ANNUAL REPORT 2016 EXCELLENCE THROUGH EACH INDIVIDUAL ACT

Transcription

1 ANNUAL REPORT 2016 EXCELLENCE THROUGH EACH INDIVIDUAL ACT

2 Message from the fire chief Pictured above (L to R): Broomfield Mayor Randy Ahrens, North Metro Fire Chief Dave Ramos, Broomfield Police Chief Gary Creager and North Metro Fire Deputy Chief Dave Anderson salute the flag at the annual Sept. 11 Memorial Ceremony. Last year was marked with tremendous growth for both the community and for North Metro Fire Rescue District. As we continue to implement our strategic plan and fulfill the promises made to our citizens, we have made great strides in building a stronger organization and ultimately a safer community. If you frequent the north and west areas of our District, you ll notice a fire engine crew housed out of Station 67 now and the ambulance crew running calls from Anthem Station 66. These additions and changes have been goals of ours for years, and we finally had the available resources to provide adequate staffing and coverage for a growing area with the potential for large-scale incidents. Getting these essential resources added wouldn t have been possible without the support of the citizens through the mill levy passage. As fire chief, my focus is to provide the best level of service while remaining good stewards of the funds we receive. In 2016, we maximized our budget by obtaining federal and state grants that allowed us to purchase new medical equipment that you ll read about in our EMS section of the report. Finally, one area I m proud to say we have strengthened this past year has been our investment in our employees. Without a strong and healthy workforce, we can t provide the service our community expects and deserves. In the past year, we improved our employee development system, implemented a well-being program that focuses on physical, mental and financial health, and we increased training to improve the skillset of our employees. All of this, I believe, will lead us to providing the best customer service to you, our residents. Thank you for your continued support. We have a bright outlook for 2017 and are excited about the expansion and remodel of Station 63 in Northglenn, our busiest station in the District. We will keep you updated on that project and many others in the months to come. In the meantime, we look forward to serving you in 2017! Best regards, 2 Annual report

3 Our board of directors North Metro Fire Rescue District is a special district governed by an elected board of directors. Each board member serves a four-year term and is limited to two consecutive terms. The board meets primarily at 5 p.m. on the third Tuesday of every month to discuss important matters concerning the fire district. These meetings are open for the public to attend and to provide public comment. John Abboud Board President Robert Nielsen Board Vice President Tim Long Board Treasurer Jenni Murphy Board Secretary Dennis Day Board Assistant Secretary Annual report 3

4 Improving emergency response In late 2016, North Metro Fire added a fire engine to Station 67 off 96th Street in Broomfield. This addition provides better District-wide coverage and increases the number of all-hazard emergency responders in areas of growth. The western area of our District continues to develop, and the increasing amount of hotels, high-rise buildings, apartment complexes and traffic along Highway 36, increases the risk for large-scale incidents, said North Metro Fire Chief Dave Ramos. The greatest factor in ensuring positive outcomes is response time, and this move allows us to place a larger number of first responders on scene faster on the west and north sides of our District. Like all North Metro Fire engines, the engine at Station 67 is staffed with a state-certified paramedic capable of delivering advanced life support during medical emergencies. Placing this unit in service on the west side of Broomfield has permitted the rotation of a medic unit to Anthem Station 66, a location better suited for District-wide response, including backup ambulance coverage in Northglenn. 4 Annual report

5 Enhancing EMS delivery with grant funding North Metro Fire pursued multiple grants and secured over $400,000 in state and federal funding in A majority of that money was dedicated to the purchase of advanced medical equipment for better patient care and safety during emergencies. PROVIDING BETTER CPR According to the American Heart Association, more than 326,000 Americans experience cardiac arrests outside of the hospital each year, and only 10 percent of those victims survive. Recent reports by the Journal of Emergency Medical Services have shown that quality, uninterrupted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an important factor that can increase a patient s chance of survival. To improve the delivery of CPR to patients, North Metro Fire used part of its grant funding to purchase mechanical CPR devices last year. When attached to a patient in cardiac arrest, the devices deliver consistent compressions at the correct depth and rate without interruption. Our paramedics and EMTs are well trained and qualified to deliver effective CPR, said EMS Captain Ross Riley. However, CPR compressions are often interrupted when patients are being moved from one floor to another or in and out of an ambulance, not to mention the difficulty and danger of delivering high quality CPR to a patient in the back of a moving ambulance. These devices provide more consistent chest compressions for our patients, free up another set of hands to deliver patient care, and have a positive impact on outcomes. LIGHTENING THE LOAD Grant funding was also used to help purchase state-of-the-art patient prams, also known as stretchers or gurneys, and power loading systems that greatly improve patient safety during hospital transports. The power prams and loading systems also reduce the possibility of firefighter injury due to the lifting, moving and loading of patients into ambulances. Annual report 5

6 2016 Emergency Calls by Type Fire Ruptures/Explosions 2,155 EMS/Rescue 7,369 Hazmat/Special Ops 228 Service Calls Alarms Total Calls: 10,731 Hosted the largest North Area Fire Academy training 38 candidates 274 Fires in Annual report

