pigeon forge, tennessee - MTAS

Transcription

PIGEON FORGE, TENNESSEE
Comprehensive Fire Protection
Management Study
March 2006
Gary L. West, Fire Management Consultant
The University of Tennessee, Institute for Public Service
Municipal Technical Advisory Service
Table of Contents
Forward ………………………………………………………………………….
5
Introduction ……………………………………………………………………..
6
Scope of Work ………………………………………………………………….
6
Background ……………………………………………………………………..
7
What is a Comprehensive Fire Department Management Study? ……….
8
SECTION 1 – THE POSITION OF FIRE CHIEF ……………………………
9
SECTION 2 – FIRE DEPARTMENT RESOURCES ……………………….. 11
Manpower Resources …………………………………………………. 12
Full-Time Equivalents (FTE’s) & Minimum Staffing Standards … 15
Apparatus and Equipment Resources ………………………………. 16
Equipment ………………………………………………………. 16
Fire Apparatus ………………………………………………….. 19
Apparatus Replacement ………………………………………. 23
Specialized Equipment ………………………………………… 25
Hose Testing and Apparatus Testing ………………………… 28
Facility Resources ………………………………………………...……. 29
Review of Fire Station Locations ……………………………... 30
SECTION 3 - RESPONSE FOR SERVICE ………………………………….. 34
Response Time and Manpower ……………………………… 39
Response Capabilities, Protocols, and Resources ………… 41
The University of Tennessee Municipal Technical Advisory Service
2
SECTION 4 - FIRE DEPARTMENT TRAINING ……………………………. 44
Firefighter Certification ………………….…………………….. 44
Firefighter Training …………………………………………….. 44
SECTION 5 - RISK ASSESSMENT / FIRE PREVENTION ………………. 48
Fire Vulnerability / Target Hazards ………………………….. 48
Inventory of Buildings 35 Feet or Higher ……………………. 48
Pre-Fire Planning ……………………………………………… 49
Fire Inspection and Investigations …………………………… 49
Risk Planning …………………………………………………..
51
Fire Loss Records ……………………………………………..
51
SECTION 6 - FINANCE AND BUDGET …………………………………….. 52
SECTION 7 - HUMAN RESOURCES AND BENEFITS ……………………. 56
Recruitment of Future Firefighters …………………………… 56
Promotional Process ………………………………………….. 58
Job Descriptions ……………………………………………….
59
Volunteer Firefighter Program ………………………………… 59
Males Versus Females …………………………………………. 61
SECTION 8 - HEALTH AND SAFETY ………………………….…………… 61
Compliance with NFPA 1500 ………………………………… 61
OSHA Compliance …………………………………………….
62
Fire Department Safety Policy ……………………………….. 63
NFPA 1710 ………….…………………………………………. 64
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SECTION 9 - GENERAL OPERATIONS ………………………..…………. 64
Organizational Structure ……………………………………….. 64
Fire Department General Compliance ……………………….. 65
Fire Dept Standard Operating Procedures / Guidelines ……. 66
Fire Department Strategic Plan ……………………………….. 66
Public Relations and Media Involvement …………………….. 67
SECTION 10 – WATER SUPPLY AND FIRE HYDRANTS ……..………… 68
Water Supply ……………………………………………………. 68
Fire Hydrants ………………………………..………………….. 68
Inspection and Condition of Hydrants ………………………... 68
SECTION 11 – BENCHMARKING AND STATISTICAL DATA …….…… 69
SECTION 12 – INSURANCE SAVINGS POTENTIAL ……………………. 70
Insurance Services Office (ISO) Analysis ……..…………….. 70
ISO Summary ………….…………..…………………………… 71
SECTION 13 – SAMPLE TIMELINE FOR IMMEDIATE
RECOMMENDATIONS………... 72
Fire Apparatus Replacement Program Recommendations …………….…. 74
Summary of Recommendations ………………………….………………….. 75
Appendix One – Fire Department Team Assignment Sample ……….…... 90
4
Forward
The University of Tennessee’s Institute for Public Service, Municipal Technical Advisory
Service (MTAS) has been committed to providing technical assistance to local
municipalities for over 50 years. Our mission clearly states that MTAS will “meet the
challenge of providing timely, valuable information and assistance to Tennessee cities
to build better communities.” This report is intended to achieve this challenge through a
comprehensive study of existing services and provide recommendations for
improvements over the next several years.
The complex arena of fire protection is one that typically requires research in numerous
areas including personnel, apparatus, equipment and facility resources, all of which are
affected by local, state and federal laws. In addition, these areas are also impacted by
industry standards, guidelines and best practice principles. Solutions to questions within
the fire service must take into consideration the impact each of these areas may have in
a workable, viable and financially sound solution.
Communities need a plan of action that allows for improvement over time with an
initiative to see positive benefits that directly affect customers. An approach of reviewing
and analyzing the most critical areas of the fire protection process was used in
conducting this study. A total of 132 recommendations are included in this report. It
would be virtually impossible to implement all of these recommendations in a short
period of time. As described later in this study, an action plan is needed to orchestrate
and implement changes in the Pigeon Forge Fire Department.
As can be seen throughout this report, it is apparent that the Pigeon Forge Fire
Department cannot continue to provide acceptable services without additional career
personnel and full-time leadership. This changeover process from volunteer to career
will be the most difficult change for the Pigeon Forge Fire Department since its
inception. The present and future success of the Pigeon Forge Fire Department
depends on these critical changes.
During the process of writing this report, Fire Chief Denny Clabo was asked what his
position was on seeing these extreme changes being offered. His response each time
was that he wanted the best for the City of Pigeon Forge and supported improvements
in the fire department. Knowing that these improvements and recommendations when
and if implemented will include the hiring of a full-time fire chief, he continued to have
the same feelings about the improvements.
The fire department presently has an Insurance Services Office (ISO) fire protection
rating of class 5. This rating was issued March 30, 1994, and is now due again for
reassessment. Based on evidence provided in this report, there is absolutely no
possible way to maintain this rating at the present level.
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Introduction
This study was conducted at the request of Pigeon Forge City Manager Earlene
Teaster. MTAS had previously conducted a comprehensive management study for the
City of Pigeon Forge in 1988 and over time the city actually implemented all of the
recommendations offered in that report. The intent of this study is to offer a similar plan
of action in the operation of the fire department for the next several years.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the entire fire department and make
recommendations related to fire department management, operations, resources, and
enhanced level of services. The scope includes a review of the present ISO rating
status, meeting OSHA and NFPA requirements, and best practice management of the
fire department. Best practices are defined as acceptable performance standards in the
fire service that are recognized and used to improve operations and safety.
The recommendations provided in this report are based on several local criteria: 1) size
of the community, 2) land usage, 3) existing and potential use of resources, 4) public
perception of services, and 5) basic geographical features of the community. There are
certainly many alternative methods of providing fire protection to this community and all
such methods were considered. The recommendations are from a customized blend of
these alternatives that best suited the conditions at the time of this report.
Scope of Work
To assure the study included specific information needed, a “Scope of Work” was
prepared for approval by the city manager. The following is a summary of this scope of
work:
Scope of Work - Proposal for a “Fire Protection Management and Enhancement Study”
including the analysis of but not limited to the following areas:
1. Management – Fire Department Organization and Financial Management,
Insurance Services Office (ISO) Review, Response Time Analysis.
2. Human Resources – Fire Department Staffing, Fire Department Training and
Education, Recruitment and Retention of Personnel.
3. Facilities and Equipment – Fire Station Facilities, Apparatus and Equipment, and
OSHA Personal Protective Equipment Compliance.
4. Fire Department Planning – Strategic Planning, Public Perception Analysis.
A letter dated September 21, 2005, from City Manager Earlene Teaster authorized
MTAS to conduct an official fire department study.
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Background
The City of Pigeon Forge is located in East Tennessee at the entrance to the Great
Smoky Mountains National Park in Sevier County. Pigeon Forge and the surrounding
area is considered the leaders of Tennessee’s tourist industry. It is also home to the
largest theme park in the Southeastern United States, the Dollywood theme park. Each
year, millions of people visit the Pigeon Forge area to enjoy the mountains, Dollywood,
and fantastic shopping.
The city would be considered a small town with having a year-round population of
approximately 5,083 people; however, in reality the city provides services for a much
larger population. Due to the tourist industry, a constant overnight population is
maintained (using a very conservative figure) in excess of 20,000 people. There are
times when the overnight population will increase to in excess of 50,000 to 75,000. The
local department of tourism tracks over 11 million visitors per year. Based on a study by
the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, Local Planning
Assistance Office in August 2001 the estimated transient population was approximately
35,778 people daily. Another way used to estimate daily population would be to take 11
million and divide by 365 days for one year. This estimate is based on the average
person only staying one day and equals approximately 30,136 people daily. In 1994, the
Insurance Services Office (ISO) estimated the local population between 3,500 and
90,000 for the purposes of conducting the last ISO survey.
The Pigeon Forge Fire Department is a municipal department recognized and
supported by the City of Pigeon Forge but also has a separate volunteer division that
accepts donations and has financial accounts separate from the city. The department is
classified as a “combination” type department utilizing both volunteer and career
personnel although primarily is a volunteer operated department. The department is
authorized to staff 40 volunteers and 4 career personnel. The fire department is duly
recognized by the State of Tennessee and the fire chief is commissioned as an
assistant to the State Fire Marshal.
The Pigeon Forge Fire Department has had a long standing history of being a first-rate
volunteer fire department and considered one of the last volunteer fire departments in
Tennessee to serve a city of this size. Even though the city has hired a day crew to run
fire calls, the fire department is operated primarily by the volunteers. Calls for service
have increased so much over the past several years that the volunteer forces are
running as many or more calls than many all career fire departments. This is taking its
toll on many of the volunteers and cannot continue much longer. As can be seen later in
this report, the morale of the volunteers has also been affected over the past couple of
years as a result of the additional demands on the department.
With these considerations in mind, this report is intended to focus on solutions, not
problems. This report does not lay blame for short falls or in many cases give detailed
background information on how a problem became a problem. Solutions should be the
focus and intent for improvements.
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What is a Comprehensive Fire Department Management Study?
A Comprehensive Fire Management Study is basically a study of the entire fire
department from a management and operational perspective. This study addresses how
well the department is presently functioning as compared to national standards, federal
requirements, and benchmarking. Industry standards and common fire department
practices also play a big part in the operation of a fire department.
Is it necessary to implement all of the recommendations provided in this report?
No, but deliberation in each area should be considered because most recommendations
relate to a standard or generally acceptable practice in the fire service.
Does everything need to be implemented immediately?
No, most cities can’t afford to implement everything immediately. A proposal is included
for implementing most of the recommendations over time. The city should realize that
these are just recommendations. The city has the option of utilizing some or all of these.
The intent is to provide good recommendations to improve the fire department.
What level of services should the Fire Department provide?
That depends on what level of service is expected. If you need the fire department, you
expect a group of highly trained professionals to respond quickly and take care of all of
your needs on probably what you consider the worst day of your life. That expected
level is not always affordable and determining what is acceptable below this level is
something that only the Pigeon Forge City Council can determine and be responsible
for.
What are the evaluation criteria we will attempt to achieve?
Expected evaluation criteria would include:
• Increased efficiency
• Improved effectiveness
• Enhanced/improved services
• Set benchmarks for future assessment
• Comply with state and national standards
• Standardization of services and programs
• Potentially reduced ISO insurance rating
It is believed that this objective consultant assessment will help articulate critical issues
and assemble data that will be important factors in future decisions regarding the
direction of the Pigeon Forge Fire Department.
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SECTION 1 – THE POSITION OF FIRE CHIEF
The immediate key to success for the Pigeon Forge Fire Department is through a strong
and full-time leadership. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department has operated efficiently for
the past 35+ years under a volunteer system and leadership. The department has
flourished and is recognized as one of the best volunteer departments in the state. The
question of many fire service leaders outside of the Pigeon Forge area has been, “How
can they provide modern day emergency services with volunteers?” The answer is
having dedicated volunteers who have a commitment to their community. Sadly, the
department is beginning to see much of this commitment go away. Not only is the
present day culture in society slowly moving away from the volunteer commitments,
many of the volunteers are just getting tired of running so many more calls each year.
All of this is taking its toll on the manning of the Pigeon Forge Fire Department.
The ultimate responsibility for the operation of the fire department falls on the fire chief.
Denny Clabo, has been the volunteer fire chief for the past 35 years. He has spent most
of his adult life heavily involved in the fire department. Most holidays and many
vacations have been spent at the fire department as well. His commitment to the Pigeon
Forge Fire Department as well as to the community has been exceptional. Chief Clabo
is well respected in the community for his leadership efforts and has always worked
hard to make the Pigeon Forge Fire Department look good in the community.
The recommendation of hiring a full-time fire chief is no surprise or reflection on Chief
Clabo. This recommendation is based on the increased call volumes and other
demands that have caused volunteers to be overwhelmed with calls for service.
Consequently, unsafe situations with constantly reducing manpower levels threaten the
safety of all volunteer firefighters who do respond to emergency calls.
The justification to hire a full-time fire chief is as follows:
1. When additional firefighters are hired, the constant supervision and oversight of
daily personnel operations will be required. The handling of routine personnel
issues, management of employee work periods, leave requests, minimum
staffing, and other human resource management issues will compound
themselves as staff levels increase. One example will be the need for a new
pay plan that meets the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for firefighters. As
additional people are hired, schedules will need to change as well as pay plans
to meet federal requirements. It would be unreasonable for a volunteer fire chief
to be expected to run such an operation.
2. Without a full-time fire chief, firefighters will freelance and set their own priorities
thus reducing productivity and hindering overall goals of the department.
Present employees are disciplined and are manageable although some of this
has already been seen as evident in the present record keeping.
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3. A full-time fire chief is needed to oversee the fire department’s daily routine
including three to four hours of training each day, a physical fitness program,
station duties, inspections and maintenance of fire hydrants, hose testing,
apparatus maintenance, and other routine operations.
4. A full-time fire chief is needed to coordinate daily with the city manager through
personal meetings and memos. This coordination should include strategic
planning, benchmarking, and financial management of a larger staff of
firefighters. The planning and construction of two fire stations, hiring additional
firefighters, and replacement of fire apparatus are all issues that will need to be
addressed within the near future. Budget management alone will require a
tremendous amount of additional work with almost an 85% increase in needed
funding. It is the fire chief’s full-time job to manage and oversee the career
department including the budget process.
It is imperative that the city select a Fire Chief (Operations Manager) to operate the fire
department that is qualified, progressive, educated, experienced, knowledgeable, and a
visionary manager. It is also important to give that person the authority and backing to
operate and lead this department into the future. The selection of the right person is
extremely important to the success of the fire department.
Denny Clabo has been the volunteer Fire Chief of the Pigeon Forge Fire Department
since December 7, 1970, and holds full-time employment with the Sevier County
Electric System. Chief Clabo’s commitment to this department over the past 35 years
has been extraordinary. His leadership and management ability has been exceptional.
Chief Clabo is humble about his leadership and gives credit for the success to all of the
Pigeon Forge volunteers who have served over the years. He also gives special credit
to his friend and Volunteer Assistant Fire Chief, Ronnie Whaley, who has stuck beside
him through the good and bad over the years. They both deserve a hero’s appreciation
for their dedication when the time is appropriate. There are others in the department
who deserve this same farewell when they decide to retire but prior to that time,
everyone including Chief Clabo and Chief Whaley should continue their dedication to
the organization they built. The hiring of a full-time fire chief does not mean that present
volunteers and leadership won’t be needed. On the contrary, these dedicated
volunteers and leaders are as necessary for the future operation as much as they are
presently.
Chief Clabo is undoubtedly qualified for this position and could apply if he chooses to do
so although he has expressed the desire not to because of the conflict it would create
with his present job and retirement benefits. His present position with the Sevier County
Electric System could never compare to the modest salary and benefits that the City of
Pigeon Forge would have to offer. Additionally, there will be many headaches involved
in this process; the building of a new career department will be much like the building of
the Pigeon Forge volunteer department. These are many headaches that Chief Clabo
probably doesn’t want to deal with again.
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Regardless of who is going to be fire chief, Chief Clabo was asked if he supported the
change from a volunteer department to a mostly career department. Chief Clabo’s reply
each time asked was that he supported anything that benefited the citizens of Pigeon
Forge. Chief Clabo agrees that it is time to phase in a career chief and supports that
action. He also understands that his role will be key to that process happening. The
changeover period will only go smooth if Chief Clabo and Chief Whaley make it happen.
Even after the new chief is hired and takes over the leadership role, he/she will still
need the support and assistance from Chief Clabo and Chief Whaley.
In summary, this can be an exciting and successful change for all of the present
members. The encouragement of the present leadership will make it a smooth change.
Recommendations
1. It is imperative that the city select a Fire Chief (Operations Manager) to operate the fire
department that is qualified, progressive, educated, experienced, knowledgeable, and a
visionary manager. It is also important to give that person the authority and backing to
operate and lead this department into the future.
2. The process used in selecting a fire chief should include a state-wide search and involve
an “assessment center” process that measures the overall potential of the candidate.
3. The fire chief should already have or be able to obtain fire officer II certification within two
years after becoming fire chief.
4. The fire chief should have a college degree or have ambition to obtain the degree in the
near future.
5. The fire chief should have a good background in fire, EMS, rescue and emergency
management as well as good communication and management skills.
SECTION 2 – FIRE DEPARTMENT RESOURCES
The operation of a fire department is always limited by the number, type, and
performance of resources that it has. These resources include three basic components:
1) Manpower Resources
2) Apparatus and Equipment Resources
3) Facility Resources
The preferred amount of these resources is primarily determined by two factors. First,
what the community needs. With every community being different, every community has
different needs or different levels for service. Conducting risk assessments of the fire
department response area and prioritizing potential problems that could result in
harming people is the first step to establishing the need for services. This risk
assessment is not a one-time procedure; it is a continuing process that must be done on
a regular basis and overseen by the fire chief as well as city management. Every
community is different and is always changing. Things like installing fire sprinklers in
11
buildings reduce community risk whereas the construction of a hazardous materials
facility in a community increases risk. It must also be considered that all three types of
resources are connected and when increasing or decreasing one resource,
consideration for increasing or decreasing the other two must be reviewed.
Secondly, the amount of resources preferred depends on the willingness of customers
to pay for the service. If customers, in this case the taxpayers, are not willing to pay for
the service it will be impossible to provide the service. Sometimes other sources of
funding such as grants can be utilized to initially provide service but after funding is
depleted, the service will also diminish. In basic terms, customers get what they are
willing to pay for.
This sounds a lot like running a business, and yes it is a business and the citizens and
visitors to the community are the customers. It is evident that resources alone cannot
make a fire department successful. The most successful fire departments count on
educated business leaders to manage their departments. The fire department business
manager is the fire chief and he/she is responsible for the success or failure of the
business. The success of the fire department is primarily determined by how the public
perceives the fire department. This includes successful and unsuccessful emergency
operations, media events, how the fire department is perceived as truly caring for the
community and a countless number of other sources.
Recommendations
1. The fire department should operate as a business and make changes in the business in
response to changes in the business cycle.
2. The fire chief should be held accountable for the entire success or failure of the fire
department.
3. The fire department should identify community needs and conduct risk assessments.
4. The fire department should apply for all available grants as they become eligible. At the
minimum, this should include the three FEMA Grants: 1) Assistance to Firefighters Grant
(AFG), 2) SAFER Grant, and 3) Fire Prevention Grant.
Manpower Resources
Today, the fire department roster shows 33 members although it is apparent that a large
percentage of the volunteers are not active. The activity reports from December 2004 to
May 2005 show that the overall average response for fire calls is 21% or 6.9 people per
fire. This drop in response has been consistent over the past couple of years. Overall
averages for the same period on attendance to drills indicate that each person averages
only 13 drills per the semi-annual report out of a possible 25 or approximately 52% of
drills. To sum it up, manpower resources are inadequate and not what is required by
national standards of fire departments protecting cities of this size.
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Manpower resources are certainly the most valuable resource of the fire department. It
will make up for the highest financial burden in any career fire department budget.
