50
This document was prepared by the following officers of the Watertown Fire Department:
Chief Dale Herman
Deputy Chief Russell Randall Battalion Chief Davis Lachenauer Battalion Chief Michael Kellogg Battalion Chief James Holland Battalion Chief Timothy Wiley Battalion Chief Matthew Timerman
The cover photo is a photo courtesy of retired firefighter J.
Bancroft depicting two members of a Engine 3 advancing a
backup line to a structure fire on Bronson Street in October of
2016.
i
Table of Contents
Table of Contents i
List of Tables and Graphs ii
Mission Statement Page 3
Executive Summary Page 4
Department’s 200th Birthday Page 6
Awards Page 9
Organizational Structure Page 11
Budget Statistics Page 13
Apparatus Page 16
Retirements Page 19
Sick Leave Page 20
Incident Response Page 21
Mutual Aid Page 32
Emergency Medical Response E.M.S. Page 33
Training Page 34
Risk Assessment Page 36
Hazardous Materials Preparedness and Response Page 39
Fire Investigations Page 41
Fire Prevention and Education Page 42
Technical Rescue Page 44
Looking Ahead Page 45
Appendix Page 46
ii
List of Tables and Graphs
Figure 1 Overlapping Incidents Pg 5 Figure 2 Proposed Organizational Charts Pg 12 Figure 3 Personnel Cost Pg 13 Figure 4 6 Yr. Comparison Wages [Actual] Pg 14 Figure 5 6 Yr. Wages and Overtime [Combined] Pg 14 Figure 6 Personnel Cost Trends Pg 15 Figure 7 Overtime Trends Pg 15 Figure 8 Age Ranges of Personnel Pg 19 Figure 9 6 Yr Average Sick Leave Pg 20 Figure 10 6 Yr Excused/ Unexcused Sick Leave Pg 20 Figure 11 Incident Response Times Pg 23 Figure 12 Incident Response Times by Call Avg. Pg 24 Figure 13 Incident Response Times by Call 90th Percentile Pg 24 Figure 14 Type 100 Call Statistics Pg 25 Figure 15 Type 200 Call Statistics Pg 25 Figure 16 Type 300 Call Statistics Pg 27 Figure 17 Type 400 Call Statistics Pg 28 Figure 18 Type 500 Call Statistics Pg 28 Figure 19 Type 600 Call Statistics Pg 29 Figure 20 Type 700 Call Statistics Pg 29 Figure 21 Type 800 Call Statistics Pg 30 Figure 22 Type 900 call Statistics Pg 30 Figure 23 Calls by Hour of Day WFD Compared to National Average Pg 30 Figure 24 Avg. Calls per Day by Month Pg 31 Figure 25 Calls by Hour of Day in Two Hour Intervals Pg 31 Figure 26 R.A.F.E.R. Risk Assessment Form Pg 37 Figure 27 Fire Extinguisher Class Pg 43 Figure 28 Engine Visit Pg 43 Figure 29 Fire Safety Trailer Pg 43 Figure 30 Fire Prevention Events/Lectures Pg 43 Figure 31 Yearly Totals Pg 43 Figure 32 Station Tours Pg 43
Appendix
Map 1 2016 All Incident Responses Map Map 2 2016 E.M.S. Response Map Map 3 2016 False Alarm/Call Response Map Map 4 2016 Fire Call Map
3
The City of Watertown Fire Department is responsible for providing fire protection and
emergency services to a permanent population of approximately 27,900 residents, an
undetermined number of visitors, as well as an assessed property value totaling $1,749,167,277
within the City’s 9.4 sq miles.
Provided services include Fire Suppression, Emergency Medical Services, Hazardous Materials
Response, Water Rescue, Confined Space/Structural Collapse Rescue, and Animal Rescue, to
name a few. Considered one of the “Big Three” essential services provided by the City, along
with Police Department, Public Works Department, the Fire Departments’ budget of $8,817,926
makes up 21.09% of the City’s total $ 41,956,234 general fund for fiscal 2016-17.
Note *: Figures obtained from the “2016-2017 Adopted Budget of the City of Watertown” http://www.watertown-ny.gov/archives/39/2016-17%20Adopted%20Budget.pdf
Mission Statement
The mission of the City of Watertown Fire Department is to provide services to the citizens and visitors of Watertown by preventing and or minimizing the losses of life and property by utilizing department resources and personnel to provide prevention/education, suppression, medical services and response to other emergency and non-emergency incidents.
Department members will continually strive for excellence in all that we do and will perform our jobs in a timely, professional manner to the best of our abilities through cooperative work environment that includes support, training and encouragement for all.
Effective the 31st day of May 2013 by order of the Fire Chief
Dale C. Herman
4
Executive Summary
This annual report is being prepared and presented to members of City Council in compliance
with NFPA 1710, specifically, Section 4.1.2.6 of that standard. More importantly, it provides
members of Council information about the department’s makeup, types of services the
department provides or is prepared to provide and the frequency by which the department is
called upon to provide a service to our customers.
This document allows fire service managers to evaluate efficiencies and observe trends in the
data sets that we collect and examine. For example, the number of overdose medical type calls is
up by 48% and we also know that department personnel intervened with Naxolone some 28
times in the past year. Could there be a direct or indirect correlation between these two data sets.
Another facet is the incident plot map by which incidents are plotted by the City’s GIS
technicians. We can expect a number of incidents at an address such as 142 Mechanic Street,
(Midtown Towers), where there are multiple residents with different medical conditions as well
as the building is fully alarmed and protected by a sprinkler system. What we don’t expect is
multiple calls to the same single or multiple family residences, this may indicate an individual
who has a chronic medical condition or has no one to help them take care of themselves on a
daily or weekly basis.
Another data set looked at in this report is department demographics. As our members become
older, the need for medical procedures that require lengthy recovery impacts sick leave usage, as
well as health insurance and overtime costs.
The single most important data set is the delivery of emergency services. How long is it from
the time a person picks up a phone and dials 911 until a fire unit arrives at the location. A
comparison between 2015 and 2016 shows average response times in is within four seconds of
each other. The most significant changes was in EMS responses as we implemented a new
deployment model that utilizes the closes unit concept rather than the rescue truck as the only
unit responsible for EMS delivery. Both the average and 90% for this category saw reduced
times as it was expected to do. [See figure 11, PG 23]
5
We have also taken a look at a new category, which is how often do we have an incident that fire
units are on scene when another incident requiring fire department response also occurs.
Looking at the data for 2016, 19.3% of our responses occur when we already have committed a
resource to an existing incident.
Our report to the NFPA reflects our community had no lives lost due to fire in 2016, but there
were four civilian casualties.
We hope that you take the time to read each section of the report, and feel free to ask questions
and provide input as to what other information you would find beneficial to have in next year’s
annual report.
0
500
1000
1500
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
CALL
VOLUME
OVERLAPPING INCIDENTS
OVERLAPPING INCIDENTS
FIGURE 1
6
200th Birthday for Fire Department
The celebration of a birthday is a memorable thing. Many of us have photos of birthday
milestones, such as our child’s first birthday, our 18th birthday when we were given the right to
vote, our 65th when we become eligible for social security and some even have the good fortune
to celebrate 100 years. Most of us realize that reaching the milestone of 100 is indeed something
to be held special in our hearts and minds, but what do you do when someone or something
reaches the milestone of 200 years.
It was not that many years ago, in 1976 when our nation celebrated its 200th birthday with grand
parades and fireworks displays. No one living at the time of our Nation’s most recent birthday
was present when the Declaration of Independence was signed in the year 1776; we relied on the
history books and legends of the day to remind us of its significance.
The City of Watertown Fire Department will be 200 years old on May the 28th, 2017, and a
birthday celebration is scheduled for Saturday June 3rd to commemorate this milestone. When
you think back to that time, the City was still a Village and the Trustees felt that there was a
community need for fire protection. The cost of their first pumper was $400, small compared to
today’s newest pumper that was placed into service for $526,000.
The first engine company was formed by trustee resolution and the first pumper was purchased
with a joint venture between the Village and members of the newly formed engine company.
This fire apparatus was named Cataract, which is defined in American Heritage Dictionary as “a
very large waterfall”. The waterfall at the Mill Street Bridge crossing has been a symbol of our
City, and is a component of the City’s seal and patches worn by both our police officers and
firefighters who protect our community.
With the need to provide fire protection, a second means of providing service was the adoption
in 1946 of the Fire Prevention Code of the City of Watertown. In this earliest version of
prevention of fires and adequate exiting from buildings, the Fire Department was empowered to
7
not only to extinguish fires, but also to prevent and investigate fires. The establishment of a Fire
Prevention Bureau also broadened the department’s mission to include education of acceptable
conditions as well as how individuals could prevent fires from occurring. In the 1970’s the
insurance industry became involved with “Tot Finders’ for people’s homes and “EDITH” which
stands for Exit Drills in the Home. These aspects started the premise that individuals need to
take an active role in providing for their own safety. Later, in 1986, New York State adopted a
statewide code that included an engineering component in the prevention of fires placing
emphasis on detection and suppression systems as well as adequate exiting from buildings.
