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South Euclid Fire Department – 2016 Annual Report

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Table of Contents

Classification & Assignment of Fire Department Personnel------------------------------- 4

Personnel Longevity-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -5

Promotions, Retirements and Appointments------------------------------------------------- 6

Firefighter of the Year-------------------------------------------------------------------------------7

Fire Department Operations----------------------------------------------------------------------8

Fire & EMS Apparatus------------------------------------------------------------------------------11

Fire Department Training-------------------------------------------------------------------------19

Heights Area special Rescue Team-------------------------------------------------------------24

Fire Prevention-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------28

Fire Investigations---------------------------------------------------------------------------------35

Emergency Medical Services-------------------------------------------------------------------41

Health & Wellness Program--------------------------------------------------------------------43

Child Passenger Safety Seat Program--------------------------------------------------------45

Fire Hydrants---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------49

Fire Hose--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------50

Fire Department Quarters----------------------------------------------------------------------51

Self –Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) ---------------------------------------------52

Miscellaneous Equipment----------------------------------------------------------------------54

Social Media---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------55

General Statistics---------------------------------------------------------------------------------56


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Classification & Assignment of Fire Department Personnel

Administrative Officers

Chief Douglas Stefko OFE, Paramedic, CFSI, FI

Assistant Chief Dave Csire Paramedic CFSI, FI, HASRT

Fire Prevention Bureau

Inspector Scott Sebastian Paramedic, CFSI, Arson, BS

Fire Suppression- Emergency Medical Personnel

Captain Ted Shoop Paramedic OFE, CFSI, FI Captain Paul Tepley Paramedic CFSI, FI, HASRT, AAS Captain Larry Gaspar Paramedic OFE, CFSI, FI Lt. Pat Arth Paramedic CFSI, FI, AAS Lt. Greg Duy Paramedic CFSI, FI, ADN Lt. Geffry Turchon Paramedic CFSI, FI, Arson Lt. Alex Picone Paramedic CFSI, FI, AAB FF Joe Pavlisko Paramedic CFSI, BA FF Dan Drees EMT FF Joe Zuccaro Paramedic CFSI, FI FF Scott Wilms Paramedic CFSI, HASRT FF Aaron Lowe EMT FF Ben Ovelgonne Paramedic CFSI, Arson FF Chris Erskine Paramedic FF Matt Ziemba Paramedic CFSI FF Pedro Garcia Paramedic CFSI, FI, EMSI, HASRT, BS FF Sean Patitucci Paramedic CFSI, Arson FF James Moroney Paramedic CFSI, FI FF Tom Henry Paramedic Arson FF John Scudellari Paramedic FI, AAS FF Eric Thompson Paramedic HASRT FF Chris Saplak Paramedic FF Dan Kolodka Paramedic AAS FF Tom Canitia Paramedic CFSI, FI, HASRT, BA FF Marvin Willock Paramedic FF Nick Sweetnich Paramedic FF Matt Simon Paramedic FF David Spraggins Paramedic FF Jacob McKenrick Paramedic FF Jonathan Tedeschi Paramedic AAS

Arson- Fire Investigation Unit

CFSI- Fire Safety Inspector

FI- Fire Instructor

EMSI- EMS Instructor

HASRT- Special Rescue Team

OFE- Ohio Fire Executive

BS- Bachelor of Science

BA- Bachelor of Arts

AA- Associate of Arts

AAS- Associate Applied

Science

ADN- Associate of Nursing


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SEFD Employment Longevity per Personnel

PERSONNEL RANK START DATE

DURATION

Pavlisko, Joseph FFP 11/05/1984 32 Years, 2 Months Stefko, Douglas A Chief 10/30/1989 27 Years, 3 Months

Csire, David AC 12/23/1991 25 Years, 1 Months Drees, Daniel FF EMT 12/23/1991 25 Years, 1 Months

Zuccaro, Joseph S FFP 05/26/1992 24 Years, 8 Months Shoop, Tedman CP 07/27/1992 24 Years, 6 Months Wilms, Scott W FFP 09/12/1994 22 Years, 4 Months Gaspar, Larry L Capt. 09/12/1994 22 Years, 4 Months

Lowe, Aaron FF EMT 04/11/1995 21 Years, 9 Months Picone, Alexander LT 10/14/1996 20 Years, 3 Months

Turchon, Geffry LT 03/22/1999 17 Years, 10 Months Ovelgonne, Benjamin FFP 05/17/1999 17 Years, 8 Months Erskine, Christopher FFP 07/06/1999 17 Years, 6 Months

Ziemba, Matthew FFP 09/24/2001 15 Years, 4 Months Garcia, Pedro FFP 11/26/2001 15 Years, 2 Months

Patitucci, Sean FFP 12/17/2001 15 Years, 1 Months Tepley, Paul A Capt. 07/19/2004 12 Years, 6 Months

Moroney, James A FFP 05/16/2005 11 Years, 8 Months

Henry, Thomas FFP 09/26/2005 11 Years, 4 Months Duy, Greg J LT 10/23/2006 10 Years, 3 Months

Arth, Patrick LT 02/12/2007 9 Years, 11 Months

Scudellari, John FFP 02/19/2007 9 Years, 11 Months Sebastian, Scott FFP 03/05/2007 9 Years, 10 Months Thompson, Eric FFP 01/28/2008 9 Years, 0 Months

Saplak, Chris FFP 05/01/2011 5 Years, 8 Months Kolodka, Daniel FFP 07/05/2011 5 Years, 6 Months Canitia, Thomas FFP 07/05/2011 5 Years, 6 Months Willock, Marvin FFP 07/23/2012 4 Years, 6 Months

Sweetnich, Nicholas FFP 08/20/2012 4 Years, 5 Months Simon, Matthew FFP 08/11/2014 2 Years, 5 Months

Spraggins, David FFP 03/23/2015 1 Years, 10 Months McKenrick, Jacob FFP 11/02/2015 1 Years, 2 Months

Tedeschi, Jonathan FFP 11/02/2015 1 Years, 2 Months

AVERAGE EMPLOYMENT LONGEVITY: 14.6 Years


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Promotions, Retirements and Appointments

Promotions

None

Retirements

None

Appointments

None


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2016 Firefighter of the Year

Chris Erskine – FF/EMT-P

Chris Erskine was appointed to the South Euclid Fire Department on July 6th, 1999 and is in his 17th year

of service to the residents of South Euclid. Chris is a state certified Paramedic and obtained his Fire

Officer 1 certification. Chris is also assigned as one of several Acting Lieutenants. Chris was nominated

by his peers and chosen by the awards committee as the 2016 firefighter of the year.

Chris’s knowledge and experience is an asset to the department and he can be depended on for sound

advice when needed. A personal interest of his is the health of firefighters. He reorganized our

Hazardous Exposure database and continues to make updates and tracks every member’s exposures

during our entire career.

Another project Chris completed this year was the production of the “Always on the Job” Video. This

was a project that Chris has always wanted to do. Also in 2016, Chris provided assistance in the

production of our Monthly Safety Videos that are posted on YouTube, Facebook and our website. Chris’s

efforts have increased our Social Media presence and improved the safety knowledge available to our

community.

Chris is married to his wife Debbie and has two daughters, Mikayla and Taylor.

The members of the South Euclid Fire Department congratulate Chris and thank him for his dedication

and service and being named the 2016 Firefighter of the Year.


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Fire Department Operations - Captain Ted Shoop, OFE

The South Euclid Fire Department responded to 3626 calls for service in 2016. The unpredictable

nature of the fire service requires that we respond to each call keeping in mind the worst possible

scenario. Currently, the SEFD has a minimum staffing level of seven firefighters, 24 hours a day, seven

days a week, 365 days a year. Each member on duty is assigned to a certain vehicle(s) and each

assignment has certain responsibilities. The purpose of a minimum staffing level is to provide for the

maximum safety of the firefighters and the safety of the citizens we are sworn to protect.

The response for a medical (EMS) emergency would be as follows:

Squad 341: (2) Two paramedics.

Car 353 - also referred to as the “chase car”: (1) One paramedic. If the squad crew determines that the

call can be handled appropriately by two paramedics, Car 353 would return to the fire station.

If a 2nd EMS call is received while squad 341 is committed, squad 342 would respond along with car

353.

Mutual aid would be requested for any call received while South Euclid equipment is committed and

unable to respond.


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The response for a report of a house fire would be as follows:

Engine 312: (3) One officer, one driver/ operator and one firefighter

Ladder 321: (2) One officer (or acting officer), driver/operator

Squad 341: (2) Two firefighters

* On confirmation of a working (active) fire, the MABAS (mutual aid box alarm system) system would be

activated. This provides additional equipment and personnel from neighboring cities. If the call is for a

fire in a single family residence, a MABAS response would consist of an engine from University Heights,

ladder trucks from Cleveland Heights and Lyndhurst, and a squad from Beachwood. Once all the

necessary fire equipment/personnel are on the scene, fire department operations will typically fall into

three major categories: Command, Engine Operations and Truck Operations.

Command: Command is typically responsible for the strategy, tactics, safety and communication of

the incident. The command role is usually the shift officer-in-charge.

