State of the Fire Department Report

 Fire Department Annual Report January 2010 Prepared by: Chief J. Matt Missildine 1 INTRODUCTION This report is a summary of the Fire Department for calendar year 2009 and also includes general information about the Department. This report details recent events regarding personnel, training, equipment, recruitment and retention as well as lays out the strategic vision for calendar year 2010 and the next five years. The Fire Department relies on a totally volunteer response. That is to say, no one is paid to be available to answer calls. The paid positions we have certainly will answer calls when available, but if they are sick, out of town or on vacation that, obviously, will not be possible. Currently, volunteers are paid a per call stipend, $14.29 per call for firefighters and $21.43 per call for officers since officers bear more responsibility. The Fire Department operates: 4 front line engines 1 chief’s vehicle 1 reserve engine 1 utility truck 2 water tankers 2 inflatable boats 1 brush truck 1 special hazards trailer 1 ladder truck (out of service) 1 fire safety/command trailer 1 service truck (heavy rescue) 1 water rescue truck
The Fire Department relies on two sources of income. The obvious and most substantial is the yearly budget from the City. The budget for Fiscal Year 2009 totaled more than $190,000. The other source of income is the Elmore County Fire Fee, which is managed by the Tallassee Volunteer Firefighters Association, its Board of Directors, Association Officers and members. PERSONNEL The Fire Department currently has 27 active members with two fulltime paid positions. Each member is required to be certified to the State Volunteer Firefighter level, which is 200 hours of training. Additionally, each member is required to attend Firefighter II and Instructor I, each a 40 hour course. We are organized around two battalions or divisions. Each battalion has an Assistant Chief and two to three Lieutenants assigned. Additionally, there are two administrative Captain’s positions. One of these positions serves as the Department’s training officer and the other serves as the Department’s fulltime administrative officer. Applications are accepted from the membership once a year and an assessment center held to determine who shall be appointed to the Lieutenant positions for the upcoming year. However, in 2009, due to personnel changes and an expansion of the officer ranks, no assessment center was held as there were as many qualified personnel as there were positions to fill. An assessment center is scheduled for next month. This system ensures that members that are motivated and upwardly mobile will have a chance to progress through the ranks avoiding the stagnation that can be so detrimental to volunteer ranks. 2 Chief Matt Missildine Fulltime occupation: Fire Chief Certified: 1997/2006 (Volunteer/Paid) Year joined: 1993 Chief Missildine Assistant Chief Travis Jones Fulltime occupation: Firefighter, Department of Veterans’ Affairs Certified: 1997 Year joined: 1993 Assistant Chief Jones Assistant Chief Steve Missildine Fulltime occupation: Alabama National Guard Certified: 1985 Year joined: 1984 Assistant Chief Missildine Captain David Rogers, Training Officer Fulltime occupation: Land Surveyor Certified: 2003 Year joined: 1994 Captain Rogers Captain Troy Mann, Administrative Officer Fulltime occupation: Administrative Officer (Tallassee Fire Department ‐ fulltime) Certified: 2001 Year joined: 2001 Captain Mann
Lieutenant Eric Jones Fulltime occupation: Firefighter, Department of Veterans’ Affairs Certified: 2005 Year joined: 2003 Lieutenant John Rogers Fulltime occupation: Land Surveyor Certified: 2006 Year joined: 2002 Lieutenant Tommy Burton Fulltime occupation: Sergeant, Montgomery Fire Department Certified: 2002/2003 (Volunteer/Paid) Year joined: 2001 Lieutenant Dylan Hughes Fulltime occupation: Plant Contract Supervisor, AT&T Certified: 2007 Year joined: 2006 Lieutenant Richard Salter Fulltime occupation: Cooperative Propane Certified: 2005 Year joined: 2004 3 Of the 27 active members on the roster, 13 live within the City, 8 live outside of the City but within the Fire District and 6 live outside of the Fire District. This fact alone shows the dependence we have on not just the population of the City, but the population of the area. As noted last year, a disturbing trend regarding the number of personnel responding with relation to the number of calls per month was observed. As our call volume surpassed roughly 10 calls per month, our personnel response numbers started to fall off. Units operating at a building fire on North Dubois AVE March 4th Call Volume vs Personnel Responding
