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Springfield Annual Report 2017

The SFD is accredited through CPSE/CFAI

Message from the Chief

Fire Chief David Pennington It is my pleasure to present the Zone’ to target the neighborhoods the Fire Department into under- Fire Department annual report for of highest risk for fire through our served areas of our community. 2017. It was a year of leadership free smoke alarm program, in We are also taking a careful look transition for the SFD, and an addition to growing our partner- inward, beginning the process for active year by the Fire Depart- ship with the Springfield Public agency re-accreditation, evaluat- ment within our community. As a Schools, providing ing all areas of organizational department, there are four organi- education to more students than performance and service delivery. zational priorities that I have ever before. Our Training Divi- established to focus our vision sion continues to provide high- I look forward to all that we will and direction, which are: Commu- quality education and training to accomplish in 2018. It is a privi- nity Risk Reduction, Customer ensure our are pre- lege to serve as your . Service/Community Focus, pared to meet the current response Emergency Preparedness and needs of our community, and the Be safe, 2017 BY THE NUMBERS Response, and Professional needs of the future through the Development and Succession implementation of a system for # Full-time 235 Planning. The SFD is a 235 mem- professional development and ber customer service agency, and succession planning. Employees we are focused on providing exemplary customer service, I am thankful for the support of Total Budget $20.3 directing our efforts in the com- our community with the continua- David Pennington million munity to reduce the risks associ- tion of the level property tax Fire Chief ated with fires and emergencies. which will provide for the needs Total calls 17,592 Our Community Risk Reduction for sustainment of fire apparatus Division launched ‘Project RED and equipment, and for growth of ISO Rating 2

Cost per capita $121.74

Voters approve level property tax

The City of Springfield will • Pay for equipment for fire continue “working as promised” department facilities and thanks to the passage of the 27- employees cent level property tax. On No- vember 7, voters approved the • Repair and upgrade other continuation of the tax which existing fire stations will fund a number of Fire De- partment improvements. These The Level Property Tax gener- include: ates about $8.5 million a year and is used to primarily fund • Build and staff two new fire projects via issuance of debt, stations in west and west- with bonds issued and paid off central Springfield over multiple years. Previously, • Replace two fire stations in the City did not have a funding north and east Springfield source for most of its lifecycle replacement needs.

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Fire Department welcomes new members to command staff On May 26th, David Pennington was sworn is as Chief of the Spring- In October, the Department welcomed Bryan Newberry as Assistant field Fire Department. Chief Pennington replaced David Hall, who Fire Chief of Operations. Prior to coming to Springfield, Chief New- retired from the department in February. berry served as Chief of the Department for the Battlefield Fire Pro- tection District. Chief Newberry served in the Marine A fire chief search commit- Corps, and is currently an officer in the Naval Reserve. He has a grad- tee comprised of City staff, uate degree from Grand Canyon University, and is a graduate of the Liberty Fire Chief Mike Executive Fire Officer Program. Snider and local emergency service agencies highly SFD Battalion Fire Chief, Kevin Trogdon, was promoted to Division recommended Chief Pen- Fire Chief of the Community Risk Reduction Division in September. nington. Pennington first Chief Trogdon has served the City of Springfield since 1996. He has joined the Department in held the ranks of , Equipment Operator, and 1998. He served the Depart- prior to taking command of the 1st Battalion, A-shift, in 2009. ment as a Firefighter, Res- cue Specialist, Company Captain, Fire Captain, Finally, Fire Captains Eric Latimer and Heith Aldridge were promot- and Assistant Chief of Operations prior to his promotion to Fire ed to Battalion Fire Chief. BC Latimer took over command of the 1st Chief. Battalion, A-shift. Prior to his promotion, Chief Latimer served as the Captain of Rescue 1, and as a Team Leader of the Technical Rescue Following his swearing in as Fire Chief, Chief Pennington had the Team. task of filling several key positions within the Department. BC Aldridge is in command of the 8th Battalion, A-shift. Prior to Springfield Fire Department (SFD) Division Fire Chief of Train- his promotion, Chief Aldridge served as the Captain of Truck 8, and ing, Olan Morelan, has been appointed as the Assistant Fire Chief of has served as a member of the Hazardous Materials Team. Support Services. Assistant Chief Morelan has served the City of Springfield since 2002. He has held the ranks of Firefighter, Equip- A formal swearing in and pinning ceremony was held to recognize the ment Operator, and Training Captain prior to taking over the leader- new members of command staff on October 17th. ship of the Training Division in 2016. His appointment was effective Aug. 6, 2017.

