October 1, 2017 – September 30, 2018
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Annual Report
Connect with us
PBCFR.ORG
Mission
WE, THE PERSONNEL, of Palm Beach County Fire Rescue,
are committed to assuring the residents, guests, and
visitors in our community a secure and superior quality of
life. We accomplish this by maintaining the highest state of
readiness, dedication, and compassion in order to minimize
emotional, physical, and economic loss. We acknowledge
that empathy toward human suffering requires special
individuals who realize the importance of their unselfish
contribution and personal commitment to the welfare of
the team and community. In our organization, we strive to
make a difference in our people by creating an atmosphere
of teamwork and fellowship while recognizing the individual
attributes and responding to the needs of each other.
Contents
2
Message from the Fire
Rescue Administrator
3
Station Map 4
County & Department
Demographics
5
Organizational Chart 6
Operations & Special
Operations
7
Emergency Response Activity 8
Department Call Volume &
Unit Response
9
Medical Services 10
EMS Activity 11
Fire Activity 12
Air Rescue/Trauma Hawk &
Airport Rescue & Firefighting
13
Training & Safety 14
Media & Public Relations 15
Support Services 16
Alarm Office 17
ITS & SCBA Shop 18
Bureau of Safety Services
Activity
19
Community Education 20
Administrative Services 21
Finance, Planning & Honor
Guard
22
Special Events 23
Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners
Mack Bernard, Mayor
Dave Kerner, Vice Mayor
Hal R. Valeche
Gregg K. Weiss
Robert S. Weinroth
Mary Lou Berger
Melissa McKinlay
County Administrator
Verdenia C. Baker
Fire Rescue Administrator
Michael C. Mackey
Message from Chief Michael C. Mackey,
Fire-Rescue Administrator
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We have a lot of great accomplishments to be proud of this past year!
Our crews ran 135,647 calls last year -- including 117,371 EMS calls, 17,138 “other” calls and 1,138
structure fire calls. We dispatched 203,819 calls for Palm Beach County Fire Rescue and 13 additional
municipalities.
The Medical Services Division won prestigious awards with the National Association of Counties and
Palm Beach County for the Mobile Integrated Health pilot program and High Frequency Utilizer
Program, respectively. Our County ROSC (Return of Spontaneous Circulation) rate is twice the state
average at 33% and the Medical Services Division is working on a Cardiac Care Collaborative with
hospitals and other community groups to help us continue to improve our medical care.
Our Training & Safety Division conducted 400 live burn evolutions and trained over 2000 firefighters
from the tri-county area. We participated in Heatshield II with Palm Beach County Sheriff ’s Office, the
largest regional multi-agency coordinated attack drill in Florida’s history. I am pleased to report 98% of
all department personnel have now been trained in Tactical Trauma Triage (Stop the Bleed) and 19
employees now have their FAA Unmanned Aircraft System (UAV-Drone) Pilot license.
As part of the Statewide Emergency Response Plan, we sent resources to areas damaged by Hurricane
Michael. That included PBCFR members as part of the following state and federal teams: Region 7
Strike Teams, the Region 7 All Hazards Incident Management Team, FEMA’s Task Force II Urban Search
and Rescue Team, Disaster Medical Assistance Team & Telecommunicator Emergency Response Team.
For the first time ever, Palm County Fire Rescue’s Apparatus Shop earned the nationally recognized
prestigious ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) Blue Seal of Recognition. Through the great work of
the FACE (Firefighters Attacking the Cancer Epidemic) Team, we instituted half masks to add an extra
layer of protection for our firefighters in the warm zone and assigned new green decon buckets to the
stations.
Our newly revitalized Extrication team and ALS competition team won top awards at the National
Championship for the North AmericanVehicle Rescue Association and ClinCon, respectively.
This was also a monumental year for Palm Beach County’s United Way Campaign. Our department
alone collected more than ever before in the history of this department, raising more than $221,000!
After proudly serving the department for 30 years, my official date of retirement is March 29, 2019.
I know our department will continue to strive for excellence in 2019 and beyond.