Salaries are only the first part; benefits are usually an additional 30 to 50% added costs
to the salaries. This is already true for the Pigeon Forge Fire Department and must be
considered when hiring more people. Salaries and benefits are 63% of the fire
department’s budget with only four employees.
Present Volunteer Positions
Department:
Position/Rank
Inspector
Firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighter
City of Pigeon Forge
Name
Roger Price
John Brackins
Chris Knutsen
Chad Ross
Paid / Vol
Paid
Paid
Paid
Paid
M/F
M
M
M
M
1/1/2006
Chief
Ast. Chief
Captain
Captain
Lieutenant
Lieutenant
Denny Clabo
Ronnie Whaley
Rodger Brackins
Dwight Large
Scott Large
Tony Watson
Volunteer
Volunteer
Volunteer
Volunteer
Volunteer
Volunteer
Firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighter
Bill Huskey
Jim Brackins
Howard Reagan
Ernie Burkett
David Walker
Roger Ogle
James Lafollette
Keith Shults
Robert Chipley
Jimmy Bohanan
Joe Galyon
Dennis Hurst
Bobby Braden
Jason LaFollette
David Wear
Andy Latham
Sammy Loveday
Jerry Inglett
Reece White
Joe Brackins
Josh Carr
Rick Valentine
Randy Loveday
Volunteer
Volunteer
Volunteer
Volunteer
Volunteer
Volunteer
Volunteer
Volunteer
Volunteer
Volunteer
Volunteer
Volunteer
Volunteer
Volunteer
Volunteer
Volunteer
Volunteer
Volunteer
Volunteer
Volunteer
Volunteer
Volunteer
Volunteer
Date Started
Years
12/15/2003
12/15/2003
12/15/2003
2
2
2
M
M
M
M
M
M
12/7/1970
5/22/1969
5/8/1976
8/1/1996
10/1/1998
5/2/1991
35
36
29
9
7
14
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
7/7/1975
3/1/1984
7/3/1986
7/3/1986
9/20/1990
9/20/1990
1/3/1991
6/13/1991
11/5/1992
4/1/1993
10/7/1993
1/5/1995
4/6/1995
8/1/1996
10/3/1996
11/6/1997
10/1/1998
8/2/2001
6/13/2002
7/11/2002
9/18/2003
5/7/2005
8/4/2005
30
21
19
19
16
16
16
15
14
13
13
11
10
9
9
8
7
5
4
4
2
1
1
The above list includes a total of 33 firefighters but approved positions include 40
volunteers and 4 career personnel. It should also be noted that several of the people
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listed above have significant health problems including previous heart attacks and other
serious medical history. Several of the firefighters also are unable to effectively fight fire
due to their physical conditions. A significant number of these people also are not active
enough to be classified as a firefighter for the purpose of the ISO requirements.
To efficiently operate a modern fire department, a minimum number of people are
required. This minimum number depends on both national standards and common
sense. Fire department operations are broken down into manageable parts with a
certain number of people required to perform each operation. Staffing these positions
can be achieved by utilizing either career, part-time, or volunteer personnel.
In practical terms, utilizing the process of breaking down job functions, it was
determined that a total of 15 additional firefighters are needed to efficiently and
effectively operate the Pigeon Forge Fire Department at the next level. This theory is
based on firefighters working a 24/48 hour shift utilizing three shifts. This will place a
total of six people on each shift and should be sufficient staffing by using automatic
recall on all working structure fires and by counting heavily on the existing volunteer
program. Here is how it works, two firefighters are assigned to the first out engine and
they maintain that position throughout the entire shift. Two additional firefighters are
assigned to the second due engine but will have the flexibility to also respond with the
rescue truck when needed on vehicle extrications. The last two personnel, who will
include the shift supervisor, will respond on all medical first response calls in a
squad/command vehicle. During a fire alarm call, the firefighter will respond with the
ladder truck and the supervisor will respond in the command vehicle. This is one way
that it will work; additional options include running a dedicated squad with one engine
staffed with two people and the second due staffed with only one or one career and one
or more volunteers. Regardless of how it is decided, all three shifts should operate
under one policy and protocols should be developed to insure the same response each
time.
The transition of a fire department from a volunteer to a career service is very hard.
Many times, feelings are hurt from where some people fight the change and others
welcome it to happen. Regardless, this evolving progress must occur for the fire
department to stay in business. Present volunteer members must realize that change is
necessary but their presence is still important and very much needed. The changeover
process is also a long process and volunteers must continue working so the transfer is
smooth. Volunteers should be given a higher consideration to become career members
but must meet minimum standards as do others from outside of the organization. For
those people who cannot meet the requirements or those who are in situations where
they wish to remain a volunteer, a volunteer staff of personnel will continue to be
needed. It is expected that the Pigeon Forge Fire Department will always need and
utilize volunteer forces.
In summary, without dependable manpower this department will continue to have
insufficient and unacceptable response to emergency calls.
14
Recommendations
1. Volunteer firefighters should meet minimum requirements to maintain active status. These
requirements should include attendance to 80% of the drills and meetings, attend a
minimum of 4 hours of training monthly, and respond to 70% of the actual working
structure fires. These are the minimum requirements under the ISO standards.
2. A mandatory volunteer standby program should be implemented for volunteer firefighters
to increase interest and qualify them to compete for full-time positions when they become
available.
3. The City of Pigeon Forge should hire 15 additional firefighters over the next twelve months
but only after hiring a full-time fire chief and training officer.
4. Volunteer firefighters will continue to be needed and vital to the operation of the fire
department. The new full-time fire chief must evaluate present incentives and make
adjustments to maintain necessary staffing levels.
5. Reduce the volunteer staffing levels from 40 to 25 as new career firefighters are hired. It is
anticipated that several of the existing volunteer members will be hired so this number
should decrease on its own. Less than 20 active members are on the list presently.
6. In accordance with OSHA and the city’s liability insurance carrier, all members including
volunteers should be given physicals and certified as “fit for duty. ”
Full-Time Equivalents (FTE’s) & Minimum Staffing Standards
In order to have the minimum number of employees to perform work in the fire
department, we should review what is called “Full-Time Equivalent” (FTE) employees.
FTE’s are the number of positions that are filled for full-time duties after employee leave
benefits have been deducted. FTE’s are the number of staff positions actually on the
job. Pigeon Forge Fire Department has a total of 3 career firefighter positions and 1 fire
inspector. This is calculated by evaluating both administrative (40 hours per week)
personnel and suppression (24/48 hour schedule) personnel separately.
In Pigeon Forge, the average FTE per estimated1,000 population (actual - not adjusted
population) is 0.79 people. According to the ongoing MTAS Benchmarking Project –
2005 statistics for small cities, the average FTE per 1,000 population is 1.75 people.
This 1.75 figure is Tennessee small fire department averages not meeting the
requirements of NFPA 1710. Fire departments meeting this standard have an average
of 2.02 to 2.17 FTE’s per 1,000 population. The benchmarking statistical comparisons
are listed later in this report. This means that 9 FTE’s are needed without any
adjustment to the population. Adjustments to the population will dramatically increase
the number to beyond 30 FTE’s. Utilizing this information along with job operational
duties also justifies the need to have six firefighters on each shift or a total of 18
suppression staff.
15
Regardless of FTE’s, a minimum number of people are required to operate the fire
department on a daily basis. Every fire department is required by ISO to have a
“Minimum Staffing Standard.” Pigeon Forge’s minimum staffing standard should be set
at 5 FTE’s per shift. Guidelines for minimum staffing are based on operational
procedures and are set by the fire department. Some fire departments have policies that
utilize a minimum of two people per apparatus, but national standards (NFPA 1710)
require a minimum of four people per fire engine or ladder company. Most fire
departments cannot financially meet this requirement and follow the basic rule of having
15 to 18 firefighters on the scene within 8 minutes of the initial call.
Ideally, Pigeon Forge should have 6 people on a shift with part-time staff available to fill
in for people off duty due to holiday or vacation leave. As already reported, the average
response for the Pigeon Forge Fire Department is 7 people per structure call. Six fulltime people are needed per shift because ISO requires a minimum of 13 people per
structure fire call.
Recommendations
1. Increase the FTE’s to a minimum level by adding five additional firefighters per shift. This
would bring normal staffing to six per shift. Increased FTE’s should allow the department
to meet minimum standards.
2. The fire department should work toward adding additional personnel gradually over the
next five to seven years to eventually meet the NFPA 1710 standard of four personnel per
engine and ladder company.
Apparatus and Equipment Resources
Apparatus and equipment resources are considered the second most valuable resource
of the fire department. Fire apparatus used by the Pigeon Forge Fire Department
includes 10 fire apparatus and 4 staff vehicles. Specialized equipment includes
hazardous materials response equipment, three thermal imager cameras, and hydraulic
rescue tools, just to name a few. NFPA 1901 – Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus,
2003 edition, is the nationally recognized standard for fire apparatus specifications.
Equipment
Equipment is defined as the physical resources carried on fire apparatus and used by
firefighters. Equipment should be replaced when its reliability becomes questionable or
when technological improvements make it clearly obsolete. Personnel safety, public
safety, and customer service should be the major considerations in equipment
purchases. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department should strive to provide the very best in
firefighting equipment as it plays a key role in firefighter effectiveness and safety. This
equipment should be purchased on an ongoing basis through the department's
operating equipment replacement budget.
16
All Pigeon Forge fire apparatus was evaluated to determine compliance with equipment
and the NFPA standard. It appeared that each apparatus had insufficient equipment. An
assessment should be made to determine shortages in equipment, determine cost to
replace equipment, and budget for necessary equipment and supplies. The department
needs a policy on equipment placement on fire apparatus as well as a good inventory of
each. It is imperative that the fire departments keep all apparatus equipment up to
NFPA standards. A basic review of the apparatus and inventory sheets was conducted
to determine the following information:
MINIMUM ENGINE COMPANY INVENTORY LIST
MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR ISO AND NFPA 1901
Department: City of Pigeon Forge
Engine
Tank Size:
Station Assigned: 1
Item
Booster Tank minimum 300 gallons
Booster Hose (feet)
2.5" or Larger Hose up to 800'
1.75" Hose (feet)
Spare 2.5" Hose (feet)
Master Stream Device
Gallons Foam on truck
Gallons Foam in reserve
1.5" or 1.75" combination nozzle
2.5' Solid Stream Nozzle
2.5" Combination Nozzle
1.5" minimum foam nozzle
SCBA units
Spare SCBA bottles
24' extension ladder
12' or 14' roof ladder
Mobile Radio
Portable Radio
Burst Hose Jacket
Distributor Nozzle
Hose Clamp
2.5" to 1.5 Gated Wye
Salvage Covers
2.5" Hydrant Valve
Hand Lights
Attic ladder
Wheel Chocks
6 lb Mounted Flat Head Axe
6 lb Mounted Pick Head Axe
6' Pike Pole Mounted
8' Pike Pole Mounted
80 B:C Dry Chemical Extinguisher
2.5 Gallon PW Can
Pump Size:
Required
1
200
1,200
600
200
1
10
15
2
2
2
1
4
4
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
2
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
#1
750
750
Onboard
#2
750
1000
Onboard
#5
1000
1250
Onboard
#7
1000
1250
Onboard
#10
750
1250
Onboard
330
330
330
212
212
212
2000
1522
1600
575
330
330
300
212
212
200
70
70
17
First Aid Kit
Mounted Spanner Wrenches
Mounted Hydrants Wrenches
2.5" Double Females
2.5" Double Males
Rubber Mallet
1
4
2
2
2
1
$4,509
$2,912
$542
$542
$542
The combined total of all needed equipment above for engine companies is equal to
$9,047. This should bring all apparatus into compliance with ISO and NFPA 1901
required equipment.
MINIMUM LADDER COMPANY INVENTORY LIST
ADDITIONAL MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR ISO AND NFPA 1901
Department: City of Pigeon Forge Fire Department
Engine #: Tower 8
Station Assigned: 1
Item
EQUIPMENT NEEDED FOR A SERVICE COMPANY
Large spray nozzle ( 500 gpm minimum)
SCBA equipment ( 30 minute minimum)
Extra cylinders (carried)
Salvage covers (12 ft x 18 ft)
Electric generator ( 2500 watt)
Floodlight (500 watt)
Smoke Ejector
Oxyacetylene cutting unit
Power saw
Handlight (4 v wet or 6 v dry)
Hose roller (equipment Hoist)
Pike Pole (plaster hook): 6 foot
Radio: Mounted
Radio: Portable
Ladder: 10 ft collapsible
Ladder: 14 ft extension
ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT FOR LADDER COMPANY
16 ' Roof ladder
20' Roof Ladder
28' Roof Ladder
35' Extension ladder
40' Extension Ladder
Elevated Stream Device
Aerial ladder/elevating platform
Tank Size:
Pump Size:
Required
250
1550
Onboard
1
6
6
10
1
3
1
1
1
4
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
$$$
$ 930.00
$1,800.00
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Totals
$2,730.00
18
The total of all needed equipment above for an aerial ladder company is equal to
$2,730. A total of $11,777 should be spent to bring all apparatus into compliance with
ISO and NFPA 1901 required equipment.
It was obvious that daily checkoffs on all vehicles were not being conducted. All
apparatus should checkoff daily for equipment accountability and reliability reasons. The
equipment is essential to saving lives and performing as a firefighter or apparatus
operator.
Recommendations
1. Equipment replacement should be planned and purchased through an ongoing equipment
replacement program.
2. All fire apparatus with insufficient equipment must be provided with the minimum
equipment as required by NFPA 1901 and ISO. A total of $11,777 should be budgeted to
cover this expense.
3. Develop a written policy on the placement of equipment on each apparatus for as much
uniformity of placement as possible. The policy should also address a procedure for
reporting missing equipment.
4. Conduct daily or weekly inventories of apparatus using a standard inventory form to track
required equipment. Records should be kept on regular checks for at least three years.
5. Fire department personnel should be familiar with the equipment locations on every
apparatus. Training and drills should be conducted for all drivers and firefighters on
equipment locations.
Fire Apparatus
One of the most important capital assets of a municipal fire department is a fleet of
dependable fire apparatus. Firefighters depend heavily on the performance capabilities
of these vehicles when delivering emergency services to protect life, property, and the
environment. If these services are to be provided without interruption, fire apparatus
must be maintained in excellent operating condition. When adequate performance
levels can no longer be certain, they should be replaced promptly. The key to
determining vehicle replacement requires planning and making arrangements before
the apparatus wears out or fails.
Pigeon Forge’s first line fire engine fleet has an average age of 18 years old (1987)
where the first line age for the ladder apparatus is 16 years (1989). This being the case,
it is important that careful planning begin immediately and a replacement program
established. A recommendation is listed later in this report. As seen in the chart below,
Pigeon Forge’s first line engine total pump capacity is 5,500 gpm and the ladder
apparatus total pump capacity is 1,550 gpm.
19
Pigeon Forge Apparatus Resources
Unit
No.
Apparatus Type &
Description
1
Fire Engine
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Fire Engine
Light Rescue
Fire Tanker
Fire Engine
Personnel Support
Fire Engine
Tower / Platform
Tanker – Out of Service
Fire Engine
First-Aid Trailer
Technical Rescue Trailer
Make
Model
Year
Pump
Tank
American
LaFrance
American
LaFrance
Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Ford
Chevrolet
Pierce
LTI
Cab Over
Ford
1968
750
750
1976
1986
1982
1987
1999
2002
1989
1,000
250
250
1,250
N/A
1,250
1,550
1,250
1,250
N/A
N/A
750
250
1,500
1,000
N/A
1,000
250
1,000
750
N/A
N/A
8,800
7,250
3-D
Pace
Unkn
Custom
Scottsdale
8000
Suburban
Contender
Baron
Gladiator
Total .
Average .
Unit
No.
1
2
3
4
Staff Vehicles
Fire Chief
Asst Fire Chief
Fire Inspector
Former Administrator
Make
Ford
Ford
Ford
Ford
Model
Bronco
Pickup
Pickup
1997
1992
1987
Year
1998
1994
2002
2001
Miles
21,000
11,356
18,898
22,944
41,175
11,958
6,191
16,602
57,337
N/A
N/A
Condition
Station
Poor
1
$150,000
Poor
Fair
Good
Good
Good
Excellent
Good
Good
Excellent
Excellent
Excellent
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
$150,000
$65,000
$125,000
$150,000
$45,000
$225,000
$800,000
$350,000
$325,000
$2,385,000
23,051
Miles
Unkn
Unkn
72,000
20,000
Replacement
Cost
Condition
Good
Annual Cost
Good
Poor
Good
Excell
A study of annual mileage on each apparatus and the cost per mile was not conducted
although mileage should be tracked by the fire department to predict future replacement
intervals. As can be seen on the chart, several of the apparatus are starting to get some
age although on average the vehicles all have low mileage. The estimated value of all
vehicles and apparatus is approximately 2.4 million dollars.
Pigeon Forge Apparatus Photos
20
21
22
Apparatus Replacement
Fire apparatus replacement should be a carefully planned process that is conducted at
regular intervals. The cost involved with the purchase of a single fire apparatus may
appear small when compared to the need to purchase multiple units during a single
fiscal year. This would place a severe financial burden on the fund balance of any
municipality regardless of size.
According to recent research, the life span of fire pumpers subjected to moderate and
heavy use was estimated at 10 to 15 years, while the life span of aerial ladders
subjected to light and moderate use was estimated at 15 to 20 years. Conversely, the
life span of fire apparatus subjected to very light use was estimated at 20 years,
whereas the life span of fire apparatus subjected to extremely heavy use was estimated
at less than 10 years. Replacement intervals should be based on the estimated effects
of variables such as age, use, and maintenance costs on the useful life span of fire
apparatus as well as account for the time required to prepare bid specifications, conduct
bid processes, and construct and deliver apparatus.
23
NFPA 1901 – Standard For Automotive Fire Apparatus, 2003 edition, annex D:
“To maximize fire fighter capabilities and minimize risk of injuries, it is important that fire apparatus be
equipped with the latest safety features and operating capabilities. In the last 10 to 15 years, much
progress has been made in upgrading functional capabilities and improving the safety features of fire
apparatus. Apparatus built prior to 1991 might have few of the safety upgrades required by the 1991 and
subsequent editions of the NFPA fire department apparatus standards. Because the changes, upgrades,
and fine tuning to NFPA 1901 since 1991 have been truly significant, especially in the area of safety, fire
departments should seriously consider the value (or risk) to firefighters by keeping pre-1991 fire
apparatus in first-line service.”
“It is recommended that apparatus built to meet the 1979 or 1985 edition of NFPA 1901 be placed in
reserve status and upgraded to incorporate as many features of the post-1991 fire apparatus as possible.
Apparatus not built to NFPA apparatus standards or manufactured prior to 1979 (over 26 years old)
should be considered for upgrading or replacement.”
“It is a generally accepted fact that fire apparatus, like all types of mechanical devices, have a finite life.
How long that is depends on many factors. Some of those factors are mileage, quality of the preventative
maintenance program, quality of the driver training program and rules enforcement, quality of the original
builder and components, availability of parts, and custom or commercial chassis to name a few. In the fire
service, there are fire apparatus with 8 to 10 years of service that are just plain worn out. There are also
fire apparatus that were built with quality components, that had excellent maintenance, and that have
responded to a minimum number of runs that are still serviceable after 20 years. Most would agree that
the quality and timeliness of maintenance are perhaps the most significant factors in determining how well
a fire apparatus ages.”
The Pigeon Forge Fire Department presently has a reputable fleet of first-line apparatus
although a question has been raised about the replacement of a truck to pull the 8,000
gallon tanker that the fire department presently owns. The previous truck became
inoperative after serious mechanical problems in the previous budget year. Obviously
the apparatus wasn’t used very often and according to information from department
members was a piece of equipment that only a few people could even drive. Inside the
city limits, adequate water supplies seem to be available although almost no water
supplies are available outside the city limits. This truck and water tanker is very much
needed in those areas outside the city but to justify the purchase a replacement truck
will require two things. Number one, several members on each shift will need to be
licensed and qualified to drive the truck and secondly, it will need to respond to all calls
outside the city limits or where water supplies are inadequate.