From left: Battalion Chief Heith Aldridge, Battalion Chief Eric Latimer, Division Chief Kevin Trogdon, Assistant Chief Bryan Newberry, Assistant Chief Olan Morelan and Fire Chief David Pennington.

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Emergency Preparedness and Response

OPERATIONS BY THE NUMBERS Springfield Fire Department Takes Steps to Reduce Job-related Injuries Each year, Springfield Firefighters perform a phys- by the same task performed under stress and load in # of fire stations 12 ical agility test (PAT) to ensure they can meet the the timed event. physical requirements of the job. Beginning in 2017, instead of solely focusing on meeting the The new process offers feedback to the individual # of line fire 16 requirements of the job description by doing basic firefighter as well as data to identify movement trends, both good and bad. The goals are: companies tasks, they were evaluated on how safely they move during those activities. • Injury reduction and avoidance, resulting in # of line duty 220 longer careers, less time off for injuries and mini- personnel mize impact on personal life; • Safer operations in the field and in life; # of Promotions 30 • Reduce workers’ compensation costs; in 2017 • More efficient use of abilities.

Springfield Firefighters have access to numerous documents, illustrations, and personal training op- The day of the portunities to ensure they are properly prepared before the physical agility test. The Department week with the utilizes PFTs to promote health and safety for all highest call Tasks will still need to be completed within a de- personnel. fined time period, however, peer fitness trainers volume in 2017 (PFTs) are now looking for how the tasks are per- was Friday. formed in a normal practice movement, followed The busiest month of the 6 MINUTES 20 SECONDS year was How long it takes SFD firefighters to arrive at fire scenes, 90% October. of the time. (Time calculated from alarm to arrival.) Tower Provides New Training Opportunities for Firefighters Fire Department Awarded SAFER Grant Construction was completed on a This tower has been designed to be In 2017, the Springfield Fire Department received a new four-story, $600,000 training versatile, with a heavy emphasis on $654,505 federal grant to add seven additional firefight- training tower at the Springfield providing firefighters with the Fire Department Training Annex basic skills they need to serve the ers to the department. located at 3131 S. Clifton. public. The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Re- The training tower will be utilized by various agencies throughout the sponse (SAFER) Program is funded through the Depart- state and region. The Springfield ment on Homeland Security. It provides for salaries and Fire Department has established benefits for the seven positions for three years, with a training partnerships with Missouri local match of 25% in the first two years and 65% in Division of Fire Safety, Ozarks Technical Community College, the third year, totaling $406.856. The total cost of add- University of Missouri Fire and ing the additional firefighters for the three-year period Rescue Training Institute, Greene is $1,061,361. The City expects to retain these positions Country Fire Training Association, at the end of the three-year grant cycle. as well as many individual regional The tower replaces the more than fire departments and police agen- 60-year-old tower at 1201 S. cies. The grant provides the increase in staffing required for Campbell. The new tower features the addition of a new in the West Central The project is funded through the multiple stairwells, a residential City of Springfield's level property area of Springfield. training prop, ventilations props, tax. forcible entry training area, and more.

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In 2017, a was added to the 1st alarm fire response for house and building fires. Adding another unit to the 1st alarm provides more resources on scene to save lives, control damage, improve responder safety and better meet the needs of citizens.