Engine Operations: The main responsibility of the engine crew is to secure a water supply and stretch

fire hose to the fire area. While simultaneously extinguishing fire, the crew will search the fire area for

victims and report to command. With seven members on duty, these tasks are performed by two or

three personnel.

*NFPA 1710 recommends a safe engine company staffing level of four firefighters.


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Truck Operations: The main responsibilities of the truck crew are to force entry if needed, search for

victims and ventilation of the fire building. Truck operations at times require the use of ladders. Truck

321 is equipped with a 78’ truck mounted ladder and various ground ladders.

An important aspect of Fire Department Operations is the development and ongoing evaluation

of Departmental Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s). These procedures are designed to provide Fire

Department personnel with a consistent set of guidelines to be used in emergency and non-emergency

situations. The primary purpose of these procedures is consistency in operations. Currently, The South

Euclid Fire Department has 96 Standard Operating Procedures which address the following areas:

Section 100 Rules and Regulations Section 600 Fire Suppression Operations

Section 200 Station Operations Section 700 Emergency Medical Services

Section 300 Command Procedures Section 800 Special Operations

Section 400 Safety Section 900 General orders

Section 500 Communications Section 1000 Respiratory Protection


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Fire and EMS Apparatus


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Engine #312

Delivery of this front line Engine was accepted by the City in March of 2008. Engine 312 is a 1500 gallon per minute pumper manufactured by Pierce Fire Equipment in Appleton Wisconsin. As the front line Engine, 312 handles the bulk of the fire ground pumping operations and first responds to third rescue calls when squads 341 and 342 are on previous emergency assignments. Engine 312 is third in total number of emergency responses behind rescue squad 341 and EMS chase car 353. Pierce Fire Equipment is owned by Oshkosh Trucks which produces heavy equipment for the military, FBI and CIA. An innovative suspension system used for years on some military equipment is also used on this apparatus which this gives the driver better control, a smoother ride, and a safer response to emergencies. This truck also has rollover protection with air bags, seatbelt tensioners, and an instantaneous seat lowering mechanism system to protect our firefighters from injury should the Engine be involved in an accident. Engine 312 has onboard computer diagnostics, electronic fire pump control, a class A foam system, and a generator that runs off the transmission instead of requiring a separate fuel source. The class A foam system is used for structural firefighting. The on board foam system also has the ability to draft class B foam, which is used on hydrocarbon (fuel) fires. Use of Class A foam and the properties that it carries during structural firefighting allows water to readily soak into materials, thereby extinguishing them more rapidly. Use of Class A foam reduces both fire damage and the amount of “overhaul” done by firefighters, which is the physical labor of searching for hidden fire. These are a few of the highlights of Engine 312 that allows your fire department members to do their job efficiently and safely.

Some of the firefighting tasks that this unit and the firefighters assigned to it handle include; initial fire attack through the deployment of hand lines, use of the jaws of life to free trapped occupants at severe motor vehicle accidents, stabilizing hazardous incidents, chimney fire extinguishment, carbon monoxide and dangerous gas detection, and relay pumping at mutual aid fires. This unit has three 1000 watt lights for working at night and a thermal imaging handheld camera used to find trapped victims and hidden fire. This apparatus will be replaced in 2017. At that time it will move to a reserve status.

Miles 42,283 Hours 5,137 2016 Total Responses 1,195 2016 Maintenance costs $12,473.14


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This apparatus is in Good condition.

Engine #311

Engine 311 is a 1500 gallon per minute pumper manufactured by the Ferrara Fire Apparatus Company in Holden, Louisiana. 311 was received in February 1999 and served as our front line pumper until 2008. Currently 311 is our reserve pumper and is used whenever 312 or 321 are out of service for maintenance. In 2012 this apparatus had extensive work completed on the pump so that it could meet flow testing requirements. This unit is in fair condition after many years of hard service. This engine is beginning to show its age. Normal service life for an Engine in the South Euclid Fire Department is 20 years. During this service life the Engine is usually refurbished at 10 years to extend the operational period of the apparatus. This apparatus was originally scheduled for refurbishment in 2010 but did not have the work performed on it. 311 will be taken out of service in 2018 with the arrival of our new engine. When ladder 321 is out of service and engine 311 is put into service in its place, the firefighters assigned to this apparatus will handle ladder truck work, or when Engine 312 is out of service, it will handle initial fire attack work as the front line engine.

Miles 43,900 Hours 6,118 2016 Total Responses 173 2016 Maintenance costs $1194.73


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Aerial #321 Ladder truck 321 was placed into service in January 2012. This truck was manufactured by E-One Fire Apparatus located in Ocala, Florida. The truck sits on a Typhoon chassis, powered by an ISL 450 horsepower Cummins engine and an Allison 3000 transmission. The ladder on the truck reaches 78 feet at its highest point and is a real asset when responding to residential and commercial structures. One of the features of the new truck is that it complies with the new emission control standards set by the EPA. The use of diesel fuel releases nitrous oxides and sulfur dioxides in the exhaust that are harmful to the atmosphere. The way that the exhaust system works is that it turns the harmful byproducts into nitrogen gas and water vapor by superheating the exhaust in a catalyst chamber. The end product is near zero harmful emissions. Some of the firefighting tasks that this unit and the firefighters assigned to it handle include, ventilation of smoke, forcible entry, search and rescue using it’s on board thermal imaging camera, laddering buildings, overhaul by searching for hidden fire, and assisting in a rope rescue. Ladder 321 will handle additional emergency calls when the 312 crew is on a previous emergency assignment. This truck is in good condition.

Miles 12,645 Hours 1,769 2016 Total Responses 428 2016 Maintenance costs $3,183.26


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Rescue Squad #341

Rescue Squad 341 is the newest ambulance in the fleet. The City of South Euclid took delivery of this

apparatus in October of 2016. The ambulance was manufactured by Braun Custom Ambulances located

in Van Wert Ohio, and is a Chief XL Type III model. The chassis is a Ford E450. The standing headroom in

the patient compartment is at a height of 72″ which makes it easier for the paramedics to move around

when providing lifesaving care. EMS personnel also have the use of a lot of storage space for storing

equipment both outside and inside the vehicle. One of the nice features on this new unit is the EZ Glide

side door which slides down the side of the ambulance body out of the way when opened. This is

different from a conventional door that opens outward on hinges. The EZ Glide door makes it a lot safer

for paramedics when they are entering and exiting the vehicle while parked on the street and in traffic.

Also featured in this new ambulance is all LED lighting in both the patient compartment and as

emergency lighting used when responding to emergencies.

The Paramedics assigned to this unit are able to efficiently use the lifesaving equipment to treat victims

of heart attacks, illness, minor and severe injuries, and child birth. The South Euclid rescue squads are

considered to be advanced lifesaving units (ALS) and are virtually an emergency room on wheels. The

state of the art medical equipment on the rescue squads allow the paramedics to diagnose and treat

many medical conditions including heart attacks and strokes. Patient information is able to be sent both

electronically, and by direct contact with the receiving hospital prior to arriving.

This unit is in new condition

Miles 4,683 Hours 445

2016 Total Responses 423

2016 Maintenance costs $2779.71


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Rescue Squad #342

The City of South Euclid took delivery of Rescue Squad 342 in November of 2012. The ambulance was

manufactured by Horton Emergency Vehicles located in Grove City Ohio. The patient compartment of

the vehicle is made by Horton and it sits on a Chevrolet 4500 chassis. The vehicle complies with the 2010

emissions standards producing very little pollutants into the atmosphere. Due to the high percentage of

EMS calls, this paramedic equipped unit is 4 years old and split time with the new 341 as one of the two

apparatus that responded to the most emergencies during 2016. This unit was moved to back up status

in October. The Paramedics assigned to this unit are able to efficiently use the lifesaving equipment to

treat victims of heart attacks, illness, minor and severe injuries, and child birth. This vehicle as well as

the new 341 are considered to be advanced lifesaving units (ALS) and are virtually an emergency room

on wheels. Both have state of the art medical equipment on them that allow the paramedics to

diagnose and treat many medical conditions including strokes, diabetes, high blood pressure, and

irregular heart rhythms. Patient information is sent both electronically, and direct contact is made with

the receiving hospital prior to arriving.

This unit is in good condition

Miles 73,904 Hours 5,208

2016 Total Responses 1,929

2016 Maintenance costs $4,688.88


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Rescue Squad #343

Rescue Squad 343 was purchased in November 2006. Since receiving the new 341, this apparatus has

been placed in reserve status, and will see action when either 341 or 342 are sent out for service. 343

received a new engine in 2011 due to a mechanical problem. This vehicle has a Braun ambulance patient

compartment and is mounted on a Ford E-450 chassis. This unit received extensive repairs during 2015

in order to keep it road worthy. This unit is 10 years old and is currently in Fair condition. 343 is also an

advanced lifesaving (ALS) unit when placed into service.

This unit is in fair condition

Miles 101,599 Hours 8756

2016 Total Responses 431

2016 Maintenance costs $2,424.24


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Rescue Squad 343 retired during 2016

Rescue Squad 343R was a Braun ambulance on a Ford E-450 chassis, which was put into service in

February 2002. This EMS unit was used as a reserve and saw use when one of the two frontline squads

was taken out of service. This paramedic equipped unit is 14 years old and is in poor condition. This unit

was retired from service in October of 2016 when the new 341 arrived.