This tanker apparatus is quite valuable to the community and could easily result in
immediate insurance savings to certain areas if actually used. ISO will issue a class 8A
rating to areas without a water supply if the fire station is within five road miles and can
provide 4,000 gallons on a tanker for first alarm response. This could result in significant
savings for homeowners in these areas and actually benefit the city in future
annexations before water services are installed. The key to this is the actual response
of the apparatus.
In summary, to comply NFPA, at least one engine should be replaced and at least one
other engine placed in reserve status. The city should consider the purchase of a truck
to pull the 8,000 gallon tanker if they are interested in lowering the ISO rating outside of
the city limits and in areas where there are inadequate water supplies.
24
Recommendations
1. Fire apparatus replacement should be a carefully planned process that is conducted at
regular intervals utilizing a fire apparatus replacement program.
2. In accordance with NFPA standards, at least one fire engine should be replaced and at
least one other engine placed in reserve status. Refer to the proposed apparatus
replacement program later in this report.
3. The fire department should track annual mileage and costs per mile to predict future
replacement intervals. The fire chief should present an annual report on the condition of
all fire apparatus and vehicles. This report should be included with the fire department’s
five year strategic plan presented each year during the budget planning process.
4. The city should consider the purchase of a truck to pull the 8,000 gallon tanker if the city is
interested in lowering the ISO rating outside of the city limits. The area has a present
rating of class 9 and this could be lowered to a class 8A rating if the department responds
to all structure fires in that area with a minimum of 4,000 gallons of water. This apparatus
could also help in areas inside the city where water supplies are inadequate. The truck
must respond to all fire alarms in these areas to get this credit.
Specialized Equipment
Specialized equipment includes technical gear that acts as personal protective
equipment or equipment used to save lives. Progressive fire departments today rely on
many sophisticated devices to save lives; one being the use of Thermal Imaging
Camera’s (TIC’s). The cameras were first used in the fire service to assist in searching
for victims in smoke filled rooms. Today, fire departments have found many other uses,
like checking the body temperature of a firefighter in rehab or locating any hot spots that
might rekindle after a fire is extinguished. The policy of most fire departments is to be
able to have one TIC on the initial rescue efforts of a working fire. This is why it is
important for fire departments to have more than one camera. The Pigeon Forge Fire
Department has a total of three TIC’s that are kept in three different locations. Ideally,
every first out engine should have a TIC as basic equipment although in Pigeon Forge
Engine 7 has one TIC, another one is on Engine 10, and the third TIC is located in the
fire station. My opinion is that all three TIC’s should be on responding vehicles so they
can be utilized on an emergency scene. The third camera should probably be put in the
shift officer’s vehicle in the future so it is available for use on calls.
The Pigeon Forge Fire Department has a medical first responder program and carries
both medical equipment and Automatic External Defibrillators (AED’s). Where
paramedics are available, they carry advanced equipment and drugs used to save lives.
The second reason for the EMS first responder program and probably the most
important to firefighters is being able to save another firefighter when something goes
wrong. The fire service is a very dangerous field and each year firefighters die on
emergency scenes. It is absolutely necessary that medical equipment and AED’s be
available for this reason on every emergency scene. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department
carries medical equipment and has 6 AED’s, a cardiac monitor/defibrillator, 14 medical
jump bags, 18 oxygen bottles, and a pulse/oxygen meter.
25
The Pigeon Forge Fire Department has specialized hydraulic rescue tools for primary
use in vehicle extrication but can also be used in many other rescue applications. The
fire department is primarily responsible for vehicle extrication in the City of Pigeon
Forge. The equipment consists of a spreader, two combination tools, two cutters, two
sets of air bags, and three power supplies. Pigeon Forge Fire Department has a
maintenance program implemented and testing performed as required by the
manufacturer. Records of this maintenance should be kept on file in the fire chief’s
office.
In accordance with ISO, each fire engine must carry a minimum of four Self-Contained
Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) and four spare bottles. For the Pigeon Forge Fire
Department, this is a minimum of 28 SCBA and spare bottles. The department has the
required SCBA on each apparatus and 8 spare SCBA in storage. The department has a
total reserve inventory of 108 SCBA spare bottles. A total of 25 of the SCBA units also
are equipped with voice amplifiers. Breathing air quality testing and fit testing has been
conducted as required. Documentation is mandatory to prove that the required
maintenance is being conducted. Chad Ross has taken on the responsibility for
assuring that annual fit testing and SCBA is being conducted. According to Chad,
everyone is up-to-date and the department has adopted a written respiratory program
that meets all OSHA standards. Sampson Industrial, a private company out of
Chattanooga has contracted to perform these tests in the past.
The Pigeon Forge Fire Department uses both class A and B foam and carries a
minimum of 10 gallons on every engine. All spare foam is stored in the station and they
have a stockpile of 76 5-gallon pales of foam. The department also has a stock pile of
absorbent and booms to be used in hazardous material incidents. Due to previous
incidents where this equipment was needed, the department has prepared itself for any
such incidents in the future.
Most of the turnout gear currently used meets NFPA standards although there is some
gear 12 to 15 years old that is still being used. The department has tried to replace 3 to
5 sets annually in its replacement program. All new gear purchased is the new
lightweight type which is presently recommended to be used. Hiring additional
firefighters will mean a significant cost in fitting them in turnout gear. Basically, turnout
gear must be sized to fit each person. The gear assemblage includes a helmet, carbon
hood, jacket, pants, boots, gloves, goggles, flashlight, SCBA fitted mask, various hand
tools, and safety equipment. The cost of this equipment will be between $1,500 and
$2,000 per person.
Ground ladders are included on all fire engines as well as a full accompaniment on the
aerial apparatus. These ground ladders are required to be maintained and tested on a
routine basis each year. According to fire department staff, all ground ladders were last
tested early in 2005 as required. This testing was conducted by an outside contractor
and records are available at the fire station.
26
Qty.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
8
74
23
11
35
26
15
34
1
18
65
40
Apparatus Type & Description
Thermal Imaging Camera
Cardiac Monitor / A.E.D.
A.E.D.
A.E.D.
A.E.D.
A.E.D.
A.E.D.
A.E.D.
S.C.B.A.
S.C.B.A. Bottles
S.C.B.A. Bottles
S.C.B.A. Bottles
Class B Foam AFFF (5-Gallon)
Class A Foam (5-Gallon)
Class A Foam (5-Gallon)
1.75" x 50' Double Jacket Fire
Hose
2.5" x 50' Double Jacket Fire Hose
3" x 50' Double Jacket Fire Hose
5” x 100’ Large Diameter Hose
3” x 50’ Supply Hose
Make
MSA
MSA
MSA
Zoll
Phillips
Phillips
Phillips
Phillips
Phillips
Phillips
Scott
Luxfer
Luxfer
Luxfer
Tridol ATF
FireAde
F-500
Model
Evolution 5000
Evolution 5000
Evolution 4000
1600
Heartstart
Heartstart
Heartstart
Heartstart
FR2
Heartstart
Fifty
Aluminum
Carbon
Featherlite
AFFF Class B
Class A
Class A
Condition
Excellent
Excellent
Good
Good
Excellent
Excellent
Excellent
Excellent
Good
Excellent
Good
Good
Good
Good
Excellent
Excellent
Excellent
Angus
Ultima
Ultima
Double Jacket
Double Jacket
Double Jacket
Vinyl
Double Jacket
Good
Good
Good
Good
Good
Recommendations
1. Ideally, the two first due engines as well as the shift supervisor’s vehicle should have a
Thermal Imaging Camera (TIC) as basic equipment. A maintenance check should be
conducted on each TIC at least weekly with proper documentation maintained about the
maintenance program.
2. As required by NFPA standards and the manufacturer, hydraulic rescue tools should
continue to be tested annually. Records should be kept on file documenting the
3. Fire Department SCBA is required to be tested annually with proper documentation on file.
Air quality testing and fit testing is also required. A written respiratory plan that meets
recent OSHA updated requirements should be developed and implemented as part of the
department’s policies. Annual fit testing and medical questionnaires must be conducted
on all members annually.
4. The present plan to replace a portion of turnout gear each year should continue. As new
employees are hired, gear will need to be ordered to properly fit the new firefighters. An
inventory should be maintained of all equipment issued.
5. Ground ladders should continue to be tested as required by NFPA and the manufacturer.
27
Hose Testing and Apparatus Testing
All fire hose, including both supply and attack hose are required to be tested annually
and in accordance with NFPA 1962. For maximum credit with ISO the average interval
between the three most recent tests must be one year.
The Pigeon Forge Fire Department had no records of any previous hose tests although
they did conduct some hose testing in 2005. According to the firefighters, all hoses were
tested except for the Large Diameter (LDH) fire hose, but no records or documentation
exists. Without proper documentation, no previous hose tests, and not having tested all
of the hoses as required, the department can expect to loose major credit on its next
ISO inspection in this area.
All fire apparatus are provided with an acceptance test when originally purchased and
are required to be tested annually in accordance with NFPA 1901. The Pigeon Forge
aerial ladder truck had been previously tested and serviced by the Rural Metro Fleet
Maintenance Garage and another private contractor/vendor. The Pigeon Forge Fire
Department has had the ladder tested each year as required and the last test was in
early 2005. The records are kept on file in the fire station and aerial ladder testing is in
compliance with these standards.
The annual pumper test is also required for all apparatus having a pump with a capacity
over 250 gpm, although the actual reason to test apparatus is to ensure the apparatus
will actually perform during a real fire. According to ISO, a key word to remember is
testing it every 12 months or less, not every year. If it is more than 12 months, the
department can lose points on the ISO rating. If the unit is overweight, the department
should expect to lose another 2 to 4% credit. When the department buys a new ladder
truck or a used pumper, you will not get full credit for the fully equipped apparatus. The
department needs three years of test records for full credit.
The Pigeon Forge Fire Department generally conducts pumper testing in-house. The
pump test is similar to the Pumper Certification Test except that the duration of pumping
is reduced to 20 minutes at 150 psi, 10 minutes at 200 psi and 10 minutes at 250 psi.
The overload pump test is not necessary. Records indicate that no pump tests have
been conducted since October 2004, and the department is not in compliance as
required by ISO and NFPA. Pumper service tests are required and records must be
kept for at least the past three years and available for review.
In summary, the Pigeon Forge Fire Department equipment and apparatus requires
constant maintenance and attention. This is not happening at the present time and is a
liability on the ISO rating as well as a safety issue in the department. The Pigeon Forge
Fire Department has good equipment and it is sufficient for the most part although
equipment maintenance doesn’t seem to be a priority. Having spent time studying the
Pigeon Forge Fire Department over the past several months, I feel the volunteers just
don’t have time to think about these issues. They are so busy trying to answer
emergency calls to worry with many of these issues. This does present a serious safety
issue and can be corrected by hiring the needed additional career staff.
28
Recommendations
1. Annual hose testing is a requirement in all departments regardless of size or type. If no
records exist, then the testing did not occur. All hoses should be inventoried and
numbered as well as tested annually as specified in NFPA 1962. As a minimum, three
years of hose test records should be kept on file.
2. The aerial ladder must be maintained and tested annually as required by NFPA 1901. Even
though the aerial truck is presently in compliance, attention must be kept to assure this
testing is done every 12 months. The aerial truck should have a file at the fire station with
all service and testing records enclosed.
3. All fire engines with a pump capacity over 250 gpm must be tested annually in accordance
with NFPA 1901. Records must be kept on file for a minimum of three years. Each
apparatus should have a file at the fire station with all service and testing records
enclosed.
Facility Resources
Facilities are the final of the three primary resources and in Pigeon Forge it includes a
single fire station located at 225 Pine Mountain Road. The station was built in 1991 and
includes a four bay drive through apparatus garage, kitchen facilities, sleeping quarters,
day room, offices, and a training classroom.
According to ISO, a city has the adequate number of fire stations if they average 4.7
square miles per fire station and are properly located in respect to response
requirements. However, ISO does not rate fire stations on the number of square miles
they serve but rather on where they are located in respect to each other. Pigeon Forge
has a total of 12.46 square miles inside the city and 22.75 additional square miles in
their response areas outside the city limits. Just considering the area inside the city
limits, as a minimum, the city should presently have three fire stations.
The overall condition of the Pigeon Forge fire station is considered to be in excellent
condition and provides adequate coverage for the area it serves. All appliances were
reported as working and adequate. The department recently purchased a new kitchen
stove and when firefighters start living here full-time some additional appliances may be
needed or replaced. The station has a dishwasher and should be used for sanitary
reasons. Many times germs are passed from one firefighter to another simply because
dishes are not sanitized as they should be. To promote health in the fire station, a policy
requiring the use of the dishwasher should be adopted.
The department had previously turned its bunk room into a fitness area and presently
there is no room for sleeping quarters. This will need to be converted back to sleeping
quarters as more people are hired. There are also no accommodations for female
firefighters in the station. This will need to be addressed at some point as the
department will probably have female firefighters as well. The department does however
share the living quarter’s area with the County EMS crew and they have both male and
female sleeping quarters as well as a private garage area.
29
When firefighters spend the night at a station additional safety requirements should be
followed. All fire station bedrooms or hallways leading to bedrooms should have CO
detectors for the safety of firefighters. Smoke detectors should be in every bedroom as
well as hallways leading to bedrooms as required by code. Detectors should be tested
on a regular basis with documentation as required by all commercial occupancies
having sleeping facilities.
Recommendations
1. General and routine maintenance is constantly needed at fire stations to maintain facilities
properly. Firefighters should be able to handle most of the routine maintenance.
2. All fire station bedrooms or hallways leading to bedrooms should have CO detectors for
the safety of firefighters. Smoke detectors should be in every bedroom as well as hallways
leading to bedrooms as required by code. Detectors should be tested on a regular basis
with documentation as required by all commercial occupancies having sleeping facilities.
3. Residential dishwashers should be considered for each station for sanitary reasons. Fire
stations only need dishwashers if they are going to be used; and if dishwashers are
placed into stations, a policy for their use must follow.
4. The existing fitness room will need to be converted back to a male bunk room. Additional
considerations for sleeping arrangements will need to be made when female firefighters
are hired.
Review of Fire Station Locations
For maximum credit with ISO, all sections of the city should be within 1½ miles of an
adequately equipped engine company and 2½ miles within an adequately equipped
ladder, service, engine-ladder, or engine-service company, the distance to be measured
along all-weather roads. The more structures located within these distances will result in
a higher score. This ISO requirement makes it important to spread apparatus and
stations throughout the city. Unless there is a building requiring a high fire flow, it is
most financially economical to only have one engine company in each station.
According to ISO, any structure within five miles of a responding fire station and within
1,000 feet of a fire hydrant is eligible to receive the same class rating as the responding
fire department. The city is either evaluated as a combined area rating or as a split
rating depending on the logical layout of hydrants within the response area. Very few
hydrants are located outside the city so this means that the city will either receive a split
rating for the entire area or the area inside the city will need to be rated separately.
Plans have already been made to expand coverage of the fire department by adding at
least two more fire stations in the future. Property was purchased based on an
anticipated growth area; and through a comprehensive evaluation of these locations
using GIS mapping, it was determined that the locations are correct and appropriate for
the circumstances in Pigeon Forge. The first new fire station is anticipated to be
constructed on the property purchased on Wears Valley Road with the second station
being constructed on the property purchased off of Middle Creek Road.
30
The analysis of the GIS maps shows the 1.5 mile engine company response area and
the 2.5 mile ladder company response area as well as the city limits. According to this
information the city has approximately 12.48 square miles. The 1.5 mile engine
company response area is measured by road miles and includes an area of 2.86 square
miles or equivalent to approximately 23% of the city. In accordance with ISO engine
company distribution guidelines, 90% of the built upon area within the district should be
covered within an engine company response area.
Likewise the 2.5 mile
ladder company response
area is measured by road
miles and includes an area
of 8.65 square miles or
equivalent to approximately
70% of the city. This type
of coverage could be
somewhat justified except
the fact that one area on
the northwest side of the
Parkway is outside the 2.5
mile coverage area and
has more than 10 buildings
over 35 feet in height. This
area is quite congested
and includes both sides of
the Parkway near the area
of the city limits. This
situation requires either a
second ladder truck or
automatic aid from
Sevierville. The map to the
right shows the area
affected.
The 2.5 mile Ladder
Company response district
stops here!
As can be seen, at least 10 buildings over 35 feet in height are located outside the
response ladder company response area.
31
Another consideration is the area outside the city limits which is also covered by the
Pigeon Forge Fire Department. According to the GIS mapping, approximately 22.75
square miles outside the Pigeon Forge city limits are provided with fire protection
services. This makes the total area covered by the Pigeon Forge Fire Department to be
approximately 35.21 square miles. Below is a snapshot of the entire area.
Another interesting fact is the number of fire hydrants located in each of these districts.
Number of Hydrants
Area
Inside the Pigeon Forge City Limits
596
Outside the Pigeon Forge City Limits
56
Engine Response Area (present station)
212
Ladder Response Area (present station)
452
Total
652
Square Miles
12.46
22.75
2.86
8.65
35.21
ISO uses this hydrant information to determine fire station distribution. Other ways to
determine fire station distribution includes analysis of high-hazard/high-value properties,
response time analysis, and standard of coverage models.
32
GIS mapping allows for the accurate analysis of the Pigeon Forge Response Districts and this
method was used to justify proposed fire station locations:
P.F. Fire Station
1.5 Mile Engine Response
As can be seen above, the use of these GIS maps provides an accurate evaluation of
fire station locations as well as how ISO requirements on company and station
distribution can be achieved. These maps should be periodically reviewed for changes
in conditions and operational updates.
Recommendations
1. At the time of this report, emphasis should be placed on manning the present fire station
and the process of becoming more of a career fire department rather than building new
fire stations.
2. Within three to five years maximum, the construction of a new fire station should be
completed, staffed and equipped with a quint apparatus on the property located on Wears
Valley Road.
3. Within five to seven years maximum, the construction of a new fire station should be
completed, staffed, and equipped with a quint apparatus on the property located on Middle
Creek Road.
33
4. Automatic mutual aid, if available, should be established with Sevierville for ladder service
on the northwestern section of the Parkway until additional stations are built to cover this
area.
5. Automatic mutual aid should be established with Walden’s Creek Volunteer Fire
Department for engine company response in and around the Wears Valley Road area.
SECTION 3 - RESPONSE FOR SERVICE
The Pigeon Forge Fire Department answered 626 calls over the past twelve months
with approximately 61 being related to fire incidents. Only 18 of these calls were for
actual structure fires. Rescue and emergency medical assists accounted for 163 of the
calls for service with 57 calls being related to hazardous material response. The fire
department answered 127 false alarms, 169 good intent calls, and 46 service calls. The
fire department participates in the Tennessee Fire Incident Reporting System (TFIRS)
and submits all run data to the State Fire Marshal’s Office through this system.
Statistical data on the Pigeon Forge Fire Department is available through the Federal
Emergency Management Agency in the National Fire Incident Reporting System
(NFIRS).
In a percentage point of view, this equates to 9.74 percent of the calls being related to
an actual fire. Only 2.88 percent are related to structure fires and 26.04 percent of the
calls are related to rescue and medical assists. False alarms accounted for 20 percent
of the calls and 27 percent of the calls were classified as good intent calls. The
remaining 14 percent were smoke scares, service calls, and weather related incidents.
Mutual aid was given on 8 incidents and received on 2 incidents. The total fire dollar
loss for this past year was $2,088,575. The Tennessee small city average dollar loss
for 12 months is $860,100. No firefighter or civilian casualties were reported for this time
period. According to the Pigeon Forge Fire Department, the last fire related death or
serious injury was April 6, 2003. Pigeon Forge has been very fortunate since
Tennessee has one of the highest fire death rates in the United States. Tennessee has
ranked in the top five categories for fire deaths for at least the past ten years.
Sevier County is broken down into 11 separate fire districts providing 100 percent fire
coverage of the entire county. Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg have approximately the
same amount of response area excluding Gatlinburg’s response to the National Park.
