PFA Captain's Meeting

PFA Captain's Meeting

Date

April 7 2010

Attendees

Demint

Salisbury

Fisher

Salmon

Garcia

Ewy

Kelln

Wright

Kettle

England

Herrington

Cupp

Close

Agenda Items:

1.1 EMS

Steve Main

1) Herb has resigned due to personal reasons; they will have a process in a few months. Steve Main is acting Manager for now.

2) HarmonyMedCenter Urgent Care Only calls for ambulance when there is a need to admit a pt to the hospital. All crews will have the latitude to call for assistance when needed.

3) Bariatric ambulance has arrived and will be in service within the next few weeks. There will be no crew standing by, they will have to assemble a crew or send someone to get it. This unit has the ability to properly secure these people.

4) Another new rig will be in next May, and then they will be almost done with fleet changeover.

5) Steve has no plans to make big changes at this time.

6) Ralph: Let the crews know they are welcome to post at the stations. Steve related that they don't often so they can be in areas.

7) They will be hiring EMTs and Paramedics in May, and there will be a domino effect to fill the empty spaces on up.

8) Tom: Is there a plan to have new people ride with fire to give them a good idea of what we do and how to relate with us.

9) Sundays will be rider free days to allow them down time without riders or others.

10) Capt Salmon asked about Steve's perspective of his crews using ICS on scenes, establishing command, size-up, etc. and enhancing our scenes by 100%. Steve said they are all over the map on this, and may need a refresher. He will check on this and let us know.

1.2 Training Div

1.2.1 Housley/Crissy

1) Video for National Dispatcher Week of all the Captain's giving comments.

1.2.2 Housley - Year of the Captain

1) Input solicited from all Captains and volunteer Lt's.

2) All information will be on the Intranet and available for use with our crews.

3) What will be happening this year? Expect changes in the following!

April is Capt meeting informational

a) May is VTC about decision making for on scene reports. Basically, critical fireground factors and strategic goals of the incident.

b) June - Safety tendon; light weight construction awareness. Chief Poncelow to teach building construction class. Description of the year of all the ideas and what we will be doing. All good relevant stuff for the Captains and Acting captains. See Matt's updates on the web for the details.

c) July Many scenarios for Captains only; engine made up of captains; three scenarios for us with BC feedback. Excellent!Castle West Fire in Loveland about Colo Springs.

d) August: Alarm panel will be installed in the tower; we will get a class in August to better manage our alarm panels in the field. We will also do CPTs in August, involving our crews.

e) September: Scenarios of more in-depth.

f) October: Captain's meeting; one hour class; CPTs at night for crews. Class from Poncelow/Grieves about conduct and discipline, and investigative processes.

g) November: VTC, more of the Captain's only scenarios; command training using materials PFA uses/does not use.

h) December: Promotional process; helping crews develop to be promoted. Scenarios for people getting ready to take the tests. Off duty, no OT, but it will be available - November and December.

i) 2011: Quarterly Captain's training;

Technical Rescue Incidents: Types of incidents where we may not know how to set it up; will be developed.

j) Other considerations that aren't on the radar screen this year:

Flashover - no money now.

Class requests: please send in your requests, because even knowing they will be denied, this gives a method to track the denials. Submit any class.

USAR tracks their own, and training will get it at the end of the year.

High-rise Ops

Mental Aspects of Performance

Engine Laptop use; next year Gil will come to stations to give this laptop class; send email to Gil to get this.

Wildland???

Mayday drills

PPA refresher

Negativity Class - (Matt described many classes that the city puts on, and there is a catalog available) Larimer County Workforce class, and was 200 people in it.

Question: about NFA classes, and yes, you get two shifts and the BC can balance it. Tom: please do go to the academy if you get the chance.

1.2.3 Chief Levy

1.2.3.1 HazOps

1) Hazmat Ops, (2008 standard) is now required. Ops has dictated all will comply. JPRs must be done prior to testing. We all need to review and read the HazMat Ops text in the stations. By the end of September, we will all be taking the written test. JPRs will be done, and we'll all have to take the written. Glenn will present two VTC's of the HazOps program before the end of September. If a FF fails the written, they will be able to take it again.

2) We will have to perform for outside evaluators our JPRs to complete this program.

3) Call Chief Levy with questions.

1.2.3.2 Eight Hour Day

1) Eight Hour day: Training event 100; Bunker gear broken down for PPE folks; fit testing and fitness in am, please be efficient.

See Chief Levy's email

1.2.3.3 Fire Officer 1

1) Chief Levy has made a proposal to Ops about Fire Officer l. All PFA Captains exceed the FO1 standard requirements; existing Captains will all receive reciprocity from ProBoard as FO1's. This will allow us to work toward FOII or III. This has not been approved from Ops at this time. We can now start working with our folks for FO1, using the text in the stations.

