2b Fire Department updateCHANHASSEN FIRE DEPARTMENT
P.O. Box 97 · 7610 Laredo Drive · Chanhassen, MN 55317
Bus. Phone 934-9191 · Mlnnewashta Station No. 2 · Phone 474-7094
TO:
Todd Gerhardt, City Manager
FROM:
John Wolff, Fire Chief
Greg Hayes, l~t Assistant Chief
Mark Littfin, 2"a Assistant Chief
DATE: April 18, 2003
Monthly City Council update.
Fire Department Overview:
Staffing is at 42 firefighters as of April 13, 2003, allocation is 45 PTE's. Our hiring plan is on
hold awaiting direction from city leaders on funding. Potential savings to hold off new hires
during 2003 is $10,000-$15,000 in the current fiscal year.
The transition to the new 800 mhz radio system has gone smoothly. The systems inter-
operability, flexibihty, and overall capabilities continue to exceed expectations. We are updating
our mutual aid agreement with the Carver County Mutual Aid Association. A draft document
will be submitted to the City Manager/City Council for review and si~ature.
Call volume continues at a record level, approximately 35+% higher than last year (first quarter
2003 vs. first quarter 2002). Activity in the first quarter of 2003 is 11% higher than any previous
first quarter on record. At current trends, we would expect year-end calls to exceed our annual
record of 799. Our busiest quarters are typically the second and third quarter.
Our past month of training has been a busy one.
First, the department completed re-eertffication for First Responder and Emergency Medical
Technician status. Currently, 50% of the depa_mnent is certified as First Responder and the other
50% as Emergency Medical Technician. This re-certification took approximately 24 hours to
complete.
Secondly, we completed our thermal imaging training. This involved a live bum at the former
Gateway Group Home, which was an all-day event on a Saturday. Overall, this training was
Mr. Todd Gerhardt
nprit s, 2oo
Page 2
very successful. Our overall knowledge level in the operation and tactical use of this technology
has greatly improved.
Thirdly, we completed the house burn evolutions at the former Gateway Group Home on
Monday April 7'". This was also an all-day event in which we worked with the Compressed Air
Foam Systems (CAFS) that were upgraded on two of our engines in 2002. We continued to
work with the thermal cameras and worked heavily on our fire suppression operations and
efficiency. During this training, Waterous Corporation, the supplier of our fire pumps, filmed
and took promotional pictures for their marketing department. These pictures will be used in
their worldwide promotions and will be a very positive image for the City of Chanhassen. Also
in attendance during this training were the local media and WCCO, which did a story on the
CAFS system we use. Other local fire departments that took part in the training included
Waconia, Victoria and Minneapolis.
Finally, we completed drag lab awareness training. This training helps the emergency
responders identify the signs of a drag lab and the dangers in the lab. This training was
presented by Kristi Rollwagen from Minneapolis Fire. She is one of the top instructors in the
state for this type of training.
During the first quarter of 2003, you may have noticed that Minneapolis Fire peraonnel have
been providing training for our organization. Over the past few years we have developed a close
relationship with their training division, and in mm, this has provided ua with excellent training
at little or no cost.
In the area of Emergency Management, we are currently working on completing a major revision
of our plan. A homeland defense section will be developed that will help us define our role as a
city. This will be completed by June for our safety and security work session.
Severe weather season is quickly approaching us. At the beginning of April, the Emergency
Operations Center (F_X)C) was set up and tested. A few minor issues arose and Rick Rice made
the necessary corrections. The Council will have the opportunity to see the EOC at the June
work session. Attached is a photo of the EOC.
Mr. Todd Gerhardt
April 18, 2003
Page 3
Fire Prevention:
The Fire Dept did a joint fundraiser with the Chanhassen Lions on Sunday, April 13th. We had
approximately 20 firefighters sign up to help. It was a huge s~s. We assisted with serving
food, along with displaying our equipment for the public to see and for the kids to climb on. The
proceeds are not known yet.
Commercial inspections on new construction are a little slow at the moment. St. Hubert's is
done, as well as the new Ridgeview Clinic on Powers Blvd. Westwood Church and Crossroads
Plaza are still under construction. The inspections division has done a number of plan reviews
this past week on proposed new construction. The Press, on West 78th Street, has started with
footings on their new production area.
Fire extinguisher training was given to the employees at the AmericInn this past week_ Fire
evacuation plans as well as other emergency procedures were also reviewed with them. On
Sunday, April 13, we assisted Eden Prairie with 2 house fires fight next to each other. We
responded with 2 Chiefs, 2 pumper tracks, a heavy rescue, and approximately 16 ftrefighters.
Eden Prairie was very pleased with our response.
Budget:
We will need to keep an eye on our variable costs driven by call volume such as payroll, workers
compensation, and some equipment costs.
We are working closely with city staff to manage both our operating budget and capital plan.
We continue to explore alternative funding souwes, such as state and federal grants, to offset
large-scale future purchases over time. We also intend to continue working closely with local
fraternal organizations as we have in the past to jointly raise money for equipment.
Other:
With a very dry late fall and winter, this spring poses a significant risk for brush fires. This will
continue to be the case until we see significant rainfall. We have already experienced a nmnber
of smaller brush fires over the past few weeks due to the dry conditions.