Can An Administration Assignment Be FUN???

ignment?

January 2013 Thoughts from Fire Chief Steven R. Cover Special points of interest:

 2012 Firefighter of the Year I hope all members of the Virginia Beach Fire Department had a great holiday season spending time with family and  New Fire Station 4 Construction friends. As I look back on 2012, I cannot begin to tell all of  Tower and Wind Turbine Rescue you how proud I am of the members of the VBFD. I think, at Training times, we forget to take the time out of our busy schedules  Wildland Urban Interface Group to celebrate the many successes we accomplish throughout (WUIG) the year. I will take some time to hit on a few of the many great things you accomplished last year and we will look for-  Live Incident Report Training ward to a productive 2013.  NFPA 1582 One constant for me, as I reflect back, is how truly honored and privileged I am to be your Fire Chief. It is really hum- Inside this issue: bling to be told time and time again, by people from all over the region, country and the world, what a great department we have. I simply tell all of them it is because of you, the members of the VBFD that this Being a Giant 3 organization thrives. Leadership Excellence 5 In 2012, we responded to both major and minor incidents with a level of professionalism Admin. Assignments 6 that is the envy of the fire service. You also handled every aspect of running and operat- ing a metropolitan fire department with class and integrity that is truly a value to our 2012 Firefighter of the Year 8 community. So, both operationally and administratively, you deliver every time out.

On April 6, 2012, we responded to a major incident involving an F-18 crashing into the New Fire Station 4 9 Mayfair Mews Apartment Complex. This incident highlighted, not only our ability to Battalion 2 10 mitigate a major disaster in our City from an emergency response perspective, but it also highlighted many other aspects of our department. I am very proud of the work Battalion 3 11 our department did during the recovery process. From the initial response package from Battalion 1 to the multiple alarm units that responded, to the called back person- Battalion 4 12 nel, you all hit many curveballs that day. The just-in-time training that occurred with two mock jet crash drills involving the military and supporting agencies and the entire Oceana VFD 15 department going through an in-service on dealing with the pilots and the multiple sys- Research and Analysis 16 tems in these aircraft paid dividends that day. Our Fire Investigations and Inspections staffs assisted in locating the residents early in the incident and worked with the Building Health and Wellness 19 (Continued on page 2)

Office of Emergency Man- 20 agement MISSION STATEMENT The Virginia Beach Fire Department is a customer service organization partnering with communities, members, VBFD’s Newest Member 21 citizens, and visitors to foster the feeling of safety any place, any time, through planning, mitigation, response, and restoration. “ON THE JOB” PagePagePage 2 2 2

(Continued from page 1)

Operations

Official’s Office to get the structures evaluated. Our PIO was truly working for us ensuring the right message got to our citizens and coordinating the many local and national media outlets. Our Resource Management group worked diligently to ensure the humanistic needs of the impacted residents were met. Many of our fire- fighters, including our recruit class, assisted in this effort. The US&R Team provided shelter for the residents and the investigating agencies. The department’s support staff, along with several plans officers, ensured prop- er records were kept to ensure the incident was properly documented. Our Chief Officers stood pat and en- sured we set up operational periods and coordinated operational briefs that included all agencies operating at the scene. The support from every City and State agency involved was tremendous. We certainly would not have had the successful results that we did without them. So this incident was a great example of preparing for and responding to a major incident in our City that will be used to educate many other cities in the future. You all should be very proud!

This department did many other great things in 2012. We recruited, hired, and trained a new class of recruits that are now in the field doing a great job. We took delivery of several new pieces of fire apparatus. We per- formed thousands of building inspections and touched thousands of children and our elderly population in our educational efforts. You installed hundreds of child safety seats. Our CERT program has grown and over 950 people have been through CERT training. Our volunteer contingent continues to support operations and we have hired many of our Support Technicians to be career firefighters. We have done the preliminary planning and acquired land to build two new Fire/EMS stations. Our Emergency Management staff was instrumental in helping the City deal with Hurricane Sandy and they continue to train all City agencies for future events. The FEMA Team was deployed to New Jersey and New York to assist those communities deal with a direct hit from Hurricane Sandy. Our Safety and Wellness Program continues to pay dividends with keeping our people combat ready and returning from and preventing injuries. This keeps costs down for the organization and is a true benefit to our personnel. We have made strides in the area of technology improvements. We are work- ing to improve station alerting and the dispatch process just to name a couple of items. Our Resource Man- agement office continues to ensure proper supplies and materials are secured for us to be able to do our job. Our administrative support staff continues to ensure everything from interacting with the public to payroll to grants to data collection and human resource issues are handled properly. Finally, we delivered service 38,915 times in 2012, providing professional, competent, and caring emergency services to our public.

As we look ahead to 2013, we will continue to deliver service in all of the areas I mentioned and we will im- prove. We will graduate another recruit class, secure more fire apparatus, complete two stations, continue to ensure the public is educated and trained on fire safety, just to name a few. Many of you will be involved in committees, work groups, and projects in order to improve our fire service. We will continue to deliver the absolute best emergency services that we can. We will continue to train in all areas to improve our capabili- ties. We will be as safe and fit as we can be. We will work to be more tolerant of each other and the public we service. And we will utilize our resources to the best of our ability.

I wish you all a safe, happy, and productive new year!

“ON THE JOB” Page 3 Operations - Deputy Chief William R. “Randy” Journigan, Sr.