1.2.3.4 Fire Instructor 1

1) We will be doing another FI1 course 3rd week in September, 2010; and every year at the same time.

1.2.3.5 CPTs/Basic Skills

1) PFA will be using our own qualified instructors to instruct future classes or courses; not developed yet by Chief Levy.

2) Many folks will be tapped from the department to help with these. An example is what some of the new techniques being taught in the academy.

3) All courses being taught will have lesson plans; and will be posted on the Intranet.

4) The entire web site is being redone. New web site will find all related stuff in all the areas, and won't be as much hunt and peck.

5) Specialties will be taught by our own folks, no costs to produce.

6) Using partners such as utilities to produce, for example, trench rescue.

7) Tier 1 can be done as individual companies

8) Tier 2 are specialized areas that the TD must coordinate for their productions.

9) Tier 3 is USAR level???? Vertical rescue? Every year will have two of these T3 classes.

1.2.3.6 Cars

1) Chief Levy described the following procedures: The TD will purchase four vehicles for $250 each, then when we are done we gift them back to the wrecking company in exchange for another vehicle. They are never out of funds or behind the curve.

2) October will be VExt. month.

1.2.3.7 Training Records

1) For future certs, we must take the time to accurately reflect what training we are getting. We will be using more "Events" to fully have the content in our records to meet our certs.

2) This Capt meeting is Event #99; comments from the room are that none of us has been tracking our Captain's meetings as training.

3) They are redoing the RMS categories to be collaboratively entering the NFPA standard/subject number. We can populate the training fields using the NFPA standard number, and each will bring up the choices from those. Chief Levy apparently sent these out earlier. This will all be on the new training web site.

1.2.3.8 Contacting the TD

1) Chief Levy requests we contact him or other TD staff if we need help, or if there is something they need to know about the facility.

1.4.1 Specialized Training

1.4.1.1 VTC - Chief Mulligan

1.4.1.1.1 2010 Goals from last Board Meeting

1) Continue with Road Map to Organizational improvement; presented to Board. CPEX is the other method and measure.

2) Residential Fire Safety Program; we will continue with that program.

3) Station 4 Open House; estimate 1500 people turned out and all food gone in 10 minutes. :) John talked to many there and asked how they knew about it. Many said they were watching it for a year, and were proud of it. Lesson for us to know how much interest there is.

4) Keeping the Board informed through project area quarterly reports and other measures are best methods.

1.4.1.1.2 Road Map to Improvement

1) CPEX process discussion. See presentation on Intranet.

2) Incident Rep program a very valuable service - per Chief Mulligan

3) See the Roadmap graphic on Intranet.

4) Thought provoking event on "Ethics" for this year. If we can get a good speaker, then we will plan this. The speaker that can bring it to our level???

5) Q12 Survey: Description of this program. What comes from this will be integrated into the 2011 Roadmap process.

1.4.1.1.3 Budget - Tax Initiative

1) PFA Resting about 3 million from the proposed tax initiative. If approved, PFA would implement South Battalion, four 4 person engine companies, and 2 staff positions.

Len asked when's: Chief Mulligan: the election will be November of 2010; if the council elects to put it on the ballot. The city is conducting community sessions to determine community support before deciding to put it on the ballot. Support is there to put it on, but not sure of community support. More on this as it develops.

2) Opportunities for input from community: April 21 (18:00 - 20:00, at Station 4) and April 24, (15:00 - 17:00, Station 4) for each district at PFA stations.

3) For 2010 budget, no increase which limits our options.

No funds for education assistance, which is a big concern for long-term organizational health. Hopefully it will be back as soon as the funds are available.

4) Question: Why would we not go for a special district? Chief Mulligan: The costs would be 15 - 16 mil to fund this, and the political realities would be negative. The balance from existing model would be unclear. The district would have to be decided at an election, and this would be unsure. Politically, the city council would not be supportive of this action. Other areas that have formed special districts were usually not involving cities, mostly just other districts. Chief described a mine field of this model, including down-turns of the economy and possible effects to the departments.

5) Ralph asked about us having information to educate the public about the election supporting the tax initiative. Chief described how it's illegal for us to openly lobby for this kind of information. Be very careful. Guy explained how the information is already available on the web, and Chief's presentation to council. This can be printed and given to the public.

6) Chief Mulligan discussed the ISO move to a level 4, which may be a result of our staffing levels and how we must use all our apparatus in different parts of the city.

1.5 Stations

1) nothing

2) nothing

3) late new engine

4) nothing

5 has opticon issues; lights may be delayed. If think it's more than yellow trap contact Chief Poncelow.

6) Randy Wright back, nothing else

7) England new coordinator of Wildland team, expect changes.

