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2012 The Everett Fire Department is a community‐focused fire service leader passionately preserving life, property and the environment. EVERETT FIRE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT ---PAGE BREAK--- Everett Fire Department I Annual Report 2012 2 It is with great honor that I present the 2012 Annual Report for the City of Everett Fire Department to the Mayor, City Council, and our community. This report represents more to us than just a dissemination of statistical data. Data collection and the statistics drawn from the data provide insight into the workings of our department, our successes, and our challenges. I am sure you will find this annual report informative and useful. I am proud of the men and women serving in our City’s fire service. This report represents the culmination of the efforts of the entire department, including response times, call volume, and division accomplishments. Despite recent challenging economic times, we continue to be an efficient, forward thinking department. Our mission remains: The Everett Fire Department is a community-focused fire service leader passionately preserving life, property, and the environment. The Everett Fire Department is more than just about putting out fires and responding to emergencies. It is about building relationships with our community, establishing trust, providing quality service, being fiscally responsible, and promoting a safe work environment. This report is a summary of our performance and provides a foundation for building excellence in the future. Sincerely, Murray Gordon, Fire Chief ---PAGE BREAK--- Everett Fire Department I Annual Report 2012 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Department Facilities, Equipment, and Department Response Table: Time Maps: Response ---PAGE BREAK--- Everett Fire Department I Annual Report 2012 4 0 This report provides the results of examining relevant emergency call response data from 2012 and sets benchmarks for reasonable future performance. It includes information about the Everett Fire Department, its personnel, call volumes, department accomplishments from the year, and response times. With it, we begin a long-term commitment to provide annual reports to the community and use the information to make improvements to departmental operations. State law requires the department to identify benchmarks in two areas – the amount of time it takes a crew to don the proper equipment and get to their vehicle (known as turnout time) and the amount of time it takes the crew to get to the emergency scene once the vehicle begins moving (travel time). Those two times combined equal the department’s response time. While state law does not dictate benchmarks for fire departments, it requires each jurisdiction to set its own benchmarks for times (turnout and travel) and performance. The law sets the minimum performance objective for response times at 90 percent, meaning that the department’s goal is to meet each benchmark at least 90 percent of the time. While setting Everett’s benchmarks, staff took into consideration the response data from 2012, call volumes, the city’s geographic make-up, and benchmarks set by neighboring fire departments. The department has every reason to be proud of its travel times to emergency scenes. The data evaluated here shows that, overall, the Everett Fire Department meets its travel time goal nearly all of the time for first-arriving units. There is room for improvement in turnout time. Specific measures to improve performance are outlined in the conclusion of this report. The Everett Fire Department will use this information as a foundation to develop a strategic plan, which will further identify the department’s and areas for improvement, as well as set goals and objectives for the next three to five years. 2012 Executive Summary ---PAGE BREAK--- Everett Fire Department I Annual Report 2012 5 ‐ Population: 103,300 ‐ Population density: 3,538 persons/sq mile ‐ Land area: 29.19 sq miles ‐ Waterfront: 15 miles along Port Gardner Bay and the Snohomish River and two small lakes City of Everett Profile The Everett Fire Department provides the following services: ‐ Firefighting ‐ Emergency Medical Services ‐ Fire Prevention Public education Fire investigation New construction plan review and inspections ‐ Emergency Management and disaster preparedness ‐ Special Operations Hazardous materials responses Technical and heavy rescue Disaster response and preparedness Shoreline-based firefighting and rescue assistance to the Port of Everett and Naval Station Everett Limited aircraft rescue and firefighting assistance to Boeing and Snohomish County’s Paine Field ‐ Mutual aid responses to neighboring communities Fire Department Overview ---PAGE BREAK--- Everett Fire Department I Annual Report 2012 6 Organization Chart ---PAGE BREAK--- Everett Fire Department I Annual Report 2012 7 The Everett Fire Department has at least 