ANNUAL REPORT PEARLAND FIRE DEPARTMENT 2024
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Message from the Fire Chief................... Command Staff........................................ City Strategic Priorities............................ PFD Organization Chart........................... Firehouses............................................... Administration......................................... Operations................................................ Emergency Medical Services................... Specialty Teams....................................... TFCA Accreditation.................................. Highlights & Goals.................................... TABLE OF CONTENTS
03 07 08 10 11 13 20 27 29 36 38
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Message From the Fire Chief
Building on our PFD legacy was a consistent focus during 2024. A commitment to continually increase our safety, efficiency, and training in all areas has been reflected in the productive year PFD has experienced. October 5, 2023 was a harrowing day for our organization as we experienced a challenge no fire department ever wishes to endure, a MAYDAY fire. A “MAYDAY” is set in place anytime an event occurs on any fire scene that places firefighters in an immediate life or death situation. It’s an immediate, all-hands call for help to free a downed firefighter. PFD experienced his first-hand at a fire in the county portion of our
J. Taylor Fire Chief
jurisdiction (future Firehouse 7 District). An external collapse fell directly on one of our firefighters, Eddy Liceaga, and trapped him in a ball of fire and debris. A MAYDAY was immediately declared by his Lieutenant who witnessed the collapse, himself only 6 feet away. The first-in crew immediately went into rescue mode and worked together to free Firefighter Liceaga from the burning debris in 42 seconds. As was evident during the post-event inspection of his protective gear, he didn’t have another 15 seconds to spare. Other PFD members also rushed into action to quickly treat and transport Eddy to the medical center in downtown Houston. Everyone from the initial collapse to the emergency department, to the surgeons, to the rehab specialists, were exceptional at all levels. Firefighter Liceaga met his goal of returning within a year and is currently serving in a light duty capacity until fully recovered and back on the rig. We are so blessed that God had a plan for Eddy as he is now a strong advocate for the benefit of intense training and proper tactics on the fireground. We place an extremely high emphasis on intense, focused training at PFD. As we now say on the training field, “42 seconds can change the world”.
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This event was difficult for all of us; however, it could have been tragic. We realized we owed it to Eddy and all we serve to continually strengthen our already stellar training programs. Identifying weaknesses, exploring new trends in training, and broadening our scope of training cadres outside our region became a focus within our training division and training
committee. All areas have benefitted from expanding our training, including Code and Health Enforcement, Fire Marshal’s Office, Fire/EMS Operations, and professional staff. Job specific tactics and leadership in all divisions has been our focus. The result has been an increase of bringing in outside training instruction, increased onsite training, including growing partnerships with neighboring agencies, and participants from multiple states. PFD is quickly becoming THE fire training resource in southeast Texas. Firefighter Eddy Liceaga
Taking the next step in continual improvement led to our focus in improving our organization throughout by pursuing recognition as a Best Practices designated fire department by the Texas Fire Chiefs’ Association (TFCA). The TFCA Best Practices program is a comprehensive evaluation tool that looks at every policy, procedure, and operational processes of the department. The daunting process culminates with an extensive site inspection that conducts random personnel interviews and inspections to ensure compliance. PFD created a great group of passionate members who formed
our Best Practices committee. They worked hard for several months to ensure PFD met the hundreds of standards that must be achieved and we were officially designated as a TFCA Recognized Best Practices Fire Department in December 2024. What an amazing achievement that took a team of many to fulfill!
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Having previously achieved Best Practices recognition through the Texas Police Chiefs’ Association (TPCA), Pearland Police Department (PPD) and PFD are now one of only 16 municipalities in Texas to have both agencies achieve these highly coveted designations, as well as an Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating of 1. Together, we achieved this rare “Triple Crown.”
Pearland Fire and Police combined Color Guard’s Presentation of Colors at the Houston Astros game.
This is even more impressive when compared to over 1,225 municipalities in Texas. Of the 16 dual designated cities listed, Pearland is the 4th most populated. This reinforces the excellent policing by PPD, and all-hazards emergency response provided by PFD to our great community.
