February 2020 Florida Fire Service Magazine by ffca

THE PUBLICATION

OF THE

FLORIDA FIRE CHIEFS’ ASSOCIATION

February 2020 • VOLUME 28 NUMBER 2

Thank you West Sebring Fire Department and Highlands County Fire Rescue! • • • • • • • •

E-ONE Typhoon Custom Rescue Pumper Cummins L9 450 HP Engine Allison 3000 EVS Transmission Waterous CSU 1,500 GPM Pump UPF 980 Gallon Water Tank UPF 50 Gallon Foam Tank Severe Duty Interior and Front Bumper Eclipse Compressed Air Foam System

• FoamPro Foam Refill System • Whelen Warning and Scene Light Package • Weldon V-MUX Electrical System • Safety Vision Back Up and Side View Camera System • Smart Powered 10 KW Generator • Wilburt Night Scan Light Tower • Top Mount Pump Module • Bostrom Seats with Secure All SCBA Brackets

Thank you Escambia County Fire Rescue! • • • • • • • • • • •

Jeff Bergosh – County Commissioner District 1 Doug Underhill – County Commissioner District 2 Lumon May – County Commissioner District 3 Robert Bender – County Commissioner District 4 Steven Barry – County Commissioner District 5 Janice Gilley – County Administrator John Dosh – Public Safety Director Tamika Williams – Business Operations Manager Paul Nobles – Purchasing Manager James Maddrey – EMS Manager Thomas Bannon – Fleet Supervisor

• Three (3) New Horton Ambulances – Model 603A • MV607 International, 260 HP, Allison 3000 EVS Transmission • Curbside Door Forward Design w/Custom Crash Barrier Compartment • Sound Proofing/Acoustic Enhancement Package • Street Side and Curb Side HOPS Airbag System • Stryker Power Load with Special Winch Plate and Power Installation • Whelen Ultra Freedom IV, 55” Lightbar • Whelen M Series LED Light Package • LED Strip Lighting in all Exterior Compartments • Danhard Heat/AC System Installed in Street Side Rear Compartment • Custom Center Console

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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 Darrel Donatto - President Neal de Jesus, EFO - 1st Vice President Ty Silcox, MPA - 2nd Vice President John Miller - Immediate Past President Douglas Riley - Secretary/Treasurer Ryan H. Crawford - Northwest Region Director Carlos Aviles - Northeast Region Director Terry Wooldridge Jr. - East Central Region Director Julie Downey - Southeast Region Director TBA - West Central Region Director Michael Murphy - Southwest Region Director Wm. Ray Colburn - Executive Director & CEO Cindy Morgan - Foundation Chair Ronald Parrish, MPA, CFO, EFO - Senior Member

Ethical Fade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Why Employment Background Checks are a Necessity in Public Safety .10 Fire Department Training:

Focus on Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

FURTHERMORE The Best Chance for Love . . . . . . . .12 Meet the PIO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Members on the Move . . . . . . . . .16

FFCA New Members . . . . . . . . . . .16 Featured Vendor . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Orlando Fire Department Uses Thermal Imaging Drone to Fight Fires . . . .18

Life Support Competition . . . . . . .22 8th Annual RIT

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

Competition at FRE . . . . . . . . . . .24 PIO Symposium, Training

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. Florida Fire Service February 2020, Volume 28, Number 2 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 author’s alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of the officers or the members of FFCA. Copyright 2020 by the Florida Fire Chiefs’ Association. All rights reserved. Materials may not be reproduced without written permission.

FLORIDA FIRE SERVICE

Pick Your Poison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

2020 FFCA Advanced

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

FEATURES

February 2020

Transcends 2020 Vision . . . . . . .26 2019 Fire Service Awards . . . . . . .28 Polk County Awards Medal of Valor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 In brief . . . news from around the state . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Advertisers Index . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . .38

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

ood leadership is like a good golf swing, you have to do a bunch of stuff right for it to work and doing only one thing wrong screws it up catastrophically. With respect to leadership, this caveat covers the dissonant styles of leadership. Dissonant leadership poisons organizations and organizational efforts on many different levels. Dissonant leadership contributes to poor teamwork and is a leading contributor to toxic organizational cultures. Unfortunately, the more dissonant the leadership, the more toxic the organization. The first step toward fixing dissonant leadership is to understand the various dissonant leadership styles that may be part of the organization’s culture. Here are a few of the more problematic: Autocratic/Commanding: This style of leadership can be very useful on the emergency scene. When you are up to your neck in alligators, it is not the time to practice a more democratic form of leadership. In these situations, training and experience take over, and top-down leadership is critical. However, once the emergency operation has been completed it is time to put this commanding style to bed. Keep in mind that the majority of a leader’s day is filled with the more mundane management and leadership tasks. Using the commanding style during these times only

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serves to breed resentment, and even contempt toward the leader. Pacesetting: Pacesetting is a style of leadership that is useful in organizations suffering from long-term organizational culture issues. A pacesetter is one who comes in fast and furious, with an eye toward solving problems through decisive action plans. With the right person in charge, this style can often turn problem organizations around. However, once the organizational ship has been righted, it is important that the pacesetter dial it back a few notches. This is often easier said than done, and is why pacesetting should be used sparingly. Micromanagement: Almost everyone has worked for a micromanager. Often, poor leaders micromanage because they project their own insecurities on subordinates. It is essentially, “Since I don’t know how to perform the task, you probably don’t, either.” Although that is a bit of an oversimplification, in many cases it still rings true. The best way to overcome dissonant leadership is to promote and practice one or more of the resonant leadership models. Although there are many resonant models, some of the most useful are visionary, coaching, democratic and servant. Visionary leaders build resonance through moving people towards shared goals and are

adept at focusing on the desired future of the organization. The most skilled visionary leaders are able to paint a picture of how their vision is going to improve both the organization and the people that make up the organization, and to sell that vision to their subordinates. Many organizations lose sight of the importance of the people who actually do the work. Much like visionary leadership, coaching E ri c S m it h brings resonance through connecting what subordinates want with the goals of the organization. Democratic • leadership brings • Ba rr y U n i v e r sit y resonance through encouraging participation by subordinates. Again, democratic leadership is not necessarily appropriate during times of emergency response, but it is appropriate in developing guidelines and operating procedures before the emergency occurs. One of the most useful of the resonant styles is servant leadership. Servant leaders subjugate their egos in order to do what is best for the team and the organization. Servant leaders worry less about telling people what to do, and more on providing subordinates with the tools to do their jobs. A servant leader does not have to be the smartest person in the room, they simply have to know who the smartest person in the room is and leverage that person’s talents. On its face, it would seem simple to change a dissonant, toxic organization overnight by adopting one or more of the resonant models. However, the truth is that toxic organizations do not change overnight. It takes time and total commitment to change. If you are not willing to take the time and make the commitment to positive organizational change, you will likely continue to foster a toxic organizational culture.