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Station Location Map
Square Miles Served
1,772
Population Served
912,396
+
337,118
(additional population dispatched for)
Number of Personnel
1,541 (Full Time Budgeted Positions)
100
(Volunteers)
Number of Stations
49
+
29 (additional stations dispatched for)
Number of In-Service Units 43 ALS Engines
53 ALS Rescues
2 Special Operations Units
6 ALS Aerials, 4 Tenders
19 Brush Trucks
1 Light/Air
5 ARFF vehicles
Number of Total Calls Dispatched
203,819
(for all agencies, including 13 municipalities & PBCFR Jurisdiction)
Budget
$420 Million (FY 2018 includes all operating funds)
Number of Calls Dispatched
135,647
(for PBCFR)
County & Department Demographics
5
6
Organizational Chart
Operations
Operations is the largest division of
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue,
responsible for the direct delivery of
emergency services.
PBCFR operates 49 fire stations
throughout the county, with a
minimum of 295 personnel on duty at
all times. We maintain coverage as
needed by re-locating units to fill areas
of need.
PBCFR is an “all-hazards” department,
capable of responding to everything
from a minor medical call, to a regional
natural disaster.
All personnel are cross-trained in
firefighting and emergency medical
services, ensuring the most efficient
possible delivery of fire suppression,
technical rescue and extrication, and
emergency medical care.
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PBCFR maintains two Special Operations teams
strategically located to respond to emergencies county-
wide. Along with teams from West Palm Beach, Boca
Raton, and Delray Beach, we form a regional response to
hazardous materials incidents.
Special Operations technicians receive hundreds of hours
of ongoing training annually to maintain readiness in a
number of disciplines:
• Hazardous materials response
• Confined space and technical rescue
• Dive rescue
• Advanced automobile extrication
• Explosive ordnance disposal (with PBSO)
• High angle rescue
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Emergency Response Activity
Average Response Time
6 min & 28 secs
Type # of Incidents
Medical 105,911
Vehicle Accidents 9,821
Fire Alarms 8,472
Public Assists 2,842
Overdose 1,639
Investigation 1,544
Structure Fire 1,131
Unclassified/Non-Emergency 957
Brush Fire 557
Vehicle Fire 555
Powerlines Down 535
Carbon Monoxide 364
Child Locked in Car 336
Gas/Fuel/LP Leak 279
Police/EOD Assist 257
Illegal Burn 229
Other Fires 129
Chemical/Hazardous Conditions 89
Total: 135,647
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Department Call Volume & Unit Response
5,004
5,184
6,373
6,609
6,629
0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000
St.42
St.91
St.23
St.45
St.41
Top 5 Busiest Station Zones
[Note: Higher Call Volume in FY2017 due to Hurricane Irma 09/2017]
Medical Services
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The Division of Medical Services comprises of the EMS Section as well as the MIH Section.
The PBCFR EMS Section remains at the forefront
of providing exceptional EMS care by using the
latest equipment, techniques, and interventions to
achieve the best possible outcomes for those we
serve. PBCFR is frequently recognized both
nationally and internationally for our medical and
trauma emergency services, and is continuously
developing programs and protocols to provide the
most advanced EMS care available. PBCFR is among
the top in the nation at cardiac arrest resuscitation,
and continues to elevate its standards. PBCFR has
achieved the American Heart Association Mission
Lifeline Gold Plus award and introduced the use of
a portable ultrasound to enhance diagnostic
capabilities in the field. In 2018, PBCFR started pre-
hospital use of antibiotics to improve patient
outcomes. The EMS Section is under the medical
direction of Dr. Ken Scheppke who was recently
appointed as the Florida State Medical Director.
Pediatric Medical Director Dr. Peter Antevy
received the prestigious award of 2018 EMS
Medical Director of the Year by the National
Association of Emergency Medical Technicians.
The PBCFR Mobile Integrated Health
Section was designed in an effort to
enhance the EMS approach to meet
patients needs after their 9-1-1 call
through multidisciplinary assessment and
care coordination. PBCFR employs a
Community Paramedicine Coordinator
and Medical Social Work Coordinator,
who along with a team of paramedics
and medical social workers, provide in-
home and telehealth care to partner
with patients whose needs go beyond
the scope of traditional EMS services.
Telehealth care refers to remote training
and education via information and
communication technologies. In 2018 the
MIH Section started the High Frequency
Utilizer Reduction pilot program. Thus
far the program has been successful in
reducing 9-1-1 calls by 65% from our
frequent users of 9-1-1.
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1,273
Trauma Alerts (Adult/Pediatric)
1,090
Sepsis Alerts
1,018
Stroke Alerts
419
STEMI Alerts
EMS Activity
Top 5 EMS Call Types
(as dispatched)
#1
Sick Person
#2
Fall with Injury
#3
Respiratory/Trouble Breathing
#4
Chest Pain/Cardiac
#5
Fall-Uninjured
72,362
Patients Transported
“Alert” criteria was established for early notification to hospitals of critically ill
patients.
