2012 Armada Township Fire Department Annual Report

Transcription

1 2012 Armada Township Fire Department Annual Report Address: Armada Center Road Armada, MI Phone: (586) Fax: (586) Website: Facebook: Fire Chief: Steve Jerzewski Assistant Fire Chief: Nick Walkowski Mission Statement: The mission of the Armada Township Fire Department is to help protect and serve our community by providing the highest quality of fire, rescue, and Advanced Life Support services. This is accomplished through advanced training, public safety education, professionalism, teamwork, and raising the standard above all expectations. Page 1 of 12

2 Overview The Armada Township Fire Department (ATFD) was established in 1853 and staffed entirely with volunteers. The ATFD was one of the first departments to provide basic life support ambulance services in Northern Macomb County. In 2004, the first full-time fire chief was hired. Through progressive planning and budgeting, the ATFD hired three fulltime firefighter paramedics in August 2009 and two months later upgraded from Basic Life Support transporting to Advanced Life Support transporting services. Our community has many unique demographics and critical infrastructure that provide us with a significant challenge. Our community includes the Consumers Energy Compressor station which serves 1.7 million customers, a 110 bed nursing and rehabilitation facility, and portions of the world s largest crude oil pipeline. Our daily visitor population is increased due to our industrial district which includes the Takata testing and research facility, one of the world s largest airbag systems suppliers, SKF, REI, Armada Rubber, Park Electric, the Armada Grain, and other facilities. Blake s apple orchards and the Armada fair grounds all combine to increase our yearly visitor population. Furthermore, our community is 30 minutes or more away from the nearest hospital resulting in an out of service time for our on-duty ambulance crew of almost two hours per transported medical run. We responded to 891 runs for service this past year which is a 40% increase from just five years ago. Accompanied with this, we have seen an increase in back to back emergencies. Today, your fire department provides fire, rescue, and Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance services out of one centrally located station staffed 24/7. We are contracted to provide fire-rescue services to portions of Richmond Township and ALS ambulance service to portions of Berlin Township. Our staff consists of one Page 2 of 12

3 full-time fire chief, 6 full-time firefighter/paramedics, and 20 part-time firefighter/emt or paramedics. Budget Information Our budget is derived from ambulance transport revenue (which can only be estimated at the beginning of each year), cost recovery, contracts, CPR class revenue, and a 1.5 mills fire protection special assessment rate which has not been increased in over 27 years. We provide advanced services on a very small budget. Over the past five years, we have experienced a significant decrease in tax revenue due to a decrease in property values. Our yearly budget averages $650,000 since going full-time Advanced Life Support. Of that number, approximately $260,000 is from the 1.5 mills special assessment. This budget is then divided up into line items which include: Wages/benefits Utilities/grounds maintenance Fuel/oil Vehicle/equipment maintenance Licenses/insurance/physicals and shots Medical supplies Truck/major equipment replacement Communications/dispatch Personal protective equipment Training 2012 Run Volume Structure Fires: 14 Motor Vehicle Fires: 1 Brush Fires: 9 Medical Emergencies: 596 Vehicle Accidents: 135 Hazardous Materials/Conditions: 30 Rescue/Service Calls: 106 Total: 891 Current Average Response Time: 5-6 Minutes Average Response Time Prior to Full-Time Staffing: 7-9 Minutes Average Response Time for Private EMS Prior to Armada Fire Providing Advanced Life Support EMS: 12 minutes Page 3 of 12