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possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office.” Dwight D. Eisenhower. The U.S. Army is easily recognized as one of the most trusted institutions in the United States. Icons like Dwight Eisenhower, George Patton, Norman Schwarzkopf and Colin Powell have clearly demonstrated the ability of the U.S Army to effectively accomplish missions and serve the citizens of the United States. Unfortunately, the U.S. Army, as well as other branches of the military, has suffered negative press calling into question their collective integrity and credibility. In 2015, Leonard Wong and Stephen Gerras authored a report entitled “Lying to Ourselves: Dishonesty in the Army Profession” (Gerras, 2015). Wong and Gerras posited that “white lies and innocent mistruth have become so commonplace in the U.S Army that there is often no ethical angst, no deep soul-searching, and no righteous outrage when examples of routine dishonesty are encountered.” The accepted presence of white lies and innocent mistruths lead to a condition known as ethical fade. Ethical fade creates a situation in which leaders and followers, and by extension the organization, fail to clearly see the lack of moral standard when making decisions. In essence, ethical fade ensures the ethics of a leader are purely situational and not based on any accepted standard. Unfortunately, this issue is not unique to the United States Army. In the fire service, the issue

of ethical fade is a real danger. Nearly every reader of this article can recall a time when a drug log, inventory log, or vehicle check-off sheet was “pencil whipped.” How many times have stories been told of firefighter Smith’s name being added to the roster of a class she never attended? Leaders who commit, or simply allow, these activities are guilty of damaging their personal integrity and further advancing the ethical fade within the organization. When followers see these types of actions being condoned or encouraged, they begin to feel it is the accepted, or even expected, organizational norm. In addition, followers also begin to wonder that if a leader will allow these little lies and deceptions to exist, what else would the leader lie about? Building a leadership legacy on the solid foundation of integrity is critical. The ability to employ any other leadership quality stems from the integrity of the individual. Without integrity, nobody cares about transparency, communication skills, passion or creativity. It is only through the consistent demonstration of integrity that a leader, and by extension an organization, can begin to activate any other leadership quality. Without integrity leaders lose credibility and legitimacy, and ultimately become devalued by the individuals they have been charged to lead. You can be certain that as a leader there will be many opportunities for those proverbial winds and rain to attack the hael Tucker foundation of your Mic career. Build on the solid foundation of integrity and it won’t matter the winds and waves that ri d come. As in the ll e a S t a t e F ir e C o parable of the wise and foolish builders, structures built on solid foundations won’t have to worry about shifting sands. •

ost everyone is familiar with the parable of the wise builder and the foolish builder, or at least some version of it. In this parable the distinction is made between the actions of the wise builder who chooses to build his house on a firm foundation (i.e. rock), contrasted by the foolish builder who chooses to build on a site of loose and shifting sand. Without going into the details, the parable makes it clear that homes built on solid foundations will stand longer and be more secure than homes built on unstable foundations (i.e. shifting sands). While the principle holds true for building structures, it also holds true for the building of a life or career. The word integrity is identified as a noun and defined by Merriam-Webster as: 1. firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values: Incorruptibility 2. an unimpaired condition: Soundness 3. the quality or state of being complete or undivided: Completeness The word has its origins in the Latin word integritatem and represents an understanding of wholeness. The inclusion of integrity as an important leadership characteristic is not new, nor is it a foreign concept to many in the leadership community. A simple internet search of the term “leadership qualities” will produce a long list of surveys through which people have endeavored to identify the most important qualities of a leader. The word integrity consistently appears in the survey results and quite often near the top. The concept of integrity dates as far back as the account of Job in the Old Testament (Job 2:3). The issue of integrity is a theme that continues even to this day; it can be found throughout modern leadership texts and commented on by many modern great leaders. “The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is

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ALLEN DURHAM, PRESIDENT/CEO OVER 17 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH PUBLIC SAFETY 850.841.9992 | ADURHAM@UNITEDBADGES.COM

By Gordon Graham, Co-founder, Lexipol

ordon Graham here and as promised, here is the continuation of the last piece I wrote regarding “getting and keeping good people.” For those of you who have not read the earlier writings in this series I encourage you to do so. This article can stand alone, but it is part of a bigger picture—specifically, some thoughts on Organizational Risk Management, which is the fourth family of the 10 Families of Risk that you face in American public safety. When you study tragedies in public safety, you identify thousands of “proximate causes.” But when you go back in time and look for the “root cause” of the tragedy, there are really only five things that keep on popping up: 1. People 2. Policy 3. Training 4. Supervision 5. Discipline It is my fervent belief that the problem can become the solution, so it is incumbent on the leadership of every public safety agency to spend time and resources in getting and keeping good PEOPLE; building good POLICY; ensuring that TRAINING is being taken seriously; selecting, developing and mentoring a great SUPERVISION cadre; and, when rules are not being followed, having a DISCIPLINE process in place. In my last article, I identified the four key ingredients of the PEOPLE component:

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1. Recruitment 2. Background investigations 3. Probation 4. Performance evaluations That last article dealt in-depth about tools you can use to assist in the recruitment process. The key takeaway: Recognize that if your applicant pool is an applicant puddle, you have a significant problem lying in wait. Now let’s move onto a discussion of the importance of background investigations. You must take the candidates that are in your recruitment pool and weed out those who are unfit or unable to do the complex jobs in public safety. When you think about weeding out candidates, your mind probably jumps to testing. And yes, you can test for intelligence and you can test for strength, agility and flexibility. You can test vision and body mass index (BMI). But you cannot test for integrity. Anyone who tells you that they can test for integrity is taking you for a ride. The only way to “test” for integrity is to recognize that the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior, and if you hire people who have a history of behavior that demonstrates a lack of integrity, you have a problem lying in wait. Checking past behavior is the crux of the background investigation (BI) process. The

purpose of the BI is to find relevant behaviors in the applicant’s past that demonstrate to the hiring authority that the applicant has a level of integrity sufficient to meet the needs of the public safety agency. I know that is a mouthful, but you must make sure that you are hiring good people. Sadly, as I travel around America and I talk about the importance of comprehensive BIs, I learn that too many agencies stop with a criminal history check. If you don’t get anything else out of this writing, please remember this: The difference between having a criminal history and not having a criminal history comes down to having been caught. Nearly 15 years ago, 19 hijackers brought down four planes and none of the 19 had a “criminal history” in the U.S. prior to their nefarious actions on September 11. A comprehensive BI for every applicant is essential, and yes, it will cost money to do this. You can spend a little bit of money now to weed out the losers, or you can spend a ton of money in the future to cover the liability costs you will incur when a bad person in your employ does something bad. Not long ago we learned that a cop accused of shooting juveniles had a past history of inappropriate behavior in another police agency, but somehow was hired by another department. Similarly, I can point to public

safety personnel who are fired for “bad driving” who get hired by another agency posttermination. And regularly I read about sexual predators wandering from agency to agency, seemingly without anyone aware of their illegal and immoral behavior. If you want a daily diet of this, please visit www.policemisconduct.net and after reading the headlines, dig a little deeper into what flaw in the agency’s hiring process contributed to the mess it is now in as a result of the officer’s bad behavior. In my live programs I provide startling examples of lax hiring processes that have allowed sexual predators, thieves, murderers, bullies and other bad people into police and fire departments around America. Public safety is not some “evil cauldron” that hires good people and turns them into bad people. Occasionally we hire bad people and put them in a position of public trust and they intentionally do bad things while in our employ. To avoid this, you must develop a comprehensive background investigation process that involves: • Selection of qualified investigators • Development of appropriate and legal application documents • Identification and utilization of validated sources of information

• Processes to analyze this data and compare it to the applicant’s version of their life as they have documented on their application You do not have to reinvent the wheel here. In any given state, the state police have such a process in place. You can learn a lot from their process and, along with your competent legal counsel, develop a process that works for your organization. My guess is that very few of you will have any problem with what I’ve written so far. Here is where I will lose some of you. Initial (prior to hire) BIs are absolutely essential, but I am recommending to you that the process be extended throughout the employee’s tenure. Every five years or so, we need to conduct another BI to make sure that the person we hired is still the person we hired. Some people go bad over time, and in too many agencies the only time we find out they have gone bad is when it ends up in tragedy. Our control measure against that happening is an ongoing BI process. I recognize that this involves paying a certain cost today to address a potential future problem, but again, “you can pay me now or you can pay me (more) later.” If you doubt the importance of BIs, consider this. Nine years ago, a terrorist investigation successfully thwarted the plans of the “Fort Dix

Six,” who plotted to take over Fort Dix and kill U.S. soldiers. After their arrest, investigators found something chilling in the house where the Fort Dix Six had been living: applications for local law enforcement agencies, one in Pennsylvania and one in California. This should be a wake-up call for every leader in American public safety. I look forward to visiting with you again in my next piece on the importance of taking the probation process seriously. Until then, please work safely and try to incorporate the principles of risk management into everything you do. Gordon Graham is a 33-year veteran of law enforcement and the co-founder of Lexipol, where he serves on the current board of directors. Graham is a risk management expert and a practicing attorney who has presented a commonsense risk management approach to hundreds of thousands of public safety professionals around the world. Graham holds a master’s degree in Safety and Systems Management from University of Southern California and a Juris Doctorate from Western State University.

