Monthly Update on Activities

To:       Citizens of the Hutchinson Fire District, Mayors, City Councils, and Town Board Supervisors
From:  Brad Emans, Fire Chief
Date:   07/01/2010
Re:       Monthly Updae on Activities of the Fire Department

Fire Department Response:The Fire Department responded to 44 calls for service in the month of June.

Fire Officer Only Response: A “fire officer only” responded to 11 calls in June, saving the Hutchinson Fire District the cost of a “general” alarm estimated at $1,958.00 for the month.

Response Time (First Emergency Vehicle Out of the Door): June – 4 minutes  8 seconds    

Example of a few of the calls:

• The FD responded to two power outages within the city in a one week period causing people to become stuck in elevators, and fire alarm panels to activate throughout the city;
• The FD responded to a hit and run vehicle accident, the vehicle was found on fire and the driver ran away causing a search of the area around the accident site;
• The FD responded to a one vehicle accident and extricated one victim from the entangled vehicle;
• The FD responded to a building fire in the western part of the fire district, the property owner failed to notify Meeker County dispatch that the fire was a controlled burn;
• The FD responded to a missing person report, the FD searched the river below the dam and the land on both sides of the river. The missing person reported back to the facility early the following morning;
• The FD responded to a barn fire in the northeast part of the fire district, the family was using a 55 gallon barrel as a recreational fire pit inside the hayloft. The vacant barn was a total loss;
• A FD officer responded to a carbon monoxide call, the detector was activated by the burning of candles inside residence;
• The FD assisted with a welfare check on a possible “garbage house”;
• The FD responded to machine fire in an industrial building in the southeast part of the city. The fire was extinguished by built-in fire protection system;
• The FD responded to seven fire alarms in a three hour period, all activated by the severe weather in the area. 

Training:

Firefighters trained on the following topics/equipment in May

• Firefighters trained in various part of the city on “real time” emergency response which include incident command size-up, truck positioning, water supply, and hose advancement on two consecutive training nights;
• The Fire Department conducted the “Oath of Office” ceremony for new recruits and the “Letters of Commendations” ceremony for those fire and police officers that performed above and beyond expectations during a critical incident in the fire district. 

Fire Prevention / Public Relations / Other Information:

• Firefighters participated in the 68th Annual Jaycee Water Carnival Parade;
• Firefighters assisted HAHC with 1st Aid at the end of the Water Carnival Parade;
• Firefighters assisted with the Jaycee Water Carnival fireworks exhibition;
• A Fire Officer assisted the staff at Birchwood with the written evacuation procedure for clients and staff;
• Two of our paid-on-call firefighters remodeled the fire station kitchen and Battalion Chiefs office on the second floor. These individuals represent the best of the people that protect the fire district.

Number of calls that required more than one engine, one IC, and four firefighters for June:  15
Estimated dollars lost to fire for the June:   $26,500
Estimated dollars saved for the June:     $280,000