ST. PETERSBURG FIRE & RESCUE
HOT POINTS:
•
Sign up for Take
your Child to Work
Day—Call Julie
Rivard at 7218
•
Look at recent
events SPFR has
participated in.
Photos on pages 8
and 9
•
Order your brick
for the Walk of
Honor. See page 11
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE:
E-mail
Exchange
2
Firehouse
Focus
3
Rescue Run of
the Month
4
Division News
4
Training at a
Glance
6
A Chief’s View
7
Another View
11
Fire Connection
V O L U M E
1 ,
I S S U E
1
M A R C H
2 0 0 8
Chief’s Corner
For several years prior to my appointment
as Fire Chief, I was often asked the question, “what is the direction or goal of the
organization?”
Over time, this has been discussed at
countless staff meetings. Being a predominantly reactive organization, it is often
viewed as difficult to plan beyond being
the best we can be. Add to that concept the
economic climate of today and the task is
made more difficult. That said, the organization developed a strategic plan with the intent of providing some form of organizational
direction. The result to date is a solid plan
with minimal but continual progress.
One small but important component of the
plan was the development of a new value
statement which is represented by the acronym RATE. This stands for respect, accountability, trust, and empowerment. It is important for our organization to have a value statement as the foundation for what we do. Collectively, the strategic planning committee felt
that these basic tenets reflected a wide range
of qualities that we strive for in our members.
Further, it was simple and easy to remember
and recite. If you have earned respect, your
character is most likely sound. If you are accountable, you have accepted and demonstrated responsibility. If you are trusted, you
are an honest and loyal person of integrity. If
you embrace empowerment, your actions personify doing the right thing. In the end, “you
walk the walk.”
How does this apply to our direction in a climate of contract frustration, associated morale
issues, economic constraints, and resulting
cuts? We have to remove the political process
from the functional one. It is human nature to
allow the influence of one to affect the other.
At some point in time, there will be some
form of resolution to contractual issues. In the
interim, it falls upon us to make the best of
what we have. By embracing these values, we
can maintain or influence the organizational
culture. You have to first ask yourself why
you chose this profession. Was it for pay and
benefits or something much deeper? I believe
it is the latter. That our service is made up of
compassionate, giving, and dedicated individuals with a sincere desire to make a difference in people’s lives as evidence by our performance.
With that in mind, what can we do to foster a
positive environment that is currently tainted?
We can respect one another and those we
serve, accepting their respective weaknesses
and utilizing their strengths. We can be responsible and accountable for our actions. We
can trust our supervisors, peers, and subordinates with our lives. We can be empowered to
do our jobs to the best of our individual abilities.
It is the goal of this value statement to help
create an organizational culture of confidence,
continuity, open communication and fairness
through practice and proven results. We will
“walk the walk” one step at a time for however long it takes to achieve the desired
RATE–ing.
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3
Firehouse Focus
Lake Pasadena Station #9
Station 9 responded to a drowning victim on 1-8-08. FF Sean
Kilgannon received a Record of
Exceptional Performance for his
courage in finding a victim in a
small lake. While bystanders
appeared frantic with no sign of
the victim evident from the
shore line, Sean took the initiative to find the victim. He did it
very quickly and with safety
using a life vest and a rope attached to him, held by other firefighters, as a safety line. The Dive
Team was still 10 -15 minutes
away when he went in and pulled
the victim from under about 6 feet
of water. Unfortunately, the victim did not survive, but was given
the best chance possible by Sean
and EMS crews working to resuscitate the patient.
Station 9 also participated in the
SPFR 100 year Anniversary Art
award presentation given by Chief
Jolley to a 4th grader who attends
Bear Creek Elementary. The winning art picture will be displayed on
the giant billboard sign at the corner
of Park Street and Tyrone Blvd. until February 2008.
Team members are hard at work
getting certified for "dry suit operations." M-15 has been
equipped with a state of the art
Furno System that has an incredible G.P.S. and radar capabilities.
These capabilities enhance our
abilities to work at night and in inclement weather. The station is being diligently prepared for the staff
inspections. With any luck, T-11
will be back on the frontline by that
time. Happy New Year! Train safe
and work safer.