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The Best Chance for Love By Joseph A. LaCognata, Chaplain, Fire Rescue Support

’ve had the privilege of traveling overseas on short-term mission trips two times in my life. In 1999, I visited Kazakhstan, which is part of the former Soviet Union. During this

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According to John, this is best done as we show love to one another: “But if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” God demonstrates His love to us, and then God demonstrates His love through us. Day in and day out, you are called to people who are broken and hurting. You encounter people desperately in need of hope. You meet people desperately in need of h A. La C ogna love. That’s why, in the se p ta Jo midst of all that you do, you truly are the world’s best chance for love. You can find out Fir t more about Chaplain eR or escue Supp Joe and Fire Rescue Support by visiting www.firerescuesupport.com. •

trip we connected with a local church in the city of Shchuchinsk in the northern part of the country near Russia. Our task was to travel to area churches and provide teaching and encouragement to the believers there. Many of our stops were at small village churches in remote areas. Then, in 2003, I spent two weeks in Bulgaria. Our team connected with a local church in the city of Sandanski. We divided our time between having children’s programs in the city during the day and traveling to the village churches in the evening. As I traveled around these foreign countries, I soon realized that my actions and words were not seen as my own. The local residents took what I said and did as representative of all Americans. Although I didn’t have the title, I was serving as an ambassador in these foreign lands. Most of the people I met would never travel to the United States. For them, I was their best chance at seeing an American. In much the same way, we serve as God’s ambassadors here on the earth. We have the opportunity, privilege and responsibility to represent Him well. In effect, we are the best chance that others have of seeing God.

•

Meet

PIO

the

Dani Moschella, Public Information Officer, Delray Beach Fire Rescue

Describe your PIO philosophy. I believe in the importance of releasing clear, concise, accurate information, both to the media and the public, in an effort to protect the health and safety of the residents my agency serves. What is the most challenging issue facing the public information function today? The modern PIO must be prepared for constant communication with media. Why? Because they often need updates during and after an incident, further explanation or clarification once a story is online and new

information promptly as situations evolve. If that doesn’t make sense to you, it might be time to re-think your line of work. As the pace of the media’s jobs change, so must ours. What skills do you feel a PIO should possess? Creativity, strong communication and writing skills, as well as a good work ethic and positive demeanor, will take you a long way down the road. How has public information changed? Social media has become our greatest tool. As journalists are stretched thinner and thinner, PIOs can pick up the ball when reporters can’t cover a story, communicating with the public through social media. Whether it’s a service offered to the

community, a safety warning, an employee doing a good deed or accurate details during a major incident, social media has made journalists out of PIOs. What are some unique aspects of your PIO function? I am my agency’s first civilian PIO, having recently switched from law enforcement to fire rescue, and I’m appreciating the visual aspect of firefighters working. My goal is to use social media to showcase images of their work, tell stories, move people and teach our residents how important the fire service is to our city. What do you think is the most challenging issue facing the Fire Service? Finding effective ways to communicate the value of services provided by fire rescue departments. Most residents never have to dial 911 for help, but they still have to pay the same tax bill to pay for us. We have to find a way to engage not only with the public we serve, but also with those we don’t. What changes do you think are coming to the Fire Service? Just as social media has changed the jobs of PIOs, technology is changing the way fire rescue departments prepare for and respond to calls. Data analysis will impact the fire service more than ever before. What’s the future for PIOs? The future for PIOs is bright. There is more of a need than ever to communicate clearly and effectively with the media and the public.

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February 2020

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Thank you Fire Chief Sean Wylam, Deputy Chief Ray Thompson, and the Apopka Fire Department Rosenbauer Cobra 100’ Mid-Mount Platform

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Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department Chief Announced On Monday, January 27, 2020, Coral Springs City Manager Frank Babinec announced the selection of Michael McNally to serve as the fire chief for the Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department. Chief McNally began his career with the department as a fire explorer in 1989 and went on to become a volunteer in 1993. He left the department for a short period to pursue a career in public safety with the City of Coconut Creek as a law enforcement officer and firefighter. He returned to Coral Springs in 2004 as a lieutenant, was promoted to battalion chief in 2009, chief of training in 2011, and in 2014 became the department’s deputy fire chief. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership from St. Thomas University. Chief McNally has served as an instructor at the Coral Springs Fire Academy since 2002, teaching Minimum Standards, Drive Engineer, Technical Rescue and Leadership Development. He took over day-to-day operations of the academy in 2011. The selection of McNally to serve as fire

Arturo Abreu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Colin Aguilar. . . . . . . . Jacksonville Fire & Rescue Department Tarin Bachle . . . . . . . . City of Naples Fire-Rescue Department Thomas Bloski . . . . . . . . . . . . . Southern Manatee Fire Rescue Dale Camposano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ARI-Hetra Careen Carlton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ONE TEST FOR CANCER Bryan Caro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Escambia County Fire Rescue Andrew Close . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Delray Beach Fire Rescue Stephen Davis . . . . . . Orange County Fire Rescue Department Peter DiMaria . . . . . . . City of Naples Fire-Rescue Department Jesus Durante . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Delray Beach Fire Rescue Scott Egan . . . . . . . . . Orange County Fire Rescue Department Obed Frometa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Craig Hare . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pinellas County EMS & Fire Admin Jay Hillis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AAHose Kurt Hindle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tallahassee Fire Department Joshua Holder . . . . . . . . . . Seminole County Fire Department Tim Howard . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bay County Emergency Services Craig Hulette. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Orlando Fire Department Khris Klock . . . . . . . . . . . . Greater Naples Fire Rescue District

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chief comes after five internal candidates completed a comprehensive interview process. Of the candidates who interviewed, City Manager Frank Babinec said, “I am extremely proud of each of the candidates who exemplified leadership and commitment through the interview process.” “I have great confidence in Chief McNally and know he will do an outstanding job in his new role leading the Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department,” he added. McNally holds both chief training officer designation and chief fire officer designation from the Center for Public Safety Excellence and will begin the Executive Fire Officer program later this year. Chief McNally has also been a rescue team manager with FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Florida Task Force 2. In his role as deputy fire chief, McNally has overseen Professional Standards and Training, as well as the Community Risk Reduction Division. Of his new role leading the Coral SpringsParkland Fire Department, Chief McNally said, “I am humbled and honored to be selected to lead one of the most professional departments in the nation. In working with command staff, I plan to ensure our organization continues on the path of leadership in providing the highest level of public safety service.”