4 ISO Rating ISO collects information on municipal fire-protection efforts in communities throughout the United States. In each of those communities, ISO analyzes data such as response times, available water supply, man power, equipment, number of stations in comparison to response area, and the different types of apparatus. They then assign a Public Protection Classification from 1 to 10. Class 1 generally represents superior property fire protection, and Class 10 indicates that the area's fire-suppression program doesn't meet ISO s minimum criteria. This number rating system is used by most insurance companies to determine rates charged to costumers based upon the community they live in. Our ISO rating is a class 6 in the Village of Armada and a class 8b in the Township of Armada. The ISO last came to our fire department in 2005 prior to full-time staffing and the creation of the new county-wide tanker task force increasing water supply capabilities. The township has a higher number because there are no fire hydrants in this area. We are currently in the process of purchasing a new pumper truck so that we can bring back the ISO within the next two years. Fire Prevention Last year, Lieutenant Tom Jusko and firefighter Sarah Sutton were in charge of fire prevention. Their job duties last year included visiting our local schools and teaching fire safety to the kids. They were also active in scheduling tours at our fire station. Additionally, it is every Armada Township Fire Department employee s job to help support fire prevention in our community whether providing tours of our station/apparatus, teaching fire safety, or providing fire prevention advice to all residents. We will strive to improve our fire prevention efforts in 2013 which will include promoting the importance of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in the home. Page 4 of 12

5 Fire Inspections Recently, we have sent two of our full-time firefighters to be trained as state certified fire inspectors. These two firefighters are responsible for inspecting businesses and multifamily residential facilities within our community. These two employees are Firefighter/Paramedic Cass Czerwinski and Lieutenant/Paramedic Adam Lecluyse. Message from Fire Inspector Cass Czerwinski: Since becoming the new Fire Inspectors, Adam and I have continued the annual fire inspections in the township which were previously performed by retired Lieutenant Dennis Lemieux and Fire Chief Steve Jerzewski. We have revised the inspections to be more detailed and user friendly. Inspections are now done on computers for ease of documentation and records filing/saving. Furthermore, we have added the resources of a new computer program (pre-plan viewer) and tablet which will allow us to store building diagrams/information into our computer system. This will then be accessible by our personnel when doing inspections in the future or when responding to an emergency. These two advancements add to the detail and future improvement of our inspection process. We look forward to working with the community in 2013 as we strive to make Armada a safer place to work and live. Grants In 2012, we have received several grants for equipment or personnel which include: $3,900 DNR grant for the purchase of wild land gear which is lighter and allows our firefighters to be more efficient when fighting fires involving brush or fields. $4,900 grant from Motorola Solutions to purchase a rugged computer for our fire truck and other equipment to help teach emergency preparedness/public safety education in our community which we will be working to improve in $7,500 through the Michigan Poling Place Accessibility Grant which will be used to put in a handicapped accessible automatic door and two handicapped accessible parking spaces. This is to make our fire station, which is now Armada s precinct 1 for voting, accessible for all of our residents. $8,000 grant through Macomb County Emergency Management to replace the community warning siren at the fire station Page 5 of 12

6 $44,620 from the 2011 Assistance to Firefighters Grant administered by the Department of Homeland Security which allowed us to purchase new structural turnout gear in 2012 $288,000 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant also administered by the Department of Homeland Security to pay for the benefits and wages of 3 full-time firefighter paramedics for a 2 year period. Both Department of Homeland Security grants this year are bringing on average $55 per every resident of federal tax dollars back to Armada Township. Fire, Rescue, and Advanced Life Support Services Our station is staffed 24/7 with two full-time Firefighter/Paramedics and a part-time Firefighter/EMT or Paramedic. Additionally, we have received the SAFER grant which will allow us to hire 3 additional full-time Firefighter/Paramedics increasing our daily staff to 4 personnel. Our personnel are trained to handle all kinds of emergencies such as medical emergencies, fires, downed wires, vehicle accidents, and other types of rescue situations. Paid-on-call personnel respond from home to the station when emergencies are toned out by the Macomb County Sheriff s 911 communications center. All of our personnel, whether paid-on-call or full-time, are required to train once a week at the fire station. Personnel who are on-duty work either 24 hour or 12 hour shifts. During these shifts, our personnel do much more than just wait for or respond to emergencies which include: Check all of our Advanced Life Support ambulances daily to ensure all equipment is stocked and ready to go. Training which includes partaking in real life scenarios such as using the jaws of life and a real car to practice extrication techniques, reviewing medical protocols, watching fire and rescue training videos, etc. Cutting grass/yard maintenance and plowing/shoveling snow on stations grounds, the senior center, and township hall. Station maintenance/cleaning. Maintain all fire trucks including ensuring all tire air pressure and vehicle fluids are at proper levels. Page 6 of 12

