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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017/02/06 - ADMIN - Minutes - Fire Civil Service Commission - Regular FIRE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION MINUTES February 6, 2017 – 8:30 a.m. WESTWOOD ROOM – CITY HALL 1. The meeting was called to order at 8:30 a.m. by President Tift. 2. In attendance were Commissioners Stuart Williams, Bob Tift, and Bill MacMillan. Also present were Ali Timpone, HR Coordinator/Staff Liaison; Steve Koering, Fire Chief; John Wolff, Deputy Fire Chief; and Union President and Lieutenant Eva Hansen. 3. Commissioner MacMillan was declared President of the Commission in accordance with state statute. 4. A motion was made by Commissioner MacMillan, seconded by Commissioner Tift, to name Commissioner Williams as Secretary of the Commission. Motion passed unanimously. 5. Minutes of the November 2, 2016 Fire Civil Service meeting were approved as presented. 6. Deputy Chief Wolff presented the promotional process for Fire Lieutenant. Six applicants participated in the process and three achieved a passing score to be placed on the eligibility roster. Firefighters Jens Andersen, Adam Lockrem, and Mike Lindblom are the names on the roster. A motion was made by Commissioner MacMillan, seconded by Commissioner Tift, to approve the eligibility roster for the position of Fire Lieutenant. Motion carried unanimously. 7. Chief Koering presented his annual report, including information from 2016 regarding statistics, major fire incidents, recognition, revenue, training, staffing, programs, and equipment. A copy of his report is attached. 8. In other business, Commissioners discussed the upcoming legislative session and the housekeeping items the City has requested to have updated regarding the Fire Civil Service Commission statute (Chapter 420). Chief Koering will ensure Commissioners are updated if/when the bill proceeds. 9. The Commission adjourned at 8:36 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Ali Timpone HR Coordinator/City Staff Liaison Fire Civil Service Commission Report Steve Koering: Fire Chief I. Introduction I would like to share with the Commission the following report of the Fire Department’s activities in Fiscal Year 2016. II. Fire Statistics 2016 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Structure Fires 61 61 96 57 84 76 66 63 73 53 Other Fires 71 46 68 37 53 64 48 28 42 41 Rescue/Emergency Medical 2,959 3,200 3,140 3,206 3,078 3,117 3,360 3,571 3,720 3,601 False Alarms 314 293 270 325 288 278 296 350 309 345 Mutual Aid Given 62 67 64 76 60 70 84 77 69 72 Mutual Aid Received * 26* 27* 22* 36* 45* 25* 31* 6* 56* 17* HCFIT Response (Aid Given) 8 1 9 N/A 3 5 6 3 2 0 Hazmat Responses 76 77 77 85 74 88 95 105 104 101 Other Hazardous Responses 111 66 57 108 101 57 110 91 89 80 All Other Responses 619 654 657 578 597 683 588 691 690 760 Total 4,273 4,464 4,429 4,472 4,335 4,433 4,647 4,976 5,096 5,052 * Mutual Aid Received number is not to be included in Total III. Major Fires/Incidents in 2016 October 15, 2016 – 2610 Burd Pl At 1521 hours, Quint 2 was dispatched to 2610 Burd Pl for the smell of burning rubber coming from a clothes dryer. Follow up calls to Dispatch reported a confirmed dryer fire with black smoke coming from the downstairs walkout (Charlie side). An All Call alarm was requested along with Engine 1. After assuming command by Lt. 31, the homeowner guided crews to the Charlie side of the structure and a cross lay was pulled and entry was made. A quick hit knockdown was made to the dryer and a water supply was established by Engine #1. Overhaul was done and area checked for extension. Command was transferred to Chief #3. Lt. 31 assumed Charlie division and ventilation was established and crews removed the burned equipment from the home. Fire destroyed the dryer, damaged the adjacent washing machine and melted wires for a light fixture and water meter. The house was turned back over to the homeowners when the air levels were ventilated to normal levels. Damage was estimated at $10,000 St. Louis Park Fire Department February 6, 2017 October 11, 2016 – 8910 State Hwy 7 At 2212 hours, Fire Units were dispatched to the area of 8900 Hwy 7 for the report of a vehicle that was occupied and sinking in a pond. While enroute, Captain 36 requested an All Call for additional personnel, Hennepin County Water Patrol, and HCMC Medics. Upon arrival, Captain 36 took command, and observed a vehicle partially submerged in the Minnehaha Creek near the 37th St bridge. Captain 36 had already donned a Mustang suit prior to arrival, so command was transferred to FF140. Captain 36 was tethered with a line and swam to the vehicle and was able to get the driver’s door open. He then removed the driver and carried her to the opposite shore where