January 2021 Florida Fire Services Magazine by ffca

THE PUBLICATION

OF THE

FLORIDA FIRE CHIEFS’ ASSOCIATION

January 2021 • VOLUME 29 NUMBER 1

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Florida Fire Florida Fire Fire Chiefs’ Florida Fire

Service is the monthly publication of the Chiefs’ Association, provided to Florida Association (FFCA) members, by the Chiefs’ Association.

Florida Fire Chiefs’ Association 221 Pinewood Drive Tallahassee, FL 32303 Phone: (850) 900-5180 Email: info@ffca.org • www.ffca.org FFCA Staff Wm. Ray Colburn - Executive Director & CEO Denise Holley - Office Manager Scott Leisen - Marketing Director Ngoc Huynh - Conference & Events Director Donna Chason - Administrative Assistant Liz Aperauch - Administrative Assistant FFCA Board of Directors Ty Silcox - President Douglas Riley - 1st Vice President Reginald Duren - 2nd Vice President Darrel Donatto - Immediate Past President Julie Downey - Secretary/Treasurer Ryan H. Crawford - Northwest Region Director Carlos Aviles - Northeast Region Director Terry Wooldridge Jr. - East Central Region Director Percy Sayles - Southeast Region Director Ian Kemp - West Central Region Director Gregory DeWitt - Southwest Region Director Wm. Ray Colburn - Executive Director & CEO Cindy Morgan - Foundation Chair Leland Greek - Senior Member

FROM THE SECTIONS Message from the FFCA President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

6 FEATURES

Development of a Personnel Evaluation System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Managing the Risk of “Move-Up” Assignments in Fire Departments . 14 Live It, DON’T SHOUT IT . . . . . . . . 16

Shared Leadership Lessons in the Fire Service “Generational Transition” 20 The Narcissistic Leader . . . . . . . . . 22 From Denver to Donuts - Leadership

Impact Beyond the Fire Truck . . . 24

FURTHERMORE Editorial Submissions magazine@ffca.org (850) 900-5180

Were do You go to find

Advertising Scott Leisen, Editor in Chief scott@ffca.org (386) 717-0055

Department Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Quiet Time? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Palm Beach Gardens New

Florida Fire Service January 2021, Volume 29, Number 1 USPS # 016-759

Periodical postage paid in Daytona Beach, Florida, and additional post offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Florida Fire Service, 221 Pinewood Drive Tallahassee, FL 32303. Statements of fact and opinion are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of the officers or the members of FFCA. Copyright 2021 by the Florida Fire Chiefs’ Association. All rights reserved. Materials may not be reproduced without written permission.

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Featured Vendor . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Subscription rate for members is $36, which is included in member dues. Archived electronic monthly editions of Florida Fire Service magazine are available at www.ffca.org. Log in as a member and click on the Publications tab.

January 2021

Training Facility . . . . . . . . . . . .28 FFCA New Members . . . . . . . . . . .30 St. Lucie County Team Wins Worlds . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 2020 Safety and Health Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Completion of Recruit Academy . . .34 In brief . . . news from around the state . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Advertisers Index . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Rescue Systems Unlimited Newest Sales Rep: CAPTAIN JORGE TROYANO South Florida Sales & Training Representive Captain Troyano is a Fireman with more than 19 years of experience. Starting his career with Gainesville Fire Rescue and slowly migrating south to Boca Raton Fire, and for the past 14 years has been a Fire Captain with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. Captain Troyano was promoted to his current rank in 2018. Captain Troyano has experience as an instructor as a Probationary Development Officer for Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, which trains and develops skills for the new members of the department post probation. Captain Troyano is also a State Certified Instructor, Live Fire Instructor, HazMat Technician, Confined Space Technician, Trench Rescue Technician, Structural Collapse Technician, Rope Rescue Technician, and Heavy Machinery Technician. All of which he has taught over-seas as well as domestically.

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Ty Silcox, Fire Chief FFCA President

nother year has come and gone. We have blasted through 2020 and are now beginning to blaze a trail through 2021. As we look back at a year that no one will soon forget, even though we would like to, we must look at the blessings we all have had. 2020 was not all curses, but it was definitely a very trying time for families, businesses, departments, cities, counties, and our country as a whole. As I began to think about this writing and reflecting on everything that seemed to be wrong with this past year, I started to think: what do we have going into 2021? The one thing that continued to resonate with me was something I had heard many times over this

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January 2021

past year, hope! As we spoke with people all throughout last year, it was evident that people had hope. So many people would say things like, “I hope we get to go to……”, “I hope things are better in 2021”, “I hope our family gets to come visit.” Hope, it seems everyone has it. I remembered a line out of the movie The Shawshank Redemption when Andy wrote in his letter that said, “Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.” As we begin looking through the windshield and not in the rearview mirror may we all continue to hope for a better 2021. With all the adversity we faced in the fire service, we have demonstrated that we are a

strong and diverse profession. We as the fire service have met every challenge thrown at us during this unprecedented time. No one ever believed that COVID-19 would cause so many issues and heartaches within our lives, departments, and communities. But Florida’s Fire Service stepped to the plate and began to do what we do best, Lead from the Front. We began to forge new relationships with our partners, political representatives, and shared information so everyone could be informed. Our partnership with the Florida Professional Firefighters was more important than ever to help make sure we were communicating to all the fire service and not just its leadership. The Florida Fire Chief’s Association has been on the forefront of this issue and continues to work diligently on behalf of its members and the fire service. When the pandemic began, you could have a conversation and no one knew anyone with COVID-19, but 10 months later we are in a much different scenario and have all been touched by this pandemic in one way or another. We have lost friends, family and colleagues to this virus and we are not to the finish line yet. So, our focus now must be on leading once again as Florida’s Fire Service always does. With vaccinations beginning to become available, we in the fire service must step forward and demonstrate our leadership. We have to encourage participation in the vaccination programs and demonstrate our willingness to be a part of the solution to this pandemic. As we look forward through our windshield this year, we know we will have smudges, smears, and the occasional smashed bug or small chip, but we must continue to understand that because of the glass we don’t have those bugs in our teeth, and we can continue to look forward. No matter what 2021 brings our way we know we can handle it as Florida’s finest. And one thing will remain true this year, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.

By James T. Steffens, FIFireE, EFO, Chairman, The JTS Association, Inc.

CONTEXT & NEED First, it is recognized by fire service leaders that our personnel are our most valuable resource. Second, poorly trained or poorly performing personnel at emergency scenes can, and often do, result in legal action against an emergency service organization. Finally, how do we evaluate the performance of our personnel at both emergency incidents and during non-emergency times, especially around the station? One of the most effective ways to evaluate members of an organization is to have an effective personnel evaluation system in place and work continuously to ensure that it is effectively administered. Ask almost any fire officer about their personnel evaluation system and you will typically get a less than enthusiastic response. The design of an effective personnel evaluation system as described in this article was completed as a part of a job task analysis determination for several positions/ranks. While it is only one approach, the one described here has proven to be an effective design. CATEGORIES OF PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS Each Job Task Analysis (JTA) completed should have the Essential Job Functions identified as categories for evaluation supplemented by two additional categories. These additional categories are as follows: • Comliance & furtherance of the department’s core values • Effectiveness in displaying the employee’s interpersonal skills 8

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Typically, this will result in a total of seven to nine categories for each job/position. SCHEDULING OF PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS Historically, performance evaluations have been most commonly conducted on an annual basis. This annual scheduling should remain as the primary date for conducting a comprehensive evaluation however, it must be complemented with intermediate evaluations. Analyses have found that a one-year period is too long a period to assist an individual in making adjustments in their behavior or attitude. Additionally, many items, both positive and/or negative will be forgotten over the course of a 12 month period. It is recommended that intermediate performance evaluations be held during the fourth and eighth months of the annual performance evaluation period. These intermediate evaluations should focus on aspects of the individual performance where the rating is either at or plunging toward the category "regularly does not meet expectations" RANGE OF PERFORMANCE EVALUATION RATINGS Based on a survey of numerous departments, it is recommended that a five category rating system be adopted. These categories are as follows: • Regularly does not meet expectations • Occasionally does not meet expectations • Regularly meets expectations • Occasionally exceeds expectations • Regularly exceeds expectations The key to determining which category an

employee’s performance should be rated is to identify the term “expectation”. The definition will vary among employees of the same rank / job based on the time in their current position. As an example, a newly promoted Lieutenant’s expectation in many, if not all, of the evaluation categories should not be as severe as an individual with five years of experience as a Lieutenant. Each category for evaluation has from five to twelve elements that are reflective of the essential function of the position. An employee who is meeting the requirements of the category with few exceptions is regularly meeting expectations. The number and extent of the failures to meet the established standards should be identified. While the development of the personnel performance evaluation system will specify the standards to be met the following is an example of “reglarly meets expectations”. The personnel performance evaluation for Lieutenants might include the category manage department paperwork. This category might have six or seven identified tasks to be evaluated. A newly appointed individual to the rank of Lieutenant might be deficient in two or three categories while an experienced Lieutenant should probably not have more than one, perhaps two deficiencies over the period of evaluation. During the development of the personnel performance evaluation system the standard for “regularly meets expectations” should have the parameters defined. Once this condition is determined, the definition of the other four categories are relatively easy to define.