A “STEMI” (ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction) is the occurrence of a heart
attack due to a block in one of the major arteries of the heart.
When calling a Stroke, STEMI, Sepsis, or Trauma Alert, hospital emergency staff
are quickly notified that a critical patient is enroute to their facility. The “alert”
criteria is also used by our crews as a way to quickly recognize the need for
immediate transport.
PBCFR’s rate of resuscitation is almost double the Florida state average of 17.8%
744
Cardiac Arrests
33%
Of those patients resuscitated
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Fire Activity
Structure fires pose the most serious
threat to life safety and are the highest
fire loss potential to the citizens we
serve. Fire Rescue is prepared to
respond to each structure fire call with
adequate personnel and equipment.
Therefore, each reported structure fire
receives 3 fire engines, 2 rescues, 1 aerial,
1 EMS Captain, and a Battalion Chief.
This is considered a national standard for
response to a structure fire.
Smoke detectors and early fire discovery
have helped lower chances for the loss of
life. PBCFR has an on-going program to
install smoke detectors in homes of
those who are unable due to physical or
monetary needs.
[Note: calls as dispatched]
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49
140
143
329
470
555
557
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
Shed Fires
High-Rise Fires
Commercial Fires
Apartment Fires
Misc. Structure Fires
Residental Fires
Vehicle Fires
Brush Fires
Air Rescue/ TraumaPalm Beach County is home to
two Level I Trauma Centers; St
Mary’s Medical Center and Delray
Medical Center. This is the highest
level of care designated by the
state of Florida. Critical patients
are transported either by ground
or by one of two Trauma Hawk
helicopters.
In partnership with the PBC Health
Care District, PBCFR provides
paramedics and flight nurses to
rapidly transport injured patients,
increasing their chances for
survival.
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Visitors to Palm Beach County can
expect first-rate EMS care and fire
protection from our Aircraft Rescue
Firefighting (ARFF) station located at
Palm Beach International Airport.
The firefighter/paramedics assigned to
Station 81 provide EMS and fire
suppression within the terminals, as
well as a rapid response to aircraft
emergencies.
Station 81 houses specialized “Dragon”
units, capable of quickly delivering large
amounts of firefighting foam in the
event of emergency landing of an
aircraft.
Aircraft Rescue & Firefighting (ARFF)
Training & Safety
The Training & Safety
Division is responsible for
training PBCFR’s existing
1260+ certified Firefighters,
200 support personnel, and
new recruits in Fire (All
Hazards), EMS, and
continuing education,
utilizing the latest content
and cutting edge
techniques. It operates
using state-of-the-art
technology to deliver
constant, repeatable
training through the
department's training
facility classrooms, burn
building, training tower,
numerous props and online
intranet sites. An assigned
chaplain is trained to care
for and serve our
firefighters by offering
comfort, encouragement
and support. The Video
Production Department
supports the Training &
Safety Division by
producing training videos
distributed over the
intranet and County
Government Channel 20,
and providing video and still
photography for scheduled
seminars, conferences,
promotions, and
graduations. 14
783
1,910
2,758
12,449
35,470
65,789
71,489
79,915
294,257
0 100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000
Dispatch
ARFF
Dive
Special Ops
Admin
EMS
Driver
Officer
Fire
Training Hours
We trained 57 new recruits through our Recruit Academy
Media & Public Relations
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INCREASING SOCIAL MEDIA FOOTPRINT
10,880
Facebook Followers
13,000
Twitter Followers @PBCFR
3,000
Instagram Followers @pbcfirerescue
2,400
YouTube Subscribers
THANKYOU’S FOR A JOB WELL DONE
Our Communications team has focused on
facilitating reunions between survivors and crews
resulting in memorable and life changing
experiences for everyone involved. The reunions
pictured above were for cardiac arrest and fire
save incidents.
STREAMLINED AWARDS PROCESS
The new “Cool Calls & Excellent Employees”
recognition process is now open for online
submissions for everything from Letters of
Commendation to social media blasts to
official Awards Banquet nominations.
VIDEO INFORMATION UPDATES
Department Video Updates are capturing and
highlighting all the people working behind the
scenes to make things happen. Video updates
also help quickly disseminate useful information
to large groups of employees via technology.
