May 2020

City of Rochester Hills Fire and Emergency Services Monthly Report for May 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 May 2020: 512 (Approximately 32% 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: 2,833 Year-to-Date comparison 2019 to 2020: 3,095 (2019) 2,833 (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 512 incidents that occurred in May, 227 times (44 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. The growing number of incidents continues to cause our concurrent incident totals to rise once again. 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 88 calls for service that resulted in $73,000 in damage. On May 17, 2020, the Rochester Hills Fire Department was dispatched to the 3400 block of John R Road for a reported structure fire involving a detached garage. Rochester Hills Engine 2 arrived on-scene and reported a fully involved garage. Crews established a water supply and quickly extinguished the fire limiting damage to the detached garage. A vehicle inside the garage was also destroyed. The Oakland County Sheriff’s Department Fire investigation Unit is investigating the cause of the fire. No civilian injuries were reported, however two (2) firefighters received minor thermal burns. On May 21, 2020, the Rochester Hills Fire Department responded to Midland, Michigan for a catastrophic flood event that occurred due to the breaching of a dam. Rapidly rising water overtook dams and forced the evacuation of about 10,000 people in central Michigan, where flooding struck communities along rain-swollen waterways. The dam failures happened along the Tittabawassee River and followed days of heavy rainfall across the region. One failure happened at the Edenville Dam, about 140 miles north of Detroit, and the other at the Sanford Damn, about seven miles further downriver. Members from the City of Rochester Hills, City of Rochester and Washington Township provided personnel and equipment to assist the Midland community.

On May 25, 2020, the Rochester Hills Fire Department responded on a multiple-alarm assignment to assist the Bloomfield Township Fire Department with a multiple-family residential structure fire in the 1100 block of Ivy Glen Circle. Rochester Hills Engine 2 and Alpha 24 were dispatched as part of the second alarm. Crews arrived to find heavy fire in the middle unit and extending throughout the building. Crews assisted with fire suppression activities. No firefighter or civilian injuries were reported.

On May 30, 2020, the Rochester Hills Fire Department was dispatched to the 1300 block of Sherborn Court for a residential structure fire. Rochester Hills Tower Ladder 4 was the first unit to arrive and declared a working structure fire located in the attached garage. Rochester Hills Tower Ladder 4 and Engine 4 advanced a 1 ¾” hoseline and quickly controlled the fire, without extension to the remaining portions of the house. Additional units performed ventilation of the home and overhaul to the fire area. Mutual Aid companies on- scene were promptly released as the fire was placed under control. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department Fire Investigation Unit. No firefighter or civilian injuries occurred at this incident. Emergency Medical Services Division Division Head - Captain Tim Matz Statistics Total number of EMS runs: 424. 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 71 incidents that were either determined as potential COVID-19 or the patient was positive with COVID-19. Total number of Cardiac Arrests: 7, with the age range of those patients being 50 - 89 years old. Three of these patients were resuscitated in the field and transported to a local hospital with cardiac care available. Under Protocol, if a patient regains his or her pulse, EMS is to transport for further care. Total number of Narcan deployments: two (2), both patients were transported for further evaluation at local hospitals.

Social distancing is not an easy thing to do, but it is necessary when facing a pandemic. Given that it can feel extreme, lonely and sad to avoid people, here's how you can do your part to reduce the spread of the virus, but still stay sane and feel connected to those you love. Remember, it's a temporary measure that can help protect countless others (and yourself) in the long run. What is social distancing? Social distancing, also called “physical distancing,” means keeping space between yourself and other people outside of your home. To practice social or physical distancing:  Stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arms’ length) from other people  Do not gather in groups  Stay out of crowded places and avoid mass gatherings In addition to everyday steps to prevent COVID-19, keeping space between you and others is one of the best tools we have to avoid being exposed to this virus and slowing its spread locally and across the country and world. Limit close contact with others outside your household in indoor and outdoor spaces. Since people can spread the virus before they know they are sick, it is important to stay away from others when possible, even if you—or they—have no symptoms. Social distancing is especially important for people who are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. For more information on social distancing, please go to: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent- getting-sick/social-distancing.html

Due to the continued social distancing of the COVID pandemic, EMS training was conducted via an online vendor. The two topics for EMS this month were Documentation and Drowning. With our new Quality Improvement Program, the committee identified areas for improvement and through feedback and training we are seeing a change in report writing. We had several water rescue incidents this month so this rationalized the need for additional training to provide improved care. Drowning care has improved over time but an aspect that has come to light is the danger water can be to the rescuer. Due to the many different forms of water in Rochester Hills from retention ponds, to Carter Lake to the Clinton River, all of these bodies of water have their own uniqueness and dangers associated with them. Drowning topics included airway management, hypothermia care, resuscitation, and transport to a facility that can handle continued care. Our Quality Improvement Program was fashioned to improve the data documented in our report writing. Documentation is the foundation for continued patient care, addresses legal issues if they arise, and provides clinical data for research to assist in improving our EMS system. Information provided from our EMS reporting provides the Community Risk Reduction Division with the needed data to identify issues and improve our citizen’s lives by preventing injuries and losses.

