PEARLAND FIRE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2022
TABLE OF CONTENTS
MESSAGE FROM FIRE CHIEF 01.
COMMAND STAFF 02.
ADMINISTRATION SECTION 13. DEPARTMENT ORGANIZATION CHART 03. CITY DEMOGRAPHICS 05. OPERATIONS SECTION 07.
SPECIALTY TEAMS 18. ISO ACCREDITATION 23. HIGHLIGHTS & GOALS 24.
MESSAGE FROM THE FIRE CHIEF- J. TAYLOR
We are blessed to live and work in a supportive community that embraces growth, diversity, and a willingness to be a community that sets a positive example for other communities to emulate. That mindset is no different within the Pearland Fire Department (PFD). Our professional organization is passionate about working together to constantly raise the bar in the fire service and become the model other agencies choose to follow. Setting a tone of success at all levels is what we are about at PFD and this drive fits well into the direction of our city leadership. We are fortunate to have elected officials and city management team who have a passion for public safety and provide solid direction, support, and leadership to our organization. Innovation sets us apart and we are constantly working with our City of Pearland (CoP) partners to identify ways technology can make our community safer while further reducing emergency response times.
One example is the forward-thinking of our city council to approve the implementation of a GPS-based routing system that will coordinate responding fire apparatus with 110 traffic lights within our community. This implementation is ongoing and will provide reduced response times, especially during time frames when high traffic congestion is encountered. This traffic flow system will make responding PFD crews and all drivers encountered safer during our over 14,000 emergency responses. In 2022, PFD led the way in helping the CoP achieve an Insurance Services Office (ISO) public protection classification of 1. The ISO-1 rating represents a superior level of emergency response and resources dedicated to fire protection. This rating is re-evaluated every 5 years to ensure PFD response coverage and resources continue to meet the growing demands of our vibrant community. Also, in 2022 Old Firehouse #4 was replaced by a new facility that meets the needs of a growing, professional fire department that responds 24/7/365. This state-of-the-art facility will serve our community well for many years to come. Personally, I am honored to have been named as your fire chief in May of 2022. Our organization has achieved a tremendous number of successes in a very short period. This success was achieved entirely because of the great men and women within the PFD family. We are an all-hazards organization that possesses a winner’s mindset and drive to provide exceptional services to our community. We strive to be the organization that other agencies want to emulate and that is already occurring due to the hard work of our team. I have been amazed at the passion and talent within our organization who collectively share this simple philosophy, “KNOW your job, DO your job, and HAVE FUN at your job”. #PardonOurDust
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Command Staff
COMMAND STAFF
CURTIS BIRT, ASSISTANT CHIEF - OPERATIONS
JACOB JOHNSON, ASSISTANT CHIEF- ADMINISTRATION Jacob Johnson serves as the Assistant Chief of Administration for Pearland Fire Department. As Assistant Chief, he oversees the Fire Marshal’s office, Logistics, Code/Health Enforcement, CRR, Business Administrator, and Data Analyst. Curtis Birt serves as the Assistant Chief of Operations for Pearland Fire Department. As Assistant Chief, he oversees firefighter and emergency medical service operations during emergency calls. He joined Pearland Fire in 2020 as the Battalion Chief overseeing Training, Health and Safety. Chief Birt brings more than 35 years of fire service experience to PFD. With 20 years as a Chief Officer over Training, EMS, and Operations, and 10 years as Fire Chief. Chief Birt also has a passion for teaching and supporting firefighters in hopes of achieving individual and departmental goals and performing at their highest potential. His PFD Core Value is Integrity. Chief Johnson brings over 20 years of dedicated fire service experience to the PFD. Jacob has a passion for mentoring, teaching, and making sure everyone has what they need to succeed. “The fire service is my passion but mentoring and seeing others succeed is what drives my soul and defines my mission,” Chief Johnson said.