WEBSITE & INTRANET REVAMP
Internet (pictured above) and Intranet website front
pages have been revamped to showcase our department.
The “INSIDE PBCFR” video for 2018 was updated to
showcase the very best of what PBCFR’s expanding
services now include.
Support Services
Support Services provides
logistical support for the 49 fire
stations, as well as equipment
and apparatus maintenance.
The areas of responsibility are
comprised of several areas:
•Apparatus purchase and repair
•Facility construction and
maintenance
•Information Technology (ITS)
•Communications
Existing vehicles are maintained at our state-of-the-art shop at Vista Parkway, wheretechnicians service vehicles from Palm Beach County and several other firedepartments.
Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue’s Capital Improvement Plan provides for the annualpurchase and replacement of vehicles, to maintain the best possible fleet.
In 2017, we upgraded to the P-25 radio system, a digital platform that improvedemergency communications.
New technology is constantly evaluated to improve operational efficiency in our servicedelivery.
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• 6,869 Work Orders
• 24,296 Labor Hrs
Fleet Maintenance
• 1,227 Work Orders
• 6,038 Labor Hrs
Radio Maintenance
• 238 Work Orders
• 4,190 Labor Hrs
Facilities
Maintenance
Alarm Office
The Alarm Office is a regional dispatch center that processes approximately
400,000 calls annually resulting in over 200,000 dispatched events throughout the
county for PBCFR and multiple other fire departments including 13 municipalities.
Dispatchers are highly trained professionals who are able to quickly determine the
nature of an emergency, provide immediate instruction to a caller, and send the
closest, most appropriate resources to an incident.
Text to 9-1-1, publicly launched on June 25, 2018, is an alternate method citizens
may utilize to request emergency help in the event that a voice call is not possible.
This service is especially beneficial to those who are unable to speak or hear due
to disability or injury.
The Alarm Office was recognized by the Palm Beach County Chamber of
Commerce as the “Station of theYear” for 2018.
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Bureau of Safety Services (BOSS)
The Bureau of Safety Services is
responsible for a number of fire
prevention activities, as well as fire
investigations. Bureau inspectors visit
commercial businesses and multi-family
dwellings annually, ensuring compliance
with the Fire Prevention Code. New
construction must go through Plans
Review to ensure that the building
meets current code. Investigators are
responsible for determining cause and
origin for suspicious fires and making
criminal arrests. The Office of the Fire
Marshal is responsible for the
development, revision, and enforcement
of the Fire Prevention Code in Palm
Beach County.
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24,816 Inspections
5,103
Plans Reviewed
Community Education Programs
Community Educators provide
instruction on a variety of topics, as
well as offer speakers for
presentations.
Presentations include:
•Fire safety for children and adults
•Carbon monoxide awareness
•Disaster preparedness
•Hands-only CPR
As part of our ongoing commitment
to injury prevention, classes are also
offered for fall prevention for our
elderly citizens.
PBCFR personnel can install car
seats by appointment at select fire
stations.
The PBC Drowning Prevention
Coalition offers free swim lessons
for those that qualify .
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926
Community Events
946
School Programs
1,920Smoke Alarms Installed
1,161
Car Seats Installed
208,838Total Number of
Community Members
Reached
4,337Total Number of People
Who Learned CPR
Internet Technology
Services (ITS)
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Self Contained Breathing
Apparatus (SCBA) Shop
Preparations were made to upgrade our
Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) Software
from the older 9.1.1 version to the 9.4 version
in July. The upgrade consisted of two parts:
upgrading the dispatch computer hardware and
programs the dispatchers use daily, and
upgrading the software on the Mobile Data
Computer’s (MDC’s) in the county trucks as
well as the cities we dispatch for. This upgrade
was successfully implemented and the CAD
team has been working with the end users to
monitor and configure the software to
PBCFR’s specific needs.
ITS successfully upgraded to the new and
improved tablets, (pictured above) used for
medical reporting, after thorough testing.
ITS implemented a new program called
MobileEyes for Inspections. MobileEyes creates
and stores Quick Access Surveys (QAS) and
processes Safety Inspections. All of PBCFR’s
existing data was converted over to this new
software. Inspections also received new tablets
for easier mobile access and data entry.