Rescue Squad 343R EMS Chase Car 353

Miles 89,963 Miles 17,931

2016 Total Responses 66 2016 Total Responses 2,074

EMS Chase Car 353

Car 353 is a 2014 Ford Explorer and is used to assist both the front line and back up rescue squads

during EMS calls. This vehicle is in excellent condition.

Utility Pick-up 371

Miles 25,820

371 is a Ford-150 pickup truck used for snow plowing, hydrant testing, details, etc. The City accepted

delivery of this vehicle in July 2002. This vehicle is 15 years old and is in fair condition. It will be replaced

in 2017 or 2018.

Staff Car 351

Miles 27,502

Car 351 is the Fire Chief’s vehicle. Purchased in 2015, this Ford Explorer is in excellent condition.

Staff Car 352

Miles 147,823

Car 352 is the Assistant Fire Chief’s vehicle. Purchased in 2008, this Ford Explorer is in fair condition.

Staff Car 355

Miles 160,262

Car 355 is the vehicle used by Fire Prevention. Purchased in 2006, this Ford Explorer in fair condition.


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Fire Department Training 2016

2016 Training Statistics

Total number of training hours……………………………………………………..6,916

Total number of hours of classes not taken at SEFD……………………..2,431

EMS training total hours………………………………………………………............674

HASRT training total hours…………………………………………………….….…...264

Inspections and Preplanning total hours……………………………………........35

Operational training……………………………………………………………….……… 381

Primary and secondary topic total training hours………………….………..799

Quick drill total hours………………………………………………………….……..... 323

Conducting tours of area buildings………………………………………..…….. 283

Inventories………………………………………………………………………….…………...28

Recruit training hours………………………………………………………….………….271

Shift training hours……………………………………………………….……….……....309

Computer based training……………………………………………………………....636


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2016 Outside Education

Chief Doug Stefko Team Building Exercise Ohio Fire Chiefs Association Winter Symposium Anarchists Tactics during Large Events Crisis Communications RNC Update NOPEC Social Media Instructor Update Basic Fire Drop Door Code Review

Asst. Chief Dave Csire Team Building Exercise Ohio Fire Chiefs Association Winter Symposium Anarchists Tactics during Large Events Crisis Communications RNC Update NOPEC Social Media Cancer Awareness Northeast Ohio Regional Fusion Center Ohio Fire Code Review: Fairs, Festivals, and Food Trucks Basic Fire Drop Door Code Review Cuyahoga County EOC Knowledge Center Update Ohio Ethics Ohio Fire Code Review International Association of Fire Chiefs Conference Exit Doors and Hardware NFPA 1730 Standard on Organization and Deployment of Fire Prevention Inspection

Captain Tedman Shoop Fire Officer III Fire Officer IV Rescue Task Force Exercise

Captain Paul Tepley Vehicle Born IED Detection (VBIED) CDP Field Force Extrication NIMS 300 Cancer Awareness Field Force Command Mayday, Mayday, Mayday Anna Maria College: Fire Related Human Behavior Anna Maria College: Conflict Management


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Lieutenant Patrick Arth Fire Officer III

Lieutenant Greg Duy Paramedic Refresher Instructor Update Elevator Rescue Fire Instructor and Inspector Update Fire Officer III Bowling Green Fire School: State and Local Government Bowling Green Fire School: Principles of Emergency Management Bowling Green Fire School: Computer Basics Bowling Green Fire School: Analytical Approaches for the Fire and Emergency Services.

Lieutenant Geffry Turchon Fire Officer III Advanced Origin and Cause

Fire Inspector Scott Sebastian Blue Card Command Youth Occupant Protection Car Seat Conference Northeast Ohio Regional Fusion Center Ohio Fire Code Review: Fairs, Festivals, and Food Trucks Basic Fire Drop Door Code Review Ohio Fire Code Review Exit Doors and Hardware NFPA 1730 Standard on Organization and Deployment of Fire Prevention Inspection Fire Alarm Communications Fire Alarm Acceptance Fire Stopping: Building Plan Review Arson Case Preparation Solid Fuel Appliance Fires Advanced Origin and Cause Aboveground Storage Tanks Vesda Smoke Systems Windowless Stories: Building Construction/Plan Review.

Firefighter Joe Zuccaro Youth Occupant Protection Car Seat Conference CPR Instructor Renewal Instructor Update Fire Instructor and Inspector Update

Christopher Erskine Blue Card Command


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Benjamin Ovelgonne Advanced Origin and Cause Fire Officer II Blue Card Command

Firefighter Pedro Garcia Elevator Rescue Blue Card Command Fire Instructor Update Field Force Extrication Man and Machine Cadaver Procedure Lab

Firefighter Matt Ziemba Fire Officer II Blue Card Command

Sean Patitucci Blue Card Command

Jamie Moroney Blue Card Command Waldorf College: English 1010 Waldorf College: English 1020 Waldorf College: Ethics Waldorf College: Intro to Music Appreciation Waldorf College: Critical Thinking Waldorf College: Warrior Seminar

Firefighter Eric Thompson Fire Officer I Anna Maria College: Comparative International EMS Rope Rescue Level I Rope Rescue Level II Confined Space I Confined Space II


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Firefighter Tom Canitia NIMS IS 0094 Fire Safety Inspector Confined Space I Confined Space II Swift Water Awareness Structural Collapse Technician

Jacob McKenrick Youth Occupant Protection Car Seat Conference

Jonathan Tedeschi Cancer Awareness


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Heights-Hillcrest Area Special Rescue Team

Overview and Merger The South Euclid Fire Department was one of six area Fire Departments that comprised the Heights Area Special Rescue Team (HASRT). The other communities were Beachwood, Cleveland Heights, Euclid, Shaker Heights and University Heights. All HASRT team members are firefighters that have taken additional specialized rescue training in various disciplines and train together throughout the year to keep their skills current and meet national standards. HASRT was established so that our Fire Departments could be better prepared to handle “out of the ordinary” rescue situations. The following list of disciplines represents the areas that the team has been trained in, but is not limited to: Confined Space Entry and Rescue Ice Rescue Mud Rescue Rope Rescue, including Slope and High Angle Tower Rescue Trench Rescue Structural Collapse Rescue Wind Turbine Rescue. Our neighboring team, the Hillcrest Technical Rescue Team (HILLTECH), currently serves the Hillcrest area and is comprised of Gates Mills, Highland Heights, Lyndhurst, Mayfield Village, Mayfield Heights, Pepper Pike, Richmond Heights and Willoughby Hills. In addition to the rescue disciplines listed above, they also provide Swift Water Rescue, Dive Rescue and Water Victim Recovery. Over the past few years, these two teams have been conducting their monthly drills together and are also dispatched simultaneously to all calls for rescue services. They have been working together for so long that merging the two teams into one larger team has become a mere formality. This new team, the Heights-Hillcrest Technical Rescue Team (HHTRT), will be comprised of personnel from 14 communities and will be responsible for providing rescue service to 37 communities on the east side of Cleveland, extending into Geauga County. You may be wondering why 37 communities and not 14? This because is of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Chagrin/Southeast Hazardous Materials Response Team, based out of the Solon area. We provide their member communities with Special Rescue Service and they provide us with Hazardous Materials response. This regional approach to technical rescue and Hazmat response is cost-effective, maintains a high skill level and insures our communities are ready to respond.


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Additionally, we will see the following benefits of completing this merger:

Standardization of Operating Procedures: Will lead to efficiency and improved safety while operating at emergency scenes.

Reduction in Equipment and Apparatus Costs: Equipment and apparatus redundancy will be eliminated and equipment will be staged and deployed to serve the larger region.

Even Distribution of Resources: Apparatus and equipment will be staged at the most efficient locations to increase coverage and reduce response times in our coverage area.

Reduction in Operating Costs: Currently a combined average cost of $90,000. Reduction in annual budget to $80,000 with the potential for long term savings in the future.

Redistribution of Annual Operating Costs: Each city will now contribute a fixed, equal amount. Cost sharing benefits HASRT cities initially, but will benefit the group as we move forward.

Opportunity to Reduce Overtime Costs: Initial response to emergencies will be covered by on-duty personnel, eliminating the need to call in rescue specialists while off-duty. This will also be safer and more efficient than having members respond from home.

Increase Ability to Secure outside Funding: One larger team serving the entire Eastside will be better positioned to secure funding through outside grants.

This new entity will be able to provide service and equipment to this region that no one City could afford to do on their own.

Administration HHTRT is overseen by the Chiefs of the fourteen member fire departments and it is their guidance and direction that keep the team well-trained and well-prepared and as a group they determine the annual budget for the team. The day-to-day operations of the entire HHTRT team are overseen by the commander and are the responsibility of Battalion Chief Patrick Kehn of Cleveland Hts. Each member city also has a team leader who is responsible for organizing HASRT activity in their respective city. Team leaders attended approximately 4 hours of meetings during the year. Capt. Tepley is SEFD‘s Team Leader.

Equipment In 2016 the team made equipment purchases of additional gear for each member including new knee pads that were rated for all disciplines including structural collapse.