Today, these four components, extinguishment, code enforcement, engineering and education are
still considered acceptable and reasonable methods of providing community protection from fire.
So what will our community and fire department look like when it celebrates its 300th birthday?
100 years from now, most of us will not be present, but we have an opportunity to shape this
department toward the next century. NYS has adopted the International Codes Council
document as a fire and building code with the exception of sprinkler systems in residential
homes. A former Fire Chief from Winter Haven Fl. once told me that having a residential
sprinkler code could allow a community to reduce its fire department staffing size, as the fire
will be held in check with a working sprinkler system. It is hopeful that those people empowered
to make decisions upon the enactment of a residential sprinkler system will see the benefits of
such enactment policy and we will all enjoy safer homes in our community.
National Standards will continue to play a role in the delivery of fire protection; these would
include approved equipment, systems for new and existing structures, occupational safety and
others that promote fire and employee safety. Our newest pumper was outfitted with the ability
to carry water additives, such as foam, but the pump was not fitted with an application device.
The use of additives to water to make it more effective during fire operations came about in the
1970’s with the introduction of a product called “Wet Water” then followed by adding foam and
air. 100 years from now, Wet Water and other additives may become the preferred method of
extinguishing fire from our fire apparatus.
Self-contained breathing apparatus was brought over to the fire service from NASA. The need to
have this equipment is paramount for firefighter safety in immediately dangerous to life and
8
health, IDLH, conditions. Some manufacturers are embracing new innovations for making these
systems last longer and be lighter with the goal of providing for firefighter safety.
Cancer and mental health issues will certainly be in the forefront of the fire service for the next
decade and hopefully many organizations will embrace these ideas in cancer prevention and
ensuring that our members can handle the day to day stressors that come with the job of
protecting others. These are only a few items that will have an impact on the delivery of fire
service to our community in the immediate future.
As it was in 1817, community leaders found a need for a service, and such a service is provided
for the good of all in our Community. Please make plans to stop by and commemorate their
vision at our 200th birthday celebration.
9
Awards and Recognition On October 12th, 2016 the department recognized a number of members for actions taken
at emergency incidents. The department awards citation bars based on the recommendations
received from department officers, other agencies, or civilian witnesses, and then only after
confirming the accuracy of the reported event(s). The presentations were made at the Massey
Street fire station during Fire Prevention Week by Chief Herman. Attending the ceremony were
Mayor Butler, City Manager Addison, Members of City Council, Department Chaplain Rev.
VanWie, family & friends. Below are a list of the citation bars presented to department members
during that ceremony which are worn on their dress uniform
CPR Save Bar: Awarded to and worn by personnel who have saved a life utilizing AED/ CPR skills.
Samaritan Bar: Awarded to and worn by personnel who have saved a life or aided victims while off-duty.
Unit Citation Bar: Awarded to and worn by personnel based on the performance of their Company or Platoon at an emergency incident. This bar may have a number in the center representing multiple awards.
CENTRAL STREET C.P.R. BAR
CAPTAIN WILLIAM BRAGGER ACTING CAPTAIN MICHAEL JESMER FIREFIGHTER MATTHEW CARPENTER FIREFIGHTER ALLEN MULLIN
FIREFIGHTER CHRISTOPHER St. JOSEPH
COUNTY RT. 143 SAMARITAN BAR STEVEN WOOD
10
VANDUZEE STREET FIRE UNIT CITATION
ACTING BATTALION CHIEF DEREK DEROUIN ACTING CAPTAIN ERIC MORE CAPTAIN DAVID LOFTUS FIREFIGHTER ZACHARY CULLEN FIREFIGHTER JAMES DOCTEUR FIREFIGHTER CHRISTOPHER LITTELL FIREFIGHTER JARED LYNDAKER CAPTAIN TROY CHISAMORE CAPTAIN ROBERT SEEBER FIREFIGHTER SANDY AUBERTINE FIREFIGHTER KEITH GRANT FIREFIGHTER BRENT LeCLAIRE FIREFIGHTER JACOB BARNEY ACTING CAPTAIN JOHN ZINGARO` CAPTAIN ANDREW NAKLICK FIREFIGHTER ANDREW FLYNN FIREFIGHTER MICHAEL JESMER FIREFIGHTER GREGORY FRENCH
EASTERN BOULEVARD FISHING ACCESS SITE C.P.R. BAR
CAPTAIN WILLIAM BRAGGER CAPTAIN SCOTT KOLB FIREFIGHTER JARED LYNDAKER FIREFIGHTER JEFFERY HOLLAND FIREFIGHTER ZACHERY CULLEN
WEST LYNDE & LERAY STREET INTERSECTION SAMARITAN BAR
FIREFIGHTER SCOTT VANCAMP FIREFIGHTER JEFFERY HOLLAND
317 WASHINGTON STREET – STATE OFFICE BUILDING C.P.R.BAR
CAPTAIN DEREK DEROUIN FIREFIGHTER CHARLES WAUGH FIREFIGHTER RANDY BEACH FIREFIGHTER ANDREW FLYNN FIREFIGHTER JEFFERY NARROW
11
Department Organization and Structure
When Council adopted the FY 16-17 budget, the department was impacted with the
layoff of eight Fire Captains position. The Manager tasked the department with developing a
new deployment model to absorb this change. Several staff meetings with the Battalion Fire
Chiefs were held to discuss possible options and to identify potential benefits and downfalls of
each proposal. Although none of the models developed were put into place, the current
deployment model was implemented as it continued to maintain five pieces of apparatus staffed
daily. The remaining officers not only oversee all company administrative functions, but also
providing supervision at incidents.
The department adjusted the dispatching protocols from a method of responding the
rescue truck to all medical calls, no matter where the call was in the City, to a method of sending
the closest unit response model. This has provided the quicker arrival of a fire unit, however, at
times of multiple, overlapping incidents, reduces the number of available pumpers in the event of
a structure fire.
Trying to maintain command and control of fire apparatus and crews assigned to multiple
tasks being conducted simultaneously is challenging at best. Standard Operating Procedure
[SOP] 1.25 was created to allow the Battalion Chief to elevate Firefighters to the role of an
Acting Captain to fill the void of the demoted officers. This action is currently being challenged
by the Union and there is no other short term resolution.
Given the City Council’s desire to have a smaller and more efficient Fire Department, it
is my recommendation to utilize the cross staffing model recommended by CPSM. This could
be accomplished with the reinstatement of one additional officer on each of the platoons so that
each engine and aerial truck would have adequate span of control and the Battalion Chief could
go back to a more global position of overseeing an incident. The organizational chart would
look similar to Figure 2 on next page.
12
Battalion Fire Chief
Engine 11 Captain
3 Firefighters
Engine 21 Captain
2 Firefighters
Engine 31 Captain
2 Firefighters
Truck 11 Captain
3 Firefighters
Rescue 1Unstaffed
But Equipped
A portion of the crew from the truck would respond with the rescue when, and if, it is
needed for an incident. The remainder of the truck crew would respond with the truck if another
incident that required this apparatus were to occur while the rescue was already assigned to an
incident.
This deployment model would reduce the number of apparatus responding on calls, there
by impacting fuel and maintenance costs, maintain availability of apparatus and personnel,
prolong the life expectancy of the current rescue truck.
If, at times, the Battalion Chief either had staffing or incidents occur that required staffing
of the rescue truck with personnel, they would have the latitude to do so.
Providing a company of four personnel is recognized as a best practice utilizing NFPA
1710.
We currently have two of our uniformed personnel assigned to the civilian codes bureau
where they conduct fire and life safety inspections as well as complaints that their office
receives. This function has been in place since a 1993 agreement between the City and Local
191.
FIGURE 2
PROPOSED ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
13
BUDGET STATISTICS
The fire department currently makes up approximately 21.09% of the overall City budget. Below
is a pie chart of the department’s personnel cost lines* for fiscal 2015-16.
*Clerical and NYS Retirement for Clerical has been removed from the chart. Also, a budget adjustment was made to personnel cost lines on 6/30/2016 totaling $538,616.00 additional funds as a contingency for negotiated settlement of the CBA
SALARIES $178,570.00
2%
WAGES $4,473,194.00
54%
OVERTIME $468,032.00
6%
HOLIDAY $185,037.00
2%EMT
INCENTIVE $18,000.00
0%
HEALTH INSURANCE BUYOUT $12,595.00
0%
NYS POLICE & FIRE RETIREMENT SYSTEM
$1,509,488.0018%
SOCIAL SECURITY $406,876.00
5%
WORKERS COMPENSATION
$59,668.001%
HEALTH INSURANCE $991,563.00
12%
2016 Personnel Cost
SALARIES $178,570.00 WAGES $4,473,194.00
OVERTIME $468,032.00 HOLIDAY $185,037.00
EMT INCENTIVE $18,000.00 HEALTH INSURANCE BUYOUT $12,595.00
NYS POLICE & FIRE RETIREMENT SYSTEM $1,509,488.00 SOCIAL SECURITY $406,876.00
WORKERS COMPENSATION $59,668.00 HEALTH INSURANCE $991,563.00
FIGURE 3
14
The following charts have been included and depict Actual cost for not only fiscal 2015-16, but the last 6 years for the purposes of displaying trends.
