2017 Annual Report.pub

ROCHESTER HILLS FIRE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2017

Table of Contents Fire Chief’s Message 3 Department Ov erview 4 Personnel 5 Awards and Recongitions 6 Financials 7 Significant E vents 8 Incident Statistics 9 Facilities 10 Fire Station Locations 11 Operations 12-14 15-17 Emergency Medical Services Special Operations 18 Community Risk Reduction 19- 20 Training 21-22 23 Special Projects 2

Fire Chief’s Message 2 017 was a banner year for This was able to be accomplished within current budget constraints, the Rochester Hills Fire Department . budgeted overtime to minimize the As the Chief of Fire and Emergency by decreasing the amount of MISSION: The mission of Services, it is my honor to present bottom line financial impact with the Rochester Hills Fire this summary of our activities for the no increase to the current millage Department is to protect and year 2017. The men and women of rate. preserve life, property, and this Department responded to a I am grateful to have had the oppor- the environment through a total of 7,111 calls for service. This is tunity to experience the support highly trained and dedicated an increase of 445 incidents from the from City Council and City previous year. As in previous years, Administration, which has allowed team. the majority of the incidents (78%) for a significant funding boost f o r we encountered were medical the Rochester Hills Fire Department. VISION: The Rochester emergencies. The Rochester Hills Hills Fire department will Fire Department remains a leader in There have been many exciting continue to provide the best the highest tradition of the fire changes and accomplishments in the service, including its excellence in Rochester Hills Fire Department this emergency services and delivery of emergency medical year, and we are proud to share community risk reduction services. them with you! through innovative training, The Department continuously seeks education, and equipment. opportunities to improve the level of We are committed to service we provide to the citizens of developing all of our Rochester Hills. As we continue into the future, our goal is to be a first- resources, both internal and rate organization that prides itself external, to their fullest on being proactive, efficient, and potential, while empowering exceptionally effective in our each member with the delivery of services to the citizens and visitors of our community. authority needed to effectively Thank you to all of the members of and efficiently perform the this unparalleled organization for duties in which they are your dedication and continued commitment to excellence in service. entrusted. In 2017, the first ever joint-recruit class was held with the City of Auburn Hills. This allowed both departments to share in the delivery and time committment associated MOTTO with running a full-time academy. Through this class the Rochester Hills Fire Department graduated ♦ Driven to be the four (4 new firefighter/paramedics. Best! In late 2017, the department began another full-time academy with seven (7 candidates. These members are slated to graduate in 2018, boosting the staff four Sean Canto (4) new positions, while also filling three (3) vacancies. Chief Services 3

Department Overview The Rochester Hills Fire Department is a full-service fire department, with the responsibility of responding to and mitigating incidents involving fires, medical emergencies, hazardous materials, and technical rescues. The Department also provides a full range of support and/or administrative services including fire prevention, community risk reduction, fire and life safety education, and professional development just to mention a few. The following organizational chart represents the current structure of the department and budgeted positions. The Department operates five (5) fire stations from which it deploys two (2) engine companies, two (2) truck companies, one (1) quint company, one (1) rescue company, five (5) Advanced Life Support ambulances, and a Battalion Chief. Companies at full staffing are crossed-staffed (responding to first emergencies first) with three (3) personnel consisting of a full-time Lieutenant/Paramedic, a full-time Firefighter/Paramedic, and a part-time Firefighter/EMT. Department personnel respond to approximately 7,100 calls each year and provide service to approxi- mately 75,000 residents and over 2,100 businesses located in the City of Rochester Hills. In addition, the Department maintains mutual aid agreements with all of its neighboring agencies, in trying to support a boundary drop system that sends the closet most appropriate unit to the emergency. The Department also participates in the MABAS 3201 mutual aid, which facilitates the sharing of municipal fire service resources and ideas to provide members with a trained, equipped, and coordinated response for all hazards and technical operations beyond their local capabilities. Rochester Hills Fire Department Organizational Chart 4

