2022 Gulf Shores Fire Rescue Annual Report

2022

GULF SHORES FIRE RESCUE ANNUAL REPORT 1

2022 GSFR ANNUAL REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION Message from the Chief............................................................................1 Chief Officers................................................................................................2

GULF SHORES FIRE RESCUE Gulf Shores Fire Rescue by the Numbers.............................................5 Firefighter of the Quarter..........................................................................7 Firefighter of the Year................................................................................8 Promotions................................................................................................ 10 Gulf Shores Fire Rescue ISO-1.............................................................. 11

GULF SHORES BEACH RESCUE Gulf Shores Beach Rescue by the Numbers..................................... 15 Lifeguard of the Year............................................................................... 17 Rookie of the Year.................................................................................... 17 Junior Lifeguard........................................................................................ 20

HEALTH & SAFETY Lifescan Wellness Physicals................................................................... 23 Physical Fitness Testing.......................................................................... 26 Job Task Analysis....................................................................................... 26

TRAINING & EDUCATION SWAT Medic Program.............................................................................. 29 Dive Team.................................................................................................. 29 Active Shooter Training........................................................................... 32 Triennial Disaster Training..................................................................... 32 Continued Education............................................................................... 33

COMMUNITY OUTREACH Community Risk Reduction.................................................................... 37 AirMedCare................................................................................................ 39 Gulf Shores Fire Rescue Association................................................... 41

STATIONS & PERSONNEL Sworn & Civilian Personnel.................................................................... 46 Fire Station 1............................................................................................. 47 Fire Station 2............................................................................................. 49 Fire Station 3............................................................................................. 51 Fire Station 4............................................................................................. 53 Beach Rescue Headquarters................................................................. 55

MESSAGE FROM CHIEF SEALY

I am proud to present the 2022 Annual Report for the Gulf Shores Fire Rescue Department.

The intent of this report is to showcase the dedication and work performed by GSFR and the GSFR Beach Division over the past year.

As you will see in the report, our Firefighters and Lifeguards have been extremely busy. In addition to the calls for service, they have performed a tremendous amount of hours of training. Additionally, they have provided many hours performing business inspections, community outreach projects, and many other tasks assigned to them.

Our Firefighters and Lifeguards consistently perform at the highest levels, and I consider them among the very best anywhere in the country. Their can-do spirit is inspiring, their relentless pursuit of excellence is contagious, and their willingness to serve is unmatched.

I am blessed and honored to work with such an amazing group of people, and I am fortunate to get to see these things on a regular basis. This report’s purpose is to capture the accomplishments of 2022 and to showcase to everyone what I see daily. While I am not typically one to spend time looking back, I realize the importance of knowing where we were, where we are, and where we are going. I also sincerely want to recognize the efforts of our members who sacrifice for the well-being of our community.

We are blessed to work in a City that cares for its employees and understands the importance of public safety. The culture created within the City of Gulf Shores is one of excellence. Each Department is committed to a high standard and works together seamlessly to provide the best services I have ever seen.

The combination of this support with the character of the Firefighters and Lifeguards of GSFR point to a bright future where there is no limit to the things we can accomplish. I am very proud of our 2022 and look forward to what we will achieve in the future.

PA U L M . S E A LY Fire Chief

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2022 GSFR ANNUAL REPORT

CHIEF OFFICERS

MARK SEALY Fire Chief

ROBERT ROWLAND Chief of Operations

MELVIN SHEPARD Chief of Staff

JOETHAN PHILLIPS Beach Safety Chief

GEORGE SURRY Fire Marshal

WAYNE REDDITT Battalion Chief A-Shift

KEVIN TOLBERT Battalion Chief B-Shift

BO SMITH Battalion Chief C-Shift 2

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GULF SHORES FIRE RESCUE

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GULF SHORES FIRE RESCUE

BY THE NUMBERS

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR FIRE DEPARTMENT Wow, what a year it has been for the Gulf Shores Fire Department! There have been a lot of things put in place in just twelve short months that have already proven to be so crucial to the citizens of Gulf Shores. We have seen our personnel grow by eleven this year, enabling us to do things we were unable to do in the past. Thank you to our Mayor and City Council for being a part of making this happen.

The area in which we serve is very dynamic, and for us, that means we have to be proficient in several areas to ensure the safety of our citizens and tourists. Within our community, we have the potential for emergencies far outside the normal house fire and EMS call. In Gulf Shores, we are challenged with surf rescue, high-rise condominiums, and an intracoastal waterway with supply barges making their way through every day, not to mention our daily population can grow by several hundred percent on a holiday weekend.

