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PIGEON FORGE, TENNESSEE

Comprehensive Fire Protection Management Study

March 2006

Gary L. West, Fire Management Consultant The University of Tennessee, Institute for Public Service

Municipal Technical Advisory Service

The University of Tennessee Municipal Technical Advisory Service 2

Table of Contents Forward …………………………………………………………………………. 5 Introduction …………………………………………………………………….. 6 Scope of Work …………………………………………………………………. 6 Background …………………………………………………………………….. 7 What is a Comprehensive Fire Department Management Study? ………. 8 SECTION 1 – THE POSITION OF FIRE CHIEF …………………………… 9 SECTION 2 – FIRE DEPARTMENT RESOURCES ……………………….. 11

Manpower Resources …………………………………………………. 12

Full-Time Equivalents (FTE’s) & Minimum Staffing Standards … 15 Apparatus and Equipment Resources ………………………………. 16

Equipment ………………………………………………………. 16 Fire Apparatus ………………………………………………….. 19

Apparatus Replacement ………………………………………. 23 Specialized Equipment ………………………………………… 25 Hose Testing and Apparatus Testing ………………………… 28

Facility Resources ………………………………………………...……. 29 Review of Fire Station Locations ……………………………... 30

SECTION 3 - RESPONSE FOR SERVICE ………………………………….. 34 Response Time and Manpower ……………………………… 39 Response Capabilities, Protocols, and Resources ………… 41


SECTION 4 - FIRE DEPARTMENT TRAINING ……………………………. 44 Firefighter Certification ………………….…………………….. 44 Firefighter Training …………………………………………….. 44 SECTION 5 - RISK ASSESSMENT / FIRE PREVENTION ………………. 48

Fire Vulnerability / Target Hazards ………………………….. 48

Inventory of Buildings 35 Feet or Higher ……………………. 48

Pre-Fire Planning ……………………………………………… 49

Fire Inspection and Investigations …………………………… 49

Risk Planning ………………………………………………….. 51

Fire Loss Records …………………………………………….. 51

SECTION 6 - FINANCE AND BUDGET …………………………………….. 52 SECTION 7 - HUMAN RESOURCES AND BENEFITS ……………………. 56 Recruitment of Future Firefighters …………………………… 56 Promotional Process ………………………………………….. 58 Job Descriptions ………………………………………………. 59 Volunteer Firefighter Program ………………………………… 59 Males Versus Females …………………………………………. 61 SECTION 8 - HEALTH AND SAFETY ………………………….…………… 61 Compliance with NFPA 1500 ………………………………… 61 OSHA Compliance ……………………………………………. 62 Fire Department Safety Policy ……………………………….. 63 NFPA 1710 ………….…………………………………………. 64


SECTION 9 - GENERAL OPERATIONS ………………………..…………. 64 Organizational Structure ……………………………………….. 64 Fire Department General Compliance ……………………….. 65 Fire Dept Standard Operating Procedures / Guidelines ……. 66 Fire Department Strategic Plan ……………………………….. 66 Public Relations and Media Involvement …………………….. 67 SECTION 10 – WATER SUPPLY AND FIRE HYDRANTS ……..………… 68 Water Supply ……………………………………………………. 68 Fire Hydrants ………………………………..………………….. 68 Inspection and Condition of Hydrants ………………………... 68 SECTION 11 – BENCHMARKING AND STATISTICAL DATA …….…… 69 SECTION 12 – INSURANCE SAVINGS POTENTIAL ……………………. 70 Insurance Services Office (ISO) Analysis ……..…………….. 70 ISO Summary ………….…………..…………………………… 71 SECTION 13 – SAMPLE TIMELINE FOR IMMEDIATE

RECOMMENDATIONS………... 72 Fire Apparatus Replacement Program Recommendations …………….…. 74 Summary of Recommendations ………………………….………………….. 75

Appendix One – Fire Department Team Assignment Sample ……….…... 90


Forward

The University of Tennessee’s Institute for Public Service, Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS) has been committed to providing technical assistance to local municipalities for over 50 years. Our mission clearly states that MTAS will “meet the challenge of providing timely, valuable information and assistance to Tennessee cities to build better communities.” This report is intended to achieve this challenge through a comprehensive study of existing services and provide recommendations for improvements over the next several years.

The complex arena of fire protection is one that typically requires research in numerous areas including personnel, apparatus, equipment and facility resources, all of which are affected by local, state and federal laws. In addition, these areas are also impacted by industry standards, guidelines and best practice principles. Solutions to questions within the fire service must take into consideration the impact each of these areas may have in a workable, viable and financially sound solution. Communities need a plan of action that allows for improvement over time with an initiative to see positive benefits that directly affect customers. An approach of reviewing and analyzing the most critical areas of the fire protection process was used in conducting this study. A total of 132 recommendations are included in this report. It would be virtually impossible to implement all of these recommendations in a short period of time. As described later in this study, an action plan is needed to orchestrate and implement changes in the Pigeon Forge Fire Department. As can be seen throughout this report, it is apparent that the Pigeon Forge Fire Department cannot continue to provide acceptable services without additional career personnel and full-time leadership. This changeover process from volunteer to career will be the most difficult change for the Pigeon Forge Fire Department since its inception. The present and future success of the Pigeon Forge Fire Department depends on these critical changes. During the process of writing this report, Fire Chief Denny Clabo was asked what his position was on seeing these extreme changes being offered. His response each time was that he wanted the best for the City of Pigeon Forge and supported improvements in the fire department. Knowing that these improvements and recommendations when and if implemented will include the hiring of a full-time fire chief, he continued to have the same feelings about the improvements. The fire department presently has an Insurance Services Office (ISO) fire protection rating of class 5. This rating was issued March 30, 1994, and is now due again for reassessment. Based on evidence provided in this report, there is absolutely no possible way to maintain this rating at the present level.


Introduction This study was conducted at the request of Pigeon Forge City Manager Earlene Teaster. MTAS had previously conducted a comprehensive management study for the City of Pigeon Forge in 1988 and over time the city actually implemented all of the recommendations offered in that report. The intent of this study is to offer a similar plan of action in the operation of the fire department for the next several years. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the entire fire department and make recommendations related to fire department management, operations, resources, and enhanced level of services. The scope includes a review of the present ISO rating status, meeting OSHA and NFPA requirements, and best practice management of the fire department. Best practices are defined as acceptable performance standards in the fire service that are recognized and used to improve operations and safety. The recommendations provided in this report are based on several local criteria: 1) size of the community, 2) land usage, 3) existing and potential use of resources, 4) public perception of services, and 5) basic geographical features of the community. There are certainly many alternative methods of providing fire protection to this community and all such methods were considered. The recommendations are from a customized blend of these alternatives that best suited the conditions at the time of this report. Scope of Work To assure the study included specific information needed, a “Scope of Work” was prepared for approval by the city manager. The following is a summary of this scope of work:

Scope of Work - Proposal for a “Fire Protection Management and Enhancement Study” including the analysis of but not limited to the following areas:

1. Management – Fire Department Organization and Financial Management, Insurance Services Office (ISO) Review, Response Time Analysis.

2. Human Resources – Fire Department Staffing, Fire Department Training and

Education, Recruitment and Retention of Personnel.

3. Facilities and Equipment – Fire Station Facilities, Apparatus and Equipment, and OSHA Personal Protective Equipment Compliance.

4. Fire Department Planning – Strategic Planning, Public Perception Analysis.

A letter dated September 21, 2005, from City Manager Earlene Teaster authorized MTAS to conduct an official fire department study.


Background

The City of Pigeon Forge is located in East Tennessee at the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Sevier County. Pigeon Forge and the surrounding area is considered the leaders of Tennessee’s tourist industry. It is also home to the largest theme park in the Southeastern United States, the Dollywood theme park. Each year, millions of people visit the Pigeon Forge area to enjoy the mountains, Dollywood, and fantastic shopping.

The city would be considered a small town with having a year-round population of approximately 5,083 people; however, in reality the city provides services for a much larger population. Due to the tourist industry, a constant overnight population is maintained (using a very conservative figure) in excess of 20,000 people. There are times when the overnight population will increase to in excess of 50,000 to 75,000. The local department of tourism tracks over 11 million visitors per year. Based on a study by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, Local Planning Assistance Office in August 2001 the estimated transient population was approximately 35,778 people daily. Another way used to estimate daily population would be to take 11 million and divide by 365 days for one year. This estimate is based on the average person only staying one day and equals approximately 30,136 people daily. In 1994, the Insurance Services Office (ISO) estimated the local population between 3,500 and 90,000 for the purposes of conducting the last ISO survey.

The Pigeon Forge Fire Department is a municipal department recognized and supported by the City of Pigeon Forge but also has a separate volunteer division that accepts donations and has financial accounts separate from the city. The department is classified as a “combination” type department utilizing both volunteer and career personnel although primarily is a volunteer operated department. The department is authorized to staff 40 volunteers and 4 career personnel. The fire department is duly recognized by the State of Tennessee and the fire chief is commissioned as an assistant to the State Fire Marshal.

The Pigeon Forge Fire Department has had a long standing history of being a first-rate volunteer fire department and considered one of the last volunteer fire departments in Tennessee to serve a city of this size. Even though the city has hired a day crew to run fire calls, the fire department is operated primarily by the volunteers. Calls for service have increased so much over the past several years that the volunteer forces are running as many or more calls than many all career fire departments. This is taking its toll on many of the volunteers and cannot continue much longer. As can be seen later in this report, the morale of the volunteers has also been affected over the past couple of years as a result of the additional demands on the department.

With these considerations in mind, this report is intended to focus on solutions, not problems. This report does not lay blame for short falls or in many cases give detailed background information on how a problem became a problem. Solutions should be the focus and intent for improvements.


What is a Comprehensive Fire Department Management Study?

A Comprehensive Fire Management Study is basically a study of the entire fire department from a management and operational perspective. This study addresses how well the department is presently functioning as compared to national standards, federal requirements, and benchmarking. Industry standards and common fire department practices also play a big part in the operation of a fire department. Is it necessary to implement all of the recommendations provided in this report?

No, but deliberation in each area should be considered because most recommendations relate to a standard or generally acceptable practice in the fire service. Does everything need to be implemented immediately?

No, most cities can’t afford to implement everything immediately. A proposal is included for implementing most of the recommendations over time. The city should realize that these are just recommendations. The city has the option of utilizing some or all of these. The intent is to provide good recommendations to improve the fire department. What level of services should the Fire Department provide?

That depends on what level of service is expected. If you need the fire department, you expect a group of highly trained professionals to respond quickly and take care of all of your needs on probably what you consider the worst day of your life. That expected level is not always affordable and determining what is acceptable below this level is something that only the Pigeon Forge City Council can determine and be responsible for. What are the evaluation criteria we will attempt to achieve?

Expected evaluation criteria would include: • Increased efficiency • Improved effectiveness • Enhanced/improved services • Set benchmarks for future assessment • Comply with state and national standards • Standardization of services and programs • Potentially reduced ISO insurance rating

It is believed that this objective consultant assessment will help articulate critical issues and assemble data that will be important factors in future decisions regarding the direction of the Pigeon Forge Fire Department.


SECTION 1 – THE POSITION OF FIRE CHIEF

The immediate key to success for the Pigeon Forge Fire Department is through a strong and full-time leadership. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department has operated efficiently for the past 35+ years under a volunteer system and leadership. The department has flourished and is recognized as one of the best volunteer departments in the state. The question of many fire service leaders outside of the Pigeon Forge area has been, “How can they provide modern day emergency services with volunteers?” The answer is having dedicated volunteers who have a commitment to their community. Sadly, the department is beginning to see much of this commitment go away. Not only is the present day culture in society slowly moving away from the volunteer commitments, many of the volunteers are just getting tired of running so many more calls each year. All of this is taking its toll on the manning of the Pigeon Forge Fire Department. The ultimate responsibility for the operation of the fire department falls on the fire chief. Denny Clabo, has been the volunteer fire chief for the past 35 years. He has spent most of his adult life heavily involved in the fire department. Most holidays and many vacations have been spent at the fire department as well. His commitment to the Pigeon Forge Fire Department as well as to the community has been exceptional. Chief Clabo is well respected in the community for his leadership efforts and has always worked hard to make the Pigeon Forge Fire Department look good in the community. The recommendation of hiring a full-time fire chief is no surprise or reflection on Chief Clabo. This recommendation is based on the increased call volumes and other demands that have caused volunteers to be overwhelmed with calls for service. Consequently, unsafe situations with constantly reducing manpower levels threaten the safety of all volunteer firefighters who do respond to emergency calls. The justification to hire a full-time fire chief is as follows:

1. When additional firefighters are hired, the constant supervision and oversight of daily personnel operations will be required. The handling of routine personnel issues, management of employee work periods, leave requests, minimum staffing, and other human resource management issues will compound themselves as staff levels increase. One example will be the need for a new pay plan that meets the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for firefighters. As additional people are hired, schedules will need to change as well as pay plans to meet federal requirements. It would be unreasonable for a volunteer fire chief to be expected to run such an operation.

2. Without a full-time fire chief, firefighters will freelance and set their own priorities

thus reducing productivity and hindering overall goals of the department. Present employees are disciplined and are manageable although some of this has already been seen as evident in the present record keeping.


3. A full-time fire chief is needed to oversee the fire department’s daily routine including three to four hours of training each day, a physical fitness program, station duties, inspections and maintenance of fire hydrants, hose testing, apparatus maintenance, and other routine operations.

4. A full-time fire chief is needed to coordinate daily with the city manager through

personal meetings and memos. This coordination should include strategic planning, benchmarking, and financial management of a larger staff of firefighters. The planning and construction of two fire stations, hiring additional firefighters, and replacement of fire apparatus are all issues that will need to be addressed within the near future. Budget management alone will require a tremendous amount of additional work with almost an 85% increase in needed funding. It is the fire chief’s full-time job to manage and oversee the career department including the budget process.

It is imperative that the city select a Fire Chief (Operations Manager) to operate the fire department that is qualified, progressive, educated, experienced, knowledgeable, and a visionary manager. It is also important to give that person the authority and backing to operate and lead this department into the future. The selection of the right person is extremely important to the success of the fire department.

Denny Clabo has been the volunteer Fire Chief of the Pigeon Forge Fire Department since December 7, 1970, and holds full-time employment with the Sevier County Electric System. Chief Clabo’s commitment to this department over the past 35 years has been extraordinary. His leadership and management ability has been exceptional. Chief Clabo is humble about his leadership and gives credit for the success to all of the Pigeon Forge volunteers who have served over the years. He also gives special credit to his friend and Volunteer Assistant Fire Chief, Ronnie Whaley, who has stuck beside him through the good and bad over the years. They both deserve a hero’s appreciation for their dedication when the time is appropriate. There are others in the department who deserve this same farewell when they decide to retire but prior to that time, everyone including Chief Clabo and Chief Whaley should continue their dedication to the organization they built. The hiring of a full-time fire chief does not mean that present volunteers and leadership won’t be needed. On the contrary, these dedicated volunteers and leaders are as necessary for the future operation as much as they are presently.

Chief Clabo is undoubtedly qualified for this position and could apply if he chooses to do so although he has expressed the desire not to because of the conflict it would create with his present job and retirement benefits. His present position with the Sevier County Electric System could never compare to the modest salary and benefits that the City of Pigeon Forge would have to offer. Additionally, there will be many headaches involved in this process; the building of a new career department will be much like the building of the Pigeon Forge volunteer department. These are many headaches that Chief Clabo probably doesn’t want to deal with again.


Regardless of who is going to be fire chief, Chief Clabo was asked if he supported the change from a volunteer department to a mostly career department. Chief Clabo’s reply each time asked was that he supported anything that benefited the citizens of Pigeon Forge. Chief Clabo agrees that it is time to phase in a career chief and supports that action. He also understands that his role will be key to that process happening. The changeover period will only go smooth if Chief Clabo and Chief Whaley make it happen. Even after the new chief is hired and takes over the leadership role, he/she will still need the support and assistance from Chief Clabo and Chief Whaley. In summary, this can be an exciting and successful change for all of the present members. The encouragement of the present leadership will make it a smooth change. Recommendations

1. It is imperative that the city select a Fire Chief (Operations Manager) to operate the fire department that is qualified, progressive, educated, experienced, knowledgeable, and a visionary manager. It is also important to give that person the authority and backing to operate and lead this department into the future.

2. The process used in selecting a fire chief should include a state-wide search and involve

an “assessment center” process that measures the overall potential of the candidate.

3. The fire chief should already have or be able to obtain fire officer II certification within two years after becoming fire chief.

4. The fire chief should have a college degree or have ambition to obtain the degree in the

near future.

5. The fire chief should have a good background in fire, EMS, rescue and emergency management as well as good communication and management skills.

SECTION 2 – FIRE DEPARTMENT RESOURCES

The operation of a fire department is always limited by the number, type, and performance of resources that it has. These resources include three basic components:

1) Manpower Resources 2) Apparatus and Equipment Resources 3) Facility Resources

The preferred amount of these resources is primarily determined by two factors. First, what the community needs. With every community being different, every community has different needs or different levels for service. Conducting risk assessments of the fire department response area and prioritizing potential problems that could result in harming people is the first step to establishing the need for services. This risk assessment is not a one-time procedure; it is a continuing process that must be done on a regular basis and overseen by the fire chief as well as city management. Every community is different and is always changing. Things like installing fire sprinklers in


buildings reduce community risk whereas the construction of a hazardous materials facility in a community increases risk. It must also be considered that all three types of resources are connected and when increasing or decreasing one resource, consideration for increasing or decreasing the other two must be reviewed.

Secondly, the amount of resources preferred depends on the willingness of customers to pay for the service. If customers, in this case the taxpayers, are not willing to pay for the service it will be impossible to provide the service. Sometimes other sources of funding such as grants can be utilized to initially provide service but after funding is depleted, the service will also diminish. In basic terms, customers get what they are willing to pay for.

This sounds a lot like running a business, and yes it is a business and the citizens and visitors to the community are the customers. It is evident that resources alone cannot make a fire department successful. The most successful fire departments count on educated business leaders to manage their departments. The fire department business manager is the fire chief and he/she is responsible for the success or failure of the business. The success of the fire department is primarily determined by how the public perceives the fire department. This includes successful and unsuccessful emergency operations, media events, how the fire department is perceived as truly caring for the community and a countless number of other sources.

Recommendations

1. The fire department should operate as a business and make changes in the business in response to changes in the business cycle.

2. The fire chief should be held accountable for the entire success or failure of the fire

department. 3. The fire department should identify community needs and conduct risk assessments. 4. The fire department should apply for all available grants as they become eligible. At the

minimum, this should include the three FEMA Grants: 1) Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG), 2) SAFER Grant, and 3) Fire Prevention Grant.

Manpower Resources

Today, the fire department roster shows 33 members although it is apparent that a large percentage of the volunteers are not active. The activity reports from December 2004 to May 2005 show that the overall average response for fire calls is 21% or 6.9 people per fire. This drop in response has been consistent over the past couple of years. Overall averages for the same period on attendance to drills indicate that each person averages only 13 drills per the semi-annual report out of a possible 25 or approximately 52% of drills. To sum it up, manpower resources are inadequate and not what is required by national standards of fire departments protecting cities of this size.


