• In case you’ve missed it, I have written a small dissertation of how structure fires are hurting us.  Labeled Structure Fires Part 1, 2, and 3, I challenge you to think a little differently on your understanding of fires.  Are they really hazmat calls, or container leaks, and are we managing them nationally the right way.   Look for Part 3, 4, and 5 as there is still a lot of work to be done to get us there.   I have outlined my thoughts on what I think might work; what are yours?

• I listened to two W3’s yesterday and this morning.  What I noticed was Command’s urgency to get the Offensive crews out and off to rehab and send fresh crews in.  I can’t stress enough, the person immediately responsible for your health and safety at a scene is the IC.  Without implementing any new policies yet, the chiefs are beginning to change our response to structure fires.  Yesterday it was Chiefs Nealy White and Brady Rigdon, today  it was Chiefs Donald Blanton, Les McCormick, and Billy Roland.  I also found out E37 (when part of Rehab) has been using a fog nozzle to remove gross contaminants from firefighters gear prior to Rehab.  What a brilliant idea and maybe one we can expound on.  These latest calls are a true testament of the character of the JFRD, to change on a dime, and begin working on something new to protect all of you.  To say I’m proud is an understatement. 

• It’s this Monday at the Veterans Arena at 0900 hrs so make sure you’re not late.  Good luck to all of our future Rescue officers!

• Was announced on the 18^th and will be given Monday November 18^th.  Please make sure, if you are eligible, to come down and sign up.  There will be at least 7 openings day one.  Not too bad!

• They are officially in Colorado for the National Fallen Firefighter Memorial.  Many of you helped get them there through donations and fundraising and thanks to the Union for allowing UTP so they wouldn’t have to burn their time.  We couldn’t be more proud of our men and women representing us at this most important event.  

• Programming changes are coming next Wednesday, include the D/C being able to alter your availability, showing your assignments, Rescue Able OT hours, and some language removal for the sake of easy reading.

• The OT Committee started yesterday and includes all the Battalion Chiefs and one representative from the Union and the Brotherhood and is chaired by the Director.  This will be a multi-day process and we’ll keep you informed as we move along this process.

• We completed three days of meetings to inform and converse with our company officers.  I sent out a PowerPoint presentation with some interesting numbers about our department.  If you missed it, I have attached again to this email for your reading pleasure. 

• Also discussed was the land-based shipboard firefighting classes now underway and will  include over 300 JFRD firefighters. 

• Q & I sessions to help inform our folks on what is getting us (the JFRD)  in trouble.

• Lastly, the Director’s vision on our department and how we all can get there together.

• I constantly receive questions on how we select our new recruits and what is the process for banding especially since we have a large new list underway.

• Attached is the banding document used by Recruitment for rating potential new hires.

• On the afternoon of Tuesday September 17, (A-shift) E9 (Lt Jason Sparks, Eng. Brian Southall, FF Byron Mincey) and R24 (Capt. Battle, Eng. Tony Regan) were dispatched to an electrocution of a tree trimmer on Iva Place in fire district 9.  While en route the call was upgraded to a cardiac arrest and R24able and R105 were added to the initial assignment. Upon arrival E9's crew found the tree trimmer laying in the front yard in cardiac arrest.  CPR was quickly initiated and the AED attached Pt. The Pt. was found to be in V-fib and one shock was administered by the AED and the Pt. went into asystole and CPR was continued. As R24 and R24able arrived and CPR was stopped to transfer the Pt. to the stretcher. The monitor showed the Pt. in sinus-tach with a heart rate of 140 with strong pulses present and the Pt. at this time also began to breathe on his own. The Pt. was quickly loaded, transported to UF Health, and transferred to trauma center staff. By the time E9 was leaving the trauma center the Pt. was awake and answering the doctor's questions….awesome job guys!

• For some unknown reason our RIT SCBA packs were built without the capability of using the 10'&25' RIT hoses. We could only use the hose on the conventional packs. MSA was approached and made aware of the problem. Our rep. Eric Klotz, MSA, went to work and developed a solution. It was a simple fix. He located enough connections to retrofit all of our RIT packs at NO COST to us. He delivered the parts to Capt. Norris and 15 of the packs were completed this past weekend. This speaks volumes for MSA and Tact. Support.  Thanks to Capt. Norris for getting this done!

• To the crews who responded to the Pritchard and Jones Rd. extrication yesterday, it was an unusually difficult extrication.  Great job and professionalism to all involved.

• To all of you who each day come to work and make a difference for someone in our city or for someone in our department, please keep up the good work and know it doesn’t go unnoticed or unappreciated.

• Henry Bradley was a young cigar maker and volunteer firefighter with the Duval Fire Engine Company.  On December 16, 1885, a large fire broke out at the S. B. Hubbard’s Hardware Store. Many volunteer companies, including the Duval Fire Engine Company, responded to the call.  While battling the blaze, Bradley was killed when a flaming wall fell on top of him, making him the first Jacksonville firefighter to be killed in the line of duty.  Bradley’s death evoked a huge outcry from the Jacksonville community.  On December 22, 1885, the headlining article of the Florida Times Union reported that “citizens of all races, and of every station of life, in carriage and on foot, joined in the procession.”   Bradley’s death added a human element to a host of other concerns, including rising insurance rates, already facing Jacksonville's civic leaders in regards to the city’s lack of a professional fire department.  Emergency city council meetings were held and by July 15, 1886, all volunteer companies had been replaced by professionals.   As part of the transition from volunteer to professional, the former Duval Fire Engine Company became known as the Eastern Station.  Located on Bay Street near Washington Street, the station would be destroyed in the Great Fire of 1901 and rebuilt a year later at the corner of Bay and Catherine Street.  The new station came to be known as Station 3 or the Catherine Street Fire Station. Today it serves as the home of the Jacksonville Fire Museum.
  • Take a moment to think about the sacrifice of one man and the subsequent actions that put you and the JFRD into business.