28 firefighters on duty each day, six of whom are certified paramedics, operating six fire engines, two ladder trucks, and three medic units. Engine 5 and Ladder 5 are staffed by a single crew that takes the appropriate unit depending on the type of call. As staffing allows, an additional fire engine and an aid unit are also in operation. All uniformed personnel are certified in Washington State as firefighters and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). Thirty two firefighters in the department have also completed the additional training necessary to be Washington State certified paramedics. When reporting for duty, firefighters arrive at their assigned station by 8:00 a.m. They work 24- hours shifts. The day begins with vehicle and equipment readiness checks, which are completed by 9:00 a.m. Each shift includes three training periods: 9:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 6:30 p.m. Crews are always in a state of readiness. The department responds to an average of 55 emergency calls per day throughout the city. Calls can include cardiac arrests, vehicle collisions, house fires, train derailments, hazardous material spills, bicycle accidents, gas leaks, and natural disasters, among other emergencies. On-duty strength 24/7: 28-33 firefighters, including 6 paramedics Uniformed personnel: 135 firefighter/EMTs and 32 firefighter/paramedics Civilian personnel: 10 Personnel Profile In 2012, the Everett Fire Department was dispatched to 18,682 incidents, which resulted in 29,989 individual Fire and EMS unit dispatches. Unit Dispatches ---PAGE BREAK--- Everett Fire Department I Annual Report 2012 8 Facilities, Equipment, and Dispatches Station 1 3619 Rucker Avenue Station 2 2201 16th Street Station 4 5920 Glenwood Avenue Station 5 1600 Madison Street Station 6 9520 Evergreen Way Station 7 11221 Silver Lake Road Units 2012 Dispatches Battalion Chief 342 Engine 1 3,685 Ladder 1 2,386 Medic 1 2,769 Engine 3 1,586 Units 2012 Dispatches Engine 2 3,059 Aid 2 662 Units 2012 Dispatches Engine 4 1,979 HazMat 1 21 Units 2012 Dispatches Engine/Ladder 5 2,905 Medic 5 2,132 Units 2012 Dispatches Engine 6 3,490 Medic 6 2,404 Aid 6 110 Units 2012 Dispatches Engine 7 2,428 ---PAGE BREAK--- Everett Fire Department I Annual Report 2012 9 2012 Department Highlights The Fire Prevention Bureau oversaw the inspection of 1,635 buildings and businesses, made 322 construction inspections, and checked 251 sets of construction plans for fire code compliance. The Bureau conducted 58 fire investigations, including the McCrossen Building fire, and worked with the Everett Police Department on several arson cases. Inspectors coordinated 55 public outreach efforts, educating more than 1,500 people on fire prevention and life safety. Fire Prevention Bureau In 2012, the Everett Fire Department responded to more than 15,000 requests for medical services, which accounted for about 85 percent of all calls. Everett medic and aid units transported 3,337 patients to hospitals. Everett’s survival rate for witnessed cardiac arrests with bystander CPR and a survivable heart was 62 percent - which is almost double the national average of 32 percent. This is a direct result of the excellent training and intervention of our citizens, firefighters, paramedics, hospital staff, and medical community. The EMS Division secured a grant to provide high performance CPR training to Everett police officers and first responders from neighboring communities with a goal of increasing survival rates. More efficient and effective Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) were also installed in all fire and EMS vehicles for this purpose. The department also launched a new electronic system for recording patient care data. All crews are now equipped with new computer tablets, eliminating hand-written reports and allowing immediate electronic transfer of patient information to hospitals. Emergency Medical Services ---PAGE BREAK--- Everett Fire Department I Annual Report 2012 10 The Office of Emergency Management prepares the city to respond to and recover from disasters. Important accomplishments for the year included: Coordinating the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program, including training more than 55 new volunteers. Two successful full-scale emergency management exercises, which were compliant with the federal Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Everett City Council approval of the city’s Hazard Mitigation Plan update. The Training Division conducted practical skills training in multiple disciplines, including firefighting, GIS map training, and hybrid/electric vehicle rescue, as well as multi-company exercises with various neighboring agencies including the Paine Field and Boeing fire departments. The Special Operations Division conducted advanced skills training in hazardous materials response, heavy machinery extrication, confined space rescue, water rescue, and trench rescue. Additionally, each