Gary Kuehner. . . . . . . Jacksonville Fire & Rescue Department Timothy Martin . . . . . . . . . . . Town of Palm Beach Fire Rescue Juanita McDonald . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Orlando Fire Department Jermaine McFarlane . . . . . . Miramar Fire Rescue Department Natalie McQueen . . . . . . . . . . Panama City Beach Fire Rescue Juan Mestas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Miami Beach Fire Department AJ Morganelli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Morganelli & Associates Dani Moschella . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Delray Beach Fire Rescue Sophia Moser . . . . . . . . City of Coral Springs Fire Department Adam Nadelman . . . . . City of Naples Fire Rescue Department Neal Niemczyk. . . . . . . . . . . . Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Shelby Owens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Taylors Pharmacy Brandi Phillips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Roberts . . . . . . . Jacksonville Fire & Rescue Department David Soria . . . . . . . . . . Orange City Fire Rescue Department Nichol Stratman. . . . . Orange County Fire Rescue Department Andrew Sullivan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Osceola County Fire Rescue Shannon Teamer . . . . Orange County Fire Rescue Department Wayne Watts . Financial Services Division of State Fire Marshal Corey Winkler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Crestview Fire Department

Keith Powers Appointed Director/Fire Chief of Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department Chief Keith Powers was recently selected to lead the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD), an organization with approximately 1,470 uniformed personnel, 62 fire and rescue stations and a budget of $303.6 million. Powers’ tenure with JFRD exceeds two decades and includes more than six years of administrative experience, serving as the division chief of operations, the captain of JFRD's Tactical Support Facility, and most recently as interim director/fire chief. Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry appointed Powers as the permanent director/fire chief in November 2019, and Jacksonville’s City Council unanimously confirmed Powers' appointment on January 14, 2020. Powers' fire service career began with the Nassau County Fire Rescue department in 1994. Two years later, the Jacksonville native realized his dream and became a member of JFRD. His first assignment was Fire Station 17, located in Woodstock Park off Beaver Street, a district featuring a mixture of industry and residences. Between 1999 and 2006, Powers was promoted through the ranks of engineer, lieutenant and captain, while being assigned to various stations located on the city’s westside. Powers was deployed across the state on several large wildland fires during the 1998 fire season and with the Urban Search and Rescue Team during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. During his time in the field, Powers received five departmental awards for his actions on calls. Powers joined JFRD's administrative team in 2013 when he was chosen to manage JFRD’s Tactical Support Facility. In that role he was responsible for the maintenance and repair of the 550 vehicles assigned to the fire department. Those vehicles include pumpers, ladders, tankers, rescues, marine units, light cars and trucks. In February 2015, he was assigned the additional duties of overseeing construction projects and the maintenance of JFRD’s then 58 fire stations.

ational Rescue Consultants (NRC) National Rescue Consultants (NRC) is a is a FCDICE-accredited mobilecompany FCDICE-accredited mobile training training company provides a full to that provides a fullthat cache of equipment cache of equipment to facilitate onsite facilitate onsite educational training in all educational training all USAR material. USAR disciplines andinfirefighting disciplines andinstructors firefightingwith material. NRC NRC employs broad-based employs instructors with broad-based expertise in all firefighting and USAR fields expertise in all firefighting USAR from to bring real-world training and to students fields to bring real-worldBytraining to onsite first-hand experiences. providing students from first-hand training, departments areexperiences. able to save By money providing onsite training, departments in travel and staffing. Training entire are able to in travel agencies in save theirmoney facilities at oneand time staffing. that Training agencies inand their ensures staff entire receives accurate facilities atinformation one time ensures that staff consistent and promotes receives accurate and consistent teamwork and cohesion that transitions to information and promotes teamwork and real-world incidents. cohesion that transitions real-world NRC’s slogan “Train totoLive” is reinforced incidents. by the material presented to students, by NRC’s slogan “Train to Live” is encouraging continued training and by reinforced course by the material to of passionate delivery presented for all levels students, by It’s encouraging continued experience. job number one to ensure training and by passionate courseall involved that at the completion of classes delivery for certified, all levels of experience. are not just but able to useIt’s their job number one toeffectively ensure that theas gained knowledge asat well completion of classes all involved are not accurately. justHerbert certified, but able to use their gained Tyler knowledge Presidenteffectively as well as accurately. Nationalrescueconsultants.Com Herbert Tyler, President Htyler@Nationalrescueconsultants.Com Nationalrescueconsultants.Com 954-621-8498 htyler@nationalrescueconsultants.com 954-621-8498

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Orlando Fire Department Uses Thermal Imaging Drone to Fight Fires By Ashley Papagni, Public Information Manager, City of Orlando Fire Department

rlando Fire Department deployed its thermal imaging drone for the first time during a fire on West Central Blvd. on Wednesday, January 22, 2020. This stubborn fire kept rekindling and smoldering. The drone was an extremely valuable tool used by our Arson/Bomb Squad because we were able to find fire hidden in void spaces and inside bedrooms that were not accessible to our hose lines. We have had the drone program since August 2017 but used them primarily postfire to determine fire patterns and cause. This new thermal imaging drone faired very well during this recent fire considering the high winds.

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February 2020

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By Scott H. Chappell, US&R/Haz-Mat Program Coordinator, Division of State Fire Marshal

raining is one of the most important things for firefighters to do. Whether on shift, at a conference or attending a class, the benefits of training are immeasurable. If we are not running emergency calls, we should be sharpening our skills to be better for future emergencies. If we are going to risk a lot to save a lot, we need to be physically and mentally prepared to survive and even thrive in the worst situations so others may live. While actual emergencies present unknown variables and risks that may not be readily apparent, sound tactical decisions and actions are made based on the leaderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s training and experience which allows firefighters to take action to save lives in as safe a manner as possible. Even with a well-trained and experienced crew, injuries will occur on the fire ground. While we can debate whether we

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can prevent all injuries or just work to minimize risk, as we continue to train, prepare and focus on safe operations firefighter injuries should decrease over time â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with the exception of truly random accidents. On the other hand, there should be virtually no unknowns in training. Instructors should anticipate and mitigate any unnecessary hazards to minimize risk while creating realistic and challenging training. If training evolutions are repeated over multiple iterations as crews rotate through, safety issues that were missed in the initial planning but identified during early training rotations should be addressed immediately to prevent potential injuries. In addition to tracking injuries associated with a specific training evolution, we should track all injuries

associated with training and operations. As discussed previously regarding actual emergencies, with the exception of truly random accidents, as we continue to train, prepare, and focus on safe training, firefighter injuries should decrease over time. Safe and aggressive fire ground operations are rooted in good training. A well-trained firefighting force will save more lives and property while generating less injuries than a group of less-trained responders. When it comes to effective fire ground operations - The more training we do, the better. The more realistic the training is, the better. The safer the training is, the better.

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2020 FFCA Advanced Life Support Competition T

By Julie Downey, Fire Chief, Davie Fire Rescue

he Florida Fire Chiefs’ Association Advanced Life Support Competition (ALS) was held at Fire-Rescue EAST 2020, January 2224 in Daytona Beach, Florida. The Fire-Rescue EAST ALS Competition was the “Season Opener” for all of the Florida ALS competitions, points go towards the Florida Cup that has now partnered with the Florida Fire Chiefs’ Association. The competition hosted two preliminary days of competition and then culminated in a challenging final

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scenario day. On Wednesday, January 22, the teams competed in their first scenario, which was conducted in the RIT prop (thank you RIT group). The teams were confronted with a firefighter down, who had to be resuscitated, and a mother and baby who were still in the prop and had to be located and treated. Also on Wednesday, the teams were treated to a welcome reception – a fun time was had by all! Thank you to Ward Diesel and Braxton

College for sponsoring the evening, and Julie Downey for sponsoring the raffle prizes. On Thursday, the teams competed in four different events, the first being a patient with a seizure in an MRI machine with the MRI technician who was injured and became a critical trauma patient. After a few minutes, several patients in the waiting room developed symptoms with one suffering from hypokalemia and one from hypomagnesemia. The second event involved teams