The standards for all five categories should be published as an integral component of the personnel performance evaluation system. The publication of these standards together with the training of all new officers as to how to fairly and effectively conduct a performance evaluation will go a long way toward having a fair and equitable system. TRAINING NEW OFFICERS TO EFFECTIVELY COMPLETE PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS It is unrealistic to expect new officers, typically Lieutenants, to effectively and fairly complete performance evaluations without training. Such training should include both the performance evaluation system as well as how an officer should approach and complete an effective and fair evaluation. It is proposed that all new officers (typically Lieutenants) receive a minimum of four to six hours of training on the performance evaluation system. Such training should include, at a minimum, the following: 1. The importance of the performance evaluation system 2. The department’s performance evaluation system 3. The role of the fire officer conducting the evaluation

CONSEQUENCE OF NOT MEETING EXPECTATIONS If an individual is evaluated as occasionally does not meet expectations in one category the following actions should be taken. A four to eight month plan, cultivated by both the evaluated individual and his/her immediate supervisor, should be enacted to improve employee performance. Regular progress reviews should be conducted, and overall progress should be analyzed at the following intermediate evaluation or the annual evaluation. If an individual being evaluated regularly does not meet expectations in an area of evaluation a one-year plan for improvement should be developed, including several intermediate milestones identified. The plan should be in writing, signed by the employee who is not meeting expectations, and reviewed and approved by the individual’s Battalion Chief or Division Director. The year long plan for improvement of an employee who regularly does not meet expectations also places that employee on probation. It clealy informs the employee that failure to improve performance can lead to demotion or termination.

CONCLUSION If an emergency service department is going to truly ensure that its personnel are performing at an acceptable level of performance, it is essential that the agency have an effective and on-going performance evaluation system in place. It is important that leaders of an organization can ensure that their personnel are competent and operating at an acceptable level of professionalism. When a significant failure in performance occurs, the “legal eagles” will ask three primary questions” 1. Were the officer(s) in charge properly trained? 2. Did the officers have the necessary experience? 3. Were the officers evaluated by the agency regarding their capability? The answer to that last question addresses the need for an effective personnel evaluation system. Jim has over 40 years of fire service experience. He served as the Fire Chief for the Southern Manatee Fire Rescue District in Manatee County for over 10 years. Since that time he operates his own consulting firm that provides managerial services to emergency service organizations including promotional assessments.

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Where do You go to find Quiet Time? B y J os e ph A. L aC og nat a, C ha plai n, Fi re Re s cue S uppo rt

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the impact he made. But my dad was one of five billion people in the world when he was alive. His name won’t be remembered by many and won’t be remembered for long. So I started thinking about my legacy. What will I leave behind? Sure I would like to believe that I’ve made a difference in people’s lives; people who have come to faith because of a message I’ve taught or a conversation we’ve had; people who have been helped through the midst of a crisis; people who I’ve had the joy of marrying and the privilege of burying. But like my dad, I’m one of the billions of people on this earth and my name won’t be remembered by many and it won’t be remembered for long. So what is my legacy? I’d like to think that the biggest thing my dad did was raise three good kids; kids who would grow up to make a difference in their own individual way. I’d also like to think that

the biggest thing that I will do is invest in those that will follow h A. La C ogna se p ta me, especially my Jo children. What impact will you make on the world? What difference will you Fir t eR or make? What legacy escue Supp will you one day leave behind? In the midst of our busyness, questions like these don’t get much of our attention. Take some time to be quiet and truly give these some thought. Perhaps a visit to a cemetery would give you some quiet time. You can find out more about Chaplain Joe and Fire Rescue Support by visiting www.firerescuesupport.com. •

imagine the pace of your life is a lot like mine. You’re busy, running from place to place, never having much time for yourself. That is, until quiet is forced on you. Like the time you went to your child’s piano recital or when you’re sitting in a dentist’s chair. Maybe it’s when you go to church. For me, it’s when I visit a cemetery. Now, I don’t routinely visit cemeteries. They are not a normal stop on my itinerary. But the time spent there is always significant. A few year back, I was at the Florida National Cemetery for a memorial service for a friend’s mother. This is the same cemetery where my dad’s cremated remains have been laid to rest. As I was there, I thought about my dad and the life he lived. More importantly I thought about what he left behind. That is, what is his legacy? My dad was a school teacher and I know he made a difference because I’ve heard stories over the years of

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By Scott Eskwitt

n an ideal world, fire departments are always fully staffed with the needed ranks and positions—every shift, every call. But few departments can count on ideal circumstances. Occasionally members will need to “move up,” serving as acting engineer or company officer for the shift, or assuming command responsibilities on a call for service. A chief’s concerns about having a firefighter assume apparatus response or command responsibilities are equal for career, combination, and volunteer fire departments. There are two questions to ask before allowing a member to take on greater responsibility: 1. By moving up a member, am I putting the member, other members or the public at higher risk? 2. By moving up a member, am I placing myself or the agency at higher risk? If the answer to either these questions is “yes”, then the member isn’t prepared to assume increased fireground responsibility. Of course, you must also observe any applicable collective bargaining terms, employment agreements, or state certifications. These factors are too varied to discuss here; instead, I’ll focus on what you need to do to prepare a member for greater responsibility. Volunteer agencies may have increased risk exposure because of the historical (and misplaced) attitude that the most important thing is to get apparatus and members to the fire. This practice disregards the qualifications of the responders, ignoring the next logical

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question: What are they are qualified to do once they get there? Too many departments still have no minimum response policy, allow nonqualified drivers to drive apparatus to a call for service and have very loose command standards, such as having the driver of the firstarriving apparatus take command until a line officer arrives. The risk of such protocols to the member, other members, you, the agency and the public is just too high. Career departments generally have a more robust classification system. The capability of a member to assume next-level responsibilities, however, should be documented before the situation arises. That preparation starts with good policy, training on policy and consistent application of training and policy. In preparing a member to take fireground command, we can look to the following illustration to remember the main points of a move-up program: Policy Considerations Before you consider which positions a member is qualified to assume, you need to identify the responsibilities and qualifications of each position. A Position Description policy satisfies this need. This policy should list the overall duties and responsibilities of each rank or position, from firefighter to apparatus operator to the entire chain of command. It should include all necessary certifications and training for each position, including any internal agency approvals. By detailing required certifications and training in policy, you help

ensure all members know these expectations. Regarding apparatus operators, policies should include what certifications, licensing, and training is required before a member is cleared to drive and operate the apparatus. As a rule, require pump and aerial operator’s certifications for a qualified driver. The same is true for members cleared to assume incident command. Policy should include what minimum certifications and training are required. A list of members cleared to assume incident command should be kept current and all members should know who among them can assume command, if necessary. The policy should also include a statement such as, “No member shall assume the duties of apparatus operator or higher rank unless they have fulfilled all necessary training and certification requirements for the position or have been instructed to assume such responsibilities by a higher ranking member.” Training on Policy Once all members know there is an objective minimum qualifications policy, the next step is to consistently train on the relevant operations policies. Officers tasked with training responsibilities should track all member training activities to assess whether a member

has, in fact, received training on an operations policy or procedure. We all know having a certification by itself doesn’t qualify a member to fulfill fireground responsibilities. Training on the policy and procedure provides the ability to assess whether a member is prepared to assume fireground command. Further, with most departments responding to fewer and fewer working fires, training becomes the primary tool we use to assess a member’s knowledge and ability. Years on the job used to mean much more than it does today in terms of assumed experience. Policy and procedure should be as fixed in a member’s head as their experience. Indeed, training may be the only experience they can draw on when confronted with a low-frequency event. What minimum package of policies and procedures are relevant to your department? It’s a mix of high-frequency/low-risk responses and lowfrequency/high-risk responses. I believe every response is high risk, regardless of frequency, so I don’t include the risk level. Using my department in Fair Haven, N.J., as an example, here’s the package of policies and procedures I want members to be trained on before they can assume any command.

* These apply to driver responsibilities only. ** These policies state that our department does not have such capabilities and prohibit members from engaging in operations. They set forth scene stabilization and security procedures. Dispatch goes to our Mutual Aid Response Card for qualified resources.