of the 32 members of the City’s Technical Rescue Team and the 48 members of the City’s Hazardous Materials Response Team received up to 40 hours of off-duty training by the Snohomish County Special Operations Team. The Special Operations Division also secured grant money for a regional heavy rescue rig, a rescue boat that will be used by police and fire personnel, and a mini-rescue unit. The Safety Division conducted training in multiple disciplines including asbestos awareness and on-the-job safety awareness. The division also manages daily safety checks at each of the department’s six stations, safety compliance at all major incidents, and the firefighters’ Respiratory Protection Program. In addition, the Safety Division provides ongoing support for firefighter health and wellness. Office of Emergency Management Training Division ---PAGE BREAK--- Everett Fire Department I Annual Report 2012 11 The numbers for this report are from the computer aided dispatch (CAD) data generated by SNOPAC and additional information gathered during each emergency response. Data is organized by call type as it was dispatched. The data analyzed included information from 13,531 emergency responses within the city, which represented 23,774 individual fire and EMS unit dispatches. Response times were not analyzed from 5,073 non-emergency incidents, which include calls to 911 for such things as minor cuts and scrapes, requests for public assistance, basement flooding, and toothaches. Responses outside the city were also excluded. The Everett Fire Department attempts to meet its stated benchmarks 90 percent of the time to effectively, efficiently , and affordably deliver firefighting, emergency medical services and special operations responses. The following table shows the Everett Fire Department’s performance for 2012. Washington State law requires fire departments to establish benchmarks for turnout and travel times for emergency calls. Calls for service are dispatched by SNOPAC, our regional 911 center, to the Everett Fire Department. When SNOPAC dispatches a station, crews move to the vehicles, put on necessary equipment, and take a seat. This is known in the industry as “turnout time.” Everett’s benchmark for turnout time is 2 minutes. “Travel time” starts when a unit begins driving to the emergency and ends when they arrive on the scene. Everett’s travel time benchmarks are: 5 minutes 30 seconds for first arriving units; 8 minutes for medic unit arrival and full alarm (17 firefighters) assignment at a fire. Fire Department Response Times ---PAGE BREAK--- Everett Fire Department I Annual Report 2012 12 1,772 Incidents Everett Benchmark Goal Actual Everett’s 90% Performance Average Time Turnout (minutes:seconds) 2:00 90% 29.4% 3:11 or less 2:19 Travel: First arriving engine 5:30 90% 85.8% 6:03 or less 3:41 Travel: Full alarm assignment 8:00 90% 66.7% 11:16 or less 7:55 11,804 Incidents Everett Benchmark Goal Actual Everett’s 90% Performance Average Time Turnout (minutes:seconds) 2:00 90% 57.8% 2:58 or less 1:56 Travel: First arriving unit 5:30 90% 89.9% 5:30 or less 3:14 Travel: Medic unit to ALS calls 8:00 90% 93.1% 7:26 or less 4:19 33 Incidents Everett Benchmark Goal Actual Everett’s 90% Performance Average Time Turnout (minutes:seconds) 2:00 90% 45.5% 3:21 or less 2:10 Travel: First arriving unit 5:30 90% 87.5% 5:26 or less 3:50 Fires Emergency Medical Services Special Operations Table: Time Analysis For more information on time analysis methodology, see Appendix B and C. ---PAGE BREAK--- Everett Fire Department I Annual Report 2012 13 Response Time: First arriving engine to a fire call The map represents our 90% performance of total response time (turnout time plus travel time). For more information on map analysis methodology, see Appendix D. ---PAGE BREAK--- Everett Fire Department I Annual Report 2012 14 Response Time: Full alarm assembly to a fire call The map represents our 90% performance of total response time (turnout time plus travel time). For more information on map analysis methodology, see Appendix D. ---PAGE BREAK--- Everett Fire Department I Annual Report 2012 15 Response Time: First arriving BLS unit to an emergency medical call The map represents our 90% performance of total response time (turnout time plus travel time). For more information on map analysis methodology, see Appendix D. ---PAGE BREAK--- Everett Fire Department I Annual Report 2012 16 Response Time: Medic unit to an ALS call The map represents our 90% performance of total response time (turnout time plus travel time). For more information on map analysis methodology, see Appendix D. ---PAGE BREAK--- Everett Fire Department I Annual Report 2012 17 Response Time: Special Operations The map represents our 90% performance of total response time (turnout time plus travel time). For more information on map analysis methodology, see Appendix D. ---PAGE BREAK--- Everett Fire Department I Annual Report 2012 18 This annual report shows that