SLPPD assisted them out of the water. The driver was then passed to HCMC medics for medical evaluation. We stood by to assist tow operators with removing the vehicle from the water, by attaching tow hooks to the vehicle, and providing scene lighting. Once the vehicle was removed, we cleared and command was terminated. October 19, 2016 – 3325 Utah Ave S At 1001 hours, the Fire Department was called for a reported structure fire called in by the resident. Chief 2 responded and requested a full first alarm assignment. E1, Q2, Chief 1, Chief 3, Chief 4, U2, and U3 responded to the scene. Mutual aid companies from Hopkins and Edina responded to the scene as well as an HCMC ambulance. Chief 2 arrived and took command. Dark smoke was coming out of the structure on the delta (D) side of the building near the rear of the home. E1 arrived and pulled a pre- connected attack line and stretched it around the bravo (B) side to the back of the house to make entry on the Charlie/Delta (C/D) corner to search for and attack the fire. Fire was found in a workshop on the Delta (D) side of the home, directly behind the attached garage. E1 was able to knock down the fire and preformed overhaul to check for hot spots. A crew set up ventilation at the door on the Delta (D) side of the home. There was an overhead garage door that faced the Delta (D) side of the home that a crew breeched to aid in ventilation. A crew went to the roof of the home and removed some attic vents and other necessary work to check for any extension into the attic space. An LSU was called to the scene from Eden Prairie. E2 and R2 responded to the scene with off duty personnel. Crews were sent to secure utilities in the basement. Additional ventilation was set up on the Alpha (A) side of the house. Crews preformed a secondary search for a cat that was reported to still be in the house and a crew was able to recover. The cat did not appear to be breathing. Resuscitation efforts were performed but were unsuccessful. A board up company was called and they responded to the scene. Crews performed salvage and overhaul and checked for any fire extension. An investigation was performed and it was discovered that a chop saw with a masonry blade had been used for a floor tile project and was the cause of the fire. All crews cleared and command was terminated. Damage was estimated at $250,000 November 6, 2016 – 3601 Phillips Pkwy At 0150 hours, the Fire Department was called for two trips of a Zone 1 Fire Alarm. Enroute; Dispatch advised that the resident manager was reporting water coming out of Unit 120 and the door was hot. Quint 2 was clearing a nearby prior call and arrived to find the building being evacuated and reports of possible adult and children in the unit. LT. 31 initially took command. Engine 1 arrived and followed shortly behind the crew of Quint 2 into the building; both units were equipped with full protective gear, forcible entry tools and pressurized water fire extinguishers. Staffing was such that both drivers were available to standby to support standpipe and sprinkler systems as well as concurrently deliver additional equipment if required. Capt. 28 thereafter took command and requested an All Call for staffing. The fire was determined to be out via the sprinkler system and a primary search was conducted by Quint 2 accompanied by a crew member from Engine 1. Primary search resulted in no occupants located in the apartment. Units on scene proceeded to control water flow, initially at the main risers and subsequently at the Zone 1 control in the center stair well. Once city pressure was removed from the system, the crew member of Engine 1, backed up by Quint 2, utilized 4 door wedges to stem the flow of water draining into the unit. Chief 3 arrived to took command of the scene. Ventilation was called for and positive pressure ventilation was set-up mid hallway to push smoke and steam out the fire unit. Valves were adjusted to provide water to the remainder of the building, excluding Zone 1. A police officer was requested to take a report and further investigative resources were coordinated though Chief 1 providing city ops away from the scene. Engines from Hopkins and Minnetonka responded to assist with city coverage from Fire Station 1. Reconnaissance of units adjoining the fire apartment were made with assistance of building staff to find no fire, smoke or water impact. Water impact was noted to be only within the fire unit, hallway in vicinity of the fire unit and garage are below the fire unit. Water flow draining through the floor was hitting several cars, but the water appeared clean resulting in no apparent damage. Air monitoring was conducted and residents of floors 2 through 4 were allowed to return to their apartments. Thereafter final monitoring of the first floor was made and all