7 Strengthening our skills through SUCCESSFUL TRAINING Training Division Brings in Fire Service Experts to Enhance Firefighters Skills and Multi-Agency Response In addition to the hours that North Metro firefighters spent internally improving and maintaining their skills, the District s Training Division also hosted several courses delivered by nationally renowned and well respected leaders in the fire service. These courses were not only available to North Metro Fire personnel, but also to partner agencies in the area, helping offset the costs to the District. In total last year, more than 320 firefighters from across the region were trained by external experts at North Metro Fire. Bringing together firefighters from neighboring agencies for these classes further enhanced the strength of north area fire departments to respond together on large-scale incidents. Annual training hours per North Metro firefighter = 338 hours Furthermore, the Training Center Complex was utilized by several outside fire and law enforcement agencies to conduct numerous trainings during Annual report 7

8 Supporting a growing district Last year, North Metro s Fire Prevention Division experienced its busiest year since 2000 in terms of the plans they received for review. That signals significant growth within the District, which not only adds to the workload of Fire Prevention, but also to the workload of the District s emergency responders. 30% INCREASE in plan review letters written 40% INCREASE in permits issued 24% INCREASE in plans submitted for review 15% INCREASE in new construction inspections 8 Annual report

9 Preparing future LIFESAVERS Training residents in hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is one of the best ways North Metro Fire can improve the survival rate of cardiac arrest patients. That s why the District offered free Family and Friends CPR classes over the course of two weekends last year in Broomfield and Northglenn. Smoke Alarms Save Lives Despite the progress North Metro Fire has made in emergency response, the District experienced two fatalities in 2016 from house fires. The District continues to push education about the importance of having working smoke alarms, the benefit of installing fire sprinklers in the home, and the importance of evacuating from the home at the first sign of smoke or fire. According to the National Fire Protection Association, almost two-thirds of home fire deaths result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. Homeowners should: 1. Have working smoke alarms on all levels of their home, including inside all sleeping rooms and outside each seperate sleeping area. 2. Test their smoke alarms monthly and change the batteries out twice a year. 3. Replace smoke alarms every 10 years. 4. Consider installing fire sprinklers inside their home to significantly reduce the risk of fatalities and property damage. Nearly 200 residents participated and came away with lifesaving skills. According to the American Heart Association, of the more than 1,000 people who go into cardiac arrest outside of the hospital every day, only one in 10 survives. If a victim receives CPR immediately after going into arrest, their chances of survival increase by two to three times. However, only 40 percent of cardiac arrest victims receive CPR by a bystander. Current guidelines encourage residents to use hands-only CPR to resuscitate a patient until first responders arrive. As part of the Family and Friends CPR classes, participants watched an instructional video and practiced hands-only compressions on CPR mannequins under the supervision of North Metro firefighters. They also learned how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED) to help revive a cardiac arrest victim. While the classes did not offer a CPR certification card, participants left knowing how to deliver potentially lifesaving CPR to anyone. Annual report 9

10 ENGAGING OUR community North Metro Fire is set within a thriving area, and the District is dedicated to being a vital member of the community. Annually, the District particpates in numerous community events and uses the opportunity to teach residents of all ages about fire and life safety. 4th of July Bowl for A Precious Child 10 National Night Out Fire Prevention Week Relay for Life Fundraiser MDA Summer Camp for Kids Annual report

11 Each year, North Metro Fire partners with the City and County of Broomfield and the Broomfield Police Department to host a special ceremony to remember the lives lost in the terrorist attacks on Septermber 11. The ceremony finishes at the 911 Memorial. In 2016, one of the largest crowds in recent history gathered to pay their respects as the American flag was displayed in the background. Annual report 11

12 Drawing by Allred & Associates North Metro Fire will be remodeling Fire Station 63 on Irma Drive in Northglenn during The entire construction project will be funded through the Capital Improvements Fund without incurring any new debt. Saving for the future In 2016, North Metro Fire made significant strides towards increased financial stability by adding $2.6 million in reserves to the District s Capital Improvement Fund. Two years ago, North Metro Fire adopted a new financial strategy for the funding of large-scale capital projects and purchases. Historically, the District used voter-approved bonds and other sources of debt financing to fund new construction projects, major facility remodels and the purchase fire engines. Today, these capital expenditures are funded with property tax revenue without taking on more debt. The District s capital purchases in 2016 totaled $2.7 million. These capital purchases included $800,000 for equipment to protect our responders and provide better service to our residents, including portable radios, thermal imaging equipment and advanced medical equipment. The District also purchased two fire engines for $1.2 million. 12 Annual report

13 2016 REVENUES Total: $26,592, EXPENDITURES & INVESTMENT IN CAPITAL RESERVES Total: $26,495,288 Annual report 13

14 Address: 101 Spader Way, Broomfield Tel: Fax: Follow us online: facebook.com/northmetrofire twitter.com/nmfirepio youtube.com/northmetrotraining