Lakewood Station #11
The crews extend a warm welcome to Captain Bassett. Bill
Brady is still here and counting
down time in the drop. It is getting close, the B shift can tell
you how much exactly. The
Dive Team has been very busy.
Arson News
During 2007, we worked various arson patterns. In April, there was a
series of arson fires at the MLF towers located at 540 2nd Avenue
South. Even though the case was not closed with an arrest, the assistance of both Andy Kelzer and Lt. Feinberg was invaluable. Numerous
hours of surveillance were conducted in the cases. Even though there
were several possible suspects, there was not enough evidence to make
an arrest.
In November, a series of fires occurred in the west end of the city. We
were able to identify a make and model of the suspect’s vehicle, but
couldn’t locate it. Hours of surveillance video from various businesses
were reviewed, but to no avail. Every possible way of magnifying the
license plate was explored, but were unsuccessful. Several weeks were
spent attempting to identify a suspect. Since November 12th, we nor
any surrounding agency has investigated a similar pattern.
For the year, a total of 105 arson fires were investigated. This was an
increase from the previous two years, as 80 there were investigated in
2006 and 92 in 2005.
Order your 100 Year
Commemorative Coin!
In celebration of our
100 year anniversary, a
commemorative coin
was designed.
Anyone wishing to order a coin or coins can
purchase them for $4
each.
E-mail
[email protected]
with your order. Payment can be sent to
Fire Headquarters.
4
January Run Report. . .
October Rescue Run of the Month
Fire - Average Response Time
7:12
5:46
6:00
5:22
5:07 4:56
4:51
4:36
4:48
4:25
4:19
4:08
4:46 4:34
4:35
4:20
3:48
3:37
3:09
3:36
2:24
1:12
10
1
SQ
DC
DC
5
3
2
E1
E1
1
TK
-1
1
0
E1
E1
TK
-9
E8
E9
E6
E7
E5
E4
TK
-4
E3
E2
0:00
Fire - Emergency Calls
120
105
100
87
81
79
80
73
73
65
62
60
57
56
60
51
52
51
32
40
33
30
20
28
24
13
10
DC
5
1
SQ
DC
13
12
E-
E-
TK
-1
1
11
E-
10
E-
9
E-
-9
8
E-
TK
7
6
E-
E-
5
E-
4
-4
3
E-
TK
2
E-
-1
E-
E-
1
0
TK
This month’s run on the B Shift goes to R6 (again). The
Firefighter/Paramedics were David Kadau, Robert Marotto
and Patrick Mansell. The team responded to a 58 year old
male that was found unresponsive without significant medical history. The patient received BLS and ALS care and was
transported to SPG for further evaluation. The patient’s condition did not improve en route to the hospital. The crew's
total patient contact time was 19 minutes from patient contact to ED arrival!! Great Job!
4:52
4:51
3:43
3:42
E1
The A Shift crew at Station 3 became the lucky members of
an elite group of pre-hospital care providers in October. That
is the day a 20 year old female arrived at their station and
declared that she was having a baby...now! Capt Joe Bruni
and his crew of FF/EMT Mark Sweet, FF/EMT Patti
Knuckey and FF Billy Mott first met the patient after she
was driven up to the station. R3, with FF/P Steven Vizenor
and FF/EMT Tanya Pritchard, were away from the station at
the time. Upon their return, Steven quickly recognized that
delivery was eminent. Everyone participated as labor
coaches trying to calm the patient. Sunstar 359 arrived on
scene and the patient was rapidly loaded onto the stretcher.
Steven and Patti hopped into the back of the ambulance and
went to Bayfront Medical Center. During transport, the patient was crowning and Steven quickly prepared for the delivery of a baby boy before their arrival at the hospital. Steven is quoted as saying "before I knew it, I had a baby in my
arms." Patty provided coaching and EMT skills in assisting
Steven with the delivery. Great job by all the new uncles and
aunts at Station 3A!
TK
-1
PAGE
Rescue - Average Response Times
6:23
6:00
4:56
4:39
5:03
4:29
4:23 4:46 4:28 4:16
4:48
5:00
5:11 5:01
4:04
C Shift kudos goes out to FF/P David Fraser and FF/P Tom
Kras for a successful and complicated cardioversion. Upon
arrival, the crew found a 72 year old male in symptomatic
V-Tach. General supportive care measures were taken, as
well as establishing ALS procedures. The crew administered
Valium prior to synchronized cardioversion. The patient
then needed to be intubated using Fentanyl and Etomidate.