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PFD ORGANIZATION CHART
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FIREHOUSES
Fire Administration & Training Facility 2703 Veterans Dr
Firehouse 1 1571 Old Alvin Rd
Firehouse 2 6050 Fite Rd
Firehouse 3 3207 Yost Rd
Firehouse 4 8333 Freedom Dr
Firehouse 5 3100 Kirby Dr
Firehouse 8 12255 Shadow Creek Pkwy
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CITY OF PEARLAND THE COMMUNITY OF CHOICE
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
1.TRUSTED GOVERNMENT Delivering transparent, high quality, and accessible city services by developing cutting-edge solutions, engaging with the community, and continuously improving our capabilities
2. STRONG ECONOMY Developing and investing in an attractive community that allows talent, entrepreneurs, and businesses to thrive for generations to come by supporting stable, steady growth, and unending opportunities 4. SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE Building quality of life on a well-planned and maintained foundation of essential water, transportation, flooding infrastructure, appealing amenities, and long-term value .
3. SAFE COMMUNITY
Making Pearland a welcoming place by ensuring a safe environment and providing efficient Public Safety services for residents, businesses, and visitors
5. RESILIENT FINANCES
6. WHOLE COMMUNITY
Providing long-term community value through trusted stewardship and responsible financial management
Fostering a diverse and unified community with events, amenities, and public and private spaces that bring people together
CITY VALUES
-Trust -Respect
-Integrity -Teamwork
-Ownership -Innovation
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FIRE STATION MAP AND DISTRICT LAYOUT
The fire district map was formed in 2012 and verified in 2017 through the City Gate Standards of Cover Study. The districts were split into 11 areas of the city that a firehouse would be needed with future growth. Through the years Firehouses 1,2,3,4,5, and 8 have been constructed and opened. This was due to emergency response volume, response time standards, and projected and actual growth of the community. Currently, Firehouse 7 is currently being designed and is on the May 2023
bond program and firehouse 6 is being planned. Pearland Population: 133,000 within city limits Total population served: 156,000 Population during business hours: EST. 210,000 Response Area: 70sq miles
*Areas served outside Pearland city limits are extra territorial jurisdiction (ETJ) areas in Brazoria, Harris and Fort Bend Counties. PFD also serves through contracted partnerships with Emergency Services Districts (ESD) 4 and 5 located along the southern city limit borders.
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OPERATIONS SECTION
The responsibility of the Operations Section is to utilize the Department's personnel and apparatus to deliver a wide variety emergency and non-emergency services. Emergency services provided by the Pearland Fire Department include fire suppression, advanced life support medical treatment and transportation, specialized rescue operations, hazardous materials incident mitigation, and response to weather-related emergencies. Primary non- emergency services include fire prevention inspections and public safety education programs. We deliver these services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with the goal of responding promptly with adequate personnel who are trained and equipped to handle the emergency situation. The number of resources within the Department, the training and preparation of field personnel, and the deployment of those resources are important to our mission and are included in our annual planning to ensure our ability to meet both response and quality of service goals.
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OPERATIONS
The operations section operates from 6 firehouses on 15 front-line apparatus or supervisor vehicles. Those 15 response vehicles consist of 3 ladder companies, 4 engine companies, 6 medic units, 1 EMS supervisor vehicle, and 1 Battalion Chief vehicle. Operations is an "all hazards" responding division, which means we will respond to all fire, rescue, and EMS-related calls for service. The Operations Division includes personnel in the 6 firehouses, Training Division, and our EMS Division
Firehouse 1- Ladder 1, Medic 1, Boat 1 Firehouse 2- Engine 2, Medic 2, Tanker 2, Battalion 1 Firehouse 3- Engine 3, Medic 3, Brush 3 Firehouse 4- Ladder 4, Medic 4, Squad 1, Brush 4 Firehouse 5- Engine 5, Medic 5 Firehouse 8- Tower 8, Engine 8, Medic 8
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RESPONSE TOTALS
The total number of annual responses depicted in this report is based on the 24/7/365 coverage that the Pearland Fire Department proudly provides to the community of Pearland, including residents, visitors, and employees of CoP-based businesses. In addition, coverage extends into the surrounding ETJ, including ESD 4 and ESD 5. Pearland is a rapidly growing city that experiences ever-increasing response numbers for our firefighters on the streets. In 2022 PFD responded to a 17% increase in response totals compared to 2021. The department also responded to 272 total fires, with 107 working structure fires, at only a 0.01% increase from the previous year. These response numbers support the fire prevention tactics our Fire Marshal’s office and CRR team provide daily. Through consistent risk reduction and education efforts, our goal is to consistently achieve lower fire responses throughout the city while continuing to meet community expectations of service and proficient knowledge, skills, and abilities.