This past year, the Respiratory Protection team
introduced a Half-Mask respirator (pictured
above) that includes the use of a multi-gas and
particulate cartridge to help protect our
Operations personnel from breathing in smoke
including in, but not limited to the following
areas, brush/wildland fires and warm zones
within 100 feet of a burning structure. PBCFR is
the first in the nation to provide this particular
personal protective equipment (PPE) as an
option. We announced this at a Press
Conference in June 2018.
We also replaced all of the SCBA Masks with a
more resilient, higher temperature model
(pictured above). The Department supplied GID
(glow in the dark) labels for each mask for
better accountability during events.
Administrative Services
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PBCFR HR Development &
Recruitment conducted
numerous promotional exams
including the following:
(1) Battalion Chief
(1) EMS Captain
(1)Captain
(3) Lieutenant
(1)Driver Operator
PBCFR Human Resources is
currently seeking an Equal
Employment Officer (EEO).
Applications for Firefighter
recruitment typically open every
1-2 years.
The Cadet West program expands upon the current Fire Cadet Youth Program, it now
serves Belle Glade, Pahokee, and South Bay! The program, offered at West Technical
Center in Belle Glade, is open to teens 14-18 years of age.
PBCFR’s Health & Wellness Center instituted a Light Duty Request Form. The form
encourages assignment of personnel to divisions within administrative facilities, dependent
on work restrictions determined by a physician. The goal is to efficiently utilize all Light
Duty personnel to promote productivity.
The Administrative Services Division includes the following sections: Health and Wellness,
Payroll, Recruitment and Human Resource Development, Staffing, Internal Affairs, HIPAA
Compliance, and Records and Evidence.
Finance
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Planning
The Finance division provides fiscal support for
PBCFR as guided by Federal, State, and County
requirements, within the following sections:
• Budget-Purchasing
• Accounts Payable
• Revenue & Contracts
PBCFR’s Finance Division proudly received
$1.85 million in revenues for the Public
Emergency Transportation (PEMT) program.
This program provides supplemental payments
for emergency medical transportation services
to Medicaid beneficiaries.
The Planning Division analyzes data that correlates
with PBCFR’s daily operational output of emergency
response times and alarm activity, as well as
produces the PBCFR annual report.
Planning supplies Fire Rescue Administration, both
internally and externally, with pertinent information
that assists with service levels to:
• Reduce response times
• Monitor repeat 9-1-1 callers
• Provide GIS Mapping for CAD addressing
• Analyze annexation, the impact of land use
changes, and development of regional impact
(DRI’s) on fire rescue service delivery
• Plan where to locate future fire rescue facilities
to best serve the community
• Complete the Insurance Service Office review to
determine Fire Rescue’s rating and property and
insurance rates
Honor Guard Established in 1986, the primary responsibility of the Honor Guard and Pipes & Drums, a part of the
Honor Guard, is to render honors to fallen firefighters, whether line-of-duty deaths, off duty, or retirees.
More often, they now represent PBCFR at more joyous occasions including, parades, recruit class
graduations, promotional, awards, and opening ceremonies, as well as events at the request of the PBC
Board of County Commissioners or their staff.
Chief Mackey’s Promotional Ceremony with Chief Brice and Chief Jerauld along with PBC
Administrator Verdenia Baker
PBCFR Awards Banquet
Special Events
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In April 2018, PBCFR and PBSO collaborated in
Operation Heat Shield II. This exercise contained
several emergency service components with Fire
Rescue focusing on specialized medical assist
teams, Command and Control, and All Hazards
Incident Management. Specifically, the two
organizations focused on establishing initial
command of an active shooter incident,
establishing and deploying specialized medical
assist teams, relocating patients to the casualty
collection points, as well as working under a
Unified Command with PBSO. This large scale
training exercised allowed our organizations to
determine our operational readiness for this
type of incident as well as providing real-life
hands-on training. Nearly 500 first responders
and volunteers participated in this event at the
Herman W. Brice Fire Rescue Administrative
Complex (pictured on the right).
In February 2018, PBCFR’s Training & Safety Division personnel delivered a multi-county, on duty
live fire training exercise with a medical element (pictured above). The nonstop training was
delivered over 10 weeks. Over 2,000 firefighters from various agencies throughout Palm Beach,
Martin and Broward Counties participated. Agencies included West Palm Beach, Palm Beach
Gardens, Boynton Beach, Riviera Beach, Greenacres, Tequesta, Town of Palm Beach, Palm Beach
Shores, Delray Beach, Martin County and Margate.
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When seconds count…
Count on us!