HASRT & FEMA Ohio has its own FEMA task force, based in Dayton, which is commissioned to respond to disasters such as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. To complement the efforts of this task force, the state is also sub-divided into 9 regions, each with a Regional Strike Team. Several members of the entire HASRT team are also part of the Ohio Region 2 (Northeast Ohio) Strike Team, specializing in structural collapse rescue. Region 2 encompasses 5 counties, Ashtabula, Lake, Geauga, Cuyahoga, and Lorain. Capt. Paul Tepley is the South Euclid team member on the Region 2 strike team.


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Training HASRT continued to conduct its bi-monthly trainings, each focusing on one of the different rescue disciplines. All these trainings were conducted in conjunction with the Hilltech Technical Rescue Team because were each other’s back up until the merger took place. These joint trainings are beneficial because the members get to work together and become familiar with each other and each other’s equipment during a non-stressful environment so that when called into action on an emergent callout things have a greater chance of running seamlessly.

The team as a whole completed 368 total hours of special rescue training. By discipline, those hours break down as mentioned below. Discipline Hours

Rope Rescue 130 hours

Trench Rescue 36 hours

Confined Space Entry and Rescue 42 hours

Structural Collapse Rescue 104 hours

Inventory 24 hours

Field Force Extrication 32 Hours The Region 2 team also funded a 3 day 30 hour Heavy Equipment Rigging Specialist class, conducted at the Operator Engineers training facility in conjunction with the Operator Engineers local. This class provided attendees instruction on how to request a crane to your site, interact with the crane operator, use chains, come-along, fabric hoists, and slings to rig very heavy, odd shaped objects to a crane and then using approved hand signals to direct the crane operator to lift and move the object off of a victim or out of the way so access can be gained to the trapped victim. This class was attended by Paul Tepley. 30 hours total. The Region 2 team conducted a one day disaster callout drill to test the activation capabilities of the entire team. This drill was conducted at the Ravenna Arsenal. In attendance were limited amounts of members from the rescue teams from the 5 counties that make up the Region 2 team, Ashtabula, Lake, Geauga, Cuyahoga and Lorain County. This was a simulated tornado event and was an attempt to cover all aspects of what would happen, beginning with the local fire department response, to the activation of HASRT, to the activation of the Region 2 team, and then the utilization of all aspects of our training. The exercise was observed and critiqued by local fire chiefs and the team commanders of the local rescue teams. Funding for this drill was also made possible from a grant secured by the Region 2 administration. This drill was attended by Joe Zuccaro. 9 hours total.


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Personnel

Asst. Chief/ EMT-P Dave Csire Captain / EMT-P Paul Tepley

Fire Fighter / EMT-P Scott Wilms Fire Fighter / EMT-P Pedro Garcia

Fire Fighter/ EMT-P Eric Thompson Fire Fighter/ EMT-P Tom Canitia

Team Callouts in 2016 Date: Nature of Call: Location of Call: Members

Participating

4/3/16 Rope Rescue, Victim in ravine

3560 Atherstone Rd.

Cleveland Heights

13

4/12/16 Collapse- Vehicle into house

6320 Longspur Highland Heights

23

6/2/16 Collapse - Vehicle into house

880 Northboro Mayfield Village

12

6/13/16 Dive, Body Search 480 Lake Rd Conneaut 9

7/4/16 Rope Rescue, Victim in ravine

339 Balmoral Rd.

Richmond Heights

8


14050 Cedar Rd. University Heights

5


20700 Kenyon Rd.

Maple Heights 16

12/30/16 Collapse- Vehicle into Garage

1227 Drury Rd. Mayfield Heights

11


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Fire Prevention Bureau

Scott Sebastian, Fire Inspector

In 2016 we experienced another exciting year for the fire prevention bureau as we continue to see many

new businesses coming into South Euclid. The bureau is always excited to be a part of the planning &

construction phases that lead up to the opening of all the great new businesses for South Euclid and our

neighboring communities.

This year three new commercial child care facilities opened. They are: Glass Day Care at 678 South

Green Road, Intergenerational 2: Day Care at 4266 Monticello, Brenda's Babies Early Learning Center

at 533 South Green Road. A newly constructed group home named Rose-Mary Center opened at 4383

Ammon Road.

In 2016, the city broke ground to three large development projects. These projects were Phase III and IV

at Oakwood Commons, Fixler Dental Clinic: 14141 Cedar Road, and the new Marc’s shopping plaza on

Mayfield Road. Phase III & IV of the Oakwood Common development project will contain Burlington

Coat Factory, TJ Maxx, Steak & Shake, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Seasons kosher supermarket, Famous

Footwear, and Payless Shoes in 2017.

Other new in 2016 occupants for the city are:

Doctor and Dental: Dr. Suber Huang opened a new 6,000 Square foot Retina Center of Ohio practice at

1611 South Green. ImmediaDent Dental Office opened at 13907 Cedar Road.


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New Restaurants and Bars: Sam Sylk: 4122 Mayfield Road, Panda Express: 2100 Warrensville Center,

Mek's House Restaurant: 4262 Monticello, Pacific East: 13911 Cedar Road, Domino’s Pizza: 1994

Warrensville Center, Spoto’s Bar and Grill: 4294 Mayfield, Let's Get it in Fine Dining: 359 S Green Road,

and Lawaky Burst Juice Company: 4441 Mayfield Road.

Hair Salons: Alternative Designer Choice: 4491 Mayfield Road, Baby Hair Inc.: 4378 Mayfield, I Hair

Candy: 4475 Mayfield, and The Gallery: 1449 Messenger Court

Dance Studio: Body Language Dance Studio: 4149 Mayfield Road.

Church: Inner Healing: 800 South Green.

The mission of the Fire Prevention Bureau FPB is to continually implement the most effective ways to

avoid injury and property damage caused by a fire.

The South Euclid Fire Prevention Bureau FPB inspects all of the City’s commercial buildings and

businesses for compliance of National, State and local fire safety regulations. The mission of the FPB is

to prevent injury or loss of life due to a fire. This is accomplished by maintaining a safe working and

living environment for all business owners, residents and patrons of South Euclid. Human life and health

always takes top priority in an emergency. Another goal is to prevent property damage due to a fire. By

preventing a fire or limiting damage caused by a fire it will assure that work operations will continue

without interruption.

By having staffed FPB it helps to lower the City’s insurance rating set forth by the Insurance Services

Office (ISO).


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2016 Annual Inspection Totals

In 2016, we continue to see the Fire Prevention Bureaus inspection numbers remain consistent but down

from last year’s record numbers. In 2016, the FPB and our on shift certified life safety inspectors conducted

a grand total of 1,432 fire safety inspections. During those fire safety inspections, a total of 415 safety

violations were found and 447 violations found were corrected after a re-inspection was conducted. Some

of these corrected violations were from 2015.

Rochling Glastics Composites, South Euclid/ Lyndhurst Schools, Notre Dame College, Aero

Controlex Group, local restaurants, University Suburban Health Center, Borodi Music, and American

Commodore continue to maintain a large presence in the Fire Prevention Bureau. The inspections that are

conducted consist of: quarterly, semi-annual, and annual fire safety inspections, semi-annual kitchen hood

suppression tests, annual fire alarm system tests, annual fire rate drop door tests, and sprinkler suppression

system tests.

Another section of inspections that are done annual by the FPB are Home Day Care inspections

for the Department of Human Services, along with Foster Care and adoption inspections. In 2016, a total of

26 foster/adoption homes and 15 residential day cares were inspected.

2016 Fire Prevention Inspection Statistics

Types of Inspection Totals FPB A Shift B Shift C Shift Total

Annual Occupancy Inspections 355 46 42 54 497

Follow-up Re - Inspections 313 313

New Occupant Inspections 37 Total Violations Found: 415 37

Life Safety Systems Inspections: Fire Alarm/ Kitchen Hoods/Sprinkler tests 310 310

Plans and Fire Permit Reviews 52 52

Home Inspection: Foster/ Adoption/ Residential Daycare/ Senior 41 Total Violations Corrected: 447 41

Quick Inspection or special occupant meeting 87 87

Construction Walk-through 95 95

Total 1290 46 42 54 1432


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2016 Public Education and Community Events

An essential section of the fire prevention bureau is providing education to our students and community

members in fire safety awareness. Without educational programs in place to teach the residents and

business owners/employees fire safety; one tends to get careless about fire safety. Take the curiosity out of

fires and teach someone what to do in the event of a fire and your fire losses again go down. Both of these

duties are conducted on a daily basis by the FPB and fire department members.

In 2016, the FPB participated in twelve (12) community events where topics like: Smoke alarms, Carbon

Monoxide detectors, fire extinguisher operation, and home escape plans were brought to the attention of

our residents.

The main event of the year was the South Euclid City Hall Open House on Saturday, August 13, 2016. This

event had participation from all city departments. At this event firefighters gave station tours, showed off

all of our fire apparatus, conducted a display of aerial ladder truck operations and taught volunteer citizens

how to properly use a fire extinguisher.