$4,813,266.00 $4,950,335.00 $4,895,080.00$5,153,427.00 $5,114,372.00 $5,119,796.00
$1,000,000.00$1,500,000.00$2,000,000.00$2,500,000.00$3,000,000.00$3,500,000.00$4,000,000.00$4,500,000.00$5,000,000.00$5,500,000.00$6,000,000.00
2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16
DOLLARS
FISCAL YEAR
6 YEAR COMPARISON OF ACTUAL WAGES, SALARIES, AND OVERTIME
FIGURE 4
2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16
OVERTIME $327,183.00 $246,979.00 $217,318.00 $372,573.00 $426,314.00 $468,032.00
WAGES $4,337,564.00 $4,535,123.00 $4,508,072.00 $4,608,136.00 $4,514,367.00 $4,473,194.00
$1,000,000.00
$1,500,000.00
$2,000,000.00
$2,500,000.00
$3,000,000.00
$3,500,000.00
$4,000,000.00
$4,500,000.00
$5,000,000.00
$5,500,000.00
$6,000,000.00
DOLLARS
FISCAL YEAR
6 YEAR COMPARISON OF COMBIND WAGES AND OVERTIME
OVERTIME
WAGES
82
PERSONNEL83
PERSONNEL80
PERSONNEL
79 PERSONNEL
76 PERSONNEL
76 PERSONNEL
FIGURE 5
15
The overtime trend is expected to continue as long as the rate of reducing the overall department
staffing level competes with providing emergency services by minimum shift staffing level of 15
personnel.
2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16
TOTALS $7,483,106.00 $7,931,925.00 $8,006,330.00 $8,451,516.00 $8,340,391.00 $8,317,539.00
$1,800,000.00
$2,800,000.00
$3,800,000.00
$4,800,000.00
$5,800,000.00
$6,800,000.00
$7,800,000.00
$8,800,000.00
$9,800,000.00
DOLLARS
FISCAL YEAR
TOTAL PERSONNEL COST TRENDSINCLUDING : WAGES, SALARIES, HEALTH INSURANCE , WORKERS COMP, SOCIAL SECURITY, NYS POLICE AND FIRE RETIREMENT, HEALTH INSURANCE
BUYOUT, EMT INCENTIVE, HOLIDAY PAY, AND OVERTIME
TOTALS
Poly. (TOTALS)
FIGURE 6
2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16
OVERTIME $327,183.00 $246,979.00 $217,318.00 $372,573.00 $426,314.00 $468,032.00
$0.00
$100,000.00
$200,000.00
$300,000.00
$400,000.00
$500,000.00
$600,000.00
$700,000.00
$800,000.00
$900,000.00
$1,000,000.00
DOLLARS
FISCAL YEAR
OVERTIME COST TRENDS
OVERTIME
Poly. (OVERTIME)
FIGURE 7
16
APPARATUS
FRONT LINE
ENGINE 1
This is our newest piece of fire fighting apparatus which was placed in service on
December 19th. This 1750 gallon per minute pumper carries 750 gallons of water and was
manufactured by Spartan ERV of Sioux Falls South Dakota. The total cost for the vehicle and
equipment was below the $550,000 capital budget projection.
ENGINE 2 - “NOLAN”
Named for fallen Fire Captain William Nolan, Engine 2 is a 2006 Pierce pumper
with a rated capacity of 1500 gallons per minute and carries 750 gallons of onboard water. This
engine has 51,089 miles and 7,900 engine hours as of this year. Engine 2 is assigned to the
State Street fire station and staffing consists of an Officer and two Firefighters
ENGINE 3
A 2007 Pierce pumper with a rated capacity of 1500 gallons per minute, engine 3
is assigned to the Mill Street fire station. This pumper also carries 750 gallons of onboard
water. Engine 3 has 49,223 miles and 6,178 engine hours as of this year. Staffing consists of an
Officer and two Firefighters.
TRUCK 1 – “HOMER”
Truck one is a quint style, 100’ Pierce aerial platform. The term quint reflects the
apparatus’ five capabilities; pumping, aerial ladder, ground ladders, onboard water, and hose.
This apparatus is named for Mr. Homer Perkins, a prominent businessman who served as a
Jefferson County Fire Coordinator, and a friend to the City Fire Department. Rated at 2,000
gallons per minute pumping capacity and only carries 300 gallons of onboard water, Truck 1
has 14,778 miles and had the flex plate that goes between the motor and transmission replaced
this year. The department’s vehicle replacement plan currently has this Truck being refurbished
17
in FY 19-20 when the vehicle will be 15 years old. Staffing of this apparatus consist of three
Firefighters who report to the Battalion Chief on duty.
RESCUE 1 – “McCARTHY”
Named for long time department Chaplain Monsignor Robert McCarthy, Rescue
1 was built in 2004 by the now defunct American LaFrance company. Classified as a “heavy
rescue”, this vehicle is equipped to support rescue and medical aid requests. Pneumatic,
hydraulic, and battery operated rescue equipment are among compliment of tools available to
aid in all forms of rescue situations. Mileage as of this report was 68,466 with engine hours
totaling 10,237. Staffing of this apparatus consists of two Firefighters who report to the Engine
1 Officer for oversight.
COMMAND VEHICLE 8-12
This command vehicle is utilized by the shift commander. This 2008 Chevrolet
Tahoe is a multipurpose vehicle is deployed with a primary mission of command vehicle,
carrying a reference library, hazardous material metering equipment, and communication
equipment. It is also used to move personnel. This vehicle currently has 41,692 miles and
countless hours of engine idle time. This vehicle is staffed with the on-duty Battalion Chief.
This vehicle is being replaced by a new Ford F-250 for use by the shift commander.
RESERVE
ENGINE 4
This 1996 [HME] FERRARA engine has a rated pumping capacity of 1500 gallons
per minute. It carries 750 gallons of onboard water and is also equipped with an onboard foam
tank. Engine 4 is located at Station 1 as a reserve pumper. Engine 4 is unstaffed. It is fully
equipped to be placed into service by re-call personnel during an incident. This engine has
13,878 miles and 7,053 engine hours logged as of this report.
18
ENGINE 5 – “EMMA”
A 2000 Emergency One pumper and named for Mrs. Emma Flower Taylor, this
engine has a rated capacity of 1500 gallons per minute and carries 750 gallons of onboard
water. Assigned to State Street fire station as a reserve engine, this 16 year old engine was
recently refurbishment in January of this past year. This engine has an expected 10 years of
additional service as a reserve engine. Emma has 73,661 miles and 10,018 engine hours at that
time. This vehicle is currently unstaffed.
DECOMMISSIONED ENGINE 5 - “OLD SMOKEY”
This 1986 Emergency One pumper was sold in December 2016 via auction
prepared by the City purchasing department to Mr. William Caparara.
TRUCK 2
Truck 2 is a 1986 Emergency One 95’ aerial platform which carries a full
complement of ground ladders. This truck currently has 18,247 miles and 3884 engine hours as
of February 1, 2017. Refurbished to NFPA standards in 2003, this unstaffed reserve had to
undergo a major engine overhaul at the end of 2016 when anti freeze was found in with the
engine oil.
19
RETIREMENT
In 2016, four of our department members retired after a combined 114 years of service to the Citizens of Watertown.
Captain Mark Kellar retired effective January 31 after 30 years of service having joined the
department in January 1986. Mark was promoted to the rank of Fire Captain in November 2003
and was assigned to Station 3 on “B” Platoon.
Firefighter David Burns, another “B” platoon member retired May 28 with 31 years of service.
On David’s last shift, being assigned badge number 7 was allowed to sign in over the airwaves as
“007”. David and his wife Terry reside on South Indiana Avenue here in the City.
On August 29th, Firefighter David Compo retired having served with the department for thirteen
years, but starting his employment with the City in May of 1984 with the Department of Public
Works. David worked for the City for nearly 33 years and he could always be counted on to
check to see if the reserve pumper at Station 2 was needed to be driven to Station 1 for a recall
situation.
Firefighter Steve Wood capped off a 20 year career with the City in November having served in
both the Police and Fire Departments. Steve received several awards including Firefighter of the
year while aiding a motorcyclist while he was off duty.
05
10152025303540
2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16
NUMBER
OF
PERSONNEL
FISCAL YEAR
PERSONNEL AGE RANGES BY YEAR
20 - 29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60 & OVER
AGE RANGE
FIGURE 8
20
Sick Leave
During contract negations, the use of sick leave was called into questions and last year’s
annual report outlined sick leave usage in two categories, excused and unexcused. An excused
absence is when an employee provides an out of work slip from a health care provider.
