BOCA FIRE RESCUE NET - City of Boca Raton

A publication by the staff of the City of Boca Raton Fire-Rescue Services Department
March/April 2012
Fire Chief Report
By:
Thomas R. Wood
CFO, MIFireE
Transitions
Captain Todd Stewart and Senior Fire
Inspector Dan Vaudo retired on February
29, 2012. A “Last Roll Call Ceremony”
honoring their years of service
along with Captain Dave Covert, Captain
Phil Strasser and Firefighter/
Driver Joe Ramsey is scheduled for
Thursday, March 1, 2012, at 8:00 AM
in the auditorium at the 6500 Building.
Everyone is welcome to attend.
Joe Majhess returned to shift work as a
Captain in January. To fill the vacancies
so far, Michele Murphy was promoted
to Division Chief on January 23,
2012, Craig Ashley was promoted to
Captain on January 2, 2012, Shannon
Frederick was promoted to Lieutenant
on February 1, 2012 and Raul Reyes
was promoted to Firefighter/Driver on
February 6, 2012. All the newly promoted
employees will be honored at
our Badge and Award Ceremony on
Thursday, March 15, 2012, at 2:00 PM
in the 6500 Building Auditorium.
Please come out and celebrate this
event.
Firefighter of the Year
Firefighter/Driver Michael Lucas
Firefighter/Driver Mike Lucas was
chosen as our 2011 Firefighter of the
Year for a career of exceptional service
to the community and not for a single
activity or event. The totality of Mike’s
career, spanning almost 19 years thus
far, clearly demonstrates hard work,
integrity, and an unwavering dedication
BOCA FIRE RESCUE NET
http://www.ci.boca-raton.fl.us/fire/newsletters.shtm
to our Department and the citizens of
Boca Raton. He displays these character
traits daily in everything he does.
Mike took a leadership role in bringing
the “Child Car Seat Installation Program”
to Fire Rescue in 2011. He saw a
need with citizens coming to Fire Station
6 looking for help during nights and
weekends, when certified installers were
not available. Mike’s initial goal was to
have at least one certified installer onduty
somewhere in our system every 24
hours. Mike epitomizes the very best in
customer service. He goes over and
above to make certain the citizen’s expectations
are completely satisfied. In at
least one instance Mike went to the citizen’s
home off duty to complete an installation,
simply because the person
had time constraints and needed the help
promptly.
Mike’s “can do attitude” and “excellent
customer service” is not limited to the
car seat program. On Alarm 2011-6564,
while Mike was assigned to Haz Mat 6,
he located a leaking pesticide container
that other responders had not found.
Mike remained on scene, cleaned up the
spill and ventilated the garage of the
residual odors. The family was very
appreciative as they were hosting a wedding
party the next day and the event
was enjoyable without the odors.
These are some of Mike’s other accomplishments:
� Excellence Award for the “Car Seat
Installation Program” (July 6, 2011).
� Excellence Award for outfitting the
new Haz Mat 6 apparatus (November
28, 2011).
� Peer Counselor for our Critical Incident
Stress Debriefing Team.
� Member of the Department Honor
Guard since 2007.
� Member of the Department Field
Force Extrication Team.
� Member of our Bike Medic Unit.
Mike was nominated for this award by
both Division Chief Norm Engel and
Captain Tom Carroll. Norm summed it
up best: “Mike Lucas is just one of those
people that cares for his fellow human
beings and consistently goes out of his
way to make a difference in someone’s
life no matter how big or small the gesture
might be.”
Mike will be recognized for this
achievement at our Department Badge
and Awards ceremony on March 15,
2012, at 2:00 PM at the 6500 Building
Auditorium. He will also be honored by
the 100 Club of South Palm Beach
County at their annual dinner on March
28, 2012, at 6:00 PM at the Royal Palm
Yacht Club.
Please join me in congratulating Mike
Lucas.
Citizen Courage Award
Kyle Conger
EMS Captain Shaun Fix suggested that
Kyle Conger be commended for his
actions when he found his grandmother
unconscious on December 14, 2011. At
8:12 AM we were dispatched to an unconscious
woman (Alarm 2011-14,062),
possibly not breathing in the Broken
Sound - Cedar Kay sub-division. Engine
6 arrived and found her unconscious
to the point that they originally
thought she was in cardiac arrest. Further
investigation revealed she was severely
hypoglycemic (low blood sugar).
The paramedics were able to reverse the
condition and Kyle’s grandmother was
transported to Delray Medical Center
and suffered no ill effects. The 911 audio
tapes revealed a calm 9 year old boy
providing appropriate information to the
dispatchers to help expedite the emergency
response.
We are thankful for his actions. On
March 15, 2012, at 2:00 PM, Kyle will
be given our “Citizen Courage Award”
which is inscribed with the following
Continued on Page 4

