Fire Committee

TOWN OF MOUNT PLEASANT, SOUTH CAROLINA FIRE COMMITTEE Monday, October 1, 2018 Municipal Complex, Committee Meeting Room, 3rd Floor 100 Ann Edwards Lane, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 MINUTES Members Present: Bob Brimmer, Chair; Jim Owens, Kevin Cunnane, and Tom O’Rourke Staff Present: Eric DeMoura, Town Administrator; and Mike Mixon, Fire Chief Mr. Brimmer called the meeting to order at 11:32 a.m. 1. Approval of Minutes from the September 4, 2018 meeting Mr. Owens moved for approval; seconded by Mr. O’Rourke. All present voted in favor. 2. Public Comments [None] Mr. Brimmer opened the floor to Mr. Cunnane for comment. Mr. Cunnane acknowledge the efforts of the first responders that assisted in other regions that experienced flooding after the storm. He also asked that these responders be recognized at a future Town Council Meeting. Mr. O’Rourke stated that all personnel that assisted with the storm efforts should be acknowledged as well. Chief Mixon provided an overview of the fire department personnel that responded to the Marion and Horry areas to assist with rescue and recovery. Mr. Owens provided  Fire Committee October 1, 2018 Page 2 of 18 his appreciation to the staff in the EOC that provided local support during the storm. He stated that all performed in a professional manner. Mr. Brimmer stated that he was in the EOC for the majority of the storm. He also toured all the fire stations during the preparation phase of the storm. Mr. Brimmer received clarification from Mr. DeMoura on the next emergency operations update from Ms. Knight. Mr. DeMoura stated that there would be an update at the November Fire Committee Meeting. 3. Review of Mental Health Initiatives for First Responders – Mr. Brimmer introduced the next agenda item and stated that Mr. Cunnane requested this topic. Mr. Cunnane stated that first responder mental health and suicide had become a problem in the first responder community and he wanted to offer the support of the committee. Chief Mixon opened the presentation by thanking the Committee for a forum for the discussion of first responder mental health. He stated that it was as topic that wasn’t talked about enough and it needed to be brought in to the open.  Fire Committee October 1, 2018 Page 3 of 18 Chief Mixon stated the he considers being a firefighter on of the greatest callings that a person could have as a career. But, police, fire, and EMS witness heartache, sick and dying people, and property loss in their mission to protect the community. He stated that many of these responders may carry this mental baggage for years and it is important that they have a method to deal with the trauma they have experienced.  Fire Committee October 1, 2018 Page 4 of 18 Chief Mixon presented statistics that show that police and fire experience a far larger rate of mental suffering as compared to the general population. He also noted the police have a higher rate of PTSD and depression than firefighters. He noted that his personnel thoughts on this were that police are often patrolling alone compared with firefighters that work more in crews. Chief Mixon stated that firefighters were fortunate to have a crew watching over each other each shift and emotional changes in an individual were more easily noticed. Chief Mixon stated that the fire service is very keyed in on firefighter line- of-duty-deaths and each case is studied in detail. He stated that it is important that every line-of-duty-death is investigated in order to identify trends and make personnel safer. He noted that, unfortunately, the same protocol is not followed for suicides involving first responders. Chief Mixon stated that is why he titled this portion of the presentation The Silent Killer because there were very few discussions about how suicides exceed line-of-duty-deaths for police and fire each year.  Fire Committee October 1, 2018 Page 5 of 18 Chief Mixon stated that when comparing firefighters to the general population in the areas of suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts firefighters have a significantly higher rate in all areas.  Fire Committee October 1, 2018 Page 6 of 18 Chief Mixon provided information on the current mental health initiatives that the Fire Department uses to give assistance. He stated that some years ago an in-house peer support team was formed. The team is currently around five members, but Chief Mixon stated that he wants to revamp the team and provide more members with training. It is the goal to have multiple peer support members on each shift. Chief Mixon also stated that the Lowcountry Firefighter Support Team and the Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy are 24/7 resources that police and fire can call in times of need. He stated that the Fire Department has a particularly close relationship with the Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy and they have provided support many times. He stated that Doug Farmer, a Mount Pleasant resident and member of the Chaplaincy, has been particularly helpful in providing emotional support. He stated that the Fire Department has transitioned away from a mandated critical incident stress debriefing (CISD) format and moved to a more one-on-one approach with personnel after a difficult call. Chief Mixon noted to funding was available from the State and the First Responder Assistance and Support Team (FAST) for clinical help. He noted that the Town has provided assistance through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that provides trained counselors to individuals in need. Chief Mixon stated that he had the power to mandated personnel to seek counseling.  