FIRE PREVENTION ANNUAL REPORT 2016

FIRE PREVENTION ANNUAL REPORT 2016 FIRE PREVENTION BUREAU Fire Prevention by the Numbers 11 People assigned to the section Fire protection plan sumbittals reviewed 509 DES MOINES FIRE DEPARTMENT The Fire Prevention Bureau s Mission statement: 700 Fire investigations conducted Final inspections completed for new projects 119 1425 Staff hours devoted to training Hours spent educating children and adults 580 2426 Fire inspections conducted Smoke alarms installed, verified, or distributed 834 "Through education, investigation, engineering and enforcement the Des Moines Fire Department Fire Prevention Section is committed to protecting the members of the Des Moines Fire Department and the citizens and guests of the City of Des Moines from the hazards of fire." In This Report Investigation Education Engineering Enforcement Accreditation Looking to 2017 A thank you from a student after a fire safety talk. City of Des Moines Fire Department Fire Prevention Bureau Annual Report 2016 Page #1

2016 IN REVIEW... Fire Prevention Shares Knowledge The FPB strives to be subject matter experts in the field of fire prevention. We all learned from someone and each of us has a different niche, but we all try to share that knowledge with those around us. Some examples are: Fire Marshal Lund talks with Serbian visitors. Prevention Stays Busy 2016 was an exceptionally busy year, with record construction permit numbers, a healthy fire investigation case load, and increasing demand for public education/ training, the members of the Fire Prevention Bureau stayed busy! In March we had visitors from Serbia (who were here through the U.S. State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program) who spent a day learning about our fire department and our prevention programs. This past summer, we once again hosted a fire protection engineering student intern. Hilary Homa spent 12 weeks working with FPE Phelan and the rest of the FPB staff. This program gives college students real world experience and allows us some capacity to work on special projects during the summer. The DMFD continued to be active in the TRIAD program (a program designed to focus on assisting and protecting our older citizens). The Still Alarm newsletter continues to be a primary method of communication between the FPB and the fire stations in Des Moines. Enjoy reading about our 2016 activities! Hawkeye State Fire Safety Association (Captain Dooley is now the President of this organization and FPE Phelan is the Director of Education) State Arson Investigation School Instructors - (FM Lund & Captain Dooley continue to teach various portions of the class) Fire Inspection Ride Along - (The DMFD FPB offers students in the Fire Inspector I class opportunities to complete their inspections and gain experience riding with a DMFD Fire Inspector) Delivering Fire Prevention with Truck 3, Safe Kids DSM & Papa Johns. FPB Staff enjoy a lunch with FPE Intern Hilary Homa on her last work day. City of Des Moines Fire Department Fire Prevention Bureau Annual Report 2016 Page #2

PERMIT REVENUE NUMBER OF PERMITS ENGINEERING SFPE Conference In October of 2016, FPE Phelan attended the Society of Fire Protection Engineers conference to learn more about human behavior in fires. IFSTA Fire Protection textbook Fire Marshal Lund spent time in 2016 participating as a validation committee member for the 2nd Edition of the Facilities Fire Brigades textbook. Central Iowa Code Consortium FPE Phelan, Captain Dooley, & FM Lund all played significant roles in the successful completion of the region s 1st collaborative code adoption effort. The three collaborated with 40+ other local government and industry professionals who formed 6 committees to complete the 2015 code review process. The process included public input and had participation from 18 communities within the metro area. Engineering = Key Strategy in Prevention FPE Phelan and Captain Dooley have the primary responsibility for ensuring systems are designed and installed in conformance with the adopted codes and standards. They accomplish this task through plan review, consulting with design professionals and conducting new construction inspections. During the past year a few of the signature wins in Engineering were: FD Permit Website 119 Final Inspections for new buildings/projects 4 newsletters issued to contractors 4 contractor coffee break training sessions conducted FPE Internship ABOVE: Capt. Dooley & Lt. Flanigan review a plan with FPE Phelan. Fire Protection Construction Permit Activity $200,000.00 $150,000.00 $100,000.00 $50,000.00 $0.00 # of Submittals % of Submittals Fire Alarm 187 37% Sprinkler 80 16% 20 or less Sprinklers 53 10% 109 21% Clean Agent 5 1% Storage Tanks 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Revenue YEAR Construction Permits 600 400 200 6 1% Other 5 1% Hood Suppression Resubmittals 64 13% TOTAL ABOVE: Submittal data for 509 2016. 100% 0 ABOVE: The team discusses a large project that has been submitted for review. ABOVE: The new FD permit website, it provides a search function for contractors and owners to view the status of their submittals and permits. City of Des Moines Fire Department Fire Prevention Bureau Annual Report 2016 Page #3

