Cartersville Fire Department Annual Report

Transcription

1 Cartersville Fire Department 2012 Annual Report

2 Table of Contents Letter of Introduction New Doors Open Alarm Response..3-6 Honor Guard 7 Training and Education 8-10 Hydrant Maintenance Equipment Maintenance Inspections, Public Education and Investigations Hazardous Materials Team 20 Pre-Incident Planning 21 Our Foundation, Our People Cartersville Facts 26-27

3 01/01/2013 Greetings, In the following pages we have attempted to provide you with a comprehensive snap shot of all of the activity for our department in Noticed I said attempted because 2012 was a monumental year! This year saw our department grow in our operation, facilities and service. This was a record breaking year in alarms answered, staff promotions and recruits that were instructed. We completely changed our response procedures. I must say that even with all of these changes, we never lost sight of our mission and that is protecting the citizens and guest of this great community. As Fire Chief, I am allowed to serve with what I believe to be the best in the state. It is not just my belief, but you will find within this report where honors and recognition were brought back to our department. As Fire Chief, I am allowed to witness the tireless dedication of the firefighters in Cartersville, but within this report you will see the lifesaving alarms that were answered and the manhours dedicated to the protection of this community. As Fire Chief, I have been allowed to feel the support of our community and our City Leaders as we expanded to new horizons. As Fire Chief, I have been humbled to work with the best and work for the best. I trust that you will find this report complete. Please know that I along with our entire department stand ready to answer any questions you may have. I close by thanking you for allowing us to protect you. We do not take the responsibility or trust you have placed in us lightly. With Respect, I Am, Scott Carter, Fire Chief Cartersville Fire Department scarter@cityofcartersville.org

4 2012: One Door Opens When Another Closes 2012 will be remembered as one of the most important, historic and critical years in the history of Cartersville Fire Department. This was truly a year of sweeping changes. The department saw its largest expansion of service in 17 years with the addition of Station 4 and 12 new firefighters. This year saw the closing of one of the oldest fire stations in Georgia and the opening of a new LEED certified structure that was built because of citizen support and dedicated service. On December the 8 th for the first time since 1917 Cartersville Fire Department administration was relocated from 19 N. Erwin St to the new location at 195 Cassville Road. While in 1917 the administration of the young fire department was very simple, in 2012 this meant the relocation of the office of the Fire Chief, the training division, Fire Marshal s office, Inspections, Investigations and the Training Division. On December the 18 th, fire companies were given the alarm to relocate. This signified the movement of Engine Company 1 and Tower 1 to relocate to 195 Cassville Rd. and the activation of the new Station 4 located at 550 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. The opening of Station 4 also brought on line the new Engine 4 and Squad 4 and moving Rescue 1 to special operations. These moves required a major restructuring of how Cartersville Fire Department would respond to the needs of the citizens and guest in Cartersville. The addition of the fourth station reduced the average coverage area for each station from 10 square miles per station to 7.5 square miles per station. In turn this will decrease response time and provide additional coverage for the City as a whole. Station 4 is 1

5 critically located within the I-75 corridor where approximately 10% of the call volume for the department is generated. The Construction of both stations was led by the architectural firm of Croft and Associates, Pott s Construction and Graham Construction. Construction began in 2011 and both stations were completed in just over one year. The innovative designs of the two new stations brought many improvements over the old facilities. Some of which included an environmentally friendly design of Station 1 that incorporates solar panels, efficient thermal protection and bio-retention areas. Internally the fire stations were complete with modern living quarters, efficient and clean apparatus work areas and integrated digital technology for training and operations with an eye pointed toward the future. This expansion generated one of the largest hiring of personnel in the departments history. This was the first expansion of manpower since 1995 bring the total suppression staff from 54 to 66 or 22 per day. These personnel began late summer of 2012 and completed firefighter certification program taught at our training facility on Paga Mine Rd. There will be more details concerning this later in this report. With all of the changes in 2012, it was all done with a remembrance and respect of our history. The success of our department was not just based on current staff. It was started by the foundation of all who have come before us. Since the early volunteer days in the late 1800 s to today, the protection of Cartersville has always been and will always be our number 1 priority. 2