Manpower resources are certainly the most valuable resource of the fire department. It will make up for the highest financial burden in any career fire department budget. Salaries are only the first part; benefits are usually an additional 30 to 50% added costs to the salaries. This is already true for the Pigeon Forge Fire Department and must be considered when hiring more people. Salaries and benefits are 63% of the fire department’s budget with only four employees. Present Volunteer Positions Department: City of Pigeon Forge 1/1/2006 Position/Rank Name Paid / Vol M/F Date Started Years Inspector Roger Price Paid M Firefighter John Brackins Paid M 12/15/2003 2 Firefighter Chris Knutsen Paid M 12/15/2003 2 Firefighter Chad Ross Paid M 12/15/2003 2 Chief Denny Clabo Volunteer M 12/7/1970 35 Ast. Chief Ronnie Whaley Volunteer M 5/22/1969 36 Captain Rodger Brackins Volunteer M 5/8/1976 29 Captain Dwight Large Volunteer M 8/1/1996 9 Lieutenant Scott Large Volunteer M 10/1/1998 7 Lieutenant Tony Watson Volunteer M 5/2/1991 14 Firefighter Bill Huskey Volunteer M 7/7/1975 30 Firefighter Jim Brackins Volunteer M 3/1/1984 21 Firefighter Howard Reagan Volunteer M 7/3/1986 19 Firefighter Ernie Burkett Volunteer M 7/3/1986 19 Firefighter David Walker Volunteer M 9/20/1990 16 Firefighter Roger Ogle Volunteer M 9/20/1990 16 Firefighter James Lafollette Volunteer M 1/3/1991 16 Firefighter Keith Shults Volunteer M 6/13/1991 15 Firefighter Robert Chipley Volunteer M 11/5/1992 14 Firefighter Jimmy Bohanan Volunteer M 4/1/1993 13 Firefighter Joe Galyon Volunteer M 10/7/1993 13 Firefighter Dennis Hurst Volunteer M 1/5/1995 11 Firefighter Bobby Braden Volunteer M 4/6/1995 10 Firefighter Jason LaFollette Volunteer M 8/1/1996 9 Firefighter David Wear Volunteer M 10/3/1996 9 Firefighter Andy Latham Volunteer M 11/6/1997 8 Firefighter Sammy Loveday Volunteer M 10/1/1998 7 Firefighter Jerry Inglett Volunteer M 8/2/2001 5 Firefighter Reece White Volunteer M 6/13/2002 4 Firefighter Joe Brackins Volunteer M 7/11/2002 4 Firefighter Josh Carr Volunteer M 9/18/2003 2 Firefighter Rick Valentine Volunteer M 5/7/2005 1 Firefighter Randy Loveday Volunteer M 8/4/2005 1

The above list includes a total of 33 firefighters but approved positions include 40 volunteers and 4 career personnel. It should also be noted that several of the people


listed above have significant health problems including previous heart attacks and other serious medical history. Several of the firefighters also are unable to effectively fight fire due to their physical conditions. A significant number of these people also are not active enough to be classified as a firefighter for the purpose of the ISO requirements. To efficiently operate a modern fire department, a minimum number of people are required. This minimum number depends on both national standards and common sense. Fire department operations are broken down into manageable parts with a certain number of people required to perform each operation. Staffing these positions can be achieved by utilizing either career, part-time, or volunteer personnel. In practical terms, utilizing the process of breaking down job functions, it was determined that a total of 15 additional firefighters are needed to efficiently and effectively operate the Pigeon Forge Fire Department at the next level. This theory is based on firefighters working a 24/48 hour shift utilizing three shifts. This will place a total of six people on each shift and should be sufficient staffing by using automatic recall on all working structure fires and by counting heavily on the existing volunteer program. Here is how it works, two firefighters are assigned to the first out engine and they maintain that position throughout the entire shift. Two additional firefighters are assigned to the second due engine but will have the flexibility to also respond with the rescue truck when needed on vehicle extrications. The last two personnel, who will include the shift supervisor, will respond on all medical first response calls in a squad/command vehicle. During a fire alarm call, the firefighter will respond with the ladder truck and the supervisor will respond in the command vehicle. This is one way that it will work; additional options include running a dedicated squad with one engine staffed with two people and the second due staffed with only one or one career and one or more volunteers. Regardless of how it is decided, all three shifts should operate under one policy and protocols should be developed to insure the same response each time. The transition of a fire department from a volunteer to a career service is very hard. Many times, feelings are hurt from where some people fight the change and others welcome it to happen. Regardless, this evolving progress must occur for the fire department to stay in business. Present volunteer members must realize that change is necessary but their presence is still important and very much needed. The changeover process is also a long process and volunteers must continue working so the transfer is smooth. Volunteers should be given a higher consideration to become career members but must meet minimum standards as do others from outside of the organization. For those people who cannot meet the requirements or those who are in situations where they wish to remain a volunteer, a volunteer staff of personnel will continue to be needed. It is expected that the Pigeon Forge Fire Department will always need and utilize volunteer forces. In summary, without dependable manpower this department will continue to have insufficient and unacceptable response to emergency calls.


Recommendations

1. Volunteer firefighters should meet minimum requirements to maintain active status. These requirements should include attendance to 80% of the drills and meetings, attend a minimum of 4 hours of training monthly, and respond to 70% of the actual working structure fires. These are the minimum requirements under the ISO standards.

2. A mandatory volunteer standby program should be implemented for volunteer firefighters

to increase interest and qualify them to compete for full-time positions when they become available.

3. The City of Pigeon Forge should hire 15 additional firefighters over the next twelve months

but only after hiring a full-time fire chief and training officer. 4. Volunteer firefighters will continue to be needed and vital to the operation of the fire

department. The new full-time fire chief must evaluate present incentives and make adjustments to maintain necessary staffing levels.

5. Reduce the volunteer staffing levels from 40 to 25 as new career firefighters are hired. It is

anticipated that several of the existing volunteer members will be hired so this number should decrease on its own. Less than 20 active members are on the list presently.

6. In accordance with OSHA and the city’s liability insurance carrier, all members including

volunteers should be given physicals and certified as “fit for duty. ” Full-Time Equivalents (FTE’s) & Minimum Staffing Standards

In order to have the minimum number of employees to perform work in the fire department, we should review what is called “Full-Time Equivalent” (FTE) employees. FTE’s are the number of positions that are filled for full-time duties after employee leave benefits have been deducted. FTE’s are the number of staff positions actually on the job. Pigeon Forge Fire Department has a total of 3 career firefighter positions and 1 fire inspector. This is calculated by evaluating both administrative (40 hours per week) personnel and suppression (24/48 hour schedule) personnel separately. In Pigeon Forge, the average FTE per estimated1,000 population (actual - not adjusted population) is 0.79 people. According to the ongoing MTAS Benchmarking Project – 2005 statistics for small cities, the average FTE per 1,000 population is 1.75 people. This 1.75 figure is Tennessee small fire department averages not meeting the requirements of NFPA 1710. Fire departments meeting this standard have an average of 2.02 to 2.17 FTE’s per 1,000 population. The benchmarking statistical comparisons are listed later in this report. This means that 9 FTE’s are needed without any adjustment to the population. Adjustments to the population will dramatically increase the number to beyond 30 FTE’s. Utilizing this information along with job operational duties also justifies the need to have six firefighters on each shift or a total of 18 suppression staff.


Regardless of FTE’s, a minimum number of people are required to operate the fire department on a daily basis. Every fire department is required by ISO to have a “Minimum Staffing Standard.” Pigeon Forge’s minimum staffing standard should be set at 5 FTE’s per shift. Guidelines for minimum staffing are based on operational procedures and are set by the fire department. Some fire departments have policies that utilize a minimum of two people per apparatus, but national standards (NFPA 1710) require a minimum of four people per fire engine or ladder company. Most fire departments cannot financially meet this requirement and follow the basic rule of having 15 to 18 firefighters on the scene within 8 minutes of the initial call. Ideally, Pigeon Forge should have 6 people on a shift with part-time staff available to fill in for people off duty due to holiday or vacation leave. As already reported, the average response for the Pigeon Forge Fire Department is 7 people per structure call. Six full-time people are needed per shift because ISO requires a minimum of 13 people per structure fire call. Recommendations

1. Increase the FTE’s to a minimum level by adding five additional firefighters per shift. This would bring normal staffing to six per shift. Increased FTE’s should allow the department to meet minimum standards.

2. The fire department should work toward adding additional personnel gradually over the

next five to seven years to eventually meet the NFPA 1710 standard of four personnel per engine and ladder company.

Apparatus and Equipment Resources Apparatus and equipment resources are considered the second most valuable resource of the fire department. Fire apparatus used by the Pigeon Forge Fire Department includes 10 fire apparatus and 4 staff vehicles. Specialized equipment includes hazardous materials response equipment, three thermal imager cameras, and hydraulic rescue tools, just to name a few. NFPA 1901 – Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus, 2003 edition, is the nationally recognized standard for fire apparatus specifications. Equipment Equipment is defined as the physical resources carried on fire apparatus and used by firefighters. Equipment should be replaced when its reliability becomes questionable or when technological improvements make it clearly obsolete. Personnel safety, public safety, and customer service should be the major considerations in equipment purchases. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department should strive to provide the very best in firefighting equipment as it plays a key role in firefighter effectiveness and safety. This equipment should be purchased on an ongoing basis through the department's operating equipment replacement budget.


All Pigeon Forge fire apparatus was evaluated to determine compliance with equipment and the NFPA standard. It appeared that each apparatus had insufficient equipment. An assessment should be made to determine shortages in equipment, determine cost to replace equipment, and budget for necessary equipment and supplies. The department needs a policy on equipment placement on fire apparatus as well as a good inventory of each. It is imperative that the fire departments keep all apparatus equipment up to NFPA standards. A basic review of the apparatus and inventory sheets was conducted to determine the following information:

MINIMUM ENGINE COMPANY INVENTORY LIST MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR ISO AND NFPA 1901 Department: City of Pigeon Forge Engine #1 #2 #5 #7 #10 Tank Size: 750 750 1000 1000 750 Station Assigned: 1 Pump Size: 750 1000 1250 1250 1250

Item Required Onboard Onboard Onboard Onboard OnboardBooster Tank minimum 300 gallons 1 Booster Hose (feet) 200 2.5" or Larger Hose up to 800' 1,200 1.75" Hose (feet) 600 Spare 2.5" Hose (feet) 200 Master Stream Device 1 2000 Gallons Foam on truck 10 Gallons Foam in reserve 15 1.5" or 1.75" combination nozzle 2 2.5' Solid Stream Nozzle 2 1522 2.5" Combination Nozzle 2 1600 1.5" minimum foam nozzle 1 575 SCBA units 4 Spare SCBA bottles 4 24' extension ladder 1 12' or 14' roof ladder 1 Mobile Radio 1 Portable Radio 1 Burst Hose Jacket 1 Distributor Nozzle 1 330 330 330 330 330 Hose Clamp 1 2.5" to 1.5 Gated Wye 1 300 Salvage Covers 2 2.5" Hydrant Valve 1 212 212 212 212 212 Hand Lights 2 Attic ladder 1 200 Wheel Chocks 2 6 lb Mounted Flat Head Axe 1 6 lb Mounted Pick Head Axe 1 6' Pike Pole Mounted 1 8' Pike Pole Mounted 1 80 B:C Dry Chemical Extinguisher 1 2.5 Gallon PW Can 1 70 70


First Aid Kit 1 Mounted Spanner Wrenches 4 Mounted Hydrants Wrenches 2 2.5" Double Females 2 2.5" Double Males 2 Rubber Mallet 1 $4,509 $2,912 $542 $542 $542

The combined total of all needed equipment above for engine companies is equal to $9,047. This should bring all apparatus into compliance with ISO and NFPA 1901 required equipment. MINIMUM LADDER COMPANY INVENTORY LIST ADDITIONAL MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR ISO AND NFPA 1901 Department: City of Pigeon Forge Fire Department Engine #: Tower 8 Tank Size: 250 Station Assigned: 1 Pump Size: 1550

Item Required Onboard $$$ EQUIPMENT NEEDED FOR A SERVICE COMPANY Large spray nozzle ( 500 gpm minimum) 1 SCBA equipment ( 30 minute minimum) 6 Extra cylinders (carried) 6 Salvage covers (12 ft x 18 ft) 10 $ 930.00 Electric generator ( 2500 watt) 1 Floodlight (500 watt) 3 Smoke Ejector 1 Oxyacetylene cutting unit 1 Power saw 1 $1,800.00 Handlight (4 v wet or 6 v dry) 4 Hose roller (equipment Hoist) 1 Pike Pole (plaster hook): 6 foot 2 Pike Pole (plaster hook): 8 foot 2 Pike Pole (plaster hook): 12 foot 2 Radio: Mounted 1 Radio: Portable 1 Ladder: 10 ft collapsible 1 Ladder: 14 ft extension 1 ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT FOR LADDER COMPANY 16 ' Roof ladder 1 20' Roof Ladder 1 28' Roof Ladder 1 35' Extension ladder 1 40' Extension Ladder 1 Elevated Stream Device 1 Aerial ladder/elevating platform 1 Totals $2,730.00


The total of all needed equipment above for an aerial ladder company is equal to $2,730. A total of $11,777 should be spent to bring all apparatus into compliance with ISO and NFPA 1901 required equipment. It was obvious that daily checkoffs on all vehicles were not being conducted. All apparatus should checkoff daily for equipment accountability and reliability reasons. The equipment is essential to saving lives and performing as a firefighter or apparatus operator. Recommendations

1. Equipment replacement should be planned and purchased through an ongoing equipment replacement program.

2. All fire apparatus with insufficient equipment must be provided with the minimum

equipment as required by NFPA 1901 and ISO. A total of $11,777 should be budgeted to cover this expense.

3. Develop a written policy on the placement of equipment on each apparatus for as much

uniformity of placement as possible. The policy should also address a procedure for reporting missing equipment.

4. Conduct daily or weekly inventories of apparatus using a standard inventory form to track

required equipment. Records should be kept on regular checks for at least three years.

5. Fire department personnel should be familiar with the equipment locations on every apparatus. Training and drills should be conducted for all drivers and firefighters on equipment locations.

Fire Apparatus One of the most important capital assets of a municipal fire department is a fleet of dependable fire apparatus. Firefighters depend heavily on the performance capabilities of these vehicles when delivering emergency services to protect life, property, and the environment. If these services are to be provided without interruption, fire apparatus must be maintained in excellent operating condition. When adequate performance levels can no longer be certain, they should be replaced promptly. The key to determining vehicle replacement requires planning and making arrangements before the apparatus wears out or fails. Pigeon Forge’s first line fire engine fleet has an average age of 18 years old (1987) where the first line age for the ladder apparatus is 16 years (1989). This being the case, it is important that careful planning begin immediately and a replacement program established. A recommendation is listed later in this report. As seen in the chart below, Pigeon Forge’s first line engine total pump capacity is 5,500 gpm and the ladder apparatus total pump capacity is 1,550 gpm.


Pigeon Forge Apparatus Resources Unit No.

Apparatus Type & Description Make Model Year Pump Tank Miles Condition Station

Replacement Cost

1 Fire Engine American LaFrance

Cab Over Ford 1968 750 750 Poor 1 $150,000

2 Fire Engine American LaFrance Custom 1976 1,000 750 21,000 Poor 1 $150,000

3 Light Rescue Chevrolet Scottsdale 1986 250 250 11,356 Fair 1 $65,0004 Fire Tanker Chevrolet 1982 250 1,500 18,898 Good 1 $125,0005 Fire Engine Ford 8000 1987 1,250 1,000 22,944 Good 1 $150,0006 Personnel Support Chevrolet Suburban 1999 N/A N/A 41,175 Good 1 $45,0007 Fire Engine Pierce Contender 2002 1,250 1,000 11,958 Excellent 1 $225,0008 Tower / Platform LTI Baron 1989 1,550 250 6,191 Good 1 $800,0009 Tanker – Out of Service 1,250 1,000 16,602 Good 1 $350,000

10 Fire Engine 3-D Gladiator 1997 1,250 750 57,337 Excellent 1 $325,000 First-Aid Trailer Pace 1992 N/A N/A N/A Excellent 1 Technical Rescue Trailer Unkn N/A N/A N/A Excellent 1

Total . 8,800 7,250 $2,385,000Average . 1987 23,051 Good

Unit No. Staff Vehicles Make Model Year Miles Condition Annual Cost 1 Fire Chief Ford 1998 Unkn Good 2 Asst Fire Chief Ford Bronco 1994 Unkn Poor 3 Fire Inspector Ford Pickup 2002 72,000 Good 4 Former Administrator Ford Pickup 2001 20,000 Excell

A study of annual mileage on each apparatus and the cost per mile was not conducted although mileage should be tracked by the fire department to predict future replacement intervals. As can be seen on the chart, several of the apparatus are starting to get some age although on average the vehicles all have low mileage. The estimated value of all vehicles and apparatus is approximately 2.4 million dollars. Pigeon Forge Apparatus Photos


Apparatus Replacement Fire apparatus replacement should be a carefully planned process that is conducted at regular intervals. The cost involved with the purchase of a single fire apparatus may appear small when compared to the need to purchase multiple units during a single fiscal year. This would place a severe financial burden on the fund balance of any municipality regardless of size. According to recent research, the life span of fire pumpers subjected to moderate and heavy use was estimated at 10 to 15 years, while the life span of aerial ladders subjected to light and moderate use was estimated at 15 to 20 years. Conversely, the life span of fire apparatus subjected to very light use was estimated at 20 years, whereas the life span of fire apparatus subjected to extremely heavy use was estimated at less than 10 years. Replacement intervals should be based on the estimated effects of variables such as age, use, and maintenance costs on the useful life span of fire apparatus as well as account for the time required to prepare bid specifications, conduct bid processes, and construct and deliver apparatus.


NFPA 1901 – Standard For Automotive Fire Apparatus, 2003 edition, annex D: “To maximize fire fighter capabilities and minimize risk of injuries, it is important that fire apparatus be equipped with the latest safety features and operating capabilities. In the last 10 to 15 years, much progress has been made in upgrading functional capabilities and improving the safety features of fire apparatus. Apparatus built prior to 1991 might have few of the safety upgrades required by the 1991 and subsequent editions of the NFPA fire department apparatus standards. Because the changes, upgrades, and fine tuning to NFPA 1901 since 1991 have been truly significant, especially in the area of safety, fire departments should seriously consider the value (or risk) to firefighters by keeping pre-1991 fire apparatus in first-line service.” “It is recommended that apparatus built to meet the 1979 or 1985 edition of NFPA 1901 be placed in reserve status and upgraded to incorporate as many features of the post-1991 fire apparatus as possible. Apparatus not built to NFPA apparatus standards or manufactured prior to 1979 (over 26 years old) should be considered for upgrading or replacement.” “It is a generally accepted fact that fire apparatus, like all types of mechanical devices, have a finite life. How long that is depends on many factors. Some of those factors are mileage, quality of the preventative maintenance program, quality of the driver training program and rules enforcement, quality of the original builder and components, availability of parts, and custom or commercial chassis to name a few. In the fire service, there are fire apparatus with 8 to 10 years of service that are just plain worn out. There are also fire apparatus that were built with quality components, that had excellent maintenance, and that have responded to a minimum number of runs that are still serviceable after 20 years. Most would agree that the quality and timeliness of maintenance are perhaps the most significant factors in determining how well a fire apparatus ages.” The Pigeon Forge Fire Department presently has a reputable fleet of first-line apparatus although a question has been raised about the replacement of a truck to pull the 8,000 gallon tanker that the fire department presently owns. The previous truck became inoperative after serious mechanical problems in the previous budget year. Obviously the apparatus wasn’t used very often and according to information from department members was a piece of equipment that only a few people could even drive. Inside the city limits, adequate water supplies seem to be available although almost no water supplies are available outside the city limits. This truck and water tanker is very much needed in those areas outside the city but to justify the purchase a replacement truck will require two things. Number one, several members on each shift will need to be licensed and qualified to drive the truck and secondly, it will need to respond to all calls outside the city limits or where water supplies are inadequate. This tanker apparatus is quite valuable to the community and could easily result in immediate insurance savings to certain areas if actually used. ISO will issue a class 8A rating to areas without a water supply if the fire station is within five road miles and can provide 4,000 gallons on a tanker for first alarm response. This could result in significant savings for homeowners in these areas and actually benefit the city in future annexations before water services are installed. The key to this is the actual response of the apparatus. In summary, to comply NFPA, at least one engine should be replaced and at least one other engine placed in reserve status. The city should consider the purchase of a truck to pull the 8,000 gallon tanker if they are interested in lowering the ISO rating outside of the city limits and in areas where there are inadequate water supplies.


