The All Hands It takes all of us working together, to get the job done! June 2013 Volume 1, Issue 6 Deputy Chief’s Message By DARREL DONATTO es and continue to provide exceptional service Deputy Chief to the community. As I look around the organization – I see a In that past six months we received 60 lot of really great people doing a lot of real- letters and/or calls from people within the In This Issue: ly great things – and that truly makes me community expressing their appreciation for proud. what a great job our people have done. Deputy Chief 1 Within that same time period, seventeen peo- We have recently hired a number of new ple have received formal commendations for Admin Update 1 firefighters and I consistently hear great feed- exceptional service. Two of our members re- back on how they are progressing and what B/C Message 3 ceived the Raymond J. Kunkel Award for he- great assets they are and will be to the or- roic or meritorious service. Three of our mem- ganization. We have a number of other can- Training & Safety 4 bers were just recognized with Fire Safety didates working their way through the hiring Commendation Awards by the Sons of the Fire prevention 4 process and we have great hope for the same American Revolution. Two of our members from them. In the interim, we have had a lot were just recognized by the Palm Beach Coun- Ocean Rescue 4 of overtime, and our people have really ty EMS Provider’s Association, with one being stepped up to keep the positions covered de- selected as the Paramedic of the Year for all Assistant Chief 6 spite the long work hours they are putting in of Palm Beach County. Two of our officers and the time away from their families. were just awarded their Associate’s College Retiree Locator 7 The Town has a number of large construc- Degrees. Four officers were just certified as Fire Inspectors. Three officers were certified EMS 9 tion projects underway that have caused great challenges for our members, both at as Live Fire Instructors. Two officers were just Photo Gallery 10 work and just trying to get to work. Our mem- certified as Fire Instructor I’s. All of this is just bers have come together to create plans and in the last six months. Important Dates 12 solutions that help us overcome these challeng- Continued on page 3 EOM 12 Administrative Update Special points of interest: By DARREL DONATTO roles as they become available. Quality Corner: How Do Deputy Chief You Get Quality Cus- This is one reason we have hired James With the anticipated retirements and/or Rowan. Everything James is doing and teach- tomer Feedback completion of DROP terms, we see great op- ing is both relevant to our organization and Years of Service Analy- portunities for those who want them and great important to our current and future leaders. sis challenges for us as a management team in Leadership development is not near as excit- identifying and developing our top talent em- ing as live fire training, but it is an essential Administer Uninterrupt- ployees so that they will be able to fill key component of our training program. In addi- ed Chest Compressions leadership positions in the organization. As an tion, to help prepare people for these future organization, we are committed to increasing leadership roles, we will be assigning mentors the availability of experienced and capable to some of our top talent employees who employees that are prepared to assume these Continued on page 2 Page 2 The All Hands Administrative Update from page 1 hoped. Our future challenge of retain- ing and preparing employees for lead- have shown both their capacity to ership positions and recruiting new tal- lead and their desire for advancement. ent for the organization is at the top of The objective is to help employees move our priority list and is certainly going to from wherever they are to wherever be tough. But, together we can succeed they could be. and through those successes, we will make Palm Beach Fire Rescue better. We recently announced a Driver Engineer promotional process. In No- vember, we anticipate that we will hold a Lieutenant promotional process. These are great opportunities for professional advancement and an increase in pay. In addition to planning for our future leadership opportunities, we are heavily Palm Beach Fire Rescue ‐ Years of Service Analysis focused on recruiting new talent to the organization and doing everything we Average Years of Service can to retain the talent we have today. Baalion Chief 19.82 We are working through our Organiza- tional Improvement Committee to identi- A 17.12 fy ways to make Palm Beach Fire Res- B 18.58 cue better. Many of you have contribut- C 23.75 ed ideas and suggestions, and we are Lieutenant 16.62 working on implementing those things A 17.03 that are both within our control and B 17.74 good for the organization. Not every C 15.07 idea is doable or in the organizations Driver Engineer 12.89 best interest, but those that are, we will A 13.72 get done. Almost a year ago now, we B 12.62 advertised and establish a hiring list for C 12.33 new talent. From this list we have hired Firefighter 5.48 eight new employees and have another A 5.22 three employees working their way B 5.85 through the conditional offer process. C 5.38 Each and every one of them has be- Average Years of Service all Line come a great asset to the organization Personnel 11.12 and we are extremely happy to have them as a part of our team. Very soon, we will begin another round of recruit- 50% of Line personnel have 10.23 ment; advertising for firefighter/ paramedics with the intention of finding Collecve Years of Experience 635.38 more great firefighters. We have been through a lot of chal- lenges together. Not all of them have been pleasant or ended as well as we Page 3 The All Hands Deputy Chief’s Message from page 1 I have challenged each of you to step up your game, to do more, to do it better, and to provide exceptional service at every op- portunity. You are doing just that and more. It has been said that “in this world you will have trouble.” Despite all of the challenges we face and the trials we have been through – you - the members of Palm Beach Fire Rescue - have risen to the occasion. Many of you have come forward to offer suggestions and ideas on how we can improve the organization. We need more of that – as togeth- er we will make Palm Beach Fire Rescue better. But, aside from those efforts – I want to recognize each of you not for your ideas, but for your actions. We truly have a lot or really great people doing a lot of really great things. Thank you for your service. Battalion Chief’s Message By PETE CODISPOTI the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, between personnel and vehicles in Battalion Chief C Shift or have a medical condition that affects the protected work zone and near- their judgment or abilities. In addition, by moving traffic. Officers should review with their motorists may be completely oblivious to crews how to position apparatus and your presence due to distractions Downstream- the direction that traf- other emergency vehicles at a vehicle- caused by cell phone use, loud music, fic is moving as it travels away from related incident on any street, road, conversation, inclement weather, and the incident scene. highway or expressway in a manner terrain or building obstructions. Ap- that best protects the incident scene and Flagger- a fire department mem- proaching motorists will often be looking the work area. Such positioning shall ber assigned to monitor approach- at the scene and not the roadway in afford protection to fire department ing traffic and activate an emer- front of them. Assume that all approach- personnel, law enforcement officers, tow gency signal if the actions of a mo- ing traffic is out to get you until proven service operators and the motoring pub- torist do not conform to established otherwise. lic from the hazards of working in or traffic control measures in place at near moving traffic. Nighttime incidents requiring person- the highway scene nel to work in or near moving traffic are All personnel should understand and Shadow- the protected work area particularly hazardous. Visibility is re- appreciate the high risk that personnel at a vehicle-related roadway inci- duced and driver reaction time to haz- are exposed to when operating in or dent that is shielded by the block ards in the roadway is slowed. near moving vehicle traffic. Responders from apparatus and other emer- should always operate within a protect- Advance Warning- notification gency vehicles. ed environment at any vehicle-related procedures that advise approach- Taper- the action of merging sever- roadway incident. ing motorists to transition from nor- al lanes of moving traffic into fewer mal driving status to that required Always consider moving vehicles as moving lanes. a threat to your safety. At every vehicle by the temporary emergency traf- -related emergency scene, personnel fic control measures ahead of them. Temporary Work Zone- the physi- cal area of a roadway within which are exposed to passing motorists of Block- positioning a fire department emergency personnel perform their varying driving abilities. At any time, a apparatus on an angle to the lanes fire, EMS and rescue tasks at a motorist may be driving without a legal of traffic creating a physical barri- vehicle-related incident.