grand island fire department 2020 annual report
TRANSCRIPT
Grand Island Fire Department
2020 Annual Report
Prepare—Prevent—Protect
2
Table of Contents…………….………...…………………………………………………………..……..Page 2
Message from the Fire Chief…………….………………...………………………………………...........Page 3
Elected Officials…………………………………………………………………………………...……...Page 4
Mission, Vision, and Values……………………………………………………………………..…….....Page 5
Organizational Chart……………………………………………………………………………..……….Page 6
Personnel………...………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 7
Department Summary……………….…………………………………………………………..…..…….Page 8
Fire Stations…………………………………………………………………………………..……..…….Page 9
Emergency Medical………………………………………………………………………..…….……….Page 10
Fire Operations………………………………………………………………………….……..………….Page 11
Fire Prevention………………………………………………………………………….……..………….Page 12
COVID-19…………….……………………………………………………………….………………….Page 13
Special Events…………...…………………………………………………………….………………….Page 14
Personnel Changes………...……………………………………………………….……………………..Page 16
Expenses………….………………………………………………………………..……………………...Page 19
Revenue…..……………………………………………………………………..………………………...Page 20
Performance………………………………………………………………………….….………………..Page 21
Recalls/Call History...………………………………………….……………………………….…...……Page 23
Statistics…………………………………………………………………………………….……..……...Page 24
Response Area….………………………………………………..………………………….…………….Page 27
Travel Time……………….…………………………………………………………………….……..….Page 28
Incidents by Type…………………………………………………………………………….…….……..Page 29
Burning Question………………………………………………………………………………….……...Page 31
Frequently Asked Questions………………………………...………………….………………………...Page 32
History/Contact Info……………………………………………………………….……………………..Page 33
TABLE OF CONTENTS
2020
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On behalf of the men and women of the Grand Island Fire Department
(GIFD), I’m honored to present the 2020 GIFD Annual Report. The year
2020 proved to be one of the most difficult and challenging years in recent
history for the fire department. Despite the strenuous times, the GIFD
continued to provide the same high level of professional service those in need
have come to expect. None of the accomplishments outlined in this report
would have been possible without the support we received from Mayor
Roger Steele, the city council, and most importantly – the residents of Grand
Island. Thank you for placing your trust in the GIFD.
In 2020, the GIFD once again responded to a record number of calls for service (6019). Overall, calls
increased by 3.2 percent in 2020 compared to the previous year. Over that last 10 years, the GIFD has
experienced an average call growth of 6.2 percent per year. In response to the ever-increasing growth in calls,
we are working with City Administration to add staff in the coming years.
The most significant challenge of 2020 was COVID-19. In March 2020, the first known case of COVID-19
appeared in Grand Island. Since that time, GIFD crews have worked on the front-lines to ensure your fire and
emergency medical service needs were met. In total, GIFD crews responded to nearly 900 COVID-19 related
patients, 363 of those patients required ambulance transport to area hospitals.
Despite the challenges of 2020, the GIFD was able to make several improvements which will ultimately allow
us to better serve the community. The most noticeable was the construction of a new fire station 4 on North
Road. The new station opened in July and replaced the one located on State Street. By moving to the new
location, GIFD crews assigned to station 4 will now have the ability to protect an additional 350 addresses
with a four minute or less travel time. Under normal circumstances, relocating the fire station would have cost
taxpayers in excess of $1 million. In our case, the cost was approximately $100,000 to the taxpayer. This was
possible due to Menards Inc. acquiring ownership of the fire station on State Street in exchange for building
the new station on North Road.
I want to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude and pride to be associated with such a great
group of professional and dedicated men and women who make up the GIFD. The GIFD staff have
consistently stepped forward and asked “How can we help”? Despite the multiple changes in policy, working
additional shifts, extra duties, fear of becoming sick, or even worse the fear of infecting a loved one, they
responded the same helpful way as always Whatever was asked of the GIFD staff, they achieved, while
consistently outperforming expectations. They are truly an amazing group!
