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MCCALL FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT

2016-17 ANNUAL REPORT

Aspen Ridge Structure Fire – April 2017

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2016-17 Annual Report

TABLE OF CONTENTS Page

Mission Statement …………………………………………………3 Current Roster ……………………………………………………..4 From Chief Billmire ……………………………………………….5 Community Events & Education ………………………………….6 Fire Incidents ……………………………………………………...7 EMS/Rescue ………………………………………………………8 Incident Count …………………………………………………….9 Public Service ……………………………………………………10 Training ………………………………………………………….11 What’s New ……………………………………………………...12 Annual Awards Banquet ………………………………………...13 Miscellaneous ………………………………………………........14-15 Final Budget ……………………………………………………..16

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MISSION STATEMENT

“To provide our community with caring service that exceeds expectations”

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McCall Fire Protection District Current Roster

Fire Commissioners Medical Director Tom Binder Sarah Curtin Bob Hill Sadie Noah Full-time Personnel Volunteer/Paid On-call Fire Chief/AEMT Mark Billmire FF Randy Acker Assistant Fire Chief/AEMT Garrett de Jong FF/AEMT Jason Beck Office Administrator Pat Dumont FF/EMTB Jennifer Bisom Captain/EMTB Brandon Swain Prob. FF Cody Butler Captain/PM Freddie Van Middendorp FF/EMTB Brooke Caldwell Captain/EMTB Jake Class FF/EMTB Matt Caldwell FF/PM EMS Officer August Wheeler FF/EMTB Jim Corbet FF/PM EMS Officer Jay Mentzer FF/EMTB Ashleigh D’Antonio FF/PM Jon Metz FF/EMTB Danielle Desmond FF/PM Beau Frick FF Eric Dyrud FF/PM Craig Peterson FF Scott Fereday FF/PM Jordan Ockunzzi FF Michael Gurney FF/PM Heather Thiry FF/AEMT Michelle Harris FF/AEMT Joe Becker Prob. FF/EMTB Amanda Keaveny FF/PM Mike Lancaster Part-time Personnel Prob. FF Jason Lawhorn FF/PM Tyler Assmus Volunteer Captain Brock Leavitt FF/PM Adam Berardi FF/PM Matt McMahan FF/PM Spencer Buhler PM Jill Morris FF/EMTB Ryan Garber EMTB Vicki Moss FF/EMTB Tyler Paul Prob. FF Matt Mutert FF/PM Heather Robertson Prob. FF Skyler Nokes Photographer/Website Michael Wells FF/AEMT Jeremy Olson FF Ken Patterson FF/AEMT Graham Pinard FF/PM Chance Schaffner FF/EMTB Jake Strohmeyer EMTB/Inspector Mark Tapscott Prob. FF Ross van Ravenhorst Prob. FF Bob Voskuhler

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From Chief Billmire …

During the 2016-17 fiscal year, MFPD saw a few changes, from new personnel to new apparatus and equipment. We were very fortunate to receive an Assistance to Firefighter Grant that allowed us to purchase all new SCBA’s as well as a new compressor. Captain Swain outlined a rigorous training program to familiarize all of our firefighters with how to use these

new, potentially life-saving devices. We also received grant funding from the St. Luke’s Hospital Auxiliary for new CPR manikins along with a grant from the State Bureau of EMS for a new Zoll EKG and a Stryker power assisted gurney. Admin and staff continue to aggressively seek out new and additional funding sources.

Our call volume continues to increase topping out at 1046 calls for service this year. The acuity of the medical calls has increased along with the number of stacked calls, which emphasizes the importance of our on-call volunteers and mutual aid agreements with other agencies when units are already out of the station. We responded on multiple structure fires and received automatic aid from Donnelly RFD who sent a water tender with two personnel for each incident.

We implemented a new training program that we hope will provide more opportunities for both full-time and on-call volunteers to attend. Each shift is asked to develop a lesson plan and conduct a fire, EMS, and rescue training session each month. It is our plan to tie these training sessions directly to annual certifications and the necessary skills that all members will need to have in order to respond on the various types of incidents we see throughout the year.

