Chenault
CPT Patrick Schoeffel
FF Timothy Butler, Sr.
LT Christopher Cozzie
FF Alex Farber
LT Brian Dalrymple
FF Daniel Owens
LT Kurt Gran
FF James Turner
LT Shawn McGovern
CPT Melvin Liverman, III
FIRE CHIEF’S COMMENDATION MEDAL
SBC David Creasy, Sr.
LIFE SAVING MEDAL
MFF James Verlander
FF Marshall Moran
FIRE CHIEF’S AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
LT Bryce Lindsay
Mr. John Birchfield
MARVIN GRIFFIN COMMUNITY SERVICE MEDAL
MFF Linwood Waltrip, II
MERITORIOUS ACHIEVEMENT RIBBON
LT Douglas Clevert, Jr.
LT Michael Harman, Jr.
LT Gregory Mundie
MFF David Griffin
FF Russell Acors
FF Alexander Ailor
FF Steven Boiteau
FF Timothy Butler, Sr.
FF Jeffrey Lawson
FF Ricky Payne, Jr.
FF DeWarren Stevenson
FF Patrick Simon
JUNIOR OFFICER OF THE YEAR
MERITORIOUS SERVICE MEDAL
CPT Melody Spivey
FF Antoine Bediako
LT Terrence Williams FF Roderick Brown
LT Michael Oprandy
FF Steven Curry
LT Kevin House
FF Isaiah Davis
LT Christopher Armstrong
LT Michael Harman, Jr.
FF Malcolm Epps, Jr.
MFF Anthony Rice
FF Marion Fauntleroy, Jr.
FF Michael Anderson
FF Keith Graham
FF Brian Lewis
FF Kimberly Roberts
FF Jay Scales, Jr.
FF Scott Smith
FF Patrick Stewart
FF Elton Stinson
FF Robert Taylor, Jr.
FF James Turner
FIREFIGHTER OF THE YEAR
MFF Patrick Simon
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
FF William Richardson, Jr.
CIVILIAN OF THE YEAR
Ms. Lauren Bonneville
CIVILIAN COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD
FF Robert Wall
WTVR CBS 6
WRIC 8 News
LIFE SAVING RIBBON
NBC 12
BC Lawrence Glidewell,
Jr. FF Michael Anderson LT Douglas Clevert, Jr. FF Jay Scales, Jr.
FF Antoine Bediako
LT Christopher Conley FF Shaun Whiteley
LT Stephen Forgette
LT Kevin House
LT Christopher Spencer
ASSISTANT FIRE MARSHAL OF THE YEAR
INSTRUCTOR OF THE YEAR
LT Bryce Lindsay
LT Travis Preau
LT Mark Ryals
Mrs. Sarah Currie
Mr. Lacy Walker - F.I.R.E.
Mrs. Joyce Watkins - F.I.R.E.
Mr. Donald Summers - Capital Projects Manager
Mr. Derek Andresen
[OEM]
LT Jennifer Reese
[RAA]
Robert Hagaman
PAGE 13
2012 Richmond Regional School
Elmond Taylor
PAGE 14
B U I LD I N G B R ID G ES
Richmond Fire Department - Crew of the Month !
City Intern Program
As part of the Mayor's initiative to attract new talent and generate fresh ideas, three interns were selected to work in the IT section and Budget Office of Support Services . We would like to take this
opportunity to thank you for the hard work that you put in over the past several weeks . It was a pleasure to meet each one of you, and I sincerely hope that your experiences with our Department was engaging and eye-opening.
Chiquita Crutchfield; David Womack; LaQuanda Wilson .
Elmond Taylor
City Treats program
The City of Richmond’s City Treats program is designed to deliver safe treats to the students. Each Year, Richmond
Fire Department along with other departments within the City of Richmond sponsors City Treats to local city schools.
This year we sponsored George Washington Carver Elementary School and E. D. Redd Elementary School. Firefighters in the school district teamed up with Administration Personnel to deliver the city treats to the kids at the chosen schools. Both the students and teachers are very welcoming of this program as we strive to deliver a Fire Safety
message along with goodies for the students. We look forward to this program every year!
Joy Haynesworth
Inclusion & Diversity
Calendar
GRILLED CHICKEN SANDWICHES WITH
GARLIC-BASIL AIOLI
January
Martin Luther King Jr. Day - January 17
INGREDIENTS:
For aioli:
Zest from one lemon
February
2 bunches fresh basil
African-American History Month
4 whole cloves garlic, finely chopped (or according to taste)
3⁄4 cup mayonnaise
March
Women's History Month
Juice from half a lemon
Irish American Heritage Month
1 tsp red wine vinegar
St. Patrick's Day - March 17
Pinch of salt and pepper
For marinade:
April
1⁄4 cup olive oil
Celebrate Diversity Month
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
May
Jewish Heritage Month
1 tsp ground coriander
Asian/Pacific American Heritage
Juice from half a lemon
Month
Pinch of salt and pepper
Senior Americans Month
For sandwiches:
Cinco de Mayo – May 5
4 thinly sliced, skinless chicken breast fillets, or 2 whole chicken breasts
sliced lengthwise
June
4 6-inch rolls, whatever kind you like, but a crusty French roll works well
Gay and Lesbian Pride Month
8 slices of tomato
July
8 slices of fresh mozzarella
Anniversary of Americans with
8 thin slices of onion
Disabilities Act - July 26
DIRECTIONS:
August
1. Begin with making the aioli dressing. When zesting the lemon, be sure
to avoid getting any of the pith (the white part found under the yellow
Women’s Equality Day – August 26
lemon rind) into the mixture because it adds an unpleasant bitterness.
September
2. Blanch basil for a minute or two, then immediately plunge into an ice
Hispanic Heritage Month –September
bath to cool and stop the cooking. Tear off the leaves and mince to15 to October 15
gether with the garlic in a food processor.
German American Heritage Day –
3.
Spoon into a bowl, add the mayonnaise, squeeze the lemon juice into
September 15 to October 15
the mixture plus the lemon zest and vinegar. Add salt and pepper, to
taste. Fold ingredients together and set aside to let the flavors mingle.
October
4. Prepare chicken: Preheat grill. Combine all the marinade ingredients
Disability Employment Awareness
Month
together. Place chicken pieces in the marinade, making sure each piece
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
is well coated. Let sit for a few minutes, then grill the chicken about
Polish American Heritage Month
five to eight minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
5.
While chicken is cooking, spread the aioli on the rolls, making sure
November
each half is completely covered. Toast rolls in the oven until browned.
American Indian/Alaska Native Heri6.
When
chicken is cooked, place a breast portion on the bottom half of
tage Month
the roll; layer each sandwich with two slices of each: tomato, mozzaVeterans Day - November 11
rella and onion. Drizzle a little vinegar over the toppings, to taste, then
top with the other half of the roll. Serve and enjoy.
Serves 4
Yuba City firefighter: David Jans