residents were allowed to return to the apartment. A secondary search of the fire unit was completed with no occupants located; the circuit breakers to the stove and the microwave were located and turned off from the on position at this time. Two GFI circuit breakers on the lower right of the panel were found tripped. It was also at this time it was noted all smoke detectors in the unit had been removed from service and their location was unknown. Initial attack crew took a series of digital photographs. Initial investigation was started by Firefighter 362 with further assistance from Minnetonka Chief 4. No items were in the unit were moved during this initial investigation phase, only further documentation and photography. A St. Louis Park police officer arrived and conferred by phone with the Sargent on duty. Hennepin County Fire Investigation Team (HCFIT) member from Golden Valley arrived to take lead on the investigation until the State Fire Marshal’s office could arrive. The HCFIT member conferred with what was recorded by initial investigators and the observations of initial entry crew. The initial attack crews were thereafter released from the scene. Shortly thereafter, Engine 2 was released from the scene. Minnetonka Engine was released from standby duty and Chief 1 proceeded to the scene to confer on the investigation. The sprinkler head was replaced to allow for restoration of the Zone 1 sprinkler system. Hopkins engine on stand-by was cleared upon Engines 1 return to quarters. The Golden Valley investigator remained on scene until building staff could change the locks and secure the unit for follow up investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s office. Damage was estimated at $32,000 Fire Department Recognition at Annual Meeting The Fire Department held its annual meeting on January 26, 2016 at Fire Station #1. Fire Chief Steve Koering invited the Fire Department and CERT members and their families to attend, as well as the Fire Civil Service Commission, City Administration and the Police Department as the following staff were honored for their exemplary performance in 2015: Chief’s Commendation – Captain Paul Rosholt, Firefighter Kris Helberg and Police Officers Jon Riegert and Jennifer Capobianco Unit Citation Award – Lieutenants Glapa and Hansen Excellence in Customer Service – Captain Mark Nelson, Lt. Dan Yaekel, Lt. Matt Nordby, Firefighter Andy Willenbring, Firefighter Billy Breckle, Firefighter Lockrem, Firefighter Tim Smith, Firefighter Tim Nordstrom S.W.A.T – Former Assistant Chief Rodger Coppa and Firefighter Jens Anderson Minnesota Task Force 1 – Former Assistant Chief Rodger Coppa, Captain Mark Nelson, Lt. Dan Yaekel and Lt. Shawn Glapa Honor Guard - Firefighters Lockrem, Smith, Nordstrom, Breckle, Kivel, Roy and Erzberger III. Fire Prevention Bureau Fire Protection Permits: 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Permits Issued 177 224 208 392* 397* 378* 398 390 Permit Valuation $2,351,624 $1,454,498 $1,395,429 $2,211,436 $1,886,652 $1,693,164 $2,336,158 $3,337,218 Permit Fees $49,859 $37,936 $34,356 $53,151 $53,783 $48,525 $70,738 $77,835 * Recreational Fire Permits are now included in the total number of permits issued. The Fire Prevention Bureau, along with the assistance of the crews, conducted inspections of multi- family dwellings and businesses in St. Louis Park. In 2016, the Fire Department conducted 901 permit inspections and 265 multi-family and commercial inspections/re-inspections. The numbers for multi- family and commercial inspections/re-inspections are reduced due to no longer conducting company inspections. Staffing of the Fire Prevention Specialist assignments will increase this number in 2017. We are scheduled to go through every business once every three years. Recreational Fire Permits The Fire Department has heavily marketed the need for recreational fire permits to residents. Starting in May of 2012, the Recreational Fire Permits changed from being annual permits to permanent permits, for as long as the person resides at their residence. On-site inspections are also now required prior to permit issuance. Recreational fires have been becoming increasingly popular, however, many residents do not meet the Minnesota State Fire Code for setbacks and are ineligible for a permit. The City implemented a $50.00 Civil Penalty Fine for people who do not have a permit or are in violation of the permit regulations. Permit holders who violate the regulations will have their permit revoked for one calendar year. Year # Permits Issued # Complaint Calls 2005 270 36 2006 302 26 2007 313 36 2008 470 64 2009 548 63 2010 628 25 2011 698 31 2012 521* 79 2013 173 56 2014 112 36 2015 125 47 2016 88 50 * 340 Annual and 181 Permanent Fire Prevention/Public Education: The St. Louis Park Fire Department worked 