July 2020

City of Rochester Hills Fire and Emergency Services Monthly Report for July 2020

To: The Honorable Mayor Bryan Barnett and the esteemed members of the Rochester Hills City Council From: Sean M. Canto - Chief of Fire and Emergency Services Ladies and Gentlemen: The primary purpose of this report is to keep the officials of the City of Rochester Hills informed as to the activities and programs of the Rochester Hills Fire and Emergency Services Department. As a second purpose, this report will be shared with the Officers and all fire personnel in the organization to illustrate how their day-to-day activities benefit the citizens and the community of Rochester Hills. Call Data: Total Incidents July 2020: 553 (Approximately 27% of these incidents occurred in Senior Congregate Housing / Skilled Nursing Facilities) Total number of mutual aid coverage / requests: 4 - No Rochester Hills Fire Department units were available during these times. Total Incidents Year-to-Date: 3,925 Year-to-Date comparison 2019 to 2020: 4,385 (2019) 3,925 (2020)

Operations Bureau Deputy Chief - Todd Gary Shift Commanders - Bat. Chief Jason Murray, Bat. Chief Rogers Claussen, Bat. Chief Jerry Yurgo The Operations Division has begun to track on a more accurate basis the number of “Concurrent Incidents” that are happening. This graph details that out of the 553 incidents that occurred in July 275 times (49 percent) additional incidents were taking place at the same time. As this happens the department’s resources are stretched thin, if not depleted. The department will continue to monitor this information closely. We pay close attention to these totals to ensure we can respond to simultaneous emergencies quickly enough and with enough personnel. Call concurrency examines the frequency of multiple calls occurring during the same time that units are still committed to a previous call. This situation affects the ability of the organization to commit additional resources to respond to additional calls as they occur.

Members responded to 121 calls for service that resulted in $28,360 in damage. On July 24, 2020, the Rochester Hills Fire Department was dispatched to the 300 block of Daylily Drive for a reported residential structure fire. Rochester Hills Engine 2 arrived to find smoke coming out of the front door. Engine 2 advanced a 1 ¾” attack line to the basement and found a fire located in a closet under the stairs leading to the basement. Rochester Hills Engine 1 crew assisted Engine 2 crew with fire attack efforts and water supply. Engine 1 crew also completed a primary search of the first floor of home confirming initial report that everyone was out of the structure. The fire was quickly extinguished and damage was limited to the area of origin. No firefighter or civilian injuries were noted. Residential Structure Fire 300 block of Daylily Drive

Emergency Medical Services Division Division Head - Captain Tim Matz Statistics Total number of EMS runs: 432. We have seen a decrease (we believe) due to the COVID pandemic. Many narratives in EMS have shown that people are more willing to call their primary care Physician and report their symptoms rather than call 911 and transport to a hospital where they could be exposed to the potential of COVID. We did respond to 23 incidents that were either determined as potential COVID-19 or the patient was positive with COVID-19. Total number of Cardiac Arrest: Five (5), the age range for these patients is 59 to 95. Three (3) of these patients were transported to hospitals for further care. Total number of opioid calls: Two (2), both patients were treated and transported to local hospital for further care. For information as related to Coronavirus statistics for the State of Michigan, please go to: https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus/0,9753,7-406-98163_98173---,00.html



As the month of July came upon us, we continued to see our COVID-19 responses decrease compared to the first few months of the Pandemic. We continue to remind everyone that the Pandemic is still thriving and our personnel have not changed their readiness. On every medical emergency, Fire Department personnel continue to wear the full complement of Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE) including N-95 respirators, gloves, and eye protection. When a confirmed COVID-19 patient is in our care, we continue to follow the protocols for patient and provider safety. This month we added another tool to help keep our patient’s safety and our providers healthy with an Aero Clave disinfection system. The Aero Clave is a disinfection spraying device that is able to spray a chemical disinfectant throughout our ambulances, work areas, and living spaces. It is portable so it can be moved from the EMS units to the Stations by one person. It has the ability to disinfect at the hospital as the crew finish their paperwork. The disinfectant is able to work within 20 minutes, and it kills off many pathogens including COVID. Members from the fire department all trained in the use of this device.

Ambulance Decontamination Process Community Risk Reduction Division Division Head - Assistant Chief Bill Cooke The Community Risk Reduction Division highlights for the month of July 2020 included the following: Fire Safety Inspections: 104 Follow-up Inspections: 44 Plan Reviews: 10 FOIA Requests: 3 Professional Development (Training Hours): 36 hours Burn Permits: 8 Public Education Activities Home Fire and Life Safety Inspections: 2 Smoke Detector Programs/Installations: 12 Fire Extinguisher Program: 1 totaling 15 individuals Other Events: 7 totaling 296 individuals