6 2012 Alarm Response 2012 proved to be another record breaking year for Cartersville Fire Department when it comes to the answer of emergency alarms. Our department answered 3494 calls for emergency assistance from citizens, guest and other agencies. There was an increase of 300 alarms (9.4%) from 2011 to Looking at the ten year trends for the department shows almost a 300% increase in call volume over a ten year period Annual Total Alarm Volume In comparing the contrast from 2002 to 2012 the percentages for types of alarms remain very similar. For example fire incidents in 2002 accounted for 5.88% of the alarm volume while in 2012 this accounted for 3.97%. Rescue & Emergency Medical alarms accounted for 65.42% compared to 2012 where 67.94%. In trending these two major categories of alarms over a ten year span the percentages remained constant which is in line with national statistics. This leads to the overall conclusion that demands for service from Cartersville Fire Department will continue to increase in future years. It is anticipated, based on historical data and trends that by the year 2022 CFD will be answering between 7000 and 10,000 alarms per year. This is a critical projection as future strategic plans are put in place. 3

7 Looking at all of the alarm categories for 2012 emergency response we can see a wide variety of request for assistance. The table below reflects the numbers for each category: Type Number of Alarms Percentage of Alarms Fire % Over Exposure / Explosion 5.14% Rescue / Emergency Medical % Hazardous Condition % Service Call % Good Intent Call % False Alarms % Special Incident Type 4.11% Total % In looking at individual categories, within the fire type of alarms, 46 of these alarms were related to structure fires and 27 of those would be considered working fires where aggressive action had to take place in order to mitigate the incident. The remaining 93 fires in this category would be vehicle fires, open land fires, rubbish fires and etc. Within the Rescue / Emergency Medical category 58.91% or 1041 of the 2374 alarms were medical related to include cardiac arrest, respiratory distress, unresponsiveness and other medical issues. The remaining 1333 alarms in the category included motor vehicle accidents, victim extrication ad swift water rescue. Out of the 3494 alarms answered, all calls were different and unique individual request for help. In addition to providing assistance to the citizens and guest for the City of Cartersville, our department also responds to the request of other agencies outside of our City. The department has an automatic / mutual aid agreement with Bartow county Fire Department. In 2012 Cartersville Fire answered request from Bartow County on 323 times while Bartow County assisted within the City 51 times. Our Department also answered a request of the Georgia Mutual Aid Group to assist with a major fire in Summerville Georgia. The chart below reflects these numbers Mutual Aid 323 Aid Provided Aid Received GMAG 4

8 Cartersville Fire Department currently operates four fire stations on a three shift rotation basis. Up until December 18 th our department operated with three stations. As noted earlier in the report we moved our Station 1 and opened Station 4 on the 18 th. Shift wise B Battalion led the charge answering the most alarms answering 1176 calls for assistance while A Battalion answered 1147 and C Battalion 1158 respectively. The Chart below reflects the breakdown of alarms by shift. Alarms By Shift A B Battalion Battalion C Battalion Alarms Friday was the busiest day for alarms with 535 alarms or 15.31% to be received by our department with Saturday actually the quietest at 453 alarms on this day or 12.96%. The chart below shows that overall calls were distributed fairly equal among the days of the week Alarms Alarms The busiest hour of the day was between 3 PM and 4 PM with the eight hour span between 3 PM between 11 PM the busiest with 1524 alarms or 43.6%. Time of Day Number of Alarms % of total Alarms 7 AM - 3 PM % 3 PM 11 PM % 11 PM 7 AM % In 2012 Cartersville City Council voter Ward 6 was the busiest for emergency response with 707 emergency alarms with Ward 5 the quietest with only 309 alarms answered in that ward. The following chart reflects each ward and the percentage of total alarms that were answered within that area. 5

9 Council Ward 5 10% Council Ward 6 23% Council Ward 4 20% Council Ward 1 20% Council Ward 3 10% Council Ward 2 17% While answering the 2012 alarms there were two firefighter injuries that required treatment for injuries that resulted in no lost man hours and were considered minor. There were no civilian fire fatalities due to structure fires however there were two citizens that died as the result of a motor vehicle fire that occurred during a motor vehicle accident. A few other facts and figures concerning the 2012 alarms would be: Kitchen Fires were the number one cause of structure fires in 2012 Residential was the number one location type for alarms with 1803 emergency calls with businesses listed 2 nd. Industry was the lowest with only 9 emergencies during The average response time for Cartersville Fire was 4 minutes and 56 seconds May was the busiest month of the year with 343 alarms while January 2012 the quietest with only 237 alarms. Rescue 1 was the busiest apparatus answering a total of 1246 Alarms Engine 2 was the most active engine company answering 823 Alarms Emergency apparatus responded a total of 4655 times to answer 3494 alarms. This means that 1161 alarms required multiple pieces of equipment to mitigate the emergency. That is over 33 % of the total call volume There were 626 times in 2012 where the department had multiple alarms going on at the same time. That means that 18% of the time the department had more than one call in progress. Compare this to 2002 when there were only 123 over lapping incidents. That is almost a 500% increase in ten years! 6