In closing, I hope you find this report useful and informational. Our staff is excited about the coming year as
we continue to seek new and innovative ways to improve the GIFD’ s service delivery. If you have any
questions, comments, or concerns related to the annual report or any other fire department topic, please feel to
contact me. Remember the GIFD is your fire department and we are honored to serve the community.
Cory Schmidt—Fire Chief
CHIEF’S MESSAGE
2020
4
ELECTED OFFICIALS
2020
Roger Steele—Mayor
Jason Conley—Council Member
Chuck Haase—Council Member
Julie Henke—Council Member
Jeremy Jones—Council Member
Vaughn Minton—Council Member
Mitch Nickerson—Council Member
Mike Paulick—Council Member
Clay Schutz—Council Member
Justin Scott—Council Member
Mark Stelk—Council Member
“Taxpayers often wonder what they get for
their money. I can answer that. They get
excellence.” ~ Mayor Roger Steele
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MISSION/VISION/VALUES
2020
Mission: PREPARE-PREVENT-PROTECT
Prepare-Department members continually strive to maintain a state of
readiness in order to effectively serve our community. This is accomplished
through physical fitness, training, formal education, professional development
and experience.
Prevent-Department members take a proactive approach to prevent emergencies
from occurring. This is accomplished through education, enforcement and
engineering.
Protect-When an emergency occurs, department members put their preparation
efforts into action. We respond to emergencies that threaten our community in a
professional manner.
Vision: To provide essential emergency services in
an ethical, efficient and effective manner.
Core Values: SPIRIT
Service
Professionalism
Integr ity
Responsibility
Innovation
Team.
6
70 Total Staff
Firefighter/paramedics—27
Firefighter/EMTs—21
Fire Captains—12
Battalion Chiefs—3
Division Chiefs—3
Life Safety Inspectors—2
Administrative Assistant—1
Fire Chief—1
ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
2020
7
Firefighters/EMTs
Brett Bamesberger Mike Becker Phil Brown Joe Burrows Jess Duncan Dylan Ferris Dick Peterson Dan Goeke Kyle Johnson Justin Lammers Todd Lechner Chad Michel Troy Miller Travis Mitchell Mark Mottl Tony Nissen Jason Schliep Jason Selecman Pat Sheehan Jared Stutzman
Firefighter/paramedics
Aaron Armstrong Seth Boshart Cameron Calleroz Grant Carlson Tom Chapman Ryan Cyboron Brenda Dankert Michael Dekker Kory Ekhoff Jeff Engberg Mike Eytcheson Tanner Greenough Trevor Hall Leslie Harmon Caden Huenefeld Brian Keene Harvey Langrehr Austin Miller Lonnie Mitteis Brad Morse Zach Moul T J Nordstrom Tjade Rodocker Seth Ross Troy Shubert Jared Stockwell Stephen Tillemans Troy Watson Logan Watts
Captains
Fred Benzel Chris Bond Tom Cox Justin Ferris Jim Hale Randy Iversen Brad Laub John Mayer Scott Piercy Ryan Seaman Phil Thomas Keith Urkoski Ron Zook
Battalion Chiefs
Ed Carlin Scott Kuehl Bryan Stutzman
PERSONNEL
2020
Command Staff/Administration
Fire Chief—Cory Schmidt Division Chief—Tim Hiemer Division Chief—Russ Blackburn Division Chief—Fred Hotz Administrative Assistant—Rose Rhoads
Fire Inspectors
Shayne Murphy Dennis Miller
8
Service Area/Population/Budget
Fire Service Area—28.55 Square Miles
EMS Service Area—552 Square Miles
Population—51,267
Total Expense—$8,717,936
Total Revenue—$1,871,284
Calls for Service
Total Responses—10,031
Total Calls—6,019
EMS Calls—4,694
Fire Calls—1325
Responses by Station
Fire Station 1—3,563
Fire Station 2—3,968
Fire Station 3—1,177
Fire Station 4—1,323
DEPARTMENT SUMMARY
2020
Apparatus Information
Number of Units
Ambulances—7
Fire Engines—5
Ladder Trucks—2
Staff/Light Vehicles—7
Support Vehicles—3
Boat—1
Backup/Reserve Units
Ambulance 11 (A11)
Ambulance 22 (A22)
Ambulance 3 (A3)
Ambulance 4 (A4)
Ambulance 44 (A44)
Engine 22 (E22)
Engine 33 (E-33)
Frontline/Staffed Units
Ambulance 1 (A1)
Ambulance 2 (A2)
Battalion Chief (BC)
Engine 1 (E1)
Engine 2 (E2)
Rescue 3 (R3)
Ladder 4 (L4)