169.25 hours on Public Education in 2016. The largest event of the year was the Fire Station 1 Open House. Approximately 2,500 people attended this event to see the station, emergency vehicles and learn about fire safety. Station tours continue to be a popular event in 2016 as community members, scout troops, pre-schools classes, Meadowbrook After School Program children, St. Louis Park Senior High School Youth Development Committee, home schooled and private school groups, special needs children, adults and seniors came to tour the stations. Department members made every effort to accommodate the tours requests and provided educational information on every tour. Fire Department staff provided public education to nearly all of the schools in the city, including Torah Academy, Holy Family, Park Spanish Immersion, Aquila, Peter Hobart and Susan Lindgren, and Kindercare. The events included Career Day at the High School, science fairs, and family reading nights. The Department also provided fire safety and education to parents of Early Childhood Family Education at Central Community Center, to senior groups at Menorah Plaza, Park Shore Apartments, Lenox Community Center. The Fire Department sent personnel and vehicles to safety events put on by businesses in the city. The West End, Costco, Cub Foods, Old Navy, Jerry’s Hardware, Home Depot, and Sam’s Club all held Safety Days in 2016. Some events had hundreds of people attending. The Fire Department also participated in a number of other city and community events in 2016 – below is a sampling:  St. Louis Park Safety Camp  Block Parties: Fire engines went to block parties and neighborhood gatherings throughout the year  Fourth of July Fireworks  National Night Out: The Fire Department had a strong presence in the community, visiting numerous block parties, talking about fire safety and answering any questions residents had.  Parktacular Parade: As always, the Ladder Truck was a popular participant in the Parktacular parade. The Fire Department also provided fire safety handouts and information at the Parktacular Children’s Event at Wolfe Park.  Children First Ice Cream Social  Vehicle Fair at Central Community Center  Westwood Halloween March  Toy Drive with Park Tavern Year End Event Totals  Events – 98  Hours – 169.25  Children in Attendance- 5376  Adults in Attendance – 4454 IV. Fire Department Training and Wellness In 2016, Fire Department personnel completed over 6,000 hours of training. A new class of Part Time Firefighters began their training in the summer with our Recruit Mini-Academy and continued in the fall and winter with Firefighter 1 class. The following are some of the more interesting or larger trainings and a quick summary of the diverse topics that we covered through the year: In January we put the new Quint into service after training everyone on it. We also completed the Blue Card refresher training on fire command. February was the month for our first EMT refresher of the year. It was also the month when we rolled out our new recurring training on Target Hazards. This training is delivered by the Prevention Division and they identify the top hazards in the city and present an in-depth training on these facilities. March was another month with Target Hazards training along with our first of three Haz-Mat classes. We also did some more forcible entry training at the McGarvey Coffee site and tested out our new portable door spreader tool. In April the City Manager delivered the State of the City presentation to the department. We also had our second Haz-Mat class and refreshed on the different hose loads we use. May was the month for our second EMT refresher. We also focused on rescue with trainings on technical rescue and auto extrication. At the end of the month we joined our partners from the other South West Metro fire departments for a Joint Ops training at the training tower in Edina. In June we put our new SCBA packs into service and spent an important amount of time learning about the new packs and its features, as well as safe operations. Of course June is the month for the Open House and although we had a stormy day, we also had a great turnout and successful event. At the end of the month we had our last Haz-Mat class and it was delivered by an outside expert on the subject of responding to oil train emergencies. In July we were offered the opportunity to train in a donated house. These “acquired structure” trainings are invaluable and we spent half the month laying lines, breaching walls, completing searches and training in a real-life situation. After National Night Out August contained a physically demanding SCBA challenge course and the important trench rescue refresher. The month ended with another social event: the Annual Department Picnic. September was another month for