Recommendations

1. Fire apparatus replacement should be a carefully planned process that is conducted at regular intervals utilizing a fire apparatus replacement program.

2. In accordance with NFPA standards, at least one fire engine should be replaced and at

least one other engine placed in reserve status. Refer to the proposed apparatus replacement program later in this report.

3. The fire department should track annual mileage and costs per mile to predict future

replacement intervals. The fire chief should present an annual report on the condition of all fire apparatus and vehicles. This report should be included with the fire department’s five year strategic plan presented each year during the budget planning process.

4. The city should consider the purchase of a truck to pull the 8,000 gallon tanker if the city is

interested in lowering the ISO rating outside of the city limits. The area has a present rating of class 9 and this could be lowered to a class 8A rating if the department responds to all structure fires in that area with a minimum of 4,000 gallons of water. This apparatus could also help in areas inside the city where water supplies are inadequate. The truck must respond to all fire alarms in these areas to get this credit.

Specialized Equipment Specialized equipment includes technical gear that acts as personal protective equipment or equipment used to save lives. Progressive fire departments today rely on many sophisticated devices to save lives; one being the use of Thermal Imaging Camera’s (TIC’s). The cameras were first used in the fire service to assist in searching for victims in smoke filled rooms. Today, fire departments have found many other uses, like checking the body temperature of a firefighter in rehab or locating any hot spots that might rekindle after a fire is extinguished. The policy of most fire departments is to be able to have one TIC on the initial rescue efforts of a working fire. This is why it is important for fire departments to have more than one camera. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department has a total of three TIC’s that are kept in three different locations. Ideally, every first out engine should have a TIC as basic equipment although in Pigeon Forge Engine 7 has one TIC, another one is on Engine 10, and the third TIC is located in the fire station. My opinion is that all three TIC’s should be on responding vehicles so they can be utilized on an emergency scene. The third camera should probably be put in the shift officer’s vehicle in the future so it is available for use on calls. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department has a medical first responder program and carries both medical equipment and Automatic External Defibrillators (AED’s). Where paramedics are available, they carry advanced equipment and drugs used to save lives. The second reason for the EMS first responder program and probably the most important to firefighters is being able to save another firefighter when something goes wrong. The fire service is a very dangerous field and each year firefighters die on emergency scenes. It is absolutely necessary that medical equipment and AED’s be available for this reason on every emergency scene. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department carries medical equipment and has 6 AED’s, a cardiac monitor/defibrillator, 14 medical jump bags, 18 oxygen bottles, and a pulse/oxygen meter.


The Pigeon Forge Fire Department has specialized hydraulic rescue tools for primary use in vehicle extrication but can also be used in many other rescue applications. The fire department is primarily responsible for vehicle extrication in the City of Pigeon Forge. The equipment consists of a spreader, two combination tools, two cutters, two sets of air bags, and three power supplies. Pigeon Forge Fire Department has a maintenance program implemented and testing performed as required by the manufacturer. Records of this maintenance should be kept on file in the fire chief’s office. In accordance with ISO, each fire engine must carry a minimum of four Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) and four spare bottles. For the Pigeon Forge Fire Department, this is a minimum of 28 SCBA and spare bottles. The department has the required SCBA on each apparatus and 8 spare SCBA in storage. The department has a total reserve inventory of 108 SCBA spare bottles. A total of 25 of the SCBA units also are equipped with voice amplifiers. Breathing air quality testing and fit testing has been conducted as required. Documentation is mandatory to prove that the required maintenance is being conducted. Chad Ross has taken on the responsibility for assuring that annual fit testing and SCBA is being conducted. According to Chad, everyone is up-to-date and the department has adopted a written respiratory program that meets all OSHA standards. Sampson Industrial, a private company out of Chattanooga has contracted to perform these tests in the past. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department uses both class A and B foam and carries a minimum of 10 gallons on every engine. All spare foam is stored in the station and they have a stockpile of 76 5-gallon pales of foam. The department also has a stock pile of absorbent and booms to be used in hazardous material incidents. Due to previous incidents where this equipment was needed, the department has prepared itself for any such incidents in the future. Most of the turnout gear currently used meets NFPA standards although there is some gear 12 to 15 years old that is still being used. The department has tried to replace 3 to 5 sets annually in its replacement program. All new gear purchased is the new lightweight type which is presently recommended to be used. Hiring additional firefighters will mean a significant cost in fitting them in turnout gear. Basically, turnout gear must be sized to fit each person. The gear assemblage includes a helmet, carbon hood, jacket, pants, boots, gloves, goggles, flashlight, SCBA fitted mask, various hand tools, and safety equipment. The cost of this equipment will be between $1,500 and $2,000 per person. Ground ladders are included on all fire engines as well as a full accompaniment on the aerial apparatus. These ground ladders are required to be maintained and tested on a routine basis each year. According to fire department staff, all ground ladders were last tested early in 2005 as required. This testing was conducted by an outside contractor and records are available at the fire station.


Qty. Apparatus Type & Description Make Model Condition 1 Thermal Imaging Camera MSA Evolution 5000 Excellent 1 Thermal Imaging Camera MSA Evolution 5000 Excellent 1 Thermal Imaging Camera MSA Evolution 4000 Good 1 Cardiac Monitor / A.E.D. Zoll 1600 Good 1 A.E.D. Phillips Heartstart Excellent 1 A.E.D. Phillips Heartstart Excellent 1 A.E.D. Phillips Heartstart Excellent 1 A.E.D. Phillips Heartstart Excellent 1 A.E.D. Phillips FR2 Good 1 A.E.D. Phillips Heartstart Excellent 8 S.C.B.A. Scott Fifty Good

74 S.C.B.A. Bottles Luxfer Aluminum Good 23 S.C.B.A. Bottles Luxfer Carbon Good 11 S.C.B.A. Bottles Luxfer Featherlite Good 35 Class B Foam AFFF (5-Gallon) Tridol ATF AFFF Class B Excellent 26 Class A Foam (5-Gallon) FireAde Class A Excellent 15 Class A Foam (5-Gallon) F-500 Class A Excellent

34 1.75" x 50' Double Jacket Fire Hose Angus Double Jacket Good

1 2.5" x 50' Double Jacket Fire Hose Ultima Double Jacket Good 18 3" x 50' Double Jacket Fire Hose Ultima Double Jacket Good 65 5” x 100’ Large Diameter Hose Vinyl Good 40 3” x 50’ Supply Hose Double Jacket Good

Recommendations

1. Ideally, the two first due engines as well as the shift supervisor’s vehicle should have a Thermal Imaging Camera (TIC) as basic equipment. A maintenance check should be conducted on each TIC at least weekly with proper documentation maintained about the maintenance program.

2. As required by NFPA standards and the manufacturer, hydraulic rescue tools should

continue to be tested annually. Records should be kept on file documenting the maintenance program.

3. Fire Department SCBA is required to be tested annually with proper documentation on file.

Air quality testing and fit testing is also required. A written respiratory plan that meets recent OSHA updated requirements should be developed and implemented as part of the department’s policies. Annual fit testing and medical questionnaires must be conducted on all members annually.

4. The present plan to replace a portion of turnout gear each year should continue. As new

employees are hired, gear will need to be ordered to properly fit the new firefighters. An inventory should be maintained of all equipment issued.

5. Ground ladders should continue to be tested as required by NFPA and the manufacturer.


Hose Testing and Apparatus Testing

All fire hose, including both supply and attack hose are required to be tested annually and in accordance with NFPA 1962. For maximum credit with ISO the average interval between the three most recent tests must be one year. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department had no records of any previous hose tests although they did conduct some hose testing in 2005. According to the firefighters, all hoses were tested except for the Large Diameter (LDH) fire hose, but no records or documentation exists. Without proper documentation, no previous hose tests, and not having tested all of the hoses as required, the department can expect to loose major credit on its next ISO inspection in this area. All fire apparatus are provided with an acceptance test when originally purchased and are required to be tested annually in accordance with NFPA 1901. The Pigeon Forge aerial ladder truck had been previously tested and serviced by the Rural Metro Fleet Maintenance Garage and another private contractor/vendor. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department has had the ladder tested each year as required and the last test was in early 2005. The records are kept on file in the fire station and aerial ladder testing is in compliance with these standards. The annual pumper test is also required for all apparatus having a pump with a capacity over 250 gpm, although the actual reason to test apparatus is to ensure the apparatus will actually perform during a real fire. According to ISO, a key word to remember is testing it every 12 months or less, not every year. If it is more than 12 months, the department can lose points on the ISO rating. If the unit is overweight, the department should expect to lose another 2 to 4% credit. When the department buys a new ladder truck or a used pumper, you will not get full credit for the fully equipped apparatus. The department needs three years of test records for full credit. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department generally conducts pumper testing in-house. The pump test is similar to the Pumper Certification Test except that the duration of pumping is reduced to 20 minutes at 150 psi, 10 minutes at 200 psi and 10 minutes at 250 psi. The overload pump test is not necessary. Records indicate that no pump tests have been conducted since October 2004, and the department is not in compliance as required by ISO and NFPA. Pumper service tests are required and records must be kept for at least the past three years and available for review. In summary, the Pigeon Forge Fire Department equipment and apparatus requires constant maintenance and attention. This is not happening at the present time and is a liability on the ISO rating as well as a safety issue in the department. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department has good equipment and it is sufficient for the most part although equipment maintenance doesn’t seem to be a priority. Having spent time studying the Pigeon Forge Fire Department over the past several months, I feel the volunteers just don’t have time to think about these issues. They are so busy trying to answer emergency calls to worry with many of these issues. This does present a serious safety issue and can be corrected by hiring the needed additional career staff.


Recommendations

1. Annual hose testing is a requirement in all departments regardless of size or type. If no records exist, then the testing did not occur. All hoses should be inventoried and numbered as well as tested annually as specified in NFPA 1962. As a minimum, three years of hose test records should be kept on file.

2. The aerial ladder must be maintained and tested annually as required by NFPA 1901. Even

though the aerial truck is presently in compliance, attention must be kept to assure this testing is done every 12 months. The aerial truck should have a file at the fire station with all service and testing records enclosed.

3. All fire engines with a pump capacity over 250 gpm must be tested annually in accordance

with NFPA 1901. Records must be kept on file for a minimum of three years. Each apparatus should have a file at the fire station with all service and testing records enclosed.

Facility Resources Facilities are the final of the three primary resources and in Pigeon Forge it includes a single fire station located at 225 Pine Mountain Road. The station was built in 1991 and includes a four bay drive through apparatus garage, kitchen facilities, sleeping quarters, day room, offices, and a training classroom. According to ISO, a city has the adequate number of fire stations if they average 4.7 square miles per fire station and are properly located in respect to response requirements. However, ISO does not rate fire stations on the number of square miles they serve but rather on where they are located in respect to each other. Pigeon Forge has a total of 12.46 square miles inside the city and 22.75 additional square miles in their response areas outside the city limits. Just considering the area inside the city limits, as a minimum, the city should presently have three fire stations. The overall condition of the Pigeon Forge fire station is considered to be in excellent condition and provides adequate coverage for the area it serves. All appliances were reported as working and adequate. The department recently purchased a new kitchen stove and when firefighters start living here full-time some additional appliances may be needed or replaced. The station has a dishwasher and should be used for sanitary reasons. Many times germs are passed from one firefighter to another simply because dishes are not sanitized as they should be. To promote health in the fire station, a policy requiring the use of the dishwasher should be adopted. The department had previously turned its bunk room into a fitness area and presently there is no room for sleeping quarters. This will need to be converted back to sleeping quarters as more people are hired. There are also no accommodations for female firefighters in the station. This will need to be addressed at some point as the department will probably have female firefighters as well. The department does however share the living quarter’s area with the County EMS crew and they have both male and female sleeping quarters as well as a private garage area.


When firefighters spend the night at a station additional safety requirements should be followed. All fire station bedrooms or hallways leading to bedrooms should have CO detectors for the safety of firefighters. Smoke detectors should be in every bedroom as well as hallways leading to bedrooms as required by code. Detectors should be tested on a regular basis with documentation as required by all commercial occupancies having sleeping facilities. Recommendations

1. General and routine maintenance is constantly needed at fire stations to maintain facilities properly. Firefighters should be able to handle most of the routine maintenance.

2. All fire station bedrooms or hallways leading to bedrooms should have CO detectors for

the safety of firefighters. Smoke detectors should be in every bedroom as well as hallways leading to bedrooms as required by code. Detectors should be tested on a regular basis with documentation as required by all commercial occupancies having sleeping facilities.

3. Residential dishwashers should be considered for each station for sanitary reasons. Fire

stations only need dishwashers if they are going to be used; and if dishwashers are placed into stations, a policy for their use must follow.

4. The existing fitness room will need to be converted back to a male bunk room. Additional

considerations for sleeping arrangements will need to be made when female firefighters are hired.

Review of Fire Station Locations For maximum credit with ISO, all sections of the city should be within 1½ miles of an adequately equipped engine company and 2½ miles within an adequately equipped ladder, service, engine-ladder, or engine-service company, the distance to be measured along all-weather roads. The more structures located within these distances will result in a higher score. This ISO requirement makes it important to spread apparatus and stations throughout the city. Unless there is a building requiring a high fire flow, it is most financially economical to only have one engine company in each station. According to ISO, any structure within five miles of a responding fire station and within 1,000 feet of a fire hydrant is eligible to receive the same class rating as the responding fire department. The city is either evaluated as a combined area rating or as a split rating depending on the logical layout of hydrants within the response area. Very few hydrants are located outside the city so this means that the city will either receive a split rating for the entire area or the area inside the city will need to be rated separately. Plans have already been made to expand coverage of the fire department by adding at least two more fire stations in the future. Property was purchased based on an anticipated growth area; and through a comprehensive evaluation of these locations using GIS mapping, it was determined that the locations are correct and appropriate for the circumstances in Pigeon Forge. The first new fire station is anticipated to be constructed on the property purchased on Wears Valley Road with the second station being constructed on the property purchased off of Middle Creek Road.


The analysis of the GIS maps shows the 1.5 mile engine company response area and the 2.5 mile ladder company response area as well as the city limits. According to this information the city has approximately 12.48 square miles. The 1.5 mile engine company response area is measured by road miles and includes an area of 2.86 square miles or equivalent to approximately 23% of the city. In accordance with ISO engine company distribution guidelines, 90% of the built upon area within the district should be covered within an engine company response area. Likewise the 2.5 mile ladder company response area is measured by road miles and includes an area of 8.65 square miles or equivalent to approximately 70% of the city. This type of coverage could be somewhat justified except the fact that one area on the northwest side of the Parkway is outside the 2.5 mile coverage area and has more than 10 buildings over 35 feet in height. This area is quite congested and includes both sides of the Parkway near the area of the city limits. This situation requires either a second ladder truck or automatic aid from Sevierville. The map to the right shows the area affected. The 2.5 mile Ladder Company response district stops here! As can be seen, at least 10 buildings over 35 feet in height are located outside the response ladder company response area.


Another consideration is the area outside the city limits which is also covered by the Pigeon Forge Fire Department. According to the GIS mapping, approximately 22.75 square miles outside the Pigeon Forge city limits are provided with fire protection services. This makes the total area covered by the Pigeon Forge Fire Department to be approximately 35.21 square miles. Below is a snapshot of the entire area.

Another interesting fact is the number of fire hydrants located in each of these districts. Area Number of Hydrants Square Miles Inside the Pigeon Forge City Limits 596 12.46 Outside the Pigeon Forge City Limits 56 22.75 Engine Response Area (present station) 212 2.86 Ladder Response Area (present station) 452 8.65

Total 652 35.21 ISO uses this hydrant information to determine fire station distribution. Other ways to determine fire station distribution includes analysis of high-hazard/high-value properties, response time analysis, and standard of coverage models.


GIS mapping allows for the accurate analysis of the Pigeon Forge Response Districts and this method was used to justify proposed fire station locations:

P.F. Fire Station 1.5 Mile Engine Response As can be seen above, the use of these GIS maps provides an accurate evaluation of fire station locations as well as how ISO requirements on company and station distribution can be achieved. These maps should be periodically reviewed for changes in conditions and operational updates. Recommendations

1. At the time of this report, emphasis should be placed on manning the present fire station and the process of becoming more of a career fire department rather than building new fire stations.

2. Within three to five years maximum, the construction of a new fire station should be

completed, staffed and equipped with a quint apparatus on the property located on Wears Valley Road.

3. Within five to seven years maximum, the construction of a new fire station should be

completed, staffed, and equipped with a quint apparatus on the property located on Middle Creek Road.


4. Automatic mutual aid, if available, should be established with Sevierville for ladder service on the northwestern section of the Parkway until additional stations are built to cover this area.

5. Automatic mutual aid should be established with Walden’s Creek Volunteer Fire

Department for engine company response in and around the Wears Valley Road area.

SECTION 3 - RESPONSE FOR SERVICE

The Pigeon Forge Fire Department answered 626 calls over the past twelve months with approximately 61 being related to fire incidents. Only 18 of these calls were for actual structure fires. Rescue and emergency medical assists accounted for 163 of the calls for service with 57 calls being related to hazardous material response. The fire department answered 127 false alarms, 169 good intent calls, and 46 service calls. The fire department participates in the Tennessee Fire Incident Reporting System (TFIRS) and submits all run data to the State Fire Marshal’s Office through this system. Statistical data on the Pigeon Forge Fire Department is available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS).

In a percentage point of view, this equates to 9.74 percent of the calls being related to an actual fire. Only 2.88 percent are related to structure fires and 26.04 percent of the calls are related to rescue and medical assists. False alarms accounted for 20 percent of the calls and 27 percent of the calls were classified as good intent calls. The remaining 14 percent were smoke scares, service calls, and weather related incidents. Mutual aid was given on 8 incidents and received on 2 incidents. The total fire dollar loss for this past year was $2,088,575. The Tennessee small city average dollar loss for 12 months is $860,100. No firefighter or civilian casualties were reported for this time period. According to the Pigeon Forge Fire Department, the last fire related death or serious injury was April 6, 2003. Pigeon Forge has been very fortunate since Tennessee has one of the highest fire death rates in the United States. Tennessee has ranked in the top five categories for fire deaths for at least the past ten years.

