PERIOD REPORT
DATE: May 03, 2017 Report No. FIRE-17-002
TO: Laurie Hurst, Chief Administrative Officer
FROM: Chris Jancowski, Fire Chief
SUBJECT:TITLE Fire Department - 2017 First Period ReportBody
The following is a report on the activities pertaining to the Fire Department from January 01, 2017 to April 30, 2017.
I. DIVISION ACHIEVEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
1. Operations Division
|
Call Type and Volume |
|
Alarm calls |
38 |
|
Assist public |
27 |
|
Burning complaints |
4 |
|
Hazardous materials |
5 |
|
Structure fires |
5 |
|
Other fires |
15 |
|
Other responses |
0 |
|
Medical aid |
418 |
|
MVI |
12 |
|
Rescue |
2 |
|
Electrical emergency |
6 |
|
Total Period |
532 |
|
Responses YTD |
532 |
|
Routine Activities |
|
Assist other agencies |
0 |
|
Bylaw inquiries |
1 |
|
General inquiries |
5 |
|
Oil tank inspections |
7 |
|
Placed on standby (C.S.R., Fire) |
0 |
|
Plan review |
2 |
|
Public ed. I hall tour |
3 |
|
Fire investigations |
0 |
|
Business licenses |
8 |
|
Car seat inspection |
2 |
|
Total Period |
28 |
|
Activities YTD |
28 |
• Noteworthy Emergency Responses:
o February 24, 2017, the Department responded to the BC Hydro Sub-Station located on Devonshire Road. The initial response was assisted by CFB Esquimalt and resulted in locating an electrical fault that caused a large scale power outage lasting for several hours.
o March 16, 2017, the Department responded to a report of a structure fire in the 1100 block of Esquimalt Road. The quick call to 911 along with a rapid response, limited the fire damage to the kitchen area of a unit within a multi- residential building.
2. Community Services
Prevention Activities
In January, Community Services initiated a project to start the conversion of our current Excel database for fire inspections into FDM (Fire Department Management) Software. This conversion will take several months as it requires assistance from ECOMM, Saanich Fire and our Fire Department staff time. The intended outcome is an interconnected data-base that is searchable and linked to our digital property files.
In February, the Department published our first Captains’ handbook. This handbook provides a guide on essential company officer administrative tasks. It will also be incorporated into the training and development of new Acting Captains.
During the first three months in 2017, the Department created and submitted another 24 pre-incident plans. They will be linked to property files and be available from the apparatus while responding to emergency events.
Assistant Chief Saurette has continued the development of our “Fire Prevention Fact Sheets”. These provide a quick reference for firefighters while participating in company inspections. All Platoons have started the year with a continued focus on inspection. The table below illustrates activities by each platoon:
|
2017 Company Inspections |
|
Platoon |
Total Premises |
Inspections Completed |
Inspections Ongoing |
|
A |
145 |
55 |
90 |
|
B |
140 |
25 |
115 |
|
C |
132 |
55 |
55 |
|
D |
131 |
14 |
137 |
During the first months of 2017, the Platoons continued the returning of keys to several buildings within the Township. Starting in 2017, the department will no longer be carrying individual property keys on fire apparatus as an increased step towards safety and security.
3. Department Services
In January, the Department participated in user feedback for proposed new MDT (Mobile Data Terminal) Software. This proposed software will be used by departments within the Capital Regional District and Greater Vancouver Region. The Department’s Gas Detection devices were replaced in January. These devices are commonly used to test unknown atmospheres, carbon monoxide and confined spaces. The new gas detection devices will reduce the costs of maintenance and provide increased reliability.
In February, the Department reviewed and updated the New Firefighter Fire Apparatus Driving Program. This updated program provides requirements for education, skills and a graduated orientation to become a driver/operator. In addition to this program for new drivers, the Department hosted a “Pro Tips” workshop for each platoon. These workshops assisted in standardizing driver skills while providing best practices for experienced driver/operators.
In the first several months of 2017, the Department continued with a focus on firefighter medical aid skills. These skills included an external update of CPR and AED skills. The Vancouver Island Emergency Response Academy delivered these skills to each platoon. The Department also began a pilot for a Fire Department Nasal Naloxone Protocol. The training provided for this pilot was provided by VIHA (Island Health Authority). This year long pilot is supervised under our medical director, Dr. Allan Holmes from Iridia Medical Services.
In March, the Department installed an in-station MDT (Mobile Data Terminal). This terminal is web-based and provides members with the ability to see incoming emergency calls while in-station. In addition to early notifications, the software provides live updates of emergency and fire apparatus locations. In early April, the Department installed a new MDT into Engine 1. This terminal will provide mapping, property and updates from Dispatch. In addition, it will allow our officers to accurately record benchmark (on-route and on-scene) times.
The Department has completed our first regional joint recruitment process with Oak Bay Fire Department. This multi-month project has resulted in an eligibility pool of prospective new firefighters that will serve both Departments for the next twenty four months. With this new list our Department will immediately fill one vacancy due to a retirement.
II. COMMITTEES
Esquimalt Fire Department members are actively involved with numerous local and regional initiatives, including:
• Greater Victoria Fire Chiefs’ Association
• British Columbia Fire Chiefs’ Association
• CRD Regional Hazardous Materials Response Planning Committee
• Greater Victoria Fire Training Officers’ Association
• Fire Training Officers’ Association of BC
• Fire Prevention Officers’ Association of BC
• Greater Victoria Fire Prevention Officers’ Association
• Department Safety Committee
• BC Burn Fund
In addition to the various committees listed above, the Department has also been participating in ongoing regional discussions regarding fire service agreements. These discussions involve other regional fire departments expressing their interest in participating in the new Regional Fire Service Agreement.