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Community Risk Reduction

Project RED Zone contributes to reduction in home fires CRR BY THE In 2017, firefighters installed their home. The City did, howev- NUMBERS more than 1,000 alarms during er, have one fire-related fatality. RED Zone canvasses of neigh- Tragically, a man died from inju- Fires investigated 209 borhoods including West Cen- ries sustained when gasoline tral, Grant Beach and Rob- fumes ignited at a gas pump In Bomb Calls 80 berson. Crews will begin 2018 in November. In 2016, 5 people In 2017, residential fires, fire- Heart of the Westside and con- died in fires in the City of Plans Reviewed 515 related injuries and fatalities tinue throughout neighborhoods Springfield. The average number fell to a 10-year low in the with a higher than average num- of fire-related fatalities per year Building 1722 City of Springfield. ber of home fires. in Springfield is 3.2. Inspections Free Smoke 2,902 Many factors have contribut- Project RED Zone contributed Along with fire-related injuries ed to the declining numbers, directly to at least 3 saved lives and deaths, nearly every major Alarm Installa- including Project RED Zone. in 2017. In two separate inci- category of home fires were tions dents, 3 occupants were notified down in 2017 compared to 2016. Free Battery 913 Project RED Zone is an ag- of a fire in their homes by the Cooking fires fell nearly 10%, Installations gressive community risk re- sound of a smoke alarm installed but remain the leading cause of duction campaign aimed at by SFD crews during Project home fires in Springfield. Elec- Residential Fire 91 reducing home fires. RED Zone canvasses. trical fires fell 13%. Of all the Safety Surveys major fire types, only careless In April, Springfield fire The program has contributed to smoking and home heating fires 211 crews began canvassing other successes as well. In 2017, posted increases in 2017 over the Training/ neighborhoods with a high there were 218 home fires in Giveaway year prior. Approximately 12% fire risk every Saturday after- Springfield, down from a high of of home fires are caused by care- noon. During these visits, 288 in 2008. There were 12 fire- less smoking. Another 9% are they knocked on doors, related injuries, compared to a caused by home heating. checked smoke alarms and high of 20 in 2009. In 2017, no installed new ones if needed. one died as a result of a fire in In 2017, SFD’s Prevention Division was 3 LIVES SAVED… AND COUNTING formally renamed During Project RED Zone canvasses, Springfield firefighters have visited 6,567 the Community homes, tested 2,121 smoke alarms and installed 1,091 free smoke alarms. Risk Reduction Division.

Project RED Zone was made possible with smoke alarm donations from the American Red Cross, SafeKids Springfield, Creasian Chinese Restaurant and M...WAH (More Wishes and Hugs)

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Each red dot indicates the location of a new smoke alarm in- stall. In 2017, firefighters installed a record number of smoke alarms in Springfield homes.

Springfield’s 5 Fire enforce the city’s fire code along with state and federal laws related to and other fire-related crimes. In 2017, fire marshals cleared 26.5% of arson cases, above the national average of 21%.

Enforcement campaign aims to reduce Firefighters visit record number of students during overcrowding Month Throughout 2017, Springfield fire marshals Springfield worked to reduce the potential effects of over- Fire Depart- The firefighters incorporate hands on crowding. During major events such as pub ment educa- learning to the experience. Young chil- crawls, fire marshals patrolled Springfield enter- tors visited dren learn the basics of knowing the tainment districts, ensuring that bars, nightclubs a record sound of a smoke alarm. By the time and restaurants were not overcapacity. number of children finish the program in 5th During these patrols, fire marshals discovered students grade, they are learning the components another safety concern—loft parties. In numerous during Fire of the and how to use it instances, tenants were hosting parties at their Prevention prevent fires in their homes. lofts, allowing the properties to become tremen- Month in dously overcrowded. In one case, fire marshals October. At the end of the visit, students are in- counted 498 individuals in a loft apartment de- They provided age-appropriate fire vited to turn in a form asking if they signed to hold just 25 people. safety lessons to 12,245 Springfield have smoke alarms and if not, if they’d In all, fire marshals cited 5 individuals for violat- students in more than 400 classrooms like them installed at no charge by ing ordinances related to overcrowding. of 40 schools. Springfield firefighters. Those who turn Overcrowding is to blame for numerous mass in their forms are entered to win a ride casualty incidents in this country and fire mar- The program is made possible with the to school in a fire engine. In November shals hope their proactive approach helps protect help of more than 40 Springfield fire- 12, lucky kids from across the city won Springfield citizens. fighters who volunteer to spend their on this opportunity. -duty days teaching children fire safety. 6

Community Engagement

5 New Join SFD Fleet During 2017, the Springfield Fire Depart- Later in the summer, Rescue 1 joined the ment placed 5 new apparatus into service. fleet and during the fall, Hazmat 12 went Early in the year, Engine 5, 7 and 8 joined into service. the fleet, replacing aging front-line engines. With these new vehicles, the Fire Depart- ment began a new tradition for putting ap- paratus into service known as a “wet down ceremony.” A longstanding tradition in the fire service, the “wet down” is a ceremonial process in which firefighters and communi- ty members officially place into service a new fire apparatus by anointing it with wa- ter sprayed from the retiring unit. and around the station would come out and This ritual dates back to the late 1800’s help wash the engine and the horses. They when horse drawn pumpers were used would then help push the engine back into throughout the nation’s fire service. After the station. being called to duty and extinguishing the After being wet down, community leaders Mayor Ken McClure and Captain Clint Hunt wash flames, firefighters would return to the sta- and neighbors dried the and symboli- Rescue 1 during a traditional ceremony. tion tired and with a dirty fire engine. The cally pushed them back into the station and community that lived in the neighborhood into service.