EMT refresher along with our annual driving course. We also trained on report writing and fire investigation. In October we invited guest speakers to present on healthy eating and nutrition and also on injury prevention, especially for shoulders and knees. We rolled out our new rescue boat and everyone had the opportunity to operate it on Victoria Pond. Our partners at the police department came in to teach us about situational awareness and defensive tactics. November was the month for our fourth and final EMT refresher of the year. We also had another training on target hazards from the prevention staff. In December we looked at three PIA’s. These are the Post Incident Analysis of important calls that we have run, such as house fires or Haz-Mat events. We share what happened, what went well and what things we learned from the event. This month we also held our annual ice rescue refresher training and the whole department was able to attend Racial Equity training with other City staff. CERT Our Citizen Emergency Response Team (CERT) continued to hold monthly meetings with training and we put on another recruitment and training class that brought the size of the team to 31 members. Fire Department Wellness Firefighting is a very physically and emotionally demanding profession. Firefighter health and wellness is a major priority for us. We have a multi-pronged approach to wellness that includes encouraging physical fitness, healthy eating and education. The center point of our program is the firefighter health surveillance exam. This is an annual physical that focuses on identifying health concerns early as well as tracking health markers over the many years you work as a firefighter. In 2016 we invited outside speakers to present on nutrition and healthy eating, along with injury prevention focused on shoulders and knees. We reinvested in our station vegetable gardens and grew lots of produce for the kitchen table. We held fitness challenges and weekly group workouts. We also brought in a yoga instructor to hold classes that are firefighter focused. V. Mutual Aid We are doing automatic mutual aid/auto aid with six cities: Edina, Eden Prairie, Hopkins, Golden Valley, Plymouth and Minnetonka. This program continues to be successful by front loading our fires personnel and equipment. 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Mutual Aid Given 61 62 67 64 76 60 70 84 77 69 72 Mutual Aid Received 29* 26* 22* 22* 36* 45* 25* 31 4 56 17 *Each mutual aid received number generally represents a minimum of two cities helping St. Louis Park per incident. VI. Staffing With the departure of Assistant Chief Rodger Coppa at the end of 2015, Firefighter Hugo Searle was promoted to Chief of Training. Captain Deane Wallick retired and Lt. Steve Powers was promoted to Captain. Firefighter Bob Hampton was promoted to Lieutenant. In 2016 we added four new Firefighters – William Breckle, Eric Schmitt, Brian Oberschmid and Antonio Rodriguez. Firefighter Tim Nordstrom was deployed to Egypt in July and is expected to return in May of 2017. 2016 marked a significant event with the addition of a Career Firefighter position in July. It’s believed to be the first addition to the Career staff since the 1960’s. In addition, the city committed to hiring two additional Career Firefighter position is January of 2017. The last two positions increase staffing from six on duty to seven on duty across all three shifts. Funding for two of the three new positions will be initially funded through FEMA’s SAFER grant for two years. The additional staff provides enhanced capabilities for first due units when responding to structure fires, improving citizen and firefighter safety along with enhancing operational effectiveness. The extra staff also allows a more focused emphasis on Fire Prevention with one member of each shift assigned as a Fire Prevention Specialist supporting the pre-planning process and inspection workloads. Additionally, we have increased our daily staffing by deploying our Part Time (citizen) Firefighters on shift at the stations where Career staff are on vacation. The Part Time staff have become a more valued and integral part of our emergency response capability. In 2016, Part Time Firefighter numbers started out at 18. During the year William Breckle was hired on as one of our Career Firefighters. Part Time Firefighters Ben Burrows, Sean McKenna and Tom Buda retired and Ryan Andrews, Bryan Hamilton and Edward Nunez resigned from the department. This put us at 11 Paid on Call firefighters, which is below our budgeted strength. With the approval of the City Manager, in June we hired four new Part Time Firefighters: Lucas Anderson, Scott Hagen, Kyle Hansen, Sean Mitchell. The new Part Time Firefighters have completed Firefighter I and will complete their training in 