1st Place Winner: Margate Fire Rescue A

2nd Place Winner: Miami Dade Fire Rescue

3rd Place Winner: Palm Beach County Fire Rescue

Student Team Winner: EEI

performing high-performance CPR for six minutes. The third event involved a grandma (great job, Ty Vassil) who advised the teams that her medicines fell out of the medicine cabinet and had to be placed back with the correct description. The fourth event involved a scuba diving accident with two patients who had a spear through their legs with teams being unable to separate them, and third and fourth patients who had diving-related injuries. The captain of the boat had the dive log for all of the patients. The scenarios for the two days were cumulative and the top ten teams moved onto the finals held on Friday. The final scenario was a suspicious structure fire, command was already established and firefighters were working the fire prior to the

teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s arrival. The teams had to not only treat and triage their patients, but they had to coordinate their efforts through command. The teams were initially confronted with a firefighter in distress from a mask failure with airway burns exiting through the window and a child who was in arrest but could be resuscitated. After a few minutes, several more patients entered, with a wide range of injuries/illnesses, severe burn patient, firefighter with heat exhaustion, firefighter who jumped from the roof and had neurogenic shock, and a firefighter with an arterial bleed high on his leg due to a K-12 accident. The final patient was the homeowner (arsonist) brought in by law enforcement with hydrofluoric acid burns to the face. Teams were challenged to not only preserve the equipment the firefighters were wearing for future investigation, but they also were tasked with treating downed firefighters and patients for carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide toxicity. The objective and goal of presenting realistic scenarios that coincide with the business of fire rescue was the target for the FFCA Fire-Rescue EAST ALS Competition. A huge thank you to all of the judges, actors and cadets that assisted in making the event a success.

Thank you to the sponsors PCG Managed Care (Platinum Sponsor) Stryker, Laerdal, MedSource and Orlando Medical Institute. Thank you to Deltona Fire Rescue for providing the military salute fire engine, especially Captain Nick Coutsouvanos and Fire Chief Bill Snyder and to Julie Singleton (St Petersburg Fire Rescue) for doing a great job on the moulage. And last, but not least, thank you to the planning committee Bill McGrath, Ty Vassil, Dr. Tony Gandia, Jorge Gonzalez, Jorge Anzardo, Jon Moscowitz, Josh Corblit, Manny Sanchez, Tony Chin and Julie Downey. Also, the FFCA team including FFCA board members, Ray Colburn, Ngoc Huynh and Denise Holley. The teamwork to plan and put the competition together was amazing and I think everyone had a fun educational experience.

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February 2020

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PIOPIO SYMPOSIUM, SYMPOSIUM, TRAINING TRAINING TRANSCENDS TRANSCENDS 2020 2020 VISION VISION By Mike Jachles, By MikeMPIO, Jachles, PIOMPIO, Section PIO Chair Section Chair

hat began some 20-plus years ago as a small group of fire service public information officers (PIO) meeting at FireRescue EAST has morphed into a nationally recognized training conference that connects

hundreds of PIOs from all over the state. With increased demand for PIO training in recent years, the Florida Association of Public Information Officers (FAPIO) has met this need by adding two, two-day training offerings

CNN Correspondent Rosa Flores engages the PIOs with Q & A. 26

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leading up to the symposium. This year, the FEMA G290 Basic PIO Course and the FAPIO Advanced PIO Skills Workshop offered a combined total of 80 PIOs the opportunity to take advantage of these classes. While the Basic PIO Course is the foundation for the new PIO, the Advanced PIO Skills Workshop builds on those skills through facilitator-led sessions, showcasing best practices. The unique thing about the workshop is that it utilizes a dynamic curriculum – refreshed and updated every year. Not only does this allow the practicing PIO to stay up on current trends, it also encourages repeat participation. This year, the concept was to have the entire group together on day one for presentations, which featured the US Fire Administration External Affairs’ Tom Olshanski leading a half-day handson exercise focusing on messaging for disaster recovery – one of the greatest challenges for a PIO. On the second day, a social media boot camp was held. The class was divided into six small breakout groups who rotated through the

following sessions: Telling Your Story; Measuring Your Success on Social Media/Making Sense of the Numbers; Making the One-Man/Woman PIO Shop Work; Public Records and Social Media; and Marketing and Recruitment for Your Agency. The 2020 Florida PIO Symposium offered a diverse group of presenters and topics for PIOs from all disciplines. Joseph Porcelli, the Government Agency Lead from Nextdoor, started the day with an overview of the neighborhood platform and how agencies use it to engage with their stakeholders. A panel discussion followed on Common PIO Challenges in High-Profile Incidents. Doral Police Department PIO Rey Valdes shared how he handled a police-involved shooting by friendly fire, one of the most difficult situations for a law enforcement spokesman. Highlands County PIO Gloria Rybinski and Highlands County Sheriff’s PIO Scott Dressel recounted how they handled an active shooter at the SunTrust Bank in Sebring. Ironically, Dressel was in last year’s Advanced PIO Skills Workshop in Daytona when that incident occurred – and one of the things we train for is to have a contingency plan when the main PIO is out of pocket. Montgomery County (MD) Fire and Rescue Services’ PIO Pete Piringer rounded out the panel with his years of experience handling a multitude of major disasters. The News Directors’ Brian Andrews moderated the session. CNN Correspondent Rosa Flores was an engaging presenter on working with reporters covering everything from PIO pet peeves to breaking down on-the-record, off-the-record, attribution, background and what they all mean. Boca Raton Police Services PIO Mark Economou walked the audience through the timeline (and handling) of events that gained

U.S. Fire Administration External Affairs Officer Tom Olshanski delivers training in the FAPIO Advanced PIO Skills Workshop.

national attention for an unfounded active shooter at the Boca Town Center Mall last July that went viral. In the end, it was popping balloons that caused the mayhem and hysteria. The Master PIO Series presentation featured Santa Rosa County PIO Brandi Bates, who knows a lot about social media trolls, discussing how her agency was trolled and the trolls crossed the line and got personal. She showed examples of how, and when, to respond. When all the classes finished, both groups were brought together for the FAPIO Annual Meeting, where all the students received their certificates. The members also voted to add an at-large member, Deputy Chief Marcos Osorio from Key Biscayne Fire Rescue, and created a digital media subcommittee to meet the section’s needs. The members also voted unanimously to create the FAPIO Lifetime Achievement Award, which was presented posthumously to Phil Politano, the PIO course manager at the FEMA Emergency Management

Institute (EMI). Moving forward, the award will be named the Politano Lifetime Achievement Award to honor Phil’s legacy in the PIO training arena. During the symposium, Deployment Team Mobilization Awards were presented to Deputy Chief Marcos Osorio, Estero Fire Rescue PIO Susan Lindenmuth and Monroe County PIO Kristen Livengood for their activation during Hurricane Dorian. As mentioned, the first-ever FAPIO Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Phil Politano, who passed away before he could receive the award. Tom Olshanski accepted the award on Phil’s behalf and the award was displayed at Phil’s memorial service at EMI in Emmitsburg, MD three days after the PIO Symposium. Phil’s legacy will be continued with the Politano Lifetime Achievement Award to to be be presented presentedannually annuallyto atodeserving a deserving PIOPIO whowho has has made made a significant a significant contribution contribution to PIO training. to PIO training. The 2020 Florida PIO Symposium drew attendees from all disciplines, from all over the state.