I only mention this to acknowledge some of the things we have been able to put in place this year to help ensure we continue to be prepared for the potential emergencies within our city.

As mentioned before, this year we increased our manpower by eleven. Having expanded our workforce, we are able to staff a ladder truck full-time for the first time in Gulf Shores.

This is huge for our community since we have so many highrise structures. As with all fire departments in the country, EMS is the leading cause of emergency calls that we run.

One of the new personnel we were able to put in place

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was a full-time EMS Officer to ensure all of our providers maintain the highest level of continued education training.

He also oversees all of the daily EMS operations for our department. Another aspect this position has had a massive influence on is the growing number of Nationally Registered Paramedics within our department. Just this year, we have had fourteen newly graduated paramedics and eleven more in school. By the time this group of firefighters finish their schooling, we will have over eighty percent of our firefighters certified as Nationally Registered Paramedics ensuring our citizens are receiving the best care possible. The last position we were able to create was a Fire Inspector. This position assists the Fire Marshall with the ever-growing demand of new construction, renovation, and community risk reduction.

One thing we were able to implement this year was a smoke detector program that ensures every home in the City of Gulf Shores has at least one working smoke alarm.

2022 brought great things to our fire department and the people living and staying in our city. I feel that we are one of the all-around best-trained departments. Most importantly, our crew has a true passion for being public servants. With 2023 on the horizon, our department is prepared to grow and learn from our past experiences. We are honored to continue to serve the citizens of the City of Gulf Shores!

GSFR RESPONSES BY THE NUMBER 66 Hazardous condition (no fire)

74 Fire 383 Service Call 338 Good Intent Call

3,842

331 False Alarm and False Call

Total Incidents

2,650 Rescue & Emergency Medical Service Incident

NUMBER OF CALLS BY THE HOUR 500 400 300 200 100 0

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

APPARATUSES & EMPLOYEES

4

Stations

4

Engines

2

Ladder Trucks

1

Rescue Truck

77

Total Employees

68 Full-Time 9 Part-Time

FIREFIGHTER OF THE QUARTER

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MICHAEL LUCAS Quarter I

GEORGE SURRY Quarter II

JOHNATHAN SELLERS Quarter III

CODY CAMPBELL Quarter IV

2022 GSFR ANNUAL REPORT

FIREFIGHTER OF THE YEAR JAKE VANSICKLER

Jake started with Gulf Shores Fire Rescue almost nine years ago, on March 13th, 2014. Since his hire, Jake has been a leading example of a young firefighter and a public servant. Before becoming a firefighter, Jake was a lifeguard on our beaches, igniting his passion for helping others. Not long after Jake graduated from recruit school near the top of his class, he sought ways to help his community further. Nothing could accomplish that more significantly than going to paramedic school, which is a 2-year endeavor in itself. Jake has found a real passion in EMS. He was assigned to the EMS committee responsible for overseeing all of the training and QA for our department under the guidance of the EMS Officer. The next personal goal for Jake was to be a member of the Gulf Shores SWAT Medic team, which requires a tremendous amount of training, and obtain an additional National Registered Tactical Paramedic License, once again proving his commitment to the citizens of Gulf Shores. Recently we created Field Training Officers within our EMS Division, and Jake was one of the first to volunteer and is doing a tremendous job. Just this year, Jake was tasked with being an acting officer on a fire truck, where he more than stepped up to the challenge. Jake embraced the responsibility, ensuring his crew was trained both mentally and physically. He poured into every crew member, encouraging them to constantly push to be their best. As if this weren’t enough, Jake works on his off days as a beach supervisor for the City of Orange beach, keeping his kills sharp as a certified USLA lifeguard. I guess you could say that Jake’s accomplishments are a body of work to public service throughout his career from start to present, all the more reason Jake VanSickler was nominated by his peers to be awarded the Firefighter of the Year for 2022.

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MOVING UP PROMOTIONS Nicholas Russell Stone Collins RECRUITS William Bishop Tony Colquitt Colton DeBlieux Matthew Etheredge Taylor Farish Patrick O’Neill Gavin Tolbert Preston Traywick Garrett White

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GULF SHORES FIRE RESCUE ISO CLASS 1 RATING

Gulf shores’ ISO-1 rating at the top of the Insurance Services Office requires constant attention to detail and dedication throughout the department.

Firefighters visit businesses throughout the year as part of being prepared for any emergency scenarios that could arise.