The 22.75 square miles outside of Pigeon Forge include much of the city’s planning
region and without the Pigeon Forge response, the area could not be justly serviced by
another fire department. So, Pigeon Forge protects this area and actually gets a
supplement from the county each year of approximately $48,000 for providing this
service. As can be calculated, this does not cover the expense of providing the
protection but does lessen the financial burden. Response to this area should be
different than the response to areas inside the city. A fire engine, a tanker/service truck,
and the super tanker should respond to calls outside the city limits and within five miles
road miles of the station. This can very easily reduce the ISO rating in this area by one
point.
34
The standard response past five miles from the station outside the city limits would be a
engine and a tanker. Automatic aid in these areas with Caton’s Chapel Fire Department
and the Gatlinburg Fire Department could also improve service to these areas.
As previously stated, the purchase of a truck to pull the 8,000 gallon super tanker will
improve the rating in this area. The city council should decide the importance of making
this improvement and if a truck is bought, the fire department must get people qualified
to drive it and actually run it to calls in these areas. My recommendation is it improves
fire protection in areas of the planning region and it is beneficial to the city to provide
this coverage. The cost for the purchase of the truck can also be offset by the county
supplement.
The following spreadsheet is from the Pigeon Forge Fire Department submitted to the
National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) from 2005.
35
The following spreadsheet is from the Pigeon Forge Fire Department submitted to the
National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) from 2005 on structure fires by
property use.
Statistically comparing the Pigeon Forge Fire Department with other small cities across
the state we find that the calls for service per 1,000 population for Pigeon Forge is
approximately 123 whereas the average calls for service per 1,000 population for other
small cities is 51. Pigeon Forge averages approximately 3.54 structure fires per 1,000
population whereas the small city average is 1.1 structure fires per 1,000 population.
These figures are difficult to compare due to not adjusting the population numbers for
the transient population consideration, however, Pigeon Forge does have a significant
higher number of calls per population to be basically a volunteer fire department.
36
The following is the 2004 report for comparison with the 2005 report.
Although the number of calls is similar on both reports, the dollar loss between the two
years is almost double. Most of this can be contributed to one large loss motel fire on
the corner of Parkway and Dollywood Lane last year.
Additionally, Pigeon Forge Fire Department presently does not track the number of fire
inspections conducted although the small city average across the state is 1,509
inspections annually. Fire companies (firefighters) in Pigeon Forge do not conduct
inspections where most fire departments average 360 company inspections per year.
Not only is it important for the businesses to be fire safe, it is more important for
firefighters to be familiar with the buildings. It is recommended that fire inspectors track
the number of fire inspections conducted, the number of violations noted, the number of
corrective actions made, and the total number of public contacts on a monthly and
annual basis. A monthly report should be submitted to the fire chief and the fire chief
should submit the prevention data in an annual report to the city council.
37
Below is a three year Statistical Call Analysis of the calls answered by the Pigeon Forge
Fire Department between 2003 and 2005.
Structure Fire Summary for Past Three Years
YEAR:
Date:
10/12/2005
Dollar loss
2003
Incident
#
Date
Alarm
Time
Arrival
Time
Response
Time
#
Alarms
Personnel
Engines
Aerial
Other
23
1/27/2003
1045
1058
13
1
12
3
0
1
$ 75,000
103
4/6/2003
0541
0551
10
1
17
3
0
2
$ 50,000
162
5/16/2003
2316
2328
12
1
19
2
0
4
186
6/6/2003
0608
0620
12
1
15
1
0
2
202
6/14/2003
1448
1456
8
1
10
1
0
1
300
8/9/2003
1718
1732
14
1
14
2
0
3
$ 50,000
341
9/12/2003
0634
0647
12
1
15
2
0
3
$750,000
373
10/14/2003
0658
0710
12
1
14
2
0
3
$100
424
12/1/2003
0026
0043
17
1
16
2
0
3
446
12/27/2003
0951
1006
15
1
12
1
0
2
YEAR:
$15,000
Totals
125
10
144
19
0
24
$ 940,100
Averages
12.50
1.0
14.4
1.9
0
2.4
$ 156,683
2004
Incident
#
Date
Alarm
Time
Arrival
Time
Response
Time
#
Alarms
Personnel
Engines
Aerial
Other
11
1/8/2004
0849
0858
9
1
9
2
0
1
$20,000
16
1/12/2004
0136
0150
14
1
15
2
0
1
$40,000
31
1/19/2004
0223
0235
12
1
10
2
0
1
$100
38
1/24/2004
0240
0302
22
2
12
1
0
2
$3,000
40
1/28/2004
1555
1558
3
1
8
2
0
0
$10,000
68
2/17/2004
1602
1609
7
1
7
2
0
0
$1,500
89
2/29/2004
1849
1902
13
1
21
2
0
2
$20,000
Dollar loss
134
3/26/2004
0644
0658
14
1
10
2
0
1
$75,000
183
4/22/2004
1818
1825
7
1
19
2
0
1
$60,000
225
5/18/2004
1508
1514
6
1
7
2
0
1
$50,000
261
6/5/2004
2050
2056
6
1
12
1
0
1
$500
283
6/13/2004
1345
1400
15
1
15
1
0
2
$200,000
311
6/24/2004
1843
1850
7
1
21
3
0
1
$1,500
357
7/14/2004
1055
1058
3
1
5
2
0
0
$25,000
$180,000
381
7/22/2004
2352
2358
6
1
21
3
0
1
475
9/16/2004
1528
1542
14
1
10
2
0
1
$40,000
578
11/23/2004
1212
1222
10
1
7
2
0
0
$10,000
612
12/15/2004
1040
1051
11
1
10
2
0
1
$ 85,000
623
12/21/2004
1414
1427
13
1
10
2
0
3
$100,000
Totals
192
20
229
37
0
20
$921,600
Averages
10.11
1.1
12.1
1.9
0.0
1.1
$48,505
Arrival
Time
Response
Time
#
Alarms
Personnel
Engines
Aerial
Other
YEAR:
County
County
Paid
Hours
County
Paid
Hours
2005
Incident
#
Date
Alarm
Time
33
1/28/2005
0655
0705
10
1
13
3
0
1
$25,000
43
2/5/2005
0347
0416
29
1
10
2
0
1
$150,000
78
3/11/2005
1431
1434
3
1
5
2
0
0
$8,000
$50,000
Dollar loss
84
3/14/2005
2310
2320
10
1
11
2
0
1
160
4/20/2005
1321
1324
3
1
6
2
0
0
$50
162
4/22/2005
0715
0723
8
1
10
2
0
0
$12,000
38
166
4/24/2005
0238
0248
10
1
18
2
1
2
$800,000
250
6/15/2005
0359
0411
12
1
10
2
0
1
$35,000
256
6/18/2005
0619
0630
11
1
16
2
0
0
$5,000
274
6/26/2005
0512
0529
29
2
13
2
0
1
$135,000
495
10/6/2005
1229
1239
10
1
9
2
0
1
$100,000
499
10/6/2005
2116
2128
12
1
16
2
0
2
$240,000
523
10/18/2005
1820
1834
14
1
8
1
0
0
$2,000
535
10/25/2005
0306
0318
12
1
9
2
0
2
Totals
173
15
154
28
1
12
Averages
12.36
1.1
11.0
2.0
0.071429
0.9
$113,004
11.66
1.06
12.5
1.93
0.33.
1.5
$106,064
Three Year Avg
$ 20,000
$1,582,050
In the above chart, the three year averages are from actual fire reports and analyze very
important information related to the operation of the fire department. Average response
time to working structure fires for the past three years is 11.66 minutes. NFPA
recommends a 6-minute response time. Most working structure fires require multiple
alarms and additional assignment of resources. Average number of alarms per working
structure fires equal 1.06 meaning that second and third alarm assignments are not
called for or not identified as additional assignments. The three year average also
shows that 12.5 people responded to these working structure fires but these NFPA
standards require 15 to 18 people to arrive within 8-minutes of the initial alarm. Two
engines and a ladder are required as a minimum on every structure alarm call. Working
structure fires may require additional response. The aerial truck response is critical on
every call. The three year average shows only a response 1 time in 3 years to these
types of fires. Average dollar loss on a working structure fire for the past three years is
$106,064. These figures are disappointing and show the need for immediate
consideration of full-time firefighters. When you compare the daytime response as being
the most reliable and look only at volunteer response, the figures on response are even
more disturbing.
Response Time and Manpower
Emergency response represents the most visible aspect of the department's mission. A
major consideration in the delivery of effective emergency services is the time frame in
which they are delivered. Emergency response time is defined as the elapsed time from
the time a call is received in the communications center until the first unit arrives on the
scene. Included are the components of alarm processing time, actual dispatch, turnout
time, and travel time to the incident.
In 2001, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) set a 6-minute response
standard (NFPA 1710). This standard is a guideline, not a law, and was set for
communities with full-time firefighters. This allows one minute for the dispatcher
handling a 911 call to alert firefighters, another minute for a full company of four
firefighters to slip into their gear and get on the road, and four minutes to drive to the
fire. A 6-minute guideline also holds for ambulances responding to medical
emergencies, based on the time before a heart attack causes brain damage. Perfection
is not expected, but the NFPA recommends that each of the goals should be achieved
90 percent of the time.
39
Achieving this goal is very important and is a huge issue in the fire service today. Two
considerations are made in seeing how important it is to achieve this goal.
1. If emergency resources arrive too late or are understaffed, the emergency will
continue to escalate – drawing more of the agency’s resources into a losing
battle.
2. The goal to control the fire before it has reached its maximum intensity requires
geographic dispersion (distribution) of technical expertise and cost effectiveness
(concentration) of apparatus for maximum effectiveness against the greatest
number and types of risk.
In January 2005, The Boston Globe published a national report on how most fire
departments were slow in responding to emergency calls and used data from the
National Fire Administration to prove its point. Every fire department in the nation was
analyzed including the Pigeon Forge Fire Department. This data included records of
calls from 1986 through 2002. The results were shocking for many departments
including Pigeon Forge. The chart below was included in this national report and shows
the results as related to the Pigeon Forge Fire Department.
Fire department
Pigeon Forge Fire
Department
On-time rate, building
fires receiving a
No. of fires with onresponse in 6 minutes, time responses,
1986-2002
1986-2002
50.6%
39
No. of fires with
slower response,
1986-2002
Total building fires
studied by the Globe,
1986-2002
38
77
The Boston Globe Report - By Bill Dedman, Globe Correspondent | January 30, 2005
This means that the Pigeon Forge Fire Department during this time period was only “ontime” 50 percent of the time.
Response is only half of the battle; the other part is getting enough people to the scene
to effectively handle the situation. This is especially true with structure fires where a
maximum response of manpower is required. This response is determined by both ISO
and NFPA. In satisfying the ISO requirement, a department only gets credit for what is
dispatched on the "first alarm assignment". To receive the best possible score in ISO
grading, the fire department must dispatch the “Needed Fire Flow” for the address to
which it is responding or at the minimum the nearest two engine companies and the
nearest ladder or service company and at least one supervisor, whichever is greater. It
does not matter where the firefighters ride, on the engines, or in their own vehicles, but
a minimum of 13 firefighters must be dispatched to all alarms in structures. This can
consist of all career employees, all volunteers, or some combination.
The basic ISO design to come up with the number 13 is: four firefighters per engine
times two engines plus four firefighters for the ladder or service company plus one
supervisor. (4x2 = 8) + (4) + (1) = 13. There is total flexibility for the fire department on
how to get these 13 people to the scene.
40
If the correct numbers and types of vehicles are not dispatched to fire alarms, the result
can be as much as a 32% reduction in total ISO scores.
Recommendations
1. The department should invest in a fire department management software that will track the
overall operations of the department as well as inventory equipment, hydrants, manage
hose test records, and personnel.
2. The department needs to remain current with the submission of the TFIRS data and submit
all data within 10 days of the incident as required by state law.
3. The department should reduce the number of structure fire calls utilizing better fire
prevention efforts targeted at the occupancies and causes of Pigeon Forge fires.
4. It is recommended that fire inspectors track the number of fire inspections conducted, the
number of violations noted, the number of corrective actions made, and the total number
of public contacts on a monthly and annual basis.
5. A monthly report of inspections and activities should be submitted by the fire marshal to
the fire chief and the fire chief should submit the prevention data in an annual report to the
city council.
6. The department needs to improve response time on all calls. The easiest way to improve
response time is through hiring full-time firefighters to work 24/7. A response time greater
than 6 minutes should be unacceptable inside the city. Pigeon Forge has grown too much
to still maintain an 11.66 minute average response time. A response time greater than 15
minutes as seen several times in the three year study creates extreme liability on the city.
7. The department needs to increase manpower response to an average level of 13 to 15
personnel on fire calls.
8. The aerial truck must be part of the first alarm response to all fire calls inside the city
limits. Remember, two engines, a ladder or service company, and a supervisor is required
on all fire calls (even alarms).
9. Monthly reports should be submitted to the city manager listing the department’s
response standard with a comparison of how the department met that goal for the month.
Response Capabilities, Protocols, and Resources
A fire department’s response resources are based on the number of response
apparatus and vehicles that a department has along with the manpower needed to
effectively get the resource to the scene and then perform operations. The effectiveness
of resources is described as a department’s “capability.” The capability of a fire
department is paramount to being successful in emergency operations.
It is very important that all personnel understand what response resources are available
and when they will typically be deployed. It is the responsibility of fire department
officers to assure that everyone is knowledgeable of available resources.
41
An inventory of the Pigeon Forge Fire Department’s apparatus and vehicles should be
listed along with its “mission” and assignments. The mission of a resource describes
what it is and where it is intended to primarily serve. This includes the station and
district assignment as well as the standard to which it is designed. The mission also
explains the basic description of the resource like the tank and pump size or
specification of the unit.
A listing of “tasks” is included to illustrate the essential functions that can be achieved
with this resource. Examples include fire suppression, elevated platform, generator &
light unit, and patient transport. A “Specialized Equipment” section is also provided to
list specific specialized equipment carried on or provided by this resource. Examples of
items included would be thermal imager cameras, special monitoring equipment,
generator & lights, or a power saw.
Deployment of resources is based on a predetermined matrix showing what apparatus
and vehicles should respond to each incident. The requirement for response is based
on predetermined need, Insurance Services Office (ISO) requirements, and recognized
NFPA standards. A typical call will be either a first, second, or third alarm depending on
the need for secondary resources above the basic response. The Officer-In-Charge or
the Incident Commander will make the decision for additional alarm response. The
matrix should include all possible scenarios for response such as:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Response inside the city, inside the primary district or response area.
Response inside the city, outside the primary district or response area.
Response outside the city but within five road miles of a fire station.
Response outside the city and beyond five road miles of the fire station.
Scenarios will also include the type of call:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Residential structure alarms
Commercial structure alarms
Dumpster/trash fire
Vehicle fire
Vehicle accident with entrapment
Vehicle accident without entrapment
Hazardous materials incident
Technical rescue, swift water, or other rescue
Wildland fire
As more stations are built, the scenarios will need to include multiple station response
for first alarm and each alarm thereafter.
Most of all, flexibility is maintained on the receipt of all emergency calls to respond with
the most appropriate and closest resource. There is also flexibility with the officer
requesting a second or third alarm where explicit resources are sent as needed and as
specified. The Officer-In-Charge or the Incident Commander always has discretion to
send the most appropriate and closest resource.
42
In summary, the following information is provided to assist in making decisions related
to the deployment of response resources. It also serves as a protocol to initial first
alarm response to specific response districts. All personnel should memorize this
information as it applies to the Pigeon Forge Fire Department.
Pigeon Forge Response Resources (Example Only)
Vehicle
ENG 1
SQUAD 1
ENG 2
ENG 3
Ladder 1
Capabilities & Mission
Fire Engine – 1000 gpm pump
Tank: 750 gallons
Assigned to Station 1
Response area: District 1
NFPA Equipped: Engine
Squad – 250 gpm pump
Tank: 250 gallons
Response area: All Districts
NFPA Equipped: Squad / Brush
Tank: 750 gallons
Tank: 750 gallons
Quint Apparatus – 1500 gpm pump
Tank: 500 gallons
NFPA Equipped: Quint
Ladder Size: 50 Foot
Tasks
Fire Suppression
Rescue
45 minute SCBA
Positive Pressure Ventilation Fan
Generator / Floor Lights
1,000 gallon Dump Tank
Fire Suppression
Rescue
Wildland Fire Suppression
Thermal Imager
45 minute SCBA
CO Gas Meter
Wildland Equipment
Fire Suppression
Rescue
Reserve Foam Supply
45 minute SCBA
1,000 gallon Dump Tank
Fire Suppression
Rescue
Fire Suppression
Rescue
Aerial Operations
Command 1
Captain (Shift Supervisor) Vehicle
Command
Chief 101
Chief’s Car
Command
45 minute SCBA
Ladders
45 minute SCBA
Thermal Imager Camera (TIC)
Incident Command Boards
Triage Equipment
The Response Matrix shows a standard response of the equipment listed above and
should be specific to each fire district. The matrix below is only a sample of one district’s
response. The fire department should have one of these for each district.
Response Matrix “example” for Pigeon Forge Station 1
Type of Call
Residential Structure Fire
& Alarms
Commercial Structure Fire
& Alarms
Dumpster / Trash Fire
Vehicle Fire
Vehicle Accident w/ Extrication
Vehicle Accident w/o Extrication
1st Alarm
2 - Fire Engines
1 - Ladder Truck (Quint)
1 - Squad
1 - Command
2 - Fire Engines
1 - Squad
1 - Command
1 - Fire Engines
1 - Squad #103
1 - Command #112
1 - Fire Engines
1 - Squad
1 - Command
1 - Fire Engines
1 - Squad
1 - Command
1 - Fire Engines
1 - Squad
1 - Command
2nd Alarm
3rd Alarm
1 - Fire Engine
Mutual Aid
1 - Fire Engine
Mutual Aid
1 - Fire Engine
1 - Fire Engine
1 - Fire Engine
1 - Fire Engine
43
Recommendations
1. A response Matrix for the Pigeon Forge Fire Department should be developed utilizing all
possible scenarios for response. All personnel should memorize and know both the
Response Resources and Response Matrix. The department should review and refine
these schedules on a regular basis.
2. Response capabilities, protocols and resources should be listed in writing and training
conducted for all personnel to follow the guidelines.
SECTION 4 - FIRE DEPARTMENT TRAINING
Firefighter Certification
The entire present career firefighters are state certified and many of the volunteer
firefighters have some type of state certification; however, about a third of the
department doesn’t have any firefighting certification beyond the basic firefighting
school. The department has 15 emergency medical technicians and four paramedics.
There are a total of 5 certified hazardous materials technicians and most of the
personnel are certified in vehicle extrication.
The requirements of being a firefighter (career or volunteer) have become so intense
over the past several years that it is almost impossible to keep up all of the certifications
that are required to function as a firefighter. Certifications are recurring activities that
typically require constant tracking and a set amount of the budget set aside for training
and recertification. This must be carefully planned and viewed as a fixed amount of
funding for recertification. This along with all career personnel required to have a
minimum of 4 hours (daily) training and all volunteers required to have a minimum of 4
hours monthly training is a full-time job. In fact, we call the person who tracks,
schedules, and coordinates training, the Training Officer. He/she is charged with
submitting reports to the state, applying for training approvals, overseeing the firefighter
pay supplement program, OSHA compliance and safety, scheduling programs, teaching
classes, and many other duties just to name a few. This is a full-time position and
should be filled just as the fire chief position before more firefighters come on board.
Firefighter Training
Training is a critical function for any modern fire service agency. As fire service work
becomes more complex and diversified, the knowledge required, government
regulations, and professional standards lead to increases in overall training needs for
the department. Documentation and records management are essential elements of
that process. Maintenance of existing key programs is vital.
As a minimum, volunteer firefighters must attend at least 4 hours of training per month
and career personnel must attend 240 hours of training each year.
44
It was regrettable to discover that no training records existed and after questioning
members of the department I determined that no one in the department had met this
requirement as set by ISO. Thirteen of the 33 have not attended enough meetings to
meet this requirement even if the training had been conducted. Roger Price, the training
officer reported that he had kept no records of actual training and very little actual
training was conducted at weekly meetings. The reason given was valid; he didn’t have
time to be the training officer and the fire inspector. Based on other sections of this
report, it is obvious that one fire inspector can’t presently keep up with inspections
either.
