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| Our ISO Rating Improved over our last review from 2012. This is a good news story.... |
To hear the consternation and gnashing of teeth lately surrounding our fire service locally--an unbiased bystander might think we are facing dire consequences and on the verge of collapse as a system.
But to the contrary-our system has improved significantly over our last ISO rating in 2012.
On a 1-10 scale, with "1" being the best and "10" being the worst--our county moved UP from a 5/5 to a 4/4X.
(here's the report from 2012)
According to today's presenter from ISO--this puts Escambia County in the top 30% of the 70% of Fire Systems ISO monitors nation-wide.
Can we improve, can we do better? I believe the answer is yes. But the matrix utilized to measure our effectiveness as a fire service depends upon a host of complex issues, some of which are not under the control of the county at all (water availability from local water providers is a factor upon which we are judged but upon which we have little to no control, for example. This metric alone makes up 40% of our overall score)
Staffing, training, call-center technology, response times, and community outreach/education on fire prevention all factor into our score. We can control these areas and I know we will continue to improve in these areas.
Proximity to a fire station is also a factor.
For example, no matter what a county's overall score, if Your House in particular is more than 5 Miles by road from the nearest fire station, you score a 10. If you are more than 1000 feet from a fire hydrant, you score a 10. This is applicable anywhere, in any county that ISO measures.
So with a large geographic area to cover and limited control over where the utilities place the water lines--the fact that we are improving should be a good news story.
As my counterpart Commissioner Barry stated today in no uncertain terms--the numbers of paid personnel in ECFR over the last 6 years has nearly doubled- jumping from 88 to 152 paid. The budget has increased 62% from just over $10 Million to over $17 Million over this same period.
So he was right when he said this board is adding resources both in personnel and budget---again a good news story that should be reported but that probably will not be reported.
We know we need to keep improving, and we will. We know we need more resources to keep improving, and I believe we as a board will find a way to do this without raising taxes. That is my prediction and this is the way I intend to move as we go into budgeting---just as we did with the 4-year deal for ECSO.
Because first responders are important and they are a priority. And today's good news should be roundly welcomed by everyone--citizens, paid fire personnel, volunteer fire personnel, and staff.
It's a Good News story!
12 comments:
Commissioner, having 2 residences in your district on which I pay taxes, I cannot but be alarmed about your ability to twist facts. The gentleman who gave the explanation did his best to avoid you putting words in his mouth, but you definitely tried. Resources are integral, fleet is integral, distance and location are integral. Your obsession to stick to a campaign promise, is even for me as a conservative republican, a bit too much. The growth of subdivisions in Beulah and the cantonment areas require subsequent growth of infrastructure and services. Not just trying to catch up, but actually staying on top or ahead. As a retired city manager I can only remind you that protecting your constituents is a priority above all. I just recently found out through my HOA that both of my residences do not fall in an area served by fully staffed firehouses, having a wife with medical needs and a significant monetary investment in both properties I am terrified. You are putting personal politics above my safety and it will not go unnoticed.
A little off topic. Don't let Xcatfish king troll you. Y'all have nick names. You are BB.Brawling Bergosh. Wear that with pride after the /dupe the welsh era. One is SS. Silent Steve. The other is MM.Minority May. DH Doug. ?? Hint D head..It is so easy for anybody to see straight though D head Doug..
P. Tomlison: I am investing nearly $2 Million in modernizing the Beulah Fire facility--phase one has commenced already by the board purchasing that property where the volunteer house is currently, on 9-Mile road one and a half miles from where OLF 8, Nature Trail, and a host of other subdivisions are. I have lived out here for 15 years and I know we need a modern upgraded facility to serve this growing population, that is why this is actively being worked. Just because you do not see the work and just because you are not aware that this is in the works does not mean the work is not happening. You are right, I made a campaign promise to finally get Beulah a modern, upgraded facility. I am following through on that promise even if you don't know about it. When it happens, I hope that will not go unnnoticed by you.