Training should also include taking command of training activities and operations when a ranking officer is present. There’s nothing wrong with having a member assume response or command of a call for service in the presence of a higher-ranking member or letting a lower-ranking member keep command if a higher-ranking member arrives on scene. Nothing provides the needed on-scene training and builds confidence and mental muscle memory like having command of various operations. Consistent Policy Application Good policy and training are all brought together by consistent application. When line officers consistently engage in operations based on policy and procedure, lower-ranking members follow that lead. They know they have a policy and procedure to turn to for initial response. This consistency also reduces the chance a member assuming command will freeze or lock up. Being trained on procedure gives the member a roadmap to rely on immediately. It also gives ranking officers confidence that any given response will be consistent. Move-up assignments are exciting and important professional development opportunities for firefighters, but they pose significant risk and therefore must involve proper preparation. Before a member is approved for apparatus operation or command, you need good policies and procedures in place and consistently applied across the organization. In addition, members must first obtain all qualifications and certifications and have had the opportunity to take command during training or supervised calls. Applying this three-pronged strategy will provide you and your agency with confidence if and when you have to call on a member to make the leap from firefighter to incident commander. SCOTT ESKWITT is Operations Manager, Fire Development, for Lexipol. He is an active member of the Fair Haven (NJ) Fire Department, serving as Chief from 2012 to 2015. He is also a member of the Fair Haven First Aid Squad and the Red Bank (NJ) Fire Department. Scott is also an attorney and has spent his legal career advising municipalities and fire departments on risk management, human resources and labor relations issues. His undergraduate degree in Industrial & Labor Relations was received from Cornell University and his law degree from SUNY Law at Buffalo.

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By Rick Spence, FFCA Chaplain

t seems like 2021 started off just like 2020 ended. About the only thing that changed was the page of a calendar. Our nation still seemed to be equally divided in regard to national politics, COVID-19 is still wreaking havoc worldwide and political protests are still occurring. There has been tremendous damage to our nation, but hopefully, this is something that we can learn from going forward. If not, all the lives that were lost and the damage that was done internally will be for naught. One thing that I believe COVID-19 did was expose deep cracks in some of the foundational institutions in our nation. First of all, our national political leaders have shown they are not good roles models when it comes to getting along and playing well with others. Neither party has a patent on doing the right thing or integrity. And if we are looking to them to help heal our nation and do what is in the best interest of the country, then we may be in for an extremely long wait. Secondly, I think people are beginning to realize that most news- casters report with some type of bias, regardless of their networks stating otherwise. I do not know if it is because they are attempting to cater to a particular audience or if they feel the need to share their personal politics. From what I saw, some reporters favored one candidate while others favored the other candidate, and it was apparent in their reporting. One other observation is that social media should only be used as an entertainment forum, not a source of news. Not to belabor the point, but people are posting things that coincide with their agenda, not necessarily the facts. This

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applies to all political persuasions, no one has a monopoly on the facts and truth. I would like to offer another take on the situation of our country. THE PEOPLE OF OUR COUNTRY ARE NOT DIVIDED!! Our political parties are divided, people in the news media are divided and people on social media are divided. I think the American people simply have a difference of opinion on who should run the country. If you look at the election results, a little more than half of the voters voted for Joe Biden and a little less than half of voters voted for Donald Trump. It would be naïve of us to think that our fire departments are any different. If you play that scenario into each of our individual fire departments, it would be reasonable to guess that each fire department is similar in their presidential preference. That means that our senior leadership, mid-level supervisors and line personnel are just about as equally split in their choices for president. To put it another way, about one half of our department voted with me and about one half of our department voted against me. My older brother voted opposite of me. I have always questioned his preference in the way he dressed, the cars he drove and the girls he dated. This was not a one-sided relationship. He too, questioned my clothes, car choices and girlfriends. But he is still my brother and I do not love him any less or differently. He respects my choices and I respect his choices and both of us think it is unproductive to try to change the other’s mind. We are very close, as brothers should be, and I would never want that to change, regardless of who we vote for.

When one of my neighbor’s husband fell ill recently and was hospitalized for 10 days, many neighbors took meals to his wife. It did not matter that she had a sign for one candidate in her yard and the people who brought her food had a different candidate’s sign in their yard. That seems so small and petty when someone is hurting and in need. We were neighbors helping neighbors. We are all neighbors. We are all citizens of this country. We all genuinely want the best for our country and the people who are living here. We just disagree on how to go about doing that. Simply put, some people want to drive a Ford, while others want to drive a Chevrolet. The destination is still the same, a better nation for all of us and our children. We do not have to be a part of the political divide. It is detrimental to our families, our friends and neighbors, our organization and definitely detrimental to our country. It does not benefit anyone when we question or attempt to sway someone’s beliefs. Their values and beliefs are usually just as entrenched as ours. Why would we do anything that would tear apart our relationships within our family, friends and work force? Our p Rick S ence country has long prided itself on its diversity and was built with our differences. That is part of what has made the United States of America the best place in • the world to live. FF in CA C h a pla Let us all do our part to help keep it that way by continuing to live out our values and beliefs instead of shouting them out.

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he Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District is located in East Lee County, Florida. Our team provides services to a rapidly increasing population of approximately 120,000 residents. The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District provides advanced life support treatment/transport and fire suppression for the 142 square miles of the Lehigh Acres Fire District from five stations, with a sixth in development, strategically placed within the District, and responds to many areas of Southwest Florida through an automatic aid and closest unit response system. The District, established in 1963, began with volunteers and a single

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fire engine stationed under a canopy. After providing volunteer firefighting services for 13 years, the District began hiring Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) in 1976 to operate one ambulance, funded completely through community support. In 1981, the District realized Advanced Life Support (ALS) was essential and added paramedic services. As a result, the name was officially changed to Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District, one of only two Fire Districts in Lee County to provide ALS transport services. The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District provides a variety of services to include fire suppression activities, Emergency Medical Advanced Life Support (ALS) on all apparatus, ambulance transport, technical rescue, hazardous materials incident response, and a variety of other emergency and nonemergency services. Lehigh Acres is an urban-interface environment, so crews here experience a long and very active brush fire season each year, while also frequently responding to commercial, residential, and vehicle fires. The District is also part of the Regional Team (Region 6) for the State of Florida, with notable responses in the past year including largescale fires in commercial and residential areas as well as wildland fires. In addition, the District responds to major coastal weather events, including hurricanes such as Hurricane Michael and major wildfires such as the large brush fire in 2017 that was declared a state emergency by our Governor. The District has four engines, five ambulances, one aerial apparatus, five brush trucks, and three tenders in-service, with eight additional reserve units as backups. The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District is proud to provide a variety of services to include fire suppression activities, Emergency Medical Advanced Life Support (ALS) on all apparatus, ambulance transport, technical rescue, hazardous materials incident response, and a variety of other emergency and nonemergency services to the community we serve.

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Shared Leadership Lessons in the Fire Service “Generational Transition” By Steve Hudson, Deputy Chief of Operations, Monroe County Fire Rescue

he fire service is a prestigious profession that offers a person a tremendous amount of gratitude in return. As fire service leaders, we are charged with molding a variety of people from different walks of life and sharing views on many complex topics with future successful leaders. Most of us are up for the challenge; however, what happens to the professional development of our future leaders if senior fire service leaders don’t develop the future leaders? This thought should frighten most of us and clearly illustrate what is at stake for future leadership in the fire service. Over the years, I have attended numerous classes and seminars describing leadership styles and organizational behaviors that influence employees’ performances within that organization. Like most organizations, we hire “new, openminded” firefighters to join the ranks, only to place them into an already formed organizational culture. This is where that development process begins. Think about it for a minute; who is developing and molding these new employees? One might ask, are our soaring eagles assigned with the new recruits, or are there certain obstacles that prevent organizations from picking the top performers to spend quality time developing the first-year probationary firefighter? What we find happens

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all too often, is that many organizations are bound by contractual articles of station bids and other constraints that prevent this continuous process from routinely occurring. However, there are always exceptions and as leaders we must pay attention to these options when presented. The stark fact is this: formed organizational behaviors are conveyed to our employees from the start and this is how organizational behavior and culture is passed on. If there is one consistent lesson to share, it is to surround yourself with a trusted and loyal team to achieve success in the fire service. If we pay close attention to organizational behaviors we will be more likely to curb some of the less desirable norms, and instill more preferable, modified behaviors and values for the success of the organization. What are the core values of your organization? Most all fire departments have honor, respect and the duty to act, as well as a written mission statement, but how many review these and really drive the desired organizational values? I feel the art of leading people is to always apply the “golden rule”: treat someone how you would like to be treated in return, regardless of the rank they possess. Think of the results that would be generated from an organization that establishes empathy, a genuine concern for its members, and applies

the “golden rule”. The generational transition underway in the workplace is very complex. We have three different generations working side-by-side in the fire service today. I believe these challenges can be easily overcome if leaders keep an open mind and realize what the different generations represent and consider personality testing to mesh the right dynamics. As senior leaders of today, we must find the formula and ingredients to blend our differences to build one cohesive team. I feel this is a fundamental trait so often forgotten, evident by statistics indicating the increased amount of conflict in the workplace today. How much time do organizations spend dealing with conflict resolution? In closing, we must prepare our future leaders to be able to continue the success and rich traditions of the fire service. The fire service is seeing record numbers of retiring “baby boomers” which currently hold many high-level leadership positions. As senior fire officers and leaders, have we shared our knowledge and developed a true succession plan that arms the junior officers waiting to step up with the necessary skills to be successful? I leave you with that thought, and truly feel blessed and honored to be part of such a great profession.