ISO specifically required both day and night drills to be conducted and specific annual
training to be held. Records are the proof that the training is conducted and training
records must contain information as to the class, length, lesson plans, and instructor
information. All attendees must also sign in with signatures. As a result, the department
will lose an enormous percentage of credit in the ISO inspection.
On average, each career firefighter must get at least 3 hours of training each shift
worked every month throughout the year. ISO allows for hydrant maintenance, hose
testing and other routine duties to be counted as training although as can be seen
training must be a priority.
ISO requires that drills be conducted to test firefighter competencies. Eight half-day (3
hour) drills are required per year as well as four half-day (3 hour) multiple company drills
per year. Two night drills lasting at least 3 hours each are also required each year.
Most of the training requirements can be performed as company training utilizing
personnel in each station working separately although four drills are required to be
conducted utilizing multi-companies. Remember, drills are actual simulations of a real
event.
In addition to the 240 hours of annual training are classes for fire department officers.
Two days per year is required for all officers (in addition to the 240 hrs) on supervisory
skills, management, tactics and strategy, or related training and/or skills. Also all drivers
and operators of apparatus are required to attend four half-day sessions per year (in
addition to the 240 hrs) on driving and operating apparatus. Effective January 1, 2006,
the Tennessee Code Annotated says that all drivers of emergency vehicles in
Tennessee are required to attend a minimum of two hours of driver training annually.
All new drivers and operators are also required to attend a 40-hour class for new drivers
and operators (both engine and aerial). Everyone is required to attend a half-day
training annually on radioactivity or hazardous materials. A new state law that went into
effect January 1, 2005, requires all drivers of emergency vehicles to complete four
hours of annual training each year in addition to the previously mentioned training.
Annual routine training consists of 240 hours for career staff and 48 hours for reserve
staff. To meet these standards, a full-time qualified training officer is needed.
45
Present firefighting personnel are listed below:
Career
Personnel
Brackins, John
Knutsen, Chris
Price, Roger
Ross, Chad
Firefighter
Cert.
Level
Journeyman
EMT-IV
FF II
Paramedic
Journeyman
EMT-IV
FF II
EMT-IV
A=Awareness Level
I=Instructor Level
O=Operations Level
Volunteer
Personnel
Bohanan, Jimmy
Brackins, Jim
Brackins, Joe
Brackins, Rodger
Braden, Bobby
Burkett, Ernie
Carr, Josh
Chipley, Robert
Clabo, Dennis
Clabo, Denny
Galyon, Joe
Hollick, Tom
Hurst, Dennis
Huskey, Bill
Inglett, Jerry
LaFollette, James
LaFollette, Jason
Large, Dwight
Large, Scott
Latham, Andy
Loveday, Randy
Loveday, Sammy
Ogle, Rodger
Reagan, Howard
Shults, Keith
Valentine, Rick
Walker, David
Watson, Tony
Wear, David
Whaley, Ronnie
White, Reece
EMS
Cert.
Level
CPR
Vehicle
Haz
Cert.
X
I
X
X
Rescue
T
I
I
T
Mat
A
O
O
T
CPR
Vehicle
Haz
Cert.
X
X
X
I
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
I
X
X
X
Rescue
Mat
RIT
I
X
X
S=Specialist Level
T=Technician Level
X=Certified in the subject
Firefighter
Cert.
Level
EMS
Cert.
Level
Basic
Basic
Basic
1ST Responder
Journeyman
EMT-IV
Basic
Basic
Basic
EMT-IV
FF I
FF I
Journeyman
Basic
FF II
EMT-IV
Journeyman
Basic
FF I
EMT-B
FF II
EMT-B
FF I
EMT-IV
FF I
EMT-B
FF III
EMT-IV
Basic
FF II
Paramedic
Journeyman
EMT-IV
Journeyman
FF III
FF III
Paramedic
FF I
EMT-IV
Journeyman
Paramedic
FF II
EMT-IV
Journeyman
FF I
EMT-IV
RIT
T
T
T
X
T
T
T
T
A
A
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
X
X
A
O
A
O
O
I
T
T
I
O
A
O
T
X
X
O
X
46
Recommendations
1. The city needs to hire a full-time training officer immediately after hiring a full-time fire
chief. This person not only can perform as the training officer but also handle safety
compliance and oversee the volunteer program to assist the fire chief. I would recommend
that the rank of captain be assigned to this position.
2. The training officer should identify the fixed amount of training funding needed to
maintain current and future basic certifications. This should be reported each year in the
fire department budget request.
3. Additional emphasis should be placed on training for both career and volunteer staff.
Everyone must qualify as a basic firefighter and maintain certification while a member of
the department.
4. Minimum qualifications and certification should be set as policy for all firefighters.
Volunteers should be offered the opportunity to step up to higher certifications in an effort
to prepare them for future career positions with the department.
5. The training officer must develop and schedule an annual training program that can meet
or exceed ISO standards, state and federal requirements, and benefit the department as
well.
6. All firefighters must meet minimum training standards, attend the necessary number of
drills, and attend the required number of fire calls to maintain active status.
7. A minimum of 14 required drills must be conducted to meet additional ISO Standards. The
department should schedule these drills and all other known training on a calendar made
available to all personnel by January 1st of each year.
8. Officers as well as apparatus drivers and operators must be trained in addition to the 240
hours annual training. This too should be scheduled on the fire department calendar.
9. Everyone must continue to attend the basic firefighting academy and classes outside the
department.
10. Specific requests for training should be submitted for the budget request from anyone
wanting to attend or will be required to attend training in the next budget year.
11. The department should utilize the National Fire Academy (NFA) for training future leaders.
It is still free except for a meal ticket and the NFA will even pay for travel to the NFA.
12. Each shift officer should submit a monthly training report to the training officer. The
training officer should submit an annual training report to the fire chief to be submitted to
the city board on an annual basis.
47
SECTION 5 - RISK ASSESSMENT / FIRE PREVENTION
Fire Vulnerability / Target Hazards
According to the 2000 US Census, a total of 2,799 residential units were located inside
the city limits. Since then the local building authority has documented many more. It is
no secret, Pigeon Forge is one of the fastest growing cities in the State of Tennessee.
Most fire departments will have inspection records or at least an inventory of the
number and type of occupancies in a city. Pigeon Forge Fire Department doesn’t have
any inventories of specific types of occupancies and only recently conducted a rough
inventory of buildings that are more than three stories in height. Certain occupancies
are identified as target hazards; these are occupancies that have either a high risk of
dollar loss due to a high value or high risk due to the operation of the business.
Moreover, a target hazard is identified as occupancies with a high number of people
present such as in a large assembly or occupancy where the operation presents high
risk to people. The fire department should identify Pigeon Forge’s target risk
occupancies to be a priority in preplanning and inspecting.
Recommendation:
1. The fire department should identify target hazards in the community utilizing a risk
analysis process. These buildings should be preplanned, visited, inspected, and familiar
to all firefighters.
Inventory of Buildings 35 Feet or Higher
Address
District
Stories
Occupancy
Sprinkler
People
Risk
Code
The fire department should utilize a spreadsheet (example above) to list all buildings
that are 35 feet or higher inside the city. Basically this includes all buildings that are
three stories or more in height. This list is very important to the fire department since it
is the Pigeon Forge Fire Department’s list of high-rise target buildings. Every firefighter
should be familiar with every building on the list. Preplans and drills should be
conducted at regular intervals at these buildings. Aerial drills should be performed
where possible to prevent operational problems in the event of a fire.
Recommendations
1. Develop a list of all buildings 35 feet or higher listing the building address, district,
number of stories, occupancy type, fire protection systems, number of people, and its risk
code for use in preplanning and building familiarizations.
2. Pre-plan, drill, and know the high-rise target buildings. Every firefighter should participate
and be familiar with the buildings on the list.
48
Pre-Fire Planning
Pre-fire planning is one of the most important tools to improve firefighter safety that a
fire department can do. As a minimum, all target hazards in the community should be
preplanned. Target hazards include large buildings or complexes, buildings with high
loss of life potential, occupancies with hazards that could endanger firefighters or the
public, and buildings with potential of high loss of property value. In addition and as a
minimum, all buildings listed on the ISO “Batch Report” should be preplanned. The best
situation would be to preplan all of the previous buildings and include all commercial
occupancies in the city. Preplans should be stored in a computer for ease of updating
and organizing. A laptop computer that can be kept on the shift supervisor’s vehicle
would be a huge benefit for locating a preplan quickly on an emergency scene.
Preplans printed and kept in notebooks on fire apparatus are typically one page of
information with the front side containing written information about the building and the
backside containing a site drawing of the area.
According to the Pigeon Forge Fire Department personnel, no preplanning activities
have been conducted and no preplans exist. The department recently purchased new
software to assist in this but as of the date of this report, no preplans existed.
ISO requires pre-fire planning inspections on each commercial building made twice
each year. Records and sketches need to be kept up to date. Most fire departments
conduct one preplanning visit and one inspection visit annually on every significant
commercial building. Again, this allows firefighters to tour every significant building.
Recommendations
1. All target hazards and all buildings on the ISO “Batch Report” in the community must be
preplanned. Preplans should be readily available and updated on a routine basis.
2. A laptop computer should be installed in the command vehicle with city maps, hydrant
locations, and preplans in the computer.
3. Firefighters should tour every significant building preplanned on an annual basis.
Fire Inspection and Investigations
Primary fire prevention functions focus on public education, fire inspection, code
enforcement, and fire/hazardous material release investigations. The integration of
activities in these areas will produce the most effective use of available resources and
ultimately, result in achievement of the department's goal - preventing fires, saving lives,
minimizing injuries, educating the public, and protecting property and the environment.
The fire inspector is responsible for conducting fire inspections and fire cause and origin
investigations in the Pigeon Forge Fire Department. He presently works out of the
building inspection department at city hall. He conducts mostly new construction
inspections and handles complaints. No annual business inspection program is in place
and there are no performance measurements in place to track inspection activities. As
49
previously recommended, a series of inspection activities should be tracked to
determine the effectiveness of the department in fire prevention efforts. Meanwhile, the
effectiveness of the inspection program goes unmeasured.
The Pigeon Forge Fire Department should have a philosophy that the department's
major focus will be on education and customer service rather than enforcement. This
philosophy will help ensure life safety conditions within an occupancy or structure while
maintaining a positive relationship within the community. The fire codes are still strictly
enforced except through a proactive and positive technique.
Fire investigations are conducted but according to fire department records only 4 out of
18 fires have a specific cause identified. This is a reflection of determining the cause of
only 22 percent of the fires. The Tennessee small city average shows 93 percent of fire
causes are determined. The following chart lists fire causes for 2005.
Fire Cause
Heating
Open Flame
Natural
Unknown
Number
2
1
1
14
Percent
10%
6%
6%
78%
Dollar Loss
$25,000
$140,000
$15,000
$1,820,825
Recommendations
1. The fire inspector should work under the fire chief and have an office in the fire
department. The fire inspector’s main goal should be to prevent fires from occurring
through an aggressive inspection, investigation, and prevention program. The fire
inspector should hold the rank of captain in the fire department.
2. The fire inspection division should be aggressive in conducting annual business
inspections as well as new construction inspections. Every commercial business should
be inspected annually by a fire inspector. This aggressive approach will reduce fire loss
over time.
3. The fire inspector should be given the responsibility for implementing and overseeing the
company fire inspection program. This is the program where fire companies do basic fire
safety inspections and building familiarizations with all commercial business occupancies
within their respective districts. This also allows time for firefighters to update preplans
when necessary.
4. Proper records must be kept on all inspections whether done by fire companies or the fire
inspector.
5. Fire cause determination should be accomplished on every fire where possible.
6. Fire prevention activities conducted year-round and led by the fire inspector with
assistance by shift personnel will also reduce fire loss. Target groups such as the young
and the elderly should be addressed since these are the ages most affected by fire.
50
Risk Planning
Risk planning is critical to the success of preventing fires. By utilizing Tennessee Fire
Incident Reports (TFIRS) turned into the state, a risk plan can be formulated to predict
when and where fires will occur as well as causes so these issues can be addressed.
In addition, a free program called Risk, Hazard, and Value Evaluation (RHAVE) is
available through the National Fire Academy that can assist in risk planning. This
program provides analysis into identifying specific high-risk occupancies.
RISK, HAZARD AND VALUE EVALUATION PROGRAM
In partnership with Fire Accreditation International
Decision-making tools and methods for fire service and
community leaders.
Assists with setting public policy regarding mitigation
practices.
www.usfa.fema.gov
Recommendations
1. Run statistical data monthly with TFIRS to determine trends and use this data to develop a
risk plan for the City of Pigeon Forge.
2. Obtain a copy of the RHAVE computer program and use it for risk assessment.
Fire Loss Records
Fire loss records are how the insurance industry measures the actual performance of a
fire department in a community. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department fire loss in dollars
over the past 12 months was approximately $2,088,575 in 2005. The fire loss in dollars
for the same period in 2004 was $1,082,460. As previously stated, this significant
increase is due to one large loss fire last year. Regardless, the future fire losses can be
reduced.
The Pigeon Forge average fire loss per structure fire was $113,004. The small city
average fire loss per structure fire is $15,650. This equates to approximately $410.89
per capita (per person) in Pigeon Forge compared to an average of $20.52 in the small
Tennessee city study.
The Boston Globe Report - By Bill Dedman, Globe Correspondent | January 30, 2005
Property damage is also tied to time. As response times lengthen, the average property
damage in a house fire steps up quickly. Using the national database, which provides
estimates of fire losses, the Globe calculated these averages for property damage in
51
house fires: when firefighters arrive in 3 minutes or less, $27,000; at 5 minutes,
$34,000; at 7 minutes, $41,000; at 9 minutes or longer, $61,000. The Globe estimated
that if the 6-minute standard had been reached, about $1 billion a year in losses from
house fires nationally could have been prevented.
This theory seems to be true in Pigeon Forge also. It seems that the dollar loss itself is
high due to the average response time to actual fires. Previously, in this report, the
three year average response time was 11.66 minutes. There was several response
times listed as high as 22 to 29 minutes but on average they were mostly longer than
the 9-minute example of costing an average of $61,000 per call.
SECTION 6 - FINANCE AND BUDGET
It is assumed that the growth rate of Pigeon Forge has increased with property values.
It is known that fire apparatus and life safety equipment is extremely expensive and the
fire department will need replacement of equipment, apparatus, and facilities in the
future. As revenues increase over time, the city needs to have a portion of the
revenues set aside each year for these expensive capital replacement items. Capital
planning is necessary in the case of the fire department due to the tremendous expense
involved. How a city plans for it will determine the strain on the financial situation of the
city. Capital planning begins with the fire chief submitting a strategic plan to the city
board each year with his budget. This strategic plan is very important to the city board in
planning financial issues five years down the road.
The Pigeon Forge Fire Department operating budget this year is $642,348 or
approximately 1.87 percent of the overall city general budget. The Pigeon Forge Police
Department is approximately 12.7% of the overall city budget with the biggest expense
being salaries for approximately 50 officers.
The following chart shows the progression of the fire department’s annual budget:
Year
05-06
04-05
03-04
Budget Amount
$641,348
$679,303
$521,693
Percent Increase / Decrease
- 5.91%
30.2%
For the purpose of budget comparison, the City of Athens, Tennessee was used to
compare similar fire departments and towns. The following is information and taken
from the 2005 MTAS benchmarking project and is provided as a comparison only.
52
Tennessee Municipal Benchmarking Project 2005
Cost of Personal Services
DEPARTMENT- FIRE
1
ACCOUNT
Salaries & Wages - Full Time
Includes Holiday Pay
Pigeon
Forge
158,904
Athens
718,926
2
Salaries & Wages - Part Time
Volunteer Pay
75,000
30,867
3
Overtime Pay
27,096
7,816
4
Other Pay except State salary
supplements
2,274
26,564
5
FICA Taxes
15,000
55,520
6
Insurance-Hospitalization
46,000
49,032
7
Retirement Contributions
10,300
81,058
8
Claims Paid for Workman's
Compensation.
0
0
9
Unemployment Taxes
0
0
10
Other Employee Benefits
11
Other Employer Contributions
PERSONAL SERVICES TOTAL
Operating Expenses - Part 1
ACCOUNT
1,008
2,884
0
11,402
335,582
984,069
Pigeon
Forge
600
Athens
1,336
12
Printing/Publications/Postage
13
Advertising
9,100
1,170
14
Dues & Subscriptions
1,250
700
15
Telephone
8,200
7,458
16
Utilities
49,600
7,198
17
Professional & Contractual
Services
15,500
0
18
Data Processing & GIS
0
0
19
Fleet Maintenance
20,500
23,767
20
Equipment Maintenance
30,500
4,696
21
Buildings & Grounds
Maintenance
10,275
7,443
22
Training & Travel Expenses
23,491
4,384
169,016
58,152
Operating Expenses Sub-Total
53
Operating Expenses - Part 2
DEPARTMENT- FIRE
ACCOUNT
23
Fees & License
Pigeon
Forge
0
24
25
Uniforms
Supplies-Operating
21,400
94,250
7,360
12,480
26
Grant Expenditures
4,219
0
27
Contract Administration
0
0
28
Rents
0
0
29
Other Operating Expenses
11,600
7,677
30
Fuel
9,500
0
Athens
0
Operating Expenses Sub-Total
140,969
27,517
Operating Expenses Total
309,985
85,669
Personnel Services Total
Pigeon
Forge
335,582
Athens
984,069
Operating Expenses Sub 1
169,016
58,152
Operating Expenses Sub 2
140,969
27,517
TOTAL EXPENSES
645,567
1,069,738
DEPARTMENT- FIRE
ACCOUNT
Every firefighter must follow a career path set by certain certification levels and most
firefighters must be aggressive to meet minimum training standards. These standards
are based on requirements from the Tennessee Firefighting Commission, Tennessee
Department of Health, and Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA).
Everyone during budget time must realize that these fixed costs are what drive the
training budget and an itemized list for specific recertification and training courses
should be submitted with the budget proposal.
The Pigeon Forge Fire Department should become more dynamic in taking advantage
of free training such as that provided by the National Fire Academy, FEMA, and TEMA.
Medical in-service training can usually be arranged on a shift in the station by local EMS
workers or the hospital for free. Federal grants available now allow for certain State
Fire Academy classes associated with terrorism to be free. Attending the National Fire
Academy is not only free tuition but also pay for travel expenses.
54
Salaries account for 63 percent of the fire department budget where similar cities of the
same size average between 77 and 85 percent. In addition, benefit expenses in Pigeon
Forge are paid out of a separate budget account for roughly another 30 percent of the
salary amount.
The cost for fire protection in Pigeon Forge per 1,000 population is $126,175 or $126.17
per person whereas the Tennessee small city average is $132,445 per 1,000 population
or $132.45 per person. Another way to compare this is the total cost per call. The
Tennessee small city average cost per call is $2,334 whereas the cost per call in Pigeon
Forge is approximately $1,024 per call. It is obvious that the comparison is between a
fully paid fire department versus Pigeon Forge Fire Department which is essentially a
volunteer department.
As far as revenue is concerned, the fire department could increase revenue and funding
by first applying for the following annual FEMA Grants:
•
•
•
•
FIRE Grant (safety equipment, station safety improvements, and apparatus),
SAFER Grant (adding additional personnel),
Fire Prevention Grants (purchasing Publication Education materials),
Homeland Security Grants (training and equipment)
These are just a few of the grants available and there may be many more available in
the future.
Recommendations
1. Hiring additional personnel will increase the fire department budget dramatically.
Personnel costs include salary and benefits and are reoccurring each year. The city
should be prepared to handle such an expense. This report proposes hiring a fire chief, a
training officer, and 15 firefighters the first year.
2. The budget comparisons indicate that the Pigeon Forge budget is excessive in operating
expenses. A significant amount could be diverted to assist in paying salaries.
3. A capital replacement budget should be considered utilizing a small percentage of the
additional property assessed value that increases each year. An equipment contingency
fund would allow for better financial planning. Capital planning begins with the fire chief
submitting a strategic plan to the city board each year with his budget.
4. Fixed training costs drive the training budget and an itemized list for specific
recertification and training courses should be submitted with the budget proposal each
year.
5. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department should become more dynamic in taking advantage of
free training such as that provided by the National Fire Academy, FEMA, and TEMA.
6. The fire department should try to increase revenue and funding by first applying for grants
and secondly make changes in the subscription service for revenue improvements.
55
SECTION 7 - HUMAN RESOURCES AND BENEFITS
Recruitment of Future Firefighters
Certain qualities are required of new firefighters to be identified during the recruitment
stages of the hiring process. Most fire departments are looking for a person who is a
team player, has the ability to get along in confined living quarters, the ability to think
clearly under stress, a person with organizational loyalty, strong personal values, and is
in excellent health and physical condition.
An aggressive approach should be taken to make people in the job market aware of an
upcoming testing process and to acquaint potential candidates with the nature of the
job, expectations, challenges, and opportunities that the position presents. The fire
department should take action to ensure quality recruitment efforts and a balanced
employment pool of highly qualified applicants including a strong effort to recruit and
hire qualified women and minorities.
Firefighter compensation includes an elite benefit package with 23 days off annually
after the first year. This doesn’t include the sick leave and family medical, dental, and
life insurance benefits as an added bonus. The total employee benefit is a significant
percentage to each employee’s salary.
Present firefighters are making $31,000 per year working a 43 hour week the same as
the police department officers. A different compensation plan will be needed when
additional firefighters are hired, and the firefighters will need to meet the requirements of
the FLSA relating directly to firefighters rather than police officers. Future firefighters
should be hired in at a range between $27,000 and $29,000 per year to keep the spread
of pay scales separated between the firefighters and future supervisors.
Part-time career firefighters used to cover shifts when full-time staff is off has included
the following:
Joshua Carr
Robert Chipley
Jerry Inglett
Reece White
James Lafollette
Jason Lafollette
Sammy Loveday
Tony Watson
James Valentine
David Walker
In reviewing the participation records for the past six months, several of these part-time
career people above did not meet the basic training requirement to be a firefighter and
did not attend enough drills to be qualified as a firefighter under the ISO standards.
These individuals should not be eligible to work if they are not eligible to be firefighters.
From a human resource standpoint, firefighters must meet basic requirements to be
qualified as firefighters. The human resource department must have employment
information on every firefighter regardless if they are career or volunteer. Everyone who
receives compensation from the city is either a part-time or full-time employee. All
volunteers should apply the same way career staff does starting with a “city application.”
56
The existing volunteer application violates Federal Title VII regulations by asking
inappropriate questions related to sex, age, race, national origin and/or religion.
The application (volunteer or career) cannot ask discriminatory information that is
restricted under the Federal Title VII regulations. This is why a “city” application should
be used and submitted through the city human resource office.
An interview process as well as a physical agility test should be conducted (career or
volunteer) to see if the candidate qualifies as a firefighter. A physical exam and
background check should follow. All candidates and employees should be provided with
a job description and a probation period set the same as for full-time employees.
Everyone should follow the city rules and policies for all employees.
Present fire department leaders including the fire chief, assistant chief, and the fire
inspector have take-home vehicles. In accordance with federal tax laws, all personal
miles should be reported on these vehicles for tax purposes as required by federal tax
regulations.
Recommendations
1. The fire department should have an aggressive firefighter recruitment plan for both career
and volunteer positions.
2. The employment pool of candidates should begin by considering volunteer personnel and
then outside the department. Internal candidates should prepare themselves to compete
for job positions.
3. Hire people who will stay with the job, someone looking for a career not a job!
4.
Utilize a fire department explorer program to get people interested in the fire service while
they are still in high school.
5. The recruitment process for firefighters must be an ongoing process. Recruit from local
colleges and people completing EMT and paramedic schools.
6. City applications should be required for any additional volunteers applying for positions,
and the city human resource department should maintain records on volunteers as they
do all city employees.
7. An interview process as well as a physical agility test should be conducted (career or
volunteer) to see if the candidate qualifies as a firefighter. A physical exam and
background check should follow.
8. All candidates and employees should be provided with a job description and a probation
period set the same as for full-time employees. Everyone should follow the city’s rules and
policies for all employees.
9. Future firefighters should be hired in at a range between $27,000 and $29,000 per year to
keep the spread of pay scales separated between the firefighters and future supervisors.
10. Individuals should not be eligible to work at the fire department if they are not eligible to
be firefighters.
57
Promotional Process
Good leaders are not people who have been employed the longest. Good leaders are
ones who have prepared themselves through education and experience. This is not the
only quality needed either. The textbook definition of a supervisor is “one who gets work
done through others.” A good supervisor or leader must have the necessary skills and
ability to make people want to follow him/her. The best leaders are firm in maintaining
order but also fair to all employees. The best leader is a visionary who can see and
grasp the big picture of the fire department.
MTAS recommends that all top managers including the fire chief and assistant fire chief
go through an assessment center process utilizing qualified panelists from peer groups
outside of the Pigeon Forge area. MTAS would typically assist in the assessment center
process for top fire department positions like these. This along with internal interviews
and a written test provides the city with great information on the abilities of potential
candidates. It is also recommended that the city look outside of the organization to fill
these two key positions. It not only shows how well internal candidates have prepared
themselves but also what the external job market offers. There are many good leaders
across the state preparing to step up into leadership positions.
MTAS recommends that middle managers including the fire marshal and supervisory
training captain positions also go through an assessment center, written test, and
internal interviews. The assessment center in this case would be conducted internally
with the fire department and human resource department working together. The
assessment center would be conducted similarly to the previous one although the
panelists will be from the Pigeon Forge area.
Other supervisory positions within the fire department should include written testing and
internal interviews.
Recommendations
1. A modern promotion process utilizes a series of assessments to select a good candidate
and can still utilize seniority as a factor.
2. MTAS recommends that all top managers including the fire chief and assistant fire chief
go through an assessment center process utilizing qualified panelists from peer groups
outside of the Pigeon Forge area.
3. MTAS recommends that middle managers including the fire marshal and supervisory
training captain positions also go through an assessment center, written test, and
4. Other supervisory positions within the fire department should participate in written
testing and internal interviews and work closely with current city practices.
58
Job Descriptions
Job descriptions are very important to any organization including the fire department.
Every position needs a job description including the volunteer firefighter position. This
is important, even for the part-time employee, so they will know and can understand
what is expected of them. Without this, no clear expectations are provided thus
employees, even if part-time, don’t have clear direction. Volunteer / Part-time personnel
should be treated the same as full-time employees in all respects. The public should not
be able to determine the difference between the full-time and part-time staff.
Recommendations
1. Develop and implement a volunteer firefighter job description and provide it to every
existing and new part-time employee.
2.
Volunteer personnel should be treated the same as a part-time employee.
Volunteer Firefighter Program
Volunteer firefighters, even though they are paid for part-time work, are becoming
harder and harder to find. The recruitment and retention of reserve staff is almost a fulltime job for the leadership of the department. Most people who join the reserve program
are not there for the money and most have other interests outside of the fire
department. So what keeps a reserve member active? There must be other incentives
besides money. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department should become aggressive in the
search for reserve staff and have strict rules to stay on in the department. To make this
worth their time, an aggressive retention program should be instituted and used to keep
good reserve staff.
Some incentives could include the following:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Proposed Incentives Offered
Annual awards banquet – Service Awards 5,10, 15, 20, 25 years
Summer Family Picnic
Family Christmas Dinner
Special discounts that other employees receive
Picture Day – Pictures in front of truck and in uniform
Department dress uniform
Excellent training program
Firefighter of the Year Award
Jackets and T-shirts
These are only a few; the Pigeon Forge Fire Department has a lot to offer when you
really think about it. This must be part of the recruitment and retention program and yes
it does cost money but only a fraction of what the same full-time staff would cost.
59
Retention and Recruitment
Retention is even more important than recruitment and selection. After all, you must
stop the bleeding before you can heal the wound. Retention strategies can be classified
into two categories: consistent training and effective communication.
Training is essential for professional job performance and for organizational
development. It is illogical to assume that people will perform effectively without
adequate training. People not adequately prepared to handle new and unsettling
situations often leave the job prematurely, setting into motion a cycle of turnover.
Poor Training = High Turnover = More Recruitment Needed
It is vital for managers to truly understand training and its role in human resource
management. Training is an ongoing process that improves an employee’s knowledge,
skills, and abilities. It must be continuous and challenging, take on many forms, and
must use a variety of approaches.
Initial orientation training is the best way to establish a strong foundation for the
employee/employer relationship. New employees get in-depth exposure to the dominant
culture of the organization (though the first introduction should have been strategically
placed in the recruitment and selection stage). It is vital that new employees be
provided with as solid a foundation as possible during this phase, which serves to
prepare them for job challenges and to signify their importance to the organization.
The other method to improve retention is through effective communication through the
ranks. Agencies need the ability to reach deep into the organization and deliver
messages directly so that everyone hears the same thing without the dilution and
distortion that comes from a rumor mill. The idea is to provide many versatile channels
of communication so that everybody is receiving timely, realistic, and consistent
information. Creativity is a must when designing communication channels.
Effective training and communication programs will create the atmosphere to inspire
retention of the right people. The department cannot mandate or demand that
employees stay with our organizations. All they can do is create the proper conditions,
provide incentives and, invite the right people to stay. Some turnover (10 percent per
year) can be healthy for organizations and presents a great opportunity to inject new
energized talent into the workforce. Excessive turnover, however, can be extremely
damaging to any business, especially those engaged in the business of saving lives.
Therefore, great emphasis must be placed on retaining the right people.
Recruiting, selecting, and retaining the best talent needs to be at the top of every
organization’s list of strategic goals. The reality in today’s knowledge era is that the
difference between mediocrity and greatness lies in the application of human intellect.
Intelligence, enthusiasm, and brainpower are critical assets for success.
60
Recommendations
1. Recruit and retain volunteer firefighters through an effective training and
communications program.
2. Budget money specifically for the recruitment and retention of Volunteer Firefighters.
Build up the program with additional training and encourage certification of all members.
Offer incentives to auxiliary personnel who meet minimum standards set by the
department.
Males Versus Females
The Pigeon Forge Fire Department is made up of only male employees. According to
the fire chief, females have applied in the past although none have successfully made it
through the hiring process. The fire station has not been prepared for the integration of
female firefighters. A plan should be developed to handle such a situation, and the fire
department should become more proactive in recruiting the female gender. All modern
fire departments have a plan, and most progressive departments already have female
firefighters.
Recommendation
1. A plan should be developed to become more proactive in recruiting the female gender.
All modern fire departments have a plan, and most progressive departments already
have female firefighters.
SECTION 8 - HEALTH AND SAFETY
Compliance with NFPA 1500
NFPA 1500 is the Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program standard
that all fire departments should be well aware of and follow. It is a comprehensive safety
standard on the operation of the fire department regardless of size. It establishes an
occupational safety and health committee to review and improve safety in the fire
department. This committee makes recommendations to the fire chief for consideration
in the budget requests. The standard also requires record keeping on accidents,
injuries, illnesses, exposures, and death. All health records are kept confidential through
HIPAA requirements with these being only available to the health and safety officer and
the fire chief. NFPA 1500 utilizes a worksheet to assist the department in becoming
compliant with the standard. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department is not in compliance
with the NFPA 1500 standard.
Recommendations
1. The fire department should assign a safety and health committee to make
recommendations to the chief as well as review accidents and exposures to improve
health and safety in the fire department.
2. The fire department should become compliant with the NFPA 1500 Standard.
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OSHA Compliance
OSHA 29 CFR 1910 Subpart I - Personal Protective Equipment requires that the
employer assess the workplace to determine what hazards are present to necessitate
the use of personal protective equipment. The employer shall provide each employee
with eye and face protection, respiratory protection, head and foot protection, electrical
protective equipment and hand protection equipment. Not only is the employer required
to provide the equipment but also ensure that everything properly fits and that each
employee is properly trained in the use of the equipment. The law continues with
explicit requirements for specific situations. The fire department management is aware
of these requirements and provides all personnel with the required equipment.
The fire department also follows the OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030 – Bloodborne Pathogens
law that requires each fire department to have an Exposure Control Plan and provide
training and equipment to prevent the exposure to bloodborne pathogens.
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.134 – Respiratory Protection Program requires the fire department
to designate a qualified respiratory protection program administrator to implement and
oversee the program. This law also requires the department to conduct at least annual
fit tests of respirators and requires firefighters to go through an annual medical
evaluation. Again, the employer is responsible for providing the necessary equipment
and training as well as keep detailed records. Air quality in supplied air respirators must
be tested on a regular basis, as do the self-contained breathing apparatus.
The Pigeon Forge Fire Department does have a complete Respiratory Protection
Program. The department does not have a written exposure control plan or a written
workplace hazards program. All of this should be addressed as soon as possible.
Recommendations
1. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department must immediately take action to become fully
compliant with OSHA regulations. This includes written programs in personal
protective equipment, exposure control plan, and a respiratory protection program.
2. Fit testing should be updated to the most current program and continued to be
conducted in-house.
3. The breathing air system used in refilling must be tested on a regular basis as
required.
4. All SCBA systems must be serviced and tested annually as required.
5. All new firefighters hired should be provided with individual SCBA face pieces and
fit tested annually as required by OSHA.
6. All basic OSHA requirements should be researched and implemented ASAP.
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Fire Department Safety Policy
Health and safety are of primary concern to all department members. Health and safety
are affected by many factors including training, equipment, facilities, operating
procedures, medical supervision, government regulations, environment, lifestyle and
nutrition, as well as attitude, awareness and perception.
Health should be addressed and maintained through a department physical
fitness/health/wellness program. There should also be an emphasis on stress
management and critical incident stress intervention. A progressive fire department also
provides appropriate inoculations and communicable disease screenings, including TB,
hepatitis and Influenza.
Safety should be addressed and maintained through the department safety officer, the
fire department safety teams, post-incident analysis, research and development, and
interaction with the city's risk manager. A program to provide appropriate safety
equipment and apparatus should also be in place.
A big issue presently in the fire service is driver training for all personnel on an annual
cycle as well as a comprehensive fire apparatus preventive maintenance program. This
along with a strong emphasis on "2 In and 2 Out," fit testing of all personnel and
issuance of air purifying respirators to each company for firefighting overhaul will make
any fire department safer.
It was reported that the Pigeon Forge Fire Department utilizes the city’s safety policy as
a basis for safety procedure but when firefighters were asked about the safety policy, no
one knew about the city’s safety policy. All firefighters should be trained on the city’s
safety policy and additional policies of the fire department. The written policies of the
department are limited and need updated to include safety issues.
Recommendations
1. Safety training should be conducted on a routine basis as part of the company level
training program.
2. A safety policy should be available at each fire station and fire personnel should be
familiar with the manual and safety procedures.
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NFPA 1710
In short and simplified terms, NFPA 1710 is a performance guide for a career fire
department that generally provides for organizational, service, and staffing standards. It
is not a law, only a standard. Two parts of this standard are critical on present day fire
department operations. They include providing minimum staffing on fire engine
companies and ladder companies. This is very hard for any small department to meet
although over time, the Pigeon Forge Fire Department should start working toward that
standard. Presently, every station should have a minimum of two people. Each year, the
department should add a few personnel until NFPA 1710 is met.
Secondly, NFPA 1710 is critical on response time and having a high percentage for ontime responses. Fire departments must constantly track this and strive to do better as
time goes on.
Recommendations
1.
The fire department should strive to meet the NFPA 1710 requirements concerning
personnel by slowly phasing in additional personnel each year.
2.
One person should never operate a station. The safety factor is too critical to allow
this to happen on a continual basis.
3.
Fire departments must continue to critically track response time with the emphasis
on a high percentage of on-time response.
SECTION 9 - GENERAL OPERATIONS
Organizational Structure
The organizational structure is very important to the success of a business. The most
effective management process is one that is clear and utilizes talents and opportunities
of the organization to make it better. The vacant position of assistant fire chief is
typically the position in charge of the overall operation of the fire department, the
operations chief. The present organizational chart shows the fire marshal answering
directly to the fire chief. The fire marshal is a key operational person and should be
closely connected to the suppression division under the direction of the assistant fire
chief. The coordination of fire prevention activities and fire investigations are part of
operations. The proposed organizational chart on the next page illustrates all operations
reporting to the operations person or in this case the assistant fire chief.
It is also recommended that the assistant fire chief be or become certified as a fire
inspector to better supervise fire prevention activities. Ordinarily a city will give this
person up to one year to obtain this certification.
64
Proposal for a more proactive organizational chart…
CITY COUNCIL
FIRE CHIEF
TRAINING CAPTAIN
SHIFT CAPTAIN
FIRE INSPECTOR CAPTAIN
SHIFT CAPTAIN
SHIFT CAPTAIN
(5) FIREFIGHTERS
(5) FIREFIGHTERS
VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS
(5) FIREFIGHTERS
Recommendations:
1. Change the organizational chart to that listed above.
2. The training officer and all three captains should become certified as a fire inspector
within one year of taking the position.
Fire Department General Compliance
The fire department should be proactive in complying or attempting to comply with
NFPA Standards. These standards are considered the industry standards for the fire
service and require constant attention. The implementation of the new assistant fire
chief’s position will allow the fire chief more time to work on such issues as NFPA 1500
and NFPA 1710. The fire department should become more proactive in completing the
NFPA annual surveys and applying for fire department recognition such as applying for
the Operation Life Safety Award.
Recommendation
1. The fire department should become more proactive in completing the NFPA annual
surveys and applying for fire department recognition such as applying for the
Operation Life Safety Award.
65
Fire Department Standard Operating Procedures / Guidelines
All fire departments need standard guidelines to follow for safety reasons as well as
liability issues. A good policy manual should be customized to meet the needs of the
Pigeon Forge Fire Department especially as the department changes to a more career
department. This is a very important document and needs attention as soon as the new
chief is hired. It is recommended that the new fire chief set up a committee consisting of
members of different levels in the fire department. The committee should review sample
SOP’s from both the Columbia, Tennessee Fire Department available on the MTAS web
site and the Charlottesville, Virginia Fire Department also available on the web. The
Pigeon Forge Fire Department committee should propose a program to the fire chief for
review and approval. Once the fire chief approves the SOP’s, copies should be provided
for each shift. Training and orientation should be conducted to assure that all personnel
are familiar with the SOP’s. Finally, all personnel should sign an acknowledgement that
they have read and understand the fire department Standard Operating Procedures. At
this point, the supervisors and officers will enforce all SOP’s. The committee should
conduct periodic review and updates of SOP’s at least annually.
Recommendations
1. The fire department needs a Standard Operating Procedure manual to have written
rules and procedures for people to follow. This should be put together by a committee
and submitted to the chief for approval.
2. Copies of SOP’s should be available to all personnel, training conducted, and SOP’s
enforced by shift officers.
3. All personnel should sign an acknowledgement that they have read and understand
the fire department Standard Operating Procedures. This documentation should
remain on file with the employee personnel records.
Fire Department Strategic Plan
Every fire department needs a written strategic plan. MTAS recommends that every fire
department submit an updated written five-year strategic plan with its budget request
annually. From a city point of view, this is of major concern for planning and setting
aside funding for future fire department needs.
The Pigeon Forge Fire Department doesn’t have a strategic plan and has never
submitted a plan with its annual budget request. The city should review this plan and
consider future needs of the fire department through financial planning. The fire chief
should involve members from all levels of the department to develop this plan. The plan
should first be submitted to the mayor for approval before sending it to the city board.
Justifications are essential to prove needs within the strategic plan.
Recommendation
1. The fire chief should submit a five-year strategic plan with his budget request each
year for consideration by the city board.
66
Public Relations & Media Involvement
Informing citizens about the types of services and the degree of caring afforded by
department members is crucial. How well the department is appreciated by citizens can
be greatly enhanced by a positive customer service approach and a well thought-out,
consistent public relations effort.
The Pigeon Forge Fire Department needs help in promoting public relations and
positive media involvement. The image is very important to both the department and city
as a whole. Image includes both appearance and actions. Vehicles and facilities should
look nice and always be clean and tidy. Any citizen should be able to open the driver’s
door on any apparatus and see a clean floorboard. Equipment should be mounted
inside apparatus cabinets. Beds in fire stations should always be made where a citizen
could walk in and inspect at any time.