you're already behind the 8 ball bergosh. the need for more fire stations has been a need for the last few years. beulah has been behind since you took office. your predecessors saw to that. the only time an add'l career company has been implemented is when tragedy occurs. do you not learn from history? apparently not. there are 11 new n'hoods in the cantonment fire district alone. let's avg 100 per n'hood. 1100 new households plus traffic will now add to the call volume for that station. you act like such a champion for public safety and do juuuuust enough to calm the constituents. you have no idea what it takes for public safety to be efficient or effective. it's not your fault though. the iso 4 rating will have a minimal effect on homeowner's insurance. you just told all your constituents that unless they are within 5 miles of a fire station and 1000ft of a hydrant that will effect them more than the overall rating. i bet you didn't tell them that it matters if the station is manned did you? did you know that if the msbu is increased to $175 it will be less than $.50 a day? you and the other bocc'ers get a lot of value from what the citizens pay. quit trying to nickel and dime PS and do what is necessary. do you think businesses will want to come here if they knew the PS was as stretched thin as it is. hey, we have fire protection along with ALS! really we do! now, being of sound mind I know that isn't really a factor but, hen they look at insurance costs and what it could be...i wonder
a "modern upgraded facility" ain't gonna cut it berg. that facility needs crews that can guarantee coverage.
"As my counterpart Commissioner Barry stated today in no uncertain terms--the numbers of paid personnel in ECFR over the last 6 years has nearly doubled- jumping from 88 to 152 paid. The budget has increased 62% from just over $10 Million to over $17 Million over this same period."
guess what else has increased. you guessed it the number of households being built in Escambia. so you see you can pat yourself on the back but when you're patting, houses are being built and roads are getting more congested. but by all means, keep patting.
"We know we need to keep improving, and we will. We know we need more resources to keep improving, and I believe we as a board will find a way to do this without raising taxes. That is my prediction and this is the way I intend to move as we go into budgeting---just as we did with the 4-year deal for ECSO."
so when is this gonna happen? you say it but no one sees it. put facts out. learn how your PS division works. ask the tough questions. get funding to PS so they can operate. the fleet is aging and the personnel are stretched to the max when a single residential fire occurs. get the date. learn from the data. get some hands on experience from the crews.
A modern facility does not get the trucks. A modern facility does not put firs out. A modern facility does not supply the first response needed when someone calls 911. As a citizen and homeowner in your district you can only hide behind the fact that the personnel in your district is not getting the job done for so long. There are calls unanswered by that station everyday. Just the other day there was a medical emergency 2 miles from the Beulah Fire Station. A truck 5.5 miles away had to run that emergency because of no response from the Beulah Fire station. I pay my taxes and demand I get the same service as in other parts of the county! Citizens of this county should be very alarmed!
Mr. Bergosh. Thank you for your reply. Before I entered local government I retired from 25 years of LEO and military sevice. Hopefully I can educate you on the importance of troops vs facilities. Bases do not repel enemies; well placed troops with quick deployments strategies repel enemies. You can build a facility that outshines all others, but if no troops deploy/react out of it, I consider that a failed mission. I am considering reaching out to state level representatives and the United States Fire Administration to maybe take a closer look at the way we do business. As you may be aware, the process in which military reservists are being trained and deployed has drastically changed over the last four decades or so. I suggest we consider doing the same for volunteers personnel and require more from them. I was also informed by a fireman from the Beulah district during a community event that our volunteer firefighters receive a monthly payment of upwards to $500.- he referred to it as a stipend I believe). This only reinforces the need of more requirements or consider a return on investment analysis to see what the true benefits are for a volunteer response. Let's not wait until a major emergency occurs to make changes.
Mr. Tomlison-thanks for your service and your response as well. Beulah has been a voulunteer station forever, and they have maintained a large roster of willing volunteers. The problem, with all due respect to you and your experience, is the facility. No showers, no bunks, and no space to train. The facility is simply inadequate. Now, don't get me wrong--we have equipment needs as well. But with a facility that is modern, which we will build, and with equipment that is adequate, there is no reason this station cannot remain a volunteer station. If the daytime staffing is inadequate and if the volunteers request it, I will advocate for daytime staffing with paid personnel. I am also working a plan to have an EMS presence out here permanently--which will greatly reduce the number of sick calls this station responds to. But as you said yourself----if we have volunteers that are willing and able to work out here and run calls, and they do it for $400 monthly stipend (versus a full salary w/benefits which is six times that much or more) why would I want to upset that? I strongly support the volunteers. And I strongly support the paid personnel. But if I can cultivate more volunteers that have the same training and credentials to augment the paid fire personnel--why would I not do that? I think a part of the solution going forward is treating volunteers like equals, one force, one fight. And I am also willing to look at what the paid staff needs so that all sides get what they need and we can do this with a budget that is realistic. I think we can do it and make it a win-win. that's what I am aiming to do. But I will NEVER run the volunteers out, I will NEVER treat them like second class citizens. I appreciate them and their willingness to serve!