The Chart below indicates that the overall sick leave usage was slightly above the six
year average. Excused absences were near a record high over the past six years which is
indicative of many of our members being out on long term leave. These absences included: a hip
replacement, back surgery, knee surgery, a pinched nerve of the neck, broken ankle, broken
fingers and corrective eye surgery, totaling 216.5 of the work day absences.
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
6 YEAR
AVG
TOTAL ABSENCES 447 663.5 505.5 646 407 429 537.18 519.31
EXCUSED ABSENCES 213.5 419 239.5 378.5 152.5 195.25 351.5 278.54
UNEXCUSED ABSENCES 233.5 244.5 266 267.5 254.5 233.75 185.68 240.78
The unexcused sick leave category is at its lowest for the past six years with a total of
185.68 days compared to the six year average of just over 241 days.
The graph below shows trends in both excused and unexcused sick leave absences for the
six year period of 2010 through 2016.
Department Members had an accumulation of 6,743 sick days available at the end of calendar
year 2016
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
EXCUSED ABSENCES 213.5 419 239.5 378.5 152.5 195.25 351.5
UNEXCUSED ABSENCES 233.5 244.5 266 267.5 254.5 233.75 185.68
0100200300400500
NU
MBE
R O
F SH
IFTS
CALANDAR YEARS
SICK LEAVE ABSENCES - 6 YEAR COMPARISON
EXCUSED ABSENCES
UNEXCUSED ABSENCES
FIGURE 9
FIGURE 10
21
INCIDENT RESPONSE
The department responded to 4297 calls for assistance in 2016. Utilizing the National
Fire Incident Reporting System [NFIRS], the department exports our community’s fire
experience statistics to the State of New York. New York State Department of Homeland
Security, which has oversight of the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control, then
forwards the information to the Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA] who tracks
national statistics. Firehouse Reporting Software is used by the department to create and
maintain our incident reports and allows for examination of our response statistics.
NFIRS uses nine major categories to classify fire service emergency response:
100 – Fire Calls
200 – Overpressure/Explosion Calls
300 – Rescue/Emergency Medical Calls
400 – Hazardous Condition Calls
500 – Service Calls
600 – Good Intent Calls
700 – False Calls
800 – Severe Weather
900 – Special Type Calls
The Fire Department’s incident response information, including response times, is
generated at the Jefferson County Dispatch Center. Jefferson County uses Spillman Dispatching
software for the Computer Aided Dispatching system. The information is monitored and
transferred to the fire department’s record keeping software. Occasionally, there have been
anomalies such as operator error, power failure, computer system failure, that affect the transfer
of information. It has also come to our attention that when compared to audio files of incident
radio communications that a time verbalized on the radio will be different than a time stamp in
the software system.
22
References will be made to department specific time benchmarks. The following are
definitions to aid in reading the report:
Response Time: The time interval from the answering the 911 call at the Public Safety
Answering Point [PSAP] to when the first emergency response unit is wheels stopped on scene.
Call Handling Time: The time interval from the answering of the 911 call at the PSAP to the
notification of the department of an incident.
Turnout Time: The time interval from the department notification to the first response vehicles
wheels roll.
Travel Time: the time interval from the first response vehicles wheels rolling until the arriving
units wheels stop at scene.
The department’s 2016 average response time for all call types [Figure 11, Pg 23] was five
minutes and thirty four seconds [00:05:34]. This is a four [4] second increase in response time
from 2015.
The department’s 2016 response time to the 90th percentile for all call types [Figure 11, Pg 23]
was seven minutes and fifty seven seconds [00:07:57]. This is a three [3] second increase in
response for all call types from 2015
Our department goal is to have the 90th percentile of total response times be eight [8]
minutes or less. The 90th percentile reflects the time in which 90% of the incidents were
answered. In 2016, 425 calls had a total response time of greater than eight [8] minutes.
Examining these calls individually shows that mutual aid calls, which have extended response
time, and incidents which another agency responded and subsequently requested the fire
department contributed to the increased response time. Examples would include initial police
response to an incident which the fire department was later requested to the scene, such MVA’s
or the discovery of a meth lab.
We also are able to measure the 90th percentile for turnout and travel time. Fire situations
should be no more than 5 minutes and 20 seconds [00:05:20} and 5 minutes [00:05:00] for
E.M.S. calls per NFPA 1710. The 90th percentile for fires [Figure 13, Pg 24] in 2016 was 5 minutes and
38 seconds [00:05:38] or 18 seconds above the standard. A contributing factor to this increased
time is trending toward investigations of “odor of smoke in the area” or “smoke in the
neighborhood”. Fire units typically do not report on scene until they determine the source and
location of the smoke is discovered, which takes time.
23
The 90th percentile for turnout and travel time was 6 minutes and 33 seconds [00:06:33]
for E.M. S. in 2016. [Figure 13, Pg 24] We believe that utilizing the closest unit concept that this
number will be decreased in the 2017 report.
INCIDENT RESPONSE TIMES
Average Total
Response Time 2016
Average Total
Response Time 2015
90th Percentile Total Response
Time 2016
90th Percentile
Total Response Time 2015
Total Calls 2016
Total Calls 2015
100 - FIRE CALLS 0:05:47 0:05:22 0:06:48 0:06:46 115 145
200 - OVERPRESSURE/EXPLOSIONS CALLS 0:03:58 0:05:09 0:05:19 0:05:57 11 4
300 - MEDICAL/EMS CALLS 0:05:49 0:06:01 0:08:13 0:08:23 2862 2830
400 - HAZARDOUS CONDITION CALLS 0:06:27 0:06:15 0:08:35 0:09:09 356 454
500 - SERVICE CALLS 0:07:29 0:06:18 0:11:19 0:10:46 241 228
600 - GOOD INTENT CALLS 0:05:05 0:06:45 0:07:41 0:09:41 116 147
700 - FALSE CALLS 0:04:32 0:04:34 0:06:30 0:06:22 504 513
800 - SEVERE WEATHER CALLS 0:07:34 0:07:16 0:09:06 0:07:16 5 1
900 - SPECIAL TYPE CALLS 0:03:21 0:01:47 0:08:00 0:06:49 11 21
RESPONSES INCLUDING ALL CATEGORIES 0:05:34 0:05:30 0:07:57 0:07:54 4221 4343
76 NULL
1 There are seventy six [76] incident responses classified as null. Meaning, the reports had insufficient data to create a result such as missing a time variable. An example is a cancelled in route call that never logs an on scene time.
FIGURE 11
24
AVERAGE INCIDENT RESPONSE TIMES BREAKDOWN BY CALL TYPE
Average Overall Response Time
2016
Average Overall
Response Time 2015
Average Call Handling/ Dispatch Time
2016
Average Call Handling/ Dispatch Time
2015
Average Turnout &Travel
Time 2016
Average Turnout &Travel
Time 2015
Total Calls 2016
Total Calls 2015
100 - FIRE CALLS 0:05:47 0:05:22 0:01:53 0:01:55 0:03:54 0:03:27 115 145
200 – OVERPRESSURE EXPLOSIONS CALLS 0:03:58 0:05:09 0:00:55 0:01:02 0:03:03 0:04:07 11 4 300 - MEDICAL/EMS CALLS 0:05:49 0:06:01 0:01:25 0:01:30 0:04:25 0:04:30 2862 2830 400 - HAZARDOUS CONDITION CALLS 0:06:27 0:06:15 0:01:38 0:01:43 0:04:49 0:04:32 356 454 500 - SERVICE CALLS 0:07:29 0:06:18 0:01:34 0:01:36 0:05:56 0:04:42 241 228 600 - GOOD INTENT CALLS 0:05:05 0:06:45 0:01:43 0:01:41 0:03:23 0:05:04 116 147 700 - FALSE CALLS 0:04:32 0:04:34 0:01:08 0:01:09 0:03:24 0:03:24 504 513
800 - SEVERE WEATHER CALLS 0:07:34 0:07:16 0:00:53 0:02:59 0:06:42 0:04:17 5 1 900 - SPECIAL TYPE CALLS 0:03:21 0:01:47 0:00:49 0:00:26 0:02:32 0:01:16 11 21
Totals 0:05:34 0:05:30 0:01:20 0:01:33 0:04:14 0:03:55 4221 4343
INCIDENT RESPONSE TIMES BREAKDOWN BY CALL TYPE TO THE 90TH PERCENTILE
Total Response Time 90th Percentile
2016
Total Response Time 90th Percentile
2015
Call Handling
Time 90th Percentile
2016
Call Handling
Time 90th Percentile
2015
Turnout/Travel Time 90th
Percentile 2016
Turnout/Travel
Time 90th Percentile 2015
Total Calls 2016
Total Calls 2015
100 - FIRE CALLS 0:06:48 0:06:46 0:02:02 0:02:23 0:05:38 0:04:47 115 145 200 – OVERPRESSURE EXPLOSIONS CALLS 0:05:19 0:05:57 0:01:16 0:01:18 0:04:23 0:05:19 11 4 300 - MEDICAL/EMS CALLS 0:08:13 0:08:23 0:02:17 0:02:24 0:06:33 0:06:32 2862 2830
400 - HAZARDOUS CONDITION CALLS 0:08:35 0:09:09 0:02:25 0:02:32 0:06:45 0:07:28 356 454 500 - SERVICE CALLS 0:11:19 0:10:46 0:02:30 0:02:59 0:08:01 0:08:31 241 228
600 - GOOD INTENT CALLS 0:07:41 0:09:41 0:03:09 0:03:04 0:05:28 0:07:20 116 147 700 - FALSE CALLS 0:06:30 0:06:22 0:01:46 0:01:44 0:05:14 0:05:09 504 513
800 - SEVERE WEATHER CALLS 0:09:06 0:07:16 0:02:12 0:02:59 0:08:06 0:04:17 5 1
900 - SPECIAL TYPE CALLS 0:08:00 0:06:49 0:02:17 0:01:33 0:04:51 0:05:00 11 21
Totals 0:07:57 0:07:54 0:02:13 0:02:20 0:06:07 0:06:03 4221 4343
76 NULLi
1 There are seventy six [76] incident responses classified as null. Meaning, the reports had insufficient data to create a result such as missing a time variable. An example is a cancelled in route call that never logs an on scene time.
