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Volunteer Fire Department Annual Report for Year 2000 |
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Volunteer Fire Department Annual Report for Year 2000 |
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As the Fire Chief for the Grand Bay-Westfield Volunteer Fire/Rescue Department, I am pleased to submit the annual activities report of the Grand Bay-Westfield Volunteer Fire Rescue Department for the year of 2000. It will show the type of events that took place and how many hours were required to perform these duties.The Fire Department provides various types of service to its residents. Besides providing the mandated services of Fire Suppression, Prevention and Education, we also provide Auto-Extrication, EMS, Technical Rescue, Hazardous Materials Response, Off-road Rescue Sled, and Mutual Aid assistance to our neighboring communities. We also provide community support by the way of assisting with water problems and any other needs the community may have.
The Department started the year with 37 firefighters on the roster, and ended the year with 33. This includes seven (7) officers and twenty six (26) firefighters. This represents an 11% decrease in the membership. We also had seven (7) new members join throughout the year. With the decrease and the new members joining it represents a 33% turnover in our Department in one year. This turnover ratio is consistent with year 1999, which we also experienced a 33% turnover.
Total number of hours put in by the members to operate the Department was 5827 hrs. 13 min. This represents a 15% increase in hours over last year. This is in two main areas: emergency calls accounted for 35% and administration accounted for 28% increase. The membership spends many hours in the stations, which include every time that a member participates in maintenance, training, emergencies, meetings, administration, etc.
The types of calls we responded to and how many of each, compared to last year are listed below:
Emergency Call Type and Quantity E.M.S. Structure Fire Outside Fire (grass & woods) Motor Vehicle Accident Fire Alarm Activated Fire Alarm Reset Chimney Fire Water Problems Motor Vehicle Fire Unknown Odor Minor Hazardous Materials Electrical Problem Rescue Mutual Aid to Saint John F.D. Hydro Pole Fires Service Calls Miscellaneous Mutual Aid to Welsford F.D. Mutual Aid to Greenwich F.D. The total number of Alarms Responded to by the Fire Department in 2000 was 192. This means we responded to an Emergency approximately every 1.9 days. Looking at year 2000 verses 1999 you will notice an increase in the life threatening calls, such as EMS, Structure Fires, Fire Alarm Activated, and Motor Vehicle Accidents.
The total Firefighter Hours to handle the calls was 1136 hrs. 28 min. The total calls are broken down as follows: we had 88 daytime and 104 nighttime calls. This represents a change in daytime to nighttime calls from last year. In 1999 we had 52% of our calls during the day and in 2000 it was 45%, however each year is unpredictable.
Total number of hours spent in training was 1633 hrs. 10 min. The firefighters spend Wednesday nights, plus other times doing new and upgrade training to refresh and enhance their skills as well as to learn new techniques. In the fall we started a Level I course, and we still have our New Member Training Program ongoing. This Department responds to numerous types of calls, and everyone of them is potentially dangerous in one way or another. Therefore, it is essential for all firefighters to keep up with their skills, for their own safety as well as their partners and the residents.
The total number of hours spent doing maintenance was 411 hrs. 20 min.
This time includes preventative maintenance on our equipment such as: washing vehicles, vehicle checks, filling out maintenance logs on equipment such as ladders, SCBAs, medical equipment, small engine equipment etc. The time also includes the maintenance of the fire stations, which have to be kept clean and neat. Maintenance is also part of the firefighters training, by doing so they learn about the equipment. We have many pieces of apparatus, which need to be maintained, and it takes time to look after it all.The total number of hours spent on administrative functions is 1193 hrs. 30 min. This includes hours spent in doing paper work for Training, Office Work, Monthly Reports, Maintenance Reports, etc. The hours shown are not an accurate picture of the actual time spent. There are many hours that have not been logged.
The balance of the hours we will classify as miscellaneous which would be areas such as, Non Emergency Calls, Fire Prevention and Education, Community Service and Meetings for a total of 1451 hrs. 45 min.
There is much demand on the volunteers in today's fire service in respect to training, but when you add the fact that this Department is as busy as it is, the demand is even higher on the members. The hours required maintaining the department is tremendous. There are hundreds of hours, which have not been logged, for administrative work and other activates. The busier the Department becomes the more time demanding on its members.
The year 2000 was a significant year for the Fire Department. Council recognized the issues that the Fire Department faces today. This being time requirements, manpower, recruitment, administration, etc. An extensive effort was made by Council to address the situation. Council appointed a Review Group to study the issues and to make recommendations of ways to attempt to resolve the problems. The Group sat for four months analyzing and understanding the Department and what happens within, and made their recommendations.
There was a public meeting held to get feed back from the residents as far as what level of service they wanted. There were many meetings held with the membership of the Department in different ways to get their feelings on the service. After many months of work and the collection and study of all information gathered Mayor and Council made the decision to hire a full time Fire Chief. This was a significant step forward for the Department. I applaud Mayor and Council for their commitment and effort on this issue and I am certain that they now and in the future will see the Fire Department in a different light. Although this process was started to address the level of service issue in our Department for our community, through the media coverage it spread to a Provincial issue. Mayor and Council and the Department should feel a sense of accomplishment in being the leaders in addressing the serious issues and that through their efforts, the Fire Service Provincially is being examined. This, I believe, it is something that has been long overdue.
In 2000 the Department again hosted a few very successful events:
We had our second Halloween Haunted House. This year it was made three times bigger than the previous year, and from all reports it was a huge success. What are we going to do next year?
This year’s Open House was a great success. We changed things this year with having it only at Station I. We felt it would make it easier for the public to see all of the equipment we have, if it was at one location. Again we thank Staff for their assistance.
We hosted our first Show and Shine. This included a parade, games for the kids, food, and prizes. It brought Fire Apparatus from various Fire Departments from Southern New Brunswick. This was a very successful event for both the Department and the Town.
In all of the events listed above, the Department would have not been successful if it was not for the efforts of those members and others who put in numerous hours to make them happen, thank you. I would also like to thank the Town Manager and staff for their assistance.
As we look at the year 2001, it brings its own challenges. We have an ongoing recruitment initiative to enhance the membership and try to resolve some of the issues for our service. We have a vehicle that is in need of replacement and another that is in need of repair. These three items are extremely important, however working together with Staff, Mayor and Council, I believe that the Department will continue to develop and strive to be able to provide the quality service its residents have come to expect.
In closing, I wish to say thank you to Staff, Mayor and Council. Your continued support for the Department is much appreciated. Thank you to the membership of the Department. They are the ones that deserve the credit for the Department’s success this past year, not me.
Respectfully Submitted,
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Dan McCoy
Fire Chief
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