10 Honor Guard 2012 was another busy year for the CFD Honor Guard. The highlight of the year was the presentation of colors at the state capital for Georgia Firefighters Recognition Day in February. On July 3 rd Honor Guard members performed a color presentation for a July 4 th ceremony at Taylorsville Baptist Church. The month of July also brought sadness to the fire service with the passing of retired Rome Fire Chief Bobby McKenzie. The Cartersville Fire Dept. Honor Guard assisted the Rome Fire Dept. with casket watch, and the funeral ceremony. This was an honor for our members to be able to assist with this detail. During the month of August Honor Guard members were ask to assist with the memorial service at the annual Ga. State Firefighters Conference in Dalton. The month of September was an exciting time for the Honor Guard. With the graduation of our department s thirteen recruits, honor guard members played a big role during the ceremony. The escorting of the senior staff, flag presentation, and handing out the helmets to the recruits was some of the roles that were performed by guard members. During November the honor guard performed a flag presentation for Veterans Day at Taylorsville Baptist Church. Also during 2012 the honor guard picked up one new member with the signing on of FF Wesley Gilmer. FF Gilmer attended the Honor Guard class at GPSTC during the month of May. He has done an outstanding job in all the details he has participated in. The Cartersville Fire Department Honor Guard is a very active team within our department. We bring honor and recognition to the department, and it is an honor for the team members to be able to perform and display our uniform in a professional manner. 7

11 Training & Education Training and Education is the cornerstone of Cartersville Fire Department. Training is an investment in our people and our people are the foundation of our success. In 2012 this issue was more critical than ever before. This year saw massive changes within the ranks of Cartersville Fire Department brought on by the expansion of our services. This included new recruit firefighters and many personnel promoted to new ranks with new responsibilities. The planning, training and education for both of these critical factors began long before Recruit Class of 2012 In July of 2012 our training center on Paga Mine Rd. became a beehive of activity as the recruit class of 2012 began their firefighting journey. All curriculums were based on NFPA standards and geared toward the Firefighter II level of National Professional Qualifications. The class was taught in conjunction with the Georgia Fire Academy and exceeded the requirements of Georgia Firefighters Standards and Training Council and ISO. Recruits were taught all aspects of the fire profession. Topics that were included but not limited to were, Fire Chemistry and Behavior, Incident Command Structure, Ladders, Ropes & Knots, Ventilation, Search and Rescue, Hose and Appliances, Fire Streams, Emergency Medical & Trauma and many more topics were taught during this aggressive 11 week course. Every morning began with intensive physical fitness training, followed by classroom and live evolutions on the training ground. The Class included 13 new firefighters taught during this program. The recruits were graduated in an impressive ceremony on September 28 th, After this time they were assigned to specific shifts to complete their education and merging into the suppression division. They received their final assignments and were put in place by December the 18 th as the new stations were opened and placed in service. 8

12 Left to Right- FF Stetson Mealer, FF Rusty Gwinn, FF Raymond Gonzales, FF Josh Pruitt, FF Josh Poteet, FF Daniel Lanier, FF Dave Williams, FF Casey Taylor, FF Eric Owens, FF Adam Kelly, FF Adam Owenby and FF Jonathan Loyd 9

13 The recruit class was just one component of the training and education for the year. During 2012 there were over 25,154 contact hours of instruction. As a department we made great strides to increase our instructor base and departmental abilities thru a quality training program that makes our department one of the best in the State of Georgia. A few highlights of 2012 are listed below: Increased the number of live fire instructors from 13 to 17 of which 15 are fire officers. Increase the level of medical training from first responder to Emergency Medical Responder by Training 10 Firefighters successfully in the Basic Firefighter course taught this previous summer. Added 4 Basic EMT s to the department Added 4 Advanced EMT s Hosted and Instructed 5 Georgia Fire Academy courses with qualified Cartersville Fire Department Instructors. Provided Incident Command Training to the Bartow County Sherriff s Department. The table below reflects some of the areas of training and education for 2012: Category Total Hours Automatic Aid Training 654 Company Training 20, Driver Training GFSTC Training GSAR / Technical Rescue 56 Hazardous Materials 640 Multi/Single Company Drills 1634 Night Drills 577 Officer Training 353 Investigator 76 Public Life Safety Education 81 Inspector Training 75 Georgia Fire Academy 406 With the educational philosophy of never letting the minimum standard become the maximum effort we have driven and will continue to drive forward to improve the level of professional service that is provided to our citizens and our guest. 10