Random Thoughts from Chief “J” Being a Giant…

Don’t let the title fool you. I am not talking about any sports team. Nor am I talking about the phys- ical height of anyone. I want to discuss being a giant in the fire service and what that means to us. John of Salisbury, a 12th century theologian and author, once said, “We are like dwarfs standing on the shoulders of giants. We see more… than they did, not because our sight is superior or because we are taller than they, but because they raise us up, and by their great stature add to ours.”

Peter Van Dorpe, of the Chicago Fire Department, based his keynote message at last year’s Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) on the above quote. While his message highlighted the awesome responsibility that fire service instructors have in building the foundation of the fire service, I want to expand the theme towards our leaders, role models, and mentors that advocated for the new techniques and ideas that have helped the fire service grow to what it is to- day. These giants always wanted to “leave the job a little better for the next guy.”

Van Dorpe spoke about the need for “leaders” to become giants among men in the fire service. He defined a fire service giant as someone who works feverishly to better the fire service and making it a safer environment in which to work. He went on to describe the firefighters of the 60s and 70s as “The Greatest Generation” and what they did for the fire service was analogous to the generation that suffered through the depression and went on to fight World War II. In that context, each of us are chal- lenged to build on the foundation of success from the past leadership and leave it better for the new generation in front of us.

As fire service leaders, we must never lose sight of the foundation built by those who have already paid their dues. We must respect and pay our debt of gratitude to those who have made the fire service, and this organization, what it is today by having the same strength, courage, and devotion to duty in our efforts to build the fire service for the future. This includes preparing the next generation to replace us. Remember, no matter how much the “newbie” annoys us, don’t lose sight of what brought them to this organization. The newer members want to be like the “giants” among them and build upon their mentor’s leader- ship as they develop their own. The old dogs embraced us when they were certain we were useless, yet they made us what we are today. It’s now our turn to embrace the young firefighters and mentor them so they are ready to take our place when it’s time…which will happen.

The VBFD has had, and still does have, giants among us. There are many names that come to my mind as I reflect back through the years. One worth mentioning is Chief Harry E. Diezel, our out-going Councilman, who came to this department and cata- pulted its stature as one of the best departments in the nation. He gave us the opportunity to look outside the department, rather than in it, to learn how best for it to grow. The department’s growth was borne by members working on NFPA com- mittees, developing regional, state, and national partnerships, which developed into the special operation teams we have today, and developing instructional techniques used throughout the fire service.

You do not have to be the Chief of the department to be a giant in the fire service. We have Firefighters, Captains, and Chiefs who contribute to this organization in a huge way. It’s easy to look around and see who is making a difference. You do not have to be on the national forefront to make that difference. For me, being a giant in our department is teaching the newer members our craft and watching them take it to the next level.

So, what can you do? If you truly want to respect what the senior members have given you, then become a giant yourself and lift the next generation of firefighters so they can see more than you do. Think about the giants that lifted you up to prepare you for where you are today. Remember, if they fail to meet our expectations then it’s on us, as we have failed them.

I am glad to say that I had many giants lift me up when they should have discarded me along the way. I will be forever indebted to them for where I am today and can only hope that I have built upon their foundations for the next generation of fire service leaders. “ON THE JOB” Page 4 Leadership Excellence

Submitted by District Chief David W. Hutcheson

“Some think of leadership as taking charge, bossing people around, and intimidat- ing others to get things done. Well, it’s true, leadership involves giving orders and holding people accountable, but there’s a lot more to leadership than being “the boss”. (Pat Williams)

The Senior Staff attends a local leadership series once a month in an effort to become better leaders and I would like to share some nuggets with you. Pat Williams, Senior Vice President of the NBA’s Orlando Magic, was named one of the 50 most influential people in NBA history and spoke at the leadership series in April 2012. Pat’s primary philosophy encompasses seven principles to be an outstanding leader: Vision, Communication, People Skills, Character, Competence, Boldness, and a Serving Heart.

I strongly believe that Mr. Williams was on to something with his leadership philosophy. I believe that, as a department, if the Firefighter to the Fire Chief follows these principles, we will continue on a strong path towards greatness. I know there are those of you among us who don’t believe this, and for that, I am sorry. I have been fortunate to work and attend classes with Firefighters and Chief Officers from around the country and, without a shadow of a doubt, I am convinced that we set the bar very high. Are we perfect? No. Do we succeed every day? No! Do the wheels of a department our size turn slower than we like? Most definitely! For a year now, I have had the opportunity to sit at the Senior Staff table where every day we strive to embody the seven principles outlined by Mr. Williams.

The principle of having a serving heart speaks to me the loudest. I believe whether we are serving our citizens, our shift mates, our subordinates, or our supervisors, we are a better person, company, and department by doing so. President Kennedy said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” For the VBFD, this means the citizens, the department, the company, and then the individual. We must remember to strive every day to lead in this manner.

Some examples I have witnessed over the course of my career embody the spirit of a serving heart. Af- ter any working fire, from the Fire Company to the Fire Chief, we are committed to assisting the occu- pant whether it is getting car keys, meds, the Red Cross, or their loved one’s urn. The effort put in to collect money for MDA allows the IAFF to be the largest donor, by a wide margin, to “Jerry’s Kids.” I have seen and heard several companies drilling with fire problems to prepare our Master Firefighters and Captains for the upcoming promotional processes. Lastly, the re-furbishing of a fellow firefighter’s house, and the building of a ramp for one of our co-worker’s physically challenged child are definitely examples of leading with a serving heart.