Once again, our Fire Marshal’s Office (FMO) were recognized by the Texas State Fire Marshal’s Association for their excellence in fire prevention, education, and enforcement. Our FMO continues to be a state leader in providing exceptional community risk reduction programs. Our EMS division also continues to be recognized for our progressive pre-hospital emergency care and
Texas Municipalities 1,225
Triple Crown Designation 16
By Population Size 4th
implementation of lifesaving programs that are at the forefront of our field. Advances in technology-based medicine and upcoming implementation of a whole blood program are just two of these trendsetting measures that set PFD apart in our EMS programs.
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Our training committee and fire apparatus committee have seen the fruits of their labor unfold in 2024, as we set a new standard in fire operations and response. With the effort of these committees, PFD identified the 6 most common occupancies that we respond to within our city. Big box stores, large industrial facilities, single and multi-story residences, etc., are a few of these examples. PFD built a deployment model to provide tactical consistency in responding to these occupancies. The deployment model is merely a playbook that provides first-in response crews initial duties on the fireground. This plan is dynamic and can be adjusted by the incident commander to meet unique situations. Our deployment model has proven to be very successful. In addition, the apparatus committee designed trend-setting fire engines (pumpers) built to function under our PFD deployment model. These pumpers allow our firefighters to utilize
their training and adaptability to be successful in any emergency scenario. Utilizing hard- nosed, blue-collar firefighting concepts, our unique pumpers have gained national exposure for their no-nonsense, back to the basics design that saved our city approximately $240,000 compared to previous pumpers with unnecessary “bells and whistles”. These are “new old school” war wagons that are a no-frills approach to getting the job done. E5 was our first war wagon pumper to arrive and was officially placed in service on September 5, 2024. Our second pumper will arrive in February 2025 and placed in service at Firehouse 2 on Fite Road.
2024 has been a productive year and it could not be achieved without out the help of every talented and passionate member of our PFD family. PFD is working hard to continue building a unique culture based on excellence and family. Our expectations are high and our accountability at an equal level because that is what our great community of Pearland expect and deserve. Luck favors the prepared and that’s what we believe within PFD. Three years into my role with PFD, I still feel blessed and continue to be extremely proud of all our PFD family and the amount passion they bring everyday to serve our wonderful community with excellence in all areas. #PardonOurDust
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Command Staff Curtis Birt Assistant Chief - Operations
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 over 20 years as a Chief Officer over Training, EMS, 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 Ownership.
Jacob Johnson Assistant Chief - Administration
Chief Johnson brings 25 years of dedicated fire service experience to the PFD with over 15 years of officer experience. Jacob has a passion for mentoring, teaching, and Jacob Johnson serves as the Assistant Chief of Administration for Pearland Fire Department. Starting in 2007 as one of the original career members Jacob has promoted through the ranks. As Assistant Chief, he oversees the Fire Marshal’s office, Logistics, Code/Health Enforcement, CRR, Business Administrator, and Data Analyst.
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. His PFD Core Value is Integrity.
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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. 6. Whole Community Fostering a diverse and unified community with events, amenities, and public and private spaces that bring people together
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 Providing long-term community value through trusted stewardship and responsible financial management
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PFD Organization Chart Fire Chief
Executive Asst.
Asst. Chief
Asst. Chief
(2 FT, 1 PT) Quarter- Masters
Business Admin
Data Analyst
Div. Chief Training, Health & Safety
Div. Chief EMS Programs
Battalion Chief
(3 )
Div. Chief Fire Marshal
EMS Clinical Manager
Admin. Asst.
Community Risk Reduction & Recruitment Supervisor
Fire Captain
Office Assistant
Sr. Training Officer
PT CRR Specialist
(6)
Lieutenant
(18)
Code Enforcement Supervisor
Asst. Fire Marshal
Driver/ Operator
(21)
Inspector/ Investigator
Sr. Code Enforcement Supervisor
Firefighters
(90)
(4)
Code/Health Officers
(6)
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FIRE STATION MAP & DISTRICT LAYOUT
STATION STATUS 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 where 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. Pearland Population: 133,000 within city limits Total population served: 156,000. Population during business hours: Est. 210,000 Response Area: 70 sq. 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*
Firehouse 7: Design in progress. Approved through the May 2023 Bond Program.