Dopamine was used to raise the B/P. All ALS procedures
worked perfectly as the patient fully recovered and checked
out of the hospital a few days later. Congratulations R9.
3:36
2:49
2:15
2:24
1:12
0:00
R-1
R-3
R-4
R-5
R-6
R-7
R-8
R-9 R-10 R-11 E-12 E-13 LR 1 LR10
Rescue - Emergency Calls
500
442
450
400
Honorable mention goes to Firefighter/Paramedic’s Chad
Schumm, Greg Harvin and Luis Piccoli for their assistance
in delivering a baby in the back of an ambulance. This was
Luis Piccoli’s very first childbirth. Congratulations to all.
E-2
391
367
350
328
281
300
267
262
250
241
268
240
191
200
150
Another honorable mention also goes to FF/P Jason Mantay
and FF/EMT Aaron Bruckler for their successful conversion
of a patient in cardiac arrest. Good job R4.
FIRE
CONNECTION
56
65
100
39
44
50
0
R-1
E-2
R-3
R-4
R-5
R-6
R-7
R-8
R-9
R-10
R-11
E-12
E-13
LR 1 LR10
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5
Division News
Rescue Division
After several months of research and
meetings, the rescue vehicle specifications committee forwarded their
recommendation to Chief Ward for
final approval. The committee recommended the Ford F-650 chassis
that includes the Cummins turbo diesel and Allison transmission combination, which has proven to be a reliable platform. Furthermore, the chassis is capable of carrying a full size
module, allowing greater flexibility
in compartment configuration.
The F-450 chassis that Rescues 3 and
10 are utilizing currently have been
reliable; however, there was a great
deal of uncertainty with the 2008/09
chassis-power train combination that
steered the committee away from its
consideration currently.
The new vehicle construction was
formally approved by City Council
on January 24, 2008, with delivery of
the trucks in June or July of 2008.
Med Tec will be the manufacturer
and the factory is located in Manatee
County. Thanks once again to all
members of the rescue vehicle specifications committee and those members of the department who provided
input into the design of the vehicles.
members of the department who took
the test are commended for their diligence in reviewing the material and
success in passing both the written
and practical exams.
ITLS, aka BTLS, is the latest challenge for department members. As
you are aware, we are required to take
an on-line pretest and pass it with a
minimum score of 85%. The BTLS
classes are scheduled for February
and March. Remember to register
early for the classes, review the material prior to testing, and bring a copy
of your completion certificate from
the pretest to class.
Congratulations again to David Kadau and David Nasworthy who received the 2007 Bert Smith Paramedic of the Year Award on December 13, 2007, before City Council.
Each individual received a tremendous amount of support from their
peers and supervisors and were very The Rescue Division wishes to thank
deserving of this prestigious award.
all members of the department for
providing outstanding medical care to
ACLS testing is once again but a the residents of the city and surroundfleeting memory of 2007 and all ing communities.
Prevention Division
We welcome Lt. Joel Granata to the
Prevention Division after spending
eight (8) years in the Rescue Division. Joel is excited about his new
challenge and is looking forward to
learning another aspect of the job.
We wish to take this time and thank
Lt. Feinberg for all his hard work and
dedication to the Prevention Division
and wish him well in his new endeavor.
The Pinellas County Construction
Licensing Board (PCCLB) was created in 1973 its goal is to provide
safe, economic, sound buildings and
structures and safeguard the life,
health, property and public welfare
of the citizens of Pinellas County.
Recently, Chief Jolley has been se- work at Tyrone Boulevard and Park
lected to serve on the Life Safety Street, at U.S. 19 and 150th Avenue
N, and at Ulmerton Road and 49th
Section of the board.
Street N.