In 2016, the Insurance Services Office (ISO) classified Gulf Shores Fire rescue as one of the top departments nationwide. Every fire department is rated between 1 to 10 with 1 being the best. Only 320 out of 44,000 departments have an ISO-1 rating.

All of the pumps in engines and ladder trucks are tested each year to make sure they are capable of delivering their capacity. All hose diameters are tested, all ladders are tested and aerial apparatuses are certified. The city maintains adequate reserve engines and ladder trucks.

Maintaining or improving the top rating requires ongoing dedication and improvements. Key tests occur annually that ensure the equipment and apparatuses are in top working order.

Education is key and firefighters continuously do on-the-job training to maintain current skills and to learn new ones. Thousands of hours are logged each year, including sharpening old skills and learning new ones.

Water supply is a key component of fire operations, and the department inspects hydrants annually to find any that have problems or need to be replaced.

Business inspections and pre-planning for incidents is also a crucial part of the overall preparation.

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Communication is a key aspect and the Baldwin County 911 System maintains a strong dispatch team and computer-aided dispatch.

Companies respond to incidents as quickly as possible, striving to safely minimize response times and to meet guidelines.

Gulf Shores Fire Rescue’s Community Risk Reduction is a key component, offering Fire Prevention Code enforcement, public education and fire investigations.

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BEACH SAFETY DIVISION

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GULF SHORES FIRE RESCUE BEACH SAFETY DIVISION In 2018, the City of Gulf Shores continued to commit to the protection of our residents and seasonal guests by moving the lifeguard division to Fire Rescue and assigning a fulltime Division Chief that was assisted by the Lieutenant and thirty seasonal lifeguards. In 2021, we hired a second Lieutenant to help protect the public. This division is led

by Beach Safety Chief Joethan Phillips, Beach Safety Lieutenant Dylan Hess, Beach Safety Lieutenant Lauren Bozeman, 30 seasonal open-water lifeguards, and 4 beach rangers. Lifeguards span 10 miles of beachfront with 12 static lifeguard towers and 4 roving patrols. Each day during the summer months, there are 16 lifeguards and 2 rangers on duty. Lifeguards are trained in accordance to the United States Lifesaving Association open water lifeguard saving standard, First-aid & CPR, Emergency Vehicle Operations, and Emergency Medical Response. In addition, all full-time staff are certified firefighters, and licensed paramedics.

In Chief Phillip’s strategic plan, he noted the need for additional lifeguard towers at the city-owned beach accesses located at 10th and 12th street on West Beach Blvd. Additionally, there are approximately 4 miles of beachfront located west of Calloway Pass that lifeguards

JOETHAN PHILLIPS Beach Safety Chief

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respond to emergency calls. The lifeguard’s primary role is protecting beaches within our city. Additional roles are that of educating the public about the hidden dangers that may be present at the beach. Lifeguards conduct thousands of educational talks throughout the year; these include rip current awareness, heat-related emergencies, the dangers of holes on the beach, and general information about the area. Lifeguards respond to hundreds of calls for swimmers in distress and affect many rescues due to surf conditions, poor swimming ability, and swift water. In addition to protecting beachgoers, the lifeguards in Gulf Shores respond to sick and injured birds and marine life.

This year, with assistance from Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism and The City of Orange Beach, we created the BEach SAFE program. This was designed to inform and notify guests in the area about surf conditions and awareness. Lifeguards from Orange Beach and Gulf Shores conducted thousands of surveys to gather information about what the people on the beach already know about beach safety so that we can better serve the public.

LAUREN BOZEMAN Beach Safety Lieutenant

DYLAN HESS Beach Safety Lieutenant

GSBR RESPONSES BY THE NUMBER 2,210 Minor Medical Aid 78 Major Medical lAid

109 Missing person

2,463 Enforcements

5,586 Prevention

23,752

77 Rescues 41 Wildlife

Total Incidents

76 Boat

13,112 Contacts

NUMBER OF CALLS BY DAY OF THE WEEK

Sunday

26,482 24,705

Monday Tuesday

25,860

Wednesday

18,128

Thursday

16,982 23,145

Friday Saturday

20,551 0

7,000

14,000

21,000

28,000

APPARATUSES & EMPLOYEES

6

Utility Terrain Vehicles

2

Personal Water Crafts

3

Trucks

37

Total Employees

30 Lifeguards 4 Rangers 3 Full-Time

LIFEGUARD OF THE YEAR MAC HIRSH

2022 was Mac Hirsh’s fourth year with our Beach Rescue Division. He performed an outstanding job this season.

