Photograph is property of the Denver Firefighters Museum Y|Üx \Çv|wxÇà exÑÉÜà|Çz fçáàxÅ TÇÇâtÄ fàtà|áà|vtÄ exÑÉÜà cÜxÑtÜxw uç à{x WxÇäxÜ Y|Üx WxÑtÜàÅxÇà gxv{Ç|vtÄ fxÜä|vxá W|ä|á|ÉÇ ECCL TABEL OF CONTENT LETTER FROM THE CHIEF OF THE DEPARTMENT 1 DEPUTY CHIEF OF THE DEPARTMENT BIOGRAPHY 3 DIVISION 1—OPERATIONS 6 DIVISION 2—FIRE PREVENTION 10 DIVISION 3—TECHNICAL SERVICES 16 DIVISION 4—ADMINISTRATIONS 21 DIVISION 5—SAFETY AND TRAINING 25 DIVISION 6—DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 29 TOTAL INCIDENTS AND RESPONSES 31 ENGINE COMPANIES DATA 32 TRUCK COMPANIES DATA 34 RESCUE AND HAMER COMPANY DATA 35 DISTRICT CHIEFS DATA 36 DISTRICT ACTIVITY 37 INJURY / CASUALTY SUMMARY 38 STRUCTURE FIRE LOSS REPORT 39 RESCUE CALLS 41 A MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF OF THE DEPARTMENT Firefighters and Staff of the Denver Fire Department: I am proud and humbled to have been selected as the Fire Chief of the Denver Fire Department, an organi- zation whose members continue to enhance a proud tradition of selfless service, continued commitment, and unparalleled professionalism while serving the citizens of Denver. I truly believe the Chief’s role is to provide the lead- Nick Nuanes ership and support which will move the organization Chief of Department forward through challenges and changes that bring The flood of business helped defray deeper cuts progress to any organization. The Denver Fire De- to the budget, which helped all City agencies in partment’s role in protecting people and property of their quest to provide service. They City’s De- this City is carried on daily by all members of this partment of Safety received overwhelming re- organization. It is each of you doing your job every views for the way in which they planned and day, being consummate professionals in your interac- worked the event. Word has it that a future tion with the citizens, striving to gain expertise in Winter Olympics may be in the offing. your craft, and carrying that pride and personal integ- rity into your daily lives which makes the Denver Through the adoption of sound business prac- Fire Department one of the finest in the country. tices, which include developing a matrix of staffing in the Operations and Airport Divi- In my position of Fire Chief, it has always been my sions, we will se a reduction in costs, along with goal to support programs and policies which allow an opportunity for more overtime. Policies on each of you to reach your fullest potential. The Offi- NLOD and LOD injuries have saved the City cer Development Program continues to provide the well over a half million dollars. Our continued support and education necessary to produce effective focus on managing FTE resources will allow and competent leadership. It is a program that I con- the Department to maintain its high level of ser- tinue to support and will work to move forward. vice. The Shift Commander concept has received mixed I look forward to the upcoming challenges and, reviews; however, we believe it is helping us at the same time, know as I face those chal- strengthen our communication and standardize prac- lenges I will not be successful on my own. tices at the District level. The Division Chief of Op- Each of you, working with me, working with erations now has increased opportunity to create vi- each other, and ultimately, working to provide sion for the Department because of this change. the citizens of Denver with the service they de- serve, will ensure our success, maintain our tra- The two most important issues to Firefighters work- dition of excellence, and prepare this Depart- ing in Operations revolve around the overtime and ment to meet the future of this City and its citi- transfer policies, both of which seem to be policies in zens head-on. Your participation and collabora- constant revision. Our hope is to have new policies tion are important to me at every level. I will rewritten by mid 2009. continue to include a broad cross-section of par- ticipation and inclusiveness in all initiatives, The Democratic National Convention has come and committees, and programs. gone. It was the largest single event the City has hosted in its short 150-year life span. 1 exå ^|Çz WxÑâàç V{|xy Éy WxÑtÜàÅxÇà UtÜutÜt UâàÄxÜ W|ÜxvàÉÜ Éy Y|ÇtÇvx WÜA ^tÜxÇ ]tv~áÉÇ cáçv{ÉÄÉz|áà Office of the Deputy Chief of Department The Deputy Chief is second in command at the Denver Fire Depart- ment. A few of the Deputy Chief’s general duties include: • Responsibility for the day-to-day operation of the department. • Development and management of a budget of approximately $100 million. • Fiscal oversight of all six divisions with the agency. • Providing policy and procedure development and review. • Acting as Chief of the Department during the Fire Chief’s absence. • Supervision of the Psychological Services and Finance sections of the Department. Rex King Projects in 2008 included: Deputy Chief • Oversight of the scheduling of Department members during the Democratic National Convention, and numerous other ancillary duties associated with the event. • Establishing a committee to overhaul outdated Departmental policies and procedures. • Setting up a system to enter