14 Hydrant Maintenance A key component of any fire department s emergency operation, during fire emergencies, is a quality water system. This system must have an effective water flow, pressure and properly functioning fire hydrants. Through a partnership with the City of Cartersville Water Department, Bartow County Water Department and the Cartersville Fire Department, great strides have been made in order to ensure the quality of our local systems in times of an emergency. This is done with careful planning, public notifications and thorough testing and maintenance of our systems. In 2012, 595 fire department man-hours were utilized in maintenance and 371 man-hours were dedicated to flow testing for a total of 966 fire department man-hours devoted to this critical project. This involved testing fire hydrants that were located on the City of Cartersville water system as well as hydrants that are on the Bartow County water system that fall within our jurisdiction of response marked the third year of our current flow testing goal of obtaining a flow test for all hydrants. Between May 2010 and August 2012 we have flow tested 1533 hydrants. We completed a flow test for 93 % of all hydrants in the city limits of Cartersville. The remaining 7% mostly consist of hydrants in the closed area of uncompleted subdivisions where water has been cut off by the Water Dept. and the streets have been closed. It also consists of Industrial Park Rd., which the Cartersville Water Department did not want us to test. During this period we also flow tested 192 hydrants that are located in Bartow County but on the City of Cartersville Water system. This was done to ensure we were able to completely flush the system which in turn improves the quality of water that is provided to the end user and decreases the incrustation and tuberculation of the system as a whole. Note the table below that reflects the three year process: Location of Hydrants Total Hydrants Number of Flow Test Completed Fire District Fire District Fire District Outside City Limits 192 Total

15 In 2012 a total of 510 hydrants were tested to check static pressures, flow pressures and residual pressures. Gallons per minute and available flow was determined that would be available during a time of emergency. In addition new identification tags have been successfully placed on almost all fire hydrants with the City. Every fire hydrant in the City was inspected at least twice during 2012, even if it was not flowed. This included a visual inspection, lubrication and the cleaning of vegetation around each hydrant. There were a total of 3123 maintenance encounters in It was noted that there is a problem in some areas where clearance has not been maintained around some fire hydrants. National Fire Protection Association standards as well as codes, regulations and ordinances require that a minimum of three (3) feet clearance around all fire hydrants. Cartersville Fire Department relies on the cooperation and assistance of our community in order to meet this guideline. While at times it may be enticing to use the fire hydrant as a landscaping centerpiece, if firefighters cannot access the hydrant and/or operate the hydrant it becomes a life safety issue where the public may be endangered. Future departmental goals for our hydrant maintenance program include: Short Term Goals Long term Goals Use social media to inform public about 3 clearance Put markers out for all hydrants Re-paint all hydrants Continue 3 year cycle of flow testing Re-district hydrants in Firehouse to include District 4 Continue semi-annual maintenance Encourage owners of private hydrants to preform test and maintenance Color Code hydrants for flow identification NFPA 291 Cartersville Fire Department looks forward to the continued positive working relationships with the water departments and our citizens to help make these goals a reality. 12

16 Maintenance and Testing of Fire Department Equipment Equipment maintenance is a high priority for Cartersville Fire. The department must maintain a state of readiness for when the alarm sounds. With increasing demands on personnel and equipment it is critical to have a preventive maintenance program as well as an efficient system for repairs as problems arise. Our maintenance program meets and exceeds the standards set by National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Insurance Service Organization (ISO). The emergency apparatus were driven approximately 40,632 miles and operated for a total of 3100 hours. Each hour of operation is equivalent to about 50 miles of driving on fire apparatus. This would convert into being driven about 155,000 miles in During our annual hose test the Cartersville Fire Department tested a total of 21,050 feet of fire hose. If laid end to end this is approximately 4 miles of hose. This test is performed by shift personnel and takes about 5 working days to complete. Each year the fire pumps, on all of the apparatus with pumping capabilities must to be tested to ensure it will perform at its rated capacity. This also is required by ISO and NFPA. This pump test is also performed after any major repair to the driveline of the apparatus. During 2012 Cartersville Fire Department personnel performed 11 pump tests with some apparatus being tested more than once due to major mechanical repairs. The annual pump test usually takes about 2 hours to perform. This year with the purchase of the 2 new apparatus (Engine 4 and Squad 4) we performed acceptance test on these two trucks. An acceptance test is performed to put the pump, driveline, and charging system through a two hour test. These tests are performed at maximum pumping capacity with all electrical components operating. The City Garage performs all routine Semi-annual and Annual services on our apparatus. Our aerial trucks are tested and inspected by a third party testing agency annually to recertify the aerial device and to identify any problems with the aerial device. NFPA recommends testing of all ground ladders used by the fire department. This was performed during 2012 for the first time in the history of Cartersville Fire Department. Currently we have 31 ground ladders mounted on the different apparatus within the Department and all were tested and passed. The testing of each ground ladder requires that the ladder be extended horizontally while resting on saw horses, then a 500 pound weight placed in the center of the ladder for 5 minutes. After the weight is removed the ladder has to return to its original height from the ground that it was prior to the weight 13

