Division of Fire County of Henrico
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Annual Report 2011/2012 Division of Fire County Of Henrico 1 DIVISION OF FIRE The County of Henrico Division of Fire (Henrico Fire) is an organization of professionals committed to protecting our community. As a metro class department, Henrico Fire serves a community of 245 square miles and a population of more than 300,000 residents and visitors. To accomplish this goal, the Division operates 20 fire stations comprised of: 20 engine companies 14 Advanced Life Support (ALS) medic units 5 ladder truck companies 3 heavy rescue squads During FY 2011/12, the organization responded to more than 40,000 service calls throughout the county—approximately 73% of which were calls for emergency medical services (EMS). To manage this volume, Henrico Fire is staffed by: 517 uniformed personnel All uniformed personnel are certified Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) More than 200 are certified to provide Advanced Life Support (ALS) 21 Civilian Staff support With this staff and equipment, the Division is able to provide the following services: Urban and rural fire services and response, including response to high rise fires. Emergency medical and advanced life support services and transport Specialized teams (HAZMAT, Tech Rescue, Dive/Swift Water) Fire prevention, education and investigations Response and recovery to natural and man‐made disasters Fire and EMS coverage for events such as NASCAR races, outdoor music concerts and sporting activities. We strive to provide all of these services in a professional, innovative and cost‐effective manner. LOCATIONS Henrico Fire operates 20 fire stations throughout Henrico County, managed as three fire battalions. The western battalion serves Tuckahoe and Three Chopt; the northern battalion serves Brookland and part of Fairfield; and the eastern battalion serves the other part of Fairfield and Varina. 2 Western Battalion (yellow) Fire Station #8 – 8000 Patterson Avenue Fire Station #9 – 9401 Quioccasin Road Fire Station #12 – 3803 West End Drive Fire Station #13 – 12491 Church Road Fire Station #16 – 5381 Shady Grove Road Fire Station #17 – 110 N. Gaskins Road Fire Station #22 – 3790 Westerre Parkway Northern Battalion (white) Fire Station #1 – 110 E. Azalea Avenue Fire Station #5 – 6911 Lakeside Avenue Fire Station #7 – 2701 E. Laburnum Avenue Fire Station #10 – 6313 Horsepen Avenue Fire Station #11 – 1754 Hungary Road Fire Station #15 – 3820 Mountain Road Fire Station #21 – 1201 Virginia Center Parkway Eastern Battalion (green) Fire Station #2 – 2400 Darbytown Road Fire Station #3 – 908 E. Nine Mile Road Fire Station #4 – 8112 Strath Road Fire Station #6 – 4600 S. Laburnum Avenue Fire Station #14 – 5210 Technology Boulevard Fire Station #18 – 4410 Darbytown Road 3 Additionally, Henrico Fire has two training facilities. The Public Safety Building (7721 E. Parham Road) is used for Fire and EMS classroom training. The Drill School (10421 Woodman Road) is used for mock training sessions. CONSTRUCTION During FY 2011/12, fire stations 3, 8 and 12 were renovated or rebuilt, and ground was broken for renovations to fire stations 9 and 13. During the construction, personnel continued to respond to emergency calls from each of these stations. FIRE STATION 8 FIRE STATION 9 FIRE STATION 12 FIRE STATION 3 FIRE STATION 13 4 ORGANIZATION Henrico Fire is organized into four major branches: Fire Chief: Emergency Management, Medical Direction Operations: Includes all fire rescue and emergency medical services personnel who operate from the County’s 20 fire stations. Professional Services: Administrative Services, Business Management, Logistics and Personnel & Training. Community Risk Reduction: Planning & Technology, Safety, Code Enforcement, Fire Prevention and Community Services. DIVISION OF FIRE ORGANIZATIONAL CHART Fire Chief Administrative Emergency Assistant Manager Medical Director Assistant Chief Assistant Chief Assistant Chief Community Risk Operations Prof. Services Reduction Battalion Chief of District Chief Business Fire Marshal's EMS Northern District Management Office Battalion One Community EMS Supervisors Logistics Western District Services HR and Battalion Two Professional Planning Eastern District Development Technology 5 FY 2011/12 STATISTICS As an all‐hazards department, Henrico Fire concentrates on the protection of life and property and practices a proactive approach to community preparedness. Service Calls: During the past year, Henrico Fire responded to 40,996 calls for service, of which 73.6% were for emergency medical pre‐hospital care, 2.4% were for fire and 3.4% were for hazardous conditions. Losses: One civilian life was lost, and 43 firefighters sustained injuries. The fire‐dollar loss in Henrico County for FY 2011/12 is estimated