18.0
16.0
14.0
12.0
10.0
8.0
6.0
4.0
2.0
2006
2007
2008
2009
January
October
July
April
January
October
July
April
January
October
July
April
January
October
July
April
January
0.0
2010
Calls Per Month ‐ 12 Month Running Average
Personnel Response to Structure Fires ‐ 12 Month Running Average
2009 saw a steady rise in the number of volunteers responding to calls. We also saw a somewhat steep drop off in call volume in the last half of the year. The last data point, however, shows both of these trends reversing so we will be watching both closely throughout 4 the coming year. Our goal for personnel responding to structure fires is 14 personnel per call. 12 is acceptable but having 14 generally accounts for new personnel that are not yet trained so that there are 12 actually trained and working. CALLS In calendar year 2009, the Fire Department responded to 157 calls for service. View of Smarty Pants building from Barnett BLVD by first arriving units Obviously, 2009’s marquee fire was the downtown fire on November 30. This fire quickly went to a 3rd alarm summoning eight total fire departments within the first 15 minutes. Ultimately, eight more departments were called for assistance to rotate out with departments that had to leave. Roughly 180 firefighters helped to fight the fire throughout the day with 140‐150 operating during the peak period. A total of three ladder trucks were used from neighboring communities: Wetumpka, Millbrook and Tuskegee. One civilian was rescued from the Hotel Talisi through the heroic efforts of several of our members: Lieutenant T. Burton, Lieutenant R. Salter, Lieutenant D. Hughes and Captain T. Mann. 5 The fire was held to the buildings that were burning on our arrival, although, both buildings suffered extensive damage. The Smarty Pants building was deemed unsafe and demolished that evening while the Hotel Talisi suffered a total loss of the roof and several collapses of the third floor and one collapse of the second floor. The entire operation lasted over 18 hours. Tallassee’s 21 personnel that responded worked a total of 315 manhours. View of north side of Hotel Talisi with Millbrook’s platform in operation View of Barnett BLVD during the Downtown Fire We also responded to two 2nd alarms in 2009. There are a total three departments included on the 2nd alarm in addition to the two departments on the 1st alarm (Tallassee and Friendship). This first 2nd alarm fire was a residential fire on Ashurst Bar Road. The building suffered a partial collapse shortly after our first unit arrived on scene causing a propane gas line to become dislodged and catch fire. This escalated the scope of work needed to beyond what resources were responded, prompting the 2nd alarm. The fire was extinguished and the propane leak controlled without further incident. On November 1 we responded to the second 2nd alarm. This fire was in a business in Carrville. We arrived to find fire showing around an overhead door. The age and size of the building along with the presence of a working fire prompted the 2nd alarm. Luckily, we arrived on scene quickly enough to put a stop on the fire before it could gain a foothold in the building. In all likelihood, had we not arrived so quickly and the fire been allowed to gain a solid foothold, the building would have suffered significant damage. Also worth noting here, on January 20th we responded to Hardee’s for a working fire in the ceiling area of the kitchen. The fire was handled with the 1st alarm units but the kitchen area 6 suffered significant damage. Thankfully, however, the building itself was unharmed. The business was temporarily closed for repairs and opened roughly 72 hours later. 2009 also brought one of our most manpower/resource intensive water rescue/recovery calls to date. On the afternoon of May 8th, we were called to search for a missing kayaker. The search spanned 3 days and involved 13 agencies with an average of 60 personnel on scene. Tallassee Fire Department personnel put in over 350 manhours in the roughly 42 hours spent on scene. These times do not include a building fire that was fought early in the morning on the second day of the search. Aerial view of the rescue/recovery command and staging area th
May 10 Call Types 2009 vs 2008
180
160
175
157
140
120
100
80
60
45
40
40
26
34
27
12
20
38
22
5
5
0
All Calls
Structure Fires
Brush Fires
2008
False Alarms
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Water Incidents
2009