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By Dr. Eric Smith, EFO, Assistant Professor of Public Administration, Barry University

arcissism is a personality trait that includes feelings of grandiosity, arrogance, self-centeredness, fragile selfesteem, and outward hostility. Narcissistic leaders are generally motivated by a need for power and admiration rather than the needs of their subordinates. Paradoxically, narcissists often possess the charisma, vision, and critical thinking skills necessary to successfully lead an organization. Unfortunately, however, the negative traits of the narcissistic leader nearly always outweigh the positives. Although narcissistic leadership characteristics are mostly negative, there is, however, one positive narcissistic leadership quality—- The ability to lead with vision. Narcissistic leaders understand the importance of having a vision in which subordinates believe. These leaders are able to see and shape the big picture in order to meet both their needs and the needs of the organization. Unfortunately, it’s a sure bet that sooner or later the negative traits of the narcissistic leader are going to make an appearance. These negatives include: 1. A desire to be admired: There is nothing wrong in seeking to be respected and admired by subordinates. Narcissists have a gift for attracting followers. They are nearly always charismatic and charming with hyper-developed verbal skills. 2. Unable to take constructive criticism: Normally, narcissists are extremely sensitive to constructive feedback. They view criticism as a personal attack and often lash out at their

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critics. 3. Inability to listen: Narcissistic leaders are not good listeners. To them, communication is one way and is only important if it is coming from them. Narcissists believe input from subordinates is of little value, and as such, they mostly disregard it. 4. Relationship management: Healthy narcissistic leaders show real concern for other people, and do not devalue the ideas and thoughts of others. However, leaders exhibiting destructive narcissism tendencies find no value in the ideas of others. They often try to embarrass and humiliate people with different viewpoints. 5. The inability to take criticism: Narcissists are usually hyper sensitive, and this makes them react harshly to criticism, and brood over it endlessly. They cannot tolerate perceived slights or dissenting opinions, and can be quite abrasive with those that voice a negative opinion. 6. Consistency: If a leader has a healthy level of narcissism, they will have a set of values, the ability to follow a consistent path, and will usually follow through with plans. However, when narcissism turns destructive, you have a leader with no apparent values, changes direction frequently, and is easily bored. 7. Uses generalizations: Narcissistic leaders exaggerate to achieve their goals. They use words like “always” and “never” to enhance their perspective. They play fast and loose with the truth. 8. Competitive: A narcissistic leader is

“ruthlessly” competitive. They are relentless in their pursuit of victory. They take games seriously, and see them as a test of their strength and survival skills. Many narcissistic leaders are ethically and morally challenged and feel strongly that the end justifies the means. 9. Possess poor mentoring skills: Since they lack empathy and are extremely self-reliant, it is very difficult for a narcissistic leader to mentor someone, or to be mentored. When they do act as a mentor, they instruct and lecture rather than coach and try and make their mentees into smaller, paler clones of themselves. Narcissism by itself is not necessarily a negative trait. When an organization is healthy and doing well, a narcissistic leader’s attitude can remain healthy by internalizing the organization’s success as a direct result of their leadership. The dark side of this kind of leader manifests itself when the organization experiences a downturn, or other issues and problems. This is the E ric S m it h point where the narcissistic leader begins to point the finger and blame everyone else for the organization • problems. • Ba rr y U n i v e r sit y Hopefully, your organization will never have to experience the pain of toxic narcissism. But now you’ll know it when you see it; and if you see it early enough you may be able to take steps to stop it before it spirals out of control.

By Matthew Love, Fire Chief, Fort Myers Beach Fire Department

assion, inspiration, and vision, are essential attributes of fire service leadership we strive to embody each day in our organizations and communities. We stir others to dream big and accomplish what, alone, could never be possible. Our leadership and service changes lives, sometimes in ways we do not even see. As leaders, how do we deliver the passion, emit enthusiasm, and inspire with overflowing vision day after day, shift after shift? In the words of my great friend and mentor, Stephen Gower, “We cannot give what we do not have!” Stephen’s words remain as true today as the day he first said them. As leaders, we must have the passion, the inspiration, and the vision alive inside us, guiding us, before we can give it to another. It cannot be faked or counterfeit. These attributes are who we are and aspire to be. When they connect, whatever we do is with the mission of bettering others. My story of passion, my “connection,” revealed itself many football seasons back. My team, the Denver Broncos, would play my wife’s longtime family favorite, the Pittsburg Steelers, in an epic battle at Mile High. To my wife, the Pittsburgh Steelers were not simply a football team. My in-laws, in-fact the whole side of her family, held Steeler football in supreme regard. So much that a subtle hint of disappointment surfaced when she married me, rather than Ben Roethlisberger. This was engrained into their way of life, creating a loyalty even our vows were challenged to weaken. My beautiful wife was painted-up in black and yellow for the big day. She coordinated every inch in branded paraphernalia, ready to enter foreign territory and cheer against the hometown heroes. In a more modest fashion, I subtly presented the Broncos logo on my coat, and a hat symbolizing the “Orange Crush” era. After all, I was among friends in Mile High,

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there was no need to rub in our success. We purchased our tickets at the last minute, and for that we paid the last minute price. Infact, our seats were so good, we could almost reach out and touch the bright lights illuminating the stadium. Yes, we were in the “nosebleed” section, but it didn’t matter. The Denver-Pittsburg rivalry in our household was coming to a head, live and in living color. A household rivalry which resulted in my children’s baby clothes representing one team on top and the other on the bottom, slowly changing over the course of a Sunday dependent on which parent ran the wardrobe. A rivalry that may just be sorted out this day at Mile High, in the orange and blue of Bronco Country. As we made the steep hike in altitude to our prized seats, I quickly became astute to a problem. Like many fans trying to narrow down their seat location amongst lettered rows and numbers, I looked at our seats, then back at the tickets a time or two. Rather than fittingly placed amongst my fellow people, rather than surrounded by Bronco orange and blue, our seats sat right amidst a sea of black and yellow. Positioned in an abyss of terrible towels, it was as if we had entered the wrong stadium; my wife was pleased! Shaken by our surroundings, but not discouraged, I settled in for the game, and a game it was. As if the teams had the same longtime established rivalry we found each week in our household, it was intense. Each team diligently returned point after point, resulting in an incredibly close match going into the fourth quarter. With the game entering its final phase, the dark sky had fallen over the stadium, and with that, the unmistakable silhouette of the Rocky Mountains in the background. As a consequence of our high value seating arrangements, we could see the city lights all around Denver, to include cars passing by on the surrounding roadways. As the fourth

quarter intensity mounted, something caught my eye in the distance. The lights of a Denver Fire Department ladder truck on a nearby roadway. Behind it, an engine company, battalion chief and rescue. Watching several units respond to a job, I could not take my eyes off those trucks. Enamored by the lights and the stellar view of the fire companies as they responded, I noticed my friend sitting next to me, a fellow “truckie”, watching the apparatus with the same intent awe. Despite the incredibly close game that continued right in front of us, despite the substantial price we had paid to be in those seats, and notwithstanding the potential culmination of a family rivalry, we stared at those trucks. Why were we so caught up in such a sight? We had both ridden fire trucks for years, and responded to countless jobs. However, there is something surreal about having the opportunity to do what you practice, and practice, and practice. This training and preparing, this constant fine tuning of abilities is aimed at one thing, making a difference when it counts. How many chances do we get to change the life of another, to alter the path for someone else’s betterment? The thought of being able to perform and make a difference can overcome us, even at a Denver Bronco game. I wanted to be on that truck, going to that job, and making a difference when it was needed the most. I wanted the thrill and anticipation of making a decision and taking action that could be just what another human being needed to change the course of their life. I shared the story of the Denver game with a friend who works for the United Postal Service. He said, “Matt, I gotta tell you, when I am not at work and I see a package, I do not feel the need to deliver it!” Our profession affords the

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do, and most importantly, why we do it. This is the fuel for desperately wanting to serve, even when you’re in prime seats at the big game. To clock out at the end of a shift that began well before the sun came up, and give up your time off to brighten the day of another. There is a place in us where this indescribable drive comes from. In my career I have witnessed the roughest, toughest firefighter treat people in need with such gentleness and grace. This can only come from a genuine love of others. Whether it be as firefighters, or my friend at the donut shop, heroes and leaders alike use whatever platform they have to change lives. We may never see the full and total evolution of our actions, but we know it exists. Likely we are leaders today because of the action another took for our betterment. We have the opportunity to make our life’s work part of who we are and not just something we do. It is not because being a donut maker or firefighter is what we do, it is because wanting to serve and better others’ lives is who we desire to be. There is a vast difference between “do” and “be”, as there is such a valuable opportunity to change and better lives in who we are, not just what we do. Inspiring vision and a desire to surface real passion is where we form the essential connection to lead. A passion that makes us want to be there doing “the job” when we are at the Denver Bronco game. A passion that inspires us to give up our precious time off to achieve a vision of making someone’s day brighter. It is a passion like this which grabs us, inspires us, and tthew Love, Ma provides a vision that takes us there. As Stephen said, we cannot give what we do not have. In order ye p rs to enrich the lives of De Bea c h F ir e others and enable them to dream big, we must discover our inspiration in who we are and want to be, not just what we do! e nt

