El Mirage Fire Department 2011
Table of Contents Message from the Chief 3 Organizational Chart 4 Operations 5 Response Times 7 El Mirage Fire Department 13513 N El Mirage Rd El Mirage, AZ 85335 623-583-7968 623-583-8257 fax www.cityofelmirage.org/ fire Emergency Medical Services 10 Training 11 Fire Investigations 12 Fire, Building, & Life Safety Division 14 Public Education 16 EMFFA Charities 17 Howard Munding Fire Chief Mary Dickson Building Official It is the mission of the El Mirage Fire Department...to protect the life, property, and environment of our community, neighbors, and guests by delivering professional life safety and hazard mitigation services. 2
MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF 2011 Calls for Service Total Calls For Service by EMFD = 3,428 Total Calls for Service in El Mirage = 2,500 By EMFD = 2,071 By Other Cities = 429 Average Response Time = 00:04:53 (+00:00:06 from 2010) Responses Outside of El Mirage = 928 Calls by Type in El Mirage Fires = 85 ALS = 1051 BLS = 735 Special OPS = 3 Misc = 207 False Alarms = 103 Mayor and Council, City Manager, and Residents of El Mirage: It is my privilege to present to you the 2011 El Mirage Fire Department Annual Report. Despite the difficult economy, thanks to the support of the community and the hard work of the members of the El Mirage Fire Department, we have been able to provide excellent fire and life safety services to the community. In October 2011, the Insurance Services Organization (ISO) conducted its rating of the City s overall fire protection services. During this process, the ISO provided an objective, national standard evaluation of the community s fire protection services to help the City in planning and budgeting for facilities, equipment, and training. Each city is rated on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being the best and 10 being no fire protection. This rating is also used by insurance companies to determine the fire insurance premiums for a city. The last evaluation was performed in 2000 for which the City received a dual rating of a 5/9. I am proud to report that the City of El Mirage s fire protection rating improved by two protection classes from a 5/9 to a 3/9. Property located within 5 miles of the fire station and 1,000 ft. or less from a fire hydrant received a protection class of 3. Property that does not fall within these parameters received a protection class of a 9. What this means to the community is that because of the City s investment in the Fire Department and the water distribution system, individual fire insurance premiums may be reduced by as much as 14%! The following pages contain a snapshot of the daily front line services and behind-thescenes activities that take place to ensure the fire and life safety of our community. We thank you for the trust you have placed in us and we will continue to work diligently to continue to earn your trust and respect on a daily basis. Respectfully, Howard Munding, Fire Chief 3
El Mirage Fire Department Fire Chief Howard Munding Emergency Services Fire, Building & Life Safety Operations EMS Capt. David Cleveland Training Capt. Juan Rodriguez Support Services Eng. Joe Fusco Eng. Chris Richardson Mary Dickson A Shift 2 Captains 2 Engineers 4 Firefighters Plan Review Inspections Paul Schechter Fire Investigations Eng. Erik Lauer Public Education Permit Technician Ella Ochoa B Shift 2 Captains 2 Engineers 4 Firefighters C Shift 2 Captains 2 Engineers 4 Firefighters The El Mirage Fire Department is comprised of two separate divisions - Emergency Services and Fire, Building, & Life Safety, each uniquely positioned to support the overall mission of providing superior life safety services. The Emergency Services Division is comprised of the emergency responders and includes fire operations, emergency medical services, training, and support services. There are 24 firefighters (8 per shift) assigned to this division ready to respond to customers emergency needs. The Fire, Building, & Life Safety Division is the fire and injury prevention arm of the department. This group of three is responsible for ensuring that buildings are constructed and maintained in accordance with the current building and fire codes and for educating the public in life safety practices. 4