Firehouse 6 is currently in the planning phase.
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FIRE ADMINISTRATION
Top Row, Left to Right: Asst. Chief C. Birt, Chief J. Taylor, Asst. Chief J. Johnson Bottom Row, Left to Right: Division Chief S. Bridges, Division Chief K. Sears
The 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 our mission. 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.
Organizational Leadership Overall Command Management
Human Resources Budget Planning Logistics
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15 Certification classes held
46,000+ of logged training
4 New Hire classes held
500 participants hosted from various agencies throughout Texas and 20 U.S. States.
Developed hands-on training plan for 2025 to enhance Officer/
Professional Development
Brought in revenue through the Training Division throughout 2024
Kickoff of Quarterly Officer/Professional Development
Completed numerous New Hire, Step-Up Driver, Step-Up Officer, and Step-Up Captain Task Books
Secured funding for a second and future internal Paramedic classes
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FIRE MARSHAL’S OFFICE
Investigations The FMO is responsible for all fire investigations within the city limits of Pearland. 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. Plan Review 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 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. meetings, and DRC meetings. Environmental Crimes
Fire Investigations
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2 Arson Arrests
Annual Routine Inspections Fire Marshal Final Inspections Fire Alarm Inspections Fire Sprinkler Inspections Plan Reviews Illegal Dumping
732 402 95 163 1,083 30 97 7
Investigations Illegal Burning Investigations Unauthorized Discharge Investigations
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K9 Program 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 7-year- old Chesapeake Bay Retriever certified on fourteen ignitable liquids commonly used in arson fires. Fires responded to by the K9 Team within the City of Pearland as well as assisting outside agencies. 18
The Achievement of Excellence in Fire Prevention Award is an award to recognize organizations for performance excellence in fire prevention. Established in 2008, the AEFP Award is administered by the Texas Fire Marshal’s Association, the official state chapter of the International Fire Marshal’s Association. In 2024 Pearland Fire Depart- ment Fire Marshal’s Office
received the Gold Award for excellence in the areas of fire education, fire prevention, and community outreach initiatives. This was an improvement from the prestigious Silver Award designation in 2023. The FMO team continues to identify new and effective ways to interact with our community in a positive manner that meets our goal of fire safety education.
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CODE ENFORCEMENT The Code Enforcement team investigates
693
complaints and proactively inspects properties within the City to abate violations of adopted city ordinances, state and federal laws, and international codes. This includes three members dedicated to the investigation of nuisance concerns, insect or rodent harborage, inoperable vehicles and parking, dilapidated structures, rubbish, and debris storage, high grass, and zoning or use concerns. In addition, three team members are dedicated to health inspections of over 750 licensed food establishments that include restaurants, grocery and convenience stores, schools, daycares, 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.
452 Complaint Cases Routine Semi-Annual Inspections
3,459
Inspections on Completed Cases
253
Proactive Cases
86
Mobile Food Unit Inspections
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Alcohol Location Verification Inspections
93 227
Commercial Plan Reviews
Temp. Health Application Reviews
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Fire Prevention & Public Relations
Stop the Bleed
12 Classes 411 Students
154 Events
10,700+ Attendees
CPR First Aid
Car Seat Events
12 Classes
13 Events
209 Students
169 Seats Inspected
CPR Skills Test
18 Exams
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BUDGET
The chart above reflects the FY24 expenditures for the department as adopted by City Council in September of 2023. The City's fiscal year is October 1st through September 30th. Expenditures include salaries and transfers out.