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talkative, peppering me with questions. He noted the “FD” logo on my shirt and we chatted about his desire to be in the fire service years ago, but life choices prevented him from eligibility. It was clear; he had been through a lot. With a curious positivity, he made no excuses, determined to take responsibility for the choices he had made. As we chatted, it became apparent to me this was not your typical donut guy. Donuts were simply the platform for which he launched a mission to make the world a better place. He inquired if I would be heading back to the firehouse after my visit. He offered as many donuts as I could carry, free of charge. With my eyes wide in surprise, I thanked him for such an amazing gesture. I recognized I was not going back to the firehouse for hours, and in the Florida heat, those donut creations would never fare well in the car. I questioned why he would give away what I calculated to be hundreds of dollars in donuts. He described that the owners simply threw away what was left at the end of the day, ensuring freshness the next morning. It was what he said next that changed my visit. His expression lit up as he described that each day after he clockedout, he would load up as many donuts as he could and drive to countless locations throughout the city providing them to those in need. From food banks, to care facilities, to church youth groups, he must have trekked a hundred miles each week, not to mention the time this took “off the clock.” My donut friend had been given a platform he used for adding value to others’ lives. His life experiences provided ability to value the power of something as simple as a free donut, and he used that power to make a difference. However, simplicity was far from the impact the gesture had on others. These efforts provided hope to those starving for the compassion and love it took to deliver those donuts without fail each day. It wasn’t about the donut, it was the genuine commitment of delivering it which unlocked the power to change lives. Both of these stories, from the dramatics of responding to a fire to the unexpected value of delivering a donut, produce moments which leave an imprint. These moments derive from the actions that illustrate who we are, what we

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privilege of affecting lives every day, many times amidst the intensity of emergency response. Over time, we can create the delusion that this is the only way to have impact. For the longest time I thought I was just lucky, having a profession give me such fulfillment, unlike my postal service friend. However, this experience taught me several things. One being the incredible satisfaction of serving in any capacity; a satisfaction so much greater than a paycheck, or the responsibility to just do a job. The Denver game might have been a dramatic depiction of service for me that day. It might have centered on the drama of firefighters rushing to someone in need, but lives need to be saved and paths altered every day. As leaders, we just have to open our senses and hearts to these needs. How many chances do we get to change the life of another, to alter the path for someone else’s betterment? Far beyond these emergency responses, we are given an abundance of chances when we are diligently watching for them. Path altering service can take on a mission and significance of its own. Despite what profession, vocation, or calling you have found yourself living into right now, when you live into it to enhance the lives of others, it becomes more powerful than just about anything else you do. This is the root of our passion, inspiration, and vision for leadership that allows us to give to others what we do have. It certainly doesn’t take a fire to change a life. In-fact, subtle leadership is so often a fruitful strategy to produce lasting significance. The greatest leaders are often found utilizing the simplest of platforms to create enormous impacts. I found this out years later at the donut shop of all places. To be fair, this was not your ordinary donut shop. This place was more like a gallery, coupling adventurous flavor combinations with astonishing presentation. In addition, and by no means secondary, roasted in-house to perfection, was one of the best cups of coffee around. For those who know me, they had me at “fresh roast.” With a meeting near-by, I dropped in for an afternoon cup, not recognizing it was almost closing time. The lone employee remaining greeted me at the door. He was incredibly

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mergency and public safety personnel were at the forefront in 2020, responding not only to multiple hurricanes and wildfires, but also to a global pandemic. Saint Leo University values first-responders and all who work in public safety, and prepares its students for careers in criminal justice, homeland security, and emergency and disaster management. To encourage career development for those interested in pursuing a profession which helps in times of crisis and disasters, Saint Leo offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in Emergency Management. For those looking to gain leadership knowledge and skills and advance their careers, Saint Leo offers the Master of Science degree in Emergency and Disaster Management and a specialization in Fire

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Science Administration. All courses are delivered online. Faculty at Saint Leo created the bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s program because of the demand across the country for people trained in managing coordinated response to disasters, fires, and other emergencies caused by conditions ranging from coastal flooding and powerful storms to industrial accidents and criminal actions. Emergency management directors can work for local and state public agencies, privatesector companies, hospitals, and nonprofit organizations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Students are exposed to the theoretical knowledge and practical skills that are necessary for effectively managing a wide-range of critical incidents. The bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s program prepares students to hone their problem-solving skills and be flexible in order to adapt to changing scenarios, said Dr. Phillip Neely, professor and Chair of Saint Leoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Department of Undergraduate Criminal Justice. Throughout the program, students examine various challenges as well as current trends effecting the field of emergency management. They learn to identify and employ best practices to effectively lead organizations in times of crisis. Founded in 1889 and situated north of

Tampa, FL, Saint Leo University is a regionally accredited, nonprofit university dedicated to ensuring every student has the chance to grow in mind, body, and spirit. The private, nonprofit university is known for providing a values-based education to learners of all backgrounds and ages in the liberal arts tradition. Saint Leo University is recognized as one of the top-ranked regional universities and one of the best values in education in the South by U.S. News and World Report and is consistently honored for its education of veterans and military-affiliated students. The university offers small class sizes so that students receive individualized attention. Saint Leo offers convenient, flexible courses so that adult learners can work and study. Learn more at saintleo.edu. For more information, email Nikki Heister, special programs manager for the Department of Public Safety Administration, at nikki.heister@saintleo.edu or call (352) 5888487.

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Palm Beach Gardens New Training Complex

By Andrew Lezza, Division Chief of Training and Professional Development

alm Beach Gardens Fire Rescue is proud to announce the completion of their new, state-of-the-art public safety training facility. The training facility was a public private partnership with Seacoast Utilities, who owns the land. The 1.5-million-dollar, five-story training tower will provide the department, along with other departments in the area, the ability to conduct live fire training, search and rescue, drafting, rappelling, roof ventilation, and confined space training. The tower features class A and B fire capabilities, two car props, a smoke distribution system for realistic search and rescue training, a standpipe system, a sprinkler system prop, and a vertical ventilation prop, which will allow personnel to access the roof and cut a

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ventilation. In the future, the department is planning on having the tower certified by the state so that the department can conduct their own fire standards classes.

St. Lucie County Team Wins Worlds By Brenda Stokes, Public Information Officer, St. Lucie County Fire District

he St. Lucie County Firefighter Combat Challenge team traveled to Irving, Texas in October to compete against teams from as far away as Kuwait in the World Championship competition- and they won! In addition, individual team members, Brian Riebe placed 2nd overall, Caden

Brian Brink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Orange County Fire Rescue Jeffrey Carrington . . . . . . .St. Petersburg/Clearwater International Airport Michael Coxwell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .North Collier Fire District Jonathon Davis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Walton County Fire Rescue Adam Gargano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lauderhill Fire Rescue Abe Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Orange County Fire Rescue Larry Helms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Walton County Fire Rescue Nathan Hickingbottom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Walton County Fire Rescue Raymond Hottinger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bay County Emergency Services

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Wilson placed 9th overall, and Matt Coney placed 1st in the 40+ tandem. The Firefighter Combat Challenge, as seen on ESPN for more than 14 years, has been dubbed the â&#x20AC;&#x153;the toughest 2 minutes in sportsâ&#x20AC;?. Firefighters in full bunker gear race against each other and the clock on a course

Chad Hutchinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Putnam County Fire Rescue Shane Kozac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .SLCFD Raymond Malin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .City of Hialeah Fire Rescue Michael Moore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Orange County Fire Rescue Anthony Phillips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Orange County Fire Department Gary Policastri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .City of Port Richey Fire Department Erick Solera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Broward Sheriffs Office of Fire and Rescue John Thibert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Seminole County Fire Department Christopher Young . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kennedy Space Center Fire Services

with a series of five challenges. The current team has only been together for three years. Co-captains, Matt Coney and Brian Riebe began recruiting members, thinking it would be fun to compete. With the Public Safety Complex right here in our backyard at Indian River State College, the St. Lucie Combat Challenge Team members had a world class training facility to train for success at the world competition.