2017. Jennifer Eichten returned from a one year military leave. We also have a new group of Team Leaders – Kris Helberg, Kevin O’Connell, John Myhre and Steve Kalderon. In 2016, both the Captain’s list process was conducted and certified by the Fire Civil Service Commission. VII. Programs Park Nicollet Post Discharge Visits Since its inception in 2014, the program with Park Nicollet has continued to evolve. In 2016 we collaborated on a fund raiser with Give65 which raised over $4,000 to provide technology solutions for the program and transition away from faxing paper copies of patient information back and forth. The partnership continues and today includes the Cities of St. Louis Park, Minneapolis, Minnetonka, Eden Prairie and Hopkins. These visits which total over 800 have made a significant difference for the patients and the communities they live in. The idea is for firefighter visits to occur within the first 24 hours after hospital discharge, maximizing the patient’s ability to have a successful transition home. These visits include focusing on 5 components: Medications- Does the patient understand what medications to take? Follow up visit- Does the patient have a follow up visit scheduled with their doctor? Do they have a way to get there? Symptoms- Does the patient know what symptoms to be aware of and who to call if they experience the symptom? Food- Does the patient have enough food in the house to get through the next few days? Home Safety- Are there hazards in the house? Is the Smoke detector working? Some of the statistics are as follows; Age: Ranging from 7 months to 102 years. Average age is 65 Gender: 41% Males 59% Females Total visits over 1000 The feedback from the patients has been extremely positive and reinforces not only the need for the program but also the fact that the firefighters are the right choice for the job. 99% of all patients would recommend a visit to a family member of friend. The File of Life program which was launched in June, 2007 is still a very popular program. We will continue to market this program through the city website, Park Perspectives, neighborhood groups and various other groups and organizations, fire events and apartment/condo communities. There is no fee for residents to obtain these kits. This program was established to help Police and First Responders to provide service when a person may not be able to communicate effectively due to a medical reason or personal injury. The kit includes a magnetized refrigerator folder and an information card to indicate health problems, medications, allergies, emergency contacts, etc. Our Child Car Seat Safety Program continues to be in high demand by both residents and non-residents. We conduct inspections two or three times a month for two to three hours. The fees are $40.00 for the first car seat or base and $20.00 for each subsequent car seat or base. We currently have four certified car seat technicians. Car Seat Inspections Year 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Car Seat Inspections 100 250 205 225 98 122 158 92 47 Fees $2,340 $5,064 $4,250 $4,390 $2,070 $2,305 $3,185 $1,930 $2,160 The Fire Department also continues to provide training for city employees in CPR, First Aid, and Right to Know. VIII. Stations, Gear and Apparatus We made progress with our fleet upgrade program in 2016. After a competitive bid process, we placed an order with E-ONE to build two new front-line mid-sized (Midi) engines in May. These new lightweight fire engines will become the “workhorses” of the fleet as they will have the capability to respond to all types of calls from EMS, vehicle accidents and fires. The full size cabs will have room allowing for additional staff to respond as a team on one truck. In 2016 we also took delivery of our first of two light rescue vehicles. The light rescues increase our response flexibility profile when we have more than three firefighters on duty at one or both of the stations. In these situations, we can staff the light rescue and a “Midi” engine, enhancing reliability and response times when multiple calls occur at the same time. Overall, the fleet upgrade program has saved over $1.0M in capital investment, reduced our foot print with a reduction in nearly 20 tons in GVW and increased our response flexibility.   New “Midi” Engine Design New Light Rescue        Finally, in 2016 important firefighter safety systems were updated as we issued new turn outs and replaced our outdated self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). In addition, the Fire Department partnered with the Police Department to replace our base radio stations and mobile and portable radios with the latest technology that will serve our needs for the foreseeable future. The radios we replaced were over 12 years old and at the end of their service life.