EL MIRAGE FIRE DEPARTMENT YEAR IN REVIEW 2011 OPERATIONS The Operations Section of the El Mirage Fire Department (EMFD) provides an all hazards response to the community. The section is comprised of three shifts of eight personnel to provide these emergency services. When all eight personnel are on duty, the department is able to staff two fire engines (E-121 & E-122). Minimum staffing on a fire engine is established by local and national standards at one captain, one engineer, and two firefighters. In addition to fire suppression capabilities, all members are cross-trained as either emergency medical technicians (EMT) or paramedics to provide advanced life support (ALS) treatment to the critically ill and/or injured patients in the field. When on-duty staffing drops below eight, one fire engine is shut down and a rapid response vehicle, Brush 121 (BR-121), is placed in service with a minimum of two personnel to provide the community with Basic Life Support (BLS) capabilities to include an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED), as an initial response until an ALS unit arrives to provide more definitive treatment. Additionally, the BR-121 has off-road capabilities to gain access to areas that the larger and heavier fire engines cannot reach. Each year, El Mirage firefighters respond to more than 3,000 calls for service throughout the City and in neighboring communities. To improve service delivery and reduce expenses, the El Mirage Fire Department is a member of the Automatic Aid System. This is a time-tested deployment system that provides the closest, most appropriate fire service resource regardless of jurisdictional boundaries. The system provides small and large communities with value-added, shared resources. Large communities gain by having assistance with the numerous single-unit incidents that span their vast boundaries, while smaller communities benefit by having additional units capable of responding to large incidents that occur in their communities. This sharing of resources and joint purchas- 5
In 2011, there were 2,366 calls for service in the City of El Mirage The above map indicates the locations and the areas of higher incident counts. As the map depicts, the area with the majority of calls for service is in the vicinity of El Mirage Road, east to Thompson Ranch Road, from Thunderbird North to Grand Avenue, and in Pueblo El Mirage. 6
EL MIRAGE FIRE DEPARTMENT YEAR IN REVIEW 2011 RESPONSE TIMES In 2011, the EMFD responded to 3,471 emergency calls for service, 2,366 of which were within the City of El Mirage. This represents a 15% increase in call volume over 2010! The map on the previous page shows the locations of the emergency calls in El Mirage in 2011. How quickly the Department gets to a customer in an emer- 4000 Calls for Service gency (response time) plays a major role in the outcome. 3500 3000 3071 3089 2989 3313 2997 3471 Response time goals are based upon two factors: fire growth and victim survivability. When planning, the Department looks at the two worst case scenarios: 2500 2000 1500 2254 1000 A person has quit breathing and their heart has stopped. 500 A fire in a home with people trapped. 0 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Under these scenarios, response time is a critical benchmark for many of the decisions the Department makes. Fire station placement, the number and type of units, unit staffing, etc. are all driven by these response times. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have conducted fire testing, tracked data from actual calls, and conducted testing on staffing efficiencies that led to the development of a national standard for response time goals. Response times for a standard house fire are determined using the following facts and assumptions displayed in the chart on page 10. Based upon national averages, once a fire breaks out, provided there is a working smoke alarm installed, detecting the fire may take up to a minute and getting the family out of the house and calling 911 may take an additional minute. Then, approximately one minute may be needed to dispatch crews and allow them to don their firefighting gear and leave the station. Add in a four-minute response time and eight minutes may have elapsed since the fire was first detected. A phenomenon known as flashover may occur in as little as five minutes from the fire s inception. Once a room experiences flashover, the survivability of any trapped victims is almost zero. 7
As a result of these studies, the national standard is to have the first fully staffed fire engine on scene within five minutes of dispatch 90% of the time (NFPA Standard 1710). This provides the greatest chance for victim survival and reduced property loss. Response times for an emergency medical call are intended to have the first unit on scene within five minutes 90% of the time and to have paramedics arrive within nine minutes 90% of the time (NFPA Standard 1710). This is dictated by the fact that irreversible brain damage occurs within 4-6 minutes once a person quits breathing. For every minute that passes during a heart attack, approximately 10% of the heart muscle can be severely damaged. The amount of time it takes to discover an emergency and notify the Fire Department are factors that the Department cannot control. The only factors that the Department can directly control are how fast firefighters can get in their gear and the response times. Response times are affected by many outside factors including traffic, geography, unit location at time of call, etc. In 2011, the average response time to calls in El Mirage was 4 minutes 53 seconds. This means that on half of the calls, the City firefighters arrived faster than 4:53 and half were slower. Taking a closer look at the response times on reported structure fires, the Fire Department met the response time goal of the first fire engine arriving on scene within the allotted time 73.33% of the time. On emergency medical calls, the Department met the response time goal for the first unit on scene 58.87% of the time. The contract ambulance service met a 5-minute response time 15.7% of the time. By State statute, the ambulance company must meet a response time of 9 minutes 90% of the time, which they do meet consistently. 8