FIGURE 12
FIGURE 13
25
TYPE 100 - FIRE CALLS
NFIRS TYPE INCIDENT TYPE DESCRIPTION NUMBER OF CALLS 2015
NUMBER OF CALLS 2016 Difference
100 Fire, Other 19 6 -13
111 Building fire 36 24 -12
111A Appliance fire 7 12 5
113 Cooking fire, confined to container 17 12 -5
114 Chimney/Flue fire, confined to same 3 1 -2
116 Flue Burner/ Boiler fire 0 1 1
118 Trash or rubbish fire, contained 1 0 -1
130 Mobile property (vehicle) fire, Other 2 1 -1
131 Passenger vehicle fire 12 3 -9
132 Road freight or transport vehicle fire 1 0 -1
138 Off Road/Heavy Equipment Vehicle fire 1 0 -1
140 Natural vegetation fire, Other 8 10 2
142 Brush or brush-and-grass mixture fire 7 9 2
150 Outside rubbish fire, Other 14 8 -6
151 Outside rubbish, trash or waste fire 13 19 6
154 Dumpster /Trash Receptacle fire 2 5 3
160 Special outside fire 0 2 2
164 Outside Mailbox fire 1 0 -1
173 Cultivated trees/Nursery Stock fire 1 2 1
TOTAL 145 115 -30
TYPE 200 - OVERPRESSURE/EXPLOSION CALLS
NFIRS TYPE INCIDENT TYPE DESCRIPTION NUMBER OF CALLS 2015
NUMBER OF CALLS 2016 Difference
200 Overpressure rupture, explosion, overheat other 1 1 0
211 Overpressure rupture, explosion, steam pipe/pipeline 0 1 1
223 Air or gas rupture of pressure or process vessel 0 1 1
251 Excessive heat, scorch burns with no ignition 1 8 7
TOTAL 2 11 9
FIGURE 14
FIGURE 15
26
The fire department maintains a staffing level of 15 personnel based on both the
community’s most probable risk of fire, and the national standard associated with that risk.
These are a 2 ½ story wood frame residential dwelling, and the National Fire Protection
Association [NFPA] standard 1710. A benefit of maintaining staffing levels for this known
hazard is that it also allows the department to provide emergency medical response, respond to
hazardous conditions or weather emergencies, or service calls such as flooded cellars, when there
are no fire calls occurring.
The NFIRS incident type 300 category includes type 311, medical aid calls. Type 311
medical aid calls total 2647 request for assistance or 61.6% of the total call volume. This is an
increase of 1.7% over last year. Call types displaying the largest increase over last year’s statistics
are; diabetic calls [+ 108], assist EMS crew [+ 56], overdose [+ 54], syncope [+ 15], and suicidal
[+ 12].
Referencing the National Fire Protection Association most recent research paper FIRE
LOSS IN THE UNITED STATES DURING 2015 [September 2016 by Hylton Haynes], medical
aid responses make up an average of 64% of all reported calls. That is an increase of 6.6%
nationwide for emergency medical aid calls.
27
TYPE 300 - EMS/MEDICAL
NFIRS TYPE INCIDENT TYPE DESCRIPTION NUMBER OF CALLS 2015
NUMBER OF CALLS 2016 Difference
300 Rescue, EMS incident, other 8 6 -2 300L Rescue, emergency medical (EMS) call, Other(life ) 6 8 2 311 Medical assist, assist EMS crew 103 159 56
311# Medical assist, assist EMS crew (Burns) 1 2 1 311& Medical assist, assist EMS crew (Stabbing] 7 6 -1 311* Medical assist, assist EMS crew [unknown medical] 188 155 -33 311A Medical assist, assist EMS crew (allergic) 28 39 11 311B Medical assist, assist EMS crew (Bleeding) 90 80 -10 311C Medical assist, assist EMS crew (C.V.A.) 42 23 -19 311D Medical assist, assist EMS crew (Diff. Breathing) 411 326 -85 311E Medical assist, assist EMS crew (ETOH) 53 60 7 311F Medical assist, assist EMS crew (full arrest) 21 13 -8 311G Medical assist, assist EMS crew (gen. illness) 67 66 -1 311H Medical assist, assist EMS crew (cardiac) 56 63 7 311I Medical assist, assist EMS crew (Diabetic) 142 250 108 311J Medical assist, assist EMS crew (chest pain) 170 172 2 311K Medical assist, assist EMS crew (syncope) 50 65 15 311L Medical assist, assist EMS crew (Person fell) 470 434 -36 311M Medical assist, assist EMS Crew (Gunshot Wound) 1 3 2 311O Medical assist, assist EMS crew (overdose) 112 166 54 311P Medical assist, assist EMS crew (pregnancy) 40 34 -6 311Q Medical assist, assist EMS crew [altered mental] 20 18 -2 311R Medical assist, assist EMS crew (assault/altercation) 122 132 10 311S Medical assist, [Seizures] 174 142 -32 311T Medical assist, assist EMS crew (trauma) 72 68 -4 311U Medical assist, assist EMS crew (unconscious/unresponsive 102 101 -1 311W Medical assist, assist EMS crew (D.O.A.) 21 30 9 311X Medical assist, assist EMS crew (unfounded) 13 7 -6 311Y Medical assist, assist EMS crew (choking) 16 11 -5 311Z Medical assist, assist EMS crew (suicidal) Standby 10 22 12 320 Emergency medical service, other 8 9 1 321 EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury 0 1 1 322 Motor vehicle accident with injuries 80 88 8 323 Motor vehicle/pedestrian accident (MVA-Pedestrian) 15 24 9 324 Motor Vehicle Accident with no injuries 53 41 -12 331 Lock-in (if lock out , use 511 ) 8 4 -4 340 Search for person on land 1 0 -1 342 Search for person in water 1 3 2 350 Extrication, rescue, Other 4 3 -1 350L Confined Space Rescue 1 0 -1 350W Extrication, rescue, Other 1 2 1 351 Extrication of victim(s) from building/structure 2 1 -1 352 Extrication of victim(s) from vehicle 2 1 -1 353 Removal of victim(s) from stalled elevator 22 13 -9 356 High-angle rescue 1 0 -1 360 Water & ice-related rescue, other 0 1 1 361 Swimming/recreational water areas rescue 0 1 1 363 Swift water rescue 7 8 1 381 Rescue or EMS standby 8 10 2
TOTAL 2830 2871 41
FIGURE 16
28
TYPE 400 - HAZARDOUS CONDITION NFIRS TYPE INCIDENT TYPE DESCRIPTION NUMBER OF CALLS
2015 NUMBER OF CALLS 2016 Difference
400 Hazardous condition, Other 18 11 -7 400C Hazardous condition, Electric, cable &/or telephone 39 22 -17 400I Hazardous condition, Other (investigation) 26 15 -11
400M Hazardous condition, Other (M.V.A./no injuries) 136 121 -15 410 Combustible/flammable gas/liquid condition, other 3 3 0 411 Gasoline or other flammable liquid spill 8 11 3 412 Gas leak (natural gas or LPG) 29 17 -12 413 Oil or other combustible liquid spill 3 5 2 420 Toxic condition, Other 5 2 -3 421 Chemical hazard (no spill or leak) 6 10 4 422 Chemical spill or leak 8 2 -6 424 Carbon monoxide incident 12 15 3 440 Electrical wiring/equipment problem, Other 12 13 1
4401 Electrical wiring/equipment problem, Other (wire) 12 7 -5 441 Heat from short circuit (wiring), defective/worn 3 2 -1 442 Overheated motor 6 4 -2 443 Breakdown of light ballast 1 1 0 444 Power line down 16 10 -6
4441 Cable or Telephone Wire Down 58 22 -36 445 Arcing, shorted electrical equipment 9 10 1 463 Vehicle accident, general cleanup 41 55 14 480 Attempted burning, illegal action, Other 3 0 -3
TOTAL 454 358 -96
TYPE 500 - SERVICE CALLS NFIRS TYPE INCIDENT TYPE DESCRIPTION
NUMBER OF CALLS 2015
NUMBER OF CALLS 2016 Difference
500 Service Call, other 17 8 -9 500H Service Call, Other(helicopter stand-by) 5 3 -2 510 Person in distress, Other 10 13 3
510A Lifeline activation 2 1 -1 511 Lock-out 25 24 -1 520 Water problem, Other 23 37 14 521 Water evacuation 0 2 2 522 Water or steam leak 30 34 4 531 Smoke or odor removal 12 3 -9