If any of you would like to read Leadership Excellence or talk more in depth about the subject, feel free to contact me. Serve on! “ON THE JOB” Page 5 Page 5 Can An Administration Assignment Be FUN???

Submitted by Battalion Chief Timothy “Tim” J. Riley

For the first 24 years of my career, I asked myself, how “Could an Administrative as- signment be fun and why would any Firefighter EVER what to take on such an assign- ment? I am here to say that it can be as much fun as any fire station and here’s how. First of all, the entire fire service can be summed up in a simple verse, “It’s the same circus…just different clowns.”

I believe the biggest strength of the fire service is team work. The truth be told, there isn’t much dif- ference between A, B, or C Shift and there isn’t a big difference between the team that works in Admin- istration. We all have Type A personalities, we all want to kill and eat everything in sight, and we all wear our emotions on our sleeves. Some of us yearn for individual attention, some to stir the pot, some to be leaders, and others will be the followers. To make the best team, you need to focus on similari- ties…not the differences of the team. Oh, I can hear it now, Riley done drank the cool-aid, but the truth is, I made it and so did you.

I have viewed my assignment in Fire Administration as being the kidney of the organization: our leader- ship team as the brains, our Training staff as the heart, Operations as the skin, and the skeletal frame sup- porting the entire operation is the VBFD. Together, we make a healthy organizational team that is de- pendent upon each other to maintain good health and happiness…hemostasis to put it in medical terms.

I have learned that I will be released back to operations in March, so this will be my last newsletter as the PIO. It has been an honor working for and with you!

Over the past four years, I have had the privilege to market the great things that we do every day. The following are some of the major highlights that the VBFD was directly involved with over the past four years: 1) Preventing the Landstown High School Massacre (this was the real deal); 2) Acknowledging Cap- tain Reynolds and Master Firefighter Scott with the Highest Public Safety Award in the Commonwealth of Virginia (these two heroes truly went above and beyond and were supported by an awesome B-Shift team on Jeannie Street); 3) Virginia Task Force 2’s response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake and the astounding rescues that took place; 4) The Chesapeake Bay boat propeller accident (this scenario didn’t exist in the training manuals, it was the ingenuity of our members that made this a successful outcome); 5) The United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU) from Dam Neck entrusted their entire security to the City of Virginia Beach and the FBI during a ceremony held at the Virginia Beach Convention Center to honor the loss of their fallen comrades who died when their helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan (this wasn’t a widely publicized event, but I ensure you it was a very powerful event with the number of military members who were present to mourn and honor their fallen buddies); and 6) The 2012 F-18 jet crash (watching the entire City come together as a team and experiencing the strengthening of the relationship between the City of Virginia Beach and Naval Air Station Oceana was truly impressive). None of these incidents were handled by one person, it was the efforts of the entire VBFD that made the outcome of these events successful, from Resource Management buying the best gear, to the Training Staff, Supervisors, and the dedicated Firefighters striving to be the best they can be…it has been truly an honor to watch…I simply told the stories.

(Continued on page 6) “ON THE JOB” Page 6 Page 6

(Continued from page 5)

Of course, that’s where the fun started. I always viewed myself as being a functional illiterate…key word being functional. Although I may have experienced some minor hiccups along the way, like the one head- line that read, “Boating Safety Tips for the Atlantic Ocean “Stripper” Fishing Season.” Who knew that “Striper” only had one “P”? Then there was the National Media, sticking a microphone in my face for the tenth time, wanting an update on the F-18 crash and I provided a sound bite of, “I am happy to report there is nothing to be reported.” What more can I say…it can be fun. I have always strived for excellence, not perfection, as I believe this is a key indicator of a good Firefighter.

So, for those of you who have thought about a tour in Fire Administration, here are a few pointers: stay proficient and competent with your firefighting skills and stay abreast of the fire service as a whole, not just with what’s going at your shift or station. Most importantly, focus on the team, have fun, and only worry about those outcomes that you directly control.

Starting in March, I’ll be “Your” Battalion Chief, working for “You.” See you soon!

One last bit of information...the Monster Fire Truck (MFT) is back in-service after having its natural gas system replaced due to its age. Tidewater Fiber Corporation (TFC), the green recycle garbage trucks, partnered with the VBFD and provided the necessary repairs to the MFT’s natural gas system. The VBFD is truly grateful to TFC for getting the Monster Fire Truck back in-service.

“ON THE JOB” Page 7 2012 Firefighter of the Year Submitted by Battalion Chief Timothy “Tim” J. Riley, Fire Administration

On October 3, 2012, the Virginia Beach Fire Department selected Captain Daniel (Dan) W. Fentress as the 2012 Virginia Beach Fire Department’s Firefighter of the Year. The Firefighter of the Year is chosen by a review board made up of a peer review board who reviews the criteria and peer nominations submitted by coworkers within the department. The Fire Chief then endorses the nomination. Most firefighters feel this is one of the highest awards that you can receive in the Fire Department, as it comes from the recognition of your colleagues. Captain Dan Fentress had been nominated by his supervisor and the following is a syn- opsis of his nomination:

Captain Fentress joined the Virginia Beach Fire Department on July 16, 1973. He was promoted to Captain in 1977 and has been a dynamic leader ever since. He is currently assigned to Ladder 21. In addition to his fire duties, Dan also serves as a leader with the Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS). As part of the MMRS, Captain Fentress’ responsibilities include training and making sure that the equipment inventory is in a state of constant operational readiness.