members’ information into a database for easier access/more accurate record keeping throughout the Department. • Participated in Collective Bargaining negotiations for the 2009 Local 858 Contract, along with Re- gional Transportation Facility meetings and Wildland Firefighting strategy sessions. • Mentoring officer candidates for upcoming promotional exams. • Securing an intern to assist with Department statistical analysis. PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES Dr. Karen Jackson provides psychological services to Department employees, spouses, and their chil- dren. Dr. Jackson was hired in August 2007. There were 86 firefighters and family members who received psychological services in 2008, with an average quarterly utilization rate of 158 sessions. The 2008 rate represents an increase by fifteen percent over 2006, the year prior Dr. Jackson’s being hired by the Department. Long-range factors attributing to this increased utilization may include; greater awareness and acceptance of psychological services by a changing population of firefighters, and the insufficiency of mental health services provided by health care plans. Dr. Jackson also coordinates the Department’s Peer Support program. Peer Support has proven to be an effective resource for members to access, especially for issues that are work-related in nature. Five new members joined the Peer Support team in the past year. Beginning in 2008, the Peer Support team developed vision and mission statements as follows: Vision: We are committed to strive to provide quality support, assistance, and linkage to resources for our fellow firefighters and their families. Mission: We will educate ourselves and invest time into the group. We will present a trustworthy, well re- spected resource by maintaining high standards of confidentiality and reviewing our effectiveness. We will invest time and effort into providing awareness of the peer support program to ensure that those in need know there is someone to help who has walked in their shoes. 3 Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) is another program that has been established to assist firefighters in dealing with significant incidents of traumatic stress. A critical incident debriefing was conducted by Dr. Jackson at Station 22 following a child drowning. Training provided by Psychological Services in 2008 included: New Peer Support member training; How to Parent when Couples are Divorcing; CISM training; Alcohol/substance Abuse seminar; Suicide Prevention, Managing Workplace Stress for Career Service employees, and a “Probie Tour” for the graduating academy. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT Barbara Butler, Finance Director, provides oversight and direction of the financial management, budgeting, and accounting responsibilities for the Denver Fire Department as mandated by the Mayor’s Office. Funds managed include: General, Grant/Special Revenue, and Capital Equip- ment Funds. Responsibilities include managing all finance and accounting activities in accor- dance with City Fiscal and Budget practices. The Finance Director oversees the annual budget- ing process and managed 2008 budget expenditures in excess of $100 million and the process- ing of over $2 million in approved capital equipment for the Department. Additional staff responsibilities include general ledger monthly reports, accounts payable (review and process payments for goods/services, travel, P-Card, official functions, petty cash), accounts receivable, payroll salary schedules, internal auditing, grant management, and tracking Old Hire Pension payments. During 2008, the accounts payable work unit processed 5,207 pay- ment vouchers for Department-wide supply expenditures. Financial management also includes City internal billings and reimbursable billing projects for special events such as the Urban Area Security grants. Other reimbursable programs and total invoices/journals prepared include: the Wildland Firefighting Assistance Program ($415,850) and Snow Removal Operations Program for Denver International Airport ($506,579). Finance coordinated the purchasing of Democratic National Convention equipment/supplies and proc- essed $3 million in journals to ensure the Fire Department received full compensation of expen- ditures under the Department of Justice Grant. Other financial grant activities managed in- cluded the FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant and “Simply Safe!” a fire safe contract pro- gram for students in the Denver Public Schools. In 2008, a staff accountant was hired to assist with the above increase in billing projects. Dur- ing the performance period the audit process included managing proper contributions for new hire post employment plan participants for the years 2006-2008. The Finance Director also manages the DFD warehouse distribution and financial operations for requisitioned items or specialized orders distributed daily to 33 fire stations and support fa- cilities. Inventory items include specialized firefighting tools, office supplies, protective equip- ment, and household supplies. The Warehouse also provides backup supplies and support for major incidents.