Welcome Center Laying out the hose
Preparing to attack fire Placing patient on stretcher
Page 2
BOCA FIRE RESCUE
2012 Fire Rescue Expo
Venting the roof Attacking house fire Extrication of vehicle
Putting out vehicle fire

Fire Rescue Explorers Utility Services
Florida Highway Patrol
CERT Team Members
Page 3
BOCA FIRE RESCUE
2012 Fire Rescue Expo
American Red Cross Police Services Police Services
Police Explorers

Page 4
C.S. Lewis quote: “Courage is not simply
one of the virtues, but the form of
every virtue at the testing point.” Congratulations!
World Trade Center Steel Artifact
The unveiling of the Department’s 911
Memorial display, featuring the steel
artifact from the World Trade Center,
will occur at the Badge and Award Ceremony
on March 15, 2012, at 2:00 PM in
the 6500 Building Auditorium. All are
welcome to attend.
College Degree
Firefighter Eric Alexander
Firefighter Eric Alexander was
awarded an Associate of Science degree
in Emergency Medical Services in December
2011 from Palm Beach State
College. Congratulations Eric!
Until next time…be safe.
EMS
By: Mike O’Neil
Division Chief
Medication Shortages:
All Fire and EMS agencies have been
experiencing medication shortages. The
shortages also affect all medical facilities
including pharmacies. The FDA publishes
a list of shortages and many of the
medications we presently administer are
on this list. I have a friend that is having
a hard time obtaining medication to treat
her son’s cancer. A pharmacist told us
that he has never experienced this
amount of difficulty in obtaining medications
in his 20 years of practice.
We have not been severely affected by
the shortages as we have been able to
substitute medications. We are working
on contingency plans for the shortage
issue. We receive daily updates from a
variety of sources. I have listed the web
BOCA FIRE RESCUE
site where anyone may view the current
medications that are in short supply.
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/
DrugShortages/ucm050792.htm
New Equipment:
We just received new portable suction
units to replace our present machines.
Our older machines used chargers and
batteries that are no longer available,
and have been in use for many years.
This past week our personnel received
training on the operation and a review
on suctioning procedures. We hope to
place the suctions in operation within
the next two weeks.
We have requested six more video laryngoscopes
and two more AutoPulses
in the FY 2012-13 budget process. The
video laryngoscope has a small screen
that allows direct visualization of the
vocal cords for performing advanced
airway procedures. This is one of the
most critical skills that paramedics perform
in the field for patients that are not
breathing. The other piece of equipment
is the AutoPulse. This machine performs
chest compressions on a patient in cardiac
arrest. Using manual CPR in the
field while moving a patient down a
flight of stairs, in small elevators, or
while in a moving vehicle is extremely
difficult. In a moving vehicle, the paramedics
may remain seated and secured
by seat belts reducing the chance of injury.
OPERATIONS
By: Daryl Scott
Assistant Chief
It has been busy since the last newsletter.
Not just with calls, but with promotions,
medical exams for all uniformed
personnel, preparations for the upcoming
promotional examinations, and preparing
for the upcoming Company Officer
Development classes.
The Captain and EMS Captains promotional
exams are fast approaching. All
employees who are eligible to take the
exams are encouraged to participate. The
exams will not only give you a better
understanding of the position, but will
also assist you in future exams by learning
the testing process. Those interested
in partaking in the process should prepare
early.
This year there will be many large and
important events held here in the City:
an Easter service with Calvary Chapel at
the FAU stadium, a big concert also at
the stadium, and the final Presidential
debate before the election, which will be
held at Lynn University.
Again, it seems as if the summer has arrived
early, so please be careful and make
sure you stay hydrated. Along with the
hot and dry weather comes brush fire
season. April is historically the worst
month for brush fires in the City, so be
prepared and informed by staying hydrated
and obtaining more information
regarding statewide brush fire activity at
the Florida Forest Service web site at
www.floridaforestservice.com.
Until next time, be safe…
LOGISTICS &
SUPPORT
By:
Michael Gergora
Assistant Chief
Greetings from the Logistics and Support
Division!
The Department has purchased two additional
medic units and they should be
here before August 2012. They will be
identical to the three latest medic units
that were placed into service over the past
few months. The Support Staff did an
excellent job with the assistance of Fire-