17 being added. Each test requires about 30 minutes. The Cartersville Fire Department currently has 3 breathing air machines that filter and compress the air used to refill our SCBA bottles used by the Department. The breathing air machines are serviced semiannually and air samples are obtained and tested by an outside agency to insure the air being used to refill our SCBA bottles is the highest of quality. The FCC required all emergency and business radios to be narrow banded by January 1 st All of the radios within the Cartersville Fire Department were narrow banded during This entailed replacing all radios that were not narrow band capable and reprogramming the radios that were capable. In 2012 the Cartersville Fire Department had several major repairs performed on the different apparatus by the City Garage and specialized repair facilities. There were several significant major repairs that had to be performed in 2012: The motor in Engine 1, which is a 2002 model, was rebuilt by the City Garage. Tower 1, a 2004 model, had the radiator replaced, both steering gears replaced and the rear axle track bar replaced by the City Garage. The transfer case and transmission on Engine 3, a 2001 model, is currently being rebuilt by a specialized mechanic, and the radiator was replaced in this truck be the City Garage. Currently the Fire Department maintains the following fleet of emergency apparatus: Apparatus Year Model Assignment Eng. 1 Pierce Saber 2002 Suppression Eng. 2 Pierce Saber 2007 Suppression Eng. 3 Pierce Saber 2001 Suppression Eng. 4 Pierce Velocity 2011 Suppression Squad 4 Pierce Velocity 2011 Suppression Tower 1 Pierce Dash 2004 Suppression Gator/ ATV 2006 Special Ops Emergency One / Rescue 2000 Special Ops Liberty Air/Light 2011 Special Ops Pierce Saber Ladder 1994 Reserve Pierce Saber Pumper 1996 Reserve America Eagle Pumper 1990 Training 14

18 Inspections, Public Education, and Investigation Cartersville Fire Department is compiled of four major divisions. They are suppression, training, administration and Fire Marshal division. The Fire Marshal division has three key areas of responsibility which are inspections, public education and investigations. Their goals and mission for each area as follows: Goals, Missions and Objectives of the Fire Prevention Division Preventing any incident that is a threat to life or property is the first concern of Cartersville Fire Department. The Fire Prevention Division is headed by Fire Marshal Mark Hathaway. The Fire Prevention Division is responsible for building life safety plan review, new and existing building life safety inspections, origin and cause fire investigations, and the coordination of public education programs. The public education programs are administered by our two inspectors and the Fire Marshal. These personnel have formed an in-house Public Education Team. Programs are delivered at shopping centers, schools, and other city functions. Additionally, the Cartersville Fire Explorers Post 112 helps throughout the city at different functions. Fire Prevention Administration Mission Statement To provide effective management and leadership while assuring accountability of Division resources and purchases. Goals and Objectives To evaluate and monitor existing activities and work to increase customer service. To provide the resources necessary to perform daily job functions. To enhance automation of record keeping, inspections and reports. 15

19 Fire Marshal Division Members Fire Marshal Mark Hathaway Cell: Captain Eric Williams Cell: Lieutenant Mike Taylor Cell: Plan Review and Inspections Mission Statement To provide informed inspections and plan reviews in a timely manner to assure the safety of all citizens and visitors in Cartersville, Georgia. Goals and Objectives To complete properly submitted plans within five (5) business days. To complete fire inspections within 48 hours of request. To complete an audit of the Division staff job duties to determine and/or verify proper job classification for salaries versus duties. To enhance automated inspection reporting. To maintain compliance with State and federally mandated code compliance through sound inspections and timely re-inspections of non-compliant properties. Fire Investigation Mission Statement To reduce the number of accidental fires and injuries by identifying cause and origin of all fires and educating people on these determinations. Goals and Objectives To maintain 24 hour investigator response availability. To commit time and resources for complex investigation scenes that can lead to the arrest of the individual(s) responsible once the investigation reveals that a fire was intentionally started. To establish a database of causes of accidental fires so we may monitor patterns and structure public education programs and press/media releases to address known fire causes 16