5311 Smoke or odor removal (Investigation) 59 49 -10 541 Animal problem 0 1 1 542 Animal rescue 4 7 3 550 Public service assistance, Other 6 10 4 551 Assist police or other governmental agency 15 28 13 553 Public Service 1 1 0 561 Unauthorized burning 19 23 4
TOTAL 228 244 16
FIGURE 17
FIGURE 18
29
TYPE 600 - GOOD INTENT CALLS NFIRS TYPE INCIDENT TYPE DESCRIPTION NUMBER OF CALLS
2015 NUMBER OF CALLS
2016 Difference 600 Good intent call, Other 54 61 7 611 Dispatched & cancelled en route 40 52 12 621 Wrong Location 1 1 0 622 No Incident found on arrival at dispatch address 25 20 -5 631 Authorized controlled burning 10 11 1 650 Steam, other gas mistaken for smoke 3 1 -2 651 Smoke scare, odor of smoke 9 9 0 652 Steam, vapor, fog or dust thought to be smoke 4 4 0 653 Smoke from barbecue, tar kettle 0 2 2 671 HazMat release investigation w/no HazMat 1 8 7
TOTAL 147 169 22
TYPE 700 - FALSE ALARMS FALSE CALLS
NFIRS TYPE INCIDENT TYPE DESCRIPTION NUMBER OF CALLS 2015
NUMBER OF CALLS 2016 Difference
700 False alarm or false call, Other 20 35 15 710 Malicious, mischievous false call, Other 6 14 8 713 Telephone, malicious false alarm 0 15 15 714 Central station, malicious false alarm 0 1 1 715 Local alarm system, malicious false alarm 0 1 1 721 Bomb scare - no bomb 0 1 1 730 System malfunction, Other 4 1 -3 731 Sprinkler activation due to malfunction 10 11 1 733 Smoke detector activation due to malfunction 34 50 16
734 Heat detector activation due to malfunction 1 3 2
735 Alarm system sounded due to malfunction 28 16 -12
736 CO detector activation due to malfunction 18 13 -5
740 Unintentional transmission of alarm, Other 43 41 -2 741 Sprinkler activation, no fire - unintentional 9 12 3 743 Smoke detector activation, no fire - unintentional 199 163 -36 744 Detector activation, no fire - unintentional 44 45 1 745 Alarm system activation, no fire - unintentional 85 77 -8 746 Carbon monoxide detector activation, no CO 12 5 -7
TOTAL 513 504 -9
FIGURE 19
FIGURE 20
30
TYPE 800 - SEVERE WEATHER
NFIRS TYPE INCIDENT TYPE DESCRIPTION NUMBER OF CALLS 2015
NUMBER OF CALLS 2016
813 Wind storm, tornado/hurricane assessment 1 5 4 TOTAL 1 5 4
TYPE 900 - SPECIAL TYPE CALLS
NFIRS TYPE INCIDENT TYPE DESCRIPTION NUMBER OF CALLS 2015
NUMBER OF CALLS 2016
900 2 1 -1 9001 Second Alarm Status 9 0 -9 9002 Firework standby 3 2 -1 9003 Fair duty standby 4 1 -3 9004 Fire Education 0 4 4 911 Citizen complaint 2 3 1
TOTAL 20 11 -9
WHEN ARE HOME FIRES MOST COMMON?
Home fire deaths occur more often in cooler months and between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. In 2010-2014, 47% of home structure fires and (56%) of home structure fire deaths occurred in the five months of November through March. Reported home fires peaked around the dinner hours of 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. While just one-fifth (20%) of reported home fires occurred between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., half (52%) of the home fire deaths resulted from fires reported during these hours.
Source: U.S. Home Structure Fires, 9/16 ii NFPA Research, Quincy, MA
0.0%
1.0%
2.0%
3.0%
4.0%
5.0%
6.0%
7.0%
MID
-1A
M
1AM
-2A
M
2AM
-3A
M
3AM
-4A
M
4AM
-5A
M
5AM
-6A
M
6AM
-7A
M
7AM
-8A
M
8AM
-9A
M
9AM
-10
AM
10AM
-11
AM
11AM
-12
PM
12PM
-1P
M
1PM
-2P
M
2PM
-3P
M
3PM
-4P
M
4PM
-5P
M
5PM
-6P
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6PM
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7PM
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-9P
M
9PM
-10
PM
10PM
-11
PM
11PM
-M
ID
PERC
ENTG
E O
F CA
LLS
2016 ALARMS BY HOUR OF DAY WFD vs. 2016 NATIONAL AVERAGE [ALL CALL TYPES]
WFD 2016 ALARMS BY HOUR OF DAY 2016 NATIONAL AVERAGE OF ALARMS BY HOUR OF DAY
FIGURE 21
FIGURE 22
FIGURE 23
31
The next two graphs have been placed in this report as they were used in the study
conducted by Center for Public Safety Management, or CPSM.1 The data sets were assembled
as they were in the CPSM study for consistency.2 EMS represents all call types related to the
NFIRS 300 incident category that the fire department responded to in 2016. This category
includes: Medical Assist, Search for Lost Person, Extrications [including MVA’s and Elevators],
Water and Ice Rescue, Electrical Rescue and E.M.S. Standby. All remaining NFIRS Categories
were represented by the Fire data set.
1 See Page 56 & 57 of the Fire Services Operation and Data Analysis Watertown, New York by CPSM 2 See Page 48 of the Fire Services Operation and Data Analysis Watertown, New York by CPSM
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
FIRE 3.8 4.5 3.2 3.4 3.3 3.4 4.5 3.8 4.3 4 3.2 3.4
E.M.S. 7.3 8.2 7.2 6.4 8.3 8.3 7.8 8.1 8.5 8.2 7.9 7.9
7.3 8.2 7.2 6.48.3 8.3 7.8 8.1 8.5 8.2 7.9 7.9
3.84.5
3.2 3.43.3 3.4 4.5 3.8 4.3 4 3.2 3.4
02468
101214
AVER
AGE
CALL
S PE
R DA
Y
MONTH
AVERAGE CALLS/DAY by MONTH
0.51 0.480.36 0.40
0.660.81 0.79 0.76 0.78 0.84 0.80
0.65
0.180.12
0.080.24
0.34
0.45 0.41 0.41 0.410.41
0.36
0.29
0.00.20.40.60.81.01.21.4
AVER
AGE
CALL
RAT
E
TWO-HOUR INTERVAL
CALLS MEASURED IN 2 HOUR INTERVALS
Fire
E.M.S.
FIGURE 24
FIGURE 25
32
Mutual Aid
Mutual Aid is a reciprocating agreement by which municipalities agree to help each other
out in times of need. These needs generally involve lack of some type of resource. In 2016,
there were fourteen incidents by which we either received or gave aid to our neighbors.
The most frequent aid given is in the field of technical rescue, by which our department is
recognized as a regional asset. In 2016 we provided aid for five motor vehicle accidents that
required extrication, two water rescue incidents, both on the Black River and one technical
rescue event by which a person fell down a cliff in Sackets Harbor and prior to our arrival, a
private boat was used to move the patient to an awaiting ambulance. We were also called upon to
provide fire investigators to a structure fire on Wellesley Island as there were no County Fire
Investigators available.
For structure fire support, we rely on Fort Drum to help us out as they can provide an
apparatus with four personnel, one of them being an officer, as well as a Chief Officer. They are
usually assigned one of three tasks; enhance the existing initial rapid intervention team to a full
team strength, actively support fire operations as needed, or be available to respond to additional
alarms during the incident. They provided mutual aid assistance four times in 2016.
33
Emergency Medical Services
In the past two years, our EMT re-certification utilized a new format of continuing
education instead of the more traditional method of classroom, labs, skills and written testing.
During this training, three very important changes came about that affected our EMS
delivery.
Use of backboards has been restructured so that the patient can be transported without
one. For years, any suspected neck or back injury required spinal immobilization as the protocol.
Studies indicated that the placing a patient on the board, did not significantly reduce spinal
movement. Hence the new protocol that has changed traditional methods of transporting patients
suspected of a neck or spinal injury.