9
Station 3
2310 S. Webb Road
Station 1
409 E. Fonner Park Road
Station 2
1720 N. Broadwell Ave.
Station 4
1130 N. North Road
FIRE STATIONS
2020
Station 1
Built in 2007
(308) 385-5300
Frontline Units: E1, A1, BC
Backup Units: A11, L1
Responses: 3,563
Station 2
Built in 1957
(308) 385-5310
Frontline Units: E2, A2
Backup Units: A22, E22
Responses: 3,968
Station 3
Built in 1987
(308) 385-5337
Frontline Units: R3
Backup Units: A3, E33
Responses: 1,177
Station 4
Built in 2020
(308) 385-5387
Frontline Units: L4
Backup Units: A4, A44
Responses: 1,323
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EMERGENCY MEDICAL
2020
Emergency Medical Division Highlights EMS Division Chief—Russ Blackburn
Total EMS calls—4,446
Staffed ALS ambulances—2
Reserve ambulances—5
Patients transported-3,765
Cardiac survival rate—14% above national average
Training hours—1,411 Russ Blackburn
EMS Division Chief
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FIRE OPERATIONS
2020
Fire Operations Highlights Fire Operations Division Chief—Tim Hiemer
Total fire calls—1,326
Staffed fire engines—3
Staffed ladder/quint—1
Trained 3 new recruits
Transitioned to web based training due to COVID-19
Replaced 1996 fire engine with a 2020 model
Teamed with Menards Inc. in relocating fire station 4
Replaced 11 sets of firefighter bunker gear Tim Hiemer
Fire Ops. Division Chief
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FIRE PREVENTION
2020
Fire Prevention Division Highlights Fire Prevention Division Chief—Fred Hotz
Commercial building inspections—249
Commercial building re-inspections—408
Architectural plan reviews—156
Firework stand inspections—47
Alarm/Sprinkler system inspections—70
System referrals—37
Hood system reviews—22
Violations corrected—1,264 Fred Hotz
Fire Prevention Division Chief
Due to the restrictions put in place as a result of COVID-19, the fire prevention division was unable
to conduct many of its normal operations this past year. In the best interest of our staff as well as
the public we interact with, the number of on-site inspections was limited this past year.
Fortunately, the extra time spent in the office was a great opportunity to update records, improve
inspection programs, and increase our job knowledge in the form of attending classes via the
internet.
Each year, the fire prevention division typically works with local area elementary schools and
provides a grade specific fire safety message. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we were unable to
present our message in person but we did delivery nearly 5,000 educational booklets for the schools
to distribute and discuss. We look forward to getting back into the classrooms in 2021.
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COVID-19
2020
During an extremely uncertain and scary time, fire department personnel continued to provide
professional and efficient service to the Grand Island community. Although we may have looked
different when we arrived at the scene of an emergency, behind those masks were the same skilled,
dedicated, and compassionate individuals you have come to expect from the GIFD.
GIFD Covid Statistics
Suspected Covid patients—858
Covid patients transported—363
GIFD employees who tested positive for Covid—20
GIFD employees quarantined —17
GIFD personnel vaccination against Covid—80%
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SPECIAL EVENTS
2020
On July 26, fire station 4 was officially opened at its new location at 1130 N. North Road. Fire station
4 was previously located at 3620 W. State Street. The majority of the cost associated with the
relocation of fire station 4 was covered by Menards Inc., in order to accommodate their growing
business. The new location will help improve response times to nearly 350 current addresses and
better position the station for future growth of Grand Island.