Department Personnel 5

2017 Awards and Recognitions 6 7

Financials The primary source of Fire Department funding was established with the adoption of the City Charter in FY 1984 as voters approved 2.5000 mill as a maximum Charter millage rate for the operation of the Fire Department. In 2014, a ballot initiative was approved by the voters to increase the fire charter millage to 3.0000 mill (limited to 2.9373 mill per Headlee Rollback). For FY 2015-2017, Fire millage was levied at 2.7000 mill. The millage rate is held constant at 2.7000 mill for the remainder of the forecast period (FY 2018-2022). Wi City was Firefighter Firefighter which allows (5) fire stations 24 hours per day / 7 days per week. propo (4) Firefighters positions budgeted the expenditure budget. The Fire Department continues to evaluate its current performance levels to benchmark with target standards. Any excess revenue over expenditures in the Fire Department Fund (206) is transferred out to the Fire Capital Fund (402) on an annual basis to fund future Fire Capital Equipment and Vehicle replacements. 7

Significant Events 2017 was another year of growth and innovation for the Rochester Hills Fire Department. Again, the department saw an increase in the number of calls for service. In 2014 the department responded to 6,547 incidents. In 2017 the department responded to 7,111 incidents. In the last three (3) years the incident volume has increased by 564 incidents or almost nine (9) percent. 2017 was notable for a number of reasons: ♦ In Spring, the Rochester Hills Fire Department held a joint Full-Time Firefighter Candidate Academy in conjunction with the Auburn Hills Fire Department. The Rochester Hills Fire Department graduated four (4) Firefighter/Paramedics from this joint venture. ♦ In November, the department began another Full-Time Firefighter Candidate Academy. Seven (7) candidates entered in the 14-week program with the anticipated graduation of February 23, 2018. This academy included four (4) new positions, which were funded through a decrease in budgeted Firefighter overtime with minimal impact on the bottom line expenditure budget. ♦ Most structure fire months o June an Decembe followed by Septembe The la tota do lo occurre Nove with in damage To (to property an conten fo $1,796,269.00 8

Incident Statisitcs 9

Facilities The Rochester Hills Fire Department has five STATION STATION ADDRESS (5) active fire stations strategically located throughout its service area. Two (2) stations are 1 1111 Horizon Court located in the north area, two (2) statio are 2 1251 East Auburn located in the south area, and the headquarters fire station is located centrally. 2137 West Auburn 3 Since 2015 all of the department's facilities, 4 2723 Walton Blvd including the Training Tower, have undergone major renovations to accommodate the 24-hour, 5 251 East Tienken all-hazards operations of the Rochester Hills Fire Department. In Fall of 2017 the construction/ renovation of Fire Station 4 began with an anticipated completion date of Fall 2018. 10

Fire Station Locations 11

Operations The Roc Hills Fire Department’s front- line operation is organized into three shifts that operate on a 56 hour work week overseen by the Deputy Chief of Operations with daily operations managed by the on-duty Battalion Chief. The department currently operates five (5) fire stations from which it deploys two (2) engine companies, two (2) truck companies, one (1) quint company, one (1) rescue company, five (5) Advanced Life Support ambulances. Companies at full staffing are crossed-staffed (responding to first emergencies first) with three (3) personnel consisting of a full-time 2017 FRONT LINE EQUIPMENT ASSIGNMENTS Lieutenant/Paramedic, a full-time Firefighter/ Sta on Engine Ladder Other Alpha Paramedic, and a part-time Firefighter/EMT. . These units provide service to approximately StaƟon 1 Engine 1 Rescue 1 Alpha 21 32 square miles and a population of about StaƟon 2 Engine 2 Alpha 22 75,000. StaƟon 3 Ladder 2 Alpha 23 StaƟon 4 Ladder 4 Alpha 24 StaƟon 5 Quint 5 Tanker 5 Alpha 25 12

Operations In 2017, we responded to 7,111 calls for service. 78% STATION FIRST-IN INCIDENTS PERCENT JURISDICTION of the calls for service were for Rescue and Emergency Medical Incidents, followed by Service Station 1 1,442 20.2% Station 2 1,595 22.4% Calls (which includes lift assists) and then False Station 3 1,862 26.1% Alarms. Our average response time was 5:49. (This Station 4 1,351 18.9% included the time the call was dispatched to when a Rochester Hills Fire and Emergency Service unit Station 5 721 10.1% arrived on-scene.) * Remaining percentage of incidents equal mutual aid requests 13