20 Public Education Mission Statement To provide effective educational programs to all ages and mobility s in order to reduce the risk of injury from fire and other causes. Goals and Objectives To identify target groups and provide education suitable to their specific needs. To establish outlines so that programs are uniformly delivered city- wide. To motivate and educate citizens, business owners and everyone affiliated with city government that it is better to prevent a fire than it is to extinguish one. Enhanced education and inspection programs do produce measurable results. The following tables and charts reflect the activity if this division: Inservice Bldg. Add. Change New Bus. Reinsp. New Bldg. State Misc. Totals Mark Eric Mike Totals Recorded Inspections 1420 Fire Prevention Division Activities Number of Participants Fire Investigations 12 Public Education Participants 4443 School Inspections 17 (station tours, events) School Fire Drills 15 Plan Approvals 18 Fire Safety House Participants 1158 Temporary Sign-Off 54 Fire Safety Checklist 229 Fire Extinguisher Participants 183 Knox Boxes 34 Fireworks Permits 3 Total 5784 Risk Assessment 181 Smoke Detectors 56 Burn Permit

21 Public Education Public fire safety education is a very important part our fire prevention efforts and much emphasis put into it throughout the year. In 2012, we had a total of 5784 participants in the various fire safety programs. This is a 16% increase in total fire prevention participants. These programs include: Fire Safety House demonstrations, fire station tours and puppet shows, clown shows at schools, fire extinguisher classes, Fire Safety Open House, and other various city and civic functions. This is the second year of Family Fun Nights. These Family Fun Nights were held at several shopping centers and featured the Fire Safety House and clowns. These events were a huge hit with the citizens. The Cartersville Fire Explorers Post 112 members were used to operate the fire safety house and instruct kids on how to get out of a smoke filled house. The Explorers also continued to help with parking a various city functions throughout the year. Another important public safety program is our free smoke alarms. Any city resident that cannot afford to purchase their own smoke alarms can receive two (2) free at Cartersville Fire Headquarters. Also, those needing help with installation can get assistance from fire personnel as well. Smoke alarms are statistically proven to increase survival rates in residential fires. In 2012, 56 smoke alarms were distributed. This program received a huge boost in December of 2012 when the Home Depot donated 2500 smoke alarms to the Cartersville Fire Department. These units are equipped with a 10 year lithium battery that is good for the life of the alarm. Smoke alarms, regardless of type, should be replaced after 10 years. These new smoke alarms eliminate the need to replace the battery annually, though monthly testing is still necessary. The Cartersville Fire Department is very thankful for this donation and we look forward to getting these units into the homes that need them. Inspections The Cartersville Fire Prevention staff continues to follow the mission of serving the community through protection of lives and property by providing public safety education and a large part of this is done through fire safety code compliance inspections. During these code compliance inspections our inspectors can educate the Cartersville business community on how to protect their business, employees, and patrons from the dangers of fire. This element of education is paramount to effective code compliance within our business community. With the continued downturn in the economy and the lack of new construction projects we have been able to concentrate on inspecting existing occupancies for fire code compliance. Our goal remains the same, all businesses in Cartersville inspected for compliance once annually. Schools, industrial and manufacturing facilities, daycares, and assembly occupancies inspected for compliance twice annually. In 2012, Cartersville Fire Prevention personnel performed 1,420 recorded fire inspections. This was an 8% increase in this type of inspection over Additionally, 876 miscellaneous inspections were completed by staff. These include any inspection service that was performed without a paper record. Examples include: courtesy inspections, site evaluations, office visits, etc. 18