FIRE INVESTIGATION Investigation by the Numbers Total Fire Investigations - 700 Fousek - 337 Knutzen - 335 Dooley - 13 Flanigan - 14 After Hours Call Outs - 89 Total Overtime Staff Hours - 317 Training Hours - 136 Most Common Areas of Origin (all fires): Cooking area/kitchen - 13.9% resulting in $508,000 in fire loss Outside area - 15.3% resulting in $26,000 in fire loss Engine area (vehicle) - 11% resulting in $235,000 in fire loss Vacant & Blighted Properties Project Senior Inspector Brad Fousek represented the DMFD on the Vacant and Blighted Properties project. This was an effort and discussion on how best to address the distressed properties in Des Moines. Brad was able to convey the fire department s concerns when these types of properties are encountered by firefighters and the challenges they present. Most Common Causes of Ignition (all fires): Unintentional - 52.3% resulting in $1.275 million in fire loss Failure of Equipment - 11% resulting in $790,000 in fire loss Intentional - 9.8% resulting in $335,000 in fire loss 2424 MLK Fire A room is mostly untouched by fire, underscoring the importance of a closed door. City of Des Moines Fire Department Fire Prevention Bureau Annual Report 2016 Page #4

High Rise Task Analysis In 2016, the DMFD spent a great deal of time examining the key tasks in combating a high-rise fire event. This effort was both a theoretical look at a high-rise incident (classroom discussion) and a practical evaluation of the steps involved (Mercy Park Apartments training). ACCREDITATION CPSE Workshop District Chiefs Steve Brown and Craig Youngblood, Captain Amy Montgomery and Lieutenant Tim Nemmers all attended a workshop hosted by the DMFD in October of 2016. The workshop Quality Improvement through Accreditation focused on the basics of the Accreditation process including: Strategic Planning, Standards of Coverage, and Self Assessment. Task Analysis Work Task Analysis is the process of breaking down every type of assignment we complete into process steps (number of people, required equipment, time frame, and associated cost). This process will lead into our Standards of Coverage formulation. Superintendent Michele Bischof has been working on a task selection tool which will organize the tasks associated with all assignments reviewed and will enable us to utilize a predictive cost tool in the future. Fire Assignment: District Chiefs Matt Porter and Percy Coleman, as well as Lieutenant Tim Nemmers have collaborated together to breakdown all types of fire responses (detached garage, single family dwelling, medium hazard, and high-rise structure fire assignments). EMS Assignment: Lieutenant Tony Sposeto has been working on a comprehensive review of all types of EMS responses and determining the various tasks performed. Rescue Assignment: District Chief Steve Brown has been reviewing the tasks associated with different types of vehicle extrication responses as well as elevator extrication responses. Special Assignments: Captain Bob Suarez along with Assistant Chief Tom Patava have reviewed specialty team assignments in terms of the required tasks for each. Risk Assessment Captain Ed Haase has been working on validating building risk valuation assumptions (e.g. does a sprinklers system or type of construction impact the level of risk associated with a building). This work has included a survey of the officers for their gut reactions to building risk in Des Moines. Further work on this topic will include acquiring a data set of current buildings and scoring the buildings to determine the level of risk throughout the city. The risk assessment will combine with the task analysis to form the majority of the standards of coverage document which figures to be complete by the end of 2017. City of Des Moines Fire Department Fire Prevention Bureau Annual Report 2016 Page #5