This map shows where the calls were located when the Department did not meet its 5 minute response time goal in 2011. 9
EL MIRAGE FIRE DEPARTMENT YEAR IN REVIEW 2011 EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES By City Code, the El Mirage Fire Department is charged with providing basic and advanced emergency medical services within the City of El Mirage. In 2011, EMFD responded to 2,311 emergency medical calls, roughly 67.41% of all calls for service. This was accomplished through a highly trained professional staff of firefighters who are cross-trained as paramedics and emergency medical technicians. In addition to training specific to firefighting, each EMFD member receives continuing education and training in emergency medicine to remain proficient and current with the most up-to-date practices. Members must maintain their national and state certifications as basic emergency medical technicians or paramedics as required by the Arizona Department of Health Services. Every two years, EMT s must attend a 40-hour refresher course and must pass both a written exam and a practicum to be recertified. Paramedics must receive 72 hours of training in specific topics such as airway management, cardiology, trauma, obstetrics, pediatrics and other medical emergencies, along with passing written and practical exams. EMFD paramedics are trained and certified in advanced cardiac life support, pediatric cardiac life support, basic CPR, and trauma life support. Emergency transportation is provided through a contract ambulance provider. In 2011, the Department began replacing its heart monitors with the state-of-the-art Life-Pak 15. This new monitor has the capability to not only perform a diagnostic quality 12 lead ECG, but also monitor the patient s blood pressure, pulse, oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, and can check for carbon monoxide poisoning. Armed with this information from the scene, doctors at receiving hospitals are able to make better decisions that can literally have life changing effects for the patients. 10
EL MIRAGE FIRE DEPARTMENT YEAR IN REVIEW 2011 TRAINING To respond to the myriad of requests for service, every member of the Fire Department receives ongoing training in a variety of topics and skill areas. Firefighters are required to complete a minimum of 20 hours of fire -related (non-medical) training each month. Training in firefighting tactics and strategy, hydraulics, building construction, specialized rescue scenarios, hazardous materials, and emergency vehicle driver training are just a sample of the training topics covered. In addition to classroom training and live fire training, 42 hours of practical exercises to demonstrate proficiency are required each year. As a member of the Phoenix Automatic Aid System, EMFD often conducts joint training with neighboring departments. During 2011, EMFD members received more than 8,750 hours of training, an average of 364 hours per member. 11
EL MIRAGE FIRE DEPARTMENT YEAR IN REVIEW 2011 FIRE INVESTIGATIONS All fires are investigated by the Fire Department to determine the point of origin and cause. This information is used to identify trends that can be addressed through public education programs. In 2011, the Fire Department investigated 41 fires and determined that 6 were intentionally set. If a fire s origin is determined to be suspicious, the EMFD works closely with the El Mirage Police Department to identify and prosecute those responsible for all arson fires. 12
The above map indicates the locations of the reported fires in El Mirage during 2011. 13
EL MIRAGE FIRE DEPARTMENT YEAR IN REVIEW 2011 FIRE, BUILDING, & LIFE SAFETY Fire and life safety are essential services of the Fire Department. The quickest and most cost effective way to mitigate an emergency situation is to prevent it from ever happening. The EMFD works diligently to prevent fires and other emergency situations using a three pronged approach: Public education, fire safety plan review, and annual fire prevention inspections. In 2011, as part of the City s innovation and efficiency focus, the Building Safety Department was moved into the Fire Department. By moving Building Safety into the Fire Department and combining the two functions into one division, the Fire Building & Life Safety Division is able to provide oversight to ensure safe structures before, during, and after construction. Combining the two separate yet similar functions into a one stop