Mac has demonstrated responsibility, leadership, and dedication throughout his career on the beach. Mac works as a patrol often helping the rookies get adjusted to lifeguarding on our beaches. Mac has been involved in two significant rescues where he was vital in saving several lives; one of which was while double red flags were posted. Without regard for his own personal safety, Mac continues to enter our waters, matter how rough, to perform rescues.

During the 2022 season, Mac had a total of 96 preventative actions, 234 public contacts, 100 minor medical calls, and 59 enforcements.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR CADE WILLIAMS

Lifeguard Cade Williams started his first year with Gulf Shores Beach Rescue this year and has grown to be an exceptional lifeguard. Cade is the epitome of a gogetter. Cade worked extremely hard to earn his spot on the beach this season. However, his hard work and determination did not stop once he was hired. Cade’s training has continued all summer, and he has shown his dedication to this job. Cade is always the first lifeguard to arrive at work and the last to leave. He never has to be told what needs to be done, and he has exceeded all expectations of what it means to be a lifeguard.

During the 2022 season, Cade had a total of 886 preventative actions, 1,771 public contacts, 158 minor medical calls, and 68 enforcements.

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JUNIOR LIFEGUARD Each year Gulf Shores Beach Rescue holds several Junior Lifeguard classes. During these courses, Beach Lifeguards teach children ages ten to fifteen open water lifeguarding skills, CPR, First Aid, water rescue techniques and more.

In 2022, four sessions were held. Each session was conducted over 30 hours during the week with a total of 120 training hours. There was a total of 50 participants. The lead instructor was Chelsea Johnson, and assistant instructors were Brackin Stewart, Adam Foley, Kimberly Lee, and Tyler Lancaster.

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HEALTH & SAFETY The health and safety of our firefighters and lifeguards is our top priority as an organization. Each year, in addition to the thousands of hours of training, our firefighters are required to undergo extensive medical and physical testing.

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LIFESCAN WELLNESS PHYSICALS

All personnel participated in the annual Lifescan Wellness physical. This is a NFPA 1582 mandated physical that also includes cancer screening. Cancer is very prevalent in the fire service due to the exposure to toxins created by combustion of everyday products. In fact, cancer is up to two times more prevalent among firefighters than civilians. These physicals have found 3 significant cancers over the past 3 years among our firefighters. In 2023, all city of Gulf Shores employees will have the opportunity to have this same physical.

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PHYSICAL FITNESS TESTING Every November, each Gulf Shores Firefighter is required to take a physical fitness test that was created and validated by Dr Hank Williford, a PhD Kinesiologist with Auburn University in Montgomery.

This test consists of maximum front plank time, maximum push-ups in 1 minute, and a 1.5 mile run. While participation is mandatory, results are not punitive. As an organization we have gone from a 75% pass rate in 2020 to a 98% pass rate in 2022.

JOB TASK ANALYSIS

Each year our Firefighters are required to perform a Job Task analysis, which is a physical agility test performed in gear. This test is also mandated by NFPA 1582 and was validated by Dr. Williford. For the first time, we as an organization had a 100% pass rate.

The pass rates of these two physical events are among the highest of any Fire Department in the country according to Dr. Williford, who has extensive experience in creating physical standards for Fire Departments nationwide.

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TRAINING & EDUCATION Based on the ISO requirement of 228 hours of Fire training annually for 57 on-shift responders, there are over 13,000 required hours of training our crews need to perform. Our firefighters pride themselves on the many hours of training performed outside of the required minimum. The following pages highlight some of these accomplishments.

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GULF SHORES FIRE RESCUE SWAT MEDIC PROGRAM

Lieutenant Nicholas Russell, who is the EMS Officer, leads the SWAT Medic program. All members of the team are licensed paramedics train as Tactical Medics. They adhere to all training and proficiency standards set by the Gulf Shores Police Department.

GULF SHORES FIRE RESCUE DIVE TEAM

The Dive Team consists of members from Gulf Shores Fire Rescue and the Gulf Shores Police Department. All divers are trained to meet the standards of the Professional Association of Diving Instructors Public Safety Diver. Members are training in underwater navigation, search and recovery, deep diving, and rescue diving. Some divers are specially trained in full face mask, dry suit diving, and technical diving. Gulf Shores Fire Rescue members consist of Beach Safety Chief Joethan Phillips, Lieutenant Michael Lucas, Beach Safety Lieutenant Lauren Bozeman, Firefighter/Paramedic’s Micah Smith, Matthew Bartl, Ashlee Barnard, Brandon Thomas, and Cole Fincher.

