ANNUAL REPORT TITUSVILLE FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES DEPARTMENT. Proudly Serving Our Community Since 1913

Transcription

1 2015 ANNUAL REPORT TITUSVILLE FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES DEPARTMENT Proudly Serving Our Community Since 1913

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Message from the Fire Chief I Department Organization/Staff Levels 2 Facilities 3 Training and Education 4-5 Emergency Response 6-7 Emergency Response - Fire 8-9 Titusville Fire and Emergency Services Department is comprised of three primary divisions Leadership, Operations, and Fire Prevention. The department operates from five facilities; Fire Headquarters, which houses staff personnel and contains training classrooms and warehousing, and four fire stations from which the department s combat personnel are housed to respond to emergencies. Emergency Response - Medical Emergency Response - Trauma 13 Department staffing levels have remained consistent for the past 28 years, in spite of increased service impacts and enhanced levels of emergency care provided. Community Volunteer Program 13 Fire Prevention and Code Compliance 14 Community Outreach and Public Educ Funding and Revenue Strategic Accomplishments 20 Year in Review-Pictures 21

3 MESSAGE FROM THE FIRE CHIEF As the Fire Chief for Titusville Fire and Emergency Services Department, I am proud to once again present our department s Annual Report for the calendar year This comprehensive report provides an overview of our department s activities and resulting statistical data from 2015 as well as from prior years. The annual report also gives a snapshot of the many services we provide within both the emergency and non-emergency settings, along with highlighting our community outreach programs which help to educate our public about the importance of fire, life safety and injury prevention. All of the data that is compiled in this report is analyzed continuously throughout the year to improve our processes and enhance our service delivery to the community we serve. This year has proven to be a very exciting and productive year for the Titusville Fire and Emergency Services Department. One of the most significant accomplishments achieved was improving our Insurance Service Organization (ISO) Property Protection Class Rating for our city from a Class 4 to a Class 3/3X. This is a huge accomplishment for our community as our city had remained a Class 4 for the past 30 years. Insurance Service Organization measures the city s ability to adequately and safely mitigate fires within the city limits. Three primary components of city-provided services are evaluated: water supply, emergency services communications, and the fire department (staffing, apparatus, equipment, training, and community risk reduction). With enhancements to the city water system, recent emergency dispatch communication upgrades and improvements within the fire department, we were able to improve our city s Property Protection Class Rating. This results in a more efficient emergency service and (potentially) may lower property insurance rates for the citizens of Titusville. As a Class 3 city, Titusville now ranks among the top 6% in our nation of the 48,855 communities evaluated by ISO. Another significant accomplishment is proudly displayed on the cover of our annual report. With the tremendous support of our City Manager, our Mayor and our Council, Titusville Fire and Emergency Services Department has a state-of-the-art, four-story fire training facility located on the property of our southern most fire station (Station 13). This project was approved in the 2014 budget year; and, what began as a dream and a vision, finally materialized into our new training facility. It will provide our department members with the capabilities to receive regular, recurring hands-on live fire training, high angle rescue, search and rescue, firefighter survival and many other training disciplines that we would otherwise not be able to provide. Training will commence in our new facility in the spring of In addition to the above accomplishments, we also incorporated the Lean Six Sigma Process Improvement concepts into our organization. Through continuous process improvement initiatives, we have improved our fleet maintenance program that helps maintain our front run emergency apparatus by reducing out of service time and reducing overall maintenance costs. We also initiated our next Lean project of scanning and archiving all of our department paper files, and are phasing in an electronic paperless operation, which will reduce the amount of paper we utilize, and save copying and filing time by our support staff. I am honored and humbled to work with every member of the Titusville Fire and Emergency Services Department each and every day. With the passion, hard work and dedication of all 62 members of our department, I look forward to continuously improve the outstanding service our department has provided to the citizens of Titusville for the past 102 years. I am excited to see what 2016 will bring. Thanks and stay safe! Michael Woodward Post Office Box 2806 Titusville, FL (321)

4 Department Website Address: 2

5 FACILITIES Titusville Fire and Emergency Services Department is comprised of three primary divisions the Administration Division, the Operations Division, and the Fire Prevention Division. The department operates from five facilities. Fire Headquarters contains management and staff personnel and our training classroom, conference room, and logistics supply warehouse. There are also four strategically located fire stations from which the department s combat personnel are housed to respond to emergencies throughout the city. Fire Station N. Singleton Avenue Fire Station S. Washington Avenue Fire Headquarters 550 S. Washington Avenue Fire Station S. Park Avenue Fire Station Barna Avenue MOTTO: Service doesn t come from a manual it comes from the heart. 3