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Community Events & Education

Our community CPR and First Aid classes continue to be very popular. Jen Bisom has done a great job teaching and organizing the classes, and leading this important program. The Auxiliary grant award came at a perfect time and the new manikins have allowed us to expand our class capabilities and deliveries. MFPD CPR instructors put in 90 hours teaching

CPR and First Aid to 204 citizens. Station tours are a great way for the crews to meet and interact with the public and provide a little fire education and fire prevention information along the way. We regularly get requests from daycares, classrooms, clubs, scouts, social groups, and even requests to host birthday parties. All groups are welcome, and we will accommodate drop-in visits.

Donating our time and effort to support local worthwhile agencies like the Shepherd’s Home, McCall Donnelly Booster Club, and the McCall Chamber of Commerce is a great way to show our commitment to our community. These organizations are a vital part of what makes McCall such a great place to live and work and we welcome every opportunity to show our support.

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Fire Incidents

Crews responded on 39 fire related calls, including 11 structure fires and 13 chimney fires with a total estimated property loss of just under $775,000. The Aspen Ridge structure fire in early April resulted in the total loss and demolition of the structure. 17 MFPD personnel responded along with a water tender and 2 firefighters from Donnelly FD. The cause was traced back to a faulty electric wall heater.

An early morning fire on Warren Wagon Road occurred a week after the Aspen Ridge fire destroying the garage and a brand new vehicle parked nearby but the fire was stopped just before it ignited the cabin. 7 MFPD personnel responded along with a water tender and 2 firefighters from Donnelly FD. The cause was traced back to fireplace ashes dumped in a garbage can inside the garage.

Crews responded on 8 forest/brush fires, all of which were small in size and extinguished quickly. We continue to work closely and coordinate our response with SITPA through Payette Dispatch. The wildland fire refresher training in May conducted by Jake Class was well attended and the skills taught came in handy during these incidents. Fireworks and abandoned/unattended campfires were the two most frequent causes.

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EMS/Rescue Incidents

Medical related incidents continue to dominate our call volume accounting for more than 75% of our total calls for service. As mentioned previously, the severity of the calls has increased to the point that almost 63% of the total calls require advanced life support (ALS) level of service. The number of ambulance ground transfers from McCall to Boise has also increased totaling 147 for both ALS and BLS transfers. Air medical flight transfers have remained relatively the same at 119. Total EMS calls were 751. This photo is from an incident in March near Brundage Reservoir that involved a snowmobiler who broke his leg, 6 MFPD personnel responded and transported the patient out in the toboggan to the ambulance and then to the hospital.

Motor vehicle accidents are a frequent reminder of the dangers associated with local highways and winter driving conditions. Crews responded on 30 accidents with 16 resulting in injuries that required transport to the hospital. Brandon, Jake, and Jon take some time to secure the vehicle making it safe to work around. The rollover accident occurred in January on Highway 55 near MM-141.

The numerous outdoor recreational activities offered in McCall and the surrounding area can ultimately lead to accidents. Crews responded on 17 backcountry rescues, some requiring a significant amount of time and manpower, like the rock climbing accident shown in this photo that occurred in June near North Beach. 9 MFPD personnel responded to access the patient and carry him to the ambulance.

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Incident Type  Count 

Fire  39 

Overpressure/Explosion  1 

EMS/Rescue  751 

Hazardous Condition  31 

Service Call  47 

Good Intent  97 

False Alarm  78 

Special Incident  2 

     

Total  1046 

Count

Fire Overpressure/Explosion EMS/Rescue

Hazardous Condition Service Call Godd Intent

False Alarm Special Incident

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

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Public Service

McCall Fire participates in several community programs that support local and national agencies and programs. The summer reading program is a great example where kids are encouraged to read all summer long and compete for a new bike. McCall Fire donates the bike and the cost is split between the FF Association and McCall Fire.

Our free smoke alarm program continues to be popular, crews have handed out more than 150 alarms and countless batteries in the past 3-years. The offer to install the alarms and replace batteries is also well received and many home owners, businesses, and organizations take us up on this service. Many buildings have high, vaulted ceilings that make it difficult to reach, and in some instances dangerous, for residents to attempt this by themselves. Property owners need only call the fire station and crews will schedule a time to come out and complete the installation or battery replacement.