Operations
$23,419,825
Fire Marshal Office
$824,129
Code Enforcement
$674,715
Revenue
$5,521,985
Administration
$2,653,646
Training
$793,437
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FIRE OPERATIONS
The responsibility of the Operations Section is to utilize the Department's personnel and apparatus to deliver a wide variety of emergency and non- emergency services. Emergency services provided by the Pearland Fire Department include fire suppression,
143 Personnel
advanced life support medical treatment and transportation, specialized rescue operations, hazardous materials incident
Firehouses 6
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 an emergency situation. The number of resources within the department, the training and preparation of field personnel,
Training Division
EMS Division
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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The Operations Division includes 143 personnel in the 6 firehouses, Training Division, and our EMS Division.
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Ladder Companies 3
Medic Units 6
Battalion Chief Vehicle 1 and supervisor vehicles Frontline apparatus
Engine Companies 4
Vehicle 1
EMS Supervisor
2
1
3
Ladder 1 | Medic 1 | Rescue 1 | 2 Boats
Engine 3 | Medic 3 | Brush 3
Engine 2 | Medic 2 | Tanker 2
Water
4
8
5
+
Tower 8 | Engine 8 1 Boat and 3|Medic 8
Engine 5 | Medic 5
Ladder 4 | Medic 4 Squad 1 | Brush 4 Battalion 1
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RESPONSE TOTALS
Pearland is a rapidly growing city that experiences ever-increasing response numbers for our firefighters on the streets. The department has responded to 273 total fires, with 110 working structure fires. These response numbers support the fire prevention tactics our Fire Marshal’s office and Community Risk Reduction (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
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. abilities. responses throughout the city while continuing to meet community expectations of service and proficient knowledge, skills, and abilities.
COUNT OF INCIDENTS 14,399
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The incident types depicted here are the categories of incidents that PFD responds to the most frequently. The response numbers listed are a small percentage of our 14,399 total incidents responded to in 2024. INCIDENT TYPES
9736
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000 10000
764
477
277
110
78
Fires
Building Fires
MVA
Anything burning that is not described as a building, whether residential or commercial
Working structure fires.
Motor Vehicle Accidents in our city; include responses to Highway 288 and Beltway 8.
Mutual Aid Given
Mutual Aid Received
One or more of PFD response units leaves the city to assist a neighboring department
One or more neighboring departments provide aid within PFD coverage areas; due to PFD equipment not being available due to the number of emergencies at a given time.
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INCIDENT DISTRIBUTION Incident Count Distribution per Station
1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 2840
2640
2540
2460
1980
1920
Station 3 Station 5 Station 8 Station 4 Station 1 Station 2 0 500
1000 1500 2000 2500 3000
2590
Incident Count Distribution per District, AHJ, and Mutual Aid
2300 2260
1410 1350
1230
1060
922
462
0 500
420
322
151 133 91
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WAR
WAGON
ENGINE 5
*DELIVERY OF THE SECOND WAR WAGON IS EXPECTED IN EARLY 2025* 25
SHOW STOPPER The “War Wagon”
PFD Apparatus Committee knocked the design of our new War Wagon pumper out of the park. Engine 5's (E5) innovative design brought together cutting-edge technology with proven “back to the basics” design. The result was a pumper that meets the needs of our community by being designed to meet the firefighting demands of our six most common structure types within our response area. This design gained national exposure throughout the fire industry and was showcased at Fire Rescue International in Dallas, as well as the TEEX Leadership Symposium in 2024. The result was a wave of similar War Wagon design concepts
across the nation using the much requested “Pearland Design”. As an additional tribute, our War Wagon was featured in the Siddons-Martin fire apparatus calendar, which is displayed in firehouses from coast to coast. E5 was placed in service at Firehouse 5 on September 6 with an official Wash-Down Ceremony. This event was an opportunity for elected officials, city management, city and PFD staff, as well as community members gathering to bless the rig, wash her down, and back her into service for our community. PFD’s War Wagon concept saved the city approximately $230,000 compared to “bells and whistles” designs seen in many cities. th
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PFD’s EMS Division continues to broaden the scope of innovative pre-hospital emergency medicine provided to our community. PFD is constantly advancing the services we provide by enhancing our Advance Life Support (ALS) Fire-based EMS model. Regardless of medical response by a PFD ambulance or fire apparatus, the same level of initial ALS care is provided. EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES
2024
Completed first internal EMT-Paramedic school in partnership with the School of EMS 13 PFD Firefighters/EMTs-Basic Held comprehensive training for all operations staff in preparation for 2025 PFD Whole Blood Program
2025
EXPECTATIONS
Maintain annual internal EMT-Paramedic classes Launch PFD Whole Blood Program
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It has been asked if #PardonOurDust refers to PFD apparatus responding to emergencies rapidly down the road or because we are building our organization at warp speed while continuing to raise the bar for PFD and the Fire/EMS industry as a whole. Simply put, it is both.