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ACTIVE SHOOTER TRAINING

Each year Gulf Shroes Fire Rescue teams up with the Gulf Shores Police Department to conduct active shooter training at the Gulf Shores City Schools. This training is designed to prepare crews for a real-life encounter with an active shooter.

TRIENNIAL DISASTER DRILL EXERCISE This year Gulf Shores Fire Rescue partnered with the City of Orange Beach Fire Department, the Gulf Shores Police Department, and Medstar to test the Gulf Shores International Airport’s readiness to respond to an aircraft incident on the airfield. This drill exercised the Airports Emergency Plan and complied with federal aviation regulations for commercial airports.

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CONTINUED EDUCATION PARAMEDIC Scout Alexander Sam Anderson Ashlee Barnard Bryan Bossard Lauren Bozeman Zeke Brasher Joe Clark Cole Fincher

Braxton Hart Dylan Hess Peter Kreamer Johnathan Sellers Jean Tinoco Garrett White John Jones

INSPECTOR I Richard Abbott Nick Anagnostopolous Matthew Bartl Enrique Bush Justin Dobbs Braxton Hart

Logan Lambert Rochard Nolte Robert Rowland Chief Mark Sealy Jacob VanSickler

APPARATUS OPERATOR PUMPER Scout Alexander Ashlee Barnard Sam Anderson Jean Tinoco APPARATUS OPERATOR AERIAL Sam Anderson Jean Tinoco Ashlee Barnard Josiah Wigal INSTRUCTOR II Stone Collins

Cole Fincher

VEHICLE EXTRICATION I/II Nicholas Scheer HAZMAT Scott Smothers CONFINED SPACE I/II Scott Smothers TRENCH RESCUE I/II Scott Smothers PUBLIC SCHOOL/TELECOMMUNICATIONS II Ron West

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ROPE RESCUE I Nicholas Scheer ROPE RESCUE II Brandon Thomas RAPID INTERVENTION TEAM Lauren Bozeman Josh Smith Cody Campbell Garrett White Taylor Farish FIREFIGHTER I/II Lauren Bozeman Cody Campbell SMOKE DIVER Cole Fincher Wesley Keith Logan Lambert Michael Lucas ONE BAD DAY Cody Campbell Cole Fincher

Taylor Farish Garrett White

Robert Rowland Cody Campbell Josiah Wigal

Michael Lucas Jean Tinoco

SPORT EVENT RISK MANAGEMENT Chief Mark Sealy Kevin Tolbert Melvin Shepard Jutin Parks George Surry EMT Taylor Farrish Shane O’neill

David Colquitt Shane Etheridge

ADVANCED EMT Gavin Tolbert

Preston Traywick

PHYSICAL FITNESS AWARDS Ashlee Barnard Porsha Keller Joe Clark Justin Parks Taylor Farish Chief Robert Rowland Wesley Keith

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COMMUNITY OUTREACH

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COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION Community Risk Reduction is the identification and

memorable interactions. During October’s Fire Prevention

prioritization of risk followed by the coordinated

Month, GSFR sponsored Fire Prevention Week consisting

application of resources to minimize the occurrence of

of fire safety presentations for over 1,000 students at Gulf

unwanted events.

Shores Elementary. Each student was sent home with fire and life safety materials to share with their family. In

Fire code inspections and enforcement are the core of our

addition to the city schools, fire safety presentations were

community risk reduction program. Public and commercial

organized for South Baldwin Christian Academy students

buildings are inspected for the purpose of ensuring people

and conducted at local daycares.

can work, recreate, shop, heal, study and worship in a safe environment. Unlike their homes, these are places

Coordinating with the Alabama Fire College and The

where they have no personal control of the construction or

American Red Cross, GSFR initiated a smoke alarm

maintenance of the structure. Regular inspections of these

program which provides free battery-powered smoke

types of occupancies helps ensure the fire code is being

alarms to the residents of Gulf Shores. The Smoke

observed.

Detector Program issued and provided installation of free smoke detectors to residents without current protection.

Ensuring structures are safe and built to the appropriate

Citizens were also given opportunity to participate in the

fire code starts with a strong foundation. Collaborating

National Fire Protection Association’s Home Safety Survey

with the Gulf Shores Building Department, engineers and

where fire crews offer recommendations on how to create

contractors, Fire Marshal Surry conducts plan reviews to

a safer environment within the home. In connection to

ensure compliance to the fire code before construction

the survey, Community Connect extends this effort as

begins. Inspections continue to be conducted throughout

a program where residents can create an account to

the construction process and before the structure can be

enter specific information which may become relevant to

occupied by the public, a final inspection is also required.

firefighters during an emergency situation.