Sevier County is broken down into 11 separate fire districts providing 100 percent fire coverage of the entire county. Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg have approximately the same amount of response area excluding Gatlinburg’s response to the National Park. The 22.75 square miles outside of Pigeon Forge include much of the city’s planning region and without the Pigeon Forge response, the area could not be justly serviced by another fire department. So, Pigeon Forge protects this area and actually gets a supplement from the county each year of approximately $48,000 for providing this service. As can be calculated, this does not cover the expense of providing the protection but does lessen the financial burden. Response to this area should be different than the response to areas inside the city. A fire engine, a tanker/service truck, and the super tanker should respond to calls outside the city limits and within five miles road miles of the station. This can very easily reduce the ISO rating in this area by one point.


The standard response past five miles from the station outside the city limits would be a engine and a tanker. Automatic aid in these areas with Caton’s Chapel Fire Department and the Gatlinburg Fire Department could also improve service to these areas.

As previously stated, the purchase of a truck to pull the 8,000 gallon super tanker will improve the rating in this area. The city council should decide the importance of making this improvement and if a truck is bought, the fire department must get people qualified to drive it and actually run it to calls in these areas. My recommendation is it improves fire protection in areas of the planning region and it is beneficial to the city to provide this coverage. The cost for the purchase of the truck can also be offset by the county supplement.

The following spreadsheet is from the Pigeon Forge Fire Department submitted to the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) from 2005.


The following spreadsheet is from the Pigeon Forge Fire Department submitted to the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) from 2005 on structure fires by property use.

Statistically comparing the Pigeon Forge Fire Department with other small cities across the state we find that the calls for service per 1,000 population for Pigeon Forge is approximately 123 whereas the average calls for service per 1,000 population for other small cities is 51. Pigeon Forge averages approximately 3.54 structure fires per 1,000 population whereas the small city average is 1.1 structure fires per 1,000 population. These figures are difficult to compare due to not adjusting the population numbers for the transient population consideration, however, Pigeon Forge does have a significant higher number of calls per population to be basically a volunteer fire department.


The following is the 2004 report for comparison with the 2005 report.

Although the number of calls is similar on both reports, the dollar loss between the two years is almost double. Most of this can be contributed to one large loss motel fire on the corner of Parkway and Dollywood Lane last year. Additionally, Pigeon Forge Fire Department presently does not track the number of fire inspections conducted although the small city average across the state is 1,509 inspections annually. Fire companies (firefighters) in Pigeon Forge do not conduct inspections where most fire departments average 360 company inspections per year. Not only is it important for the businesses to be fire safe, it is more important for firefighters to be familiar with the buildings. It is recommended that fire inspectors track the number of fire inspections conducted, the number of violations noted, the number of corrective actions made, and the total number of public contacts on a monthly and annual basis. A monthly report should be submitted to the fire chief and the fire chief should submit the prevention data in an annual report to the city council.


Below is a three year Statistical Call Analysis of the calls answered by the Pigeon Forge Fire Department between 2003 and 2005.

Structure Fire Summary for Past Three Years Date: 10/12/2005

YEAR: 2003

Incident # Date

Alarm Time

Arrival Time

Response Time

# Alarms Personnel Engines Aerial Other Dollar loss County

23 1/27/2003 1045 1058 13 1 12 3 0 1 $ 75,000

103 4/6/2003 0541 0551 10 1 17 3 0 2 $ 50,000

162 5/16/2003 2316 2328 12 1 19 2 0 4

186 6/6/2003 0608 0620 12 1 15 1 0 2 $15,000

202 6/14/2003 1448 1456 8 1 10 1 0 1

300 8/9/2003 1718 1732 14 1 14 2 0 3 $ 50,000

341 9/12/2003 0634 0647 12 1 15 2 0 3 $750,000

373 10/14/2003 0658 0710 12 1 14 2 0 3 $100

424 12/1/2003 0026 0043 17 1 16 2 0 3

446 12/27/2003 0951 1006 15 1 12 1 0 2

Totals 125 10 144 19 0 24 $ 940,100

Averages 12.50 1.0 14.4 1.9 0 2.4 $ 156,683

YEAR: 2004

Incident # Date

Alarm Time

Arrival Time

Response Time


Paid Hours

11 1/8/2004 0849 0858 9 1 9 2 0 1 $20,000

16 1/12/2004 0136 0150 14 1 15 2 0 1 $40,000

31 1/19/2004 0223 0235 12 1 10 2 0 1 $100

38 1/24/2004 0240 0302 22 2 12 1 0 2 $3,000

40 1/28/2004 1555 1558 3 1 8 2 0 0 $10,000

68 2/17/2004 1602 1609 7 1 7 2 0 0 $1,500

89 2/29/2004 1849 1902 13 1 21 2 0 2 $20,000

134 3/26/2004 0644 0658 14 1 10 2 0 1 $75,000

183 4/22/2004 1818 1825 7 1 19 2 0 1 $60,000

225 5/18/2004 1508 1514 6 1 7 2 0 1 $50,000

261 6/5/2004 2050 2056 6 1 12 1 0 1 $500

283 6/13/2004 1345 1400 15 1 15 1 0 2 $200,000

311 6/24/2004 1843 1850 7 1 21 3 0 1 $1,500

357 7/14/2004 1055 1058 3 1 5 2 0 0 $25,000

381 7/22/2004 2352 2358 6 1 21 3 0 1 $180,000

475 9/16/2004 1528 1542 14 1 10 2 0 1 $40,000

578 11/23/2004 1212 1222 10 1 7 2 0 0 $10,000

612 12/15/2004 1040 1051 11 1 10 2 0 1 $ 85,000

623 12/21/2004 1414 1427 13 1 10 2 0 3 $100,000

Totals 192 20 229 37 0 20 $921,600

Averages 10.11 1.1 12.1 1.9 0.0 1.1 $48,505

YEAR: 2005

Incident # Date

Alarm Time

Arrival Time

Response Time


Paid Hours

33 1/28/2005 0655 0705 10 1 13 3 0 1 $25,000

43 2/5/2005 0347 0416 29 1 10 2 0 1 $150,000

78 3/11/2005 1431 1434 3 1 5 2 0 0 $8,000

84 3/14/2005 2310 2320 10 1 11 2 0 1 $50,000

160 4/20/2005 1321 1324 3 1 6 2 0 0 $50

162 4/22/2005 0715 0723 8 1 10 2 0 0 $12,000


166 4/24/2005 0238 0248 10 1 18 2 1 2 $800,000

250 6/15/2005 0359 0411 12 1 10 2 0 1 $35,000

256 6/18/2005 0619 0630 11 1 16 2 0 0 $5,000

274 6/26/2005 0512 0529 29 2 13 2 0 1 $135,000

495 10/6/2005 1229 1239 10 1 9 2 0 1 $100,000

499 10/6/2005 2116 2128 12 1 16 2 0 2 $240,000

523 10/18/2005 1820 1834 14 1 8 1 0 0 $2,000

535 10/25/2005 0306 0318 12 1 9 2 0 2 $ 20,000

Totals 173 15 154 28 1 12 $1,582,050

Averages 12.36 1.1 11.0 2.0 0.071429 0.9 $113,004

Three Year Avg 11.66 1.06 12.5 1.93 0.33. 1.5 $106,064

In the above chart, the three year averages are from actual fire reports and analyze very important information related to the operation of the fire department. Average response time to working structure fires for the past three years is 11.66 minutes. NFPA recommends a 6-minute response time. Most working structure fires require multiple alarms and additional assignment of resources. Average number of alarms per working structure fires equal 1.06 meaning that second and third alarm assignments are not called for or not identified as additional assignments. The three year average also shows that 12.5 people responded to these working structure fires but these NFPA standards require 15 to 18 people to arrive within 8-minutes of the initial alarm. Two engines and a ladder are required as a minimum on every structure alarm call. Working structure fires may require additional response. The aerial truck response is critical on every call. The three year average shows only a response 1 time in 3 years to these types of fires. Average dollar loss on a working structure fire for the past three years is $106,064. These figures are disappointing and show the need for immediate consideration of full-time firefighters. When you compare the daytime response as being the most reliable and look only at volunteer response, the figures on response are even more disturbing. Response Time and Manpower

Emergency response represents the most visible aspect of the department's mission. A major consideration in the delivery of effective emergency services is the time frame in which they are delivered. Emergency response time is defined as the elapsed time from the time a call is received in the communications center until the first unit arrives on the scene. Included are the components of alarm processing time, actual dispatch, turnout time, and travel time to the incident. In 2001, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) set a 6-minute response standard (NFPA 1710). This standard is a guideline, not a law, and was set for communities with full-time firefighters. This allows one minute for the dispatcher handling a 911 call to alert firefighters, another minute for a full company of four firefighters to slip into their gear and get on the road, and four minutes to drive to the fire. A 6-minute guideline also holds for ambulances responding to medical emergencies, based on the time before a heart attack causes brain damage. Perfection is not expected, but the NFPA recommends that each of the goals should be achieved 90 percent of the time.


Achieving this goal is very important and is a huge issue in the fire service today. Two considerations are made in seeing how important it is to achieve this goal.

1. If emergency resources arrive too late or are understaffed, the emergency will continue to escalate – drawing more of the agency’s resources into a losing battle.

2. The goal to control the fire before it has reached its maximum intensity requires

geographic dispersion (distribution) of technical expertise and cost effectiveness (concentration) of apparatus for maximum effectiveness against the greatest number and types of risk.

In January 2005, The Boston Globe published a national report on how most fire departments were slow in responding to emergency calls and used data from the National Fire Administration to prove its point. Every fire department in the nation was analyzed including the Pigeon Forge Fire Department. This data included records of calls from 1986 through 2002. The results were shocking for many departments including Pigeon Forge. The chart below was included in this national report and shows the results as related to the Pigeon Forge Fire Department.

Fire department

On-time rate, building fires receiving a

response in 6 minutes, 1986-2002

No. of fires with on-time responses,

1986-2002

No. of fires with slower response,

1986-2002

Total building fires studied by the Globe,

1986-2002 Pigeon Forge Fire Department 50.6% 39 38 77

The Boston Globe Report - By Bill Dedman, Globe Correspondent | January 30, 2005

This means that the Pigeon Forge Fire Department during this time period was only “on-time” 50 percent of the time. Response is only half of the battle; the other part is getting enough people to the scene to effectively handle the situation. This is especially true with structure fires where a maximum response of manpower is required. This response is determined by both ISO and NFPA. In satisfying the ISO requirement, a department only gets credit for what is dispatched on the "first alarm assignment". To receive the best possible score in ISO grading, the fire department must dispatch the “Needed Fire Flow” for the address to which it is responding or at the minimum the nearest two engine companies and the nearest ladder or service company and at least one supervisor, whichever is greater. It does not matter where the firefighters ride, on the engines, or in their own vehicles, but a minimum of 13 firefighters must be dispatched to all alarms in structures. This can consist of all career employees, all volunteers, or some combination. The basic ISO design to come up with the number 13 is: four firefighters per engine times two engines plus four firefighters for the ladder or service company plus one supervisor. (4x2 = 8) + (4) + (1) = 13. There is total flexibility for the fire department on how to get these 13 people to the scene.


If the correct numbers and types of vehicles are not dispatched to fire alarms, the result can be as much as a 32% reduction in total ISO scores. Recommendations

1. The department should invest in a fire department management software that will track the overall operations of the department as well as inventory equipment, hydrants, manage hose test records, and personnel.

2. The department needs to remain current with the submission of the TFIRS data and submit

all data within 10 days of the incident as required by state law.

3. The department should reduce the number of structure fire calls utilizing better fire prevention efforts targeted at the occupancies and causes of Pigeon Forge fires.

4. It is recommended that fire inspectors track the number of fire inspections conducted, the

number of violations noted, the number of corrective actions made, and the total number of public contacts on a monthly and annual basis.

5. A monthly report of inspections and activities should be submitted by the fire marshal to

the fire chief and the fire chief should submit the prevention data in an annual report to the city council.

6. The department needs to improve response time on all calls. The easiest way to improve

response time is through hiring full-time firefighters to work 24/7. A response time greater than 6 minutes should be unacceptable inside the city. Pigeon Forge has grown too much to still maintain an 11.66 minute average response time. A response time greater than 15 minutes as seen several times in the three year study creates extreme liability on the city.

7. The department needs to increase manpower response to an average level of 13 to 15

personnel on fire calls.

8. The aerial truck must be part of the first alarm response to all fire calls inside the city limits. Remember, two engines, a ladder or service company, and a supervisor is required on all fire calls (even alarms).

9. Monthly reports should be submitted to the city manager listing the department’s

response standard with a comparison of how the department met that goal for the month.

Response Capabilities, Protocols, and Resources A fire department’s response resources are based on the number of response apparatus and vehicles that a department has along with the manpower needed to effectively get the resource to the scene and then perform operations. The effectiveness of resources is described as a department’s “capability.” The capability of a fire department is paramount to being successful in emergency operations. It is very important that all personnel understand what response resources are available and when they will typically be deployed. It is the responsibility of fire department officers to assure that everyone is knowledgeable of available resources.


An inventory of the Pigeon Forge Fire Department’s apparatus and vehicles should be listed along with its “mission” and assignments. The mission of a resource describes what it is and where it is intended to primarily serve. This includes the station and district assignment as well as the standard to which it is designed. The mission also explains the basic description of the resource like the tank and pump size or specification of the unit. A listing of “tasks” is included to illustrate the essential functions that can be achieved with this resource. Examples include fire suppression, elevated platform, generator & light unit, and patient transport. A “Specialized Equipment” section is also provided to list specific specialized equipment carried on or provided by this resource. Examples of items included would be thermal imager cameras, special monitoring equipment, generator & lights, or a power saw. Deployment of resources is based on a predetermined matrix showing what apparatus and vehicles should respond to each incident. The requirement for response is based on predetermined need, Insurance Services Office (ISO) requirements, and recognized NFPA standards. A typical call will be either a first, second, or third alarm depending on the need for secondary resources above the basic response. The Officer-In-Charge or the Incident Commander will make the decision for additional alarm response. The matrix should include all possible scenarios for response such as:

1. Response inside the city, inside the primary district or response area. 2. Response inside the city, outside the primary district or response area. 3. Response outside the city but within five road miles of a fire station. 4. Response outside the city and beyond five road miles of the fire station.

Scenarios will also include the type of call:

1. Residential structure alarms 2. Commercial structure alarms 3. Dumpster/trash fire 4. Vehicle fire 5. Vehicle accident with entrapment 6. Vehicle accident without entrapment 7. Hazardous materials incident 8. Technical rescue, swift water, or other rescue 9. Wildland fire

As more stations are built, the scenarios will need to include multiple station response for first alarm and each alarm thereafter. Most of all, flexibility is maintained on the receipt of all emergency calls to respond with the most appropriate and closest resource. There is also flexibility with the officer requesting a second or third alarm where explicit resources are sent as needed and as specified. The Officer-In-Charge or the Incident Commander always has discretion to send the most appropriate and closest resource.


In summary, the following information is provided to assist in making decisions related to the deployment of response resources. It also serves as a protocol to initial first alarm response to specific response districts. All personnel should memorize this information as it applies to the Pigeon Forge Fire Department. Pigeon Forge Response Resources (Example Only)

Vehicle Capabilities & Mission Tasks Specialized Equipment ENG 1

Fire Engine – 1000 gpm pump Tank: 750 gallons Assigned to Station 1 Response area: District 1 NFPA Equipped: Engine

Fire Suppression Rescue

45 minute SCBA Positive Pressure Ventilation Fan Generator / Floor Lights 1,000 gallon Dump Tank

SQUAD 1

Squad – 250 gpm pump Tank: 250 gallons Assigned to Station 1 Response area: All Districts NFPA Equipped: Squad / Brush

Fire Suppression Rescue Wildland Fire Suppression

Thermal Imager 45 minute SCBA CO Gas Meter Wildland Equipment

ENG 2



Reserve Foam Supply Positive Pressure Ventilation Fan Generator / Floor Lights

ENG 3



45 minute SCBA Positive Pressure Ventilation Fan Generator / Floor Lights 1,000 gallon Dump Tank

Ladder 1

Quint Apparatus – 1500 gpm pump Tank: 500 gallons Assigned to Station 1 Response area: District 3 NFPA Equipped: Quint Ladder Size: 50 Foot

Fire Suppression Rescue Aerial Operations

45 minute SCBA Positive Pressure Ventilation Fan Generator / Floor Lights Ladders

Command 1 Captain (Shift Supervisor) Vehicle Command

45 minute SCBA Thermal Imager Camera (TIC)

Chief 101 Chief’s Car Command

Incident Command Boards Triage Equipment

The Response Matrix shows a standard response of the equipment listed above and should be specific to each fire district. The matrix below is only a sample of one district’s response. The fire department should have one of these for each district. Response Matrix “example” for Pigeon Forge Station 1

Type of Call 1st Alarm 2nd Alarm 3rd Alarm Residential Structure Fire & Alarms

2 - Fire Engines 1 - Ladder Truck (Quint) 1 - Squad 1 - Command

1 - Fire Engine 1 - Ladder Truck (Quint)

Mutual Aid

Commercial Structure Fire & Alarms


1 - Fire Engine 1 - Ladder Truck (Quint)

Mutual Aid

Dumpster / Trash Fire

1 - Fire Engines 1 - Squad #103 1 - Command #112

1 - Fire Engine

1 - Ladder Truck (Quint)

Vehicle Fire

1 - Fire Engines 1 - Squad 1 - Command

1 - Fire Engine


Vehicle Accident w/ Extrication


1 - Fire Engine


Vehicle Accident w/o Extrication 1 - Fire Engines 1 - Squad 1 - Command

1 - Fire Engine



Recommendations

1. A response Matrix for the Pigeon Forge Fire Department should be developed utilizing all possible scenarios for response. All personnel should memorize and know both the Response Resources and Response Matrix. The department should review and refine these schedules on a regular basis.

2. Response capabilities, protocols and resources should be listed in writing and training

conducted for all personnel to follow the guidelines.

SECTION 4 - FIRE DEPARTMENT TRAINING Firefighter Certification The entire present career firefighters are state certified and many of the volunteer firefighters have some type of state certification; however, about a third of the department doesn’t have any firefighting certification beyond the basic firefighting school. The department has 15 emergency medical technicians and four paramedics. There are a total of 5 certified hazardous materials technicians and most of the personnel are certified in vehicle extrication. The requirements of being a firefighter (career or volunteer) have become so intense over the past several years that it is almost impossible to keep up all of the certifications that are required to function as a firefighter. Certifications are recurring activities that typically require constant tracking and a set amount of the budget set aside for training and recertification. This must be carefully planned and viewed as a fixed amount of funding for recertification. This along with all career personnel required to have a minimum of 4 hours (daily) training and all volunteers required to have a minimum of 4 hours monthly training is a full-time job. In fact, we call the person who tracks, schedules, and coordinates training, the Training Officer. He/she is charged with submitting reports to the state, applying for training approvals, overseeing the firefighter pay supplement program, OSHA compliance and safety, scheduling programs, teaching classes, and many other duties just to name a few. This is a full-time position and should be filled just as the fire chief position before more firefighters come on board. Firefighter Training Training is a critical function for any modern fire service agency. As fire service work becomes more complex and diversified, the knowledge required, government regulations, and professional standards lead to increases in overall training needs for the department. Documentation and records management are essential elements of that process. Maintenance of existing key programs is vital. As a minimum, volunteer firefighters must attend at least 4 hours of training per month and career personnel must attend 240 hours of training each year.