Highlighted educational demonstrations were:

the Aluminum Cans for Burn Children home safety trailer that allowed families to walk through

with a firefighter to witness and correct many home safety hazards

A Bullex Fire Extinguisher simulator

Meet and Greet with Sparky the Fire Dog

Kids friendly firefighter obstacle course

For this event Cleveland Safe Kids provided 40 free smoke alarms and Wal-Mart provide 8 Carbon

Monoxide detectors and 3 kitchen fire extinguisher to distribute to the community. I would like to

personally thank Mayor Welo, Fire Chief Doug Stefko, and Assistant Chief David Csire, members of Local

1065, and South Euclid /Lyndhurst Explorer Post for all of their support and look forward to doing it again in

2017.


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In 2016 with grant funding from Wal-Mart, we held a Fire Prevention Week student coloring

contest; the schools that participated were Adrian Elementary School and Rowland Elementary School. For

this contest the top poster winner received a new bike, along with the top 20 entries at each school

received a pizza party with on-duty fire crews. This event has been a big hit with the students, teachers and

our department members that participated since 2013.

Every spring with the assistance of fire department volunteers, South Euclid Fire Explorers, and on duty

shift members, we provide home fire safety education to all third grade students in the South Euclid –

Lyndhurst School District and St. John’s Lutheran School. For this program a 40 minute fire safety

presentation is provided by Inspector Scott Sebastian that reviews: home escape plans, smoke alarms,

kitchen fires, and electrical hazards.

Then students walk through the Fire Safety Trailer where they find fire hazards and explain how to

correct them. This fire safety trailer is provided to us free of charge by the Aluminum Cans for Burn

Children (ACBC).

Associations

In addition to the required fire inspections that the Bureau does, the State of Ohio now requires that all

certified fire safety inspectors to have 30 continuing education hours to re-certify every three years. A lot

of these hours are obtained through the North Eastern Ohio Fire Prevention Association. The Fire Chief,

Assistant Chief and Fire Inspector are all members of this organization. It is the largest organization of its

kind in the State of Ohio. It provides its members with the opportunity to discuss issues or problems that

members might be having within their own cities.

The North Eastern Ohio Fire Prevention Association holds a monthly business meeting on the

first Monday of the month and an annual Fire Prevention conference. In addition to the business meeting,

there is also and educational portion that provides members in attendance with certified continuing

education hours. The NEOFPA is the first organization in the state to offer this advantage to its members. If

you have time, please check out the association’s website at www.neofpa.org.

http://www.neofpa.org/


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Programs for South Euclid Seniors

Since 2004, the FPB has offered a smoke detector re-placement program through the Cleveland Red Cross’s

“Operation Save a Life” program. Through this program, the American Red Cross receives grant monies and

donations to purchase smoke detectors. Since 2004, SEFD has given out 2,082 free smoke detectors as well

as passed out 5,223 free replacement batteries. Without this program through the American Red Cross, we

could not afford to provide smoke detectors to the residents of the City. Remember that a working smoke

detector is the single most important piece of equipment that one can have in their home that will protect

their lives should they have a fire.

In our program there are currently 87 seniors involved, with the database being updated on a

monthly basis? Listed below is the total number of smoke alarms we have installed, along with the total

number of batteries we replaced for our residence. Batteries were supplied to the FPB through a grant from

Energizer Corporation.

Smoke Detectors installed in the Community

2015 2016

Installed Batteries 417 308

Installed Smoke Detectors 136 140

Another program we provide to our senior residents is the residential lock box program. For this program

we have teamed up with Roper Lock Box Company. South Euclid Seniors purchase the lock box from Roper,

and then contact the FBB. The FBB will make an appointment to meet the resident at their home. They will

install the roper box and obtain their personal contact information to be entered into the SE Dispatch CAD

system. If the resident activates the 9-1-1 system, our dispatchers will indicate to EMS crews that there is a

lock box present and where it is located.

In 2016 we continued to see success by adding 21 new residents entering the program. For these

residents the FPB also perform a life safety inspection to eliminate any life safety, fall prevention, or fire

hazards that may be found. The FPB also will install or replace any older smoke alarms that maybe found in

their home.


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In 2016, we have added a new program where we have teamed up with the Community Partnership of

Aging to provide monthly blood pressure checks for South Euclid senior citizens. These are done on the

second Wednesday of every month at the South Euclid Community Center for senior citizens attending the

monthly meeting.

Hopefully you can see from this report that the FPB is working to

fulfill its responsibilities as set forth by the South Euclid Codified

Ordinances. You may rest assured that your Fire Prevention

Bureau will continue to work to make South Euclid, a fire safe

community in which to live. Once again, I am very excited for the

opportunity to continue the tradition that has been passed on by

all the previous hard working and dedicated inspectors of this

Bureau.


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Scott Sebastian, Fire Investigator

Fire is something that is inevitable. At some point in every person’s life they will be affected by

fire. Fire can affect you by just being a simple burn on your skin or it could be the complete loss

of your home. Fire occurs either by accident or it can be intentionally set, making it an arson

fire.

The majority of our fires in South Euclid are accidental. There can be many ways an

accidental fire could occur, this could be by careless smoking, overloading electrical circuits,

unattended candles that are left burning or by unattended cooking. They can also be set by

someone’s own hands, which is an intentionally set fire. At that point it must be determined

whether it was intentionally or accidentally set.

Per State law, all fires in South Euclid are investigated to determine the fire origin and

cause. The shift officers will usually determine where and how the fire originated. Should this

prove to be difficult to figure out, if the fire is of a suspicious nature, if there is loss of life, if a

large dollar loss has occurred or the Fire Chief gives directive, the South Euclid Fire Investigation

Unit (FIU) is called upon to conduct a fire origin and cause investigation!

In 2016, the South Euclid Fire Investigation Unit consisted of Fire Inspector Scott Sebastian,

Lieutenant Geff Turchon, Firefighter Sean Patitucci, Firefighter Ben Ovelgonne, Firefighter Tom

Henry, South Euclid Police Detective’s Acting Assistant Chief Ben Parisi and Detective Dave

Volek. The members of this unit have attended state training along with on-line FIU courses.

New skills and knowledge are acquired by attending training classes throughout the year.

The concept of firefighters and police officers working together has proven to be a very

effective approach to fire investigations in South Euclid. This team effort works well because of

the cross training all members receive.

South Euclid Fire Investigation Unit

South Euclid Fire Investigation Unit


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The South Euclid FIU Team is also a member of the Hillcrest Regional Fire Investigation

Unit. This unit consists of fire department members from: Lyndhurst FD, Beachwood FD,

Richmond Heights FD, Gates Mills, Mayfield Hts. FD, Mayfield Village FD, and Pepper Pick FD.

When one of the member communities has a fire that they need help in investigating, a call is

put out through Lyndhurst dispatch center, followed by an all members page to come and assist

if available. This is very helpful with any larger fire scene or when we cannot summon enough

from our own departments.

2016 Fire Investigations

In 2016, the South Euclid Fire Investigation Unit was called out to investigate nine (9) fires in

South Euclid. South Euclid FIU was called four (4) times to assist the Hillcrest Regional Fire

Investigation team with large fires in our neighboring communities. South Euclid Fire also

called out for assistance of the Hillcrest Regional FIU to assist us with two (2) fire investigations

in 2016.

Date Alarm Location _ Type and Cause____

02/02/2016 #16 – 0305 1404 Dill Road Residential: Bedroom Fire

Cause Determination: Undetermined

Lead Investigator: Tom Henry


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03/03/2016 #16 – 0581 1322 Winston Road Residential: Garage Fire


Lead Investigator: Lt. Geff Turchon


04/08/2016 #16 - 0921 4041 Okalona Residential: Bedroom Fire

Cause Determination: Electrical: Overheated extension cords

Lead Investigator: Ben Ovelgonne


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04/15/2016 #16 – 0982 3875 Warrendale Residential: Bedroom Fire

Cause Determination: Electrical

Lead Investigator: Scott Sebastian


04/28/2016 #16 – 1085 1539 Holmden Residential: Garage Fire

Cause Determination: Accidental: improper disposal of incense.



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05/06/2016 #16 – 1155 4177 Hinsdale Vehicle Fire

Cause Determination: Windshield wiper fluid heater



06/13/2016 #16 – 1537 1945 Warrensville Center Residential: Garage Fire




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10/31/2016 #16 – 3041 2026 Halsey Residential: Bedroom Fire

Cause Determination: Electrical: Pinched extension cord



12/05/2016 #16 – 3370 3774 Colony Residential: Bedroom Fire

Cause Determination: Electrical: Space heater malfunction



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Emergency Medical Services – Lt. Greg Duy

2016 was another busy year for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in South Euclid. EMS

incidents accounted for nearly 70% of the call volume of the total 3626 incidents. South Euclid is

fortunate to be situated in the middle of nine separate Emergency Departments. This allows our

residents to have a say in the care they receive. Some of the benefits of these surrounding medical

facilities include: a Level 1 & 2 adult trauma center, Level 1 pediatric trauma center, dedicated pediatric

emergency departments and certified comprehensive stroke/cardiac centers.

South Euclid Firefighters are trained as paramedics and maintain their certification through the

Ohio Department of Public safety. Mandatory continued education ensures that the continuity of high

quality care is maintained from the moment 911 is called until arrival at a local hospital. South Euclid

paramedics are trained on many topics from heart attacks to strokes to allergic reactions.