PUBLIC EDUCATION Education Statistics: 94 Public Education Events (16 with senior groups) 339 Consults with the public/business owners 580 Staff Hours Spent Providing Education Lieutenant Ramquist reads to a school group. Smoke Alarms in Des Moines The DMFD is committed to getting working smoke alarms into homes in our city. We accomplished this in several ways during 2016. During Fire Prevention Week crews from stations 3, 6 & 10 along with FPB staff and volunteers from the Iowa CPCU society went door to door in several neighborhoods to install smoke alarms. In three hours, over 450 smoke alarms were either installed, verified as working, or provided a new battery. Additionally, throughout the year nearly 400 smoke alarms were distributed through our empowering homeowners program. Fire Extinguishers for the WIN! The DMFD has provided fire extinguisher training to business, schools and other partners with Des Moines for many years. In 2016, one of those training sessions REALLY paid dividends. Approximately 2 weeks after DMFD conducted a fire extinguisher training session at a local business, that same business experienced a fire. Employees who had received our training successfully utilized two extinguishers and were able to extinguish the blaze prior to the first fire truck arriving. Presence in the Media Inspector O Keefe continues to lead our efforts with the media. In 2016, he spent nearly 100 hours on camera or working directly with the media. Additionally, we sent out about 250 tweets in 2016 and tripled our number of Twitter followers. Our goal of providing timely, accurate, and informational blasts over social media and through our formal press release process was realized in 2016! Fire Prevention Week 2016 Iowa CPCU and Engine 3 City of Des Moines Fire Department Fire Prevention Bureau Annual Report 2016 Page #6

Delivering Fire Prevention On Wednesday, October 12th, 2016, Engine 7, Engine 5, Engine 8, Fire Prevention Staff, and volunteers from Safe Kids DSM teamed up with Papa Johns Pizza to deliver fire prevention materials to anyone who ordered pizza that night. During the one night event, the teams visited 19 homes, verified 34 working smoke alarms, changed batteries in 2 more smoke alarms, and installed 22 smoke and several carbon monoxide alarms. Pictured below is Engine 5 and Safe Kids DSM volunteers and below that is Engine 8 s crew installing a new smoke alarm. TOP: Curious George visits Truck 1 Fire Prevention Week LOWER: FPW Declaration by Mayor Cownie On Sunday, October 9th, 2016 parents and children of all ages visited the DMFD to learn about fire prevention. Firefighters from Station #2 and #3 had their apparatus on display, taught kids stop, drop and roll, and helped families learn about fire prevention by taking them through the Fire Safety House. Fire Prevention personnel organized fire prevention themed movies, distributed information to children and adults, and conducted fire safety shows with our robotic fire truck, Freddie. The theme for Fire Prevention Week was Don t wait, Check the date! Pictured to right is Inspector Ted Jefferson talking to a family about fire safety. City of Des Moines Fire Department Fire Prevention Bureau Annual Report 2016 Page #7

Built-in Fire Protection Ensuring our city is well protected from the ravages of fire starts with built-in fire protection systems that can quickly mitigate a fire before it advances. Our FPB works with contractors on a daily basis, reviewing plans, performing inspections and verify system performance. Below are some pictures of FPB staff performing this very important task. ABOVE: Students gather outside during a fire drill. BELOW: Engine 8 & Truck 8 Arrive to show students and teachers what happens during an actual response. FPE Phelan teaches FFs about the standpipe Fire Drills = Learning Experience Capt. Dooley shows Engine 3 a new system With nearly all of the middle schools participating in the fire drill as a learning experience program, this past year we began two pilot programs (1 elementary school and 1 high school). This program incorporates age appropriate lesson plans about fire safety, procedures in case of fire, fire department apparatus response (to add realism to drills), and tests students over the new information. During one of the drills, students helped to notice a missing student and reported the absence to the substitute teacher who wasn t as familiar with the procedures, just another example of the program s success. City of Des Moines Fire Department Fire Prevention Bureau Annual Report 2016 Page #8