shop for customers is an efficient, centralized approach to providing better customer service to developers, contractors, and business owners, while saving them time and money. When plans for a building are submitted to the City for review, many aspects of the building are looked at in addition to structural issues. Fire walls; fire protection systems; Fire Department access; fire lanes; hydrant placement; proposed use; exits; occupant load; electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems are checked for code compliance. When a building receives a Certificate of Occupancy (C/O), it assures the owner and the public that this building was built according to the applicable codes and is safe. Once the C/O is issued, the job of building safety is typically completed in most communities. Then, it becomes the responsibility of the Fire Department to ensure that the building and its operations are maintained and conducted according to the fire and building 14
EL MIRAGE FIRE DEPARTMENT YEAR IN REVIEW 2011 FIRE, BUILDING, & LIFE SAFETY codes. 2011 Inspections Protecting buildings after construction is facilitated through 1600 1400 1378 annual fire inspections of public 1200 buildings. 1000 Staff inspects the conditions of 800 structures to ensure they are being maintained properly and being used for their intended purposes. 600 400 200 384 225 294 Staff also checks the activities being conducted in the buildings. Fire inspectors are looking to see if anything changed inside a building. Are the exit doors blocked? Are chemicals present that can cause additional hazards to the public or firefighters? Are stored chemicals or materials safe for the employees and customers? Are the fire extinguishers or sprinklers in working order? Are there any electrical hazards or any of hundreds of other hazards to be checked during an annual inspection? The intent is to make sure that all buildings in El Mirage remain safe for citizens. In 2011, inspections identified 512 fire safety hazards in commercial buildings. 0 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 $70,000 $60,000 $50,000 $40,000 $30,000 $20,000 $10,000 $0 Commercial Courtesy/Info. Residential Fire Inspections 59 $57,413 Permit Fees 2011 Plan Reviews 2011 Revenue $24,538 Review Fees 145 $900 $3,023 $665 Pools Solar /Green Build 9 11 Commercial Residential Fire Alarm Fire Sprinkler Signs $11,051 Other fees (misc) 15
EL MIRAGE FIRE DEPARTMENT YEAR IN REVIEW 2011 PUBLIC EDUCATION Public education and community involvement are critical components of the EMFD fire and life safety focus. In 2011, EMFD members made 13 group presentations, participated in 16 public relations events, gave 14 station tours, performed complimentary blood pressure checks, and had three citizen ride-a-longs, reaching a total of 1,496 adults and 3,618 children. Additionally, EMFD personnel taught 18 CPR classes and certified 67 adults and 258 children in this life saving skill. EMFD personnel also reach out to the community as positive role models by being involved with local schools and youth activities. National Read Across America Day 16
EL MIRAGE FIRE DEPARTMENT YEAR IN REVIEW 2011 EL MIRAGE FIREFIGHTER ASSOCIATION CHARITY The El Mirage Firefighter Association Charity was established in May 2011. The purpose of the El Mirage Firefighter Association Charity is to provide assistance to public safety personnel and their families during times of need and to promote the interests of families in the community. In just the first year, the charity made the following contributions to the community: 1 st Annual Charity Kickball Tournament 10 th Anniversary of 9/11 Charity Pancake Breakfast 1 st Annual Charity Golf Tournament Donated $100.00 to the Dysart Community Center for Thanksgiving meals. Assisted Dysart Community Center with manpower and time. Donated $250 to the family of Officer Jones of the Glendale Police Department Christmas Pancake Breakfast for citizens of El Mirage Provided over 400 toys for needy families at Christmas. Assisted multiple families with food, school supplies and clothing. Donated $1000 to assist the family of a fallen Daisy Mountain firefighter. Initiated the El Mirage Car Seat Inspection Program Provided $2,000 in scholarships to Dysart High School seniors. Continually raises money through sales of El Mirage Firefighter Charity t-shirts and wristbands. 17
www.cityofelmirage.org/fire CITY OF E MIRAGE 13513 N El Mirage Rd. El Mirage, AZ 85335 Phone: 623-583-7968 Fax: 623-583-8257 www.cityofelmirage.org/fire 2011 Accomplishments Improved the City s ISO Fire Protection Classification by Two Levels from a 5/9 to a 3/9. Annual Fire Loss was $651,450. Dollar Value/Loss Analysis = 86.78% of Property Values Saved. Responded to 3,471 Calls for Service. Conducted 294 Fire Safety Inspections, Identifying and Mitigating 512 Fire Hazards. Made Fire and Life Safety Presentations to 3,618 Children and 1,397 Adults. Participated in 8,750 Hours of Training, an Average of 364.58 Hours per Department Member. 18