“Thanks for Saving Our Lives” is the
title of the artwork that won St. Pe- We’d like to take this opportunity to
tersburg Fire & Rescue’s art contest welcome a new member to our divicelebrating the 100th anniversary of sion. Athena Simpson has joined our
St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue. Ste- staff as our new Office Systems Speven Lykins Jr., 11, a student at Bear cialist. Athena comes to us from
Creek Elementary School, beat out Americorps/Hillsborough County
48 other students to win first place in Reads, where she tutored third gradthe contest. His depiction of a ladder ers in reading, as well as trained partruck stretching to reach a building is ents and volunteers to help students in
proudly displayed on three electronic K-3 with their reading skills. She also
billboards in and around the city un- comes to us with experience in a mutil February 1st. Clear Channel nicipal setting, having interned at
Broadcast donated the use of their Littleton, NH’s town office during all
billboards at three separate locations. four years of college. Please try to
You can see Steven’s winning art make her feel welcome.
PAGE
6
e
c
n
a
l
G
A
t
A
g
n
i
n
Trai
Training Tip of the Month:
Recently, an officer shared a new strategy to improve involvement and ownership
for monthly training. This officer has implemented “acting officer expectations”
which include delivering training to their respective crew. Individuals wishing to be
consider for acting time are assigned monthly drills to review, enhance, and deliver
to the crew. The company officer will assist the Firefighter with any problems or
logistical needs they may have for the drill. Great idea! Iron sharpens iron. Mentor
your personnel to take the next step up in their career.
SPECIAL
POINTS OF
INTERST
Night Drill-Spring 2008:
SCBA and Fire Ground Basic Skill Competency
DVD training which reviews the night drill skill stations has been provided for
your review.
Hiring Update:
January 2008 Class:
Bennett Johnson-EMT
Jonathan Blinkey-EMT
Deveron Curry-EMT
Eddie Jackson—Medic
Ryan Smith—Medic
Lindsey LeCroy-EMT
.April
Started in the Stations on
March 3rd
March 2008 Class:
Michael Gerardo– EMT
Daniel Gulick-EMT
Benjamin Lawson-EMT
Leo Willams– EMT
Kevin Poehler-Medic
Robert Winters-EMT
Began 8 week Orientation on
March 17th.
FIRE
Training Plan Preview
2008 Training Plan
1. Truck Co. Operations
Members will review Aerial Operations,
specifically in regard to “set-up” procedures specific for each of our Aerials.
DVD
2. Tools of Trade
Members to review the set-up and use of
the portable sprinkler system. In addition
we review the penetrating nozzle set-up
and operating procedures. DVD
3. Special Operations
The Specialty Teams will review the sup-
CONNECTION
port roles of fire suppression crews at
Haz-Mat, Dive, and TRT incidents. DVD
4. Firefighter Survival
Crews will review survival techniques for
emergency egress and other egress “tips”
while doing fire attack and search operations.
5. Officer Choice– Any green drill, post
incident review, and QRS site visit and
review.
*Driver Engineer Drill– Apparatus
Safety (yellow paper).
Aerial Truck Operations & Safety (Pierce
vehicles)
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7
A Chief’s View... Surface water rescues – Know your limits!!
By District Chief Jerry Chalmers
When it comes to surface water rescues, there are
some basic facts that the rescuer needs to understand. I always believed that all surface water rescues will fit into one of four categories. This includes ice rescues, rapid water rescue, assist victim
rescue, and drowning victim rescue. Each of these
situations presents its own hazards that must be considered before the rescuer enters the water.
able to assist them into a life jacket as you wait for the
arrival of a vessel. They will work with you as long as
you explain what you intend to do and why. Once you
are in the water and communicating your actions to
them, you will increase their comfort level and prevent
a panic response. Always remember that if your victim
enters into a panic response, your life as a rescuer is in
serious danger!
Due to our geographical location, ice rescue, along
with rapid water rescue, are two situations that we
are not very likely to encounter. Therefore, let’s talk
about the last two events and how they differ from
each other.
Next there is the drowning victim rescue. This individual can offer you very little assistance and is already in
the panic response. They cannot get enough air to
breathe normally, they are fighting to get their head
out of the water, they are flailing their arms, they cannot yell for help and they have only one objective and
that is to get their head as high out of the water as possible. So you don your life jacket and enter the water
to attempt the rescue. One of two things will most
likely happen: if you take an additional flotation device with you to pass to your victim, they will grab
onto it and probably will not release it until they are on
dry land. However, should you make physical contact
with the victim, they will grab onto your head, pulling
themselves out of the water which will result in you
and your life jacket being held under the water. The
only way to encourage your victim to release you is
for you to descend deeper underwater until their head
is now submerged.