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By John Whalen, FFCA Safety & Health Section Chair

In partnership with the Florida Fire Marshal’s Office, the Florida Fire Bureau of Standards and Training, the Florida Professional Firefighters, and the Florida Firefighters Safety & Health Collaborative

his year’s FFCA Safety & Health Conference has come and gone and like the previous conferences, a great deal of information and excellent topics were presented and discussed over the three-day offering. Unlike previous conferences, this year’s production was completely virtual and online, offered worldwide, and 100% free to all attendees. This was obviously different for everyone involved, from the planning section, the presenters, the vendors and sponsors, and the attendees. The chosen conference theme appropriately named “Braving the Unknown” was fitting in more ways than you can imagine. This year’s planning committee, consisting of some of the most dedicated individuals I have ever had the pleasure of working with, were faced with incredible challenges from the start due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Every decision made was put through a rigorous vetting process to determine its feasibility along with multiple “check boxes” including the safety of our members and attendees. In the end, the decision was unanimous by both the planning committee and the FFCA staff that we should focus our efforts in presenting a virtual conference for the safety and well-being of everyone. This was a difficult decision given the importance of the information and data we felt

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must get out to the first responder community and the great success of the previous conferences which have grown every year that the FFCA has hosted it. The FFCA leadership and the Safety & Health section felt strongly that we must move forward and present this year in order to share the valuable topics and we are very proud of the finished product. The feedback we received from around the world was incredible and positive. By presenting in this manner, the S&H conference was presented in multiple states, and countries around the world including Canada and in Europe. The goal of the planning committee, once it was determined to be a virtual conference, was to present it across the nation as a “Safety Stand Down” and allow both on duty and off duty personnel the opportunity to participate and learn. We could not imagine the impact the conference had with over 450 attendees during the three-day program. We may never know the exact

numbers of attendees due to singular logins at fire stations across America and beyond; in fact we received some photos of on duty crews watching the conference live at their fire station (socially distanced of course). Over the course of the conference, the planning committee laid out a very comprehensive program with several factors in mind including what was important today and in the future. The obvious answer to this question would be the current pandemic, social unrest response, mental well-being, and dietary concerns for first responders. However there were many other issues that have been and will continue to be a priority for the fire service including cancer prevention and awareness, physical fitness, and again, mental health - these are all issues that do not “go away” because we are dealing with other impactful issues or disasters. In fact these types of issues exacerbate the aforementioned problems facing the fire service and first responders including dispatchers. With this at the forefront of our mission, we developed a comprehensive and meaningful program for the conference. One of the benefits of hosting the conference virtually was the ability to have world renowned speakers present at our “little” conference and our Opening Day keynote speaker was none other than Chief Bobby Halton who gave an excellent talk on “The Known, the Unknown, and Safety” followed by a live Q&A session with the attendees. On Day two, the viewers were very fortunate to have three of the doctors on the front line of the pandemic battle in the state and around the nation. Doctors Peter Antevy, MD, Paul Pepe, MD, and Ken Scheppke, MD and State medical director, presented on the COVID-19 issues from the beginning, to where we are today and where we are going moving forward. This was extremely powerful and helpful to our first responders. Finally on Day three, and again an opportunity we may not have been afforded in person, we had an amazing opportunity to hear directly from Chief Glen Riley of the Atlanta Fire Department about “Leading the Fire

Q&A with Keynote Speaker Bobby Halton

Service through Civil Unrest” followed by a live Q&A. This was extremely valuable to a lot of attendees due to the current occurrences around the country. Having guided his department through this difficult period in our country, hearing firsthand how AFD dealt with these issues from a fire service perspective was incredibly relevant and impactful. In addition to the amazing keynote speakers that presented, we had an incredible lineup of speakers and updates from so many people and organizations dedicated to your safety and health. Injury prevention, Yoga for First Responders (YFFR), Mental Resiliency, amazing cooking and dietary presentations each day, cancer prevention, Wildland Safety, women’s health and cancer prevention strategies, and “Surviving the Fire Service” were just a few of the outstanding presentations offered. We also heard from several organizations and leaders who offered updates in several key areas including the Firefighter Cancer Support Network, Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office update from Chief Tucker and Director Halas, the Florida Firefighters Safety and Health Collaborative, and of course our partners at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. We would like to thank all of those who gave their time and commitment to improving the health, safety and lives of our first responder family. One of the highlights of the conference was the presentation of our annual awards in the area of Safety and Health and a new award that was introduced and appropriately named after our first ever chair of the FFCA Safety & Health section, Retired Fire Chief Frank A. Babinec. The Frank A. Babinec Lifetime Achievement Award was developed and introduced to the section with blessings from the FFCA leadership and bestowed upon Chief Babinec much to his surprise and humility. The leadership and section felt that this award was fitting for all of the hard work and personal dedication that Chief Babinec has shown throughout his career to the men and women of the fire service. This award shall be bestowed on only those deserving of a lifetime achievement in the area of Safety & Health that Chief Babinec exemplified throughout his 27 years in the fire service. Chief Babinec was extremely honored to receive this award named in his honor as he moves to the next chapter in his career as the City Manager of the City of Coral Springs. We wish him all the best and give our thanks for his service and dedication to the service. Being the selfless person Chief Babinec is, his wish was to present “his” inaugural award to someone that is deserving of such an honor. The person unanimously selected for this prestigious award

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is Lt. Dustin Hawkins of the Indian River County Fire Rescue department and founding member of the Florida Firefighters Safety & Health Collaborative. Lt. Hawkins has given of himself countless times over the many years involved in chaplaincy, mental health issues, and firefighter wellbeing. Dustin has been instrumental and a driving force behind and in front of the scenes to bring attention to the mental health epidemic rampant in the fire service and had tirelessly worked to improve access to mental health treatment and bring these issues to the forefront. We can think of no one more deserving of this award and we are very proud of both of these tremendous people and grateful for the strides they have made. The 2nd Annual Award of Excellence in Safety, Health, and Wellness was presented to St. Petersburg Fire Rescue. This department was selected for numerous proactive programs that they have dedicated themselves to during this past year. They have launched a F.A.C.E. Team that meets monthly, have implemented a Clean Cab policy, a Protective Particulate Hood Exchange Program Policy, and purchased a second set of bunker gear for all personnel. They have further predesigned all future fire stations to include separate bunker gear storage rooms, extractors, and dryers to aid in carcinogen reduction in the work environment. Cancer prevention was only one aspect of their focus this past year. SPFR has also developed a Behavioral Health Program, and has partnered with Pinellas County Fire and EMS, Pinellas County Dispatch and Sunstar Ambulance Service to create the Pinellas County Wellness and Fitness Leadership Committee. They have also launched an anonymous hotline where employees, family members, and concerned peers can call for guidance and assistance if someone is struggling with mental health issues. To ensure that all personnel and their families

were aware of this program, they mailed out magnets with the resource information printed on them. The department has initiated several other programs this year that include surveys to members on mental health issues, healthy cooking classes, adding a clinician to provide free counseling, and more. All this was in addition to preparing safety protocols during the pandemic to protect their personnel from COVID-19 exposures. Their comprehensive and ongoing commitment to these new programs earned them a unanimous vote from the selection committee. Congratulations St. Petersburg Fire Rescue! In closing, I cannot express the amount of gratitude for all of the hard work and countless hours of preparation that went into this year’s conference. We would certainly not have had the success we enjoyed without these dedicated, hardworking people. The FFCA leadership and staff, especially Ngoc Huynh; Debbie Pringle from the Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department, the FFSHC executive board, the Safety & Health Section Conference planning committee and Dale Keune from Fogarty Services who pieced all of these various components together to produce an AMAZING conference. I would also like to particularly thank our overall sponsor Public Consulting Group, as well as Ten-8, and United Badges Insurance Services who made all of this possible. We were able to present this invaluable information completely free of charge to everyone due to their commitment to Florida’s first responders and for that we are incredibly grateful. On behalf of the entire Safety & Health Section of the Florida Fire Chiefs Association, we hope 2021 brings you happiness, health, and safety and we look forward to seeing everyone in person at next year’s conference in December at the B Resort. Visit us at WWW.FFCA.ORG

Completion of Recruit Academy By Joseph Dorsette, Division Chief, Training and Professional Standards, Broward County Sheriff’s Office

ifteen new members of the Broward Sheriff’s Office Department of Fire Rescue and Emergency Services Probationary Orientation Program Class 20-02 completed their day time academy assignment with our 5-mile “traditions run” along beaches of Fort Lauderdale. The Probationary Orientation Program (POP) is an intensive training regimen and comprehensive class that aims to quickly bring the new recruit up to speed with Broward Fire Rescue rules, regulations, standard operating guidelines, emergency medical protocols, equipment use and familiarization, facility

FLORIDA FIRE SERVICE

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familiarization, apparatus familiarization, communications procedures, administrative processes, and a host of other topics, matters, and subjects. The orientation class involves daily physical fitness, both fire and EMS training, and weekly exams and practical assessments. The Division of Training and Professional Standards realizes that including a health and wellness program into the recruit academy will benefit individual firefighters and the fire and emergency services as a whole; such programs can yield safer and more effective actions and responses by first responders to emergencies. Training Officers along with the Chief Officers of Training, take this run to pass on the importance of personal wellness, firefighter health and safety, as well as physical fitness and conditioning.

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Polk County Brings New Logistics Manger Onboard By Chris Jonckheer, Public Information Officer

Polk County Fire Rescue Chief Robert Weech announced the hiring of James Weed as the Division’s new logistics manager. Weed is a seasoned leader and manager with more than 40 years of experience in key public safety, fire/rescue and emergency management operations and management. Beginning his career in 1971 with the Howard County Fire Department in Ellicott City, Maryland, Weed has spent his entire career in the public safety arena. This includes stints as a Fire Chief, Emergency Management director, Chairman of the Southeastern New Hampshire Hazardous Materials Mutual Aid District, Division Director of the Hazardous Materials Response Division for the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services, and a safety officer for the office of occupational safety and health for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He holds a Bachelor’s of Science from the University of Maryland in Fire Administration Management Studies, as well as a Master’s of Science from Grand Canyon University in Public Safety and Fire Executive Leadership with post-graduate work in the field of Trauma at John Hopkins University.