Fire code inspections are also performed on existing structures on a daily basis. Businesses are subject to a

The City of Gulf Shores continues to be a premiere

fire code inspection and a review upon new application

vacation destination for families around the country. This

for business license, or when a business license is up

has also awarded us the opportunity to host a vast array

for renewal. Fire Marshal Surry and Lieutenant Parks

of large scale public assemblies, such as sporting events,

conducted these fire code inspections throughout the

concerts and festivals. The community risk reduction

year. In addition, on-duty fire crews inspected and

division is largely involved in the overall safety and risk

developed pre-incident plans for 549 buildings within the

management of these events while working as a team

City of Gulf Shores.

with Gulf Shores Department of Cultural & Recreational Affairs, event coordinators, vendors and a wide-range of

The Community Risk Reduction Division is also charged

entities involved in such occasions.

with meeting the department’s public education objectives. Creating, implementing, and evaluating fire

Partnering with local restaurants and working closely with

safety education programs lead to positive behavioral

the beach safety division, Lieutenant Parks developed

changes in the community.

and established kids activity sheets about beach safety to further enhance the BEach Safe program. These are

Gulf Shores Fire Rescue (GSFR) prides itself on having a

customized to the individual restaurant’s kid menu feature

strong presence around the community especially within

beach safety information for visitors as well as residents.

the Gulf Shores City School system. Throughout the year,

The program was launched on Fourth of July weekend and

fire crews participated in various seasonal events hosting

we have since distributed over 20,000 menus.

demonstrations as well as visiting with families to create

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MAKE YOUR FAMILY & HOME MORE FIRE SAFE

Install smoke detectors.

We recommend one in each room

Test smoke detectors weekly.

Press the button to make sure the alarm is working.

Change the batteries annually.

Don’t delay, ESCAPE! Smoke alarms are an early alerting system to get you and your family out of harms way, not for you to grab personal items.

Replace smoke alarms when they are 10 years old

Smoke detectors cut your risk of dying in a home fire by half. Many fires happen at night, when you are asleep. Smoke and poisonous gas

travel through the house faster than flames. Without a smoke detector, you could succumb to the gas and smoke before you know there is a fire.

Create a home fire escape plan

Sleep with Doors CLOSED Closed doors act as a barrier and can reduce fire growth, limit damage to your home, keep temperatures down, and can even save your life if you become trapped.

Plan 2 escape routes from every room.

Ensure doors & windows open.

Have an outdoor meeting place.

Practice your plan twice a year.

LET US HELP YOU BE MORE FIRE SAFE

Community Connect Community Connect is a free, secure, and

easy-to-use platform that allows you to share critical information about your household or business that will aid our first responders and emergency personnel when responding to your property. Visit GulfShoresAL.gov/CommunityConnect for more information.

Get Alarmed!

We are proud to offer the Get Alarmed, Gulf Shores! program to ensure all homeowners have at least one properly working smoke alarm. Find out if you qualify for this free smoke detector installation program by visiting www.gulfshoresal.gov/getalarmed.

Follow our social media for weekly fire safety tips and more!

Home Safety Surveys

Home safety surveys are designed to identify fire and life-safety hazards such as slipping, tripping, cooking, etc. Upon surveying your home, GSFR firefighters can provide written recommendations the homeowner can follow to reduce fire and life-safety hazards. Learn more at www.gulfshoresAL.gov/HomeSafetySurvey.

Gulf Shores Fire Rescue

Gulf_Shores_Fire_Rescue

GULF SHORES FIRE RESCUE AIR MED CARE Gulf Shores Fire Rescue is pleased to offer AirMedCare to residents of the City of Gulf Shores.

Any Gulf Shores resident transported via ground or air by any AirMedCare Network provider, including Medstar Ambulance and Medstar AirCare, from a pickup location in Baldwin County, Ala., is covered under this membership. In the event that a Gulf Shores resident is transported by an AirMedCare Network provider, payment for the transport over and above the patients insurance benefit limit will be covered with no additional out-of-pocket expense. If the patient transported is uninsured at the time of the transport, the providers will bill the covered person at the Medicare Allowable Rate for the transport.

Gulf Shores’ residents may elect to obtain a full AirMedCare Network emergency air household membership by completing an application and paying an additional $45 per household ($35 per household for seniors). A full membership has no insurance or pickup location restrictions.