In November, the Springfield Fire Department partnered with the Springfield Greene County Health Department to promote men’s health.

Fire Department Hosts “Truck or Treat”

In October, the Department part- nered with the City of Springfield Public Information Office and the Springfield Greene County Park- board to host the first ever “Truck or Treat” event. The event was a huge success! More than 2,500 adults and children of all ages attended. In addition to games, food and candy, those who attended could visit one of the 6 fire apparatus on display, see the bomb robot, meet firefighters, bounce in the Logan-Rogersville District’s hazard bounce house, decorate pumpkins, get free Culver’s ice cream and coupons and more.

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Awards and Recognition

Springfield Fire Marshals Receive National Recognition The Springfield Fire over a four-year period. the Center for Public Department is proud to Each course is two weeks in length and an Safety Excellence announce that Fire Mar- Applied Research Project (ARP) must be (CPSE). This interna- shal Bill Spence has completed after each of the four courses. tionally-accepted model graduated from the Na- Fire Spence has served on the recognizes professional tional Fire Academy's Springfield Fire Department for more than accomplishments and (NFA) prestigious Exec- 22 years. He has served as a competence in his field utive Fire Officer Pro- since 2003. of work and exper- gram (EFOP). EFOP tise. FM Basham is in a enhances the profession- Also in 2017, Fire Marshal Ben Basham select group of 130+ al development of students through a se- was professionally credentialed and re- peers across the country. FM Basham has ries of four graduate and upper-division- ceived designation as a Fire Marshal by served on the Department since 1998 and baccalaureate equivalent courses taken has served as a Fire Marshal for 12 years. Chief Pennington accepted into Fire Service Executive Development Institute In November, the International Association of The Fire Service Executive 2017 Retirees Fire Chiefs announced that Chief David Pen- Development Institute is a year nington was accepted into the Fire Service -long leadership-development David Hall Executive Development Institute. Chief Pen- program created and imple- nington competed with new fire chiefs and mented by the IAFC to provide Chief chief officers from across the country to be- new and aspiring chiefs with come a member of the 2018 cohort program. the tools they need to have successful and Randy Villines Along with being accepted into the program productive tenures. The members of the co- Assistant Chief Chief Pennington has been awarded a schol- hort will met in December, 2017, for their arship which covers the expenses for attend- first 6 day session. They will meet for 2 other ing the program. He is one of only 20 fire sessions scheduled six months apart. The Bradley Eden chiefs from across the country to be selected group will communicate between sessions Battalion Chief for this program. using an online community.

Kevin Smart 2017 Fire Officer of the Year 2017 Firefighter of the Year Battalion Chief Training Captain Jus- Equipment Operator tin Merritt was named Micah Tannery is Julie Williams Springfield’s Fire Of- 2017’s Firefighter of the Battalion Chief ficer of the Year for Year. Nominated by Lt. 2017. Among one of Kris Tate, EO Tannery Kevin Binam his many duties as is described as having a Fire Marshal training captain is to work attitude that is provide initial training “one that most of us and upgrade training should strive to emu- Gerry Koeneman for all firefighters. He late.” As Air Van Operator, EO Tannery Rescue Specialist is responsible for creating the schedule has demonstrated his dedication to keeping for 34 weeks of fire academy and ad- up with the never-ending task of ensuring vanced academy which involves the Brian Schafer that Springfield Fire Department’s SCBAs Rescue Specialist acquisition of resources, scheduling of are functioning correctly to ensure the safe-

instructors and preparing lesson plans ty of his fellow firefighters. He also and curriculum. In his nomination let- demonstrates his attitude of teamwork reg- James Lane ter, Assistant Chief Olan Morelan ularly. According to Lt. Tate, “we all Engine Operator wrote, “His actions represent the ideal should use him as an example of what work of what a SFD officer should be. His ethic, attitude and professionalism and Bradley Karr example positively sets the stage for most of all what a decent human being is.” new firefighters.” Captain Merritt has Engine Operator EO Tannery has been with the Department been with the Department since 1995. since 2003 and was promoted to his current position in 2015. 8 The SFD is accredited through CPSE/CFAI

Springfield Fire Department’s Mission We are the Springfield Fire Department, a professional organization dedicated to serving our community.

Springfield Fire Department Values:

PROFESSIONALISM

INTEGRITY

COMPASSION

DEDICATION

COURAGE