6 TRAINING AND EDUCATION We capped off an exciting and transformational year in One of the most exciting things was the groundbreaking of our new Fire Training Facility. The training opportunities are endless with this new facility. Final touches are being made to the property and the building with completion slated for March of This will allow us to hold our New-Hire Physical Agility Testing at our new facility as one of its many uses. In preparation for the completion of the new facility, our personnel have been attending training in several disciplines including: FL USAR Rope Operations, FL USAR Rope Technician and Fire Service Instructor. We are slated to host a Live Fire Training Instructor 1 course in April This will allow us to be self-sufficient when holding live fire training and maintain compliance with the NFPA 1403 Live Fire Training Standard. We continue to strive to improve our training and the way we document our training activities. Training, as well as the documentation of the training, is an area that Insurance Service Organization (ISO) looks at carefully when calculating our rating. We are working with our Company Officers to make sure we capture all the training our crews perform to correctly procure that portion of our ISO scoring. We are very proud of the ISO Class 3 rating our department received this year and look forward to possibly earning a Class 2 rating during the next assessment. Leadership training for all levels of supervision within the Operations Division is an initiative we began in 2015 through the Emergency Service s Leadership Institute hosted by the Florida Fire Chiefs Association. Leadership is key and we recognize the importance of strong and effective leadership. The Fire Chief and several of our Officers have participated and completed the series of 6 courses (1: 24 hr., 5: 16 hr.) that range from Human Resources and Labor Relations, to Budget and Finance. These classes offer great opportunities to help our officers become even better leaders and to network with others from across the state who are facing the same challenges in the fire service. It s been a busy and productive year, but it s just the beginning. With the addition of the new Fire Training Facility, the sky s the limit. 4

7 TRAINING AND EDUCATION Training Categories Include: Structural Firefighting Vehicle Extrication Emergency Vehicle Driver Fire Pump Operations Aircraft Rescue/Firefighting Rope Rescue Hazardous Materials Assorted EMS Topics Water Rescue Leadership Visit our FACEBOOK page at: 5

8 EMERGENCY RESPONSE 2015 Average Time on Emergency Scene: 20 Minutes 28 Seconds 2015 Average Emergency Response Time: 4 minutes 29 seconds DEPARTMENT GUIDING PRINCIPLE #1: Promote Teamwork. 6

9 EMERGENCY RESPONSE Mutual Aid Provided to Brevard County: 37 Received from Brevard County: 6 Provided to Other Agencies: 2 Received from Other Agencies: 1 DEPARTMENT GUIDING PRINCIPLE #2: Respect Others. 7

10 EMERGENCY RESPONSE FIRE Carbon Monoxide Incidents: 1 Smoke Detector Info. (Structure Fires): % detectors present in structure: 35% % failed from missing batteries: 1% % occupants responded to alarm: 40% Aircraft Related Responses: 5 Titusville Fire and Emergency Services Department is comprised of three primary divisions Leadership, Operations, and Fire Prevention. Aircraft Related Emergencies: 2 The department operates from five facilities; Fire Headquarters, which houses staff personnel and contains training classrooms and warehousing, and four fire stations from which the Flight Standby-large capacity jet liner landings: 3 department s combat personnel are housed to respond to emergencies. Department staffing levels have remained consistent for the past 28 years, in spite of increased service impacts and enhanced levels of emergency care provided. Hazard Conditions Responses: 134 Biological/Toxic: 7 Spills/Ruptures/Leaks: 31 Electrical Conditions: 96 Animal Rescues: 9 Bomb Threats: 2 DEPARTMENT GUIDING PRINCIPLE #3: Be Open-Minded. 8

11 EMERGENCY RESPONSE FIRE Fire Injuries and Fatalities Firefighter Fatalities 0 Firefighter Injuries 2 Civilian Fatalities 0 Civilian Injuries DEPARTMENT GUIDING PRINCIPLE #4: Be Progressive and Responsive to Change. 9

12 EMERGENCY RESPONSE MEDICAL SAMPLING OF NUMBER OF CALLS IN 2015 BY TYPE Obstetrical 13 Poisoning/Drug Ingestion 31 Stabbing 12 Bicycle Accidents 9 In 2015, 71% of all emergency calls for service were medical in nature. Pedestrian Traffic Accidents 18 Water Rescue 4 Gunshot 14 Accidental Falls 651 Animal Bites 16 Vehicle Accidents 313 DEPARTMENT GUIDING PRINCIPLE #5: Encourage Input. 10