It was regrettable to discover that no training records existed and after questioning members of the department I determined that no one in the department had met this requirement as set by ISO. Thirteen of the 33 have not attended enough meetings to meet this requirement even if the training had been conducted. Roger Price, the training officer reported that he had kept no records of actual training and very little actual training was conducted at weekly meetings. The reason given was valid; he didn’t have time to be the training officer and the fire inspector. Based on other sections of this report, it is obvious that one fire inspector can’t presently keep up with inspections either. ISO specifically required both day and night drills to be conducted and specific annual training to be held. Records are the proof that the training is conducted and training records must contain information as to the class, length, lesson plans, and instructor information. All attendees must also sign in with signatures. As a result, the department will lose an enormous percentage of credit in the ISO inspection. On average, each career firefighter must get at least 3 hours of training each shift worked every month throughout the year. ISO allows for hydrant maintenance, hose testing and other routine duties to be counted as training although as can be seen training must be a priority. ISO requires that drills be conducted to test firefighter competencies. Eight half-day (3 hour) drills are required per year as well as four half-day (3 hour) multiple company drills per year. Two night drills lasting at least 3 hours each are also required each year. Most of the training requirements can be performed as company training utilizing personnel in each station working separately although four drills are required to be conducted utilizing multi-companies. Remember, drills are actual simulations of a real event. In addition to the 240 hours of annual training are classes for fire department officers. Two days per year is required for all officers (in addition to the 240 hrs) on supervisory skills, management, tactics and strategy, or related training and/or skills. Also all drivers and operators of apparatus are required to attend four half-day sessions per year (in addition to the 240 hrs) on driving and operating apparatus. Effective January 1, 2006, the Tennessee Code Annotated says that all drivers of emergency vehicles in Tennessee are required to attend a minimum of two hours of driver training annually. All new drivers and operators are also required to attend a 40-hour class for new drivers and operators (both engine and aerial). Everyone is required to attend a half-day training annually on radioactivity or hazardous materials. A new state law that went into effect January 1, 2005, requires all drivers of emergency vehicles to complete four hours of annual training each year in addition to the previously mentioned training. Annual routine training consists of 240 hours for career staff and 48 hours for reserve staff. To meet these standards, a full-time qualified training officer is needed.


Present firefighting personnel are listed below:

Career Firefighter EMS CPR Vehicle Haz

Personnel Cert. Level

Cert. Level Cert. Rescue Mat RIT

Brackins, John Journeyman EMT-IV X T A Knutsen, Chris FF II Paramedic I I O I Price, Roger Journeyman EMT-IV X I O X Ross, Chad FF II EMT-IV X T T X A=Awareness Level S=Specialist Level I=Instructor Level T=Technician Level O=Operations Level X=Certified in the subject

Volunteer Firefighter EMS CPR Vehicle Haz

Personnel Cert. Level

Cert. Level Cert. Rescue Mat RIT

Bohanan, Jimmy Basic X Brackins, Jim Basic X Brackins, Joe Basic 1ST Responder X T Brackins, Rodger Journeyman EMT-IV I T Braden, Bobby Basic X T Burkett, Ernie Basic X Carr, Josh Basic EMT-IV X X Chipley, Robert FF I X T A Clabo, Dennis FF I X T A Clabo, Denny Journeyman X T Galyon, Joe Basic X T Hollick, Tom X Hurst, Dennis FF II EMT-IV X T T X Huskey, Bill Journeyman X T Inglett, Jerry Basic X T X LaFollette, James FF I EMT-B X T A LaFollette, Jason FF II EMT-B X T O Large, Dwight FF I EMT-IV X T A Large, Scott FF I EMT-B X T O Latham, Andy FF III EMT-IV X O I Loveday, Randy Basic X Loveday, Sammy FF II Paramedic X T T Ogle, Rodger Journeyman EMT-IV X T T I Reagan, Howard Journeyman X T Shults, Keith FF III X Valentine, Rick FF III Paramedic X O Walker, David FF I EMT-IV X T A Watson, Tony Journeyman Paramedic I T O X Wear, David FF II EMT-IV X T T X Whaley, Ronnie Journeyman X T White, Reece FF I EMT-IV X T O X


Recommendations

1. The city needs to hire a full-time training officer immediately after hiring a full-time fire chief. This person not only can perform as the training officer but also handle safety compliance and oversee the volunteer program to assist the fire chief. I would recommend that the rank of captain be assigned to this position.

2. The training officer should identify the fixed amount of training funding needed to

maintain current and future basic certifications. This should be reported each year in the fire department budget request.

3. Additional emphasis should be placed on training for both career and volunteer staff.

Everyone must qualify as a basic firefighter and maintain certification while a member of the department.

4. Minimum qualifications and certification should be set as policy for all firefighters.

Volunteers should be offered the opportunity to step up to higher certifications in an effort to prepare them for future career positions with the department.

5. The training officer must develop and schedule an annual training program that can meet

or exceed ISO standards, state and federal requirements, and benefit the department as well.

6. All firefighters must meet minimum training standards, attend the necessary number of

drills, and attend the required number of fire calls to maintain active status. 7. A minimum of 14 required drills must be conducted to meet additional ISO Standards. The

department should schedule these drills and all other known training on a calendar made available to all personnel by January 1st of each year.

8. Officers as well as apparatus drivers and operators must be trained in addition to the 240

hours annual training. This too should be scheduled on the fire department calendar.

9. Everyone must continue to attend the basic firefighting academy and classes outside the department.

10. Specific requests for training should be submitted for the budget request from anyone

wanting to attend or will be required to attend training in the next budget year.

11. The department should utilize the National Fire Academy (NFA) for training future leaders. It is still free except for a meal ticket and the NFA will even pay for travel to the NFA.

12. Each shift officer should submit a monthly training report to the training officer. The

training officer should submit an annual training report to the fire chief to be submitted to the city board on an annual basis.


SECTION 5 - RISK ASSESSMENT / FIRE PREVENTION Fire Vulnerability / Target Hazards According to the 2000 US Census, a total of 2,799 residential units were located inside the city limits. Since then the local building authority has documented many more. It is no secret, Pigeon Forge is one of the fastest growing cities in the State of Tennessee. Most fire departments will have inspection records or at least an inventory of the number and type of occupancies in a city. Pigeon Forge Fire Department doesn’t have any inventories of specific types of occupancies and only recently conducted a rough inventory of buildings that are more than three stories in height. Certain occupancies are identified as target hazards; these are occupancies that have either a high risk of dollar loss due to a high value or high risk due to the operation of the business. Moreover, a target hazard is identified as occupancies with a high number of people present such as in a large assembly or occupancy where the operation presents high risk to people. The fire department should identify Pigeon Forge’s target risk occupancies to be a priority in preplanning and inspecting. Recommendation:

1. The fire department should identify target hazards in the community utilizing a risk analysis process. These buildings should be preplanned, visited, inspected, and familiar to all firefighters.

Inventory of Buildings 35 Feet or Higher

Address District Stories Occupancy Sprinkler People Risk Code

The fire department should utilize a spreadsheet (example above) to list all buildings that are 35 feet or higher inside the city. Basically this includes all buildings that are three stories or more in height. This list is very important to the fire department since it is the Pigeon Forge Fire Department’s list of high-rise target buildings. Every firefighter should be familiar with every building on the list. Preplans and drills should be conducted at regular intervals at these buildings. Aerial drills should be performed where possible to prevent operational problems in the event of a fire. Recommendations

1. Develop a list of all buildings 35 feet or higher listing the building address, district, number of stories, occupancy type, fire protection systems, number of people, and its risk code for use in preplanning and building familiarizations.

2. Pre-plan, drill, and know the high-rise target buildings. Every firefighter should participate

and be familiar with the buildings on the list.


Pre-Fire Planning Pre-fire planning is one of the most important tools to improve firefighter safety that a fire department can do. As a minimum, all target hazards in the community should be preplanned. Target hazards include large buildings or complexes, buildings with high loss of life potential, occupancies with hazards that could endanger firefighters or the public, and buildings with potential of high loss of property value. In addition and as a minimum, all buildings listed on the ISO “Batch Report” should be preplanned. The best situation would be to preplan all of the previous buildings and include all commercial occupancies in the city. Preplans should be stored in a computer for ease of updating and organizing. A laptop computer that can be kept on the shift supervisor’s vehicle would be a huge benefit for locating a preplan quickly on an emergency scene. Preplans printed and kept in notebooks on fire apparatus are typically one page of information with the front side containing written information about the building and the backside containing a site drawing of the area. According to the Pigeon Forge Fire Department personnel, no preplanning activities have been conducted and no preplans exist. The department recently purchased new software to assist in this but as of the date of this report, no preplans existed. ISO requires pre-fire planning inspections on each commercial building made twice each year. Records and sketches need to be kept up to date. Most fire departments conduct one preplanning visit and one inspection visit annually on every significant commercial building. Again, this allows firefighters to tour every significant building. Recommendations

1. All target hazards and all buildings on the ISO “Batch Report” in the community must be preplanned. Preplans should be readily available and updated on a routine basis.

2. A laptop computer should be installed in the command vehicle with city maps, hydrant

locations, and preplans in the computer.

3. Firefighters should tour every significant building preplanned on an annual basis. Fire Inspection and Investigations

Primary fire prevention functions focus on public education, fire inspection, code enforcement, and fire/hazardous material release investigations. The integration of activities in these areas will produce the most effective use of available resources and ultimately, result in achievement of the department's goal - preventing fires, saving lives, minimizing injuries, educating the public, and protecting property and the environment. The fire inspector is responsible for conducting fire inspections and fire cause and origin investigations in the Pigeon Forge Fire Department. He presently works out of the building inspection department at city hall. He conducts mostly new construction inspections and handles complaints. No annual business inspection program is in place and there are no performance measurements in place to track inspection activities. As


previously recommended, a series of inspection activities should be tracked to determine the effectiveness of the department in fire prevention efforts. Meanwhile, the effectiveness of the inspection program goes unmeasured. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department should have a philosophy that the department's major focus will be on education and customer service rather than enforcement. This philosophy will help ensure life safety conditions within an occupancy or structure while maintaining a positive relationship within the community. The fire codes are still strictly enforced except through a proactive and positive technique. Fire investigations are conducted but according to fire department records only 4 out of 18 fires have a specific cause identified. This is a reflection of determining the cause of only 22 percent of the fires. The Tennessee small city average shows 93 percent of fire causes are determined. The following chart lists fire causes for 2005. Fire Cause Number Percent Dollar Loss Heating 2 10% $25,000Open Flame 1 6% $140,000Natural 1 6% $15,000Unknown 14 78% $1,820,825 Recommendations

1. The fire inspector should work under the fire chief and have an office in the fire department. The fire inspector’s main goal should be to prevent fires from occurring through an aggressive inspection, investigation, and prevention program. The fire inspector should hold the rank of captain in the fire department.

2. The fire inspection division should be aggressive in conducting annual business

inspections as well as new construction inspections. Every commercial business should be inspected annually by a fire inspector. This aggressive approach will reduce fire loss over time.

3. The fire inspector should be given the responsibility for implementing and overseeing the

company fire inspection program. This is the program where fire companies do basic fire safety inspections and building familiarizations with all commercial business occupancies within their respective districts. This also allows time for firefighters to update preplans when necessary.

4. Proper records must be kept on all inspections whether done by fire companies or the fire

inspector.

5. Fire cause determination should be accomplished on every fire where possible.

6. Fire prevention activities conducted year-round and led by the fire inspector with assistance by shift personnel will also reduce fire loss. Target groups such as the young and the elderly should be addressed since these are the ages most affected by fire.


Risk Planning Risk planning is critical to the success of preventing fires. By utilizing Tennessee Fire Incident Reports (TFIRS) turned into the state, a risk plan can be formulated to predict when and where fires will occur as well as causes so these issues can be addressed. In addition, a free program called Risk, Hazard, and Value Evaluation (RHAVE) is available through the National Fire Academy that can assist in risk planning. This program provides analysis into identifying specific high-risk occupancies.

RISK, HAZARD AND VALUE EVALUATION PROGRAM

In partnership with Fire Accreditation International

Decision-making tools and methods for fire service and community leaders.

Assists with setting public policy regarding mitigation

practices.

www.usfa.fema.gov

Recommendations

1. Run statistical data monthly with TFIRS to determine trends and use this data to develop a risk plan for the City of Pigeon Forge.

2. Obtain a copy of the RHAVE computer program and use it for risk assessment.

Fire Loss Records Fire loss records are how the insurance industry measures the actual performance of a fire department in a community. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department fire loss in dollars over the past 12 months was approximately $2,088,575 in 2005. The fire loss in dollars for the same period in 2004 was $1,082,460. As previously stated, this significant increase is due to one large loss fire last year. Regardless, the future fire losses can be reduced. The Pigeon Forge average fire loss per structure fire was $113,004. The small city average fire loss per structure fire is $15,650. This equates to approximately $410.89 per capita (per person) in Pigeon Forge compared to an average of $20.52 in the small Tennessee city study. The Boston Globe Report - By Bill Dedman, Globe Correspondent | January 30, 2005 Property damage is also tied to time. As response times lengthen, the average property damage in a house fire steps up quickly. Using the national database, which provides estimates of fire losses, the Globe calculated these averages for property damage in


house fires: when firefighters arrive in 3 minutes or less, $27,000; at 5 minutes, $34,000; at 7 minutes, $41,000; at 9 minutes or longer, $61,000. The Globe estimated that if the 6-minute standard had been reached, about $1 billion a year in losses from house fires nationally could have been prevented. This theory seems to be true in Pigeon Forge also. It seems that the dollar loss itself is high due to the average response time to actual fires. Previously, in this report, the three year average response time was 11.66 minutes. There was several response times listed as high as 22 to 29 minutes but on average they were mostly longer than the 9-minute example of costing an average of $61,000 per call. SECTION 6 - FINANCE AND BUDGET It is assumed that the growth rate of Pigeon Forge has increased with property values. It is known that fire apparatus and life safety equipment is extremely expensive and the fire department will need replacement of equipment, apparatus, and facilities in the future. As revenues increase over time, the city needs to have a portion of the revenues set aside each year for these expensive capital replacement items. Capital planning is necessary in the case of the fire department due to the tremendous expense involved. How a city plans for it will determine the strain on the financial situation of the city. Capital planning begins with the fire chief submitting a strategic plan to the city board each year with his budget. This strategic plan is very important to the city board in planning financial issues five years down the road. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department operating budget this year is $642,348 or approximately 1.87 percent of the overall city general budget. The Pigeon Forge Police Department is approximately 12.7% of the overall city budget with the biggest expense being salaries for approximately 50 officers. The following chart shows the progression of the fire department’s annual budget:

For the purpose of budget comparison, the City of Athens, Tennessee was used to compare similar fire departments and towns. The following is information and taken from the 2005 MTAS benchmarking project and is provided as a comparison only.

Year Budget Amount Percent Increase / Decrease

05-06 $641,348 - 5.91% 04-05 $679,303 30.2% 03-04 $521,693


Tennessee Municipal Benchmarking Project 2005

Cost of Personal Services

DEPARTMENT- FIRE

ACCOUNT Pigeon Forge Athens

1 Salaries & Wages - Full Time Includes Holiday Pay

158,904 718,926

2 Salaries & Wages - Part Time Volunteer Pay

75,000 30,867

3 Overtime Pay 27,096 7,816

4 Other Pay except State salary supplements

2,274 26,564

5 FICA Taxes 15,000 55,520

6 Insurance-Hospitalization 46,000 49,032

7 Retirement Contributions 10,300 81,058

8 Claims Paid for Workman's Compensation.

0 0

9 Unemployment Taxes 0 0

10 Other Employee Benefits 1,008 2,884

11 Other Employer Contributions 0 11,402

PERSONAL SERVICES TOTAL 335,582 984,069

Operating Expenses - Part 1 ACCOUNT Pigeon

Forge Athens 12 Printing/Publications/Postage 600 1,336

13 Advertising 9,100 1,170

14 Dues & Subscriptions 1,250 700

15 Telephone 8,200 7,458

16 Utilities 49,600 7,198

17 Professional & Contractual Services

15,500 0

18 Data Processing & GIS 0 0

19 Fleet Maintenance 20,500 23,767

20 Equipment Maintenance 30,500 4,696

21 Buildings & Grounds Maintenance

10,275 7,443

22 Training & Travel Expenses 23,491 4,384

Operating Expenses Sub-Total 169,016 58,152


Operating Expenses - Part 2

DEPARTMENT- FIRE


23 Fees & License 0 0

24 Uniforms 21,400 7,360 25 Supplies-Operating 94,250 12,480

26 Grant Expenditures 4,219 0

27 Contract Administration 0 0

28 Rents 0 0

29 Other Operating Expenses 11,600 7,677

30 Fuel 9,500 0

Operating Expenses Sub-Total 140,969 27,517

Operating Expenses Total 309,985 85,669

DEPARTMENT- FIRE


Personnel Services Total 335,582 984,069

Operating Expenses Sub 1 169,016 58,152

Operating Expenses Sub 2 140,969 27,517

TOTAL EXPENSES 645,567 1,069,738

Every firefighter must follow a career path set by certain certification levels and most firefighters must be aggressive to meet minimum training standards. These standards are based on requirements from the Tennessee Firefighting Commission, Tennessee Department of Health, and Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA). Everyone during budget time must realize that these fixed costs are what drive the training budget and an itemized list for specific recertification and training courses should be submitted with the budget proposal. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department should become more dynamic in taking advantage of free training such as that provided by the National Fire Academy, FEMA, and TEMA. Medical in-service training can usually be arranged on a shift in the station by local EMS workers or the hospital for free. Federal grants available now allow for certain State Fire Academy classes associated with terrorism to be free. Attending the National Fire Academy is not only free tuition but also pay for travel expenses.


Salaries account for 63 percent of the fire department budget where similar cities of the same size average between 77 and 85 percent. In addition, benefit expenses in Pigeon Forge are paid out of a separate budget account for roughly another 30 percent of the salary amount. The cost for fire protection in Pigeon Forge per 1,000 population is $126,175 or $126.17 per person whereas the Tennessee small city average is $132,445 per 1,000 population or $132.45 per person. Another way to compare this is the total cost per call. The Tennessee small city average cost per call is $2,334 whereas the cost per call in Pigeon Forge is approximately $1,024 per call. It is obvious that the comparison is between a fully paid fire department versus Pigeon Forge Fire Department which is essentially a volunteer department. As far as revenue is concerned, the fire department could increase revenue and funding by first applying for the following annual FEMA Grants:

• FIRE Grant (safety equipment, station safety improvements, and apparatus), • SAFER Grant (adding additional personnel), • Fire Prevention Grants (purchasing Publication Education materials), • Homeland Security Grants (training and equipment)

These are just a few of the grants available and there may be many more available in the future. Recommendations

1. Hiring additional personnel will increase the fire department budget dramatically. Personnel costs include salary and benefits and are reoccurring each year. The city should be prepared to handle such an expense. This report proposes hiring a fire chief, a training officer, and 15 firefighters the first year.