This will provide coverage for all AirMedCare Network air ambulance transports across our 38 state coverage area. In addition, residents without medical insurance can upgrade to a full ground membership for $35 a year which will eliminate the uninsured exception above.

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GULF SHORES FIRE RESCUE ASSOCIATION

The Gulf Shores Fire Rescue Association is a group of members from the community whose mission is to support Gulf Shores Firefighters and their families in ways that are not possible with municipal funding. The associaiton assists with community and fundraising events such as the Annual Golf Tournament, the Annual Awards Banquet, the annual Fire Department picnic, and more. Everyone is invited to get involved! Call Station 1 at 251-968-7422 for more information!

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STATIONS & PERSONNEL

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SWORN & CIVILIAN PERSONNEL

SWORN PERSONNEL Chief Paul M. Sealy.........................................................................08/30/2020 Chief of Operations Robert Rowland................................. 07/01/2006 Chief of Staff Melvin Shepard....................................................10/14/2014 Battalion Chief Bo Smith............................................................... 01/08/2011 Battalion Chief Francis W. Redditt.......................................... 11/08/2011 Battalion Chief Kevin Tolbert...................................................... 01/08/2011 Beach Safety Chief Joethan Phillips...................................04/05/2012 Fire Marshal George Surry...........................................................08/11/1986 Lieutenant Blake Ables.................................................................. 01/15/2007 Lieutenant Adam Bowmar......................................................... 01/22/2007 Lieutenant Robert Garris.............................................................06/14/2008 Lieutenant Jeffrey Kimsey............................................................. 01/08/2011 Lieutenant Jeffrey McWilliams................................................. 05/28/2011 Lieutenant Nicholas Russell.......................................................03/12/2010 Lieutenant Joshua Smith.............................................................06/01/2006 Beach Safety Lieutenant Dylan Hess...............................03/09/2019 Firefighter Nicholas Anagnostopoulos..............................02/27/2012 Firefighter Ashlee Barnard.......................................................... 07/10/2021 Firefighter Bryan Bossard............................................................. 01/14/2019 Firefighter Jacob Brasher.............................................................. 01/30/2017 Firefighter David Eckman.............................................................02/16/2019 Firefighter Braxton Hart..................................................................01/01/2016 Firefighter Franklin Jones.............................................................06/10/2019 Firefighter Porsha Keller................................................................. 01/01/2017 Firefighter Logan Lambert..........................................................08/21/2013 Firefighter Johnathan Sellers.....................................................04/16/2010 Firefighter Dee Thomas................................................................10/03/2009 Firefighter Jacob VanSickler........................................................ 12/15/2014 Firefighter Tony Colquitt............................................................... 01/28/2022 Firefighter Justin Dobbs................................................................04/03/2012 Firefighter Edward Farish............................................................ 02/19/2022 Firefighter Wesley Keith................................................................. 01/14/2019 Firefighter Corey Parker............................................................... 01/22/2007 Firefighter Stephen Street............................................................01/01/2016 Firefighter Preston Traywick......................................................... 11/15/2021 Firefighter Travis Willis................................................................... 01/22/2007 Battalion Chief Francis Redditt.................................................. 11/08/2011 Fire Marshal George Surry...........................................................08/11/1986 Lieutenant Richard Abbott......................................................... 07/01/2006 Lieutenant Alex Anagnostopoulos....................................... 07/01/2006 Lieutenant Stone Collins.............................................................04/23/2010 Lieutenant John Heronime.........................................................06/18/2008 Lieutenant Micheal Lucas..........................................................06/14/2008 Lieutenant Justin Parks...................................................................11/28/2007 Lieutenant Nicholas Scheer...................................................... 01/22/2007