13 EMERGENCY RESPONSE MEDICAL Titusville Fire and Emergency Services Department is comprised of three primary divisions Leadership, Operations, and Fire Prevention. The department operates from five facilities; Fire Headquarters, which houses staff personnel and contains training classrooms and warehousing, and four fire stations from which the department s combat personnel are housed to respond to emergencies. Department staffing levels have remained consistent for the past 28 years, in spite of increased service impacts and enhanced levels of emergency care provided. Irreversible brain damage begins to occur when the brain has been deprived of oxygen for more than 4 minutes. DEPARTMENT GUIDING PRINCIPLE #6: Foster a Positive and Safe Work Environment. 11

14 EMERGENCY RESPONSE MEDICAL Titusville Fire and Emergency Services Department is comprised of three primary divisions Leadership, Operations, and Fire Prevention. The department operates from five facilities; Fire Headquarters, which houses staff personnel and PEDIATRIC contains training PRE-HOSPITAL classrooms and warehousing, EMERGENCY and four CALLS fire stations from which the department s combat personnel are housed to respond to emergencies Years of Age Department staffing levels have remained consistent for the past 28 years, in spite of increased service impacts and enhanced levels of emergency care provided. Number of Pediatric Calls: 214 Types of Pediatric Calls by %: Chest Discomfort.93% Accidental Falls 6.54% General Medical 33.17% Excessive Heat.46% Altered Mental Status.46% Animal Bites 1.40% Respiratory 5.14% Assaults 2.33% CVA/TIA.46% Stabbings.92% Accidents (Pedestrian) 2.80% General Trauma 21.49% Accidents (Motor Vehicle) 7.94% Drug Overdose 1.40% Drug Poisoning.93% Other 13.63% DEPARTMENT GUIDING PRINCIPLE #7: Encourage and Recognize Initiative and Creativity. 12

15 EMERGENCY RESPONSE TRAUMA Number of trauma calls: 903 Number of patients meeting trauma alert criteria and transported to a Trauma Center: 80 Via Helicopter: 59 Via Ambulance: 21 COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER PROGRAM Since the inception of our volunteer program, our volunteers have donated 24, hours. The total value of these volunteered hours has reached $424, DEPARTMENT GUIDING PRINCIPLE #8: Set Goals and Achieve Results. 13

16 FIRE PREVENTION AND CODE COMPLIANCE Our community smoke/carbon monoxide detector program provides detectors at no cost to residential households who fall under low income qualifications. Grants, donations and partnerships with other agencies, organizations and businesses help offset program costs. Titusville Fire and Emergency Services Department is comprised of three primary divisions Leadership, Operations, and Fire Prevention. The department operates from five facilities; Fire Headquarters, which houses staff personnel and contains training classrooms and warehousing, and four fire stations from which the department s combat personnel are housed to respond to emergencies. Department staffing levels have remained consistent for the past 28 years, in spite of increased service impacts and enhanced levels of emergency care provided. DISASTER PREPAREDNESS: Get a kit, make a plan, be informed. 14

17 COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND PUBLIC EDUCATION Our department prides itself on being proactive towards improving the safety of our citizens by providing injury prevention and life safety programs to educate the members of our community. Our safety programs focus on a variety of life safety initiatives including bicycle safety, child passenger safety, fire prevention, cooking safety, drowning prevention, disaster preparedness, slip and fall prevention, personal medical and injury prevention and treatment. Other programs such as the Heroes Reading Program focuses on a variety of Safety Practices and the Role Model Program focuses on emulating successful career choices designed for school age children. We strive to be an active presence at community events, public and private schools and daycares. We provide and distribute safety information via various venues, and participate in nationally recognized events: EMS Week and Fire Prevention Month. Titusville Fire and Emergency Services Department is comprised of three primary divisions Leadership, Operations, and Fire Prevention. The department operates from five facilities; Fire Headquarters, which houses staff personnel and contains training classrooms and warehousing, and four fire stations from which the department s combat personnel are housed to respond to emergencies. Department staffing levels have remained consistent for the past 28 years, in spite of increased service impacts and enhanced levels of emergency care provided. In 2015, we participated in 274 Public Education events and reached 30,977 citizens AUTO SAFETY: Use child passenger seats and seat belts appropriately. No drinking or texting while driving! 15

18 COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND PUBLIC EDUCATION Titusville Fire and Emergency Services Department is comprised of three primary divisions Leadership, Operations, and Fire Prevention. The department operates from five facilities; Fire Headquarters, which houses In staff 2015 personnel and contains training classrooms and warehousing, and four fire stations from which the department s combat personnel are housed to respond to emergencies. 923 Files of Department staffing levels have remained consistent for the past 28 years, Life in spite of increased service impacts and enhanced levels of emergency care provided. were distributed within our community. SLIP/FALL SAFETY: Secure rugs with double-backed tape or remove them to prevent accidental tripping. 16