2. The budget comparisons indicate that the Pigeon Forge budget is excessive in operating

expenses. A significant amount could be diverted to assist in paying salaries.

3. A capital replacement budget should be considered utilizing a small percentage of the additional property assessed value that increases each year. An equipment contingency fund would allow for better financial planning. Capital planning begins with the fire chief submitting a strategic plan to the city board each year with his budget.

4. Fixed training costs drive the training budget and an itemized list for specific

recertification and training courses should be submitted with the budget proposal each year.

5. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department should become more dynamic in taking advantage of

free training such as that provided by the National Fire Academy, FEMA, and TEMA.

6. The fire department should try to increase revenue and funding by first applying for grants and secondly make changes in the subscription service for revenue improvements.


SECTION 7 - HUMAN RESOURCES AND BENEFITS Recruitment of Future Firefighters Certain qualities are required of new firefighters to be identified during the recruitment stages of the hiring process. Most fire departments are looking for a person who is a team player, has the ability to get along in confined living quarters, the ability to think clearly under stress, a person with organizational loyalty, strong personal values, and is in excellent health and physical condition. An aggressive approach should be taken to make people in the job market aware of an upcoming testing process and to acquaint potential candidates with the nature of the job, expectations, challenges, and opportunities that the position presents. The fire department should take action to ensure quality recruitment efforts and a balanced employment pool of highly qualified applicants including a strong effort to recruit and hire qualified women and minorities. Firefighter compensation includes an elite benefit package with 23 days off annually after the first year. This doesn’t include the sick leave and family medical, dental, and life insurance benefits as an added bonus. The total employee benefit is a significant percentage to each employee’s salary. Present firefighters are making $31,000 per year working a 43 hour week the same as the police department officers. A different compensation plan will be needed when additional firefighters are hired, and the firefighters will need to meet the requirements of the FLSA relating directly to firefighters rather than police officers. Future firefighters should be hired in at a range between $27,000 and $29,000 per year to keep the spread of pay scales separated between the firefighters and future supervisors. Part-time career firefighters used to cover shifts when full-time staff is off has included the following:

Joshua Carr James Lafollette James Valentine Robert Chipley Jason Lafollette David Walker Jerry Inglett Sammy Loveday Reece White Tony Watson

In reviewing the participation records for the past six months, several of these part-time career people above did not meet the basic training requirement to be a firefighter and did not attend enough drills to be qualified as a firefighter under the ISO standards. These individuals should not be eligible to work if they are not eligible to be firefighters. From a human resource standpoint, firefighters must meet basic requirements to be qualified as firefighters. The human resource department must have employment information on every firefighter regardless if they are career or volunteer. Everyone who receives compensation from the city is either a part-time or full-time employee. All volunteers should apply the same way career staff does starting with a “city application.”


The existing volunteer application violates Federal Title VII regulations by asking inappropriate questions related to sex, age, race, national origin and/or religion. The application (volunteer or career) cannot ask discriminatory information that is restricted under the Federal Title VII regulations. This is why a “city” application should be used and submitted through the city human resource office. An interview process as well as a physical agility test should be conducted (career or volunteer) to see if the candidate qualifies as a firefighter. A physical exam and background check should follow. All candidates and employees should be provided with a job description and a probation period set the same as for full-time employees. Everyone should follow the city rules and policies for all employees. Present fire department leaders including the fire chief, assistant chief, and the fire inspector have take-home vehicles. In accordance with federal tax laws, all personal miles should be reported on these vehicles for tax purposes as required by federal tax regulations. Recommendations

1. The fire department should have an aggressive firefighter recruitment plan for both career and volunteer positions.

2. The employment pool of candidates should begin by considering volunteer personnel and

then outside the department. Internal candidates should prepare themselves to compete for job positions.

3. Hire people who will stay with the job, someone looking for a career not a job!

4. Utilize a fire department explorer program to get people interested in the fire service while

they are still in high school.

5. The recruitment process for firefighters must be an ongoing process. Recruit from local colleges and people completing EMT and paramedic schools.

6. City applications should be required for any additional volunteers applying for positions,

and the city human resource department should maintain records on volunteers as they do all city employees.

7. An interview process as well as a physical agility test should be conducted (career or

volunteer) to see if the candidate qualifies as a firefighter. A physical exam and background check should follow.

8. All candidates and employees should be provided with a job description and a probation

period set the same as for full-time employees. Everyone should follow the city’s rules and policies for all employees.

9. Future firefighters should be hired in at a range between $27,000 and $29,000 per year to

keep the spread of pay scales separated between the firefighters and future supervisors.

10. Individuals should not be eligible to work at the fire department if they are not eligible to be firefighters.


Promotional Process Good leaders are not people who have been employed the longest. Good leaders are ones who have prepared themselves through education and experience. This is not the only quality needed either. The textbook definition of a supervisor is “one who gets work done through others.” A good supervisor or leader must have the necessary skills and ability to make people want to follow him/her. The best leaders are firm in maintaining order but also fair to all employees. The best leader is a visionary who can see and grasp the big picture of the fire department. MTAS recommends that all top managers including the fire chief and assistant fire chief go through an assessment center process utilizing qualified panelists from peer groups outside of the Pigeon Forge area. MTAS would typically assist in the assessment center process for top fire department positions like these. This along with internal interviews and a written test provides the city with great information on the abilities of potential candidates. It is also recommended that the city look outside of the organization to fill these two key positions. It not only shows how well internal candidates have prepared themselves but also what the external job market offers. There are many good leaders across the state preparing to step up into leadership positions. MTAS recommends that middle managers including the fire marshal and supervisory training captain positions also go through an assessment center, written test, and internal interviews. The assessment center in this case would be conducted internally with the fire department and human resource department working together. The assessment center would be conducted similarly to the previous one although the panelists will be from the Pigeon Forge area. Other supervisory positions within the fire department should include written testing and internal interviews. Recommendations

1. A modern promotion process utilizes a series of assessments to select a good candidate and can still utilize seniority as a factor.

2. MTAS recommends that all top managers including the fire chief and assistant fire chief

go through an assessment center process utilizing qualified panelists from peer groups outside of the Pigeon Forge area.

3. MTAS recommends that middle managers including the fire marshal and supervisory

training captain positions also go through an assessment center, written test, and internal interviews.

4. Other supervisory positions within the fire department should participate in written

testing and internal interviews and work closely with current city practices.


Job Descriptions Job descriptions are very important to any organization including the fire department. Every position needs a job description including the volunteer firefighter position. This is important, even for the part-time employee, so they will know and can understand what is expected of them. Without this, no clear expectations are provided thus employees, even if part-time, don’t have clear direction. Volunteer / Part-time personnel should be treated the same as full-time employees in all respects. The public should not be able to determine the difference between the full-time and part-time staff. Recommendations

1. Develop and implement a volunteer firefighter job description and provide it to every

existing and new part-time employee. 2. Volunteer personnel should be treated the same as a part-time employee.

Volunteer Firefighter Program Volunteer firefighters, even though they are paid for part-time work, are becoming harder and harder to find. The recruitment and retention of reserve staff is almost a full-time job for the leadership of the department. Most people who join the reserve program are not there for the money and most have other interests outside of the fire department. So what keeps a reserve member active? There must be other incentives besides money. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department should become aggressive in the search for reserve staff and have strict rules to stay on in the department. To make this worth their time, an aggressive retention program should be instituted and used to keep good reserve staff. Some incentives could include the following: Proposed Incentives Offered 1 Annual awards banquet – Service Awards 5,10, 15, 20, 25 years 2 Summer Family Picnic 3 Family Christmas Dinner 4 Special discounts that other employees receive 5 Picture Day – Pictures in front of truck and in uniform 6 Department dress uniform 7 Excellent training program 8 Firefighter Certification 9 Firefighter of the Year Award 10 Jackets and T-shirts These are only a few; the Pigeon Forge Fire Department has a lot to offer when you really think about it. This must be part of the recruitment and retention program and yes it does cost money but only a fraction of what the same full-time staff would cost.


Retention and Recruitment Retention is even more important than recruitment and selection. After all, you must stop the bleeding before you can heal the wound. Retention strategies can be classified into two categories: consistent training and effective communication. Training is essential for professional job performance and for organizational development. It is illogical to assume that people will perform effectively without adequate training. People not adequately prepared to handle new and unsettling situations often leave the job prematurely, setting into motion a cycle of turnover. Poor Training = High Turnover = More Recruitment Needed It is vital for managers to truly understand training and its role in human resource management. Training is an ongoing process that improves an employee’s knowledge, skills, and abilities. It must be continuous and challenging, take on many forms, and must use a variety of approaches. Initial orientation training is the best way to establish a strong foundation for the employee/employer relationship. New employees get in-depth exposure to the dominant culture of the organization (though the first introduction should have been strategically placed in the recruitment and selection stage). It is vital that new employees be provided with as solid a foundation as possible during this phase, which serves to prepare them for job challenges and to signify their importance to the organization. The other method to improve retention is through effective communication through the ranks. Agencies need the ability to reach deep into the organization and deliver messages directly so that everyone hears the same thing without the dilution and distortion that comes from a rumor mill. The idea is to provide many versatile channels of communication so that everybody is receiving timely, realistic, and consistent information. Creativity is a must when designing communication channels. Effective training and communication programs will create the atmosphere to inspire retention of the right people. The department cannot mandate or demand that employees stay with our organizations. All they can do is create the proper conditions, provide incentives and, invite the right people to stay. Some turnover (10 percent per year) can be healthy for organizations and presents a great opportunity to inject new energized talent into the workforce. Excessive turnover, however, can be extremely damaging to any business, especially those engaged in the business of saving lives. Therefore, great emphasis must be placed on retaining the right people. Recruiting, selecting, and retaining the best talent needs to be at the top of every organization’s list of strategic goals. The reality in today’s knowledge era is that the difference between mediocrity and greatness lies in the application of human intellect. Intelligence, enthusiasm, and brainpower are critical assets for success.


Recommendations 1. Recruit and retain volunteer firefighters through an effective training and

communications program. 2. Budget money specifically for the recruitment and retention of Volunteer Firefighters.

Build up the program with additional training and encourage certification of all members. Offer incentives to auxiliary personnel who meet minimum standards set by the department.

Males Versus Females

The Pigeon Forge Fire Department is made up of only male employees. According to the fire chief, females have applied in the past although none have successfully made it through the hiring process. The fire station has not been prepared for the integration of female firefighters. A plan should be developed to handle such a situation, and the fire department should become more proactive in recruiting the female gender. All modern fire departments have a plan, and most progressive departments already have female firefighters. Recommendation

1. A plan should be developed to become more proactive in recruiting the female gender.

All modern fire departments have a plan, and most progressive departments already have female firefighters.

SECTION 8 - HEALTH AND SAFETY Compliance with NFPA 1500

NFPA 1500 is the Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program standard that all fire departments should be well aware of and follow. It is a comprehensive safety standard on the operation of the fire department regardless of size. It establishes an occupational safety and health committee to review and improve safety in the fire department. This committee makes recommendations to the fire chief for consideration in the budget requests. The standard also requires record keeping on accidents, injuries, illnesses, exposures, and death. All health records are kept confidential through HIPAA requirements with these being only available to the health and safety officer and the fire chief. NFPA 1500 utilizes a worksheet to assist the department in becoming compliant with the standard. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department is not in compliance with the NFPA 1500 standard. Recommendations

1. The fire department should assign a safety and health committee to make

recommendations to the chief as well as review accidents and exposures to improve health and safety in the fire department.

2. The fire department should become compliant with the NFPA 1500 Standard.


OSHA Compliance

OSHA 29 CFR 1910 Subpart I - Personal Protective Equipment requires that the employer assess the workplace to determine what hazards are present to necessitate the use of personal protective equipment. The employer shall provide each employee with eye and face protection, respiratory protection, head and foot protection, electrical protective equipment and hand protection equipment. Not only is the employer required to provide the equipment but also ensure that everything properly fits and that each employee is properly trained in the use of the equipment. The law continues with explicit requirements for specific situations. The fire department management is aware of these requirements and provides all personnel with the required equipment. The fire department also follows the OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030 – Bloodborne Pathogens law that requires each fire department to have an Exposure Control Plan and provide training and equipment to prevent the exposure to bloodborne pathogens. OSHA 29 CFR 1910.134 – Respiratory Protection Program requires the fire department to designate a qualified respiratory protection program administrator to implement and oversee the program. This law also requires the department to conduct at least annual fit tests of respirators and requires firefighters to go through an annual medical evaluation. Again, the employer is responsible for providing the necessary equipment and training as well as keep detailed records. Air quality in supplied air respirators must be tested on a regular basis, as do the self-contained breathing apparatus. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department does have a complete Respiratory Protection Program. The department does not have a written exposure control plan or a written workplace hazards program. All of this should be addressed as soon as possible. Recommendations

1. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department must immediately take action to become fully

compliant with OSHA regulations. This includes written programs in personal protective equipment, exposure control plan, and a respiratory protection program.

2. Fit testing should be updated to the most current program and continued to be

conducted in-house.

3. The breathing air system used in refilling must be tested on a regular basis as required.

4. All SCBA systems must be serviced and tested annually as required.

5. All new firefighters hired should be provided with individual SCBA face pieces and

fit tested annually as required by OSHA.

6. All basic OSHA requirements should be researched and implemented ASAP.


Fire Department Safety Policy Health and safety are of primary concern to all department members. Health and safety are affected by many factors including training, equipment, facilities, operating procedures, medical supervision, government regulations, environment, lifestyle and nutrition, as well as attitude, awareness and perception. Health should be addressed and maintained through a department physical fitness/health/wellness program. There should also be an emphasis on stress management and critical incident stress intervention. A progressive fire department also provides appropriate inoculations and communicable disease screenings, including TB, hepatitis and Influenza. Safety should be addressed and maintained through the department safety officer, the fire department safety teams, post-incident analysis, research and development, and interaction with the city's risk manager. A program to provide appropriate safety equipment and apparatus should also be in place. A big issue presently in the fire service is driver training for all personnel on an annual cycle as well as a comprehensive fire apparatus preventive maintenance program. This along with a strong emphasis on "2 In and 2 Out," fit testing of all personnel and issuance of air purifying respirators to each company for firefighting overhaul will make any fire department safer. It was reported that the Pigeon Forge Fire Department utilizes the city’s safety policy as a basis for safety procedure but when firefighters were asked about the safety policy, no one knew about the city’s safety policy. All firefighters should be trained on the city’s safety policy and additional policies of the fire department. The written policies of the department are limited and need updated to include safety issues. Recommendations

1. Safety training should be conducted on a routine basis as part of the company level

training program. 2. A safety policy should be available at each fire station and fire personnel should be

familiar with the manual and safety procedures.


NFPA 1710

In short and simplified terms, NFPA 1710 is a performance guide for a career fire department that generally provides for organizational, service, and staffing standards. It is not a law, only a standard. Two parts of this standard are critical on present day fire department operations. They include providing minimum staffing on fire engine companies and ladder companies. This is very hard for any small department to meet although over time, the Pigeon Forge Fire Department should start working toward that standard. Presently, every station should have a minimum of two people. Each year, the department should add a few personnel until NFPA 1710 is met.

Secondly, NFPA 1710 is critical on response time and having a high percentage for on-time responses. Fire departments must constantly track this and strive to do better as time goes on.

Recommendations

1. The fire department should strive to meet the NFPA 1710 requirements concerning

personnel by slowly phasing in additional personnel each year. 2. One person should never operate a station. The safety factor is too critical to allow

this to happen on a continual basis. 3. Fire departments must continue to critically track response time with the emphasis

on a high percentage of on-time response.

SECTION 9 - GENERAL OPERATIONS

Organizational Structure

The organizational structure is very important to the success of a business. The most effective management process is one that is clear and utilizes talents and opportunities of the organization to make it better. The vacant position of assistant fire chief is typically the position in charge of the overall operation of the fire department, the operations chief. The present organizational chart shows the fire marshal answering directly to the fire chief. The fire marshal is a key operational person and should be closely connected to the suppression division under the direction of the assistant fire chief. The coordination of fire prevention activities and fire investigations are part of operations. The proposed organizational chart on the next page illustrates all operations reporting to the operations person or in this case the assistant fire chief.

It is also recommended that the assistant fire chief be or become certified as a fire inspector to better supervise fire prevention activities. Ordinarily a city will give this person up to one year to obtain this certification.


Proposal for a more proactive organizational chart…

CITY COUNCIL

FIRE CHIEF TRAINING CAPTAIN FIRE INSPECTOR CAPTAIN

SHIFT CAPTAIN SHIFT CAPTAIN SHIFT CAPTAIN VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS

(5) FIREFIGHTERS (5) FIREFIGHTERS (5) FIREFIGHTERS

Recommendations:

1. Change the organizational chart to that listed above. 2. The training officer and all three captains should become certified as a fire inspector

within one year of taking the position.

Fire Department General Compliance The fire department should be proactive in complying or attempting to comply with NFPA Standards. These standards are considered the industry standards for the fire service and require constant attention. The implementation of the new assistant fire chief’s position will allow the fire chief more time to work on such issues as NFPA 1500 and NFPA 1710. The fire department should become more proactive in completing the NFPA annual surveys and applying for fire department recognition such as applying for the Operation Life Safety Award. Recommendation

1. The fire department should become more proactive in completing the NFPA annual

surveys and applying for fire department recognition such as applying for the Operation Life Safety Award.


Fire Department Standard Operating Procedures / Guidelines

All fire departments need standard guidelines to follow for safety reasons as well as liability issues. A good policy manual should be customized to meet the needs of the Pigeon Forge Fire Department especially as the department changes to a more career department. This is a very important document and needs attention as soon as the new chief is hired. It is recommended that the new fire chief set up a committee consisting of members of different levels in the fire department. The committee should review sample SOP’s from both the Columbia, Tennessee Fire Department available on the MTAS web site and the Charlottesville, Virginia Fire Department also available on the web. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department committee should propose a program to the fire chief for review and approval. Once the fire chief approves the SOP’s, copies should be provided for each shift. Training and orientation should be conducted to assure that all personnel are familiar with the SOP’s. Finally, all personnel should sign an acknowledgement that they have read and understand the fire department Standard Operating Procedures. At this point, the supervisors and officers will enforce all SOP’s. The committee should conduct periodic review and updates of SOP’s at least annually. Recommendations

1. The fire department needs a Standard Operating Procedure manual to have written

rules and procedures for people to follow. This should be put together by a committee and submitted to the chief for approval.

2. Copies of SOP’s should be available to all personnel, training conducted, and SOP’s

enforced by shift officers.

3. All personnel should sign an acknowledgement that they have read and understand the fire department Standard Operating Procedures. This documentation should remain on file with the employee personnel records.

Fire Department Strategic Plan

Every fire department needs a written strategic plan. MTAS recommends that every fire department submit an updated written five-year strategic plan with its budget request annually. From a city point of view, this is of major concern for planning and setting aside funding for future fire department needs. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department doesn’t have a strategic plan and has never submitted a plan with its annual budget request. The city should review this plan and consider future needs of the fire department through financial planning. The fire chief should involve members from all levels of the department to develop this plan. The plan should first be submitted to the mayor for approval before sending it to the city board. Justifications are essential to prove needs within the strategic plan. Recommendation

1. The fire chief should submit a five-year strategic plan with his budget request each

year for consideration by the city board.