4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0
Total Response Volume 14,001
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INCIDENT TYPE
Fires
272
Building Fires
107
MVA's
2,103
EMS
7,798
Mutual Aid Given
621
Mutual Aid Received
73
The incident types depicted here are the categories of incidents that PFD responds to the most frequently. "Mutual Aid Given" is when one or more of PFD response units leaves the city to assist a neighboring department. "Mutual Aid Received" refers to when neighboring departments provide assistance within PFD coverage areas, due to PFD equipment not being available due to the number of emergencies at a given time. "MVA" reflects motor vehicle accidents in our city that include responses to Highway 288 and Beltway 8. "Fires" are labeled for anything burning that is not described as a building, whether residential or commercial. "Building Fires" are working structure fires. The response numbers listed are a small percentage of our 14,001 total incidents responded to in 2022.
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#PardonOurDust
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TRAINING DIVISION
Over 52,000 training hours in Fire/EMS. Provided hundreds of state certifications. Provided Regional leadership training. Hosted FTEP certification course. Hosted NFPA 1403 live burn certification class. Trained Firefighters/EMTs from 20 states. TCFP accredited department to host numerous professional certification classes. Partnerships with Local, State and National organizations.
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ADMINISTRATION SECTION
Fire Administration is responsible for the day-to-day management of all divisions within the Department. The role of Fire Administration is to provide the support and resources for first-line employees to accomplish their mission. These include:
overall command management human resources budget planning logistics
Personnel assigned to Fire Administration include the Fire Chief, two Assistant Fire Chiefs, three Division Chiefs for EMS, FMO, and Training, administrative and clerical staff, support staff, and all temporary duty personnel.
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BUDGET
The chart above reflects the FY22 expenditures for the department as adopted by City Council in September of 2021. The City's fiscal year is October 1st through September 30th. Expenditures include salaries and transfers out.
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FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE
Investigations
The FMO is responsible for all fire investigations within the city limits of Pearland. For FY22 the FMO conducted 55 fire investigations resulting in 4 arson arrests. The FMO prioritizes a Juvenile Fire Setter Program in an effort to prevent juvenile fire setters, or juveniles that have been involved in the setting of fires.
Inspections
The Pearland FMO performs various inspections with the more common ones being annual routine inspections, new commercial building inspections, fire alarm inspections, fire sprinkler inspections, within the City of Pearland. In FY22, the FMO performed 589 Annual Routine inspections, 546 Fire Marshal Final inspections, 127 Fire Alarm inspections, and 159 Fire Sprinkler inspections. The FMO also conducts plan reviews for all new commercial buildings being developed within the city. The FMO is also responsible for all fire protection plan reviews, pre- development meetings, and DRC meetings. For FY22 the FMO conducted 536 Plan reviews, and 274 Fire Permit reviews. Plan Review
The Pearland Fire Marshal’s Office (FMO) strives to keep Pearland a cleaner and safer city and a big part of that is enforcing environmental crimes. Environmental Crimes range from illegal dumping, unauthorized discharge into waters of the state, illegal burning. For FY22 the FMO conducted 11 illegal dumping investigations, 7 illegal burning investigations, and 2 unauthorized discharge investigations. Environmental Crimes PFD's FMO is one of three departments in Southeast Texas that currently has an Accelerant Detection Program. The FMO K9 Team is deployed when requested by Pearland Fire Marshal Investigators, as well as providing mutual aid assistance to outside agencies. The Accelerant Detection K9, Dio, is a 6-year-old Chesapeake Bay Retriever certified on fourteen ignitable liquids commonly used in arson fires. In FY22, the K9 team responded to 10 fires within the city of Pearland, as well as assisting outside agencies. K9 Program
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CODE ENFORCEMENT
The Code Enforcement (CE) team investigates complaints and proactively inspects properties within the City to abate violations of adopted city ordinances, state and federal laws, and international codes. This includes, but is not limited to, nuisance concerns of insect or rodent harborage, inoperable vehicles and parking, dilapidated structures, rubbish, and debris storage, and building or zoning use concerns. In addition, three team members are dedicated to inspections of over 670 licensed food establishments that include restaurants, grocery and convenience stores, schools, daycares, meal preparation, mobile food units, and flea market vendors. CE Staff are also responsible for plan reviews of all new commercial food establishments and temporary food license applications for special private events and city-sponsored events to ensure the safe and healthy storage, preparation, and serving of food for consumption by the public. PFD's CE Team facilitates the education of the public using numerous tools and technologies in order to foster a foundational understanding of the interpretation and reasoning behind all applicable codes in a non-punitive, mentoring approach within the community.