Epi-pens are very helpful in counteracting an anaphylaxis. These pens medication are
very expensive to purchase and they have a expiration date of 12 months. Our regional health
care area was placed on a trial of “Check and Inject” where trained EMTs could draw a syringe
of Epi and inject this medication into the patient’s thigh. Although the medication still has an
expiration date, the cost of this new injection method has produced a tremendous savings of $
3,760 annually.
The drug Narcan has been added to our medical bags as this medication, when sprayed
into the nasal passages of an overdose victim, counteracts the affects of opioids. This medication
was at first only allowed to be administered by high level first responders, but now has become
available to all responders to include the general public that suspect a family member is using
opioid type drugs, such as Heroin. The department has been able to obtain Narcan at no charge
through a partnership with the FDRHCS. [Fort Drum Regional Health Care System] In 2016, our
personnel delivered Narcan at 28 incidents where the individual was suspected to have
overdosed on an opioid.
34
Training
2016 brought the implementation of the department’s skill based training program. This
program has each member perform the various skills required to do their job, on an annual basis.
Since a firefighter is asked for so many tasks, this skill based approach helps ensure that our
firefighters are ready when needed. The first year experienced some difficulties, midway through
the year when there was a reduction in officers. The elimination of the captains on the rescue and
ladder trucks shifted the training functions to other officers on the platoon. This caused some
confusion, until those responsibilities were defined. There have been changes implemented for
2017 and other changes are already being looked at for 2018. The skill based approach to
firefighter annual training is also currently being considered by the NYS Office of Fire
Prevention and Control as a replacement or supplement to the current required annual training
program. The current NYS annual training program is solely based on hours of completed
training in certain categories.
The department continued to support the development of its members. T.G. Kolb, Robert
Seeber, and Charles Waugh, all continued their participation in the National Fire Academy’s
Executive Fire Officer Program. Those that complete the four year program, achieve one of the
most sought after certifications in the fire service.
Department members also received Disability Awareness Training. This training gives
firefighters the ability to identify and interact with people with certain known disabilities. As part
of the training, Krista Holland-Cronk, a special needs teacher from Starbuck Elementary,
instructed members on dealing with children and their disabilities. Her information was
immediately put into use when Engine 2 was called to a child stuck in an infant swing at the East
Hills playground on the day after the training. Upon arrival, the crew was told by the child’s
parent that the child has autism. Utilizing their training, they were able to calm the child and
successfully remove her from the swing. The crew said if they had not had the training they
would have approached this situation much differently, which may have resulted in more stress
for the child, the parents, and the responders.
35
The department received a 660 gallon foam trailer from New York State; members
received the training in the trailer’s operation and towing capabilities. This trailer is a resource
that can be deployed here in Watertown or anywhere in New York State as part of the Foam
Task Force.
In total, the department’s training program provided our members with approximate
21,000 hours of training, being lead by the department’s officers providing most of the training.
The program in 2017 has been altered due to the new deployment model, but the dedication of
our members to the citizens of the city will continue as we meet those challenges put before us.
36
Risk Assessment
As the last community risk assessment conducted by the fire department was performed nearly
fourteen years ago, the most recent CPSM study recommended that another one be conducted. A
risk assessment is a tool used to identify the number and types of building within a community.
The tool helps to identify target hazards that pre-incident plans may aid in mitigating a situation
prior to exceeding department resources. The tool also identifies the most common buildings
that the department may face in providing services.
As the evaluation tool (RHAVE) utilized in 2002 is no longer supported, the department had to
select among four current risk assessment models to use. Each model had both strengths and
weakness and there would have been redundancy in trying to utilize all four simultaneously.
After the review, a model was identified as the one to use and RAFER (Risk Assessment Form,
Emergency Response) template was uploaded to the department tablets so that the gathering of
information could begin. This form identified certain criteria of the building that included life
hazard, community impact, a hazard index, available water supply, building occupancy, building
construction, building height and area. By selecting one of three available choices in each
criterion, an overall score was attained for each building in the City.
To aid the City’s assessment department, a category of how many apartments was added to the
form as well as a check box if the building had a fire department connection for the purposes of
identifying those buildings with sprinkler or standpipe equipment. Neither of these two
additional categories was incorporated into the scoring, but can be utilized for other information
purposes.
37
Below is a sample address utilizing the RAFER Assessment Tool.
Building Number Prefix Street Name Type
Alternate Building Number Prefix Street Name Type
Property Name Units FDC Special Hazard Score: 0Risk: 0
Completed by: Platoon Company Date: 3/9/2017
High Life Hazard (100 or more occupants )Medium Life Hazard (25-99 occupants )Low Life Hazard (Less than 25 occupants )
Severe Impact (irreplaceable/historical/hospital )Moderate Impact (high casualty/job loss/tax/food store )Minor Impact (minor casualty/family loss )
Complex/Multiple/Industrial/SpecialSimple/Moderate/BusinessLimited/Common/Residential
0 or 1 Hydrant (with less than 1000 GPM)1 at 1000 GPM or over, and 1 less than 1000 GPM2 Hydrants at 1000 GPM or over
Office/Small Business
RISK ASSESSMENT FORM - EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Life Hazard Building Usage Industrial/High Life Hazard/Large BusinessResidential
Water Supply (within 800 feet ) - 2 Closest Hydrants #'s Square Footage 15,000 Square Feet or More
Community Impact Building ConstructionCombustibleLimited CombustibilityNon-Combustibility
Hazard Index Number of Stories
7,501 to 14,999 Square Feet7,500 Square Feet or Less
3 or more stories (or 40 feet high or more )2 Story BuildingSingle Story Building
Clear Form
The fire department identified as a goal for the FY 16-17 budget the conducting of a community
risk assessment and the department started gathering building’s information in the fall of 2016
with a completion date of spring 2017. Once the information is gathered, it will be analyzed to
determine accuracy as well as develop list of building that should be identified as potential target
hazards as well as identifying the most common building that our community consists of.
FIGURE 26
38
This information along with Census Bureau data for population age, earnings, education along
with fire department incident data will allow for the identification of potential populations at risk
in our community to need department services.
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Hazardous Material
Summary of the Emergency Planning & Community Right-to-Know Act 42 U.S.C. §11001 et seq. (1986)3 Authorized by Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA), the Emergency Planning & Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) was enacted by Congress as the national legislation on community safety. This law is designed to help local communities protect public health, safety, and the environment from chemical hazards. To implement EPCRA, Congress requires each state to appoint a State Emergency Response Commission (SERC). The SERCs are required to divide their states into Emergency Planning Districts and to name a Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) for each district. Broad representation by fire fighters, health officials, government and media representatives, community groups, industrial facilities, and emergency managers ensures that all necessary elements of the planning process are represented. Under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs) must develop an emergency response plan, review the plan at least annually, and provide information about chemicals in the community to citizens. Plans are developed by LEPCs with stakeholder participation. There is one LEPC for each of the more than 3,000 designated local emergency planning districts. The LEPC membership must include (at a minimum):
• Elected state and local officials • Police, fire, civil defense, and public health professionals • Environment, transportation, and hospital officials • Facility representatives • Representatives from community groups and the media
On February 1, 1997, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by the
County Administrator and City Manager to establish a working relationship between the City
and County with regards to the ability to respond and control the release of hazardous materials.
On September 11, 2001, the role of a first responder with hazardous materials skills was
taxed to the limit with panic rippling through our society. Soon after, there was a huge influx of
equipment and training to enhance the abilities of our first responders to detect and control the
releases of weapons of mass destruction.
As time has ticked by, the emphasis has changed from purchasing and maintaining
expensive pieces of equipment that has the ability to only detect one source, to a more general 3 An excerpt from the Environmental Protection Agency Website https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations /summary-emergency-planning-community-right-know-act
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approach of equipment with versatility. The lessons, drills and planning of the early days have
proven to be in the best interest to all.
The original MOU described a bus owned by the County to be housed at our Station #2.
The County was responsible for the equipment costs, and the City was able to use the assigned
assets for the responsibility of overseeing the daily vehicle checks and respond with the resource
when activated. Although the equipment inventory has changed over the years, the basic
concepts of the MOU have been followed.
Battalion Chief David Lachenauer serves as chairman of the Jefferson County Local
Emergency Planning Committee [LEPC]. Using a national database called E-Plan, the
committee which began with only 35 facilities now has 82 reporting facilities identifying 949
different chemicals which may be encountered by emergency responders. Response plans and
mapping have been in process for these facilities.
On June 30, 2016, the MOU fell into place when approximately ten gallons of sulfuric
acid leaked from a pipeline and mixed with two gallons of SuperChlor creating a toxic fume that
affected employees in the area of Knowlton Technologies. City Fire, along with Jefferson
County Emergency Management Team, Department of Environmental Conservation and
Knowlton staff used neutralization materials to mitigate the situation. The outcome was a
success and there were no injuries, the facility was able to go back to production, and our
resources performed well at this real time incident.
