. I hope everyone is doing well and this is a short WIR as not too much is going on.
· W3’s---We are having a busy fire season. Multiple W3’s per day is not uncommon lately so be safe and look out for our new members.
· Advanced Life Support Company---stickers are in and being put on the units. Here is a picture of one if you are interested.
· Squads---Went live February 1st. We will be launching the training one week from now. I know a few speed bumps will occur along the way, but that is to be expected. Here again is a few important point to remember:
o Cannot be cancelled on W3’s. Once on scene, they will be assigned by the Incident Commander. Preferably to augment the on scene RIT crew. But if the dynamics of the scene require the IC to assign otherwise, ok.
o If on scene after the signal 77---they are to be used as RIT or released; not for overhaul, cleanup or Rehab.
§ If the structure is heavily damaged, it is strongly recommended the stay on scene as RIT.
o Equipment lists are being generated now for purchase for the Squads.
· 16 New USAR Members---To the sixteen JFRD firefighters who recently completed over 280 hours of USAR Technician level training for the betterment of our department. Thank you and welcome to Florida Task Force 5 and to our extended Special Operations Team.
· FDNY Jeff Cool---we are looking at bringing FDNY Jeff Cool down the week of April 14th for two days of presentation. His speech is approximately three hours long and is about FF safety and survival. There will be morning and afternoon sessions. He emphasizes bail-out procedures & equipment and is a mixture of PPT, audio from real mayday events, and video of Black Sunday. As the dates are set, I will make sure to get them out to you all. Please do your best to stop by and listen for one of the sessions. A huge thank you to the Jacksonville Fraternal Order of Fire Chiefs as they have agreed to pay for the cost of bringing Jeff to Jacksonville. He is not set up as business (so COJ couldn’t pay) but just as an individual who travels to spread his message. Hopefully each and every one of you will make the effort to be there for one of the sessions. The location is the Union Hall. A big thank you to Local 122 for the accommodations.
o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvxtBC2gQ1g
Time to give some thanks to some of our hard working folks…
· Recently Lt. Sergio Cortez returned from almost two years of military deployment. I remember a certain Haley Bebernitz (you remember her) telling me about her husband (Lt. Aaron Bebernitz) being gone for 6 months on deployment and longer. I can’t imagine the sacrifice our military members and their families make, especially those with children, so we all can be safe. I just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge each and every one of you who serve and the sacrifice you and your families make on our behalf….thank you again.
· To everyone who participated in the American Lung Association Fight for Air Climb. Here is a brief synopsis of the event from Lt. Joe Kinstle…
o The stair climb is put on by the American Lung Association. It is known as the Fight for Air Climb. Our FF Charities makes a large donation on our part. FF Charities also pays for the t-shirts we wear for the event. This is a public event and we are just a small part of it. There is normally around 1000 participates. We climb in full gear with air packs on (not on air though). The total number of flights is 42 which equals out to 838 steps. This year we had over 30 firefighters, 10 wives and 5 kids on our team raising a total of 3100 dollars to the American Lung Association. This year we even had a firefighter take it up a notch and he carried the high-rise pack up also (Jeremy Lee). This event is getting bigger every year and we are already gearing up for next year. The event is held in February and training begins in August.
§ We were the fastest firefighter team( top 3 times averaged out) Eric Prosswimmer ,Clint Bridier , and Mike Lynch.
§ We were largest fund raising firefighter team.
§ We were the largest firefighter team. There were teams from Clay, St. Johns, Nassau, Camden county GA, Kings Bay, and Putnam.
· From Capt. Dave Hart, Marine 138: I would like to give a huge thanks to Lt. Glenn Atkins and his crew of Eng. John Crawford and FF. J.R. Stevens. It is in the worst of conditions that the best of people shine. It means a lot to me that JSO officer Pete Goody reached out to show his appreciation of the working relationship between JSO and JFRD marine divisions. I would like it very much if you.. (my superiors) would pass on our same appreciation to the high command of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. They should be made just as aware of their exceptional employees as we are of ours.
o Here is the email from JSO…. Wanted to let you know how much I appreciated your boat guys response last night. Victim jumped off Dames Point Bridge and landed in the rocks around the southeast pier. The weather was cold and rainy but that didn’t keep your guys from responding and keeping a great attitude about doing the job and recovering the victim from the jagged rocky area. The ride back in the dark & pouring rain wasn’t much of a reward for us so I wanted to let you know they were out there doing a great job. Who else is going to get this type of mission accomplished? Homicide and Medical Examiner declined the boat ride to the jagged rocks so it was on us to get the body back so the family could have some closure to a traumatic event.
Well done Lt. Atkins, Eng. Crawford, and FF Stevens!
Well that’s it for this WIR. As promised, it was short. Please take some time for yourselves this weekend and keep your thoughts and prayers as some of our members are truly having a bad week.
As always, we thank you for what you do, why you do it, and for always being the Best Fire Rescue Department in the Country!
Very Respectfully,
Kurtis R. Wilson
Chief of Operations