Fire Committee October 1, 2018 Page 7 of 18 Chief Mixon stated that the Police Department uses many of the same resources that Fire uses, but they also have different resources at the state level that can be utilized. He stated he wanted to make this presentation about Police and Fire since both agencies deal with many of the same calls. Chief Mixon stated that the last step in the process of mental health was to remove the stigma often associated with mental health issues. He stated that the first step in removing the stigma was to change cultural barriers. Chief Mixon said he included some artwork from an artist (Paul Combs) that really explained the issues in a simple manner. He said that the police and firefighters’ jobs were often associated with an aggressive and macho mentality. Chief Mixon said that having that type of attitude was important because first responders were expected to put on their armor and deal with life threating situations. But, the “suck it up” attitude could no longer be associated with mental health. He believes that it takes courage for men and women to come forward and admit they have a mental health issue.  Fire Committee October 1, 2018 Page 8 of 18 Chief Mixon stated that the next step in removing the stigma was breaking the silence. He stated that when it came to the mental health issues the chain of command did not exist and that people in need should take the issue to whomever they feel most comfortable with. He stated that once the silence was broken the distressed firefighter would be provided the help that was needed. Chief Mixon stated that it was more than just issues experienced on the job but was also family and home life that factored into these issues.  Fire Committee October 1, 2018 Page 9 of 18 Chief Mixon stated that the final step in removing the stigma was to provide awareness training to everyone. He stated that firefighters are a very close group that spends 24 hours at a time together and they become like family. He stated that with the proper training a fellow crew member would likely spot behavioral changes in a fellow coworker.  Fire Committee October 1, 2018 Page 10 of 18 Chief Mixon noted the references he used to create the presentation. He then provided a brief summary of the topics discussed. Mr. Owens asked Chief Mixon was everything being done to ensure that the repercussions of suicide were being communicated. Were behavioral changes in employees being noted. Chief Mixon stated that there was still work to be done and one of the most important factors was to empower people to report changes they see in coworkers. He stated that the training needs to be revisited every year. Mr. Owens stated that mental health issues are an important issue in this country and most people have known family and friends that suffer from mental illness. He also stated that it does take great strength to admit you have a problem and bring it to your supervisor. Mr. Cunnane asked if there was an in-house list of names of peer support. Chief Mixon stated that there was not a list. Mr. Cunnane offered that if a list was generated between departments the peer support members in police and fire could support each other. Mr. Cunnane stated that the numbers are staggering and if there was a piece of equipment that was causing line-of-duty-deaths at that rate every resource would be used to change that trend. Mr. Cunnane asked how many peer support members were needed. Chief Mixon stated that a total of 15, or 5 per shift, would almost ensure that someone was always on duty. Mr. Cunnane asked what was needed from Committee to make that happen. Chief Mixon stated that the majority of the training could be done in house and was free. He stated he did not need anything specific at this time from Committee.  Fire Committee October 1, 2018 Page 11 of 18 Mr. O’Rourke stated that he wanted to ensure that Chief Mixon was aware the he had the full support of Council to address these issues. He also stated that it was important to note that there are many levels of mental illness and suffering. Mr. O’Rourke stated that it was a tough profession and help needed to provide help at all levels of suffering. He stated that the fire department was a family and we have to take care of each other. Chief Mixon stated that they look to help people in all levels of mental distress, not just those with suicidal ideation. Mr. Brimmer stated that for seven years he supervised individuals that responded to crisis. He stated that often times we focus on the big events, but the day to day toll on responders was also an issue. Secondary trauma from stress of the job, money issues, and family problems are also a part of the problem. Mr. Brimmer stated that it was important that the provided services are utilized, and personnel can go on their own. Chief Mixon stated that the employee can also seek help through the Employee Assistance Program privately and without telling a supervisor if that is the route they desired. Mr. Brimmer asked what resources had actually been used