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fighter Robert Parks and others in setting
up the units for your use. This was
just another example of great teamwork
by our personnel.
The Facilities Maintenance folks have
hired a contractor to make the roof repairs
to our stations. They have been to
Fire Stations 1, 2 and 8 so far, and will
continue with the other stations and
Fire Support until the work has been
completed. Please let me know immediately
if there continues to be any water
leak issues with the roofs at the fire
stations where the work has already
been completed.
The Facilities Maintenance division is
responsible for every city-owned building.
Occasionally work orders slip
through the cracks and that is to be expected.
Sometimes we have repairs that
need immediate attention. This situation
also requires teamwork. Please
contact me via my cell phone when a
repair person is scheduled to address
your repair on a particular day and they
do not arrive before 3:00 PM. This will
give us the opportunity to contact them
to inquire what the status of their response
is to our need. It makes it difficult
to address these types of issues
when we are contacted after normal
business hours.
Other outstanding Fire Rescue issues:
Apparatus:
New Apparatus: Two new medic units
due by August 2012.
Facilities:
Miscellaneous: Station roof repairs and
carpet cleaning is underway.
Equipment: The new Elkhart 150
GPM foam educators will be placed
into service on all fire apparatus in order
to have consistency throughout the
Department.
Please let me know if you have any
suggestion for improvements to our
equipment, stations or uniforms.
BOCA FIRE RESCUE
Please stop in my office anytime that
you are at Fire Administration.
Until Then -
Stay Safe and Professional!
Hello once again,
COMMUNICATIONS
By: Pat Kelly
Division Chief
Next Generation 911 comes to Boca!
The technologically enhanced version
of the 911 system has finally been installed.
While the older version gave
the address and phone number of the
caller, this system is capable of much
more. When fully functional, we will be
able to accurately locate the position of
a cell phone caller. Additionally, callers
will be able to send text, pictures and
even video to the dispatch center. In
time, these in turn can be forwarded via
the Mobile Computer Terminals in each
unit to personnel in the field. This
means that emergency responders
should eventually be able to see exactly
what is happening at the scene of an
emergency before arriving.
Using this information, supervisors can
make informed decisions regarding
resource allocation. While it will take
some time for these capabilities to be
fully functional, the infrastructure has
been laid.
The dispatch center will soon be starting
the hiring process once again. If
you know of anyone who is interested
in filling the very challenging roll of a
911 Dispatcher, please tell them to
monitor the city web site for employment
postings.
Congratulations to the five distinguished
members of the Department
who recently retired from service. From
everyone at the Communications Center,
we wish you all good luck and a long
and healthy retirement.
BIRTHDAYS
March
Shannon Frederick 03/01
Lenny Marraffino 03/02
Chad Kozlowski 03/05
James Barry 03/05
Mike Francis 03/10
Dave Hobson 03/17
Donnie West 03/19
Daryl Scott 03/21
Ryan Brown 03/21
Warren Hunt 03/23
Raul Chacon 03/24
Keith Metcalf 03/25
Tom Sova 03/25
Joe Brooks 03/25
Mike Gressinger 03/27
Brian Shapins 03/27
Jeff Rupp 03/29
Scott Ward 03/30
Dan Coine 03/31
April
Dave Woodside 04/01
Mitch Greenberg 04/05
Bob Diaz 04/09
Eric David 04/09
Jose Santana 04/09
Nate Nichols 04/16
Scott Johnston 04/17
Scott Brooks 04/17
Lance Parks 04/17
John Meunier 04/18
Cheryl Freeman 04/20
Chris Schulz 04/22
Mike Schmitz 04/22
Mike Young 04/22
Jim Cuomo 04/23
Carlos Vidaurreta 04/23
Aaron Oatley 04/26
Ryan Cihowiak 04/28
May
Neil Duffy 05/01
Raul Travieso 05/05
Mark Lacho 05/08