The Governor’s Office has been proactive in ensuring responders receive necessary
equipment and training to handle unforeseen and unusual incidents. To aid responders in our
area, the State and City signed an agreement to house a foam response trailer here in the City for
not only our use, but on a regional and State wide need. This trailer contains 660 gallons of
foam concentrate that can be utilized for both fires and spills involving petro chemicals that are
located on our roads, rail lines and facilities. Department personnel received their initial
operational training with more to follow.
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Fire Investigation
General Municipal § 204-d.
“Duties of the fire chief. The fire chief of any fire department or company shall, in addition to any other duties
assigned to him by law or contract, to the extent reasonably possible determine or cause to be determined the cause
of each fire or explosion which the fire department or company has been called to suppress. He shall file with the
office of fire prevention and control a report containing such determination and any additional information required
by such office regarding the fire or explosion. The report shall be in the form designated by such office. He shall
contact or cause to be contacted the appropriate investigatory authority if he has reason to believe the fire or
explosion is of incendiary or suspicious origin. For all fires that are suspected to have been ignited by a cigarette,
within fourteen days after completing the investigation into such fire, the fire chief shall forward to the office of fire
prevention and control information detailing, to the extent possible: (a) the specific brand and style of the cigarette
suspected of having ignited such fire; (b) whether the cigarette package was marked as required by subdivision six
of section one hundred fifty-six-c of the executive law; and (c) the location and manner in which such cigarette was
purchased.”
The City of Watertown Fire department meets this requirement through the Office of the
Fire Chief. The State of New York requires training for all fire officers in career fire departments
through the First Line Supervisor Training Program. Included in the curriculum are Fire
Behavior and Arson Awareness and Principles of Fire Investigation to aid officers in determining
the cause and origin of a fire. This training allows an officer to make the determination that
additional expertise is needed when circumstances are more involved. Members of the
department’s Cause and Origin Team are requested to respond or assist with the investigation.
The Watertown Fire Cause and Origin Team is made up of seven members and in 2016,
the team lost one member, firefighter Steve Wood, to retirement and added Battalion Chief Mike
Kellogg who completed the 80 hour Fire and Explosion Investigation course at the NYS Fire
Academy in September.
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The team was called upon to investigate eight of the 115 fire calls that occurred in 2016 the
cause of which could not be readily identified by the on scene incident commander. The official
cause of a fire can only be classified, per NFPA Standard 921, as accidental, natural, incendiary
or undetermined. The eight fires in 2016 were classified as follows:
• 2 incendiary
• 3 accidental
• 3 undetermined
Occasionally the team seeks assistance from the NYS Fire and Explosion Investigation team.
This occurs if there is a fire fatality, large dollar loss, a need for canine assistance or if there is a
situation that is beyond our scope of training or expertise. The Watertown team requested the
NYS team for canine assistance at one of our incendiary fires and the dog indicated on multiple
locations within the structure for odors of flammable liquid residue.
The team members strive to remain current on the topics listed in NFPA 1033, Professional
Qualifications for Fire Investigation, by attending educational courses, seminars or workshops,
on-line training modules, reading professional publications and documentation of hands-on
investigative hours. The team also utilizes the guidelines set out in NFPA 921, Guide for Fire
and Explosion Investigations, for completing and documenting our investigations.
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Fire Prevention and Education
The fire prevention program of the City of Watertown Fire Department is multi-faceted.
Firefighters use station tours, fire engine visits, and the fire education trailer to spread fire safety
messages to children and adults throughout the year. The fire extinguisher training prop is used to assist
local businesses and organizations in training employees and students on the proper use of fire
extinguishers. Firefighters also conduct lectures, if requested, as part of fire safety education by local
organizations and businesses. Local residents in need of working smoke detectors are provided these by
firefighters. The smoke detectors are donated to the department by Home Depot.
In 2016, the City of Watertown Fire Prevention Program was able to stabilize from the loss of a
full time fire prevention educator. The loss of a full time educator has resulted in the program reaching
50% fewer people then it reached in 2014. The educator’s responsibilities were initially divided between
the training officer and the ladder company captain. This arrangement had to be altered when there was a
reduction in the number of fire officers. The responsibility of the entire fire prevention program was
assigned to the training officer. The following charts show the participation in various fire prevention
events over the last four years. Despite the setbacks of the last few years, the fire prevention program was
invited to participate in the Smoke Alarms for Older Adults Project. This project, administered by the
New York State Association of Fire Chiefs, provided free smoke detectors to any home with a resident
age 65 or older. During the eight week program, city firefighters installed over 140 smoke detectors in 27
homes in Watertown.
In 2017, the prevention program looks forward to using the 200th anniversary of the department to
spread the message of fire prevention. The program will also continue to explore opportunities to place
smoke detectors in homes, as smoke detectors are proven to be the most effective way to save lives in the
event of a house fire.
44
0
100
200
300
400
500
2013 2014 2015 2016
Participant
Fire Extinguisher
Adults
Children
0500
1000150020002500300035004000
2013 2014 2015 2016
Participant
Fire Safety Trailer
AdultsChildren
0500
100015002000250030003500
2013 2014 2015 2016
Participant
Fire Prevention Events/ Lectures
Adults
Children
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
2013 2014 2015 2016
Participant
Engine Visit
Adults
Children
FIGURE 27 FIGURE 28
FIGURE 29 FIGURE 30
0100200300400500600700800900
2013 2014 2015 2016
Participant
Station Tours
Adults
Kids
FIGURE 31
0100020003000400050006000700080009000
2013 2014 2015 2016
Participant
Yearly Total
Adults
Kids
FIGURE 32
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Technical Rescue
Structural Collapse
A structural collapse can occur for many reasons, for example, a structure under
construction, an earthquake, a fire, snow load, explosion, or other weather related catastrophes.
The City of Watertown Fire Department has people trained to handle such emergencies. We also
have the equipment in a state of readiness to mitigate these potential events. There are monthly
inventories done to ensure that our equipment is in good working order, performance reviews of
our members, and drills so that our people keep their skills sharp. The equipment is always
ready to roll in our Tech Rescue trailers which are at Station One on Massey Street.
Trench Rescue
Trench rescue is very specialized training that several members of the Watertown Fire
department participate in. Trench work happens all over the North Country by contractors and
homeowners alike, including here in our city. The collapse or “cave in” of an excavation is a
very serious matter, with speed, knowledge, and equipment being of the utmost importance to
ensure survivability of the victims. Our City Fire department has all three. To keep our skills
sharp we installed a concrete box in the back yard of Station One so that we could drill and stay
up to date on the equipment and the newest techniques. Our department is much more than just a
fire department.
Confined Space
Many work spaces are considered confined spaces because their configurations hinder the
activities of employees who must enter, work in, and exit them. Confined spaces include but are
not limited to underground vaults, tanks, storage bins, manholes, pits, silos, process vessels, and
pipelines. The City of Watertown Fire Department has specialized equipment in a state of
readiness as well as trained people to help mitigate a confined space emergency that may happen
within our city or the regional area, to one of our own city employees, or an employee from
private industry. There are drills conducted yearly on each shift in coordination with the training
officer to ensure continuity and competence as well as performance reviews.
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Looking Forward
Before we take a look into the future, we should take a moment to visit our past. On May 28,
1817 the Board of Trustees of the Village of Watertown voted to form a fire company and the
following citizens were constituted to said Fire Company: William Tanner, Abraham T. Dygert,
Marenus W. Gilbert, Orville Hungerford, Martin W. Symonds, Daniel Lee, Jonathan B. Burton,
Edwin M. Surm, Thomas Baker, Solomn White, Dyer Huntington, Adriel Ely, Andrew Newell,
Samuel Paddock, Silas Marwin, James Stone Jr., David W. Bucklin, Horatio Shumway, George
Smith and Butler Ranney.
These members of the fire company pooled their resources and along with $200 from the Village
were able to purchase the first Fire Engine named the Cataract. These men were not only
protecting their own properties, but those of their neighbor as well. Citizens were required to
maintain leather buckets that could carry a minimum of 18 quarts of water and there were tall
ladders placed in each of the City’s Wards to aid in people exiting their homes. As the
community grew, the need to expand the fire service continued with the addition of two more
fire companies and a hook and ladder company.
Within the last fifty years, the community has gone from supporting five fire stations to
supporting only three. Our current staffing level is at the lowest it has been in over fifty years as
well. The citizens no longer help fight fire by gathering buckets, but pay taxes so that the City’s
employees deliver emergency services, no matter what the incident they are called for.
There is a current theory among some that the City can no longer support a large fire department
and hence it needs to be smaller. That the need to have fifteen members present is only needed
when a fire occurs and that we should rely on our neighbors to come to our aid when a fire
breaks out. There is currently no standard, best practice or consultant study that supports having
fewer members on duty than currently are standing guard to protect our citizens and their
property. Any smaller fire department will no longer be able to provide current level of services
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to the community and our ability to handle multiple calls that occur simultaneously will need to
be handled by re-call personnel, or mutual aid, or not answered at all.
As there also appears to be no working group or advisory committee devising what size the fire
department should be, we await the results of legal actions between the City and their Union for
the outcome as to where do we go from here.
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APPENDIX