22 In July of 2012, a previous goal was met with the implementation of the use of I-pad s and the FHInspector app for fire safety compliance inspections. Though the learning curve has been steep, most of the bugs have been worked out of the system now and they are working great. The ease and convenience of the I-pad is fantastic and allows the inspectors to review previous inspections in the field. Both the FHInspector and FHWeb version have saved valuable time that was once spent in the office and have allowed for more time in the field. Investigations Fire Marshal Mark Hathaway and Assistant Fire Marshal Eric Williams were deputized by Safety Fire Commissioner Hudgens as fire investigators at the 2012 Georgia Firefighters Recognition Day. This gives Cartersville fire prevention personnel greater responsibility in the field of fire investigations and allows us to perform these investigations as a representative for the state of Georgia when necessary. Cartersville Fire investigators performed 12 origin and cause investigations in These causes are broken down as follows: Accidental 3; 2- electrical, 1- woods, Undetermined- 4, Incendiary- 5. The number of incendiary fires was up but fortunately none of these resulted in injury and property damage was very slight. These ranged from Molotov cocktails thrown in a yard to a closet fire in a nursing home. Fire suppression and prevention crews have worked very well over the last 12 months and have opened a good line of communication between them. This communication is imperative to the effectiveness of both divisions. There is a noticeable difference in the confidence of the company officers to make origin and cause determinations and to only call for an investigator when necessary. In 2013, we look to solidify and improve the quality of origin and cause fire investigations by both the company officers and fire investigation personnel. Looking ahead to 2013 this division has some very specific goals: 2013 Fire Prevention Division Goals Perform annual fire safety code compliance inspections at all Cartersville businesses Perform semi-annual fire safety code compliance inspections at all high hazard, industrial, and large assembly occupancies Perform solid fire investigations following the current edition of NFPA 921 All members meet the training requirements set by GFSTC and CFD Distribute all 2500 smoke alarms we received from Home Depot Deliver classes to suppression personnel on: o Fire Safety House Setup and Operation o Residential Fire Sprinklers and Smoke Alarms o Delivery of Fire Safety Curriculum by Age Provide fire extinguisher classes to all city departments Expand fire prevention programs to include all ages Create new fire safety programs for all age groups and disabilities Burn Foundation boot drive Photograph Knox box locations and attach to occupancy in FireHouse 19

23 Hazardous Materials Team Cartersville Fire Department specializes in hazardous materials response through a joint team with Bartow County Fire under the direction of Bartow County Emergency Management Agency. This team is now recognized by the State of Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) as a type II team which is a major accomplishment for all members involved. Our hazmat team has accomplished many goals this year. Nine training sessions were held, along with two drills. 561 hours of training in the area of hazmat, were obtained during the year for members of our department. Our department had a very strong presence in the drills. The spring drill was conducted on Evidence Collection. Sgt. Brown provided comprehensive training in this area and assessed team skills. The fall drill was conducted at the training tower in which a simulated Chlorine leak was mitigated. Sgt. Brown was again very involved in the development and implementation of this drill. Battalion Chief McClung provided an Incident Action Plan (IAP) for both drills. All training was in accordance with GEMA, state and federal guidelines. Non-team members also benefited with equipment review of the teams assets. They also took part in Hazmat Operations role during the drills. This was one of the goals of the team to make sure our nonmembers remain informed and able to assist the team. 20

24 Pre-Incident Planning The best way to successfully mitigate an emergency is to try and plan for the emergency before it ever occurs. Within Cartersville Fire Department this is accomplished various means. Some of which would include planned events such as the 4 th of July Celebration where an Incident Action Plan is preformed prior to the event. This would be where all public safety agencies that are responsible for the event come together and discuss potential hazards, available resources and plan on how to mitigate any emergency that may arise based on these two components. On a daily basis this department also preforms this task through the development of what are known as pre-fire plans. This detailed document is a requirement of our ISO rating and is a valuable tool for training prior to an emergency and for use during an emergency to enhance response and increase life safety by attempting to remove as many of the unknowns as possible was a very good year in our preplan program. We focused in on actual businesses that had no drawing whatsoever. The shifts visited 398 facilities and entered new data into our system. During the year we converted drawings already in our system when to the web based version. This upgrade and conversion, along with the integration of the I-pads now let our staff and crews quickly pull up information on the scene that leads to more proficient response and is a direct link to more safe operations. Crews were able to develop skull sessions and gained valuable training from the information obtained. The change was also made to Fire House sketch to be used to enter drawings. This move away from Fire Zone, simplified the system and will give crews confidence in entering the information. In 2013, we intend on completing our list of structures that have no drawings and integrate a more systematic approach to how we do preplans, by assigning obtainable goals for the month that will also ensure better quality control and give crews a sense of accomplishment. 21

25 Our Foundation-Our People Cartersville Fire Department is organized under what is known as a span of control type organization. Where the department is broke into different sub groups that all work toward one mission. There are three primary divisions that are all under the control of the Fire Chief. The three Primary divisions are Suppression, Fire Marshal Division and Training Division. While each group has specific task and goals that are specialized, they all work in harmony to create a positive final outcome as a whole. This direction is led by Senior Staff as indicated in the chart below: Fire Chief Scott Carter Admin Assistant Lynn Garrison A Battalion Chief Mark Bagley B Battalion Chief Tim McClung C Battalion Chief Ray King Training Chief Ronnie Cowart Fire Marshal Mark Hathaway With the massive changes in operations, staffing and response this brought about the opportunity for promotions within the ranks to lead the department. During 2012 there were 16 individual members of the department who assumed new roles of responsibility in the protection of our community. The following individuals were promoted in Captain Mitchell Bagley 22