10) New boxes may have different equipment than old

12) No

14) No

1.6 Operations

1.6.1 Chief Gress

1) Captains Promotional process will start first half of 2011. Encourage all interested, with more information being sent out. No Fire Officer 1 cert required, but will be by January 1, 2012 for all assessment centers. Len asked about length of list, and Chief Gress will get back with exact details.

2) Hiring process: Chief Gress received 52 interested people, and will be developing plans to use them.

3) ISO: PFA has a list of what we have done to maintain our level 3. They will review it and let us know if we drop to a 4, or remain a 3. Dispatch is a possible issue, since ISO is asking for things that may not be necessary. We may appeal, or take further actions. We will be notified. They are about 4 months behind on what they do.

4) Craig George, the new recruit, who is injured and will be on 40 hours. He is split between training and Chief Poncelow. He will be attending whatever academy classes he can make, but he will be in the fall academy.

5) Bunker gear: Chief Poncelow has had to go to bid, but we probably will end up with the same supplier. We are looking out at least 4 to 5 months.

6) Lunch with the chief, only one more crew ?

7) Chief Mulligan and Guy are encouraging to have two crews attend the board meetings. This will be an ongoing opportunity, and Ops will coordinate.

8) Nursing home letters dealing with lift assists will be going to the board; the letter will be going to every nursing home. Chief Mulligan believes since we will be charging, we need to go to the board with this so they are all aware. No problems anticipated with the Board approving this measure. Documentation criteria will be specific, and will be used to validate these charging measures. Possibly, we will be adding a field into RMS to track these calls which apply.

9) Work Load: More work: Less staff; we are getting bigger and busier. Be careful what we accept to do, and only commit to what you can do. Look at what we take on, delegate or say no if can't do it. Don't ask others to do stuff you can do, and don't take on other's stuff if too much already going on.

10) Pre-Plan Program: See presentation on the Intranet; Target date is mid-2010. Companies will begin visiting sites for preplanning.

1.7 Dispatch

Crissy Morris for Carol

1) Thank you for filling out the surveys

2) Question about dispatchers delaying our voice traffic, when we may be already or almost on scene. No changes, just send in the form for them to look at it.

3) Question about how at Urgent Care the level is Charlie, when it would be a Delta. E14 was relating they are being called to assist, and Matt advised they shouldn't be going unless requested. They were asked to assist.

4) Ralph Question: Why is the Bureau doing their traffic on channel 1? This might be a question for Chief Gress to address. There is no clear reason why this is happening, and we are all tuning it out.

Chief Gress response about #4: Chief Gress asked is this the consensus, and it was unanimous. Chief Gress will get all three shift Captains meeting and make the change if needed.

Chief Demint: if it increases the work load at dispatch, then don't make the change; ok with the room. Discussion about the origin of this problem with Dispatch being involved. Tom and Gil weighed in about the standard being to ensure with the monitoring company accurate transmissions of alarms; not dispatch getting the alarm from the monitoring company. Gil suggested a "spot checking" for the Dispatch center receiving from the monitoring companies.

Ralph asked if there was a protocol the Bureau was using to have discipline if the system is busy. It was not clear to me, but Chief Gress believes they do follow some protocol. Possible solutions were being suggested, more on this later.

5) Next week is national Dispatcher week, so stop by if you can to see your dispatchers. She related a thanks for the crews who have stopped by to check in and get to know the dispatchers.

6) Tiberon reset: After the reset, there are times when they are not getting proper recommendations for fire call. No units are recommended, but all else is there. They are working on it, and Dispatch can reset it and get it properly. Dispatch won't know if it will happen until they get the call. It is happening on PD side also. Tiberon is working on it.

Tom related that the BC office CAD will go down when this is occurring.

1.8 Patrick: PubEd/PIO Stuff

1) Residential Safety program: only 2 done thus far. Not going as hoped, and he's working on marketing. Email Patrick if we get one. We are not doing rentals within the city of fort Collins - building dept. driven. We don't want to get between landlord's and tenants. In the County, we may find ourselves doing these. Susan will be screening these, but if we find ourselves there stop and fill out to request a BD inspection.

2) Safety House in the schools: Going well, with Ray offline to run this. He is doing a great job coordinating this program. We don't normally schedule companies for this, but if we can make it they appreciate it.

3) Patrick has submitted his two year extension request; he wants to build a strategic plan for his office, so let him know if you want any information about his job.

4) Child Safety Seat Program: A lot of heat has been removed since PVH is doing these. Every once in a while there will be one that slips through from PVH OB, but generally they are pretty good.

1.9 Gil: Pre-Plan Program

Pre-Plan Program:

1) Target date Mid-2010; July 1? Class on the software use coming up; Rand Wright says the software is very easy to use.