Captain Fentress has the exclusive title of being “Senior Man,” one of the most respected titles in the fire service, which is given to the employee with the longest tenure in the Fire Department…Dan has set the standards for this title. He still displays the enthusiasm of a recruit firefighter and has maintained his physi- cal fitness standards to the highest level for his age group in the Fire Department. Moreover, Captain Fen- tress is a regular author for the Fire Department’s quarterly newsletter. In his column entitled, “A Senior Moment with the Senior Man,” Dan shares insight on the department’s history and correlates these lessons to today’s practices. The Senior Man’s messages are very well received by the younger firefighters.

Dan is a mentor to the younger firefighters. He has participated as an Assistant Fire Instructor at the Fire Academy and shares his vast knowledge with the junior firefighters. Dan has the respect of his co-workers and subordinates. He treats the public and the patients that he responds to with compassion and respect. On some response calls, Dan has even taken the time to pray with family members, if the people are recep- tive to prayer.

Captain Fentress is very much respected in the Pungo community, of which he has been a lifelong resident. He has been married to his wonderful wife, Pam, for 38 years and they have two children and two grand- children. His son, Joshua, is a Firefighter/Paramedic with the Fire Department and his daughter is a nurse at the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk.

Fire Chief Cover, Captain Fentress, and Anita Gambill from Stihl “ON THE JOB” - Battalion 2 Page 8 Company 4 — New Fire Station Construction

Photos submitted by Captain Wayne R. Black, E4/B

In October 2012, construction began on the new Chesapeake Beach Fire and EMS Station. The new station will replace the current station that is a 9,760 square foot facility, built in 1963, and is volunteer owned. The new station will be approximately 14,000 square feet with three apparatus bays, and should be completed in the summer of 2013.

The station is being built at the intersection of Shore Drive and Greenwell Road. The building construction will have a geothermal heat pump system, designed to withstand Category 2 hurricane force winds, and will have an emergency generator to fully power the building in case the electrical power is disrupted.

Photos taken January 24, 2013 “ON THE JOB” - Battalion 2 Page 9 Company 1/B Shift Clearing a Hydrant and Wrestling an Alligator

Submitted by Captain Robert “Rob” K. Darling, E1/B

The members of Company 1/B Shift needed to clear a fire hydrant and had to wrestle an alligator in order to get the job done. We almost had to call Animal control for the alligator, who was lurking around. However, Master Firefighter Thompson went above and beyond to control the beast while Master Firefighter Wheatley dug out the hydrant.

Alligator

Master Firefighter Michael S. “Scott” Thompson with alligator.

New Addition to Company 2/A’s Family

Submitted by Captain Ray D. Irizarry, L2/A

We are pleased to announce that Firefighter Marquel R. Davis and his wife have a new family member to start the 2013 New Year.

Tye Miguel Davis arrived at 0407 hours on January 15, 2013, checking in at 8 pounds, 9 ounces, and 21 3/4 inches. Mama and baby are happy and healthy. Congratulations to the happy family.

Rumor has it that Tye is already a better athlete than Dad...not confirmed, yet! “ON THE JOB” - Battalion 3 Page 10

Tower and Wind Turbine Rescue Training Boat Truc k 1 Submitted by Master Firefighter Sean A. Betts, 10S/B

Approximately one year ago, four VBFD Technical Rescue Team members: Cap- tain J. Rigolo, Master Firefighter M. Kaliher, Master Firefighter S. Hall, and Master Firefighter M. Hopkins, attended a seven-day school in Maryland, under the in- struction of Reed Thorne, Owner and Senior Instructor for Ropes that Rescue. The four members, after attending the school, were tasked with coordinating and delivering the same quality of training that they had received to the rest of the team. The need for this type of training surfaced some years ago, but was not pursued due to budgetary constraints. How- ever, Battalion Chief Funaiock was able to make the training possible by utilizing an existing grant to fund the training and other associated expenses.

During the month of January, members of the VBFD Technical Rescue Team participated in a four-day Tower Wind Turbine Rescue training event. The training was delivered over a period of four days that consisted of an all-day lecture on various topics related to the “vertical realm” and three days of practi- cal evolutions. The practical evolutions were conducted at different locations each day. The first prac- tical was held at NAS Oceana on a low level radio tower, which allowed time for students to familiar- ize themselves with the new practices and equipment that had been introduced to them during the day of lecture. The second practical day was spent at the 250’ Plaza Radio Tower located behind Company 16, which provided the students with an opportunity to practice the skills that they learned previously while having the added stress of working from an elevated point. The third and final day was spent at the Dominion Virginia Power Training Center located in Chester, Virginia. The Dominion Virginia Power Training Center is a great facility with numerous structural towers perfect for conducting a wide range of scenarios. The instructors ran students through a series of scenarios that encompassed everything that they had learned on the previous days.

Although the training broadened our operational capabilities, it has also certainly added more responsibilities. It has become apparent to all members of the VBFD Technical Rescue Team, having gone through this training, the importance of commit- ting to continually reviewing and practicing this new and per- ishable skill. Needless to say, everyone enjoyed the training and had a great time!