Visit us at WWW.FFCA.ORG

2019 Fire Service Awards Fire Marshal of the Year C. David Raborn, City of Cape Coral Fire Department

Fire Service Instructor of the Year - David Gates, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue

Paramedic of the Year Joseph Carbone, Winter Haven Fire Department 28

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Fire Inspector of the Year Rebecca Geimer and Executive Fire Officer of the Year Percy Sayles, Tamarac Fire Department

Excellence in EMS Rescue - Vincent Harper, Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department

Hazmat Responder of the Year - Mathew Marshall City of Cape Coral Fire Department

Public Information Officer of the Year - Erika Benitez, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue

Search and Rescue Responder of the Year - Alan Perry, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Visit us at WWW.FFCA.ORG

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By Chris Jonckheer, Public Information Officer, Polk County Fire Rescue

s 2019 came to a close, Polk County Fire Rescue (PCFR) held its annual awards ceremony and holiday banquet in which Battalion Chief Brian Golden was awarded the Medal of Valor for his actions during a two-alarm fire in Polk City. On May 15, 2019, just prior to 5:00 PM, PCFR Battalion Chief Brian Golden was traveling west on State Road 33 when he noticed smoke and flames emanating from the roof of a residence. He immediately entered the neighborhood. Upon arrival on scene, Golden found a home engulfed with heavy smoke and flames showing and two adults attempting to exit the structure. Battalion Chief Golden evacuated the two individuals to safety before heading back to check the neighboring homes for any additional residents. While conducting his search, he contacted dispatch and alerted them to the ongoing structure fire. Approaching the neighboring home to the east, Golden found a resident and instructed him to immediately exit the home as it was also showing flames. He then proceeded to escort this individual to safety. At 5:01, PCFR units were dispatched to the scene. Chief Golden then began inquiring about possible residents being in the neighboring home to the west of the structure of origin. He was informed that it was unoccupied at the current time because the residents were out of town. Upon arrival at 5:09, PCFR Squad 7 immediately began to place water on the fire. They were quickly followed by PCFR Engine 39. At 5:13, due to the number of structures now involved, the fire was upgraded to a twoalarm fire and additional units from PCFR and the Auburndale Fire Department were dispatched to the scene. A total of 21 fire rescue units were dispatched to the scene throughout the duration of the fire. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission officers aided with scene security. Dispatch was notified that the fire was under control at 6:23 PM. All three structures were a total loss with a fourth structure receiving minor damage due to the heat from the blaze. Thanks to the battalion chief’s quick and decisive actions on that day, no residents or pets were injured during the ordeal. For this he was nominated by his peers to receive the 2019 Medal of Valor Award. “Chief Golden’s overall day-to-day work ethic and pace is how the firefighting industry grew to such a high degree of respect,” said Polk County Fire Rescue Fire Chief Robert Weech. “He truly is an example for others to follow. The fact that he was faced with a very tough real-life scenario and his actions were flawless and lifesaving do not surprise me. I am both very happy and proud to be able to award Chief Golden the Medal of Valor for his actions.”

Hillsborough County Pins 22 New Firefighters

PBCFR Commissions Brand New Fire Station

By Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, Public Relations

By Tara Cardoso, Community Education & Communications Team

Fire Chief Dennis Jones presented 22 members of Recruit Class 19-03 with their badges on January 3rd, following five weeks of intense combat orientation and training. Chief Jones welcomed the class with a speech about expectations, stressing the standard of excellence they will uphold. Following the traditional pinning ceremony, the new firefighters were sworn in by Hillsborough Circuit Court Judge Samantha L. Ward. They then received their first assignments from Operations Chief Jason Dougherty. This was Hillsborough County’s third and final Recruit Class of 2019 and plenty of well-wishers were on hand, as these certified firefighters assume their assignments within our department. Earlier in the week, it was a great evening of "fireworks," as those families and friends got to enjoy class 19-03’s Night Burn demonstration. The traditional event marked our newest class wrapping up its final week of Orientation. The class demonstrated sword and shield techniques against a variety of fires. The Night Burn provides not only a learning tool, but an evening for family and friends to come out and catch a glimpse of what their firefighter has been training on to join Hillsborough’s finest!

Dispatcher Helps Deliver Baby on Christmas Eve

Instead of the traditional ribbon cutting for a grand opening, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue chiefs, lawmakers and community members gathered for an official fire hose uncoupling, meaning the two sides of the hose were unscrewed, in front of the brand new Fire Station No. 22 in Westlake. The ceremony kicked off January 9, 2020, with the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Honor Guard and Pipes & Drums Band. Speakers included Fire Chief Reginald K. Duren, PBC Administrator Verdenia Baker, PBC Mayor Dave Kerner, PBC Commissioner Melissa McKinlay, Westlake Mayor Roger Manning and PBCFR Station 22 Captain Aaron Pribyl. The elected officials celebrated the new state-of-the-art fire station with dedicated decontamination rooms and climate-controlled bunker gear storage. The station houses five fire rescue trucks, including an engine, a rescue, a 3,000-gallon water tender, a brush truck and a high-water vehicle. It is staffed with six uniformed personnel around the clock, 24/7. The official Station No. 22 commissioning took place in the front of the large red bay doors as PBCFR Dispatcher, Communicator III Stacy Boddie sang “God Bless America” to the Honor Guard’s raising of the American flag on the flagpole. The opening bell was rung and the hose was unscrewed to commemorate this great accomplishment for the community. The station and its firefighter-paramedics will serve thousands of residents in the Westlake, Acreage and Loxahatchee areas, and beyond as the area continues to grow.

By Brevard County Fire Rescue, Office of EMS

Lehigh Acres Launching Cadet Program

On Tuesday, December 24, 2019, EVD Karen Holley received a call from a husband whose wife was in active labor. Her ability to communicate with clarity, compassion and confidence helped deliver a healthy baby boy. The new mother contacted the Office of EMS Operations to express her gratitude and appreciation. She said, “You’re amazing. Thank you for what you do. You’re part of the family now.” Both the mother and the baby were transported without incident and are both doing well. Great job!

By Katie Heck, Public Relations Officer

Daytona Beach Fire Department New Hires By Sasha Staton, Public Information Officer

The Daytona Beach Fire Department hired 10 new firefighters. Congratulations to Edwin Cintron, Marcus Ellis, Susan Ford, Craig Jaramillo, Cody Johnston, Richard Krinitz, John McCormack III, Jacob Paradis, Ian Prado, and Brayden Taber. 32

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The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District is launching a cadet program this March to teach participants about their profession and provide access to mentors and volunteer opportunities. The youth-oriented program will prepare cadets for a professional career in firefighting and emergency medical services through classroom and hands-on learning. The program is also open to youth who may not be interested in firefighting as a career. Cadets will build many different skill sets throughout their tenure in the program, building a solid foundation for a successful future in any field. Pride, commitment, courage, leadership, teamwork, integrity and selfdiscipline are applicable and useful life skills to develop for many professions. “Our Fire Cadet Program will offer youth and young adults an opportunity to experience life as a firefighter and learn about our team,” stated Chief DiLallo. “The program has many benefits, but most importantly gives cadets a feeling for what it’s like to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Ideally, some cadets will choose to remain here and serve their community.”