Award of Excellence in Safety and Health By Lt. Steven Lawrence, CFEI, IAAI-FIT, Deputy Fire Marshal/PIO

We are proud to announce that the Florida Fire Chiefs’ Association has awarded St. Petersburg Fire Rescue with the Safety, Health and Wellness Award of Excellence! This award is presented to an individual, department, or agency within the state of Florida who has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to Safety, Health and Wellness within the fire, rescue, and/or EMS service through Firefighter Safety, Cancer Prevention, Health & Fitness, and Mental Wellness. This is an amazing accomplishment and certainly confirms the department’s commitment to safety and wellness! Congratulations to each member of St. Petersburg Fire Rescue for your crucial role in achieving this award, and for your continued commitment to serve the community and each other!

Dunedin Fire Rescue Awards By Jeffrey S. Parks, Fire Chief

On Tuesday, December 15, 2020 the City of Dunedin Commission acknowledged recent promotions and new hires, along with the Firefighter of the Year. The following presentations were made: Firefighter of the Year – LT/P Brandon Young (He also received acknowledgement from VFW Post 2550). Lt. Young was hired by Dunedin in 2002 and promoted to Lieutenant in 2013. This is the second time he has earned this honor. He was recognized for his commitment to the department and the work he does on his shift to create an invigorating environment to enhance the training on his shift. Division Chief of Training – Kevin Naylor was hired in 2007 and rose to the rank of Lieutenant to Division Chief on October 7, 2020. Division Chief of Logistics – Eric Leon was hired in 2008 and rose to the rank of Lieutenant to Division Chief on October 21, 2020. Firefighter/Paramedic – Tyler Harvey was hired by the department on September 23, 2020 Firefighter/EMT – Gregory Jordan was hired by the department on October 28, 2020. Pictured L-R: VFW Post Commander Frank Vanore, Chief Kevin Naylor, Chief Eric Leon, Division Chief Mark Zipeto, LT/P Brandon Young, FF/EMT Gregory Jordan, FF/EMT Tyler Harvey, Fire Chief Jeff Parks

Ocala Fire Rescue Celebrates Ribbon Cutting By Ashley Lopez, Public Information Officer

East Lake Hosts Blood Drive at Station 57 By Claudia Hernandez, Fire and Life Safety Educator

East Lake Fire Rescue will be holding a blood drive on January 13, 2021 at station 57 (3375 Tarpon Lake Blvd., Palm Harbor) from 11am to 4pm. Stop by to donate! All who donate will receive a long sleeve t-shirt. Many potential blood donors believe that they cannot donate blood due to medical or other reasons. But whether you have heard or read information about donation restrictions or been turned down in the past, please do not self-defer. You may be able to say “Yes I can!” and share your power through blood donation. Donating Blood is as crucial today as it has ever been. OneBlood’s #1 priority is Donor Safety, and they have changed some of their protocols to ensure that our donors and staff are safe. 36

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Ocala Fire Rescue (OFR) and the Ocala Police Department (OPD) hosted an intimate ribbon cutting ceremony for the MLK First Responder Campus, 505 NW MLK Jr. Ave. The ceremony marked the opening of the project that broke ground in December of 2019. The campus – made possible through the one percent Public Safety and Transportation Infrastructure Sales Tax – encompasses OFR’s administration, OFR’s Station #1, an OPD substation, a basketball court, a community room, and the Ocala Fire Museum. “This is not a typical government building,” said Ocala Fire Chief Shane Alexander. “This campus is a catalytic project meant to serve as common grounds where residents and public safety personnel can interact freely, safely, and in a familiar manner.”

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Orange County Opens Fire Station 87

Pasco County Announces New Deputy Chief

By Carrie Proudfit

By Corey Dierdorff, Public Information Officer, APIO

On November 2, 2020, crews moved into Orange County Fire Rescue’s newest fire station – Station 87. The Department’s newest house, located in East Orange County, is a 9,352 square foot state-of-the-art facility, with two drive through bays, an above ground fuel tank for diesel apparatus, wellness features and is built to withstand a Category 3 hurricane. Vaulted bay ceilings support basic in-house rope training, while the living space includes 10+ privacy bunks, an industrial sized stainless steel kitchen, a fitness room, along with individual living quarters and open day quarters. Dedicated space for decontamination and turnout gear helps mitigate potential exposures. The station is home to an advanced life support (ALS) rescue and engine with four person staffing – a historic accomplishment that became a reality on all OCFRD response units in 2020. A built in generator and available fuel source allows the station to sustain emergency power in the event of an outage. The new house is situated between several community schools, and therefore exterior finishes were designed to be reflective of the architecture and dexterity of the local community. In its first two months in service, the station responded to 338 calls for service, and provided 145 patient transports. The station is anticipated to reduce travel times and improve unit availability to a growing population in East Orange County. “We accomplished quite a bit in the construction of this station, in doing so we wanted to design a facility the community was proud of, that fostered firefighter and public safety at the same time,” said Fire Chief Jim Fitzgerald.

Following an exhaustive and highly competitive process, we are pleased to welcome Jeremy Sidlauskas to the Deputy Chief of Administration position with Pasco County Fire Rescue. His most recent professional positions include a District Chief for the Pinellas Suncoast Fire & Rescue District (PSFRD) and an Adjunct Instructor in Fire Sciences for Eastern Oregon University, and Wiregrass Georgia Technical College. He was employed with PSFRD since October of 2001 and steadily accelerated through the ranks with experience as an Infection Control Officer, Shift Commander, Lieutenant, and EMS/Fire Prevention Chief with PSFRD. He also served with Bayflite as a Flight Paramedic for over ten years. Deputy Chief Sidlauskas has many educational achievements and certifications that will significantly benefit our organization in conjunction with his tenured experience. Chief Sidlauskas holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, a Bachelor’s degree in Public Safety Administration, Chief Fire Officer (CFO) from the Center for Public Safety Excellence, and Executive Fire Officer (EFO) designation from the National Fire Academy. Deputy Chief Jeremy Sidlauskas is a native Floridian and long-time resident of Pasco County, which puts him in a great position to understand the needs of our Community. Deputy Chief Sidlauskas is also an avid Tampa Bay sports fan, especially the American League Champion Tampa Bay Rays! We are excited to have Deputy Chief Jeremy Sidlauskas join our Pasco County Fire Rescue Family!

Big Heart Brigade Coming to the Rescue By Brenda Stokes, Public Information Officer

Since the early 1990s, while most are beginning to make travel plans for a long holiday weekend, firefighters, families and friends in St. Lucie County prepare for the Big Heart Brigade’s annual Thanksgiving day meal deliveries. In years past, hundreds of volunteers have participated in this week-long endeavor to deliver nearly 2,000 hot meals to residents in need on Thanksgiving day. This past November; however, due to COVID-19 and the CDC recommendations, we had to restructure and look at another way to serve the community. Unfortunately, that meant not using as many volunteers. So in 2020, two days before Thanksgiving and with less than 30 volunteers, the Big Heart Brigade gave away frozen turkeys with all the fixins for families to make their own holiday meal. Over 800 turkeys were distributed which is equivalent to approximately 8,000 meals; more than four times the amount distributed in previous years. 38

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East Lake Hosts Drive-through Breakfast By Claudia Hernandez, Fire and Life Safety Educator

On January 13, 2021, East Lake Fire Rescue hosted their 6th Annual Law Enforcement Breakfast at Station 57. Although the department typically invites law enforcement officers to come into their station and enjoy a buffet style breakfast along with our firefighters, this year they were unable to do so due to COVID-19 restrictions. Department members refused to cancel this important appreciation event and decided to think outside of the box and host this event as a drive through breakfast pick up at Station 57. The event turned out to be extremely successful and department members were happy to have the opportunity to remind each officer how much they are appreciated in our community. A special thank you to Corporate Catering of Palm Harbor for donating hot breakfast sandwiches and to Sam’s Club for donating a gift card for this event.

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Ocala Unveils Florida’s First Safe Haven Baby Box By Ashley Lopez, Public Information Officer

Ocala Fire Rescue (OFR) hosted an unveiling ceremony for Florida’s first Safe Haven Baby Box (SHBB) at the MLK First Responder Campus, 505 NW MLK Jr. Ave., on Dec. 15, 2020. A small number of guests gathered outside of OFR’s Station #1 to witness the unveiling of the SHBB, located on the southwest corner of OFR’s fire administration lobby tower. Remarks were provided by Ocala Fire Chief Shane Alexander, Pastor Mark Cummins, City Councilman Ire Bethea, Sr., City of Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn, Senator Dennis Baxley, State Representatives Joe Harding and Mike Beltran, as well as Safe Haven Baby Box Founder Monica Kelsey, and Linda Znachko from He Knows Your Name Ministries. Designed for the safe, secure, and anonymous surrender of a newborn by a mother in crisis, the SHBB is equipped with cooling and heating features, locking mechanisms, and alarm systems that trigger an immediate response through 9-1-1. The SHBB will be available for public use 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “By adding a Safe Haven Baby Box to the MLK First Responder Campus, we hope to extend a helping hand to a defenseless child and a mother in crisis,” said Ocala Fire Chief Shane Alexander. For more information about Safe Haven Baby Boxes, please visit www.shbb.org. To speak to a trained professional about surrendering a newborn – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – contact the National Safe Haven Crisis Line at 1-866-99BABY1 (1-866-992-2291).