PARDON OUR DUST a state of mind that we are always prepared to respond at a level that continually raises the level of success and achievement for Pearland Fire Department and our profession.
We push together and hold ourselves accountable to find a way to “get better” every single day. We owe it to ourselves, the community we serve, and to each other to set the standard that other agencies choose to emulate.
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SPECIALTY TEAMS These teams are made up of current
As an all-hazards response organization, the Pearland Fire Department is also 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
department members who wish to specialize in technical proficiencies outside of firefighting and EMS. Our EMS Bike Team and SWAT Medic program are two of our most tenured specialty teams with our Water Rescue team formed in 2018, through a collaborative, city-wide effort.
EMS Bike Team Honor Guard Peer Support Team SWAT Rope Rescue High Water Rescue 29
HONOR GUARD
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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 the honor he and his family deserve. In partnership with our brothers and sisters in blue, PFD and PPD partnered to host our second 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 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 Rememberance
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 training, 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.
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PEER SUPPORT TEAM The Pearland PEER Support Team 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. Year In Review
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430+
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hours of peer support provided to members of Pearland Fire Dept.
Team Members
hours dedicated to training
4 on Team Council 1 Psychologist Consultant
5
2
Critical incident responses coordinated
hours spent interviewing new members
Peer Support 2025
Highlights
Council Member Driver/Operator Jeff Cotton presented at the 2024 Fire Service Psychology Association Conference in Washington DC, along with our Team Psychologist, Dr Gina Dunckel, PsyD. Pearland Fire Department and the Peer Support Team will host the 2025 Fire Service Psychology Association Conference here in Pearland. Hosted ESD 6 for training to help them start their Peer Support Team. Goals Hosted Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) for Pearland Fire Department Peer Support Team and other agencies Conduct research to be published on peer team interventions
Peer Support members are available to help you navigate through life on and off duty. Common issues including substance abuse, sleep disturbances, financial issues, mental health support, depression, anger management, family issues, marital problems, divorce, and overall wellness are just some of the concerns members can help you with. Chair: Greg Stround • Consultant Dr. Gina Dunckel • Council: Jeff Cotten, Josh Hendrix, Kathryn McBride • Peers: Alisha Grander, Allie Epstein, Avery Hoggard, Chris Carroll, Chris Winstead, Dusty Haithcoat, Edgar Rios, Eric Hughes, Justin gray, Kaleb Roundy, Michelle Brasell, Shadne Bridges, Stephen Baker
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The Pearland Fire Department EMS Bike Team provides emergency care during crowded events and limited traffic access. The Bike Team is deployed during special events to provide quick access EMS care to visitors and participants. Parades, festivals, and other large public gatherings require specialized response to meet these unique settings where full-sized emergency apparatus aren’t available. The team is also a great community outreach tool that educates the young and old on bicycle safety.
Our EMS Bike Team members go through extensive emergency responder bicycle training to certify them to be effective navigating their bikes through crowds safely while carrying 40-60 pounds of EMS equipment. The bikes in combination with our PFD Utility Task Vehicle (UTV) allow our team the capability of treating and transporting patients from inside a restricted perimeter to awaiting PFD ambulances for transport to an appropriate emergency department facility.
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SWAT
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 may provide medical command during SWAT operations.
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.