The paramedics work under the guidance of Medical Director James Sauto M.D. of The Cleveland Clinic, and emergency medical protocols. Advanced care includes:

Electrocardiogram, often called an EKG. We perform a 12 lead EKG to give a more thorough view of the heart. The paramedics are trained to review the EKG, which will serve as a guide to treatment of the patient. The EKG’s are transmitted to the emergency room. This enables the Cath lab at hospitals to be ready and waiting for the patient who needs an emergency heart catheterization.

Administering medications. Medications can be administered several ways. The more common and effective method is through intravenous lines (IV) or intraosseous (IO) lines. The paramedics are able to administer over forty different medications. For each, they must know all the indications, doses, side effects and routes of administration.

Inserting breathing tubes. The paramedic can insert one of several different types of breathing tubes for the patient who is not, or barely, breathing. The team then assists the breathing for the patient. The team can monitor the oxygen and carbon dioxide saturation levels. Some patients who are really struggling benefit greatly from CPAP, a device that helps their breathing utilizing Continuous Positive Airway Pressure.

Performing a variety of critical lifesaving procedures such as defibrillating, performing a surgical airway, decompressing a collapsed lung and CPR.

Conducting an assessment of the patient’s condition to be reported to the emergency room. This allows for appropriate personnel to be prepared in the ER.


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A perfect example of training, experience and coordination culminating in a desired outcome happened in September of 2016. The fire department received a call for someone who was unresponsive with CPR in progress. This patient survived with no adverse effects due to the successful initiation and completion of the chain of survival:

Immediate recognition of a cardiac arrest was made and activation of the emergency response system. Early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was started with an emphasis on chest compressions. Rapid defibrillation Effective advanced life support Integrated post-cardiac arrest care

CPR was initiated immediately and a 911 call was made by a co-worker. The patient’s co-workers and South Euclid dispatchers were recognized by the city for their calm demeanor and clear thinking. In addition, firefighters on the call were recognized by Hillcrest Hospital for their outstanding care and coordinated effort. As you can see by the above incident, the importance of a coordinated effort by all, including the public is vital to saving lives While it’s important that training be conducted to maintain our competency, it is just as important that the equipment we use is updated and replaced on a regular basis. This is done by using grant money that we seek yearly. In 2016 these monies were used to buy new batteries for our cardiac monitors, a new suction unit, AED supplies, and trauma supplies as well as many other vital pieces of equipment. A Braun ambulance mounted on a Ford van chassis was acquired and placed in-service on October 18th, 2016. This purchase came in under budget by $33,000 while not sacrificing quality or reliability. Our 2002 Ford ambulance was retired from the fleet and given to the police department to be utilized as-needed. The acquisition and regular rotation of our ambulances is vital to our operations and dependability as an EMS entity. As we continue to see a rise in the amount of total incidents, it’s increasingly important that our EMS vehicles and equipment are properly maintained and regularly replaced. As we move through the New Year, the South Euclid Fire Department will continue to provide dedicated professional medical care through the support of its community.


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Health and Wellness Program – FF Eric Thompson

The South Euclid Fire Department is striving to be healthy and fit. One way that we strive for overall good health is through our Health and Wellness Program. One aspect of this program is conducting periodic medical screenings to ensure that every member is fit to perform and excel at the rigors of the job. These medical screenings have traditionally been conducted at the Employee’s initial “entrance” medical screening. These screenings are based on the Hospital and Health Center based service model and give us a baseline of the member’s health and physical fitness. Over the years, health and wellness has become more of a priority due to a number of factors. Studies have shown that heart disease is the number one cause of line of duty deaths (LODD) for fire department members. Regular exercise and a healthy diet have been proven to help fight heart disease, not just for fire fighters, but for the population as a whole. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) established a set of recommendations for health related fitness programs as it relates to fire fighters. This standard, known as NFPA 1583: Standard on Health-Related Fitness Programs for Fire Department Members “outlines a complete health-related fitness program (HRFP) for members of fire departments involved in emergency operations to enhance their ability to perform occupational activities and reduce the risk of injury, disease, and premature death.” This standard recommends regular medical evaluations, peer fitness trainers and assessments, exercise and fitness programs, health promotion education, and data collection. The South Euclid Fire Department uses NFPA 1583 and the International Association of Fire Fighters/Fire Chiefs Wellness-Fitness Program as its basis for our annual fitness evaluations. The goal of this program is to increase fire fighter health and fitness education, regular medical screenings, as well as promoting a healthy lifestyle. Through this program, fire department members have been able to chart and monitor the changes that happen as a member ages. It has been proven that the incidence and risk of illness and injury increases with the age of the fire fighter. By monitoring these changes, it becomes easier to recognize potentially harmful changes and recommend alternatives to help reduce these risks. The Fire Department currently has one Peer Fitness Trainer (FF Eric Thompson) who conducted the annual fitness assessments for 2016. This assessment includes total body weight, body fat percentage, waist to hip ratio, and resting heart rate. The test also measures aerobic capacity, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility. For each of these tests, the fire fighter is given their results, potential problematic trends and areas of concern, as well any recommendations to be made in order to improve their overall health. These evaluations are non-punitive. The goal is to increase the individual’s overall health and fitness while decreasing or eliminating unhealthy trends.


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The 2016 results are as follows as well as a comparison of previous years. 2009 2012 2015 2016 Average Age (yrs.) 43.17 39.43 41.03 41.06 Total Body Weight (lbs.) 197.54 197.67 198.43 207.90 % Body Fat 11.16 17.10 10.35 9.90 Body Mass Index (BMI) 30.64 27.80 27.91 29.19 Grip Strength (in psi) 57.50 59.60 61.8 62.62 Biceps Curl (in lbs.) 109.31 115.7 111.17 109.31 VO2 Max (in.) 35.05 42.97 43.81 43.01 These results show that the Fire Department is about the same age as last year, but also heavier than in it was in 2015. The age of the department stayed the same, most likely, due to the recent new hires of some younger firefighters, most notably a 24 year old. The department is heavier and the body mass index (BMI) is also slightly higher than last year, however, the department’s body fat percentage is lower than in past years. BMI, only takes in account a person’s height and weight so that number can be misleading. It does not factor in a person’s muscle mass or fat ratios. The department’s strength and conditioning numbers essentially remained unchanged compared to last year. These results continue to be encouraging. The department’s commitment to health and wellness is important and the impact of this program can be seen in these results. Through the continuation of the Health and Wellness Program, the department can expect to see even more positive changes not only throughout this Department, but the fire service as a whole.


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SOUTH EUCLID FIRE DEPARTMENT – 2016 ANNUAL REPORT

Child Passenger Safety Seat Program Overview The South Euclid Fire Department has been a member of the Greater Cleveland Safe Kids/ Safe Communities Coalition, part of the larger International Safe Kids Worldwide organization for 17 years. It is focused on all aspects of adult and child safety including child passengers of automobiles. Thanks to the dedication of our technicians Scott Sebastian, and Joe Zuccaro, we have currently installed or checked the installation of over 1500 car seats. Hired in 2015 Jacob McKenrick is a certified car seat technician and will be a valuable addition to the program as he assumes more inspecting responsibilities. In addition to the car seat information, we have distributed printed materials covering poison prevention, burn prevention, air bag safety and tips on injury prevention around the house. All of this has helped to give the parents and grandparents peace of mind.

Training Teaching families how to safely transport their children is the heart of the Safe Kids Buckle Up program. Using car seats, booster seats and seat belts the right way on every ride saves lives. When our technicians help a parent with a car seat installation, it takes about 30 to 45 minutes or longer depending on how easily the person grasps the information. We are using this time to educate the parent on the safest place to put the car seat, the different options available to secure the seat and how tight it should be secured. We also educate them on how to secure the child into the seat, and also specifics about their seat. Every year in addition to taking online classes, our technicians are required to attend a six hour continuing education seminar conducted by the Greater Cleveland Safe Kids Coalition. This conference is held at the IX center in conjunction with the Cleveland Auto Show. This annual state wide conference provides child passenger safety technicians with the most up to date information on child passenger safety seats, vehicles, LATCH, and best practices in occupant protection. They learn from car seat manufacturers, vehicle manufacturers, researchers and industry experts, and other technicians. This year all 3 technicians attended the update satisfying this year’s continuing education requirement. The best thing the parents can do is to read the instruction book that comes with every child seat and also read the section of their vehicles owner’s manual that covers child safety seat installation. Then follow both sets of instructions and install the seat themselves. If they have further questions we are able to help them and will explain what the instructions mean.


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Child Passenger Safety Law (Ohio) Law Summary Ohio’s law requires children ages 7 and younger and less than 4’9” to be secured in a child restraint system or booster seat. Children ages 3 and younger or who weigh less than 40 pounds must be secured in a child restraint system, (car seat). (A child must be in a child safety seat until they reach 4 yrs. AND 40 lbs.) Children ages 4 through 7 who weigh 40 pounds or more and are less than 4’9” in height must be secured in a booster seat (secondary enforcement). (A Child must be in a booster seat until they reach 8 yrs. AND 4’9”).

Statistics In 2016 the South Euclid fire department installed or checked the installation of 57 car seats, 32 of these were for South Euclid residents. The remaining 25 were divided among 10 other cities. These cities ranged from our direct neighbors on all sides to others further away with the furthest being Willowick. This represents approximately a 33% increase from 2015. All the seats that were checked in 2016 were done while on duty in-between responding to calls or at the end of the day after Inspector Sebastian completed his daily duties.