7 As was noted last year, our call volume has continued to drop while our time on scene has continued to rise. The likely explanation for this is the shift in the types of calls we are answering. This is evidenced by our increased responses to commercial occupancies: the Hardee’s fire, Sonny’s Automotive fire and the downtown fire. Lack of a ladder truck responding also contributes to this statistic. Not having the tools and equipment of a ladder truck on scene causes us to undertake operations with less than appropriate tools thereby increasing the time it takes to accomplish those operations. Average Minutes per Call
51.9
2007
2009
138.7
2008
2008
156.8
2009
0
50
100
Call Percentage by Type of Call
Other Types Not Listed, 10%
Service Calls, 5%
Structure Fires, 17%
Brush Fires, 8%
Water Incidents, 3%
False Alarms, 11%
Other False Alarms, 11%
Motor Vehicle Accidents, 23%
Other Rescues, 3%
Structure Fires
Brush Fires
False Alarms
Other False Alarms
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Other Rescues
Water Incidents
Service Calls
Hazardous Condition
Other Types Not Listed
8 150
200
Hazardous Condition, 12%
2007
TRAINING 2009 was a training intensive year. We trained more, both formally and informally, than ever in the past. While our informal hours are slightly down from last year, 2,160 hours in 2009 versus 2,595 hours in 2008, our formal training more than explains this: 2,760 formal training hours in 2009. In all, members spent 4,920 manhours in training throughout 2009. This includes both our weekly training as well as the formal classes attended by our members. Member Attended Formal Training
Course
# Attending
Volunteer Firefighter
11
Swiftwater Unit 1
6
Swiftwater Technician
4
Swiftwater Boat Operator
4
Hazmat Technician
5
Instructor I
5
FD Safety Officer
4
Live Fire Awareness
2
Fire Officer III/IV
1
Fire Investigator
1
Vehicle Extrication
2
First Responder
3
Hazmat A&O
5
Hazmat Class May 9 Hours
120
24
24
24
48
40
40
16
80
40
16
40
40
While those numbers are impressive, even more impressive are the numbers of hours of formal training that we hosted. Combined, Tallassee Fire Department hosted 7,720 manhours of formal instruction. This fact, more so than any other, is evidence of the regional role Tallassee Fire Department plays in training; our neighbors depend on us to provide this training. While tuition for such classes is limited by the Alabama Fire College, the tuition that is collected is used to offset the costs of the Training Center. Two classrooms will be available within the next month at the Training Center and the amount of formal training we offer will likely increase with this added capability. Total Number of Students
Number of Tallassee Students
Volunteer Firefighter ‐ 120hrs
FD Safety Officer ‐ 40hrs
Fire Officer I ‐ 40hrs
Fire Instructor I ‐ 40hrs
Hazmat Technician ‐ 48hrs
0
10
20
30
40
50
EQUIPMENT Unit 1034 was placed in service in 2009; it is our water rescue truck. It is equipped with the lion’s share of our water rescue equipment as well as all of our dive equipment. It is setup to facilitate swimmers/divers dressing out quickly in a controlled atmosphere as opposed to the riverbank, for example. This truck has a generator on board and can conduct standalone operations should the need arise. As was stated in the Annual Report last year, 2008 was the first year the Department has been without a ladder truck in service since 1987; 2009 was the second. It is absolutely critical that we have a ladder truck responding to all reported structure fires. Untold damage to property and risk to members’ lives (as well as civilians) has occurred because we have not had a ladder truck available. FACILITIES The highlight of 2009 facility wise was definitely the Training Center coming online. In the fall of 2009 a Volunteer Firefighter course was held with the hands on portion of the class being taught entirely on site. The next class will be taught entirely on site, classroom portion included, as the classrooms will be available. This will ease much of the burden of training both on the volunteer member as well as the Department. Teaching these classes in the classroom at Station 1 is disruptive of our normal weekly training. Having multiple classrooms will allow our weekly meetings to carry on without interruption. Also, it is obviously better for the volunteer attending training for that training to be held entirely on site, thereby minimizing the required driving. Efforts were made, although unsuccessfully, to renovate Station 2 also. A renovation is much needed there to allow that station