CODE ENFORCEMENT What is Code Enforcement? Code enforcement is the practice of making sure buildings and facilities within Des Moines operate safely and maintain their life safety systems. The primary method of accomplishing this task is through the fire inspection process. In Des Moines, both firefighters assigned to the stations and inspectors assigned to the FPB complete these inspections. FPB personnel are assigned to inspect establishments that serve or sell alcohol, operate machinery or store commodities that require an annual permit, and other specialty occupancies. Each of the ten fire stations in Des Moines completed the inspections for all of the other commercial buildings in Des Moines. Station personnel completed 4,213 inspections of commercial occupancies in 2016. FPB staff completed 2,426 inspections in 2016. To ensure compliance 214 reinspections were completed last year. Inspectors Jefferson and Vivone, along with Lieutenants Flanigan & Ramquist are the four individuals primarily responsible for fire code inspection and enforcement in Des Moines. Another mechanism for enforcement is following up on referrals or complaints about fire safety. The referrals and complaints may come from the general public, fire protection contractors, the State Fire Marshal s office, and many other sources. Each of the complaints are evaluated individually by FPB staff, some of which require several hours of follow up inspections, correspondence, or other efforts to gain compliance and ensure safety. In 2016, 101 referrals/complaints were received, evaluated, and followed-up on by FPB personnel. Code enforcement is not limited to normal business hours. In fact, FPB personnel spent over 514 hours outside of the normal workday ensuring compliance in Des Moines. A majority of these code enforcement activities consisted of fireworks and pyrotechnic inspections, large assembly inspections, tent inspections, and street festival inspections. Lt. Ramquist conducting a food truck inspection. Food Truck Inspections The increasing popularity of mobile food vendors has necessitated a new inspection program in Des Moines. Starting in 2016 the FPB conducted food truck inspections. Last year, 34 such inspections were completed. High-piled Storage Permits Another fairly new program to the FPB is the high-piled storage inspection process. Essentially, history has taught us that combustible materials stored above 12 ft (and some other more hazardous materials stored above 6 ft) pose a significant risk when a fire breaks out. There are more sophisticated protection requirements for these storage arrangements. To ensure that these requirements are being met in Des Moines, we have instituted a high-piled storage permit process. This process allows us to meet the city s goal of ensuring a sustainable community. We know a fire in one of these facilities can be devastating; so we are working hard to prevent fires or at a minimum to ensure they are mitigated as quickly as possible. City of Des Moines Fire Department Fire Prevention Bureau Annual Report 2016 Page #9

Training Summary The FPB participates in numerous training opportunities. In 2016: 277.5 Staff Hours were spent participating in EMS training to maintain skills, knowledge and various certification levels 684 Staff Hours were devoted to firefighting skills, fire prevention training topics, and other related or required training to maintain certifications and skills. 136 Staff Hours were spent training on various investigation topics. 120 Staff Hours were spent attending courses at the National Fire Academy. Looking forward to 2017 The Fire Prevention Bureau is committed to planning for the future, ensuring our work is effective for the firefighters, the citizens, and the guests of Des Moines. In 2017, we intend to: Continue to build on past successes with the fire drill program by: adding more schools to the program as well as developing more age appropriate & engaging lesson plans. Contact Us Give us a call for more information about fire extinguisher training, smoke alarms, school presentations, or other fire prevention related issues: Fire Prevention Bureau 2715 Dean Avenue Des Moines, IA 50317 (515) 283-4240 firedept@dmgov.org Visit us on the web at http://www.dmgov.org/ Departments/Fire/ Continue to explore ways to improve the reliability and performance of built in fire protection systems within our city (which aligns with our City-wide goal for a sustainable community). Continue to foster positive relations with contractors and design professionals by providing helpful documents, engaging newsletters, and technically sound training sessions. Review ISO criteria for fire prevention evaluation and seek strategies to ensure all possible points are earned to benefit the city s ISO rating. This will help to ensure we meet our City-wide goal of being a high performing organization. Provide the highest level of service possible to the City of Des Moines. City of Des Moines Fire Department Fire Prevention Bureau Annual Report 2016 Page #10