Greetings everyone, I hope this WIR finds you well.  Hopefully, most of you are off today and the weather will hold off for you to enjoy the day.  My wife reminds me I always start off by saying not too much going on this week…, so I will work on that.  Truthfully, just a few things to cover, so let’s get started.

• New Marine 23—hopefully, you had a chance to read the instructional bulletin yesterday but if you didn’t then you’re just hearing about new Marine 23.  NAS JAX has agreed to a modified MOU to allow us to house the boat in their marina, which is great news for anyone boating or otherwise in the southern part of the waterway because up till now, Marine 39 has 40 minute response times to that  part of the county and even longer times when the FEC bridge was down.  This new expansion of our capabilities is long overdue but lack of a funding for a new station always prohibited us from expanding.  NAS solved that problem for us.  Thank you Chief Brusso, Chief McCormick, and Lt. Kornegay for making this happen with the Captain of the base.  Once the crews are signed off and have received all the training, Marine 23 will go live full time.  Anyone who works on the south and west side of the city and has responded to marine incidents, knows this is a good thing.

• New Class A Coat—uniform changes are almost finalized.  Ribbon bars, like those use in the military, will be allowed to put on your coat to show your certifications, degrees, deployments, certain high profile runs, and awards.  Once the colors are finalized, and amend uniform SOP will come out.  This includes the addition of a silver stripe on the jacket sleeve, just like the gold one, to signify the rank of engineer…pretty cool.

• Sea of Blue—is full steam ahead.  JSO motorcade is now on board and is part of our IMT.  The route had to change slightly and after the next IMT meeting, I’ll get out the information.  A one-time Sea of Blue ribbon bar will be given to all who attend the march.  Please make sure to clear your calendar on 10-10 and come support our fallen fighters and their families.

• Bail-Out-Kits—200 will be delivered early August.  Look for that training to begin immediately.  It should take about a week to get all those trained and next month will begin the next 200, etc.

• New SCBA committee—is announced.  We have to replace our entire inventory due to FDOT end of life regulations on our air bottles.  Fun fact, federal DOT allows SCBA manufacturers special permits to build composite reinforced cylinders.  But the permit expires after 15 years and you can no longer carry those bottles on a commercial vehicle.  Our current packs were purchased in 2002, so January 2017 we can no longer use them.  The Westside keeps telling me there not using them anyway…lol..just kidding as it looks like they had all the fires this week!  Looks like their dry spout is over with.

• RIT Training—has begun.  Please continue to train with your crews on this very important skill set.  To say it might save your life one day is no joke.

• Budget hearings for us—is August 7^th.  Here is the link to watch it on your computer at work or at the home.  Look on the right side of the page and click the appropriate link.  This is the Finance Committee and you will see what they fund or don’t fund for us.  It can be very educational for you to see how local government works on our budget.  Once they vote, sometime in September, the full council will vote on our budget part.  You can watch on TV or the same link.  Usually, this budget meeting will last till 3 in the morning.  So if something didn’t get funded, we have a last chance to get funded there with 10 votes.  Also, any new additions put forth by the finance committee will be voted on too. (sometimes that happens)

Let’s see some of the runs we’ve (yes I went on one…) gone on this week:

• W3 SINGLE FAMILY RESD STRUCTURE FIRE/FD 22/1834 S LANE AVE/1 ASSAULT VICTIM/SUSPECT ON SCENE ARMED WITH GUN/JSO ON SCENE/TG B1/END
• FD 22 SINGLE FAMILY RESD STRUCTURE FIRE UPDATE/F6 ADVISED W4/1834 S LANE AVE/TG B1/END
• F34/ METH LAB/ F9 ENRT & REQ E/R. R35 REQ RHB37/ 10602 ITHACA DR/ TGA1/END/JLC
• FD22/ TRAUMA ALERT 1YRO/ CHEMICAL BURNS POSS BORIC ACID/ ACCIDENTAL/ R32 UFH PED/ END/JLC
• FD 41/W3 MULTI-RESD STRUCTURE FIRE/ MAYPORT LANDING/2844 SAND CASTLE LN/TG B1/END
• FD 31/ W3 MOBILE HOME STRUCTURE FIRE/ WOODLAND ESTATES/LOT 66/9359 103RD ST/TG B5/END
• VEH OFF BUCKMAN BR/FD52/SB BUCKMAN BR/1 PERSON REPORTED SWIMMING/TG B-1/END
• MVA EXTRICATION/FD41/A1A & WONDERWOOD/NAVY E & L ONSCENE/E41 IC ON B-5/END
• FD25/MCI I TRAFFIC ACCIDENT/ 6 PATIENTS/ 5700 TIMUQUANA RD/ TGB1/
• Structure Fire/Single Family/Single Story Residential Structure/FD55/934 Stocks St./W3/TGB1/End
• Extrication/Traffic Accident/1 pt/FD62/Old St. Augustine Rd & I 95 NB/TGB5/End
• FD24 W3 HOUSE/ 828 BUNKERHILL BLVD/ TGB5/END/JLC
• W3  APARTMENT STRUCTURE FIRE/ FD 25/4207 CONFEDERATE POINT RD/ PRESERVE CEDAR LAKES APT/ APT 135B/TG B1/END
• FD 55/ MVA-EXTRICATION/ WB ICW & ATLANTIC BLVD/TG B1/ END
• W3 SINGLE FAMILY RESD STRUCTURE FIRE/FD 26/8139 WYOMING ST/TG B1/END
• And the few thousand other calls you responded on!

Time to give some thanks….

• Two Person Intubation or TP was invented right here in our Training Academy by Capt. Billy Cockman and Mike Learian who at the time was our Ocean Rescue supervisor.  Recently, they trained JAX Bch paramedics on the new technique and within just a short time, they had two cardiac reds in which they used the new technique.  They called to say thanks and I’m writing to say job well done!

Well that’s it for this WIR.  Please keep our folks in your thoughts and prayers as some are truly having a tough time. 

The bathroom remodel saga continues but is nearing the finish line.  I will be hosting a bake sale in front of HQ next week to pay for the shower glass;  Who knew something so simple could cost so much!  I hope you get to spend some time for yourself this weekend and I hope you get to spend it with family and friends.  I want you to know I’ve enjoyed living vicariously through ya’lls vacations pics this summer.  I attached one of Paul Stefanko holding up the leaning tower of Pisa, Italy…pretty cool!

As always, we thank you for what you do, why your do it, and for always showing why you are truly the Best Fire Rescue Department in the County!

Very respectfully,

Kurtis R. Wilson

Chief of Operations

Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department