New Beginnings By Allen Clayton, Fire Chief

On November 24, 2020 Madison County Fire Rescue placed Engine 3 in service at Station 1 located in Madison, Florida. Engine 3 and its crew are the County’s first fully dedicated Fire Crew under the County’s Fire Rescue Division. The County also has a Dual Certified ALS Fire Crew operating on Med 2 located in the western side of the County in the Town of Greenville, FL. Chief Clayton would like to thank Madison County Board of County Commissioners for the continued support and the help in making this happen. 40

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Polk County Newly Promoted Battalion Chiefs By Chris Jonckheer, Public Information Officer

Just prior to this past holiday season Captains Robert Williams and Garrett Parnell received the honor of being promoted by Fire Chief Robert Weech. They have since been on the road leading the agency’s personnel and will take up residency in the Battalion 7 area of the county, which includes the cities of Lake Wales, Frostproof, and Babson Park. A Lake Wales native, Battalion Chief Robert Williams began his career in 2003 with Polk County Fire Rescue at 19 years old. Since then he has worked his way up through the ranks, with his most recent position being a Special Operations Captain commanding the agency’s Heavy Rescue Unit. He holds a EMS certification from South Florida State College and is currently working on completing his Bachelors in Business Management and Leadership at the same institution. Battalion Chief Garrett Parnell is a Polk County Fire Rescue legacy and Polk County native. He began his public safety journey as a Polk County Fire Rescue Explorer, which are now known as Polk County Fire Rescue Cadets. Although he has been around the agency for most of his life, he officially became part of the workforce in 2007. Chief Parnell holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from the University of South Florida and an EMS Associate’s Degree from Polk State College. Parnell’s most recent position with the agency was as a training captain, who most noticeably was the point man for the new way the agency conducts it in-service trainings.

Brian Swartout Awarded “CFO” Credentials By Corey Dierdorff, Public Information Officer, APIO

Pasco County Fire Rescue Deputy Chief of Operations Brian Swartout has been awarded Chief Fire Officer credentials by the Commission on Professional Credentialing. The Commission unanimously awards Deputy Chief Swartout the Chief Fire Officer designation, a professional designation model that recognizes career excellence and offers continuous personal improvement strategies. Deputy Chief Swartout is one of 1,494 Credentialed Chief Fire Officers worldwide. “We commend Deputy Chief Swartout’s efforts and dedication in achieving this personal and professional milestone.” Said Richard Mason, Center for Public Safety Excellence Program Manager “I’m proud of Chief Swartout’s investment in his career, department, and community,” Said Fire Chief Scott Cassin. “Chief Swartout’s dedication to obtaining his CFO designation shows his commitment to the men and women of Pasco County Fire Rescue and the community they serve.” Deputy Chief Swartout marks the third member of the Pasco County Fire Rescue Senior Staff to receive this prestigious award and highlights the staffs’ commitment to excellence. Deputy Chief Brian Swartout joined Pasco County Fire Rescue in 2019, after serving as the Fire Chief of Zephyrhills Fire and Rescue.

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Broward Sheriff’s Office Fire Rescue Promotions By Michael B. Kane, MPA, Battalion Chief

On January 12 and 13 2021, The Broward Sheriff’s Office Department of Fire Rescue and Emergency Services promoted seventeen personnel to various ranks as the agency continues to grow in size while remaining to combat attrition of retiring employees. Fire Chief Gregory Holness awarded each individual their new brass ensemble and provided each with a personalized inspirational speech. Of the seventeen, three noteworthy promotions included Driver Engineer Garth Bonner and Driver Engineer Gabriel Castillo, each promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. Both employees were part of a recent merger with the City of Hallandale Beach which was completed on January 4, 2021. They are the first former Hallandale Beach employees to be promoted since the completion of the merger. The third noteworthy promotion is that of Driver Engineer Michael Korte promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. Michael has served BSFR on many capacities. At 14 years of age, Michael was a member of the very first BSFR Explorer class in 2000. Then as a professional firefighter, Michael became a fire inspector before his promotion to Driver Engineer in 2000. Michael’s inspiration came from his father, Battalion Chief Richard Korte who was an active duty member of the agency until his passing in 1999. Promoted personnel: Captain Bruce Young promoted to the rank of Battalion Chief, Lieutenant Jose Perez promoted to the rank of Captain, Driver Engineer Gabriel Castillo promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, Driver Engineer John Muilman promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, Firefighter Carlos Berreras promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, Firefighter Robert Johnson III promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, Driver Engineer Raymond Aguillera promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, Driver Engineer Ryan O’ Malley promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, Driver Engineer Michael Korte promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, Driver Engineer Daniel Snyder promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, Driver Engineer Carlos De La O promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, Driver Engineer Garth Bonner promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, Firefighter Randy Chidester promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, Firefighter Kelli Owens promoted to the rank of Driver Engineer, Firefighter Jonathan Adams promoted to the rank of Driver Engineer, Firefighter Justin Hunter promoted to the rank of Driver Engineer and Firefighter Danny Joseph promoted to the rank of Driver Engineer. 42

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Mall Fire By Martin Grube, Founder/CEO

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews responded to the mall along the 19000 block of Biscayne Boulevard at around 8 p.m., Wednesday, December 16 , 2020. According to fire officials, the blaze broke out on the roof of Tap 42 at the food court.

HCFR Battles Batts of Insulation By Eric Seidel. Public Information Officer

On December 22, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue (HCFR) received the call of a fire at a local self-storage warehouse. That in itself isn’t unusual, but after cutting open open the units, what we found burning wasn’t what you might think. Instead of stored furniture or other household goods, we found smoldering stacks of hundreds of pallets, or “batts”, of insulation. Insulation, as we know, is generally made to be heat resistant but the paper backing on the batts is not. After knocking down the fire and and cutting open adjoining units to limit extension, our crews still had the labor-instensive job of unfolding and hosing down and what seemed like endless piles of wet insulation to extinguish all the hotspots. Some ten storage units were affected by either fire, smoke or water damage. We had the initial fire under control in 15 minutes, but the overhaul took hours. Our investigators are looking into the cause of this unusual blaze.

Structure Fire at Daytona Beach Flower Shop

Grilling on Balcony Causes a 2-alarm Fire

By Jessica Wolfelschneider, Community Relations

By Corey Dierdorff, APIO, Public Information Officer

In December, Daytona Beach Firefighters responded to an early morning fire at Zahnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Flowers, 140 W. International Speedway Blvd, Daytona Beach. Upon arrival, the fire was located on the second story, the business operated out of the first floor. The fire started around 5:30 am, therefore the shop was not open and there were no occupants were inside, Due to renovations being completed on the second floor the residential apartment was vacant. Firefighters were able to get control of the fire and prevent it from extending to adjacent units. The second floor of the flower shop received heavy damages and the first floor incurred moderate water damage. The cause of the fire was determined to be electrical. No firefighters were injured.

On Saturday, December 26, Pasco County Fire Rescue responded to the Tuscano at Suncoast Apartment Complex for a reported fire. When firefighters arrived, they reported a three-story apartment complex with heavy fire and smoke coming from the second and third floors. The incident called for a second alarm due to the fire load and the number of evacuations needed. Command set up 3 divisions and started the evacuations of over 100 residents from 48 apartments. Thankfully, the residential sprinkler and alarm system activated, alerting residents to the fire. The system assisted firefighters in knocking down the fire. Hard work from firefighters on the scene kept the fire from quickly spreading. In all, five apartments suffered fire and smoke damage. It took about 30 minutes to knock the fire down, and there were no injuries reported. Pasco County Fire Rescue Investigators determined the cause to be from illegal grilling on a second-floor apartmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s balcony. That fire extended to the third floor and into the roof of the apartment building.

Structure Fire in Seville By Ken Girlardo, Firefighter

Volusia County Fire Rescue's Station 44 was first due to a structure fire in Seville. The fire started in one mobile home and spread to two other mobile homes in a remote area. As the fire was located in a marina and close to boat slips, the engine was able to easily draft from Lake George. Foam was also used for the attack and overhaul. One patient was transported for smoke inhalation. The three mobile homes were a total loss but further exposures were protected with minimal damage. In addition, there were multiple, damaged propane tanks recovered and secured. 44

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Structure Fire By Madison Heid, Communications Coordinator

On November 21, North Port Fire Rescue crews responded to a fully involved structure fire in the middle of the night, with flames above the garage area. Live ammunition was going off inside and the Florida Power and Light drop to the home was failing and heavily arcing. Accessing the home was extremely difficult due to multiple cars on the property and cluttered conditions within the home. First due crews took a defensive attack and protected exposures. Crews were able to contain the fire to just the residence. Thankfully, all occupants and their animals were out of the home when NPFR arrived. Strong work to the responding NPFR crews.

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