Beach Safety Lieutenant Lauren Bozeman................... 12/16/2022 Firefighter Christopher Alexander........................................10/26/2020 Firefighter Samuel Anderson...................................................10/26/2020 Firefighter Matthew Bartl............................................................ 01/22/2007 Firefighter William Bowman....................................................... 03/01/2017 Firefighter Joseph Clark................................................................10/28/2020 Firefighter Cole Fincher................................................................. 07/10/2021 Firefighter Robert Jimenez...........................................................07/22/2011 Firefighter Jonathan Jones............................................................ 01/14/2019 Firefighter Peter Kreamer.............................................................. 01/14/2019 Firefighter Richard Nolte............................................................... 11/24/2014 Firefighter Micah Smith.................................................................03/21/2016 Firefighter Jean Tinoco................................................................... 07/10/2021 Firefighter Garrett White............................................................... 12/16/2022 Firefighter John Ellis........................................................................03/12/2022 Firefighter Jordan Russell.............................................................06/01/2021 Firefighter William Bishop........................................................... 01/26/2022 Firefighter Cody Campbell........................................................... 01/14/2019 Firefighter Colton DeBlieux........................................................ 08/07/2021 Firefighter Matthew Etheredge............................................... 01/26/2022 Firefighter William Higginson...................................................06/21/2010 Firefighter Patrick O’Neill..............................................................06/15/2021 Firefighter Scott Smothers........................................................... 12/15/2018 Firefighter Gavin Tolbert................................................................03/01/2021 Firefighter Josiah Wigal..................................................................04/15/2019 Firefighter Cameron Boyington.............................................. 03/17/2022 Firefighter Jonathan Smith........................................................03/06/2022 SWORN PART-TIME PERSONNEL Firefighter John Edmond.............................................................04/30/2021 Firefighter Frank Minervini.........................................................05/15/2022 Firefighter Michael Wiedeman.................................................. 01/15/2021 Firefighter Enrique Bush..............................................................03/03/2021 Firefighter Steven Neira................................................................ 12/16/2022 CIVILIAN PERSONNEL Education Coordinator Ronald A. West.............................. 01/10/2011

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FIRE STATION 1

1921 West 1st Street Gulf Shores, AL 36542 251-968-7422 Engine 1, Truck 1, Rescue 1 Battalion 20, Brush 1

47

2022 GSFR ANNUAL REPORT

A-SHIFT

Lt. Nick scheer

Logan Lambert

John Jones

David Colquitt

Matthew Bartl

Cody Campbell

Sam Anderson

Braxton Hart

Shane O’Neill

Jake VanSickler

Cole Fincher

Lt. Richard Abbott

Jonathan Sellers

Wesley Keith

Josiah Wigal

Nick Anagnostopoulus

Ricky Nolte

Jean Tinoco

B-SHIFT

Lt. Michael Lucas

C-SHIFT

Stephen Street

FIRE STATION 2

105 West 11th Street Gulf Shores, AL 36542 251-968-1482 Engine 2, Truck 2, Brush 2

49

2022 GSFR ANNUAL REPORT

A-SHIFT

Lt. Josh Smith

David Eckman

Ashlee Barnard

Gavin Tolbert

Will Bowman

Scout Alexander

Garrett White

Micah Smith

Taylor Farish

Robbie Bishop

B-SHIFT

Lt. Alex Anagnostopoulus

C-SHIFT

Lt. Jeff McWilliams

FIRE STATION 3

18069 State Highway 180 Gulf Shores, AL 36542 251-968-1483 Engine 3

51

2022 GSFR ANNUAL REPORT

A-SHIFT

Lt. Jeff Kimsey

Derrick Jimenez

Colton DeBlieux

Brandon Thomas

Peter Kreamer

Porsha Keller

Preston Traywick

B-SHIFT

Lt. Robert Garris

C-SHIFT

Lt. Adam Bowmar

FIRE STATION 4

19290 Oak Road West Gulf Shores, AL 36542 251-968-0407 Engine 4, Truck 4,

53

2022 GSFR ANNUAL REPORT

A-SHIFT

Lt. Blake Ables

Corey Parker

Bill Higginson

Brian Bossard

Scott Smothers

Zeke Brasher

Colt Jones

Justin Dobbs

Joe Clark

Shae Etheredge

B-SHIFT

Lt. John Heronime

C-SHIFT

Lt. Stone Collins

BEACH RESCUE HEADQUARTERS

245A West Beach Blvd Gulf Shores, AL 36542 251-968-9828

55

2022 GSFR ANNUAL REPORT

LIFEGUARDS Solomon Baranovics

James Derstine

Rinoa Mcgrew

Greyson Bengel

Kendall England

Gabe Morin

Philip Stewart

Jayden Byrd

Mack Nall

Chelsea Johnston

Marley Prince

Brackin Stewart

Tyler Lancaster

Madelyn Wells

Cade Williams

Kallie Byrd

Adam Foley

Emilee Wright

Harrison Colthup

Sarah Hardgrave

Scott Wade

Caleb Colvin

Omar Lagos

Robert Simpson

Mac Hirsh

Kimberly Lee

Nathan Davis

Matthew Palamara

RANGERS Tammy Burkhart

Riley Sealy

Tyler Barnes

Lynn Byrd

GULF SHORES FIRE RESCUE 1921 West 1st Street Gulf Shores, AL 36542 251-968-7422 www.GulfShoresAL.gov/Fire