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Training During 2024, Pearland Water Rescue Team conducted its first ever "try-outs" for the team, which consisted of swim proficiency tests and physically demanding skills that needed to be passed. From those try-outs we had 6 FD members pass, one of which was sent off to Water Rescue Technician school, the other 5 currently await the next available class openings with Tarrant County Water Rescue Technician class. High Water Rescue PFD’s Flood and Swiftwater Team was a response to the devastating effects that Hurricane Harvey had on our city, its citizens, 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. New Members
Day and night trainings at Schlitterbahn Galveston 2 2 3 Purchased two additional rescue boats
Annual City-wide High Water rd Rescue Exercise coordinated
Hurricane Beryl
Rescues with occupants trapped in vehicles after driving into high water. 2 4 Boat Teams Deployed
6
Light-Med. Tactical High Water Vehicles Deployed
Crews performed damage assessments throughout the city during and after the Hurricane, and ensured roadways remained open and clear of debris, mainly for the routes to our local hospitals.
Responded to numerous calls for vehicles in the water from which those occupants had already self-extricated
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TFCA Accreditation The Texas Fire Chiefs Association (TFCA) - Best Practices Program measures all aspects of service, delivery, administrative protocols, and operational readiness with a 12-part process designed to evaluate departments with a self-assessment and third-party on-site evaluation. The program provides a set of metrics, performance guidelines, and best practices to help ensure our department meets its operational goals and fulfills its obligations to the community we serve. Pearland Fire Department started internally preparing to submit for this process in fiscal year 2023. A small committee was curated, directed by Chief Johnson and Chaired by Lieutenant Andrew Chuvala. Our kickoff meeting initiated on March 6, 2024. Pearland Fire was sought after and utilized to test the new submittal process for best
practices by TFCA as their organization went fully digitized. PFD was one of four departments in the State of Texas to be invited to pilot this new process. From there, the submittal process started. All 12 chapters were to be completed digitally, with dates and time stamps accompanying each document. As the submittal process progressed, we had to provide updates to the TFCA board on the process and how it may be improved for all departments throughout the state. Thousands of documentation pages were uploaded into the system, which were all evaluated by the TFCA Best Practices committee. A preliminary review was conducted, and the committee reconvened to provide updates and make sure recommendations were followed. In October of 2024 TFCA notified PFD that the final step in the process, the onsite visit, would happen on November 18- 19, 2024. During that site visit, all documents were reviewed again and several random in-person one-on-one interviews took place to ensure all expectations of a Best Practices department are being met. The results of that process is that Pearland Fire Department is the 34th department within the State of Texas to obtain the Best Practices designation as of December 10th, 2024.
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With Pearland Police Department already achieving this on the law enforcement side, the City of Pearland is one of only 22 cities in Texas to have both agencies achieve this distinction. Of those 22, only 16 also possess ISO-1 status. This is impressive considering there are 1,225 incorporated municipalities in Texas, putting Pearland in the top 1% in the state. Committee Members: Fire Chief J. Taylor, Assistant Chief Curtis Birt, Assistant Chief Jacob Johnson, Chair- Lieutenant Andrew Chuvala , Executive Assistant Lissette Sanchez Rubio, Division Chief Shane Bridges, Captain Eric Welch, Lieutenant David Hefner, Lieutenant Andrew Lennig, Driver/Operator Loc Nguyen , Firefighter Kathryn McBride, Quartermaster Lester Blough. There were other members involved in providing requested information; however, the above were pivotal in our success of the submission to the TFCA Best Practices Committee. 37
Highlights & Upcoming Goals
Highlights
TFCA Best Practices Designation TXFMA Gold Award of Excellence Delivery of New Engine 5 Regionalized PFD Fire Training Enhanced Leadership Training PFD Training for 2025 Implementation of Whole Blood Program
2025 Goals
Increase our capabilities and training on electric vehicle (EV) and alternate power emergencies. Increase capabilities to deliver hands- on training to PFD and outside agencies
Whole Blood Implementation Implement Blocker Program
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Stay Connected
@ PearlandFD @ PearlandFireChief
2703 Veterans Dr. Pearland, TX 77584
@PearlandFD
281.997.5850
pearlandtx.gov/fire
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