the men and women of the Everett Fire Department are providing exceptional service to our community on a daily basis. The data in this report demonstrates that our efforts of bringing an emergency vehicle to the scene of an incident are positive and within our stated benchmarks most of the time. The first step in improving performance is to know and understand our starting point. This report will help us identify clear objectives and establish a baseline for future performance. While the Department excels in the area of travel time, an area for improvement is the Department’s turnout time. Previous industry studies have shown that specific training focused on improving turnout time will raise awareness of the benchmark and make it a priority. We will continue to educate responders, monitor performance, and regularly report results to the crews. In addition, we will share best practices from other fire departments, solicit input from crew members, and provide ongoing support to achieve success. Conclusions ---PAGE BREAK--- Everett Fire Department I Annual Report 2012 19 Advanced Life Support (ALS): Advanced airway management, including intubation, advanced cardiac monitoring, manual defibrillation, establishment & maintenance of intravenous access, and drug therapy. ALS level skills are provided by certified paramedics in two-person medic units. Aid Unit: A Basic Life Support transport vehicle staffed with two firefighter/Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) who respond to fires and medical calls. Basic Life Support (BLS): Advanced first aid for injuries and illness of an emergent nature. Fire engines, ladder trucks, and aid units are all BLS units. Battalion Chief: The shift supervisor who directs the activities of emergency responders. Emergency Medical Services (EMS): Medical services performed by certified personnel. Fire Department: The city department responsible for firefighting, emergency medical services and other special operations in Everett. Fire and EMS Units: All Everett Fire Department engines, ladders, medic units, aid units, the Hazardous Materials unit, and the battalion chief, including reserve units. Fire Department Full Alarm Assignment: A major fire response that requires at least 17 crew members including the battalion chief. Travel time is measured from the time the first unit starts driving to the time the unit carrying the 17th responder arrives. Fire Department Turnout Time: The measurement of time that begins when SNOPAC dispatches a unit, crews move to the vehicles, put on necessary equipment, and take a seat. Fire Department Travel Time: The measurement of time that begins when a unit begins driving to the emergency and ends when crews arrive on the scene. Fire Department Response Time: The measurement of time that includes both turnout time and travel time. Fire Engine: A firefighting vehicle staffed with one captain and two firefighters capable of pumping 1500-2000 gallons of water per minute. Also responds to EMS calls. Ladder truck: A fire vehicle that has a 90-foot mounted ladder that is staffed with one captain and two firefighters. The vehicle also includes rescue equipment for extrication from vehicles, rope rescue, water rescue, and medical equipment. Medic Unit: An Advanced Life Support transport vehicle staffed with two firefighter/paramedics. Medic units also respond to fires. Special Operations: Emergency incidents that require advanced training, specialized tools and equipment. Statistics: The collection and interpretation of quantitative data. Appendix A: Definitions ---PAGE BREAK--- Everett Fire Department I Annual Report 2012 20 The 2012 response data was statistically analyzed by staff members trained in accordance with best practices taught by the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE), a recognized leader in public safety accreditation. Time calculations were performed on emergency level dispatches of all Fire and EMS units. Also, only calls inside the city limits and freeway/highway responses that are within Everett Fire Department’s jurisdiction were analyzed. The chart on the following page gives a complete description of the data set used in compiling the time analysis. Data was organized by call type as identified at dispatch. This may or may not correspond to what was found when a crew arrived on scene, but is the best representation of how crews prepared and responded in terms of gear and safety requirements. While analyzing the data set, upper and lower thresholds were established to exclude outliers. Outliers are generally the result of missing data or data entry errors. A lower threshold of 1 second was used. There are instances where turnout or travel times are legitimately zero if crews were dispatched while already out in their vehicle or while already on scene. However, since the purpose of this report is to gauge our responsiveness, we have taken the conservative approach of excluding zero values to not