Captain Michael T. Wood

Company 10 Members “ON THE JOB” - Battalion 4 Page 11 What is the Wildland Urban Interface Group (WUIG)

Submitted by Battalion Chief William S. Skelaney, 4/B

Sometime in July, I was sitting in the conference room at the District Chiefs Office, minding my own business, when at that time, Acting Dis- trict Chief Funaiock burst into the room, with a big grin on his face, saying, “congratulations, your name came up to head the new Wildland Urban Interface Group.” Stunned, I asked what the Wildland Urban Interface Group was and he told me that it was a project Retired Bat- talion Chief Poulin had been working on several years ago that was never completed. Apparently, our department had applied for a grant from the Virginia Department of Forestry to obtain brush fire equipment, but was denied because we only had a few documented “woods” fires to our credit...I emphasize “woods” and I will explain later.

Here’s the 411 on the Wildland Urban Interface Group. The group was formed utilizing the personnel who had originally assisted with Retired Battalion Chief Poulin’s work group. The group’s first tasks were to establish a working relationship between the Virginia Beach Fire Department and the Department of Forestry, to develop a program to improve our reporting in NFIRS, and to increase our training levels with a relatively obscure part of our jobs...brush/woods/wildland fires.

The Wildland Urban Interface Group (WUIG), as we have dubbed it, met for the first time last month, with rep- resentatives from the Department of Forestry at Company 21. It was a good meeting with a whole lot of issues being identified; however, the most important piece of the puzzle to success is improving the way we report fires in NFIRS. The biggest paradigm shift for you will be the terminology. The Department of Forestry reports all “woods” fires in the state, and a “woods” fire by their definition is 80 “stems” per acre. A stem being a tree, dead or alive, that can be as small as a seedling or as big as a redwood tree. It does NOT include grass marsh, bushes, or mulch. In NFIRS, “woods” fires are coded as 141. Almost everyone I have talked to refers to “woods” fires as “brush” fires and; therefore, they are reported in NFIRS as such. You can see the situation we have...our reporting needs to be changed! The big question we will be asked is, “how do I know if there are 80 stems per acre?” The answer to that question will be left up to the Officer-in-Charge to determine if the affect- ed area involved a stem or not and how many. Just picture the fire you just had as an acre and determine whether or not it would meet the 80 stem rule. Nobody will be checking behind you to count stems...use your best judgment. Most areas along streets, such as Dam Neck Road are “woods”...most of the “brush” fires that we get calls on are actually “woods” fires.

In addition to NFIRS, whenever we have a “woods” fire of any size, the Department of Forestry wants to be ad- vised so they can include it in their reporting system. This can be accomplished after the call by calling the De- partment of Forestry representatives directly. The phone numbers were recently sent out to the field and should be available to everyone. However, I have included the phone numbers below in case you didn’t receive them. Please look forward to more information on this topic in the coming months that will include more NFIRS items, training opportunities, and the possible purchase of modern wildland firefighting equipment. Please feel free to contact me, or any of the members listed below, if you would like more information on our mission:

Battalion Chief W. Skelaney, Battalion 4/B Captain W. Duncan, Company 5/B Captain G. Umphlett, Company 20/B Captain J. Branch, Company 6/B Master Firefighter R. Davis, Company 13/B Firefighter K. Klatt, Company 17/B Donnie Davis, Department of Forestry, 757-787-5812 Rob Lewis, Department of Forestry, 757-710-8128 “ON THE JOB” - Battalion 4 Page 12

A Senior Moment with the Senior Man

Submitted by Captain Daniel “Dan” W. Fentress, L21/A

I was doing some reminiscing the other day…as I often do. I began to think of the Fire Chiefs that the City of Virginia Beach has had over its history. Then it hit me that I have worked for all four of the Fire Chiefs during my career...Chief Bayne, Chief Diezel, Chief Cade, and Chief Cover.

Chief Bayne was the City’s first Fire Chief. He was a very strong and tradi- tional Fire Chief who began building the department from the Town of Virginia Beach to the City of Virginia Beach. He will always have a special place in my heart and chest. First, in my heart for hiring me and then my chest, because he hit me in the chest for doing something wrong and boy, I didn’t do that again.

Next up was Chief Diezel. He was the first Chief to be hired outside of the department. Chief Diezel came from Fairfax, Virginia, and is the one who got us all to start thinking outside of the box, without losing our tra- ditions from the past. For me and a lot of the older guys, we kind of grew up with Chief Diezel. In many ways, I believe he started us on the path to the future. After a long career of moving the department forward, Chief Diezel retired and Chief Cade was next up from Hampton, Virginia.

Chief Cade continued us moving forward with the growth of the City and the many changes we were going through. It didn’t seem very long after he was here that he moved on to be the Fire Chief for President Bush, which was quite a big promotion for Chief Cade.

Next up is Chief Cover…our present Fire Chief. Like Chief Bayne, Chief Cover has risen up through all the ranks to be our Fire Chief. Chief Cover brings his own style of leadership from the many years of coming up through the ranks and seeing the City go through additional growth and change. For me, it has been quite an experience to have witnessed all four Fire Chiefs’ leadership styles and how they each have helped to form the Virginia Beach Fire Department into what it is today. Each Chief wanted our department to look and operate in a very professional manner, while taking care of the citizens who call for help.