A special thank you to Firefighter/paramedic Caden Huenefeld for donating his time and talent in
building a kitchen table for the new station.
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SPECIAL EVENTS
2020
The GIFD held a wash down/push back ceremony on October 13. In attendance were Mayor Roger
Steele, City Administrator Jerry Janulewicz, fire department staff, as well as many community
members. Once engine 541 was washed, it was pushed back into the truck bay at fire station 1 and
officially placed in service.
With the purchase of engine 541, a 20 year old engine was placed into reserve status and a 25 year old
engine was taken out of the fire department’s fleet and sold at public auction. The new engine was
custom built by HME for the Grand Island Fire Department and cost $530,000.
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Keith Urkoski
Captain
Fred Benzel
Captain
Promotions
Reclassifications
Dennis Miller Fire inspector
Cameron Calleroz Firefighter/paramedic
Logan Watts Firefighter/paramedic
PROMOTIONS
2020
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Mike Eytcheson
FF/paramedic—12 years
Thank you for your service!
John Mayer
Captain-39 years
Lonnie Mitteis
FF/paramedic—20 years
Tom Chapman
FF/paramedic—22 years
RETIREMENTS/RESIGNATIONS
2020
Lynn Sevenker
Fire inspector-34 years
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Firefighter’s Oath
“I, (state your name) do hereby declare,
that I will support the Constitution of the
United States,
the Constitution of the State of Nebraska,
and that,
I will faithfully discharge the duties
as Firefighter/Paramedic or Firefighter/EMT to
the
Grand Island Fire Department
and the citizens of Grand Island
to the best of my ability, and will
promote and protect
the best interest of the Fire Department
in accordance with Department policies.”
Joseph Burrows
Firefighter/EMT
Kyle Johnson
Firefighter/EMT
Tjade Rodocker
Firefighter/paramedic
NEW FACES
2020
New Employees
19
Expense Type Amount in Dollars Percentage Personnel 7,240,574 83
Operating 596,522 7
Capital 695,124 8
Debt Service 206,768 2
Total Expense $8,738,988 100%
EXPENSES
2020
Personnel costs: expenses associated with our employees such as salar ies and benefits. For a career
fire department personnel costs are typically 85 to 95 percent of their budget.
Operating costs: expenses related to the day-to-day costs of running a fire department. Examples of
these costs are fuel, maintenance, training, utilities, and more.
Capital costs: expenses related to long-lasting or large assets. Example of 2020 capital items:
construction of fire station 4, purchase of engine 541, power lift ambulance cot and load system.
Debt service: expense associated with annual payments for a bond issued in 2016 to purchase a quint
(ladder truck) and an ambulance.
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Revenue Type Amount
EMS Billing 1,297,594
Inspections/Plan Reviews 172,294
Hall County Ambulance Contract 216,519
EMS Collections 89,540
Grants/CARES Act 63,259
Firework Permits 21,687
Payroll Reimbursement 11,019
Burn Permits 1,050
Misc. 2,247
Total $1,875,210
REVENUE
2020
EMS Billing: revenue from patients for ambulance service.
Inspections/Plan Reviews: revenue from Fire Occupancy Use Permits and construction plan reviews.
Ambulance Contract: revenue from Hall County for ambulance service provided to rural areas.
EMS Collections: revenue received from collections as a result of delinquent ambulance bills.
Grants: revenue received to purchase items related to a grant or CARES Act funds.
Payroll Reimbursement: revenue received related to personnel providing services outside their normal duties (State Fair EMS, Husker Harvest Days, etc.).
Burn Permits: revenue as a result of issuing burn permits.
Miscellaneous: revenue not related to other categor ies
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PERFORMANCE
2020
Key definitions:
Turnout time—The time interval from the receipt of the alarm by firefighters until they physically
begin to respond with either a fire or EMS apparatus.
Travel time—The time interval begins when a unit is enroute to an emergency incident and ends
when the unit arrives at the scene.