We will start with the assist victim rescue. This is
the individual that is located on the surface of the
water and may or may not be injured. Examples
would include a person in the water holding onto a
piling or a bridge support, a person clinging to an
overturned vessel, or a person trying to swim to
shore against a strong current. None of these individuals are drowning, at least not at this time. What
does that mean to the rescuer?
The person that you are trying to rescue can and will
assist you in your efforts to rescue them. You can
and should communicate with them, as they can provide you with what you need to know. Remember to
assess the situation early. Some of the questions you
may want to ask would include if they are injured, if
they are alone, should we be looking for other individuals, and how did they end up here. You may be
This should provide you with an overview of what
your victim could do and what the limitations are with
a life jacket. Remember, life jackets are designed to
hold one person’s head above calm water.
If you keep doing what you’ve
always done, you’ll keep
getting what you’ve
always gotten.
Author Unknown
PAGE
8
SPFR in pictures. . .
Chief Lanning: Instructor of the Year
100 Year Poster
Contest Winner
SPFR Firefighter graduation:
February 2008
Sweet Bay display honoring
Black History Month
FIRE
CONNECTION
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Elks Club Banquet honoring Firefighter, Fire Officer and
Paramedics of the Year
PAGE
9
PAGE
10
Walk of Honor
To help celebrate the 100 year anniversary of St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue, we are planning on developing a
Walk of Honor with bricks that you design. You may have seen bricks similar to these at other venues. This is
your chance to document your place in the history of St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue.
These engraved bricks will be used to replace the concrete at the base of the flagpole at Fire Headquarters.
Everyone is invited to buy a brick, active and retired members, or even dedicate a brick to someone else. What
a great way to show your support for the department! Just $40 per brick. Don’t be left out, be a part of our
history. Be a part of our Walk of Honor.
Brick Details
The bricks measure 4” x 8” x 2 ¼” and are engraved using state of the art laser technology. This will insure
strength and durability for many years to come. This memory is guaranteed to last a lifetime.
Reserve your Brick On the
Walk of Honor Today!
St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue
Brick Inscription Form
Cost per Brick:
Individuals ………………… $40.00
Yes, I want a Brick on the Walk of Honor!
Here is my Information.
Your brick can have 3 lines of wording and
numbers.
20 ch aracters per lin e. In cludes spaces and punctuation .
Please ma k e sur e your engrav ing infor mation is spelled
correctly.
P le as e pr in t c lear ly.
Second or
More Bricks ………….…… $30.00
Retirees …………………… $35.00
Name: ________________________
E Mail: _______________________
Address: ______________________
________________________
Phone: _________________
Active: ___
Retired: ___
Number of Bricks:
x $40.00 =
_____
x $30.00 =
_____
x $35.00 =
_____
Corporate Sponsorships Available
Call 727-893-7529
1
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Another View . . .
Prior to choosing the fire service
as my career, I spent four years
working in the medical field. The
exposure to medicine, unknowingly, created a foundation for
my subsequent interest to be a
firefighter/paramedic. One of my
first challenges to overcome was
attending the fire academy while
working full time. Looking back
at this time-frame, I will have to
admit that, while my schedule
was a bit busy, it was one of the
most rewarding chapters of my
life. The compensation came in
the shape of new friendships and
the apparent brotherhood that I
was now a part of; a brotherhood
transcending the workplace and
one’s off duty time.
Time in the fire academy passed
quickly and, before a blink of the
eye, my classmates and I were
taking the state exam. Fortunately, there was a positive outcome. The time that initially appeared to be insurmountable of
being in the fire academy and its
associated challenges came to a
depressing conclusion. The relationships established during the
academy came to an abrupt finality with the exam. With the new
firefighter’s certification in hand,
most graduates of the academy
focused our efforts on employment; however, many of the
11
Collaborative Efforts
By Division Chief Bill Ward
friendships established during the
academy proved to endure the test
of time, if not in a continued personal affiliation, in fond memories of the extreme challenges we
faced and successfully endured.