From a small department in the early years to a large department today, I believe we sometimes forget what it takes to be the Fire Chief of this City. They are the ones who have to deal with City Hall and all that it brings, such as budgets, state and federal laws, and the list seems to go on and on. They are also the ones who have to plan for the department’s future and determine how to get us there. I know that each one has a lot of help from the Deputy Chiefs, District Chiefs, and staff members, but still, at the end of the day, the Fire Chief has the responsibility for the whole ball of wax, as they say. So the next time you get a little ruffled about some- thing that the Fire Chief wants to implement for the department, which could be anything from how we look to how we do the business of the business, take a breath and remember the Chief has earned certain respect and privileges with the position of Chief. We all might not always agree with everything that comes down from the Chief, which is not a bad thing…just remember when it is all said and done, he is the boss. From the Senior Man, a little common sense goes a long way. “ON THE JOB” - Battalion 4 Page 13

Engine 21/A Activities Submitted by Captain Jonathan T. McIvor, E21/A

Things have been moving along for Engine 21, A Shift, this quarter with a small variety of fires to keep things interesting.

Early in the quarter, on October 17, Company 21 had a small commercial fire in a HVAC unit on the roof of St. John the Apostle Catholic Church, where the fire was contained to the area of origin.

In mid-November, Engine 21 was dispatched to a fully involved vehicle fire on London Bridge Road. The owner stopped and abandoned the vehicle, as it caught fire while being driven, and was able to escape with no injuries. Engine 21 arrived to find both the Police Department and EMS 5 on the scene blocking traffic, which greatly helped with firefighting operations.

In December, Engine 21 was called to assist Company 17 with a brush fire in the Back Bay area. The fire burned several acres in very hard to reach parts of the marsh. Firefighting had to be done on foot or with the use of some ATVs that neighbors brought in to help. Senior Man, Captain Dan Fentress, once again, showed his exceptional endurance by covering lots of ground through knee deep mud. Once it was determined that it was not a threat to any homes, the fire was left to burn. Captain Dan Fentress and Captain Jonathan McIvor

Caution on the roadways! Company 21 released two new drivers this quarter...Firefighters Miller and Beaumont. Firefighter Miller successfully completed DPO, and in Beaumont’s case, he brought his prior experience from another department.

Nimmo Parkway Project

Submitted by Firefighter Jeffrey R. Rusak, L21/B

The City is making progress on the Nimmo Parkway Project. They are cur- rently working to connect Nimmo Parkway to Princess Anne Road by the Courthouse. Once open, this will allow Company 21 faster response times to their first and second due areas. Predictions on finishing the road are still estimated at around mid-2014. Several bridges are being built through some of the marsh areas, which will take up a good portion of the construction time.

New Addition to 21/C’s Family

Firefighter Kevin Raftery, E21/C, and his wife, Meghan, welcomed their new baby boy, Jude, on November 6, 2012. “ON THE JOB” - Oceana VFD Page 14 Oceana Volunteer Fire Department and Company 8/A Christmas Gift Deliveries

Submitted by Volunteer Battalion Chief Wayne F. Richardson, Company 8

Members of the Oceana Volunteer Fire Department and the “A” Shift career crew members of Company 8 delivered Christmas gifts and food cards to two deserving families this past December to help brighten the holiday season for six smiling chil- dren. Thanks to the “purchasing expertise” of David Burket and Kelli Barnhart, the two families received gifts that included bicycles, doll sets, motorized toys, and the always desired video games, as well as food cards to local grocery stores to help in providing a whole- some Christmas dinner. This is the fifth year that the Oceana Volunteer Fire Department has spon- sored deserving families at Christmas time and plans are already underway to repeat their efforts dur- ing next year’s holiday season.

The Arrival Santa’s Helpers

A Helmet for Me! An Anxious Family “ON THE JOB” - Research and Analysis PagePage 15 15 Live Incident Report Training Submitted by Cathy Morse, Fire Administration

On January 9, 10, and 11, 2013, the world of Incident Reporting embarked into new territory for our department by conducting interactive, live broad- casted training over the internet. District Chief Vance Cooper and Cathy Morse went “back to the basics” on incident reporting, covering the unit report and basic report in RedNMX in a live broadcast over a three-day period to cover all three shifts. Viewers were able to send in questions or comments using Microsoft Lync messaging or Microsoft Outlook email. Many questions and comments were received and addressed live during the broadcast. Also, many ques- tions continued to be received by email even after the broadcast concluded. Many commented on how crews were able discuss topics being addressed without disrupting the training as would have happened in a classroom environment. Others commented on the ability to stay in-service and the ability to ask questions and receive answers without ever having to leave the station. Over the three-day period, we averaged 55 views for each day, so it was very encouraging to know we had an audience. All three broadcasts and their answers will be published along with the recorded broadcasts. An email will be sent to let you know where to locate the document and the recordings. Chief Cooper and Cathy plan to continue training in this format every other month, on the second Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, to accommodate all three shifts. The next broadcasts for incident report training are scheduled for March 13, 14, and 15. Cathy will send out a reminder email along with the link to view the site. Please be sure to mark it on your calendar and remember to tune in! We appreciate all the feedback that we have received and encourage everyone to continue to provide input on how we can continue to successfully utilize this type of training – what would make it more conducive to receive this training at the station, did you have any problems with the video buffering, how was the audio, how was the resolution, was the level of the content too remedial or too advanced, do you have suggestions of what topics you would like to see covered? Please do not hesitate to con- tact the following and send them your feedback:

Questions on Content or Training Topics Cathy Morse [email protected] or 385-8586

Audio, Video, and Broadcast Issues Bob Anderson [email protected] or 385-2886

Station Viewing and Station Connectivity Issues Captain Steve Adams [email protected] or 385-8577