7 Check all SCBA air packs and gas powered equipment to ensure they are working and maintained properly. Hose testing to ensure all fire hose is in proper working condition and that there are no leaks found when hose is no longer sustainable for firefighting use Full-time personnel are given administrative duties such as fire inspections, grant writing and administration, teaching CPR classes, reviewing and filing documents such as run reports, review medical reports to ensure there are to mistakes, develop emergency plans of actions, develop standard operating procedures for personnel, research new fire and emergency techniques that may be beneficial to our organization, teach fire safety, maintain the fire department section under township website, and many other duties that help make our fire department operate and meet professional standards. Partake in physical fitness which includes cardio, weight lifting, and other activity that helps keep our personnel in adequate shape to better provide fire and rescue services while helping to prevent injury or illness. Building walk-throughs to help personnel become more familiar with facility layouts and hazards we may face in an emergency. Provide medical stand by services for high school football games and graduation Frequently Asked Questions What is Advanced Life Support (ALS)? Answer: Advanced Life Support is the highest level of pre-hospital medical care possible. In addition to Basic Life Support medical skills such as splinting broken bones, delivering babies, monitoring vital signs, or administering oxygen, our highly trained paramedics are able to: Start IV s to administer fluids and medications Perform and interpret EKG s which monitor a patient s heart rhythm/rate Monitor a patient s blood sugar Perform a surgical cricoidotomy or endotracheal intubation to maintain a patient s airway Page 7 of 12

8 Shock a patient s heart which is in an abnormal rhythm or use our advanced monitor as a pacemaker when a patient s heart rate is too slow Administer an array of advanced medications which can be used to treat allergic reactions, cardiac dysrhythmias, low blood sugar, drug overdoses, chest pain/heart attack, difficulty in breathing, low blood pressure, and other common medical conditions Administer CPAP which is a mask like device that uses positive air pressure to treat patients who have fluid in their lungs What happens when I call 911? Answer: When you call 911 your call is answered by the 911 dispatch center which is usually the Macomb County Sheriff s Department. They then alert our pagers which inform us of the call type, location of the call, and any other pertinent details about the call. Personnel on-duty at the station immediately respond with the appropriate equipment and paid-on-call personnel respond from home to either the scene or the station depending on what additional resources are needed. What are the benefits of full-time/part-time staffing at the fire station? Answer: It is vital that we maintain staffing of personnel at the station because these personnel are able to perform duties mentioned above which otherwise would not get done properly if at all. Additionally, by training on a daily basis, personnel that will be the initial responders to any emergency in the community are more prepared. We have also improved our response times because personnel respond to an emergency immediately whereas before personnel had to respond to the station from home. We have seen real life examples of the benefit to around the clock staffing such as fires or critical medical emergencies where in the past the fire spread out of control far before our arrival or someone going into cardiac arrest before where now we are able to provide immediate Advanced Life Support intervention. In 2012, we have seen an increase in run volume which even further supports the significance of adequate staffing. We hope to continue providing the best services we possibly can under a small budget to the residents and visitors of our community. What if you are out of ambulances? Answer: Currently we have three Advanced Life Support ambulances. If we are on multiple medical calls at the same time we have a pre-designated mutual-aid agreement with surrounding agencies to cover one another s community. This agreement ensures that in the event we are out of ambulances another Advanced Life Support ambulance will be staged in our community in case another medical call is received. Page 8 of 12