Possessing a firefighter’s certification in 1981 was not uncommon for many of us searching for
work; however, it proved to be
the added advantage I needed to
obtain a job with the City of St
Petersburg. As a new employee of
St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue, I
developed many new friendships
that filled the void from my fire
academy class. It is not an uncommon occurrence through
these friendships to have a number of fellow firefighters on one’s
door step after mentioning you
were going to be involved with a
home improvement project. I remember assisting a firefighter replace his lawn with fifteen other
firefighters. This act of kindness
made a short job of a large project
and epitomizes the fire department family spirit.
The willingness of assistance off
duty, however, needs to transcend
into our present endeavors on the
job. The principle object of discussion in this case is having our
department brothers and sisters
come to the rescue. The rescue I
speak of is of having additional
members of the department obtain their certification as paramedics. Ultimately, the decision
to attend paramedic training is a
personal one, but it should also
be based from the perspective of
a need to continue to provide
fire-based EMS to the community, a burning desire to learn as
much as possible about the busiest element of our organization,
and finally, the willingness to
participate in the brotherhood of
the organization as it relates to
participating in the department’s
daily workload.
I believe we all realize the importance of sharing this workload
through personal and professional involvement. Having additional members of the department
fully engaged in the delivery of
EMS will improve organizational
goals and allow greater opportunities for all firefighters to learn
and maintain operational proficiencies. I believe we are at a
pivotal point in our department’s
history and we all need to be
fully engaged in our organization. Full engagement, in this
case, functioning as a certified
paramedic, is the pinnacle of participation and embracing the true
meaning and spirit of brotherhood.
St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue
400 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. S.
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
1501485
Congratulations to the following on their anniversary with the City of St. Petersburg:
January of . . .
. . .1975
Lt. Harry Floener
Chief Bill Jolley
. . . 1981
Craig Martin
. . .1982
FP Mike Allen
DC Richard Johnson
FF Napoleon Latelers
Capt. Steve LeCroy
FP Mark Molino
FF Tom Salvato
DC Mike Zamparelli
. . .1984
Lt. Rick Feinberg
Capt. James Green
FF Robert Inglis
. . .1985
FF Heather Brady
FF Anthony Caldarelli
FF Richard Lynch
FP Dan Thomas
Lt. Steve Watkins
. . .1990
FP Deal Farrell
FF Winthrop Newton
Lt. Arielle Young
. . .1992
FF Jack Fletcher
Capt. Bob Bassett
FF Carlo Gardini
Lt. Steve Hay
FP Pete Hill
FF Brian Kell
. . . 2002
FF Jeff Brady
FF Brett Ciskoski
FF Donnel Cook
FF Ed Hintz
FF Fred Stewart
FF Ian Van Aken
FF Jarvin Vinson
FP Corey Wagner
FF Will Woodward
. . . 2005
FF Matthew Grasso
FF Michael Hudkins
FF Michael Sullivan
FF George Valdes
FF James Zanatta
. . . 2006
Insp. Matthew Pepe
February of . . .
. . .1974
FF Bill Brady
Ed Deitz
Chief Jim Large
. . .1996
Lt. Ray Landes
FF Scott Lawrence
Lt. Scott Zweifel
. . .1987
FF Glenn Hadley
FF Tim Hill
Lt. Randy Kahle
. . . 2001
FP Alisa Kapchinski
FF Scott McGevna
FP Steve Vizenor
FF Brad Williams
. . .1990
FF Burner Lindsey
. . . 2003
Inspector Don Barker
. . . 2004
FF Jeremy Clark
FF Ron Janz
. . .1984
Capt. Tim O’Donnell FF Chuck Moore
FF Allen Nieves
. . .1986
FF Ron Bennett
March of . . .
. . .1983
FP Hank Marshall
. . .1987
FF Scott Crowell
FP Dave Kirby
. . .1986
FF Tim Kocer
. . .1993
FF Mark Callahan
FP Dan Chappell
FF John Horsefield
FF Andre Johnson
FF Ron Smith
. . . 2001
Julie Newby
. . . 2004
Inspector Erica Kenyon
. . . 2006
FF Patrick Bennison
FF Craig Berg
FP Robert Marotto