The GIFD uses the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 1710 as a benchmark to
analyze our response time performance. It is important for the GIFD to meet these time standards
to help ensure the best chance of survival for those affected by an emergency.
Specifically, NFPA 1710 says the fire department shall establish the following objectives:
(1) 80 seconds turnout time for fire and special operations response and 60 second turnout time for EMS
response, not less than 90 percent of the time.
GIFD’s turnout times: 78 seconds average turnout time for fire (90 percentile 143 seconds); 60
seconds average for EMS (90 percentile 115 seconds).
(2) 240 seconds or less of travel time for the arrival of the first arriving engine company at a fire
suppression incident and 480 seconds or less travel time for the deployment of an initial first alarm
assignment at a fire suppression incident, not less than 90 percent of the time.
GIFD’s fire suppression travel time: 206 seconds average for first arriving unit (90 percentile 346
seconds); 300 seconds average for initial alarm assignment (90 percentile 531 seconds).
(3) 240 seconds or less travel time for the arrival of a unit with first responder with automatic external
defibrillator (AED) or higher level capability at an emergency medical incident, not less than 90 percent of
the time.
GIFD’s EMS travel time: 206 seconds average first arriving unit (90 percentile 322 seconds).
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PERFORMANCE
2020
A key benchmark used to measure fire department performance is property value saved
compared to property lost to fire. In regards to Grand Island buildings that experienced a fire
in 2020, the GIFD saved $21,966,034 of the associated property value compared to $723,133 lost
to the effects of fire. More importantly, there were no lives lost as a result of fire in 2020.
These performance indicators support the GIFD’s Insurance Services Office (ISO) Class 1
rating. Class 1 is the highest rating possible and generally speaking, the higher the rating, the
better the fire department is at preventing fires and minimizing damage should a fire occur.
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RECALLS/CALL HISTORY
2020
In 2020, the GIFD issued 71 recalls. This number essentially means during 2020, the GIFD’s
capacity to respond to emergencies with on-duty crews had reached its limit or been exceeded 71
times.
A recall can be defined as: a special tone, phone call or text issued to notify off-duty GIFD
personnel to report to duty. Recalls are typically issued when the current number of
emergencies taking place exceed the capacity of our on-duty personnel.
The primary concern with recalls is as their number increases so does the probability of a
delayed emergency response for someone in need. Recalls depend on off-duty personnel being
available and driving to their assigned fire station and respond to emergencies if needed. This
practice takes at minimum 10 to 15 minutes.
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STATISTICS
2020
*See page 8 and 9 for apparatus description and location
25
STATISTICS
2020
26
STATISTICS
2020
27
RESPONSE AREA
2020
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TRAVEL TIME
2020
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA ) 1710 is a standard that fire departments use as a
benchmark for emergency response times. NFPA recommends a four minute or less travel time
for both fire and medical emergencies. The average travel time for the GIFD was 3 minutes
and 26 seconds (3:26) for EMS and also 3 minutes 26 seconds (3:26) for fire. As the map
below shows, the fire stations are strategically placed to help us meet that standard.