9 Does the Armada Township Fire Department charge for services? Answer: We do not charge for fire and rescue services because of a special assessment for fire department services covered by property taxes. However, there is a fee for Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance transporting services covered by most insurance because currently there is no millage for ALS medical services included in yearly property taxes. We do not charge any fee for a medical checkout. How is Advanced Life Support ambulance billing performed? Answer: A report is written for every medical emergency that we respond to which includes incident information, patient information, vital signs, what procedures were performed, and a full narrative documenting every aspect of our involvement in the medical emergency. This information is forwarded to a third party billing company which will bill your insurance company for services performed when we transport you to a medical facility. If you do not have insurance or your insurance company will not cover the full medical bill our organization will work out a convenient payment plan. Please do not hesitate to contact 911 if you are having a medical emergency or medical concern. Your health is our number one priority. What hospital can I choose to go to? Answer: We may transport you to one of the following hospital locations; however, our trained paramedics may determine that you may need to go to a closer medical facility to provide you with the most appropriate medical treatment in the timeliest manner. We may also transport you or your loved one to a medical facility not listed if a specialized treatment is only offered at a further medical facility and if approved by the medical facility in which we would have transported to initially. McLaren Macomb Hospital and Certified Trauma Center 1000 Harrington Blvd. Mount Clemens, MI (586) Henry Ford Macomb Hospital Mile Road Clinton Township, MI (586) Page 9 of 12

10 Troy Beaumont Hospital Dequindre Road Troy, MI (248) Crittenton Medical Center 1101 West University Drive Rochester Hills, MI (248) Port Huron Hospital 1221 Pine Grove Avenue Port Huron, MI (810) Port Huron Mercy Hospital 2601 Electric Avenue Port Huron, MI (810) St. John River District 4100 River Rd East China Township, MI New in 2012 Increased staffing from 2 personnel per shift to 3 personnel at all times by offering 24/7 part-time shifts to paid-on-call personnel. Full-time personnel were certified as American Heart Association first aid and CPR instructors. *Note: Please contact the fire station for information if you are interested in signing up for a class. 2 full-time personnel were certified as state fire inspectors and took over the duties of performing up to date inspections of businesses and multi-family living facilities. Page 10 of 12

11 The fire station became the new polling place for precinct 1 and there are no building use fees being assessed. Purchased a new fire pumper which will have state of the art technology and carry more foam and water than our current fire pumpers carry. This new apparatus will be delivered in the spring of Purchased a Ford F250 utility pick-up truck and plow. This vehicle replaces an older vehicle that was used to plow the fire station and senior center. This vehicle will also be used to transport personnel to emergency scenes, bring additional equipment if needed, and to also be used on emergencies when snow provides an obstacle to get other emergency vehicles to the location we are responding to. Assistant Chief Dale Rottman retired. Lieutenant Nick Walkowski was promoted to Assistant Chief. New energy efficient windows and garage doors were installed in the fire station replacing old ineffective ones which has led to cost-savings in our utility bills Goals for 2013 Hire 3 additional full-time firefighter/paramedics funded through a federal grant for two years so that our station is staff with 4 personnel at all times. Improve fire prevention/public safety education efforts community-wide. With the recent tragedies involving school shootings, we will be working with the local schools to improve working relations and emergency pre-planning so we may be more prepared to respond to any incident involving our local schools. Begin process of bringing back the ISO in hopes to lower our rating so that residents may possibly receive lower home owner s insurance costs. Begin working closer with other community fire department s to provide better services through collaboration. Utilize new tablet mounted in our first responding fire truck with pre-plan software that will store information on businesses and facilities in the community. This Page 11 of 12

12 information that we can access while responding to an emergency includes: emergency contact numbers, building layout, hazards present, hydrant or water supply locations, and other information that will be important. Improve training Increase community outreach/involvement by offering blood pressure checks, spreading importance of healthy living, and providing material to better prepare our residents and visitors on how to react to a disaster. Develop a 5-10 year organizational plan that will include discussing ideas on how to fund and staff a second fire station to better serve the west side of our township in terms of reducing response times in which fire, rescue, and Advanced Life Support care will arrive to our customers. Conclusion We are striving to improve the services we provide to our community. We want to educate all of our residents to understand how vital providing quality public safety is. Having our stations staffed 24/7 with firefighter/paramedics that provide Advanced Life Support medical care has taken this organization to a new level of professionalism leading to a greater community for all residents and visitors to enjoy. If anyone has any questions regarding your fire department please contact us at any time as forming a strong working relationship with our community is the number one priority for the future of the Armada Township Fire Department. Page 12 of 12