By the Numbers: Deaths of children left alone in hot cars

2016: 39 2015: 24 2014: 31 2013: 43 These deaths are totally preventable. If the person exiting the vehicle takes a few seconds to check the back seat of the vehicle before exiting they will notice the child. It is recommended that you put something that you are going to need the next time you exit the vehicle in the back seat so you are forced to open the back door, increasing the chance that you will see your child still in the child seat. Total number of U.S. heatstroke deaths of children left in cars, 1998-present: 700

Average number of U.S. child heatstroke fatalities per year since 1998: 37

Details are available at http://noheatstroke.org.

http://salsa4.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=d%2B3b5o04zWPSx%2FZZcAbCGNkDvoMlUp72


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MEDICAL

Heatstroke is clinically defined as when a person's temperature exceeds 104 degrees F and their thermoregulatory mechanism is overwhelmed - Symptoms include: dizziness, disorientation, agitation, confusion, sluggishness, seizure, hot dry skin that is flushed but not sweaty, loss of consciousness, rapid heartbeat, hallucinations. When a core body temperature of 107 degrees F or greater is reached then cells are damaged and internal organs begin to shut down. This cascade of events can rapidly lead to death. Children's thermoregulatory systems are not as efficient as an adult's and their body temperatures warm at a rate 3 to 5 times faster than an adult’s.

VEHICLE HEATING DYNAMICS

The atmosphere and the windows of a car are relatively “transparent” to the sun’s shortwave radiation (yellow in figure below) and are warmed little. However this shortwave energy does heat objects that it strikes. For example, a dark dashboard, steering wheel or seat temperatures often are in the range of 180 to over 200 degrees F.

These objects (e.g., dashboard, steering wheel, and child-seat) heat the adjacent air by conduction and convection and also give off long wave radiation (red) which is very efficient at warming the air trapped inside a vehicle.

Objects heated by the Sun Warm the Vehicle’s Air

http://noheatstroke.org/car_heating.mp4


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Working within the Network The program is available free of charge to anyone that calls for assistance. The South Euclid Fire Department is networked with our surrounding cities that have technicians and other members of the Safe Kids Coalition, thus allowing us to offer our residents options to attend other checkups when it is convenient for them.

Our South Euclid Fire Dept. technicians at a Safe Kids Coalition sponsored car seat checkup at Dave’s Mercado shopping center on W 25th in Cleveland Ohio. L-R Scott Sebastian, Joe Zuccaro, Jacob McKenrick. Respectfully submitted Joe Zuccaro


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Fire Hydrants – Lt. Turchon

The Fire Department carries its own water supply to fires in the fire engines. While it is a large

amount of water, it is seldom enough to put out fires completely. This is where fire hydrants come in to

play. We have 1065 city hydrants and 39 private hydrants. City hydrants are maintained by the

Cleveland water department and tested by the fire department. Private hydrants are maintained by the

private owners. We test all hydrants once a year, every year usually in the month of May. This is done by

on duty personnel. We divide the city into 3 equal areas and each shift is responsible for their own area.

We test hydrants to check for potential problems, some of which may include the following:

Obstructions, such as utility poles, trees and fences to close to the hydrant

The discharges faces the correct direction

Adequate clearance from ground to the discharges

Debris inside the hydrant( bottles, cans and rocks)

Hydrant drains properly

Checking for adequate water supply is done by fully opening the hydrant and visually watching the

water flow. Periodically we will do a more scientific test in which it gives the actual GPM (gallons per

minute) of each hydrant. Damaged or inoperable hydrants are reported to Cleveland water and they will

conduct the repairs.


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Fire Hose – Lt. Turchon

There are many different types of fire hose. Fire hose comes in different sizes and is used for specific

jobs. We carry 1.75 inch hose on our fire engines and our ladder truck. This hose is used to attack fire. It

is lighter than the larger hose and is easily deployed. We also carry 2.5 inch hose on our trucks. This size

hose has a dual purpose. We can use this hose to attack the fire but we can also use it to supply our

trucks or small diameter hose. Our largest diameter hose is 4 inch; this is used to supply our fire trucks

with water from the hydrants. Hose is tested each year during the summer months. Hose is either tested

at 200 psi or 250psi depending on the diameter. Our oldest section of hose was purchased in September

of 1981 and is currently still in use. Our newest piece of hose was purchased in February 2009. This past

year a hose replacement plan was submitted to the Fire administration. We have 11,350 feet of hose

between our trucks and reserve hose.

Fun fact: If you took each section of hose and laid them end to end it would start at our station and end

at the Walmart on Warrensville Center.


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Quarters- Lt. Turchon

Our station serves multiple purposes. It houses our trucks; it’s the home away from home for the

fireman. We conduct training in the station and our administrative offices can be found there too. This

past year we were fortunate to have two projects completed. First we had the countertops in our

restrooms replaced. We also had our shower repaired and retiled. This major improvement now allows

us to use all the shower heads and it stops the leaks into the first floor offices. The last large station

addition was done in 1982. We also had our kitchen remodeled within the past 10 years. Our apparatus

area is in desperate need of repair. The roof leaks and from time to time large pieces of plaster fall off

the ceiling. We have been advised to not walk on the apparatus roof due to the possibility of falling

through. We have brick and mortar falling from the outside of the building. While we take pride in the

station it is need of a remodel and major repairs.


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Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) - Lt. Arth

SCBA stands for Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus. It is one of the most important pieces of safety

equipment that a firefighter uses. This unit is what allows us to breathe in a toxic atmosphere. The

frame, the face piece and the air bottle are the three major components that make up the SCBA.

Frame, Our department has twenty SCBA frames, two of which are RIT (Rapid Intervention Team) packs.

These packs undergo a visual inspection by the user or apparatus driver every day. Once a year Warren

Fire Equipment comes to our station and performs a “bench” test of the unit. This test is a

comprehensive look at the unit and tests such things as:

Mask leak-check Exhalation check-valve opening pressure Static mask-pressure Breathing resistance at standard (40 LPM) work-rate Breathing resistance at maximum (100 LPM) work-rate Bypass flow-rate Pressure gauge accuracy Low pressure alarm activation

We are charged about $1200 to test all the units. Our SCBA frames are getting near the end of their service lives and this year we had an additional few thousand dollars in miscellaneous repairs to the units.

Face piece, each member of the department is issued their own face piece when they are hired and we have a few spares on each apparatus. Every working day the user does a visual inspection to ensure that there are no defects in the mask. Once a year (during the bench test) the masks are visually inspected by an outside company, Warren Fire, who includes this in the price of the bench test. This is a more detailed inspection of the unit. Also, annually each user has to undergo a fit test to ensure that the mask is properly sized and working correctly. This test usually requires the wearer of the mask to read a passage while moving his head and torso in different directions.

The user is hooked to a machine that ensures that no air is leaking out of the mask as he performs the test. This test is performed by Don Trotter of Warren Fire. Last year the cost was $1666.50.


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The air bottle that our department uses in our frames is a Scott 30 minute, carbon fiber bottle. In our RIT packs we use Scott 60 minute carbon fiber bottles. The bottles are visually inspected daily and every five years need to be sent out for hydrostatic testing. The bottles have a life span of 15 years. In 2016, 20 bottles that reached the end of their service life were replaced at a cost of $15,120.00. We currently have 34-thirty minute bottles, and 2-sixty minute bottles. One sixty minute bottle will need to be replaced this year.

Personal Protective Equipment- Lt. Arth

Firefighters wear turnout gear. Turnout gear consists of the helmet, fire coat, fire pants, boots, and nomex hood and fire gloves. When worn correctly together with the SCBA the firefighter is completely covered. The turnout gear is inspected twice a year by our PPE officer. In March we have an ordinary inspection and a more advanced inspection is performed in September. The gear is replaced when it is worn and deemed dangerous to the wearer, or every ten years. Last year we replaced five sets of fire coats and fire pants. Each set costs $1792. The latest departmental specification for fire coats and pants is Globe GXtreme Fire Coat, and Globe GXcel Fire pant. Six helmets, seven nomex hoods, seven pairs of boots, and four pairs of gloves were also replaced.


54

Miscellaneous Fire Equipment – Lt. Arth

Firefighters use a large variety of tools in the performance of their everyday duties. The tools used include ordinary hand tools such as: axes, haligan bars, new york hooks, denver tools and many others to more advanced technical tools like: The Sensit 4 gas meter and the Scott Eagle Attack thermal imaging camera. In 2016 the department purchased another Sensit 4 gas meter for $1908.55. This meter will give Ladder 321 the same capabilites in detecting gas leaks and CO as Engine 312. It also ensures that the department has a meter if one has to go out to be serviced. In 2016 we also purchased two P100 single gas carbon monoxide meters. These meters have been attached to our Oxygen bags. These bags go in the house on every EMS call. Having the meter on the bag can help our crews better protect our residents. Another item we purchased this year was An AC Hotstick. The Fire Department responds to numerous calls each year for wires down or other electrical emergencies. Often times these calls about downed wires come in the middle of a storm or at night. The wires can be difficult to see. The AC Hotstick gives us the ability to detect dangerous voltages before we get too close. The Hotstick cost $325 and is kept on Engine 312.