Public Relations & Media Involvement

Informing citizens about the types of services and the degree of caring afforded by department members is crucial. How well the department is appreciated by citizens can be greatly enhanced by a positive customer service approach and a well thought-out, consistent public relations effort. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department needs help in promoting public relations and positive media involvement. The image is very important to both the department and city as a whole. Image includes both appearance and actions. Vehicles and facilities should look nice and always be clean and tidy. Any citizen should be able to open the driver’s door on any apparatus and see a clean floorboard. Equipment should be mounted inside apparatus cabinets. Beds in fire stations should always be made where a citizen could walk in and inspect at any time. Personnel should have a professional look and not look slouchy. Get rid of any faded T-shirts, old dirty caps, and unpolished shoes. T-shirts are inexpensive and if used as the uniform, give out on a regular basis. A public relations plan should be developed utilizing a committee to address public relations and media involvement. It should address appearance utilizing a written plan to improve the fire department. The committee should also propose positive media events that the fire department can participate in to the fire chief. The intent is to improve the overall image of the department. Better involvement in the community will absolutely help improve public image. The key to success will be positive attitudes by fire personnel. Securing buy-in from personnel is essential. Recommendations

1. Obtain assistance from outside sources on how the fire department can improve its

public image in both appearance and actions.

2. Keep vehicles and facilities clean and tidy at all times.

3. Keep the firefighters looking professional and don’t allow faded T-shirts, old dirty caps, and unpolished shoes.

4. Assign a public relations committee to address issues by making recommendations to

the fire chief utilizing a written plan to improve public relations.


SECTION 10 WATER SUPPLY AND FIRE HYDRANTS Water Supply The City of Pigeon Forge Water Utility has a total elevated storage capacity of 7,150,000 gallons. The city has approximately 50 miles of water supply line consisting of ductile iron, plastic, cement asbestos, and galvanized. The utility has approximately 3,200 customers in the Pigeon Forge and surrounding area. The system has eight above ground level water storage tanks as listed below: Tank Location

Height

Overflow Elevation

Ground Elevation

Storage Capacity

912 Iron Mt Road 34 ft 1271.6 1237.6 500,000914 Iron Mt Road 30 ft 1271.6 1241.6 150,000729 McMahan Hollow 50 ft 1271.6 1221.6 500,0001415 Wears Valley Road 32 ft 1271.6 1239.6 500,000574 Mountain View Lane 40 ft 1271.6 1231.6 1,000,000Monteview 45 ft 1271.6 1241.6 2,000,0002301 Eagle Way 45 ft 1271.6 1241.6 2,000,000Cove Mountain 38 ft 1693.0 1658.0 500,000 Each storage tank except the control tank is equipped with altitude valves and valves for shut off for draining and inspection. The control tank can also be isolated, drained, and inspected. Fire Hydrants

The City of Pigeon Forge has a total of 596 fire hydrants located within the 12.46 square miles. It can be expected that ISO will want to test between 3 and 7 percent of all hydrants. For Pigeon Forge this will be from 18 to 42 hydrants. For maximum credit in the schedule, all hydrants should have a pumper outlet, 6-inch or larger branch connections, uniform size operating nut and operate in a uniform direction. Inspection and Condition of Hydrants

Hydrants should be inspected twice each year and flow records should be maintained. Proper records are worth at least two points of the 10-point rating. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department must conduct full-system pressure tests during the hydrant testing and the way these tests are conducted can have a 10- to 15-year impact on the community. Any proper hydrant flow test is going to flow a significant amount of water and the department should use hydrant diffusers for conducting such tests. Diffusers will help keep from damaging landscapes and typically reduce the need to block traffic. In Pigeon Forge, the fire department has not conducted any hydrant testing or maintenance in the past three years. ISO requires all fire hydrants to be inspected twice a year for maximum credit. Hydrants should be conspicuous and well-located for use by a pumper and in good condition.


Recommendations

1. Additional assessment of water supply is needed by the fire department working with the Water Utility to assure that compliance with ISO standards are met.

2. Several items of information under water supply were not available; these must be

determined, compiled, and evaluated prior to the ISO evaluation.

3. Hydrant testing should be conducted as recommended by ISO. Records for hydrant testing should be maintained on a computer management data base.

SECTION 11 - BENCHMARKING AND STATISTICAL DATA

BENCHMARKING RESULTS 2005 SMALL CITY WORKLOAD All Districts MTAS AVG

Emergency Calls for Service 580 2,118 Non-Emergency Calls for Service 46 84

Number of Fire Related Calls 61 129 Number of Structure Fires 18 37

Number of EMS Related Calls 158 2,025 Inspections by Fire Inspectors No Records 1,509 Inspections by Fire Companies 0 360

Fire Code Violations No Records 3,088 Fire Loss Record in Dollars $2,088,575 $860,100

Fire Saved Record in Dollars No Records

SMALL CITY EFFICIENCY Inside City Only MTAS AVG

Fire Service Cost Per 1,000 Pop. $126,372 $132,445 Calls for Service Per 1,000 Pop. 123 51 Fire Inspections Per 1,000 Pop. No Records 59

Fire Response Time 0:11:40 0:04:29 EMS Response Time Not Tracked

Fire Code Violations - % Cleared No Records 90.44% Structure Fires Per 1,000 Pop. 3.54 1.1

Cost Per Calls for Service $1,026.12 $2,336.00 SMALL CITY

EFFECTIVENESS Inside City Only MTAS AVG Fire Cause Determination 22% 93%

All data averages are based on the currently published MTAS 2005 Benchmarking report from small city averages.

NOTE: THE MTAS SMALL CITY CATEGORY INCLUDED THE SEVEN FOLLOWING CITIES - MARYVILLE, OAK RIDGE, BRENTWOOD, COLLIERVILLE, BARTLETT, KINGSPORT, AND CLEVELAND.


SECTION 12 - INSURANCE SAVINGS POTENTIAL Fire protection is the only service provided by a municipality where improving the level of service can result in a reduction of property insurance premiums to the community. It should also be understood that once these reductions are made, they continue year after year. The savings to the community is not just from the original amounts but as property values increase so will the savings. The following table is based on a projected growth in property values and insurance premiums over five years of 10% using 2005 as a base year.

Year Value of Property

Premium for Class 10

Premium for Class 7

Savings from 10 to 7

Premium for Class 4

Savings from 10 to 4

2005 $100,000 $875 $585 $290 $497 $378 2010 $110,000 $1,059 $708 $351 $601 $458

As you can see from the table, there is a significant increase in savings both as the class is lowered and over the period of five years. This can easily be applied to the Pigeon Forge Fire Department by gathering some basic information from a local insurance company. Insurance Services Office (ISO) Analysis

ISO is a nationwide for-profit service organization that provides services to the property and casualty insurance industry about a community's fire-protection services. This helps establish appropriate fire insurance premiums for residential and commercial properties. ISO’s Public Protection Classification (PPC) program evaluates communities according to a uniform set of criteria defined in the Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS). This criterion incorporates nationally recognized standards developed by the National Fire Protection Association and the American Water Works Association. Using this information, ISO objectively reviews the fire suppression capabilities of a community and assigns a Public Protection Classification – a number from 1 to 10. Class 1 represents exemplary fire protection, and Class 10 indicates that the area’s fire suppression program does not meet minimum recognition criteria. The grading audit simply measures compliance to several national minimum standards in the respective areas. Examples include:

• Can a caller find the fire department number in the phone book? • Does the water system match the needed fire flow requirements of the buildings

in the community? • Is the fire department capable of handling the fires that occur in the city? • Are the fire department ladders long enough to reach the buildings in the city?

A Class 1 community pays the lowest possible rates and scores 90% or better on meeting a portion of the national standards in communications, fire department and water supply. A Class 5 pays medium rates and meets 50 to 60% of the national standards. A Class 9 is the worst grade for any form of recognized fire protection and only scores 10 to 20%. There is at least a 62% swing in rates controlled by the rating.


ISO will rate communities every 10 years if their population is over 25,000 or every 15 years if they are under 25,000. In addition, ISO sends out a questionnaire every 30 months. Depending upon how the department fills out the form can trigger an audit. Changes in district boundaries, station locations, automatic aid agreements, number and type of apparatus and many others could also result in an early audit. Anytime a community can prove to ISO it can improve its grade, ISO will come and re-rate the community. When ISO develops a single classification for a community, all of the community’s properties receive that classification. In many communities, ISO develops a split classification (for example, 5/9). Generally, the first class, (Class 5 in the example) applies to properties within a defined distance (5-road miles in most states) of a fire station and within 1000 feet of a fire hydrant. The second class (Class 9 in the example), applies to properties beyond 1000 feet of a fire hydrant but within the defined distance of a fire station. ISO generally assigns Class 10 to properties beyond the defined distance of a fire station. SUMMARY

Reviewing the ISO process is very subjective according to the person conducting the evaluation. The calculations and recommendations previously listed in this section are interpretative and can vary. The fire department should carefully evaluate its situation and be ready to defend particular scores that it feels are accurate. The opportunity to question scores can be either during the evaluation or in the time period immediately after receiving a new rating. If the new rating is worse than the original rating, an eighteen month improvement period is typically allowed. To be more accurate, the department should use conservative calculations in its figures. Remember the ISO representative is usually open to discussion and willing to hear comments concerning the way the department handles certain situations. The fire department should continue the internal evaluation process and utilize the following chart to determine where the department is at and where it needs to go. Significant improvement is possible for the Pigeon Forge Fire Department.


Sample Chart for determining the ISO rating.

Fire Alarms Category

Current Score

Projected Score if recommendations

are followed

Max. Possible Score

Credit for Telephone Service 2.00 Credit for Telephone Operators 3.00 Credit for Dispatch Circuits 5.00 Total for Receiving & Handling Alarms 10.00

Relative ISO Class Class 1

Fire Department Category

Current Score


are followed

Max. Possible ScoreCredit for Engine Companies 10.00 Credit for Reserve Pumpers 1.00 Credit for Pump Capacity 5.00 Credit for Ladder Service 5.00 Credit for Reserve Ladder 1.00 Credit for Distribution of Fire Stations 4.00 Credit for Company Personnel 15.00 Credit for Training 9.00 Total Credit for Fire Department 50.00

Relative ISO Class Class ___ Class ___ Class 1

Water Supply Category

Current Score


are followed

Max. Possible ScoreCredit for Water System 35.00 Credit for Hydrants 2.00 Credit for Inspection and Condition 3.00 Total Credit for Fire Department 40.00

Relative ISO Class Class ___ Class ___ Class 1 SECTION 13 – SAMPLE TIMELINE FOR IMMEDIATE RECOMMENDATIONS The following is a beginning to a sample timeline for recommendations. The fire department and city leadership should continue such a time table utilizing recommendations provided to develop an action plan. IMMEDIATELY

• Hire an educated, experienced career fire chief to oversee the operations of the fire department. This person will answer to the city manager and be accountable for the entire operation of the fire department. Utilization of a management team approach is suggested.

• Allow the new fire chief to hire a qualified, educated, and experienced fire training

officer to oversee the training division of the department.


WITHIN THE NEXT BUDGET YEAR (FY 06-07)

• Hire 15 additional personnel (Staff two engines and a ladder) • Go to a 24 hour shift – 24/48 schedule


• Replace Engine 1 with a Quint Apparatus • Start building Pigeon Forge Fire Station #2 (Move Engine 1 to station #2) • Hire 9 additional firefighters


• Buy a Quint Fire Apparatus • Start building Pigeon Forge Fire Station #3 (Move new Quint to station #3) • Hire 9 additional firefighters

WITHIN THE NEXT BUDGET YEAR (FY 09-10) WITHIN THE NEXT BUDGET YEAR (FY 10-11)

• Hire 6 additional firefighters CONTINUE THE ACTION PLAN PROCESS….


Fire Apparatus Replacement Program Recommendation Based on maintaining the present fleet of fire apparatus, the following is a recommended replacement program. This is strictly based on information provided by the fire department with only consideration for year manufactured, mileage, and stated condition at the time of this report. This does not consider apparatus utilization, local environment, local operating conditions, and scope of regular preventive maintenance. It is also recommended to consider replacement of first line fire engines with Quints (fire engines with aerial ladders) so to plan for ISO consideration. The use of Quints will eliminate the need for purchasing both fire engines and ladder trucks in the future. By using Quint apparatus for first line use, the department gets maximum credit from ISO. This also prevents manning additional apparatus or responding additional apparatus on first alarms. 10-Year Sample Replacement Schedule FY Year Apparatus to Replace Replace with.. Specifications Estimated Cost

2006-07

2007-08 Engine 1 75’ Quint

1500 gpm Pump 500 gal tank

$400,000

2008-09 Engine 2 75’ Quint

1500 gpm Pump 500 gal tank

$400,000

2009-10

2010-11 Tanker 4 Tanker

1500 gpm pump 1500 gal tank

$300,000

2011-12

Replacement costs listed above are simple estimates and consider inflation guesstimates.

SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS SECTION 1 – The Position of Fire Chief Recommendations:

1. It is imperative that the city select a Fire Chief (Operations Manager) to operate the fire department that is qualified, progressive, educated, experienced, knowledgeable, and a visionary manager. It is also important to give that person the authority and backing to operate and lead this department into the future.

2. The process used in selecting a fire chief should include

a state-wide search and involve an “assessment center” process that measures the overall potential of the candidate.

3. The fire chief should already have or be able to obtain

fire officer II certification within two years after becoming fire chief.

4. The fire chief should have a college degree or have

ambition to obtain the degree in the near future.

5. The fire chief should have a good background in fire, EMS, rescue and emergency management as well as good communication and management skills.

SECTION 2 – Fire Department Resources Recommendations

1. The fire department should operate as a business and make changes in the business in response to changes in the business cycle.

2. The fire chief should be held accountable for the entire

success or failure of the fire department.

3. The fire department should identify community needs and conduct risk assessments.

4. The fire department should apply for all available grants

as they become eligible. At the minimum, this should include the three FEMA Grants: 1) Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG), 2) SAFER Grant, and 3) Fire Prevention Grant.

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Manpower Resources Recommendations

1. Volunteer firefighters should meet minimum requirements to maintain active status. These requirements should include attendance to 80% of the drills and meetings, attend a minimum of 4 hours of training monthly, and respond to 70% of the actual working structure fires. These being the minimum requirements under the ISO standards.

2. A mandatory volunteer standby program should be

implemented for volunteer firefighters to increase interest and qualify them to compete for full-time positions when they become available.

3. The City of Pigeon Forge should hire 15 additional

firefighters over the next twelve months but only after hiring a full-time fire chief and training officer.

4. Volunteer firefighters will continue to be needed and

vital to the operation of the fire department. The new full-time fire chief must evaluate present incentives and make adjustments to maintain necessary staffing levels.

5. Reduce the volunteer staffing levels from 40 to 25 as

new career firefighters are hired. It is anticipated that several of the existing volunteer members will be hired so this number should decrease on its own. Less than 20 active members are on the list presently.

6. In accordance with OSHA and the city’s liability

insurance carrier, all members including volunteers should be given physicals and certified as “fit for duty. ”

Full-Time Equivalents & Minimum Staffing Standards Recommendations

1. Increase the FTE’s to a minimum level by adding five additional firefighters per shift. This would bring normal staffing to 6 per shift. Increased FTE’s should allow the department to meet minimum standards.

2. The fire department should work toward adding

additional personnel gradually over the next five to seven years to eventually meet the NFPA 1710 standard of four personnel per Engine and Ladder Company.

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Apparatus and Equipment Resources

Equipment

Recommendations

1. Equipment replacement should be planned and purchased through an ongoing equipment replacement program.

2. All fire apparatus with insufficient equipment must be provided with the minimum equipment as required by NFPA 1901 and ISO. A total of $11,777 should be budgeted to cover this expense.

3. Develop a written policy on the placement of equipment on each apparatus for as much uniformity of placement as possible. The policy should also address a procedure for reporting missing equipment.

4. Conduct daily or weekly inventories of apparatus using a standard inventory form to track required equipment. Records should be kept on regular checks for at least three years.

5. Fire department personnel should be familiar with the equipment locations on every apparatus. Training and drills should be conducted for all drivers and firefighters on equipment locations.

Apparatus Replacement

Recommendations

1. Fire apparatus replacement should be a carefully planned process that is conducted at regular intervals utilizing a Fire Apparatus Replacement Program.

2. In accordance with NFPA standards, at least one fire engine should be replaced and at least one other engine placed in reserve status. Refer to the proposed apparatus replacement program later in this report.

3. The fire department should track annual mileage and costs per mile to predict future replacement intervals. The fire chief should present an annual report on the condition of all fire apparatus and vehicles. This report should be included with the fire department’s five year strategic plan presented each year during the budget planning process.

4. The city should consider the purchase of a truck to pull the 8,000 gallon tanker if the city is interested in lowering the ISO rating outside of the city limits. The area has a present rating of class 9 and this could be lowered to a class 8A rating if the department responds to all structure fires in that area with a minimum of 4,000 gallons of water. This apparatus could also help in areas inside the city where water supplies are inadequate. The truck must respond to all fire alarms in these areas to get this credit.

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Specialized Equipment

Recommendations

1. Ideally, the two first due engines as well as the shift supervisor’s vehicle should have a Thermal Imaging Camera (TIC) as basic equipment. A maintenance check should be conducted on each TIC at least weekly with proper documentation maintained about the maintenance program.

2. As required by NFPA standards and the manufacturer,

hydraulic rescue tools should continue to be tested annually. Records should be kept on file documenting the maintenance program.

3. Fire Department SCBA is required to be tested annually

with proper documentation on file. Air quality testing and fit testing is also required. A written respiratory plan that meets recent OSHA updated requirements should be developed and implemented as part of the department policies. Annual fit testing and medical questionnaires must be conducted on all members annually.

4. The present plan to replace a portion of turnout gear

each year should continue. As new employees are hired, gear will need to be ordered to properly fit the new firefighters. An inventory should be maintained of all equipment issued.

5. Ground ladders should continue to be tested as

required by NFPA and the manufacturer. Hose Testing and Apparatus Testing

Recommendations

1. Annual hose testing is a requirement in all departments regardless of size or type. If no records exist, then the testing did not occur. All hose should be inventoried and numbered as well as tested annually as specified in NFPA 1962. As a minimum, three years of hose test records should be kept on file.

2. The aerial ladder must be maintained and tested

annually as required by NFPA 1901. Even though the aerial truck is presently in compliance, attention must be kept to assure this testing is done every 12 months. The aerial truck should have a file at the fire station with all service and testing records enclosed.

3. All fire engines with a pump capacity over 250 gpm must

be tested annually in accordance with NFPA 1901. Records must be kept on file for a minimum of three years. Each apparatus should have a file at the fire station with all service and testing records enclosed.

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Facility Resources

Recommendations

1. General and routine maintenance is constantly needed at fire stations to maintain facilities properly. Firefighters should be able to handle most all of the routine maintenance.