Community Risk Reduction Division Division Head - Assistant Chief Bill Cooke The Community Risk Reduction Division highlights for the month of May 2020 included the following: Fire Safety Inspections: 23 Follow-up Inspections: 3 Plan Reviews: 6 FOIA Requests: 2 Professional Development (Training Hours): 53 hours Burn Permits: 30 Public Education Activities School Programs: seven (7) presentations totaling 217 individuals Senior Programs: two (2) presentations totaling 49 individuals Birthday Drive-by Celebrations: 60 (sixty) totaling 586 individuals During the month of May, the Community Risk Reduction Division spent time preparing for the re-opening of business in our community. This process began with evaluating what businesses were more likely to open to the public first and which of these were at highest risk. Division members compiled a comprehensive list of where our fire and life safety inspections will take place. Beginning in the month of June, our division will reconvene fire and life safety inspections with the year-end goal of inspecting all high-risk facilities within our city. Division members also worked closely with our city Planning, Building and Engineering Departments to develop plans and procedures on how our local businesses could utilize their existing outdoor spaces to expand their business opportunities. With the upcoming restrictions being lifted due to the COVID-19 crisis, businesses will be allowed to move their operations and uses outdoors to allow for additional social distancing. Our department assisted in providing vision from a fire and life safety standpoint which will hopefully allow for our businesses to become successful again in our ever growing community. Fire and Life Safety Educator John Lyman began the Community Risk Assessment process as part of the Rochester Hills Fire Department’s Strategic Plan, Goal 5C. This assessment is part of the process to determine if our existing fire and life safety educational programs are truly meeting our community’s needs. Data is currently being compiled and a study along with their findings will be reported once all of the information is gathered. This process will then guide our division to the future of where we should be utilizing our resources and if we have sufficient resources for current and future demands. Once you begin this process, it never ends, as we will be evaluating data on a regular basis to confirm we are meeting our community’s needs. Finally, during the month of May, Lieutenant/Inspector Josh Boyce attended the spring Homeowner Association Meeting. One of the most significant topics that was discussed were the requirements for recreational fires. The Fire department has responded to an above average number of illegal burns since the stay home, stay safe act went into effect. In order to help reduce the frequency of these events, Fire and Life Safety Educator John Lyman has produced a public safety announcement that addresses many of the most common questions related to recreational fires. For more information and to view John speak about recreational fires, visit https://www.rochesterhills.org/index.aspx?nid=69. Another very important topic Lieutenant/Inspector Boyce spoke about was related to our department’s File of Life Program. This program allows residents to put vital information in a red packet which is usually stored either on or in their refrigerator.

Important information like medications, allergies, emergency contact and doctor’s phone numbers are then available for our first responders to utilize in case of an emergency. This has been a very successful program that our department has sponsored for many years. Thank you to Lieutenant/Inspector Boyce for providing great information to our citizens! Training Bureau Division Head - Captain Larry Gambotto During the month of May 2020, members of the Rochester Hills Fire Department received over 1,044 hours of Fire and EMS professional development. Year-to-date, members have completed over 5,300 hours of training. This month’s topics included the Salvage and Overhaul, Documentation and Drownings. With the COVID-19 pandemic in full effect, training has been restricted to online and company level only. Members completed online courses in Salvage and Overhaul, Documentation and Drownings via Fire Rescue 1 Academy. Members worked to train recruits in apparatus operations and driving emergency vehicles. Fire Academy #004 Fire Academy #004 had another busy month. Training continued as scheduleed for the recruits as their training is essential to the services provided by the RHFD. Recruits practiced vehicle extrication using the E-Draulic Jaws of Life. Recruits were refreshed in Hazmat Operations and performed foam operations for Class B Flammable Liquid fires, practices air monitoring and decontamination line operations. Recruits learned about the operations of the departments ATV/UTV, “Gator 1” including on and off road, proper trailing, patient loading and maintenance. Special thank you to Oakland Township Fire Department for presenting Drafting and Tanker Shuttle operations for Academy #004. Recruits were able to draft and supply water for extended period without a fire hydrant. Special Thank you to Rochester Fire Department for use of their burn building. Recruits were able to practice fire attacks and fire ground operations. The Rochester Fire has a burn building designed for control burns. Burns create smoke and heat simulating fire conditions. Recruits spent the remained of the month driving apparatus, operating pumps and aerials. The Fire Academy is taught by several members of the department, each of whom have special interest in different areas and share their interest with the recruits. Recruits will become Probationary members on June 8, 2020 and begin their regular scheduled shifts at Stations 1 and 3. Administration Bureau Fire Department Administration would like to acknowledge the dedicated work of our members during these times of uncertainty. The Rochester Hills Fire Department stands ready to serve the community and continues to be “DRIVEN TO BE THE BEST”. We may be dressed differently than in the past, so please do not take offense when we walk in wearing glasses, a gown, mask and gloves. This is not only to protect our members, but to protect you. We may ask you to wear a mask to the hospital, but again this is to protect you, the members of our department, and the hospital staff.