artificially skew the numbers in our favor. The lower threshold also removes blank or negative values from the data set. An upper threshold of three times the standard deviation was used for each subset analysis. This is a best practice used in statistical analysis that captures roughly 99 percent of the data. It is important to note that while outliers are removed from the time analysis, they are given special consideration and are scrutinized to identify improvements to the data collection process and those situations that produce abnormal results. Appendix B: Assumptions for time analysis ---PAGE BREAK--- Everett Fire Department I Annual Report 2012 21 FIRE # Incidents # Unit dispatches used in time analysis FB BRUSH/GRASS/WILDLAND FIRE 20 22 FAS FIRE ALARM ‐ SPRINKLER 81 143 FAC FIRE ALARM ‐ COMMERCIAL 766 1,602 FAR FIRE ALARM ‐ RESIDENTIAL 170 190 FIRE FIRE CALL 57 95 FS FIRE SINGLE ENGINE RESPONSE 431 534 FTU FIRE UNKNOWN TYPE 34 80 FC FULL RESPONSE ‐ COMMERCIAL STRUCTURE 89 751 * FR FULL RESPONSE ‐ RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE 80 601 * GLI GAS LEAK ‐ INSIDE 21 159 GLO GAS LEAK ‐ OUTSIDE 20 52 MVCF MOTOR VEHICLE COLLISION ‐ FIRE 3 13 TOTAL 1,772 4,242 *Used to determine Full Alarm Assignment arrival EMS BLS BASIC LIFE SUPPORT 6,646 8,730 COA CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM 14 23 COAM CARBON MONOXIDE MED RESPONSE 1 5 * MCI MASS CASUALTY INCIDENT 1 10 * MED MEDIC RESPONSE 4,358 9,026 * MEDX MEDIC UPGRADE RESPONSE 176 604 * MVC MOTOR VEHICLE COLLISION 489 649 MVCM MOTOR VEHICLE COLLISION ‐ MEDIC 55 157 * MVCP MOTOR VEHICLE COLLISION ‐ BIKE/PED 64 170 * TOTAL 11,804 19,374 *Used to determine Medic response to ALS dispatched calls SPECIAL OPERATIONS HZ HAZMAT 5 17 MVCE MOTOR VEHICLE COLLISION ‐ ENTRAPMENT 8 39 TRC TECH RESCUE CONFINED SPACE 3 9 TRWR TECH RESCUE WATER ‐ SWIFT WTR 2 10 TRA TECH RESCUE HIGH/LOW ANGLE 5 31 TRWS TECH RESCUE WATER ‐ SURFACE WTR 10 52 TOTAL 33 158 NON EMERGENCY/MUTUAL AID AID AID CALL 1,127 AIRS AIRCRAFT STANDBY 2 BLSN BASIC LIFE SUPPORT ‐ NON EMERGENCY 2,841 MISC MISCELLANEOUS 2 MU MUTUAL AID MOVE UP 1 MAA MUTUAL AID ALS 15 MAB MUTUAL AID BLS 4 MAF MUTUAL AID FIRE 10 MVCN MOTOR VEHICLE COLLISION ‐ NON EMERGENCY 636 NOTICE NOTICE OF INFORMATION 2 SC SERVICE CALL 433 TOTAL 5,073 GRAND TOTAL 18,682 23,774 Appendix C: Chart of call types as dispatched ---PAGE BREAK--- Everett Fire Department I Annual Report 2012 22 Response Time: First arriving engine to a fire call This map displays the 2012 actual response time performance (dispatch to arrival) for fire engines only, to all call types initially dispatched as some type of fire incident. Scale is set to 7:30 minutes, which is the combination of Everett’s turnout time benchmark of 2 minutes plus the travel time benchmark of 5:30 minutes. Green areas on the map received fire engine response times of seven minutes thirty seconds or less 90 percent of the time or better. Response Time: Full Alarm assembly to a fire call This map displays the time it took to assemble 17 firefighters at an incident scene where the initial dispatch was for a full response. Scale is set to measure Everett’s benchmark of 10 minutes total response time to deliver the first 17 firefighters. Time calculation is from the time the first unit was dispatched to the time the unit that delivered the 17th firefighter arrived on scene. Scale is set to 10 minutes, which is the combination of Everett’s turnout time benchmark of 2 minutes plus the travel time benchmark of 8 minutes. Green areas on the map received response times of 10 minutes or less 90 percent of the time or better. Response Time: BLS unit to an EMS call This map displays the 2012 actual response time performance for all Everett BLS units (fire engines, ladder trucks, and aid units) to all medical calls initially dispatched as emergent, ALS or BLS. Scale is set to 7:30 minutes, which is the combination of Everett’s turnout time benchmark of 2 minutes plus the travel time benchmark of 5:30 minutes. Green areas on the map received BLS unit response times of 7:30 minutes or less 90 percent of the time or better. Response Time: Medic unit to an ALS call This map displays the 2012 actual response time performance of medic units, for all calls initially dispatched as ALS. Scale is set to 10 minutes, which is the combination of Everett’s turnout time benchmark of 2 minutes plus the travel time benchmark of 8 minutes. Green areas on the map received medic unit response times of 10 minutes or less 90 percent of the time or better. Response Time: Special Operations This map displays the 2012 actual response time performance for all units dispatched to calls defined as special operations. Scale is set to 7:30 minutes, which is the combination of Everett’s turnout time benchmark of 2 minutes plus the travel time benchmark of 5:30 minutes. Green areas on the map received response times of 7:30 minutes or less 90 percent of the time or better. Appendix D: Map interpretation