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BSFR Grows to Nearly 800 Personnel

Orange County Graduates 46 Firefighters

By Michael B. Kane, MPA, Battalion Chief

By Mike Jachles, Public Information Officer

The Broward Sheriff’s Office held a formal swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday, January 28, 2020, welcoming sixty-seven additional firefighters who recently joined the Broward Sheriff’s Office from the City of Hallandale Beach through a comprehensive firerescue merger. The event, which was held at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, included remarks by Sheriff Gregory Tony, Fire Chief Joseph R. Fernandez and elected officials from the City of Hallandale Beach. Standing proudly before a sea of family, friends and elected officials, the sixty-seven public safety professionals raised their right hand as Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony administered the firefighter Oath of Office. The merger also brings three additional fire stations totaling seven apparatus, along with the immense wealth of knowledge and experience from the many dedicated professionals BSFR is so grateful to receive through this transition. The unification of services will greatly expand the Broward Sheriff’s Office’s southern fire rescue district by combining resources between the cities of Hallandale Beach, Pembroke Park and West Park, considerably improving efficiencies and emergency responses to the southeast region of Broward County. The latest integration of resources will increase BSO’s footprint to twenty-six fire stations, nearly 800 combat personnel and a projected emergency response service load of 58,000 incidents in 2020.

Lake County Firefighters Promoted to Lieutenant

Orange County Fire Rescue Department (OCFRD) added 46 firefighters to the field following a formal graduation and badge-pinning ceremony January 17, 2020, at Full Sail University in Winter Park. “I’m proud to welcome the newest members of our Orange County family and extend my heartfelt congratulations to those whose hard work has earned them deserving promotions,” Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings said. “Our residents and visitors are in the best of hands with a world-class fire rescue department.” Recruit Class 86 completed their state-mandated training at Valencia College of Public Safety and then completed an additional 400 hours of rigorous training with the OCFRD Training Section before receiving their assignments in the field. “While hundreds of individuals applied for acceptance into Class 86, these recruits are prepared to uphold their oath to serve as Orange County firefighters,” Fire Chief James M. Fitzgerald said. “I, personally, could not be more proud of them and all they have accomplished.” Thirty-one employees were also promoted at the ceremony, including a captain, twenty-one engineers, three dispatchers, three fire inspectors, two fire plans examiners and a communications quality assurance coordinator.

By Kate Jarocki, Public Communications Coordinator

Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Graduation

Lake County Fire Rescue held a pinning ceremony January 20, 2020, to promote six firefighters to the rank of lieutenant. Fire Chief Jim Dickerson and Deputy Fire Chief Chris Sievert led the ceremony. “I challenge the six new lieutenants here today to always be agents of change as they continue to serve the public,” said Fire Chief Jim Dickerson. Lieutenants are selected from qualified candidates who attend in-house classes and pass a lieutenant’s exam with a score of 75 or higher. They are also evaluated for interpersonal skills, tactical consideration and public speaking. These skills will help them in their additional firefighting responsibilities, which include taking control of fire scenes, overseeing equipment and ensuring it is in proper working order, and managing their teams. “Not only will these new lieutenants serve as co-officers and leaders, but they will also take on the role of mentor to those serving under them,” said Deputy Fire Chief Chris Sievert. Each new lieutenant’s promotion will be honored at the annual pinning ceremony on March 13, 2020, at Lake-Sumter State College.

By John Bracey, Community Affairs Officer

FLORIDA FIRE SERVICE

February 2020

The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD) added 42 new firefighters to its field roster in early January. It was the third class to be hired in 2019. JFRD Recruit Class 319 completed 12 weeks of training and entered field duty during the second week of January. JFRD employs approximately 1,440 uniformed personnel.

Warehouse Inspection By Volusia County Fire Rescue Fire Inspector Shane Lanoue conducts an overhead inspection of sprinkler heads and piping on a newly installed early suppression, fast response (ESFR) system with an employee of a local warehouse. The ESFR system is the only fire suppression system that suppresses a fire without human intervention in a high-volume, highhazard occupancy building.

Orlando and Orange County Homes for Our Troops

Broward Places New ARFF Apparatus in Service

By Ashley Papagni, Public Information Manager

By Michael B. Kane, MPA, Battalion Chief

On January 25, 2020, two tower trucks from Orlando Fire Department and Orange County Fire Rescue joined together to hang the American flag in a show of support for local veteran United States Army Sergeant Patrick Wickens and his family, as they celebrated moving into their new home in Lake Nona's Live Oak Estates Neighborhood. The organization Homes for Our Troops, along with more than a hundred members of the community, presented the keys to Army Sgt. Wickens. Homes for Our Troops builds and donates specially adapted custom homes nationwide for severely injured post-9/11 veterans to enable them to rebuild their lives. Sgt. Wickens was injured in Iraq after being struck by a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG). He endured daily mobility challenges in his previous home. The Key Ceremony event represents a significant new chapter by living in a brand-new home that is safer, more efficient and adaptable to their lifestyle, and will provide Sgt. Wickens and his family peace of mind. Orlando Firefighter Anthony Williams helped fold the American flag that was presented to Sgt. Wickens and displayed on the flagpole outside of his new home on Treetop Court.

On January 13, 2020, the Broward Sheriff’s Office Department of Fire Rescue placed into service two new Rosenbauer PANTHER HRET 6x6 crash trucks. To mark the event, a traditional ‘wet-down and push-in’ ceremony was held at Fire Station 10 located on the airfield of Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport (FLL). The ceremony was presided over by Fire Chief Joseph R. Fernandez and emceed by Airport District Fire Chief Robert Palestrant. Also on hand to participate in the reception were Broward County Commissioner Michael Udine, IAFF Local 4321 President Jason Smith and Rosenbauer CEO Christian Kleebauer. The two newest additions, Truck 4 and Truck 8 are the most technologically advanced state-of-theart apparatus serving Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue to date. Additionally, Truck 4 is the 2,000th Rosenbauer delivery, marking a major milestone in the company’s history. The PANTHER class of fire apparatus boasts a Volvo Penta D-16, 700 horsepower engine which can reach a top speed of 72 mph and accelerate the 39-ton apparatus from 0-50 in less than 34 seconds. The new apparatus will serve alongside a fleet of other crash trucks and structural firefighting equipment which serves the nearly 40,000,000 passengers that travel through the eighteenth busiest airport in the US.

Marco Island Fire Rescue J-Term By David Batiato, Deputy Chief

What is J-Term? January-Term (J-Term) is a study period for students to explore subjects outside their majors or minors. An opportunity to discover new interests, experiment, create and dream. J-Term gives kids a reason to be excited about coming back to school in January. Once JTerm is over and students return to traditional classes, they are refreshed and ready to learn. This year J-Term took place January 6-10, 2020. The Marco Island Fire Rescue (MIFR) is a proud participant of the J-Term program. MIFR participates in this leadership program with a local high school to introduce them to the job of firefighter, which is not a normal classroom subject but is a rewarding and valuable service profession. Our intern for this year was a high school student named Dillon Ankney from First Baptist Academy in North Naples.

Davie Celebrates the Retirement of Three Members By Julie Downey, Fire Chief

On Friday, January 31, 2020, Davie Fire Rescue celebrated the retirement of Assistant Chief Rudy Napolitano, Captain Ed Dilts and Driver Engineer Gary Spence. Assistant Chief Napolitano was with the department for 30 years and Captain Dilts and Driver Spence for 25 years. The ceremony was well attended by friends, family and personnel. Davie Fire Rescue wishes you all a Happy and Healthy Retirement. Congratulations to all! Visit us at WWW.FFCA.ORG

Fredericks Promoted to Assistant Chief

Pasco County Training to the Sky

By Chris Jonckheer, Public Information Officer

By Corey Dierdorff, Public Information Officer

On January 24, 2020, Polk County Fire Rescue (PCFR) Fire Chief Robert Weech announced the promotion of Deputy Chief Colin Fredericks to the rank of assistant chief. “After a competitive process it was clear that Chief Fredericks was best suited to assume this leadership role in the division,” said PCFR Fire Chief Robert Weech. “I look forward to working with him as he makes his personal contribution to our professional fire rescue service and the Polk County community.” Having nearly held every rank in the division including firefighter, paramedic, driver engineer, captain, battalion chief and deputy chief, Chief Fredericks has been a dedicated member of PCFR for 23 years. He will be in charge of the division’s operations.