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INCIDENTS BY TYPE
2020
Incident Type Count
321 - EMS call, excluding vehicle accident with injury 4446
554 - Assist invalid 414
322 - Motor vehicle accident with injuries 197
611 - Dispatched and cancelled en route 177
412 - Gas leak (natural gas or LPG) 98
745 - Alarm system activation, no fire - unintentional 88
324 - Motor vehicle accident with no injuries. 60
622 - No incident found on arrival at dispatch address 52
3211 - Long Distance Transport, 50+ miles 39
651 - Smoke scare, odor of smoke 34
111 - Building fire 33
735 - Alarm system sounded due to malfunction 30
131 - Passenger vehicle fire 21
733 - Smoke detector activation due to malfunction 21
743 - Smoke detector activation, no fire - unintentional 21
561 - Unauthorized burning 19
746 - Carbon monoxide detector activation, no CO 19
381 - Rescue or EMS standby 18
531 - Smoke or odor removal 17
424 - Carbon monoxide incident 16
143 - Grass fire 14
323 - Motor vehicle/pedestrian accident (MV Ped) 11
551 - Assist police or other governmental agency 11
736 - CO detector activation due to malfunction 11
113 - Cooking fire, confined to container 10
142 - Brush or brush-and-grass mixture fire 10
740 - Unintentional transmission of alarm, other 10
154 - Dumpster or other outside trash receptacle fire 9
553 - Public service 9
744 - Detector activation, no fire - unintentional 9
151 - Outside rubbish, trash or waste fire 8
411 - Gasoline or other flammable liquid spill 6
445 - Arcing, shorted electrical equipment 6
631 - Authorized controlled burning 6
653 - Smoke from barbecue, tar kettle 6
731 - Sprinkler activation due to malfunction 5
118 - Trash or rubbish fire, contained 4
441 - Heat from short circuit (wiring), defective/worn 4
522 - Water or steam leak 4
30
INCIDENTS BY TYPE
2020
Incident Type Count
671 - HazMat release investigation w/no HazMat 4
652 - Steam, vapor, fog or dust thought to be smoke 3
711 - Municipal alarm system, malicious false alarm 3
714 - Central station, malicious false alarm 3
715 - Local alarm system, malicious false alarm 3
112 - Fires in structure other than in a building 2
251 - Excessive heat, scorch burns with no ignition 2
357 - Extrication of victim(s) from machinery 2
444 - Power line down 2
542 - Animal rescue 2
555 - Defective elevator, no occupants 2
661 - EMS call, party transported by non-fire agency 2
911 - Citizen complaint 2
110 - Structure fire, other (conversion only) 1
155 - Outside stationary compactor/compacted trash fire 1
162 - Outside equipment fire 1
353 - Removal of victim(s) from stalled elevator 1
361 - Swimming/recreational water areas rescue 1
372 - Trapped by power lines 1
413 - Oil or other combustible liquid spill 1
423 - Refrigeration leak 1
442 - Overheated motor 1
462 - Aircraft standby 1
511 - Lock-out 1
552 - Police matter 1
571 - Cover assignment, standby, moveup 1
712 - Direct tie to FD, malicious false alarm 1
Grand Total 6019
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BURNING QUESTION
2020
Why does a fire engine respond to medical calls?
Did you know that each fire engine is staffed with at least one firefighter/paramedic and two
firefighter/EMTs? Our personnel are rotated between fire engines to ambulances on a regular basis.
They are equally qualified to treat patients or put out fires.
Did you know the GIFD typically staffs only two ambulances on a regular basis? Even though the
GIFD has four fire stations, we do not staff four ambulances. Often when a medical emergency is reported,
a fire engine is much closer than an ambulance. GIFD’s goal is to begin patient care as soon as possible, so
if a fire engine is closer, they respond. Remember our firefighters are trained to handle both fire and EMS
emergencies.
Did you know the GIFD alters the number of personnel sent to a medical call based on the reported
information? If a medical call is less ser ious in nature, only an ambulance will respond. If the call is
more serious in nature, both an ambulance and a fire engine will respond. Studies have shown that it takes
more than an ambulance crew (two people) to effectively deliver emergency medical care to patients who
are experiencing a stroke, heart attack, serious trauma, etc. A national standard requires a minimum of four
personnel at these types of life threatening calls.
Did you know the fire engines carry medical equipment? Each fire engine is stocked with a vast
array of medical equipment. As shown in the photos below, our fire engines have much of the same
equipment found on an ambulance. When a fire engine arrives before an ambulance, the fire engine crew
will immediately begin the same advanced level of patient care typically associated with an ambulance.
32
FAQs
2020
1. Why does the GIFD send a fire truck along with an ambulance to a medical emergency? Please see page 31 for a detailed explanation.
2. How many ambulances does the GIFD have in service? Although the GIFD has seven ambulances, the department typically staffs two on a regular basis. However, all GIFD shift personnel are cross trained for both fire and medical emergencies which allows for more ambulances to be staffed by fire engine personnel to temporarily cover a surge in medical calls.