This year’s Community Wildfire Preparedness Day saw increased attendees. Participants included representatives from Payette NF, SITPA, City of McCall, Firewise, McCall Fire, and Spring Mountain HOA. Information, handouts, and demonstrations were provided to education attendees about the dangers of wildfire and what they can do to reduce the risk to their properties and neighborhoods. A roll-off dumpster was provided for woody debris collection and paper bags were handed out for leaves, needles, and grass clippings.

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Training

This past year saw a significant jump in training opportunities, from hazmat to wildfire to live structure fire burning, MFPD personnel participated in numerous exercise, simulations, and stand-alone classes. In June, Jon Metz planned, organized, and conducted a hazmat simulation that involved McCall Fire, Donnelly FD, Cascade FD, NM Ambulance, McCall PD, MDHS, and St. Luke’s Hospital. More the 50 people participated.

In May, Jake Class conducted a wildland fire day-long refresher. Prior to attending, personnel were required to take an on-line refresher for S-130 and S-190 and pass the pack test. The day was spent reviewing multiple skills needed to respond on a wildfire – progressive hose lay, pump operations, pump and roll operations and digging a hand line. 21 MFPD personnel participated.

Also in May, McCall Fire conducted a full day of live fire training on a structure donated by MDSD. Personnel took turns rotating into the structure and extinguishing fires started in various rooms. As part of our agreement with MDSD, the structure was finally allowed to burn all the way to the ground. MFPD greatly appreciates this invaluable training opportunity provided by the generous donation of MDSD. 13

MFPD personnel, including 7 new FF-1 students, participated in this day-long training event.

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What’s New

Water Tender-2 was completed and used in our wildland fire refresher and was sent out twice on deployment. It is a great new addition to our fleet and doubles our available mobile water supply. The true test was sending it up to Montana on a fire where it performed flawlessly. Thanks to Matt Mutert for making time in his busy schedule to take it out on the two fires.

McCall Fire was extremely fortunate to receive an Assistance to Firefighter Grant that allowed us to purchase all new 2013 NFPA compliant SCBA’s. This was a major capital replacement item and the grant funding made it possible. Brandon Swain put a great deal of time and effort into developing and conducting the necessary training to familiarize all personnel with how to use and operate this new equipment.

With the approval from our Fire Commissioners, we were able to purchase a lightly used 2017 snowmobile. This was a much-needed upgrade to the old Bear Cat and will provide better backcountry, off-trail access and quicker response times to the patient. Brandon and Matt McMahan led a small committee that determined which make and model to purchase.

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Annual Awards Banquet

In June we held our annual awards banquet at Rupert’s, the event was well attended and the food was excellent. Freddie did a fantastic job putting the video together, capturing all of the highlights from the previous year. Jake Class was selected as the full-time employee of the year and Mark Tapscott was selected as the volunteer of the year. The following years of service awards were also presented: 20-yrs Graham Pinard, 10-yrs Dr. Sarah Curtin and Tyler Paul, 5-yrs Mark Billmire, Brooke Caldwell, Jim Corbet, Michael Gurney, Jay Mentzer, Matt McMahan, Jake Strohmeyer, and Michael Wells.

Jake Class “Full-time Employee of the Year”

Mark Tapscott “Volunteer of the Year”

Good food, good friends, good time!

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Miscellaneous

In August of 2017, I had the distinct honor of promoting Jake Class to the rank of Captain. The vacancy was created when Jeremy Olson left McCall Fire to try his hand with Boise Fire. Jake is extremely qualified as a firefighter and leader, having spent almost 20-years as a smoke jumper and obtaining multiple levels of certification and leadership training. His wildland fire expertise has benefited the District in numerous ways, from training to equipment and apparatus purchasing. We have taken our wildland firefighting to a new level, which will only improve in the coming years under Jake’s oversight and leadership.

Fill-the-boot was a big success this year, Heather Thiry took over organizing duties and crews collected $9,479.12. All participants were treated to pizza for lunch, courtesy of MDA. We even had a group of folks drive up from Mountain Home to help. Heavy smoke from surrounding wildfires was the big topic for the day, but it didn’t damper the enthusiasm and support expressed by those who donated.