Master Firefighter Darrell Denton [email protected] or 385-1145

“ON THE JOB” - Research and Analysis Page 16

Submitted by Cathy Morse

TOTAL RUNS BY UNIT (Primary and Assists) Calendar Year 2012 Unit Fire Incidents EMS Incidents Other Incidents TOTALS

100 Series 300-343, 661 All Other Codes

Battalion 1 160 144 1,027 1,331 Battalion 2 196 130 1,114 1,440 Battalion 3 260 121 882 1,263 Battalion 4 83 66 364 513 Battalion 5 2 1 6 9 Battalion 7 5 0 3 8 Battalion 8 5 0 2 7 Battalion 9 8 1 7 16 Battalion 10 5 2 0 7 Battalion 11 1 0 0 1 Battalion 12 8 3 2 13 Battalion 13 1 0 3 4 Battalion 14 9 0 2 11 Engine 1 68 725 596 1,389 Engine 2 189 2,189 1,310 3,688 Engine 3 171 998 661 1,830 Engine 4 87 813 661 1,561 Engine 5 106 771 606 1,483 Engine 6 25 207 85 317 Engine 7 205 1,461 965 2,631 Engine 8 141 1,898 1,112 3,151 Engine 9 255 1,978 1,311 3,544 Engine 10 136 1,902 891 2,929 Engine 11 173 2,016 1,280 3,469 Engine 12 109 869 828 1,806 Engine 13 24 129 68 221 Engine 14 160 1,544 1,043 2,747 Engine 16 236 2,040 985 3,261 Engine 17 23 168 163 354 Engine 18 210 1,981 1,079 3,270 Engine 19 163 1,450 1,239 2,852 Engine 20 84 558 395 1,037 Engine 21 138 984 817 1,939 Engine 31 1 3 7 11 Engine 33 4 17 26 47 Engine 34 0 2 2 4 Engine 35 4 12 10 26

Continued on Page 17 “ON THEResearch JOB” - and Research Analysis and Analysis Page 17

Continued from Page 16 Submitted by Cathy Morse

TOTAL RUNS BY UNIT (Primary and Assists) - Continued Calendar 2012 Unit Fire Incidents EMS Incidents Other Incidents TOTALS

100 Series 300-343, 661 All Other Codes

Engine 36 5 0 1 6 Engine 38 2 8 9 19 Engine 39 1 0 1 2 Fire Squad 3 222 284 596 1,102 Fire Squad 10 187 414 554 1,155 Ladder 1 41 141 303 485 Ladder 2 126 531 896 1,553 Ladder 8 126 457 825 1,408 Ladder 9 232 484 998 1,714 Ladder 11 96 217 654 967 Ladder 16 215 573 803 1,591 Ladder 21 88 264 568 920 Tanker 5 33 23 70 126 Tanker 6 33 7 56 96 Fire Boat 1 3 50 39 92 Fire Boat 6 1 11 14 26 Fire Boat 12 3 61 70 134 Boat Truck 1 2 25 26 53 Boat Truck 2 0 3 3 6 Boat Truck 6 1 2 2 5 Zodiac 1 1 30 32 63 Zodiac 2 0 3 3 6 Zodiac 3 0 1 2 3 Brush 2 4 0 1 5 Brush 5 9 0 4 13 Brush 6 8 2 10 20 Brush 8 7 1 9 17 Brush 9 2 1 1 4 Brush 12 2 0 9 11 Brush 13 11 0 4 15 Brush 17 1 0 10 11 Brush 19 4 0 2 6 Utility 8 0 1 1 2 Utility 16 0 1 2 3 Haz 1 1 1 13 15 Tech 1 0 10 8 18 Safety 1 127 239 94 460 Support 8 77 3 20 100 TOTALS 5,126 29,031 26,265 60,422 “ON THE JOB” - Health and Wellness Page 18 Health and Wellness Submitted by Herb West, Wellness Coordinator

Welcome to the New Year!

I do not have an article for this quarter; however, I would like to get some year end and year beginning business covered. First, I want to congratulate our 2012 VBFD Fitness Members. These are the firefighters who scored above the 80 per- centile on their Fitness Assessment. This is no easy accomplishment since only 14 out of 390 participants accomplished this feat. Please join me in congratulating the following members: Paul Cifelli Eric Collins Derek Eason William Reynolds Allen Weddle James Ramsey Mattnew Gifford Bryce Sparks Craig Brown Mihail Karlov Adam Hodge Brian Ashbury Timothy Byrne Christine Barakey NFPA 1582 With the New Year, we have some new sections of NFPA 1582 to deal with in regard to our Fitness As- sessment. According to section 8.2.2.1.2, firefighters who score below 42 ml/kg/min or 12 METs shall be counseled to improve his/her fitness. According to section 8.2.2.1.3, any firefighter below 28 ml/kg/min or 8 METs will be considered for limited duty and prescribed an aerobic program until they improve to the 8 MET level. What this means in simple terms is: if you get below 12 METs on your treadmill test, you will receive counseling and an invitation to meet with the Fitness Coordinator to develop a program to improve your fitness. If you get below 8 METs, the Occupational Health Doctor will be provided your test results and he will determine your fit-for-duty status. You will be put on a program to improve your cardiovascular fitness and will participate in this program until your treadmill results are 8 METs or above. These new sec- tions were created to improve our cardiovascular fitness and to lower the 45% of job deaths due to cardio- vascular disease in firefighters.