Operations MUTUAL AID GIVEN GIVEN PERCENT City of Rochester 15 11.3% City of Auburn Hills 91 64.5% Shelby Township 12 8.5% Washington Township 2 1.4% Orion Township 1 < 1.0% Waterford Township 1 < 1.0% City of Troy / Alliance Ambulance 8 5.6% Oakland Township 10 7.0% TOTAL MUTUAL AID 140 The Rochester Hills Fire Department, like the other fire departments in Oakland County, offer and receive mutual aid upon request. In 2017, the Rochester Hills Fire Department responded to 141 calls for mutual aid and received mutual aid 178 times. An important role of mutual aid is providing additional resources at times when the primary agency is overtaxed. All fire departments rely to some extent on mutual aid from surrounding areas to provide fire-fighting and EMS resources o n a r o u t i n e o r d i s a s t e r b a s i s . Being able to give and receive aid allows and ensures that the City of Rochester Hills, our neighbors and visitors to our great city, are afforded a quick emergent response when the need arises. MUTUAL AID RECEIVED INCIDENTS PERCENT City of Rochester 67 37% City of Auburn Hills 41 22.6% Shelby Township 22 12.1% Oxford Township 1 <1% Bloomfield Township 2 <1% City of Troy 22 12.1% Oakland Township 26 14.3% MUTUAL AID RECEIVED 181 (Some of the incidents noted above may have required assistance by multiple agencies. Example: Structure Fires) The average response time for a Mutual Aid department to arrive on-scene of a structure fire in the City of Rochester Hills was 15 minutes 3 seconds. 14

Emergency Medical Services The Rochester Hills Fire Department has provided paramedic transport services in the City of Ro Hills since 2001. The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Division’s goal is to provide the highest level o pre- ho care to o customers. Ro H F Departmen participates in shaping pre- hospital care through collaboration with the Oakland County Medical Control Authority, local hospitals, and community organizations. In 2017: ♦ Implementation of new Oakland County Medical Control Authority Medication Boxes. ♦ Training continues to improve for all Rochester Hills Fire Department EMS providers with a continuation of using American Heart Association online training, in-house continuing EMS education, seminars at the local hospitals, and training from Oakland County Medical Control Authority (OCMCA) EMS Quality Improvement Program (EQIP). ♦ Implemented Incident Action Plans for several large scale events that were attended by thousands of attendees. ♦ Purchased Firefighter Rehabilitation Cooling Chairs, Misting Fans, Decontamination Wipes and implemented new Firefighter Rehabilitation Procedures. 15

Emergency Medical Services 16

Emergency Medical Services 17

Special Operations The Rochester Hills Fire Department is an all-hazards multi-faceted department. In terms of rescue, the scope and severity of hazards facing modern firefighters are far more different than those confronting our predecessors. Ever-expanding natural and man- made disasters ensure that rescue related emergencies will be more frequent. Simply put, people will become trapped in ever-more complex and dangerous predicaments, requiring fire and rescue services to respond. In 2017 the Rochester Hills Fire Department trained in: ♦ Swiftwater Rescue ♦ Ice Rescue ♦ Heavy Lifting Operations ♦ Stokes Basket Operations ♦ Active Shooter *Click for short video of Swiftwater Rescue 18 Training (Double click to enlarge)

Community Risk Reduction The Community Risk Reduction Division's mission is to improve the lives of City residents by preventing fires and injuries and reducing the impact when an incident does occur. To accomplish its mission, the division performs inspections of businesses and occupancies as mandated by state and local ordinances, as well as provides fire and life safety education in a wide variety of areas. In 2017: ♦ Implemented Phase II of the “Remembering When” program from the National Fire Protection Agency including a community outreach meeting held at the Older Persons’ Commission. ♦ Created a new local partnership named CHIPS (Community Health and Injury Prevention Services). Organizations associated with CHIPS will share resources, communicate so like services are not duplicated and work as a team to help address the ever growing problem of injuries related to falls. ♦ Bikes and Lids for Kids- This program takes donated bicycles, refurbishes them, and gives them to children and teens in the greater Rochester area. With each bicycle, the children also receive a brand new helmet. ♦ Implementation of self-inspection initiative- This program allows our department to educate low risk occupancies in the most commonly found fire and life safety code violations, as well as remind them of how important it is to keep a safe environment for their visitors and employees. This program has been set up in conjunction with the Rochester Hills MIS team in which the program’s data is collected through a web based reporting system. ♦ Implemented computer based inspections- This allows the Fire Department to share information with the city’s Building Department in a cooperative manner which in turn allows for information to be shared in real-time with other city departments. ♦ Thousands of spectators were present at the Festival of the Hills, the Village of Rochester Hills Tree Lighting, the State of the City and other large community events that require special code related permits. Permits are reviewed by the Rochester Hills’ Fire and Building Departments for code compliance prior to the event. Inspections are also conducted the day of the events to verify all safety measures are in place. 19