26 Our New Lieutenants Lt. Coy Stewart Lt. Chris Wallace Lt. Hagen Champion Lt. DeWitt Crocker Lt. Mike Elrod Lt. Chad Hendrix Our New Sergeants Sgt. B. Holliday Sgt. M. Mitchell Sgt. R. Mealer Sgt. J. Hill Sgt. J. Amerson Sgt. M. Daniell Sgt. T. McFadden Sgt. R. McGivern Sgt. K. Willis With this large number of promotions, new recruit Firefighters it has had a major impact on the department. In 2012 it was not a surprising issue to have this many personnel changes, it was very much anticipated. Years of preparation went into this on an individual basis and departmental basis and the future is bright for Cartersville Fire Department as new leaders of the fire service step forward to serve. 23

27 2012 also meant several state recognitions for members of our department. Three of our members received the State of Georgia Valor award that was presented at the annual Georgia Fire Conference which was held in Dalton, Georgia this year. The recipients of this prestigious award were Chad Hendrix, Mack King and Joe Hill. Cartersville Firefighters receiving the Valor Award Our Fire Chief Scott Carter also concluded his tenure in 2012 as President of the Georgia State Firefighters Association. This association is the largest and oldest and is a leader in fire service issues here in Georgia and across the nation. Chief Carter was originally elected to the board in 2002 and was elected as State President in Chief Carter providing remarks as he steps down as President 24

28 In addition to all of the hard work, members had a little fun along the way. Cartersville Fire Department form a competition team to compete in what are called muster events. These muster events are held though out Georgia. Our team took first place at the Northwest Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs muster that was held at the Clarence Brown Center in L to R in Photo: Coy Stewart, Kyle Lutrell, John Stanfield, Scotty Fillers and John Paschal. Kneeling: Tim Key The muster team went on to compete in the State Competition which was held at the Georgia s Fire Conference and Expo in Dalton during August of Cartersville Fire took second place honors in the statewide competition. Individually one of Cartersville s own is now considered the fastest firefighter in the state. Firefighter Scotty Fillers won the rapid dress competition by being able to completely put on his personal protective equipment in seconds. In firefighter terms, that s smokin! Firefighter Fillers during his Rapid Dress 25

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30 Cartersville Fire Department Fact Sheet In ISO Rating Class ISO Rating Class 3 City Coverage 6.3 Sq. miles Coverage Miles Fire Stations 2 Fire Stations - 4 Shift Work- 24 on/24 hours off Staffing- 12 per shift Work 24 on 48 off Staffing- 22 per shift Alarms- 331 Alarms The fire department was created as a volunteer department in 1889, becoming a career department in 1908, first Chief in 1909 Gideon Hendricks 2. Current Fire Chief Scott Carter was appointed Chief in Total Employees: 71 Certified Firefighters 1 Administrative Assistant (74 Approved 2 Vacant) 4. 4 Stations: Station 1 Headquarters 195 Cassville Rd. Station 2 - Station 3 - Station 4-90 Peeples Valley Road 1220 West Avenue 550 Martian Luther King Dr. 5. Fire Department has a 12 member emergency response team that is part of the Georgia Search and Rescue (GSAR) program. They specialize in heavy 26

31 rescue; confine space and trench to handle local emergencies, from acts of Mother Nature to man-made disaster. 6. Cartersville Fire Department has automatic aid and mutual aid agreements with the Bartow County Fire Department. 7. We have an established Cartersville/Bartow County Haz-Mat Team trained, certified and up and running. This team is a Type II team and is recognized by Georgia Emergency Management Agency. 8. We have a Fire Safety House with severe weather package. This safety house has over 1000 personal contacts with citizens of all ages on an annual basis. 9. Classes offered to City Employees, Citizens and Businesses: A. Defensive Driving National Safety Course B. Fire Extinguisher Classes C. We offer various public education programs for Fire and Life Safety that is conducted for all age groups. D. We display and present at community functions such as government day, Relay for Life, Pioneer Days, civic groups and others. 10. We are currently an ISO Class 3 department with places us in the top 4.4% of departments in Georgia. We are currently working to achieve our class 2 rating. 11. We operate a fire training facility. This facility is located on 180 Paga Mine Rd and is a joint venture with the City of Cartersville and Bartow County. This project was funded with 2003 SPLOST dollars. Phase 1 provided infrastructure, a burn building and rescue tower building. Phase 2 will have to be completed in 2015 with funds from 2014 SPLOST; this will be for an onsite classroom facility. The Cartersville Fire Department serves the community 24 hours a day / 365 days a year with a committed, compassion for the citizens. We stand ready 27