2. All fire station bedrooms or hallways leading to

bedrooms should have CO detectors for the safety of firefighters. Smoke detectors should be in every bedroom as well as hallways leading to bedrooms as required by code. Detectors should be tested on a regular basis with documentation as required by all commercial occupancies having sleeping facilities.

3. Residential dishwashers should be considered for each

station for sanitary reasons. Fire stations only need dishwashers if they are going to be used; and if dishwashers are placed into stations, a policy for their use must follow.

4. The existing fitness room will need to be converted back

to a male bunk room. Additional considerations for sleeping arrangements will need to be made when female firefighters are hired.

Review of Fire Station Locations

Recommendations

1. At the time of this report, emphasis should be placed on manning the present fire station and the process of becoming more of a career fire department rather than building new fire stations.

2. Within three to five years maximum, the construction of

a new fire station should be completed, staffed and equipped with a quint apparatus on the property located on Wears Valley Road.

3. Within five to seven years maximum, the construction of

a new fire station should be completed, staffed, and equipped with a quint apparatus on the property located on Middle Creek Road.

4. Automatic mutual aid, if available, should be established

with Sevierville for ladder service on the northwestern section of the Parkway until additional stations are built to cover this area.

5. Automatic mutual aid should be established with

Walden’s Creek Volunteer Fire Department for engine company response in and around Wears Valley Road area.

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SECTION 3 – RESPONSE FOR SERVICE

Response Time and Manpower

Recommendations

1. The department should invest in a fire department management software that will track the overall operations of the department as well as inventory equipment, hydrants, manage hose test records, and personnel.

2. The department needs to remain current with the

submission of the TFIRS data and submit all data within 10 days of the incident as required by state law.

3. The department should reduce the number of structure

fire calls utilizing better fire prevention efforts targeted at the occupancies and causes of Pigeon Forge fires.

4. It is recommended that fire inspectors track the number

of fire inspections conducted, the number of violations noted, the number of corrective actions made, and the total number of public contacts on a monthly and annual basis.

5. A monthly report of inspections and activities should be

submitted by the fire marshal to the fire chief and the fire chief should submit the prevention data in an annual report to the city council.

6. The department needs to improve response time on all

calls. The easiest way to improve response time is through hiring full-time firefighters to work 24/7. A response time greater than 6 minutes should be unacceptable inside the city. Pigeon Forge is grown too much to still maintain an 11.66 minute average response time. A response time greater than 15 minutes as seen several times in the three year study creates extreme liability on the city.

7. The department needs to increase manpower response

to an average level of 13 to 15 personnel on fire calls.

8. The aerial truck must be part of the first alarm response to all fire calls inside the city limits. Remember, two engines, a ladder or service company, and a supervisor is required on all fire calls (even alarms).

9. Monthly reports should be submitted to the city

manager listing the department’s response standard with a comparison of how the department met that goal for the month.

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Response Capabilities, Protocols, and Resources Recommendation

1. A response Matrix for the Pigeon Forge Fire Department should be developed utilizing all possible scenarios for response. All personnel should memorize and know both the Response Resources and Response Matrix. The department should review and refine these schedules on a regular basis.

2. Response capabilities, protocols and resources should

be listed in writing and training conducted for all personnel to follow the guidelines.

SECTION 4 - FIRE DEPARTMENT TRAINING Firefighter Certification Recommendations

1. The city needs to hire a full-time training officer immediately after hiring a full-time fire chief. This person can not only perform as the training officer but also handle safety compliance and oversee the volunteer program to assist the fire chief. I would recommend that the rank of Captain be assigned to this position.

2. The training officer should identify the fixed amount of

training funding needed to maintain current and future basic certifications. This should be reported each year in the fire department budget request.

3. Additional emphasis should be placed on training for

both career and volunteer staff. Everyone must qualify as a basic firefighter and maintain certification while a member of the department.

4. Minimum qualifications and certification should be set

as policy for all firefighters. Volunteers should be offered the opportunity to step up to higher certifications in an effort to prepare them for future career positions with the department.

5. The training officer must develop and schedule an

annual training program that can meet or exceed ISO standards, state and federal requirements, and benefit the department as well.

6. All firefighters must meet minimum training standards,

attend the necessary number of drills, and attend the required number of fire calls to maintain active status.

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Firefighter Certification Continued

7. A minimum of 14 required drills must be conducted to

meet additional ISO Standards. The department should schedule these drills and all other known training on a calendar made available to all personnel by January 1st of each year.

8. Officers as well as apparatus drivers and operators

must be trained in addition to the 240 hours annual training. This too should be scheduled on the fire department calendar.

9. Everyone must continue to attend the basic firefighting

academy and classes outside the department.

10. Specific requests for training should be submitted for the budget request from anyone wanting to attend or will be required to attend training in the next budget year.

11. The department should utilize the National Fire

Academy (NFA) for training future leaders. It is still free except for a meal ticket and the NFA will even pay for travel to the NFA.

12. Each shift officer should submit a monthly training

report to the training officer. The training officer should submit an annual Training Report to the fire chief to be submitted to the city board on a annual basis.

SECTION 5 – Risk Assessment / Fire Prevention

Fire Vulnerability / Target Hazards

Recommendation:

1. The fire department should identify target hazards in the community utilizing a risk analysis process. These buildings should be preplanned, visited, inspected, and familiar to all firefighters.

Inventory of Buildings 35 Feet or Higher Recommendations

1. Develop a list of all buildings 35 feet or higher listing the building address, district, number of stories, occupancy type, fire protection systems, number of people, and its risk code for use in preplanning and building familiarizations.

2. Pre-plan, drill, and know the high-rise target buildings.

Every firefighter should participate and be familiar with the buildings on the list.

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Pre-Fire Planning Recommendations

1. All target hazards and all buildings on the ISO “Batch Report” in the community must be preplanned. Preplans should be readily available and updated on a routine basis.

2. A laptop computer should be installed in the Command

vehicle with city maps, hydrant locations, and preplans in the computer.

3. Firefighters should tour every significant building

preplanned on an annual basis. Fire Inspection and Investigations

Recommendations

1. The fire inspector should work under the fire chief and have an office in the fire department. The fire inspector’s main goal should be to prevent fires from occurring through an aggressive inspection, investigation, and prevention program. The fire inspector should hold the rank of Captain in the fire department.

2. The fire inspection division should be aggressive in

conducting annual business inspections as well as new construction inspections. Every commercial business should be inspected annually by a fire inspector. This aggressive approach will reduce fire loss over time.

3. The fire inspector should be given the responsibility for

implementing and overseeing the Company Fire Inspection Program. This is the program where fire companies do basic fire safety inspections and building familiarizations with all commercial business occupancies within their respective districts. This also allows time for firefighters to update preplans when necessary.

4. Proper records must be kept on all inspections whether

done by fire companies or the fire inspector.

5. Fire cause determination should be accomplished on every fire where possible.

6. Fire prevention activities conducted year-round and lead

by the fire inspector with assistance by shift personnel will also reduce fire loss. Target groups such as the young and the elderly should be addressed since these are the ages most affected by fire.

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Risk Planning Recommendations

1. Run statistical data monthly with TFIRS to determine trends and use this data to develop a Risk Plan for the City of Pigeon Forge.

2. Obtain a copy of the RHAVE computer program and use

it for risk assessment. SECTION 6 – Finance and Budget Recommendations

1. Hiring additional personnel will increase the fire department budget dramatically. Personnel costs include salary and benefits and are reoccurring each year. The city should be prepared to handle such an expense. This report proposes hiring a fire chief, a training officer, and 15 firefighters the first year.

2. The budget comparisons indicate that the Pigeon Forge

budget is excessive in operating expenses. A significant amount could be diverted to assist in paying salaries.

3. A capital replacement budget should be considered

utilizing a small percentage of the additional property assessed value that increases each year. An equipment contingency fund would allow for better financial planning. Capital planning begins with the fire chief submitting a strategic plan to the city board each year with his budget.

4. Fixed training costs drive the training budget and an

itemized list for specific recertification and training courses should be submitted with the budget proposal each year.

5. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department should become more

dynamic in taking advantage of free training such as that provided by the National Fire Academy, FEMA, and TEMA.

6. The fire department should try to increase revenue and

funding by first applying for grants and secondly make changes in the subscription service for revenue improvements.

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SECTION 7 - HUMAN RESOURCES AND BENEFITS Recruitment of Future Firefighters Recommendations

1. The fire department should have an aggressive firefighter recruitment plan for both career and volunteer positions.

2. The employment pool of candidates should begin by

considering volunteer personnel and then outside the department. Internal candidates should prepare themselves to compete for job positions.

3. Hire people who will stay with the job, someone looking

for a career not a job!

4. Utilize a fire department explorer program to get people interested in the fire service while they are still in high school.

5. The recruitment process for firefighters must be an

ongoing process. Recruit from local colleges and people completing EMT and paramedic school.

6. City applications should be required for any additional

volunteers applying for positions and the city human resource department should maintain records on volunteers as they do all city employees.

7. An interview process as well as a physical ability test

should be conducted (career or volunteer) to see if the candidate qualifies as a firefighter. A physical exam and background check should follow.

8. All candidates and employees should be provided with a

job description and a probation period set the same as for full-time employees. Everyone should follow the city rules and policies for all employees.

9. Future firefighters should be hired in at a range between

$27,000 and $29,000 per year to keep the spread of pay scales separated between the firefighters and future supervisors.

10. Individuals should not be eligible to work if they are not

eligible to be firefighters.

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Promotional Process

Recommendations

1. A modern promotion process utilizes a series of assessments to select a good candidate and can still utilize seniority as a factor.

2. MTAS recommends that all top managers including the fire

chief and assistant fire chief go through an assessment center process utilizing qualified panelists from peer groups outside of the Pigeon Forge area.

3. MTAS recommends that middle managers including the

fire marshal and supervisory training captain positions also go through an assessment center, written test, and internal interviews.

4. Other supervisory positions within the fire department

should participate in written testing and internal interviews and work closely with current city practices.

Job Descriptions

Recommendations 1. Develop and implement a volunteer firefighter job

description and provide it to every existing and new part-time employee.

2. Volunteer personnel should be treated the same as a part-

time employee. Volunteer Firefighter Program

Recommendations 1. Recruit and retain Volunteer Firefighters through an

effective training and communications program. 2. Budget money specifically for the recruitment and

retention of Volunteer Firefighters. Build up the program with additional training and encourage certification of all members. Offer incentives to Auxiliary personnel who meet minimum standards set by the department.

Males versus Females

Recommendation 1. A plan should be developed to become more proactive in

recruiting the female gender. All modern fire departments have a plan, and most progressive departments already have female firefighters.

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SECTION 8 - HEALTH AND SAFETY Compliance with NFPA 1500

Recommendations 1. The fire department should assign a safety and health

committee to make recommendations to the chief as well as review accidents and exposures to improve health and safety in the fire department.

2. The fire department should become compliant with the

NFPA 1500 Standard.

OSHA Compliance Recommendations

1. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department must immediately

take action to become fully compliant with OSHA regulations. This includes written programs in personal protective equipment, exposure control plan, and a respiratory protection program.

2. Fit testing should be updated to the most current

program and continued to be conducted in-house.

3. The breathing air system used in refilling must be tested on a regular basis as required.

4. All SCBA systems must be serviced and tested

annually as required.

5. All new firefighters hired should be provided with individual SCBA face pieces and fit tested annually as required by OSHA.

6. All basic OSHA requirements should be researched

and implemented ASAP. Fire Department Safety Policy Recommendations:

1. Safety training should be conducted on a routine basis

as part of the company level training program. 2. A safety policy should be available at each fire station

and fire personnel should be familiar with the manual and safety procedures.

IMPL. O/A ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______


NFPA 1710 Recommendations

1. The fire department should strive to meet the NFPA 1710 requirements concerning personnel by slowly phasing in additional personnel each year.

2. One person should never operate a station. The

safety factor is too critical to allow this to happen on a continual basis.

3. Fire departments must continue to critically track

response time with the emphasis on a high percentage of on-time response.

SECTION 9 - General Operations

Organizational Structure

Recommendations: 1. Change the organizational chart to as listed above. 2. The Training Officer and all three Captains should

become certified as a fire inspector within one year of taking the position.

Fire Department General Compliance

Recommendation 1. The fire department should become more proactive in

completing the NFPA annual surveys and applying for fire department recognition such as applying for the Operation Life Safety Award.

Standard Operating Procedures / Guidelines

Recommendations

1. The fire department needs a Standard Operating Procedure manual to have written rules and procedures for people to follow. This should be put together by a committee and submitted to the chief for approval.

2. Copies of SOP’s should be available to all personnel,

training conducted, and SOP’s enforced by shift officers.

3. All personnel should sign an acknowledgement that

they have read and understand the fire department Standard Operating Procedures. This documentation should remain on file with the employee personnel records.

IMPL. O/A ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______


Fire Department Strategic Plan Recommendation

1. The fire chief should submit a five-year strategic plan

with his budget request each year for consideration by the City Board.

Public Relations & Media Involvement Recommendations

1. Obtain assistance from outside sources on how the fire

department can improve its public image in both appearance and actions.

2. Keep vehicles and facilities clean and tidy at all times.

3. Keep the firefighters looking professional and don’t

allow faded T-shirts, old dirty caps, and unpolished shoes.

4. Assign a public relations committee to address issues

by making recommendations to the fire chief utilizing a written plan to improve public relations.

SECTION 10 Water Supply and Fire Hydrants

Water Supply

Recommendations

1. Additional assessment of water supply is needed by the fire department working with the Water Utility to assure that compliance with ISO standards is met.

2. Several items of information under water supply were not

available; these must be determined, compiled, and evaluated prior to the ISO evaluation.

3. Hydrant testing should be conducted as recommended

by ISO. Records for hydrant testing should be maintained on a computer management data base.

IMPL. O/A ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______

APPENDIX ONE – FIRE DEPARTMENT TEAM ASSIGNMENT SAMPLE

Pigeon Forge Fire Department Team Assignments

Fire Department Management Team January 2006

Fire Chief

Assistant Fire Chief Fire Marshal

Supervisory Training Captain A Shift Captain B Shift Captain C Shift Captain

Meetings held 2 times per month and set on FD calendar.

Mission: Oversee the overall operation of the Pigeon Forge Fire Department.

Fire Department Training Team February 2006

Supervisory Training Captain

A Shift Lieutenant B Shift Lieutenant C Shift Lieutenant

Meetings held monthly or as needed.

Mission: Oversee and assist in meeting the training needs of the department.

Reserve Program Advisory Team March 2006

Fire Chief Supervisory Training Captain A Shift Firefighter Reserve Firefighter B Shift Firefighter Reserve Firefighter C Shift Firefighter

Meetings held monthly and/or prior to drills.

Mission: To oversee the reserve firefighter program with an emphasis on recruitment and retention.


Public Fire & Safety Education Team February 2006

Fire Marshal, Coordinator

A Shift Firefighter B Shift Firefighter C Shift Firefighter

Meetings held prior to public education events and as needed.

Mission: To oversee the public fire education efforts of the department and promote fire safety.

Physical Fitness Program Team

March 2006

(1) Fire Lieutenant A Shift Firefighter B Shift Firefighter C Shift Firefighter

Meetings held as needed and at least annually (March).

Mission: To institute and encourage physical fitness within the fire department.

SOG Development Team February 2006

Management Team Members

Meetings held as needed and at least once annually (February).

Mission: To develop and keep current the fire department Standard Operating Guidelines.

Accident Investigation & Safety Team March 2006

Supervisory Training Captain

A Shift Captain B Shift Captain C Shift Captain

Meetings held after any accident and at least twice each year (January & August).

Mission: To investigate internal accidents where employees are injured and provide reports to the fire chief as well as provide suggestions to the management team to improve safety in the fire department.


Building & Grounds Improvement Team April 2006

Supervisory Training Captain, Coordinator

(3) Interested Officers or Firefighters (1 from each shift)

Meetings held at least twice each year (April & September) and as needed. Mission: Make recommendations to the management team for improvements of buildings and grounds.

Customer Service Team May 2006

Assistant Chief, Coordinator

(3 to 6) Interested Officers or Firefighters (1 or 2 from each shift)

Meetings held at least twice each year (April & September) and as needed. Mission: Make recommendations to the management team for improvements in customer service.

Explorer Post Advisors September 2006

Supervisory Training Captain, Coordinator

(3 to 6) Interested Officers or Firefighters (1 or 2 from each shift)

Meetings held bi-monthly and as needed. Mission: Develop and start a Fire Department Explorer Program. Oversee the program and make

recommendations to the management team for the continued operation of the program as well as the utilization of the program for recruiting future firefighters as reserves and career staff.

Fire Commission Training Committee Appointed prior to 2006

________________, Chairman

_________________, Vice Chairman ________________, Secretary

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

Meetings held twice each year (October and January) and as needed. Mission: Serve as the Fire Department Training Committee for certification with the Tennessee Fire

Commission. Approve training requests and annual program as required by state law. Keep records of meetings and make reports of all actions to the fire chief.


Specific Task Committees Apparatus Inventory Committee

__________________, Coordinator __________________, Firefighter __________________, Firefighter

Task: To conduct and maintain an inventory of equipment on all apparatus as well as spare equipment. The committee shall also oversee the placement of equipment on each apparatus to be as uniform as possible with other apparatus and conducted with the approval of the fire chief.

ISO Inspection Preparation Committee __________________, Coordinator __________________, Captain __________________, Firefighter

Task: To prepare for an ISO inspection by conducting an evaluation of present conditions and report to the management team on what needs to be improved.

FD Web Site Committee


Task: To propose a web site layout for the Pigeon Forge Fire Department to the management team for consideration and approval. When approved by the city, follow through in implementing a web site and maintaining that site for its duration.

FD Logo Committee


Task: To review present fire department logo and propose any changes to the management team for consideration and approval. When approved, follow through in implementing a new logo for the department.


Personnel Assignments

Organizational Specific Training Officer – Medical Coordinator – Medical Supply Coordinator – Fire Investigations – TFIRS Reporting – Non-Organizational Specific Personnel Training Drill Coordinator – Explorer Post Coordinator – Reserve Recruiting & Retention Coordinator – Monthly Newsletter Coordinator – Health & Safety Exposure Control Officer – Department Security Coordinator – SCBA & Air System Monitoring – Physical Ability Testing Coordinator – Service & Quality Assurance Medical Director – EMS Audit Coordinator – EMS First Responder Coordinator – Customer Service Survey Coordinators – OSHA and Safety Compliance Coordinator – TFIRS & EMS Reports Coordinator – ISO Inspection Coordinator –


Equipment, Apparatus & Uniforms Apparatus Coordinator – Radios & Communications – Uniforms & Personal Supplies – Turnout Gear & Safety Equipment – Daily Vehicle Check Reports – Capt on Duty Inventory Coordinator – Inspection & Prevention Street Program Coordinator – Fire Company Inspection Coordinator – Business Inspection Coordinator – Public Education Coordinator – Schools Pub. Ed. Program Coordinator – Elderly Pub. Ed. Program Coordinator – Preplanning Program Coordinator – Maintenance Hydrant Program Coordinator – Pumper Testing Coordinators – Apparatus Service / Maintenance Coordinator – Hose Testing Coordinator – Ladder Testing Coordinator – Hazardous Materials Team Coordinator – Hazardous Materials Equipment Coordinator – Rescue Equipment Coordinator – Extrication Equipment Coordinator –

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