Community Risk Reduction DIVISION STATISTICS 20

Training The Training Division promotes the improvement of public service through the facilitation of ongoing drills and exercises that reflect the real-life experiences encountered in the field by firefighting crews. The Department’s training mission is to ensure all personnel are able to safely and effectively perform the critical tasks required of their position and rank. With this goal, the annual training program is designed to meet professional standards, satisfy state and federal mandates, and provide a broad range of education and skill development. •Training hours increased 27% from 9,499 in 2016 to 12,960 in 2017. gran Flashover a Oaklan Co Co June 2017. Flashover training offers a unique training experience that provides firefighters with the best live fire-training program currently available to the fire service. •New pieces of training equipment implemented in 2017 included East Coast Rescue Solutions Forcible Do Ho Fabricators’ Fire- Windo Simulato Fire Sled’s “The Punisher” simulated door breach trainer. • co Nat Firefighter Foundation's flex of tools used to care for stress reactions in firefighters and rescue personnel. *Click for short video of Flashover Training (Double click to enlarge) 21

R e c r u i t Training Firefighter Recruit is a classification for entry level members assigned to the Rochester Hills Fire Department Candidate Academy. Members attended a twelve week program consisting of firefighting methods, emergency medical services, prevention practices, salvage operations, public relations, physical fitness and associated topics to prepare for becoming a probationary firefighter. This year, in conjunction with the Auburn Hills Fire Department, a joint academy was held with five (5) candidates. (4 from Rochester Hills and 1 from Auburn Hills). Firefighter recruit training builds the foundation of the fire department and sets the stage for everything that will happen during an individual Firefighter’s career. The backdrop for any successful recruit training program is a consistent training philosophy along with a specific set of policies and procedures that emphasize safety and proficiency while contributing to a positive organizational culture. Upon completion of recruit training, Firefighter Candidates become Probationary Firefighters and assigned to the field. Under the supervision of a company officer, Probationary Firefighters will be assigned to a Station where they will apply their skills and training, participate in company training and be evaluated on their performance. While all the candidates hired had some level of previous training and experience, this program allows the candidates to become familiar with the operations and equipment of the Rochester Hills Fire Department. This also allows the department the opportunity to see if the candidate is a \"Good Fit\" for the department. Finally, the Rochester Hills Fire Department began a second recruit class in November. After evaluating the previous two (2) Recruit Academy's it was decided to allow two (2) additional weeks to help provide some additional time with city and equipment familiarization. This class has an anticipated graduation of February 2018. 22

Special Projects Special Projects is part of the Fire Administratio and is responsible for organizing and managing a broad assortment of department and citywide initiatives, projects and programs with high visibility and critical to the department as determined by the Chief of Fire and Emergency Services. In 2017: ♦ Completed the Insurance Services Organization Fire Suppression Rating Schedule Evaluation • The purpose of this Schedule is to review the available public fire suppression facilities, and to develop a Public Protection Classification for fire insurance rating purposes. The Schedule measures the major elements of a city's fire suppression system. These measurements are then developed into a Public Protection Classification number on a relative scale from 1 to 10, with 10 representing less than the minimum recognized protection and 1 representing the highest. In 2011 the department was evaluated and received an ISO Fire Suppression Rating Classification of \"4\". Results of the evaluations should be received early spring of 2018. ♦ Implementation of NPFA Firefighter Health Physicals for all full-time employees. ♦ Began working on the Rochester Hills Fire Department Strategic Plan • With an anticipated completion in fall of 2018, the Rochester Hills Fire Department Strategic Plan 2019 - 2029 will represent the first time the Department has formally outlined its mission and vision in an effort to create a more optimal organization. This plan is being developed to ensure the Rochester Hills Fire Department remains a leader in public safety and to address the future needs of the organization. 23

For more information about the Rochester Hills Fire Department, please call (248) 656-4720 or visit our web site at: http://rochesterhills.org/index.aspx?nid=69