Congratulations to the following members who ran the Surf-n-Santa 10 Miler and 5K on December 8: Kirk Kellerhals (10 Miler) Justin Moss (10 Miler) Eric Alger (10 Miler) Chris Kahler (5K) Shannon Ratte (5K) Bill Joyner and Wife (5K)

Congratulations, also, to George Woodruff who ran the Christmas Town Dash 8K at Busch Gardens on De- cember 2.

Have a happy, fit, and healthyNew Year? “ON THE JOB” - OEM Page 19 Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Submitted by Erin Sutton, OEM

“NOR’EASTERCANE” SANDY 2012

On Monday, October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy made landfall near Atlantic City, New Jersey, pushing a massive storm surge and sustained winds up to 75 miles per hour. The National Hurricane Center downgraded Sandy to a post-tropical cyclone shortly after landfall. Sandy caused storm surge, record flooding, and wind damage. Nine days after the storm, a large nor’easter caused massive snowfall from Mary- land to Tennessee, which undermined response operations in the dis- aster-impacted areas. As a result of these events, millions of people were left without power and hundreds were displaced along the East Coast from North Carolina to Maine. New York and New Jersey, two of the most populated states in the nation, were particularly im- pacted by the storm.

On December 7, 2012, The White House sent a request to Congress for $60.4 billion in Federal resources for response, recovery, and miti- gation operations related to Hurricane Sandy damage in all affected States. This included efforts to repair damage to homes and public infrastructure, and to help affected com- munities prepare for future storms. *Contributed from LLIS.gov Nov/Dec 2012 newsletter

FLOOD CLAIMS AND GRANT INFORMATION

The OEM is currently in the middle of a FEMA Severe Repetitive Loss (SRL) Grant. We have nine properties that we are elevating in the City’s flood prone areas. The City has not been notified by FEMA when the next FEMA SRL funding window will open, but anticipate it will be in the early spring. FEMA has informed us that this new window will initiate a program that is more streamlined and focused on mitigating as many flood prone structures as possible, including Repetitive Loss properties. If you are interested in these programs or know someone who is interested, I encourage you to communicate your interest to the City of Virginia Beach Office of Emergen- cy Management (OEM). The OEM will be working on a tentative application for the SRL Program and will be communicating with the homeowners who have spoken with the OEM and expressed their interest. The items that will be needed as the preliminary Benefit Cost Analysis (BCA) is conducted are the flood claim history on the structure, date your home was constructed, and an elevation certificate. If you do not currently have an elevation certificate, you can check with your flood insurance company to see if they have a copy. The more information that the OEM receives will assist with a more accurate BCA and pro- vides a better chance for the City to receive grant funding. If you received damage from Hurricane Sandy and are in the process of receiving your claim or doing renovations, please continue, even if you are inter- ested in the program. “ON THE JOB” Page 20 The VBFD’s Newest Member

Jennifer “Jennie” Konop I am very excited to join the Administration staff as the Payroll Clerk for the Fire Department. I am a native of Virginia Beach and graduated from Bayside High School in 1983. My husband, Ray, and I live in the Kempsville area along with our three boys, Zak (17), Jake (14) and Josh (12).

Thank you for making me feel so welcomed.

Birthdays

January February March

1 M. Riley 1 W. Duncan, W. Raftery 3 M. Marchbank R. Acosta, M. Hundley, E. Sutton R. John C. Barakey, S. Beauchaine, 5 3 4 A. Valdez

7 J. Moss 4 S. Land, S. Salafranca 5 A. Fam J. Coston, C. Hinckle, G. Hughes J. Straseskie, N. White 8 E. Landgrover 5 6 9 K. Arnold, W. Davis 6 M. Crowell 11 J. Wakeman K. Spudis, S. Weiler S. Abshire, M. Brashear, M. Kaliher T. Byrne, R. Irizarry, 12 7 12 C. Stockhowe

13 A. Lee 8 E. Collins 13 J. Branch, A. Hauert, J. Keyes M. Brown, D. Glover, S. Graham, J. Brennaman, M. Croft, J. McIvor, J. M. Gifford 14 B. Phillips, L. Zimba 9 Wood 15 15 W. Reynolds 11 A. Mack 16 J. Journigan, S. Lesinski 16 S. Hall 12 F. Hendricks 18 J. Csenar 18 B. Moore, M. Painter 13 J. Todd, Jr. 19 R. Valentine 19 P. Cifelli, J. Woolard 14 H. Prentice 20 N. Wiliams 20 R. Snyder 15 F. Fulgham 25 M. Pittman V. Barrera, W. Godwin Christia Webb R. Cooper, B. Gilmore, 22 16 26 P. Lockhart 23 J. Lyons 19 J. Creamer 27 S. Millard 24 L. Porter, T. Tassone 20 R. Boone, J. Konop, S. Szymanski 29 W. Joyner 25 D. Compton, M. Mayo 21 K. Gordon, M. Newsome 30 A. Elmore 26 S. Crossan, J. Grandison, Jr. 22 B. Gamboni 31 L. Gurley 28 I. Poole, B. Sidwell 23 J. Goyet 29 T. McAndrews, R. Oechsner 24 C. Springs 30 A. Scott, M. Szymanski 25 G. Burnett, M. Spruill 31 D. Degges 27 S. Shook 28 K. Breen