to be $8,513,097. EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES (EMS) In addition to fire suppression and prevention, Henrico Fire provides emergency medical services (EMS), both by first‐responding fire engines and other “fire suppression” companies, as well as the traditional transport ambulances or fire medic units. Henrico Fire is proud to be able to offer these services based solely on Henrico Fire’s budget and at no charge to citizens. Approximately 200 of the 517 uniformed personnel are trained and operate at the advanced life support (ALS) level. These EMT‐Intermediates and Paramedics work as delegated agents of Henrico Fire’s medical director to provide care such as cardiac rhythm monitoring, defibrillation and medical administration. All of Henrico Fire’s primary fire apparatus and fire medic ambulances are equipped to provide advanced life support. The department has made a number of improvements to EMS in recent years. During the FY 2011/12, Henrico Fire replaced all of its cardiac monitor/defibrillators with devices designed for the rapid acquisition and interpretation of 12‐lead electrocardiograms, which allows for the rapid identification of a patient having a potential heart attack—or myocardial infarction. Patients that experience full cardiac arrest, where the heart stops pumping blood to the body, also benefit from the following technological improvements: Transmission of information to a receiving hospital to alert their emergency department, cardiac catheterization lab or open‐heart surgery group that a patient is en route. Monitor/defibrillators measure the quality of CPR on a beat‐by‐beat basis and provide instant feedback. Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) medications are administered faster due to the availability of both intravenous and intraosseous vascular access devices. Cardiac‐arrest patients receive therapeutic hypothermia treatment, which is designed to combat the negative effects of oxygen deprivation to the brain during cardiac arrest. The combined impact of these EMS improvements has resulted in a 66% increase in successful cardiac arrest resuscitation. More importantly, patients surviving hospital discharge have increased from 17% in 2007 to 56% in 2011. Report provided by HR & Professional Development Captain Will Aiken 6 40,996 Incidents for FY 2011/2012 Call Types EMS False Alarm Fire Good intent Haz Condition Explosion Service Special 3% 5% 0% 1% 10% 2% 7% 74% Structure Fire FY 11/12 Residential Commercial Storage Special Other 290 22 20 2 Structure Fire EMS Calls Business Inspections FY 08/09 FY 09/10 FY 10/11 FY 11/12 FY 11/12 FY 10/11 FY 09/10 FY 08/09 30,186 29,115 3757 28,028 7380 27,294 6224 6040 EMS calls 7 OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT (OEM) The OEM protects the citizens of Henrico County by promoting awareness and preparing them for emergency situations. OEM works internally and externally to prepare for and manage resources during times of disaster. Additionally, the office organizes numerous public outreach efforts. LargeScale Events: During FY 2011/12, OEM supported operations at two NASCAR race events and provided coordination for several large weather events (snow, wildfires, tornados and an earthquake). The largest large‐scale event was the County’s response to Hurricane Irene in August 2011, which was a multi‐departmental regional response event that resulted in nearly $5.5 million in eligible costs from damage incurred by both County and private facilities and dwellings. These costs have been submitted to FEMA and VDEM for reimbursement. HCCERT: OEM organized four Henrico County Community Emergency Response Team (HCCERT) basic training classes, which provided training to citizens to help them cope in the time period immediately following a disaster, when local public safety resources may be overwhelmed. The program has now grown to 490 Henrico County citizens. HCCERT members learn basic first aid, search and rescue, and fire suppression techniques. Most importantly, HCCERT members learn how to prepare for a disaster long before one occurs. By being prepared and knowing how to respond to a situation, HCCERT members can help family, friends and co‐workers better endure the stresses of a disaster. Other FY 2011/12 public outreach efforts included: Working to improve the amateur radio capability throughout the County by improving availability of equipment and working with several amateur radio groups in the region to provide radio operators during times of emergency. Expanding the Division’s Fire Corps program by enhancing training for CERT personnel in Fire Corps‐related programs and by supporting the youth Explorers program. Additionally, OEM hosted two Citizen Fire Academies through the Fire Corps in 2011. Hosting an independent living facility disaster preparedness