3. Does the GIFD respond outside of Grand Island? Yes, GIFD ambulances respond to rural areas outside the city limits for medical emergencies. GIFD fire trucks also respond outside of city limits when one of the neighboring departments request our assistance.
4. Does the GIFD have any volunteer firefighters? All GIFD firefighters are career , full-time employees. We don’t utilize any volunteer firefighters.
5. Do firefighters play cards, video games, or sleep during the day and wait for calls to come in? Firefighters have a very structured daily schedule. Each day firefighters must check vehicles and equipment, clean the fire stations, conduct station and equipment maintenance, participate in training, exercise, and respond to calls. Firefighters typically do not have any unassigned time until after 5 p.m.
6. Do the firefighters sleep at the stations? Firefighters may sleep after 9 p.m. as long as there are no emergencies or other duties that require their attention.
7. Does the City provide firefighters with food? No, firefighters provide their own food but each fire station does have a kitchen where firefighters may prepare their meals on their own or as a group.
8. Are firefighters allowed to go to the grocery store while on duty? Yes, firefighters may go to the grocery store in their primary response area. Even when firefighters are at the grocery store, they are on-duty and must be ready to respond should an emergency be reported. Firefighters work 24 hour shifts and often don’t have the luxury of preplanning group meals which necessitates an occasional run to the local store for supplies.
9. How do you become a firefighter? The fire depar tment typically conducts testing at least once a year for both firefighter/EMT and firefighter/paramedics positions. If you are interested, please contact the GIFD for more information. Our contact information can be found on page 33.
10. Which fire station would respond to an emergency at my house? We have four fire stations and they each cover a primary response area. Please see the map on page 27 or more information.
11. Does the GIFD respond only to fires? No, the GIFD is an all-hazards department. All-hazards includes fire, hazardous material, technical rescue, emergency medical, aircraft rescue and firefighting, vehicle accidents, and much more. Generally, the fire department will respond to any situation where there is a threat to life or property.
12. Can leaves, brush, and other items be burned in Grand Island? Grand Island does allow restr ictive open burning twice per year (spring and fall). A permit is required and can be purchased at city hall. Items such as grass, leaves, and fallen branches/sticks may be burned.
13. Can I visit a fire station? Yes, we encourage visits to the fire stations. If you are interested, please call (308) 385-5311 to schedule a visit.
33
Contact Information
Phone: Fire Administration—(308) 389-0220
Address: 100 East First Street, Grand Island, NE 68801
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.grand-island.com/fire
Facebook: @GI.FireDepartment
Twitter: @GIFireDept
HISTORY/CONTACT INFO
The GIFD has a long history of service to the residents of Grand Island and Hall County. Over the past 146
years the department has continued to grow and evolve as the needs of our community have changed. Today
the department is a career, full-time fire department. There are four strategically located fire stations in
Grand Island. From those stations, GIFD provides an all-hazards response to incidents such as: fires,
emergency medical, hazardous materials, airport rescue firefighting, technical rescue, water rescue, confined
space, vehicle extrications and much more.
The GIFD is one of two departments in Nebraska rated “Class 1” through the Insurance Services Office.
A Class I rating is the best rating possible which helps to keep insurance premium costs down for all
residential and business owners in Grand Island. This rating was the result of GIFD’s commitment to
excellence and the support from elected officials and you, the taxpayer.
Important GIFD dates:
1874 - GIFD established as a volunteer hose company
1909 - Hired first full-time fire chief and two firefighters
1921 - Changed from a combination (part volunteer/part paid) to a full career department
1957 - Opened fire station 2 (N. Broadwell Avenue)
1981 - GIFD began fire based emergency medical ambulance service, and began staffing two ambulances
1982– Created paramedic supervisor position (now known as EMS division chief) to oversee EMS program
1987 - Opened fire station 3 (S. Webb Road)
1996 - Opened fire station 4 (State Street)
2007 - Replaced fire station 1 (Fonner Park Road)
2013 - Restructured administrative staff - eliminated one division chief, added battalion chiefs and inspector
2020 - Relocated fire station 4 from State Street to North Road