Personnel should have a professional look and not look slouchy. Get rid of any faded Tshirts, old dirty caps, and unpolished shoes. T-shirts are inexpensive and if used as the
uniform, give out on a regular basis.
A public relations plan should be developed utilizing a committee to address public
relations and media involvement. It should address appearance utilizing a written plan
to improve the fire department. The committee should also propose positive media
events that the fire department can participate in to the fire chief. The intent is to
improve the overall image of the department. Better involvement in the community will
absolutely help improve public image. The key to success will be positive attitudes by
fire personnel. Securing buy-in from personnel is essential.
Recommendations
1. Obtain assistance from outside sources on how the fire department can improve its
public image in both appearance and actions.
2. Keep vehicles and facilities clean and tidy at all times.
3. Keep the firefighters looking professional and don’t allow faded T-shirts, old dirty
caps, and unpolished shoes.
4. Assign a public relations committee to address issues by making recommendations to
the fire chief utilizing a written plan to improve public relations.
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SECTION 10 WATER SUPPLY AND FIRE HYDRANTS
Water Supply
The City of Pigeon Forge Water Utility has a total elevated storage capacity of
7,150,000 gallons. The city has approximately 50 miles of water supply line consisting
of ductile iron, plastic, cement asbestos, and galvanized. The utility has approximately
3,200 customers in the Pigeon Forge and surrounding area. The system has eight
above ground level water storage tanks as listed below:
Tank Location
912 Iron Mt Road
914 Iron Mt Road
729 McMahan Hollow
1415 Wears Valley Road
574 Mountain View Lane
Monteview
2301 Eagle Way
Cove Mountain
Height
34 ft
30 ft
50 ft
32 ft
40 ft
45 ft
45 ft
38 ft
Overflow Ground
Elevation Elevation
1271.6
1237.6
1271.6
1241.6
1271.6
1221.6
1271.6
1239.6
1271.6
1231.6
1271.6
1241.6
1271.6
1241.6
1693.0
1658.0
Storage
Capacity
500,000
150,000
500,000
500,000
1,000,000
2,000,000
2,000,000
500,000
Each storage tank except the control tank is equipped with altitude valves and valves for
shut off for draining and inspection. The control tank can also be isolated, drained, and
inspected.
Fire Hydrants
The City of Pigeon Forge has a total of 596 fire hydrants located within the 12.46 square
miles. It can be expected that ISO will want to test between 3 and 7 percent of all
hydrants. For Pigeon Forge this will be from 18 to 42 hydrants. For maximum credit in
the schedule, all hydrants should have a pumper outlet, 6-inch or larger branch
connections, uniform size operating nut and operate in a uniform direction.
Inspection and Condition of Hydrants
Hydrants should be inspected twice each year and flow records should be maintained.
Proper records are worth at least two points of the 10-point rating. The Pigeon Forge
Fire Department must conduct full-system pressure tests during the hydrant testing and
the way these tests are conducted can have a 10- to 15-year impact on the community.
Any proper hydrant flow test is going to flow a significant amount of water and the
department should use hydrant diffusers for conducting such tests. Diffusers will help
keep from damaging landscapes and typically reduce the need to block traffic.
In Pigeon Forge, the fire department has not conducted any hydrant testing or
maintenance in the past three years. ISO requires all fire hydrants to be inspected twice
a year for maximum credit. Hydrants should be conspicuous and well-located for use
by a pumper and in good condition.
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Recommendations
1.
Additional assessment of water supply is needed by the fire department working
with the Water Utility to assure that compliance with ISO standards are met.
2.
Several items of information under water supply were not available; these must be
determined, compiled, and evaluated prior to the ISO evaluation.
3.
Hydrant testing should be conducted as recommended by ISO. Records for hydrant
testing should be maintained on a computer management data base.
SECTION 11 - BENCHMARKING AND STATISTICAL DATA
BENCHMARKING RESULTS
WORKLOAD
Emergency Calls for Service
Non-Emergency Calls for Service
Number of Fire Related Calls
Number of Structure Fires
Number of EMS Related Calls
Inspections by Fire Inspectors
Inspections by Fire Companies
Fire Code Violations
Fire Loss Record in Dollars
Fire Saved Record in Dollars
2005
SMALL CITY
All Districts
MTAS AVG
580
46
61
18
158
No Records
0
No Records
$2,088,575
No Records
2,118
84
129
37
2,025
1,509
360
3,088
$860,100
SMALL CITY
EFFICIENCY
Fire Service Cost Per 1,000 Pop.
Calls for Service Per 1,000 Pop.
Fire Inspections Per 1,000 Pop.
Fire Response Time
EMS Response Time
Fire Code Violations - % Cleared
Structure Fires Per 1,000 Pop.
Cost Per Calls for Service
Inside City Only
MTAS AVG
$126,372
123
No Records
0:11:40
Not Tracked
No Records
3.54
$1,026.12
$132,445
51
59
0:04:29
EFFECTIVENESS
Fire Cause Determination
Inside City Only
MTAS AVG
22%
93%
90.44%
1.1
$2,336.00
SMALL CITY
All data averages are based on the currently published MTAS 2005 Benchmarking report from small city averages.
NOTE: THE MTAS SMALL CITY CATEGORY INCLUDED THE SEVEN FOLLOWING CITIES - MARYVILLE, OAK RIDGE,
BRENTWOOD, COLLIERVILLE, BARTLETT, KINGSPORT, AND CLEVELAND.
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SECTION 12 - INSURANCE SAVINGS POTENTIAL
Fire protection is the only service provided by a municipality where improving the level
of service can result in a reduction of property insurance premiums to the community. It
should also be understood that once these reductions are made, they continue year
after year. The savings to the community is not just from the original amounts but as
property values increase so will the savings. The following table is based on a projected
growth in property values and insurance premiums over five years of 10% using 2005
as a base year.
Year
2005
2010
Value of
Property
$100,000
$110,000
Premium for
Class 10
$875
$1,059
Premium for
Class 7
$585
$708
Savings
from 10 to 7
$290
$351
Premium for
Class 4
$497
$601
Savings
from 10 to 4
$378
$458
As you can see from the table, there is a significant increase in savings both as the
class is lowered and over the period of five years. This can easily be applied to the
Pigeon Forge Fire Department by gathering some basic information from a local
insurance company.
Insurance Services Office (ISO) Analysis
ISO is a nationwide for-profit service organization that provides services to the property
and casualty insurance industry about a community's fire-protection services. This helps
establish appropriate fire insurance premiums for residential and commercial properties.
ISO’s Public Protection Classification (PPC) program evaluates communities according
to a uniform set of criteria defined in the Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS).
This criterion incorporates nationally recognized standards developed by the National
Fire Protection Association and the American Water Works Association.
Using this information, ISO objectively reviews the fire suppression capabilities of a
community and assigns a Public Protection Classification – a number from 1 to 10.
Class 1 represents exemplary fire protection, and Class 10 indicates that the area’s fire
suppression program does not meet minimum recognition criteria.
The grading audit simply measures compliance to several national minimum standards
in the respective areas. Examples include:
•
•
•
•
Can a caller find the fire department number in the phone book?
Does the water system match the needed fire flow requirements of the buildings
in the community?
Is the fire department capable of handling the fires that occur in the city?
Are the fire department ladders long enough to reach the buildings in the city?
A Class 1 community pays the lowest possible rates and scores 90% or better on
meeting a portion of the national standards in communications, fire department and
water supply. A Class 5 pays medium rates and meets 50 to 60% of the national
standards. A Class 9 is the worst grade for any form of recognized fire protection and
only scores 10 to 20%. There is at least a 62% swing in rates controlled by the rating.
70
ISO will rate communities every 10 years if their population is over 25,000 or every 15
years if they are under 25,000. In addition, ISO sends out a questionnaire every 30
months. Depending upon how the department fills out the form can trigger an audit.
Changes in district boundaries, station locations, automatic aid agreements, number
and type of apparatus and many others could also result in an early audit. Anytime a
community can prove to ISO it can improve its grade, ISO will come and re-rate the
community.
When ISO develops a single classification for a community, all of the community’s
properties receive that classification. In many communities, ISO develops a split
classification (for example, 5/9). Generally, the first class, (Class 5 in the example)
applies to properties within a defined distance (5-road miles in most states) of a fire
station and within 1000 feet of a fire hydrant. The second class (Class 9 in the
example), applies to properties beyond 1000 feet of a fire hydrant but within the defined
distance of a fire station. ISO generally assigns Class 10 to properties beyond the
defined distance of a fire station.
SUMMARY
Reviewing the ISO process is very subjective according to the person conducting the
evaluation. The calculations and recommendations previously listed in this section are
interpretative and can vary. The fire department should carefully evaluate its situation
and be ready to defend particular scores that it feels are accurate. The opportunity to
question scores can be either during the evaluation or in the time period immediately
after receiving a new rating. If the new rating is worse than the original rating, an
eighteen month improvement period is typically allowed. To be more accurate, the
department should use conservative calculations in its figures. Remember the ISO
representative is usually open to discussion and willing to hear comments concerning
the way the department handles certain situations.
The fire department should continue the internal evaluation process and utilize the
following chart to determine where the department is at and where it needs to go.
Significant improvement is possible for the Pigeon Forge Fire Department.
71
Sample Chart for determining the ISO rating.
Fire Alarms Category
Current Score
Projected Score if
recommendations
are followed
Max. Possible Score
Credit for Telephone Service
Credit for Telephone Operators
Credit for Dispatch Circuits
Total for Receiving & Handling Alarms
Relative ISO Class
Fire Department Category
2.00
3.00
5.00
10.00
Class 1
Current Score
Projected Score if
recommendations
are followed
Credit for Engine Companies
Credit for Reserve Pumpers
Credit for Pump Capacity
Credit for Ladder Service
Credit for Reserve Ladder
Credit for Distribution of Fire Stations
Credit for Company Personnel
Credit for Training
Total Credit for Fire Department
Relative ISO Class
Class ___
Class ___
Water Supply Category
Current Score
Projected Score if
recommendations
are followed
Credit for Water System
Credit for Hydrants
Credit for Inspection and Condition
Total Credit for Fire Department
Relative ISO Class
Class ___
Max. Possible Score
10.00
1.00
5.00
5.00
1.00
4.00
15.00
9.00
50.00
Class 1
Max. Possible Score
Class ___
35.00
2.00
3.00
40.00
Class 1
SECTION 13 – SAMPLE TIMELINE FOR IMMEDIATE RECOMMENDATIONS
The following is a beginning to a sample timeline for recommendations. The fire
department and city leadership should continue such a time table utilizing
recommendations provided to develop an action plan.
IMMEDIATELY
•
Hire an educated, experienced career fire chief to oversee the operations of the
fire department. This person will answer to the city manager and be accountable
for the entire operation of the fire department. Utilization of a management team
approach is suggested.
•
Allow the new fire chief to hire a qualified, educated, and experienced fire training
officer to oversee the training division of the department.
72
WITHIN THE NEXT BUDGET YEAR (FY 06-07)
•
Hire 15 additional personnel
•
Go to a 24 hour shift – 24/48 schedule
(Staff two engines and a ladder)
•
Replace Engine 1 with a Quint Apparatus
•
Start building Pigeon Forge Fire Station #2
•
Hire 9 additional firefighters
(Move Engine 1 to station #2)
•
Buy a Quint Fire Apparatus
•
Start building Pigeon Forge Fire Station #3
•
(Move new Quint to station #3)
•
CONTINUE THE ACTION PLAN PROCESS….
73
Fire Apparatus Replacement Program Recommendation
Based on maintaining the present fleet of fire apparatus, the following is a
recommended replacement program. This is strictly based on information provided by
the fire department with only consideration for year manufactured, mileage, and stated
condition at the time of this report. This does not consider apparatus utilization, local
environment, local operating conditions, and scope of regular preventive maintenance.
It is also recommended to consider replacement of first line fire engines with Quints (fire
engines with aerial ladders) so to plan for ISO consideration. The use of Quints will
eliminate the need for purchasing both fire engines and ladder trucks in the future. By
using Quint apparatus for first line use, the department gets maximum credit from ISO.
This also prevents manning additional apparatus or responding additional apparatus on
first alarms.
10-Year Sample Replacement Schedule
FY Year
Apparatus to Replace
Replace with..
Specifications
2007-08
Engine 1
75’ Quint
2008-09
Engine 2
75’ Quint
1500 gpm Pump
500 gal tank
1500 gpm Pump
500 gal tank
Tanker 4
Tanker
1500 gpm pump
1500 gal tank
Estimated Cost
2006-07
$400,000
$400,000
2009-10
2010-11
$300,000
2011-12
Replacement costs listed above are simple estimates and consider inflation guesstimates.
74
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS
SECTION 1 – The Position of Fire Chief
IMPL.
O/A
Recommendations:
1. It is imperative that the city select a Fire Chief
(Operations Manager) to operate the fire department that
is qualified, progressive, educated, experienced,
knowledgeable, and a visionary manager. It is also
important to give that person the authority and backing
to operate and lead this department into the future.
______
______
______
______
3. The fire chief should already have or be able to obtain
fire officer II certification within two years after
becoming fire chief.
______
______
4. The fire chief should have a college degree or have
ambition to obtain the degree in the near future.
______
______
5. The fire chief should have a good background in fire,
EMS, rescue and emergency management as well as
good communication and management skills.
______
______
1. The fire department should operate as a business and
make changes in the business in response to changes
in the business cycle.
______
______
2. The fire chief should be held accountable for the entire
success or failure of the fire department.
______
______
3. The fire department should identify community needs
and conduct risk assessments.
______
______
4. The fire department should apply for all available grants
as they become eligible. At the minimum, this should
include the three FEMA Grants: 1) Assistance to
Firefighters Grant (AFG), 2) SAFER Grant, and 3) Fire
Prevention Grant.
______
______
2. The process used in selecting a fire chief should include
a state-wide search and involve an “assessment center”
process that measures the overall potential of the
candidate.
SECTION 2 – Fire Department Resources
Recommendations
:
Manpower Resources
Recommendations
1. Volunteer firefighters should meet minimum
requirements to maintain active status. These
requirements should include attendance to 80% of the
drills and meetings, attend a minimum of 4 hours of
training monthly, and respond to 70% of the actual
working structure fires. These being the minimum
requirements under the ISO standards.
2. A mandatory volunteer standby program should be
implemented for volunteer firefighters to increase
interest and qualify them to compete for full-time
positions when they become available.
3. The City of Pigeon Forge should hire 15 additional
firefighters over the next twelve months but only after
hiring a full-time fire chief and training officer.
4. Volunteer firefighters will continue to be needed and
vital to the operation of the fire department. The new
full-time fire chief must evaluate present incentives and
make adjustments to maintain necessary staffing levels.
5. Reduce the volunteer staffing levels from 40 to 25 as
new career firefighters are hired. It is anticipated that
several of the existing volunteer members will be hired
so this number should decrease on its own. Less than
20 active members are on the list presently.
6. In accordance with OSHA and the city’s liability
insurance carrier, all members including volunteers
should be given physicals and certified as “fit for duty. ”
IMPL.
O/A
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
Full-Time Equivalents & Minimum Staffing Standards
Recommendations
1. Increase the FTE’s to a minimum level by adding five
additional firefighters per shift. This would bring normal
staffing to 6 per shift. Increased FTE’s should allow the
department to meet minimum standards.
2. The fire department should work toward adding
additional personnel gradually over the next five to
seven years to eventually meet the NFPA 1710 standard
of four personnel per Engine and Ladder Company.
76
Apparatus and Equipment Resources
Equipment
IMPL.
O/A
Recommendations
1. Equipment replacement should be planned and
purchased through an ongoing equipment replacement
program.
______
______
2. All fire apparatus with insufficient equipment must be
provided with the minimum equipment as required by
NFPA 1901 and ISO. A total of $11,777 should be
budgeted to cover this expense.
______
______
3. Develop a written policy on the placement of equipment
on each apparatus for as much uniformity of placement
as possible. The policy should also address a procedure
for reporting missing equipment.
______
______
4. Conduct daily or weekly inventories of apparatus using
a standard inventory form to track required equipment.
Records should be kept on regular checks for at least
three years.
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
5. Fire department personnel should be familiar with the
equipment locations on every apparatus. Training and
drills should be conducted for all drivers and firefighters
on equipment locations.
Apparatus Replacement
Recommendations
1. Fire apparatus replacement should be a carefully
planned process that is conducted at regular intervals
utilizing a Fire Apparatus Replacement Program.
2. In accordance with NFPA standards, at least one fire
engine should be replaced and at least one other engine
placed in reserve status. Refer to the proposed
apparatus replacement program later in this report.
3. The fire department should track annual mileage and
costs per mile to predict future replacement intervals.
The fire chief should present an annual report on the
condition of all fire apparatus and vehicles. This report
should be included with the fire department’s five year
strategic plan presented each year during the budget
planning process.
4. The city should consider the purchase of a truck to pull
the 8,000 gallon tanker if the city is interested in
lowering the ISO rating outside of the city limits. The
area has a present rating of class 9 and this could be
lowered to a class 8A rating if the department responds
to all structure fires in that area with a minimum of 4,000
gallons of water. This apparatus could also help in areas
inside the city where water supplies are inadequate. The
truck must respond to all fire alarms in these areas to
get this credit.
77
IMPL.
O/A
Recommendations
1. Ideally, the two first due engines as well as the shift
supervisor’s vehicle should have a Thermal Imaging
Camera (TIC) as basic equipment. A maintenance check
should be conducted on each TIC at least weekly with
proper documentation maintained about the
2. As required by NFPA standards and the manufacturer,
hydraulic rescue tools should continue to be tested
annually. Records should be kept on file documenting
the maintenance program.
3. Fire Department SCBA is required to be tested annually
with proper documentation on file. Air quality testing
and fit testing is also required. A written respiratory plan
that meets recent OSHA updated requirements should
be developed and implemented as part of the
department policies. Annual fit testing and medical
questionnaires must be conducted on all members
annually.
4. The present plan to replace a portion of turnout gear
each year should continue. As new employees are hired,
gear will need to be ordered to properly fit the new
firefighters. An inventory should be maintained of all
equipment issued.
5. Ground ladders should continue to be tested as
required by NFPA and the manufacturer.
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
Hose Testing and Apparatus Testing
Recommendations
1. Annual hose testing is a requirement in all departments
regardless of size or type. If no records exist, then the
testing did not occur. All hose should be inventoried
and numbered as well as tested annually as specified in
NFPA 1962. As a minimum, three years of hose test
records should be kept on file.
2. The aerial ladder must be maintained and tested
annually as required by NFPA 1901. Even though the
aerial truck is presently in compliance, attention must
be kept to assure this testing is done every 12 months.
The aerial truck should have a file at the fire station with
all service and testing records enclosed.
3. All fire engines with a pump capacity over 250 gpm must
be tested annually in accordance with NFPA 1901.
Records must be kept on file for a minimum of three
years. Each apparatus should have a file at the fire
station with all service and testing records enclosed.
78
Facility Resources
IMPL.
O/A
Recommendations
1. General and routine maintenance is constantly needed
at fire stations to maintain facilities properly.
Firefighters should be able to handle most all of the
routine maintenance.
______
______
______
______
3. Residential dishwashers should be considered for each
station for sanitary reasons. Fire stations only need
dishwashers if they are going to be used; and if
dishwashers are placed into stations, a policy for their
use must follow.
______
______
4. The existing fitness room will need to be converted back
to a male bunk room. Additional considerations for
sleeping arrangements will need to be made when
female firefighters are hired.
______
______
1. At the time of this report, emphasis should be placed on
manning the present fire station and the process of
becoming more of a career fire department rather than
building new fire stations.
______
______
2. Within three to five years maximum, the construction of
a new fire station should be completed, staffed and
equipped with a quint apparatus on the property located
on Wears Valley Road.
______
______
3. Within five to seven years maximum, the construction of
a new fire station should be completed, staffed, and
equipped with a quint apparatus on the property located
on Middle Creek Road.
______
______
4. Automatic mutual aid, if available, should be established
with Sevierville for ladder service on the northwestern
section of the Parkway until additional stations are built
to cover this area.