During the month of July, the Community Risk Reduction Division continued with fire and life safety inspections in various high-risk occupancies throughout the city. This month, more than 100 inspections took place, which, is the highest number of inspections that have been conducted since July of 2019. The COVID- 19 crisis took away the opportunity to visit our local businesses but now that these occupancies are opening up to the public, staff has made great effort in reaching out to our business community with the goal of providing a safe community. In addition, we are now seeing the impact of additional staff members in our Division as our two newest members have been trained and are now out in the community and making an impact. Hats off to staff for prioritizing public safety as our top objective. Fire and Life Safety Educator John Lyman also had a busy month within the Division. First, the Fire Department was awarded 60 smoke alarms and 10 Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarms for installation within our community. John reached out to MI Prevention, a program initiated by the State of Michigan, Bureau of Fire Services. This year, a FEMA fire prevention grant has been awarded for the MI Prevention to implement the installation of smoke and Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarms in at-risk homes statewide. The approach on fire safety includes installing smoke and CO alarms, as well as, a smoke alarm campaign kit with fire safety education and a free home assessment to identify potential fire hazards within the home to reduce future fire fatalities across Michigan. With John’s request for assistance, our City now has additional smoke and CO alarms that we can install free of charge to our residents. Also during the month of July, John created two different public safety announcements. The first explained the importance of smoke and CO alarms in your home and the second (soon to be released) explains the benefits of home safety inspections. During this difficult time in our community, the Community Risk Reduction Division has been challenged with how to conduct our regular business activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff continues to provide educational opportunities and current public safety announcements through social media platform our City has access to. Look to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and our City Website to keep up with important information the Fire Department has to share with our community! John also represented the Fire Department at the annual Wet and Wild Wednesday event in cooperation with the Rochester Hills Museum staff. The event this year was limited to 100 participants due to COVID-19 restrictions, but was an excellent event that provided our staff the time to interact with our community during a non-emergency event and to spread the message of fire and life safety. Finally during the month of July, the Community Risk Reduction Division would like to congratulate Lieutenant/Inspector Walter Murphy for completing and passing his NFPA Fire Inspector I exam. He is now a certified Fire Inspector and is able to inspect businesses throughout the City of Rochester Hills. Next up for Lieutenant/Inspector Murphy is the NFPA Fire Inspector II and Plans Examiner certification courses. Great job and keep up the good work! Training Bureau Division Head - Captain Larry Gambotto During the month of July 2020, members of the Rochester Hills Fire Department received 1,438 hours of Fire and EMS professional development. Year-to-date, members have completed nearly 7,200 hours of training. This month’s topics included Large Hand Lines and Fire Operations.

Fire Training This month members trained with 2 ½” hand lines practicing advancing and flowing these large hand lines. Large hand lines are the main tools for extinguishing large and/or commercial fires flowing 325 gallons per minute or water onto the seat of the fire. These hand lines flow more than double of standard hand lines and can be used in today’s large homes. Fire Academy #005 A fifth recruit started Fire Academy #005 on July 20, 2020. Recruits have been working on ladders, EMS reports and protocols, learning about site specific and target hazard buildings. Recruits were instructed in building construction, educating the public and using the department’s EMS equipment.

Special Training With the addition on Fire Academy #004’s members to the department’s staffing model, members have experienced alot of changes this month. During Special training this month, members discussed new expectations created by the additional staff. Members discussed roles and responsibilities for both fire and EMS calls for service. Battalion Training Battalion drills included Drafting Operations. Additional Training In the month of July, several members of the Rochester Hills Fire Department attended Technical Rescue Training. Technical rescue is the use of specialized tools and skills for rescue, including confined space rescue, rope rescue, trench rescue, structural collapse rescue, and water rescue. These type of incidents often require specialized rescue squads and personnel as they exceed the capabilities of conventional fire departments. In the United States, technical rescues will often have multiple jurisdictions operating together to affect the rescue. This is the case with the Rochester Hills Fire Department, who is part of the MABAS 3202 or OAKWAY Mutual Aid Group. The mission of OAKWAY is to provide immediate aid and support to member departments when met with emergency circumstances that overwhelm their resources. We achieve this through thorough training and preparedness, combined with a prompt response, and a positive caring attitude toward all in need.

Rochester Hills members attended Structural Collapse Training and Artificial High Point Anchoring Systems. These skills add to the ability of the Rochester Hills Fire Department and the OAKWAY Mutual Aid Group as a whole. Structural Collapse Training and Artificial High Point Anchoring Systems

Administration Bureau In the last few months, the Rochester Hills Fire Department has seen an increase in emergency incidents on the Clinton River. While these incidents had a favorable ending, the opposite could have been true very quickly. Placid and tranquil, the Headwaters of the Clinton River includes beautiful glacial lakes and serene wetlands while offering the opportunity for quiet reflection. Some of the most beautiful sections of the Clinton River, these slow-moving waters stretch through heavily forested riverbanks and parks before emptying into Lake St. Clair. Anyone wanting to paddle the Clinton River should understand that some sections can be challenging, and the water can run very fast and high especially after a rain event. Not for the faint of heart, this challenging section of the Clinton River is not for beginners due to steep gradients, hairpin turns and fluctuating water levels. When the river runs high, it carries a lot of woody debris downstream that can block passages and create dangerous hazards. Please follow these recommendations

Also, please be aware of the safety signage located along the river. This will assist emergency responders in finding your location very quickly.