Louisa County - Virginia Department of Fire Programs

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minimum staffing needs and improving the levels of service so that it isboth consistent and seamless in all communities served.b. It is also recommended that the County develop a Standard OperatingProcedure (SOP) and dispatch protocol for rural fire suppression activities(i.e. Tanker Taskforce).i. It is also recommended that the County work with theDepartment of Forestry (DOF) to obtain additional Dry HydrantGrants through DOF’s Dry Hydrant Grant Program:http://www.dof.virginia.gov/fire/dry‐hydrants.shtml.3. It is recommended that Fire, EMS and Dispatch formulate a working group to reviewdispatch protocols, procedures and equipment.a. An examination of first due service areas, including the usage of mutualaid agreements, needs to be examined. Once first due service areas arethoroughly examined, second and third dues should be examined as well.4. It is recommended that the County work with the dispatch center to effectivelyutilize their Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) program for dispatchers.a. Consideration should be made towards placing a third dispatcher on dutyat all times as an EMD dispatcher to increase the effectiveness of theprogram.5. This study should be used as a starting point for reexamining and developing themost efficient and effective response districts. As districts are examined andmodified, the County should continue to review the districts to accommodate thechanging County needs.Equipment:Most volunteer agencies are content with their equipment; however, County EMSequipment is in need of attention. Based on County provided data, career agenciesanswer 70% of the County’s EMS calls. Given this call volume and the age of theequipment, their equipment is in need of attention.Recommendations:1. It is recommended that a County wide needs assessment be completed which willallow prioritization and forecasting of capital expenditures. County funds should beallocated to address priorities of the County as opposed to individual agencies.2. It is recommended that County agencies standardize their equipment, such as airpacks; and standardize the placement of equipment on all apparatus (see NFPA1901).The foregoing is a recommendation authorized pursuant to Va. Code 9.1‐203.A.4 and is not to beconstrued as legal advice or as a binding recommendation.13 of 30
i. PPE/SCBA – Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) or turnout gearand Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) that meetNational Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards.** NFPA 1971: Standard on Protective Ensembles forStructural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting* NFPA 1981: Standard on Open‐Circuit Self‐Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) forEmergency Services.ii. Aging Equipment – The County should survey each department todetermine if equipment commonalities exist. This survey wouldbe the start of a formal, system‐wide capital improvementprogram (CIP) for all department response vehicles. The CIP willsupport the County in strategically planning for the routinemaintenance and replacement of aging ambulance fire vehicles.3. It is recommended that the County examine the usage of volunteer equipment thatis funded by County monies for usage by both career and volunteer staff.4. It is recommended that reciprocal “Hold Harmless” agreements be developed toaddress concerns around career staff utilizing volunteer equipment and vice versa.Organizational Communications:One major concern identified was that of organizational communications. It is believedthat part of this issue is the lack of clarity in the organizational structure.Recommendations:1. Fire Chief Position – Some leaders assume that the career Fire Chief is the finalauthority and others subscribe to the volunteer chiefs as having the final authorityand the career Fire Chief only has authority in the career structure. It appears fromthe documentation provided to the committee that the intention of the Countyadministration and Board of Supervisors (BOS) was that the career Fire Chief’sposition was to have oversight and final authority for all Fire and EMS issues. It wasalso clear that the intention of the BOS was to establish a combination structure inwhich the career component supplements the volunteer component.a. It is recommended that the County BOS codify the career Fire Chief’sposition and publish an organizational chart.(i) This provides a unified command structure to effectively utilizeand coordinate resources on a needs‐based allocation structure.b. The Fire Chief’s position also needs to ensure that all companies withinthe County are working together.c. It is recommended that a newly developed management oversight groupelect a volunteer Countywide deputy chief. This position should beelected from one of the currently serving Fire or Rescue Squad topThe foregoing is a recommendation authorized pursuant to Va. Code 9.1‐203.A.4 and is not to beconstrued as legal advice or as a binding recommendation.14 of 30
Page 6: MethodologyFor each task of the wor
Page 10: The EMS providers within the County
Page 13: Theme 1: Organizational Development
Page 17 and 18: 5. Current EMS reporting software (
Page 19 and 20: Theme 2: BudgetWhile the agencies f
Page 21 and 22: THEME 3: PERSONNEL, RECRUITMENT AND
Page 23 and 24: 3. It is recommended that minimum t
Page 25 and 26: Theme 4: TrainingTraining and conti
Page 27 and 28: ReferencesU.S. Census Bureau, Virgi
Page 29 and 30: Louisa County Letter of RequestThe
Page 31 and 32: BASIC PUMP OPERATIONS ‐ 16‐HOUR
Page 33: Virginia Fire Service Needs Assessm

Louisa County - Virginia Department of Fire Programs

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