to begin standalone operations. Currently there are no bathrooms or offices available. The need for the bathrooms is obvious while the need for the office arises from our reporting requirements. We require that reports be completed after every call since it may be two weeks before the member returns to the station. Until this station is renovated, we will be unable to commence individual station operations (i.e. – dispatching Station 1 separately from Station 2). This type of dispatching is desirable to reduce 10 the demand placed on our volunteer membership. Currently, everyone is dispatched on a call that may require only four personnel to respond. By transitioning to individual station operations, members will be dispatched less often thereby lessening the burden placed on them. Additionally, when they are dispatched, there is a much greater chance that they will actually respond and not be left at the station due to the over‐dispatch of personnel that we encounter now. RECRUITMENT and RETENTION While new ground was not necessarily broken in the recruitment and retention area in 2009, all of our efforts from 2008 were continued with success. These include things such as our paid‐
on‐call system, computer privileges at Station 1 and access to Department facilities for personal use. Volunteers are, by far, our most important resource and we are constantly looking for ways to make the Department more attractive to potential members as well as ways to keep our current membership satisfied. We started 2009 with 25 members and finished with 27, only four of which are not trained. This is the highest percentage of members we have had trained in the last decade. The training of new members is both labor and time intensive. This is why retention efforts geared towards the current membership are so important. It is a testament to our retention efforts that of the members we started 2009 with, we only lost two while gaining four. 2010 OUTLOOK Easily the most important goal of 2010 is getting a ladder truck in service. As has been stated above, the lack of a truck has cost the City and its citizens untold amounts in risk to life, responder and civilian, property loss and otherwise unnecessary risks that had to be taken. It cannot be overstated how much good luck played into the downtown fire incident. Until we are equipped with the proper tools, we will be counting on luck much more so than is prudent. 2010 is expected to be another busy year in training. With our Training Center becoming fully operational, the schedule of classes may well double what was offered this year as we will not be hindered by classroom availability. 5 YEAR OUTLOOK Several things bear attention when addressing the next five years. The majority of these items would be best addressed in a capital improvement plan as they are capital improvements. The renovation of Station 1, the replacement of the service truck, finishing Station 3 and construction of Station 4 all will need to be addressed in the near to mid‐range future. 11 Calls per Hour by Time of Day 2009
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
8P
10P
6P
4P
2P
12P
10A
8A
6A
4A
2A
0
12A
Also essential over the next five years is the addition of more paid staff. As has been shown above, our members are spending more time training and on calls than ever before. That cuts into the time that is available for the more mundane, but equally essential, day‐to‐day items such as hose testing, hydrant testing and preplanning. A small part time staff would be able to handle these items. Additionally, personnel are also needed during the day as daytime responses are when volunteers are least available. The same part time staff would fill this need as well. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2009 will be a year remembered for a long time. The downtown fire marked easily the hardest test of ability and endurance that this Department has ever taken on. I am proud to say the Department performed well and virtually all members lived up to what is expected of “Tallassee’s Bravest”. It is my hope that in 2010 that the economy will improve and bring improvement to our budget. Poor equipment and station maintenance can have a hugely negative impact on volunteerism; much of 2010 will be spent working to counter the effects the economy, and subsequent budget cuts, has had on the Department membership. This is even more important when taken in the light of our increased responses to commercial properties. We will be looking for new, more efficient ways to carry out our mission in 2010. 12