CODE & HEALTH HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE YEAR
Complaint Cases 873 Proactive Cases 455 Inspections Completed on Cases 4045 Routine Semi-Annual Inspections 765 Mobile Food Unit Inspections 101 Alcohol Location Verification Inspections 35 Commercial Plan Reviews 67 Temp. Health Application Reviews 53
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COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Stop the Bleed: 10 classes, 375 students CPR First Aid: 10 classes, 198 students CPR Skills Test: 15 students Carseat Events: 120 seats inspected Fire Extinguisher: 8 classes, 340 students Fire Prevention: 2,520 students, 10 schools Recruitement & Career Day Events: 7
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SPECIALTY TEAMS
The Pearland Fire Department is responsible for emergency deployments, calls for service not related to fire response, Public Safety/Relations events, and much more. To ensure that we are able to meet the variety of emergency needs our community demands, PFD contains several specialty teams. These teams are made up of current department members who wish to specialize in technical proficiencies outside of firefighting and EMS. Our EMS Bike Team and SWAT Medic program are 2 of our most tenured specialty teams with our Water Rescue team forming in 2018 through a collaborative, city-wide effort.
EMS BIKE TEAM
The Pearland Fire Department is responsible for the oversight, maintenance, staffing, and equipment furnished to the EMS Bike Team, and coordinated by the Outreach and Recruitment Supervisor. The team operates under the EMS Protocols and licenses under a contracted Medical Director for the Pearland Fire Department. The team is equipped with two BLS bags, two ALS bags, two AED’s and oxygen carried on bicycles that the team uses for special events.
SPECIAL EVENTS 18 Bike Events in 2022
The team will attend many events throughout the year that are hosted by the City of Pearland. At times, the team will be requested to attend other events hosted in the city but by outside vendors such as Bass Pro Shop’s Kid Fish Fest, Fun Runs with PISD, Veterans Day Walk hosted by VFW, Tour De Lites and others.
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HIGH WATER RESCUE TEAM
TRAINING PFD’s Flood and Swiftwater Team (F.A.S.T.) was a response to the devastating effects that Hurricane Harvey had on our city, its citizens, and their homes and businesses. While there was not a team during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, PFD personnel were still able to make over 400 rescues during the storm, and throughout the flooding event that lasted for several days. After-action data determined a technical water rescue team was an urgent and ongoing need to provide consistent response to flooding events for the rescue of victims within our city and the surrounding ETJ. In 2017, PFD personnel had minimal experience in technical water rescue, and completely lacked the needed equipment and training to be the most effective rescuers possible. This need has been successfully addressed and maintained by PFD. The current 2022 roster includes 52 fully trained members (27 PFD, 15 PPD, and 10 EPW). As the team continually strives to increase the number of members, training and rescue standards have also increased. The team has mandatory training a minimum of twice a year, taking place at the City of Pearland Natatorium, Local Waterpark Partnerships, PFD Fire Field, and LMTV driver training throughout the city. In June 2022, the high-water rescue team, in conjunction with Pearland Emergency Management, planned and conducted a a successful, large-scale Hurricane/ wide area flood response training event.
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SWAT TEAM
The Pearland Fire Department utilizes specially trained paramedics to deploy with the combined area response team or SWAT. All paramedics that are assigned to SWAT are trained and certified in Tactical Combat Casualty Care. All medics must meet and pass physical fitness criteria annually, as well as maintain the highest of standards within their daily job assignment. PFD SWAT medics maintain training standards set forth by the department and participate in bi-monthly training with the combined area response team. The medics are certified instructors in civilian response to an active shooter, active integrated response, stop the bleed, and a myriad of other training that is provided to the community. These specialized medics accompany Pearland SWAT on every call-out to include operations outside of the city limits. The primary responsibility of a SWAT medic is to provide medical support for the operations of SWAT and all operators assigned to the mission. These medics are the primary caregiver to downed officers and civilians in hostile environments. They are also the point of contact for all outside EMS agencies and also may provide medical command during SWAT operations.