Benjamin and Noah are two awesome MFPD supporters, each year they spend the summer with their grandparents who live on the golf course. The boys collect and sell errant golf balls all summer and then donate half of their earnings to McCall Fire. This is the third year they have done this and each year the amount has increased, topping $200 this year. Many thanks to Benjamin & Noah for their generous support.

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Miscellaneous Cont.

In February the crews completed the transition of the workout room from the fire apparatus bays to the old cold storage bay. Freddie planned and organized the entire move with the help of numerous others in installing and completing the upgrade. The new facility and equipment are top-notch and open to anyone who wants to come sweat. The cost for the move and new equipment was splint between MFPD and the FF Association.

Each year MFPD sends two personnel back to FDIC, which is held in early spring in Indianapolis, this year Heather Thiry and Jen Bison made the trip. 30,000 firefighters attend this week-long event, which is considered one of the top training opportunities in the country. Both women brought back new skills and knowledge, along with a few stories, to pass along to the rest of us at MFPD. We are fortunate to have such a diverse group of motivated individuals looking to improve themselves and the service they provide to our community.

In April I had the privilege of attending the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg MD, it is my recommendation that every firefighter attend at least one class on campus during their career. The history, tradition, and opportunity to meet new friends makes this visit an extraordinary experience. The National Fallen Firefighters memorial is on campus, it is a rare visit when the flag is not at half-staff.

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Final Budget

Income     2015‐2016  Actual 2015‐16  2016‐2017  Actual 2016‐17 

Property Tax Levy     $1,297,546.00  $1,283,207.87  $1,363,846  $1,348,843.23 

Fire Service Contracts     $15,000.00  $13,069.24  $15,000  $15,623.79 

VC EMS Contract     $257,500.00  $265,225.00  $270,000  $270,000.00 

EMS Revenue     $285,000.00  $389,309.12  $310,000  $390,797.95 

Wildland Deployment     $75,000.00  $124,759.93  $25,000  $26,470.69 

Investment Interest     $1,000.00  $4,143.47  $1,200  $8,463.78 

Sale of Apparatus     $20,000.00  $21,750.00  $0  $0.00 

Propane/ Burn Permits     $1,000.00  $3,270.00  $2,000  $5,635.00 

Idaho State EMS Grant     $0.00  $0.00  $20,000  $20,000.00 

Sales Tax Revenue     $25,000.00  $43,190.52  $35,000  $47,732.64 

Misc Revenue     $50,000.00  $58,508.32  $35,000  $33,644.07 

Grant Income     $150,000.00  $157,543.00  $10,000  $5,881.90 

Total % of Budget  104.12%  $2,177,046.00  $2,363,976.47  $2,087,046  $2,173,093.05 

Expenses                

Employees  110.96%  2015‐2016  Actual 2015‐16  2016‐2017  Actual 2016‐17 

   Total  $1,252,250.00  $1,319,831.86  $1,383,050.00  $1,534,652.19 

Benefits  101.43%             

   Total  $281,000.00  $203,229.14  $234,250.00  $237,602.73 

Personnel  134.26%             

   Total   $83,896.00  $111,946.74  $84,871.00  $113,945.29 

Professional  113.64%             

   Total   $35,000.00  $30,178.63  $42,500.00  $48,298.42 

Operations  102.31%             

   Total   $92,500.00  $95,668.71  $85,500.00  $87,470.79 

Apparatus & Equip.  139.80%             

   Total   $109,000.00  $99,189.45  $75,000.00  $104,846.25 

Buildings  114.13%             

   Total   $71,400.00  $50,722.46  $75,600.00  $86,280.31 

Capital  94.64%             

   Total   $67,000.00  $76,440.55  $71,275.00  $67,454.30 

Appropriated Funds  105.04%             

    Total  $185,000.00  $157,543.00  $35,000.00  $36,763.33 

Total Budget  111.03%             

   Total   $2,177,046.00  $2,144,750.54  $2,087,046.00  $2,317,313.61 

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