in the past. Chief Mixon stated that the majority of the time the Costal Crisis Chaplaincy is used. Chief Mixon also stated that Mr. Brimmer’s point about the more routine calls causing issues versus large scale incidents was correct. Mr. Brimmer stated that in his tour of the stations he noticed that a lot of the fire personnel are young and may need more support. He stated that doing more on the awareness side is important. He stated that bringing in outside counselors for training is useful. Mr. Cunnane stated that 65 retired responders from the New York area live in Mount Pleasant and some would be willing to help. Chief Mixon stated that sometimes it is helpful to talk to someone that understands the fire service but is not someone you work with. Mr. Cunnane stated that after 9/11 mental health professionals came from all over the world to support the first responders and it was helpful.  Fire Committee October 1, 2018 Page 12 of 18 Mr. DeMoura stated that the health insurance program that Council provides to employees supports this type of effort. He stated that outside of the resources that Chief Mixon mentioned an employee can visit a mental health professional for just the co-pay. Mr. Brimmer stated that there should not be any barriers as many resources are provided. 4. Discussion on ladder readiness Mr. Brimmer stated that the next topic was ladder readiness and was one of the four topics that Committee would be discussing this fall to better understand fire operations. Mr. Cunnane stated that there is a difference between the engine and the ladder. He stated that the ladder truck was a critical piece of equipment to provide support at a fire. He stated that he was concerned that in the past the Town had four ladders and now were down to two. He stated that this trend needed to be reversed. Mr. Cunnane stated he wanted to hear from Chief Mixon where the fire department is and where they need to be in respect to ladders.  Fire Committee October 1, 2018 Page 13 of 18 Chief Mixon stated that he will discuss number of ladders, locations and distance of the stations, and the age and reliability of the fleet. Chief Mixon stated that the current frontline fleet consists of two units: 2007 and 2011 ladder trucks. He stated that both units were very reliable, and Ladder 503 was housed on 7th Avenue and Ladder 505 was housed at the Dunes West Station.  Fire Committee October 1, 2018 Page 14 of 18 Chief Mixon stated that the provided map designated that location of both ladder trucks at station #3 and #5. He stated that the map designated road mile distance with various colors and that anything beyond the orange color was outside of five road miles. Chief Mixon also noted that Accreditation and ISO requested that response times in the areas outside of five miles be closely monitored. Chief Mixon stated that recently to improve operational readiness a Captain was placed on every ladder through promotions. He thanked Committee for allowing this to occur through a funding increase and noted that having a leadership function on every ladder helps in many ways. Chief Mixon stated that traditionally the Mount Pleasant Fire Department has differentiated between engines and ladders, but never fully implemented the deployment model to assign specific tasks to each unit. He stated that more defined job functions were need and he created a Ladder Company Operations Workgroup to address this need. Chief Mixon stated that there was a lot of talent in house from members that had experience in larger departments that utilized defined ladder functions. He stated that the department is now looking at the ladder trucks as a specialized unit that handles functions such a forcible entry  Fire Committee October 1, 2018 Page 15 of 18 and ventilation. Chief Mixon stated that all firefighters should be proficient at the duties that encompass engine work such as pulling hose, getting to the fire, and searching. He said that once someone becomes proficient at the firefighting job functions they can then move on to learn the ladder functions. Chief Mixon stated that everything comes down to training. He stated through training, new programs are implemented and everyone is brought onto the same page. He stated training is essential in the fire service. Chief Mixon provided that even though they are moving toward job specific assignments if a ladder arrived on scene first they could still function as an engine and begin fighting fire before the engine arrives. Lastly, he stated, the policies would be modified based upon what the Workgroup recommended. Chief Mixon stated that they are currently looking for every opportunity to train and prepare. He stated that in the past the fire alarm policy was written in a way that set the expectation that these type calls were routine. Chief Mixon stated that they have now rewritten to policy to treat each fire alarm as though it were and active fire. He wants his crews to take the time to pre-plan each building, to determine the best truck position, and raise the ladder to the building a practice deployment of the aerial.  