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PFD HONOR GUARD
The Pearland Fire Department Honor Guard was established in February 2015 upon the tragic passing of EMS Captain Angie Hayes. A group of willing department members came together to honor Captain Hayes and graciously accepted the help of our brothers and sisters from the Pearland PD Honor Guard. The PFD Honor Guard was inactive until the passing of FMO Battalion Chief Gregory Bozdech in September 2018. Once again, a group of willing PFD members came together to provide Chief Bozdech with the honor he and his family deserved. Formalized development of the Honor Guard was inhibited when COVID-19 struck. Now that the pandemic shutdown has passed, the team is once again participating in trainings, local events, and gathering new members from the ranks of PFD. The support and guidance from the new fire administration have been monumental in pushing the team forward and ensuring that the PFD Honor Guard will be successful for many years to come. In partnership with our brothers and sisters in blue, PFD and PPD partnered to host our first annual 9-11 Remembrance Event. This event was attended by many from within and around our community and paid respect to those tragically lost to cowardly acts on September 11, 2001. We are proud that this new Pearland tradition will live on in our community. We look forward to annually hosting this event and reminding everyone to “Never Forget 9-11”. 9-11 Remembrance
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PEER SUPPORT TEAM
The Pearland PEER Support Team known at the PST was founded by members of this department in 2017 with the support of Fire Administration. A unified vote of operational field Staff determined who the suggested members of the Team should be. History of our PEER Team
Peer Support Chairman spent over 110 hours interviewing members, creating policies and documents, and coordinating peer support activities/trainings. Peer Support Council spent 50 hours creating policies and documents, and coordinating peer support activities/trainings Peer Support Team provided 176 hours of peer support to members of the Pearland Fire Department. Interviewed and vetted ALL Peer Support members through a fair and structured interview process. Year in Review
Highlights
PFD Peer Support was invited to attend TFCA Admin Professionals Conference to showcase the current unique model for peer support. Expanded to 18 members and assembled a voting body council of 3 members. Delivered two separate mental health trainings to the operations membership. Certified all team members in ICISF "Assisting Individuals in Crisis"
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ACCREDITATION- ISO 1 DESIGNATION
Top 1% of all Communities The ISO Class 1 rating represents a superior level of emergency response and resources dedicated to fire protection and is the highest Public Protection Classification (PPC) attainable. The new ISO Class 1 rating places Pearland in the top 1% of all communities in the nation that have been issued an ISO grade in the PPC program. 50% of the grading is based on Fire response, covering personnel, training, and equipment, including fire station location. 40% of the grading includes fire hydrant/water distribution systems and 10% emergency 9-11 dispatch.
I SO’s Public Protection Classification Program
ISO’s Public Protection Classification Program plays an important role in the underwriting process at insurance companies. The program is often used by insurance companies in deciding what coverages to offer or prices to charge for personal or commercial property insurance. The goal of the program is to accurately reflect a community’s fire suppression and control resources. This program is re-evaluated every 5 years and evaluated standards must be maintained to meet the increasing demands of a growing community.
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PFD HIGHLIGHTS & UPCOMING GOALS
FLEET & PERSONNEL Purchased 1 pumper and 4 medic units. Hired 24 personnel and opened the new Firehouse 4.
NEW CHIEF, NEW PHILOSOPHY PFD hired J. Taylor as the third career Chief of the Department in history on May 16, 2022.
UPCOMING GOALS Create and Implement Community Driven PFD Strategic Plan Obtain Texas Fire Chief Association Best Practice Accreditation Obtain Achievement of Excellence in Fire Prevention (AEFP)
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STAY CONNECTED
2703 Veterans Drive, Pearland, TX 77584
281.997.5850
www.pearlandtx.gov/fire
https://www.facebook.com/PearlandFD
https://www.facebook.com/PearlandFireChief
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