______
______
5. Automatic mutual aid should be established with
Walden’s Creek Volunteer Fire Department for engine
company response in and around Wears Valley Road
area.
______
______
2. All fire station bedrooms or hallways leading to
bedrooms should have CO detectors for the safety of
firefighters. Smoke detectors should be in every
bedroom as well as hallways leading to bedrooms as
required by code. Detectors should be tested on a
regular basis with documentation as required by all
commercial occupancies having sleeping facilities.
Review of Fire Station Locations
Recommendations
79
SECTION 3 – RESPONSE FOR SERVICE
Response Time and Manpower
IMPL.
O/A
Recommendations
1. The department should invest in a fire department
management software that will track the overall
operations of the department as well as inventory
equipment, hydrants, manage hose test records, and
personnel.
______
______
2. The department needs to remain current with the
submission of the TFIRS data and submit all data within
10 days of the incident as required by state law.
______
______
3. The department should reduce the number of structure
fire calls utilizing better fire prevention efforts targeted
at the occupancies and causes of Pigeon Forge fires.
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
4. It is recommended that fire inspectors track the number
of fire inspections conducted, the number of violations
noted, the number of corrective actions made, and the
total number of public contacts on a monthly and annual
basis.
5. A monthly report of inspections and activities should be
submitted by the fire marshal to the fire chief and the
fire chief should submit the prevention data in an annual
report to the city council.
6. The department needs to improve response time on all
calls. The easiest way to improve response time is
through hiring full-time firefighters to work 24/7. A
response time greater than 6 minutes should be
unacceptable inside the city. Pigeon Forge is grown too
much to still maintain an 11.66 minute average response
time. A response time greater than 15 minutes as seen
several times in the three year study creates extreme
liability on the city.
7. The department needs to increase manpower response
to an average level of 13 to 15 personnel on fire calls.
8. The aerial truck must be part of the first alarm response
to all fire calls inside the city limits. Remember, two
engines, a ladder or service company, and a supervisor
is required on all fire calls (even alarms).
9. Monthly reports should be submitted to the city
manager listing the department’s response standard
with a comparison of how the department met that goal
for the month.
80
Response Capabilities, Protocols, and Resources
Recommendation
1. A response Matrix for the Pigeon Forge Fire Department
should be developed utilizing all possible scenarios for
response. All personnel should memorize and know
both the Response Resources and Response Matrix.
The department should review and refine these
schedules on a regular basis.
IMPL.
O/A
______
______
______
______
______
______
2. The training officer should identify the fixed amount of
training funding needed to maintain current and future
basic certifications. This should be reported each year
in the fire department budget request.
______
______
3. Additional emphasis should be placed on training for
both career and volunteer staff. Everyone must qualify
as a basic firefighter and maintain certification while a
member of the department.
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
2. Response capabilities, protocols and resources should
be listed in writing and training conducted for all
personnel to follow the guidelines.
SECTION 4 - FIRE DEPARTMENT TRAINING
Recommendations
1. The city needs to hire a full-time training officer
immediately after hiring a full-time fire chief. This person
can not only perform as the training officer but also
handle safety compliance and oversee the volunteer
program to assist the fire chief. I would recommend that
the rank of Captain be assigned to this position.
4. Minimum qualifications and certification should be set
as policy for all firefighters. Volunteers should be
offered the opportunity to step up to higher
certifications in an effort to prepare them for future
career positions with the department.
5. The training officer must develop and schedule an
annual training program that can meet or exceed ISO
standards, state and federal requirements, and benefit
the department as well.
6. All firefighters must meet minimum training standards,
attend the necessary number of drills, and attend the
required number of fire calls to maintain active status.
81
Firefighter Certification Continued
IMPL.
7. A minimum of 14 required drills must be conducted to
meet additional ISO Standards. The department should
schedule these drills and all other known training on a
calendar made available to all personnel by January 1st
of each year.
O/A
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
1. Develop a list of all buildings 35 feet or higher listing the
building address, district, number of stories, occupancy
type, fire protection systems, number of people, and its
risk code for use in preplanning and building
familiarizations.
______
______
2. Pre-plan, drill, and know the high-rise target buildings.
Every firefighter should participate and be familiar with
the buildings on the list.
______
______
8. Officers as well as apparatus drivers and operators
must be trained in addition to the 240 hours annual
training. This too should be scheduled on the fire
department calendar.
9. Everyone must continue to attend the basic firefighting
academy and classes outside the department.
10. Specific requests for training should be submitted for
the budget request from anyone wanting to attend or
will be required to attend training in the next budget
year.
11. The department should utilize the National Fire
Academy (NFA) for training future leaders. It is still free
except for a meal ticket and the NFA will even pay for
travel to the NFA.
12. Each shift officer should submit a monthly training
report to the training officer. The training officer should
submit an annual Training Report to the fire chief to be
submitted to the city board on a annual basis.
SECTION 5 – Risk Assessment / Fire Prevention
Fire Vulnerability / Target Hazards
Recommendation:
1. The fire department should identify target hazards in the
community utilizing a risk analysis process. These
buildings should be preplanned, visited, inspected, and
familiar to all firefighters.
Inventory of Buildings 35 Feet or Higher
Recommendations
82
Pre-Fire Planning
IMPL.
O/A
Recommendations
1. All target hazards and all buildings on the ISO “Batch
Report” in the community must be preplanned.
Preplans should be readily available and updated on a
routine basis.
______
______
2. A laptop computer should be installed in the Command
vehicle with city maps, hydrant locations, and preplans
in the computer.
______
______
3. Firefighters should tour every significant building
preplanned on an annual basis.
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
4. Proper records must be kept on all inspections whether
done by fire companies or the fire inspector.
______
______
5. Fire cause determination should be accomplished on
every fire where possible.
______
______
______
______
Fire Inspection and Investigations
Recommendations
1. The fire inspector should work under the fire chief and
have an office in the fire department. The fire inspector’s
main goal should be to prevent fires from occurring
through an aggressive inspection, investigation, and
prevention program. The fire inspector should hold the
rank of Captain in the fire department.
2. The fire inspection division should be aggressive in
conducting annual business inspections as well as new
construction inspections. Every commercial business
should be inspected annually by a fire inspector. This
aggressive approach will reduce fire loss over time.
3. The fire inspector should be given the responsibility for
implementing and overseeing the Company Fire
Inspection Program. This is the program where fire
companies do basic fire safety inspections and building
familiarizations with all commercial business
occupancies within their respective districts. This also
allows time for firefighters to update preplans when
necessary.
6. Fire prevention activities conducted year-round and lead
by the fire inspector with assistance by shift personnel
will also reduce fire loss. Target groups such as the
young and the elderly should be addressed since these
are the ages most affected by fire.
83
Risk Planning
IMPL.
O/A
Recommendations
1. Run statistical data monthly with TFIRS to determine
trends and use this data to develop a Risk Plan for the
City of Pigeon Forge.
______
______
______
______
1. Hiring additional personnel will increase the fire
department budget dramatically. Personnel costs
include salary and benefits and are reoccurring each
year. The city should be prepared to handle such an
expense. This report proposes hiring a fire chief, a
training officer, and 15 firefighters the first year.
______
______
2. The budget comparisons indicate that the Pigeon Forge
budget is excessive in operating expenses. A significant
amount could be diverted to assist in paying salaries.
______
______
______
______
4. Fixed training costs drive the training budget and an
itemized list for specific recertification and training
courses should be submitted with the budget proposal
each year.
______
______
5. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department should become more
dynamic in taking advantage of free training such as
that provided by the National Fire Academy, FEMA, and
TEMA.
______
______
______
______
2. Obtain a copy of the RHAVE computer program and use
it for risk assessment.
SECTION 6 – Finance and Budget
Recommendations
3. A capital replacement budget should be considered
utilizing a small percentage of the additional property
assessed value that increases each year. An equipment
contingency fund would allow for better financial
planning. Capital planning begins with the fire chief
submitting a strategic plan to the city board each year
with his budget.
6. The fire department should try to increase revenue and
funding by first applying for grants and secondly make
changes in the subscription service for revenue
improvements.
84
SECTION 7 - HUMAN RESOURCES AND BENEFITS
Recruitment of Future Firefighters
IMPL.
O/A
Recommendations
1. The fire department should have an aggressive
firefighter recruitment plan for both career and volunteer
positions.
______
______
2. The employment pool of candidates should begin by
considering volunteer personnel and then outside the
department. Internal candidates should prepare
themselves to compete for job positions.
______
______
3. Hire people who will stay with the job, someone looking
for a career not a job!
______
______
______
______
5. The recruitment process for firefighters must be an
ongoing process. Recruit from local colleges and people
completing EMT and paramedic school.
______
______
6. City applications should be required for any additional
volunteers applying for positions and the city human
resource department should maintain records on
volunteers as they do all city employees.
______
______
7. An interview process as well as a physical ability test
should be conducted (career or volunteer) to see if the
candidate qualifies as a firefighter. A physical exam and
background check should follow.
______
______
8. All candidates and employees should be provided with a
job description and a probation period set the same as
for full-time employees. Everyone should follow the city
rules and policies for all employees.
______
______
9. Future firefighters should be hired in at a range between
$27,000 and $29,000 per year to keep the spread of pay
scales separated between the firefighters and future
supervisors.
______
______
10. Individuals should not be eligible to work if they are not
eligible to be firefighters.
______
______
4.
Utilize a fire department explorer program to get people
interested in the fire service while they are still in high
school.
85
Promotional Process
Recommendations
1. A modern promotion process utilizes a series of
assessments to select a good candidate and can still
utilize seniority as a factor.
IMPL.
O/A
______
______
______
______
3. MTAS recommends that middle managers including the
fire marshal and supervisory training captain positions
also go through an assessment center, written test, and
______
______
4. Other supervisory positions within the fire department
should participate in written testing and internal interviews
and work closely with current city practices.
______
______
1. Develop and implement a volunteer firefighter job
description and provide it to every existing and new parttime employee.
______
______
2.
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
2. MTAS recommends that all top managers including the fire
chief and assistant fire chief go through an assessment
center process utilizing qualified panelists from peer
groups outside of the Pigeon Forge area.
Job Descriptions
Recommendations
Volunteer personnel should be treated the same as a parttime employee.
Volunteer Firefighter Program
Recommendations
1. Recruit and retain Volunteer Firefighters through an
effective training and communications program.
2. Budget money specifically for the recruitment and
retention of Volunteer Firefighters. Build up the program
with additional training and encourage certification of all
members. Offer incentives to Auxiliary personnel who
meet minimum standards set by the department.
Males versus Females
Recommendation
1. A plan should be developed to become more proactive in
recruiting the female gender. All modern fire departments
have a plan, and most progressive departments already
have female firefighters.
86
SECTION 8 - HEALTH AND SAFETY
Compliance with NFPA 1500
IMPL.
O/A
Recommendations
1. The fire department should assign a safety and health
committee to make recommendations to the chief as well
as review accidents and exposures to improve health and
safety in the fire department.
______
______
2. The fire department should become compliant with the
NFPA 1500 Standard.
______
______
______
______
2. Fit testing should be updated to the most current
program and continued to be conducted in-house.
______
______
3. The breathing air system used in refilling must be
tested on a regular basis as required.
______
______
4. All SCBA systems must be serviced and tested
annually as required.
______
______
5. All new firefighters hired should be provided with
individual SCBA face pieces and fit tested annually as
required by OSHA.
______
______
6. All basic OSHA requirements should be researched
and implemented ASAP.
______
______
1. Safety training should be conducted on a routine basis
as part of the company level training program.
______
______
2. A safety policy should be available at each fire station
and fire personnel should be familiar with the manual
and safety procedures.
______
______
OSHA Compliance
Recommendations
1. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department must immediately
take action to become fully compliant with OSHA
regulations. This includes written programs in
personal protective equipment, exposure control
plan, and a respiratory protection program.
Fire Department Safety Policy
Recommendations:
87
IMPL.
NFPA 1710
O/A
Recommendations
1.
The fire department should strive to meet the NFPA
1710 requirements concerning personnel by slowly
phasing in additional personnel each year.
______
______
One person should never operate a station. The
safety factor is too critical to allow this to happen on
a continual basis.
______
______
Fire departments must continue to critically track
response time with the emphasis on a high
percentage of on-time response.
______
______
1. Change the organizational chart to as listed above.
______
______
2. The Training Officer and all three Captains should
become certified as a fire inspector within one year of
taking the position.
______
______
______
______
1. The fire department needs a Standard Operating
Procedure manual to have written rules and procedures
for people to follow. This should be put together by a
committee and submitted to the chief for approval.
______
______
2. Copies of SOP’s should be available to all personnel,
training conducted, and SOP’s enforced by shift
officers.
______
______
3. All personnel should sign an acknowledgement that
they have read and understand the fire department
Standard Operating Procedures. This documentation
should remain on file with the employee personnel
records.
______
______
2.
3.
SECTION 9 - General Operations
Organizational Structure
Recommendations:
Fire Department General Compliance
Recommendation
1. The fire department should become more proactive in
completing the NFPA annual surveys and applying for
fire department recognition such as applying for the
Operation Life Safety Award.
Standard Operating Procedures / Guidelines
Recommendations
88
Fire Department Strategic Plan
IMPL.
O/A
Recommendation
______
______
______
______
______
______
3. Keep the firefighters looking professional and don’t
allow faded T-shirts, old dirty caps, and unpolished
shoes.
______
______
4. Assign a public relations committee to address issues
by making recommendations to the fire chief utilizing a
written plan to improve public relations.
______
______
1. Additional assessment of water supply is needed by the
fire department working with the Water Utility to assure
that compliance with ISO standards is met.
______
______
2. Several items of information under water supply were not
available; these must be determined, compiled, and
evaluated prior to the ISO evaluation.
______
______
______
______
1. The fire chief should submit a five-year strategic plan
with his budget request each year for consideration by
the City Board.
Public Relations & Media Involvement
Recommendations
1. Obtain assistance from outside sources on how the fire
department can improve its public image in both
appearance and actions.
2. Keep vehicles and facilities clean and tidy at all times.
SECTION 10 Water Supply and Fire Hydrants
Water Supply
Recommendations
3. Hydrant testing should be conducted as recommended
by ISO. Records for hydrant testing should be
maintained on a computer management data base.
89
APPENDIX ONE – FIRE DEPARTMENT TEAM ASSIGNMENT SAMPLE
Pigeon Forge Fire Department
Team Assignments
Fire Department Management Team
January 2006
Fire Chief
Assistant Fire Chief
Fire Marshal
Supervisory Training Captain
A Shift Captain
B Shift Captain
C Shift Captain
Meetings held 2 times per month and set on FD calendar.
Mission: Oversee the overall operation of the Pigeon Forge Fire Department.
Fire Department Training Team
February 2006
A Shift Lieutenant
B Shift Lieutenant
C Shift Lieutenant
Meetings held monthly or as needed.
Mission: Oversee and assist in meeting the training needs of the department.
Reserve Program Advisory Team
March 2006
Fire Chief
A Shift Firefighter
B Shift Firefighter
C Shift Firefighter
Reserve Firefighter
Reserve Firefighter
Meetings held monthly and/or prior to drills.
Mission: To oversee the reserve firefighter program with an emphasis on recruitment and retention.
Public Fire & Safety Education Team
February 2006
Fire Marshal, Coordinator
A Shift Firefighter
B Shift Firefighter
C Shift Firefighter
Meetings held prior to public education events and as needed.
Mission: To oversee the public fire education efforts of the department and promote fire safety.
Physical Fitness Program Team
March 2006
(1) Fire Lieutenant
A Shift Firefighter
B Shift Firefighter
C Shift Firefighter
Meetings held as needed and at least annually (March).
Mission: To institute and encourage physical fitness within the fire department.
SOG Development Team
February 2006
Management Team Members
Meetings held as needed and at least once annually (February).
Mission: To develop and keep current the fire department Standard Operating Guidelines.
Accident Investigation & Safety Team
March 2006
A Shift Captain
B Shift Captain
C Shift Captain
Meetings held after any accident and at least twice each year (January & August).
Mission: To investigate internal accidents where employees are injured and provide reports to the fire
chief as well as provide suggestions to the management team to improve safety in the fire department.
91
Building & Grounds Improvement Team
April 2006
Supervisory Training Captain, Coordinator
(3) Interested Officers or Firefighters (1 from each shift)
Meetings held at least twice each year (April & September) and as needed.
Mission: Make recommendations to the management team for improvements of buildings and grounds.
Customer Service Team
May 2006
Assistant Chief, Coordinator
(3 to 6) Interested Officers or Firefighters (1 or 2 from each shift)
Meetings held at least twice each year (April & September) and as needed.
Mission: Make recommendations to the management team for improvements in customer service.
Explorer Post Advisors
September 2006
Supervisory Training Captain, Coordinator
(3 to 6) Interested Officers or Firefighters (1 or 2 from each shift)
Meetings held bi-monthly and as needed.
Mission: Develop and start a Fire Department Explorer Program. Oversee the program and make
recommendations to the management team for the continued operation of the program as well as the
utilization of the program for recruiting future firefighters as reserves and career staff.
Fire Commission Training Committee
Appointed prior to 2006
________________, Chairman
_________________, Vice Chairman
________________, Secretary
____________________
____________________
____________________
____________________
Meetings held twice each year (October and January) and as needed.
Mission: Serve as the Fire Department Training Committee for certification with the Tennessee Fire
Commission. Approve training requests and annual program as required by state law. Keep records of
meetings and make reports of all actions to the fire chief.
92
Specific Task Committees
Apparatus Inventory Committee
__________________, Coordinator
__________________, Firefighter
__________________, Firefighter
Task: To conduct and maintain an inventory of equipment on all apparatus as well as spare
equipment. The committee shall also oversee the placement of equipment on each apparatus to
be as uniform as possible with other apparatus and conducted with the approval of the fire chief.
ISO Inspection Preparation Committee
__________________, Coordinator
__________________, Captain
__________________, Firefighter
Task: To prepare for an ISO inspection by conducting an evaluation of present conditions and
report to the management team on what needs to be improved.
FD Web Site Committee
__________________, Coordinator
__________________, Firefighter
__________________, Firefighter
Task: To propose a web site layout for the Pigeon Forge Fire Department to the management
team for consideration and approval. When approved by the city, follow through in implementing
a web site and maintaining that site for its duration.
FD Logo Committee
__________________, Coordinator
__________________, Firefighter
__________________, Firefighter
Task: To review present fire department logo and propose any changes to the management team
for consideration and approval. When approved, follow through in implementing a new logo for
the department.
93
Personnel Assignments
Organizational Specific
Training Officer –
Medical Coordinator –
Medical Supply Coordinator –
Fire Investigations –
TFIRS Reporting –
Non-Organizational Specific
Personnel
Training Drill Coordinator –
Explorer Post Coordinator –
Reserve Recruiting & Retention Coordinator –
Monthly Newsletter Coordinator –
Health & Safety
Exposure Control Officer –
Department Security Coordinator –
SCBA & Air System Monitoring –
Physical Ability Testing Coordinator –
Service & Quality Assurance
Medical Director –
EMS Audit Coordinator –
EMS First Responder Coordinator –
Customer Service Survey Coordinators –
OSHA and Safety Compliance Coordinator –
TFIRS & EMS Reports Coordinator –
ISO Inspection Coordinator –
94
Equipment, Apparatus & Uniforms
Apparatus Coordinator –
Radios & Communications –
Uniforms & Personal Supplies –
Turnout Gear & Safety Equipment –
Daily Vehicle Check Reports – Capt on Duty
Inventory Coordinator –
Inspection & Prevention
Street Program Coordinator –
Fire Company Inspection Coordinator –
Business Inspection Coordinator –
Public Education Coordinator –
Schools Pub. Ed. Program Coordinator –
Elderly Pub. Ed. Program Coordinator –
Preplanning Program Coordinator –
Maintenance
Hydrant Program Coordinator –
Pumper Testing Coordinators –
Apparatus Service / Maintenance Coordinator –
Hose Testing Coordinator –
Ladder Testing Coordinator –
Hazardous Materials Team Coordinator –
Hazardous Materials Equipment Coordinator –
Rescue Equipment Coordinator –
Extrication Equipment Coordinator –
95

pigeon forge, tennessee - MTAS

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