Fire Committee October 1, 2018 Page 16 of 18 Mr. Owens stated that it is important to note that there are two ladder trucks in reserve. He also noted that he feels there may come a time when more ladder trucks are needed. Mr. Owens asked a question about the 5” hose connection on the hydrants and the 2.5’ hose used to fight the fire. Chief Mixon explained the different uses for the specific hose sizes and when a 2.5” hose would be used. He stated that the 2.5” hose is used for a large body of fire, a commercial structure, or an exterior knockdown on a large fire and then transition inside with the 1.75” hose. Mr. Cunnane stated that the fire department has gone backwards over the years. He noted that the reserve ladders would not respond because they are not staffed. He stated that three ladders were used on the Saint Andrews Fire. Mr. Cunnane asked Chief Mixon to give and estimate on what it takes to get from Ladder 3 to the Belle Hall area. Chief Mixon stated that it would likely take 12 minutes. Chief Mixon stated that the typical formula is 2 minutes of response for every mile of travel. Mr. Cunnane asked what can be done to provide viable ladder service across the entire Town? Chief Mixon stated that it was in his plan to place a ladder truck back at Fire Station #4. He then informed Committee that in the past the Town did have four ladders; however, there were only two personnel on each unit and it was difficult to run a ladder with only two personnel. He noted that with that change to two ladders a medical response squad was brought online, and three personnel were placed on each ladder. Chief Mixon stated that Six Mile Road, Station #4, is the location he desires to place a ladder. He stated that he also examined response times and the four longest response times on structure fires were in Districts 5 and 6 which is the Dunes West and Carolina Park area. He stated that what slowed the times was the response from the Belle Hall unit, Engine 502. Chief Mixon said that had another fire suppression unit been housed at Station #4 the overall response time would have likely been reduced by 5 minutes.  Fire Committee October 1, 2018 Page 17 of 18 Chief Mixon stated that this would be looking at the complete operational response force and how long it took them to arrive. The same standard used for accreditation. Chief Mixon stated that placing the new ladder would likely occur after the rebuild of Fire Station #4. Mr. Cunnane stated that we need to equip the department to respond as quickly as possible and provide an interior attack on the fire. Chief Mixon stated that he also wants to reexamine the automatic aid study. He said that the City of Charleston has three stations in close proximity to the Town and that auto-aid could be a viable option. However, he wanted to ensure that Mount Pleasant wasn’t sending units far more times than it received aid. Mr. Cunnane stated that he is fine sending units to fires in other jurisdictions because of the real-world experience gained. Chief Mixon agreed that fires in other jurisdictions occur more frequently and are good training opportunities. But, he noted that Mount Pleasant provides a higher level of medical care and he didn’t want units pulled out of Town to handle minor medical issues in other cities. Mr. Brimmer asked the difference in a tower truck and a ladder. Chief Mixon stated that a tower has a bucket on the end in which two to three personnel can stand and a ladder was a straight stick where one person can stand. Mr. Cunnane stated that a ladder truck is much quicker at getting to a window versus a tower. Mr. Brimmer asked are there standards that dictate how many ladders are needed. Chief Mixon stated that ISO does look at road miles and the fire department had improved to a ISO 2 rating recently. He stated that staffing another ladder would help move the department toward an ISO 1 rating. He stated that the accreditation team also requested that the response times related to ladder coverage in district #4 were monitored for deviation. Mr. Brimmer stated that as the Town grows the need for an additional ladder is likely. Chief Mixon stated that the Town is going more vertical and buildings in the Station #4 area have also grown in height. Chief Mixon stated that he wants to create very specialized ladder crews. Mr. Brimmer asked if the renovations at Fire Station #4 took into account additional fire apparatus.  Fire Committee October 1, 2018 Page 18 of 18 Chief Mixon stated that the station was currently a two-bay station and it would be expanded in size to accommodate more units. Mr. Brimmer stated that he feels ladder placement overall needs to be looked at and land acquisition may be needed to improve coverage. Chief Mixon stated that a ladder at the Six Mile station was a priority in the upcoming strategic plan. Mr. Cunnane stated that our goal needs to be adequate fire protection. He also stated that the additional staffing on the ladder could be used to fight commercial fires and NFPA recommends 43 personnel at large hotel fires. He also stated that the additional ladder needs to be looked at for the next budget cycle. Mr. Owens stated we don’t need to put off tomorrow what we can do today. He does not want to prolong this effort any longer than needed. Mr. Brimmer asked would the five-year plan be completed before the budget and Chief Mixon stated that his goal was November. Mr. Brimmer then stated it could be used to set priorities. Adjourn There being no further business, meeting adjourned at 12:23 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Mike Mixon, Jr October 4, 2018