BSFR promotes Promotes Thirty Members of Service By Michael B. Kane, MPA, Battalion Chief

Pasco County Fire Rescue special operations firefighters recently held a high angle rescue training with firefighters from across the county. The real-world timed scenario, held on the side of one of the county’s radio towers, gave firefighters fifteen minutes to set up rope operations to rescue an unconscious patient dangling from the side of the tower. Firefighters utilized Truck 1, Squad 1, and high angle rescue ropes to bring the victim down approximately 50 feet of the tower.

Fire Training Center Receives Award By Kate Lind

On January 30, 2020, a promotional ceremony was held at the Broward Sheriff's Office Public Safety Building located in Ft. Lauderdale, where sixteen driver/engineers, twelve lieutenants and two command staff members were promoted at a formal ceremony emceed by Deputy Fire Chief Timothy Keefe. Like many other departments, the Broward Sheriff's Office Department of Fire Rescue (BSFR) is facing the demands created by retirement and attrition. The agency continues to confront these head-on with concentrated efforts in the recruitment of new hires as well as succession planning throughout each diverse rank. In 2019 alone, BSFR has hired nearly 50 new recruits, adding to the agency's almost 700 fire rescue personnel, just to keep up with the everincreasing needs created by the retirement of personnel and to fill already vacant positions. Congratulations to our latest group of recently promoted personnel! Promoted to Driver/Engineer: Ryan O’Malley, Robert Mesa, Dan Snyder, Bryan Williams, James Simon, Martin Valle, Andrew Reid, Jason Fallick, Axel Davis, Michael Korte, Travis McGreevy, Mitchell Iannatto, Joshua Wells, Hugo De Almeida, Robert Fraelich and Geovanny Vallejo Promoted to Lieutenant: Joshua Conver, Edwins Ermilus, Matthew Anderson, Joel Campbell, Stuart Schnellenberger, Mark Brown, Stephen Krivjanik, Ryan Kenney, Christina Bias, Stephen Elliott, Terry Emile and Justin Mezzacappa Promoted to District Chief: Bradley Masters Promoted to Division Chief: Heath Clark Congratulations to all as you each enter the next chapter of your career. 36

FLORIDA FIRE SERVICE

February 2020

The Florida Hazardous Materials Symposium recognized the Volusia County Fire Rescue (VCFR)Training Center in appreciation for hosting the hazardous materials competition in Daytona Beach. Lt. Heather Love, VCFR Hazardous Materials Team Leader, holds the award.

Coral Gables Implements Telemedicine in Miami-Dade By Daniel Amador, Captain of Professional Standards

The Coral Gables Fire Department is the first fire rescue agency in MiamiDade County to launch telemedicine capabilities within their transport units. Developed by the Gordon Center for Simulation and Innovation in Medical Education at the University of Miami, this innovative program will allow paramedics to consult directly with neurologists or trauma surgeons via a secured video system when patients are experiencing life-threatening emergencies. This technology will give emergency physicians and interventionists from area hospitals like Baptist and the University of Miami the ability to speak with and evaluate patients prior to arriving in the emergency room. This capability is expected to provide critically ill patients with fast access to the appropriate intervention and reduce time-to-care. Plans include using this technology for a community-based paramedicine program. Partnering with Specialty Telehealth Systems (STS) and the Gordon Center to bring this technology and train our paramedics will bring Coral Gables Fire Department to the forefront of EMS care.

Lake County Hires Firefighters with SAFER Grant

Daytona Beach Launches Paramedicine Program

By Kate Jarocki, Public Communications Coordinator

By Sasha Staton, Public Information Officer

The Lake County Office of Fire Rescue hired 19 new firefighters, 15 of which were obtained with grant funds received from the Department of Homeland Security’s Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER). The new positions represent a 10% increase in staffing and support the department’s multi-year strategic plan for staffing and vehicles. “Our goal is to staff a minimum of three firefighters on every engine throughout our department within the next 5 to 10 years,” said Lake County Fire Chief Jim Dickerson. “It is certainly obtainable with this grant and with the tremendous support from our board of county commissioners.” The grant also supports Lake County Office of Fire Rescue’s efforts to reach the recommended standards set by the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) that specify requirements for deploying fire suppression operations, emergency medical operations and special operations to protect residents.

Cardiac Arrest Survivor Thanks Station By Brevard County Fire Rescue, Office of EMS

On January 19, 2020, Rescue 86 ran a chest-pain call. The patient became unresponsive while he was on the stretcher speaking with one of the fire medics. The fire medic immediately shocked him while another firefighter called for a medic assist. The patient immediately asked the fire medic to stop CPR as he became responsive again. As Rescue 86 transferred the patient to the hospital he became unresponsive and was immediately shocked again. The ER doctor sent the patient to the cath lab and reviewed the Rescue’s EKG with the fire medic and confirmed a ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI), relating that they saved his life with immediate defibrillation. A few days later, on January 25, 2020, the patient and his wife visited the stations to thank the crews for saving his life.

First There First Care – Annual Meeting & Competition Registration is now open for the 24th annual First There First Care – Gathering of Eagles Conference being held June 8-12, 2020. Join us for South Florida’s premier EMS/Nursing Conference and Competition. The conference features four days of premier educational programs, ALS competition and the Nation’s only ED Nursing Competition. This year we are returning to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood, Florida.

The Daytona Beach Fire Department is excited to announce the launching of their brand new program, Community Paramedicine. The first ever of its kind in Volusia County, Community Paramedicine is a progressive evolution of Emergency Medical Services that is focused on community-based, preventative healthcare. “The best way to describe Community Paramedicine is a proactive approach to providing care to our community rather than a reactive response,” Daytona Beach Fire Chief Dru Driscoll said. “Our goal has always been to improve the quality of life for the citizens of Daytona Beach and through education, navigation, and compassion this program will only enhance our department’s mission.” Daytona Beach citizens are added to the program through a referral from our own fire personnel as they observe a need for additional resources and guidance for patients that are high utilizers of the 911 system. As our city grows, this program will contribute to the Daytona Beach Fire Department’s call reduction initiative as well as allowing for the entire healthcare system to benefit. Community Paramedicine Officer Travis Anderson explained, “Many times we come across citizens who, with a little bit of extra care and assistance, can live an improved life of wellness.” As their advocate, the objective is to address an individual’s specific needs and help navigate them to the most appropriate community resource. At no cost to the citizen, the Community Paramedicine Officer will offer a variety of services in order to produce happier, healthier lives. “Through this initiative, it is our vision to make a positive impact in the lives of our community,” said Anderson.

Overnight Fires Keep Pasco County Firefighters Busy By Corey Dierdorff, Public Information Officer

In the overnight hours of January 22, 2020, firefighters responded to two fully involved house fires on the west side of the county. The first fire happened in the 4300 block of Morlock Lane in Holiday around 2:00 AM. Firefighters reported a fully involved mobile home with several concerns about exposures. Firefighters quickly deployed two handlines, and command called for a defensive attack due to heavy fire in the house. It took about 15 minutes to bring the fire under control. The second fire of the overnight hours took place in the 9600 block of Jerome Dr. in New Port Richey around 4:30 AM. Firefighters arrived on the scene to report a mobile home on fire with three other sheds also on fire. Firefighters started their fire attack and began to protect exposures in the area. It took firefighters approximately an hour to bring all the structures under control. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and no injuries were reported. Visit us at WWW.FFCA.ORG

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FLORIDA FIRE SERVICE

February 2020

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