Mr. Bergosh I would be appalled if you would treat volunteers as 2nd class citizens and the first to raise issue with such behavior. With that said, I had the afternoon (being retired allows you that time) to contact the State of Florida Bureau of Fire Standards and Training and spoke with a nice individual who explained the requirements to be both volunteer and a professional firefighter. You may not know this however it is very different in Florida compared to Iowa or Pennsylvania. The requirements and level of training are significantly lower in Florida to volunteer. Where as it truly is, with the exception of 75 hrs of class room training, the certificates up north are identical to professional requirements. In Florida there seems to be a major gap between what they call Fire 1 and Fire 2 standards. What I did as a city manager and as an Officer, I would research and educate myself on the true difference and base conclusions on this research. Rhetoric such as they are the exact same qualified and trained are just not accurate. This does not mean they are not committed, do not care for their community, or are excellent at their level of competence. I can not put a reserve unit next to an active duty unit and expect the same results unless they have worked together for month prior to being deployed. I still value the reserve unit, but know their limitations and use them accordingly. I see the volunteer service in a similar light: we need them, we appreciate them, but we can not expect the same level of service than members who train every day, hold a higher certification, and complete "missions" every day to show up for roll call. I definitely do not advocate removing them from our resource, I advocate for a fully mission ready apparatus to respond when the alarm bell rings every day, every time. I am sure you must agree that the preservation of life and property demand this. Applaud and embrace volunteers, ensure guaranteed professional (career) response every time from the closest firehouse.
No showers no bunks no space to train no whatever else and have been volunteer for years with a large roster of willing volunteers. How many of that large roster are certified and, and roll out an a regular basis. They should have top notch facilities by now especially with all that sausage money. Get the data and and see who is what and why and how. Put some real info out for once.
P. Tomlison-I feel like we are talking at each other, not to each other. First, I never said "I" treat or condone treating volunteer firefighters as second class citizens. I hope I made that clear but in case I didn't, let me say it again for you. I have heard, directly from volunteer firefighters locally (who in order to run calls must be certified to do so, just like paid firefighters) that in many instances they are not treated as equals, and in fact they are prevented from running calls with paid staff, and told to stay in the station when the paid staff rolls to a structure fire. I have also been told in one mixed-personnel station, if only 3 paid firemen are available for a call, fully trained volunteers that are present and able to be the fourth man on the truck (enabling 2-in, 2 out once on scene) are told "volunteers can't ride with 'career' personnel. So yes, I think what you meant to say was that you agree that this sort of odd behavior toward fully qualified volunteers should not be tolerated. I hope that is what you are saying, because that is what I am going to be demanding from the administration. Full integration, equal treatment, one force, one fight. We have volunteers that have worked in Molino, Beulah, Ferry Pass, and Myrtle Grove that have full-time career jobs---as "firefighters" for other entities (mostly with the DoD)--so yes these folks are fully qualified and they WANT to volunteer. We need to keep such folks, and in order to do this we must treat them respectfully and value their service and willingness to volunteer. That is what I want to do, and I want to grow that program.
Mr. Bergosh, no that does not resemble what I was attempting to convey to you. As a matter of fact it is not a question of me speaking at you rather an attempt to encourage you to educate yourself on qualifications. It required a 15 minute pleasant conversation by telephone to realize that volunteer firefighters in the State of Florida require 206 hours of education vs a minimum of 396 hours for career personnel with additional annual requirements to keep their certifications in various specialties active. It troubles me that you consider the word of individuals who have a personal stake in the game in regards to self preservation, rather than actual facts easily obtainable by simple research or phone calls. I based my career on facts rather than what somebody may have told me, I have found it's less likely to come and haunt me later on in life. I took it upon myself to speak with a volunteer fire chief in Escambia County on Friday and he absolutely does not reflect your findings. He also stated that those with the most complaints are the ones who have difficulty providing sufficient personnel during all hours. After finding out where I reside and have my rental house, he informed me that fire district 2 has the most difficulty responding with sufficient manpower combined with district 18 (not sure where the boundary lies, but I'm sure it's easy to find out). So this definitely does not agree with what you've stated. I will attempt to make it to one of the next committee of the whole meeting and will attempt to find the data that either confirms or rejects my current findings. If I am wrong, I will be the first to publicly apologize; if I am right I will use whatever professional connection I still have with state officials and demand immediate action. You are an elected official, and even though I've only resided in Escambia County for just over two yeard, I demand you take your personal feelings out of the picture (it is difficult, I can attest to that), and make decisions based on facts and let the citizens decide if they want to fund the resources, personnel, facilities, and infrastructure associated with public safety growth.
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