55

In 2016 the South Euclid Fire Department began to reach out to their residents by using social media.

They comprised safety topics that would be beneficial to keeping people safe in and around their home.

The topics are put into a video presentation and distributed on SEFD Facebook page, SE City website

SEFD Twitter account and on YouTube.


56

General Statistics

* In 2016, The South Euclid Fire Department responded to 3,626 Emergency Calls for service.

* This represents a 3.72 percent increase from 2015.

* There were no fire fatalities in 2016.

* There were no civilian injuries or deaths in 2016.

* Busiest day of the week in 2016 was Monday (570) and Thursday (470) was the slowest.

*Total property loss was $551,915. This was up from $193,850 in 2015.

* SEFD Responded to 41 structure fires. 31 were mutual aid to other cities.

*Crews from SEFD responded to 2,449 medical emergencies in 2016.

*SEFD responded to other cities request for Automatic or Mutual Aid 203 times in 2016.

* We received Automatic or Mutual Aid 137 times in 2016.

*SEFD members have a total of 460.6 years of service.

*Average number of years of service is 14 with a high 32 years and a low of 1 year 2 months.

*Average response time from receipt of call to arrival on-scene was 4:50 for EMS calls and

5:04 minutes for fire calls.

*In SEFD the average time on scene for all types of calls was 13:54 minutes.

* Fire Department expenditures for 2016 were $3,685.505

* Cost per incident was $1,016. This was a 197 dollar decrease from 2015.

* Per capita cost per day, Forty Five cents.


57

EMS Charges and Payments Received Summary

Asst. Chief David Csire

This year the South Euclid Fire Department’s EMS billing fees and collection process was changed by City

Council. The changes will bring more money into the Safety Forces Vehicle Fund. The collection process

to recoup debts from patients that did not pay their bills also was changed.

In 2016 City Council increased the amount deposited into the Safety Forces Vehicle Fund from $200,000

to $225,000. By increasing the amount there will be enough money to remain on the vehicle

replacement schedule. Chief Stefko met with the head of the Safety Committee, Councilman Marty

Gelfand to discuss an increase in BLS (Basic Life Support) and ALS (Advanced Life Support) transports.

The City was charging $400.00 for BLS, $550.00 for ALS 1, $750.00 for ALS 2 and $10.00 a mile for

ALS/BLS transports. The South Euclid Fire Department wanted to increase the fees to bring them more

in line with surrounding communities. On November 14th, 2016 City Council passed legislation,

ordinance 08-01 to increase the fees to the following, BLS to $550.00, ALS 1 to $650.00, ALS/BLS

transports to $12.00 a mile and ALS 2 to remain at $750.00.

Since August 2008, the City of South Euclid is owed an approximate $700,000.00 from EMS transports.

The amount is the total of BLS/ALS transports that haven’t been paid by the patient. The South Euclid’s

Safety Committee brought legislation to City Council to collect on passed due fees. On November

26th, 2016 City Council unanimously passed Codified Ordinance 131.08. The ordinance authorizes the

Mayor and Fire Chief to enter into a “Delinquent Debt Collection Agreement” with the Ohio Attorney

General for the collection of unpaid bills resulting from acts of emergency medical service provided

by the City of South Euclid. The Attorney Generals’ office charges 10 percent of what the City

recovers, so there will be no out-of-pocket costs to the City. In 2017 the City hopes to be able to start

collecting on past due fees.


58

EMS Charges & Payments Received Summary

2016

Month Total Charges: Payment Received:

January $72,731.00 $34,777.10

February $64,128.00 $32,923.42

March $65,685.00 $35,729.38

April $58,357.00 $32,405.83

May $69,836.00 $27,111.99

June $65,628.00 $28,574.70

July $72,970.00 $32,321.91

August $77,506.00 $35,984.32

September $72,308.00 $38,533.79

October $66,088.00 $45,608.72

November $70,063.80 $29,377.10

December $86,734.80 $34,283.73

Annual Totals: $842,035.60 $407,624.99

2016 Monthly Averages: $70,169.63 $33,968.75


59

Annual Charges & Payments Received

(2005-2016)


60

Multi-Family Dwelling Alarm Response Statistics

2016

No

Reason Cooking Workers Shower Misc. Total % of Total

Or Cause Steam

January 4 11 1 0 1 17 5.21%

February 7 13 3 0 2 25 7.67%

March 7 12 3 1 1 24 7.36%

April 5 12 2 4 0 23 7.06%

May 3 23 4 6 1 37 11.35%

June 5 12 2 6 0 25 7.67%

July 4 15 1 2 3 25 7.67%

August 2 18 2 4 3 29 8.90%

September 3 18 2 6 3 32 9.82%

October 4 16 2 6 1 29 8.90%

November 4 17 4 3 1 29 8.90%

December 7 17 3 3 1 31 9.51%

Total 55 184 29 41 17 326

% of Total 17% 56% 9% 13% 5% 100%


61

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

# INCIDENTS

# INCIDENTS

Type of call by Percentage

MAJOR INCIDENT TYPE # INCIDENTS % of TOTAL

Fires 78 2.15%

Overpressure rupture, explosion, overheat - no fire 2 0.06%

Rescue & Emergency Medical Service 2449 67.54%

Hazardous Condition (No Fire) 209 5.76%

Service Call 140 3.86%

Good Intent Call 210 5.79%

False Alarm & False Call 534 14.73%

Special Incident Type 4 0.11%

TOTAL 3626 100.00%


62

Incident Count by Day & by Hour

Monday was the Busiest Day & 1700 was the Busiest Hour

Hour Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Hour Total per

Hour Percent

00:00 18 9 13 18 11 18 13 00:00 100 2.76%

01:00 13 17 7 7 13 15 17 01:00 89 2.45%

02:00 9 18 7 7 12 8 22 02:00 83 2.29%

03:00 17 13 5 6 10 11 15 03:00 77 2.12%

04:00 16 15 15 9 8 9 10 04:00 82 2.26%

05:00 8 13 9 10 7 13 10 05:00 70 1.93%

06:00 10 17 18 9 11 8 7 06:00 80 2.21%

07:00 16 19 16 11 20 19 11 07:00 112 3.09%

08:00 24 20 22 27 14 21 20 08:00 148 4.08%

09:00 26 25 27 37 18 28 19 09:00 180 4.96%

10:00 18 27 33 28 31 37 28 10:00 202 5.57%

11:00 24 35 30 38 28 23 34 11:00 212 5.85%

12:00 30 39 26 29 25 24 35 12:00 208 5.74%

13:00 24 28 29 29 34 27 25 13:00 196 5.41%

14:00 26 33 32 17 34 26 26 14:00 194 5.35%

15:00 24 33 24 31 31 30 31 15:00 204 5.63%

16:00 36 25 33 32 23 30 29 16:00 208 5.74%

17:00 23 34 36 39 24 31 33 17:00 220 6.07%

18:00 25 34 24 34 22 20 34 18:00 193 5.32%

19:00 23 34 28 27 27 23 31 19:00 193 5.32%

20:00 24 26 33 23 15 21 22 20:00 164 4.52%

21:00 18 16 18 21 18 24 23 21:00 138 3.81%

22:00 27 26 18 22 21 22 18 22:00 154 4.25%

23:00 16 14 16 18 13 23 19 23:00 119 3.28% Total Responses for

Day 495 570 519 529 470 511 532 Total 3626 100.00%

% of Responses for Day

7.27% 6.84% 6.94% 7.37% 7.23% 7.24% 6.58%

% of Responses for Week

13.65% 15.72% 14.31% 14.59% 12.96% 14.09% 14.67%


63

Call Volume with Total Staffing by Year

(Line Staffing Only)


64

Mutual Aid Received & Given by Year

0

50

100

150

200

250

M/A ReceivedM/A Given

Aid Given to in 2016

Cleveland Heights - 82

East Cleveland - 4

Eastlake - 1

Euclid - 7

Highland Heights -1

Lyndhurst - 24

Maple Heights - 1

Mayfield Heights - 1

Richmond Heights - 10

Shaker Heights - 15

University Heights - 56

Beachwood - 1


65

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Overlapping Calls

In 2016 we had 909 calls that overlapped which was 25.07% of the time


66

Total EMS Calls per Year with Transport & Hospital

(1990-2015)

In 2016 we had 2449 EMS Runs & transported 1550 patients

Hospital Total Transports Ahuja 101 CCF Main 196 Euclid 19 Hillcrest 769 Metro Cleveland 0 Metro Severance 119 Richmond 65 Southpoint 25 University 356 Total 1550


67

EMS Calls By Age Range


68

EMS Calls by Gender

(In 2016 our totals were 1000 Males & 1363 Females)


69

2016 Incidents with Property Loss


70

The South Euclid Fire Department thanks you for taking the time to review our annual report. It is the

primary goal of the Fire Division to provide the highest level of life and property safety through the

extension of: Fire Prevention, Fire Control, Emergency Medical Care, and Public Education Services. It is

in this report that we strive to provide pertinent information and data on the current operations and

overall status of the Fire Department. Lastly, the Fire Department thanks the community of South Euclid

for their continued support and we look forward to another productive year in 2017.

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