19 COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND PUBLIC EDUCATION FUNDING AND REVENUE Our department manages to the bottom line to ensure we provide the levels of service within the budgetary parameters which are approved by our City Council. We remain one of the lower cost fire departments within Brevard County as evidenced by the cost per capita chart below. BICYCLE SAFETY: Always wear a bicycle helmet, use reflective devices on bicycles and clothing. 17

20 FUNDING AND REVENUE Titusville Fire and Emergency Services Department is comprised of three primary divisions Leadership, Operations, and Fire Prevention. The department operates from five facilities; Fire Headquarters, which houses staff personnel and contains training classrooms and warehousing, and four fire stations from which the department s combat personnel are housed to respond to emergencies. Department staffing levels have remained consistent for the past 28 years, in spite of increased service impacts and enhanced levels of emergency care provided. FIRE SAFETY: Practice Exit Drills In The Home (E.D.I.T.H.) Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in the home. 18

21 FUNDING AND REVENUE Events requiring dedicated fire or medical services are billed to the appropriate party for reimbursement of our personnel and equipment costs. Titusville Fire and Emergency Services Department is comprised of three primary divisions Leadership, Operations, and Fire Prevention. The department operates from five facilities; Fire Headquarters, which houses staff personnel and contains training classrooms and warehousing, and four fire stations from which the department s combat personnel are housed to respond to emergencies. Department staffing levels have remained consistent for the past 28 years, in spite of increased service impacts and enhanced levels of emergency care provided. WATER SAFETY: Never leave children unattended around water, including bathtubs, pools or lakes. 19

22 STRATEGIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS City ISO Rating Improvement In March 2015 we were notified by the Insurance Service Organization, (ISO), that we were able to achieve an improved rating of 3/3X from a previous rating of 4. We are now rated within the top 6% of fire departments in the nation for ability to safely and efficiently extinguish fires. This improved rating may help to reduce Hazard Insurance costs to homes and businesses within the city of Titusville. Emergency Services Leadership Institute (ESLI) The Fire Department has instituted Leadership Training for all levels of supervision within the operating division from the rank of Lieutenant to Fire Chief. All personnel will be completing the curriculum Titusville Fire established and Emergency in the Services ESLI Department program hosted is comprised through of three the primary Florida divisions Fire Chiefs Association. Leadership, The Operations, curriculum and consists Fire Prevention. of different phases of leadership training conducted through The six department classes over operates a 12 from month five facilities; period. Fire Classes Headquarters, consist which of Human houses Resources staff personnel and Personal contains training Qualities, classrooms Leadership, and warehousing, and the and Organization; four fire stations Government from which the and Labor Relations; Relations and Public department s Policy; combat Marketing personnel Fire are and housed Emergency to respond Services; to emergencies. Finance and Budgeting and Emergency Management. Department staffing levels have remained consistent for the past 28 years, in spite of increased service impacts and enhanced levels of emergency care provided. F4 Sterling Escape Kit In the fire service we hope for the best and prepare for the worst. The safety of our personnel is of the utmost importance. In 2015 we were able to secure funding to equip our personnel with new gear capable of allowing them to escape if trapped in dangerous conditions above the ground floor level. The F4 Sterling Escape Kit is equipped with 50 feet of rope, a hook, and descent control device that allows firefighters to bail out of a window and descend to the ground safely and in a controlled fashion. We will be training annually to ensure all our personnel are ready for the worst case scenario. 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, effective manner. Furthermore, it is our duty to protect and promote the health, safety, and overall well-being of the community we 20

23 On September 11th, 2015, Titusville Fire and Emergency Services Department hosted the City s 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at its Headquarters location. Our department was honored to be a recipient of a piece of one of the steel girders recovered from the debris from the parking garage of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. This significant historical artifact was unveiled at this event. This artifact has a tremendous significance to the City of Titusville as one of our own, Titusville Police Officer Chris Smith s father Fire Lieutenant Smith of FDNY responded to the 1993 WTC bombing in the garage of the North Tower, and made the ultimate sacrifice while responding to the WTC on September 11th, assisting with evacuations in the North Tower when it collapsed. Officer Smith graciously donated the flag his family was presented by FDNY for the loss of his father, to our department to pay tribute to all the first responders that gave their life on that horrific day. We are in the planning phase of constructing a permanent monument, that all who visit will be able to honor and pay tribute to for many years to come. A time to remember those who died, those who served, those who carry on. 21

24 2015 YEAR IN REVIEW Follow us on Twitter at: 22