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DEPUTY CHIEF
By: Glenn Joseph
Deputy Chief
I would like to congratulate the retirees:
Joe Ramsey, Daniel Vaudo and Todd
Stewart. We appreciate your dedication
and distinguished service to our community
and to this organization.
In the next few months, the Fire Chief
will be promoting several officers to fill
vacated positions. The transition from
“buddy to boss” will require the probationary
officer to develop new skills –
the most important is interpersonal
skills.
A group of human-resource specialists
in Florida were asked – “which of the
following issues causes the biggest
problems in your organization?”
Interpersonal conflict 62%
FMLA administration 34%
Wage & hour issues 14%
Unions/organized labor 7%
The responses above indicate that interpersonal
conflict is the most prevalent
problem in the workplace. It is imperative
that supervisors and coworkers
develop effective communication and
conflict resolution skills. If you are
unsure about how to handle a situation,
talk to your supervisor; supervisors
should get the guidance from Human
Resources to avoid unintended personal
slights and an escalation of the conflict.
When all else fails, remember the
golden rule.
Let’s do the numbers: Jan
Total EMS Incidents 949
Average Resp. Time 5.52
EMS (most alarms) M2-212
BOCA FIRE RESCUE
Total Fire Alarms 170
Average Resp. Time 5.95
Fire Co. (most alarms) T1-211
Station 5 (most alarms) 458
Other 361
Total Alarms 1,380
Be Safe, Be Competent,
Be Professional.
ADMINISTRATIVE
SERVICES
By: Raul Travieso
Assistant Chief
I would be remiss if
I did not take this
opportunity to commend
our staff and our volunteers for
their dedication and cooperative assistance
making this year’s Fire EXPO the
most successful in the City’s history.
Each of you went “above and beyond”
the call to duty in terms of preparing and
participating in FIRE EXPO 2012 at
FAU.
Over 1500 visitors of all ages attended
Expo and were thrilled to see 10 actionfilled
exhibits and over 20 “health and
safety” exhibitors, including representatives
from (in alphabetical order) FAU
Athletics Department, 911 Communication
Center, City Manager’s Office,
Ocean Rescue, Police Services Bomb
and SWAT Units, PD/FD Child Safety
Seat Checkpoint, Recreational Services,
Utility Services, and the Video Crew.
Fire and Police Explorers participated
this year along with the folks from
CERT, Crime Watch, and the Firefighters
Benevolent.
I wish to especially thank Florida Atlantic
University and its staff for once again
hosting our Fire EXPO. This partnership
has proven be the beginning of a
long and rewarding relationship.
(Continued on page 7)
Service Years
March
Dave Hobson 26
Ron Devecki 22
Joe Brooks 20
Aaron Fix 20
Patty Van Buskirk 17
Mike Davanzo 14
Scott Kovi 11
Mike Schmitz 11
Tory Buckman 8
Matt Grunke 8
Sean Migone 8
Matt Tupper 8
Carmen Aragona 6
Marcus Cooper 6
Neil Duffy 6
Shannon Frederick 6
Dan Johnson 6
Arnaldo Rodriguez 5
Mike Sember 5
Ryan Kelly 4
Dorrant Mowatt 4
Robert Parks 4
Val Polistena 4
Richard Rafalski 4
Scott Hauss 2
Mark Lacho 2
Manny Nuno 2
Jonathan Santana 2
Steven Wright 2
April
Ellen Beckman 19
John Luca 19
Mike Lucas 19
Erik Solensten 16
Mike Sklark 15
Joanne Barnes 13
Kim Puchalski 12
Amy Ross 10
Shane Leon 7
John Meunier 7
Paula Ursini 7
Francine Chokanis 4
Jesus Barrera 3
Evan Gaub 3
Jon Vought 3

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BOCA FIRE RESCUE
And last but not least a special thanks to Jay Bell who volunteered his time to take some awesome pictures. (See enclosed photos
of this year’s event on pages 2 and 3.)
We are also pleased to host Gary Ludwig’s spirited training seminar at the 6500 Building Auditorium on March 28 and 29 th . I
can say with confidence that you will enjoy this seminar. His lecture on “EMS - Contemporary Operations” concepts and programs
for public safety organization will stimulate much discussion. Topics include scene safety, crime scenes, tricks of the
trade, and things you were not taught in paramedic school. (See attached flyer)
I also want to take this opportunity to congratulate Michelle Murphy on her recent promotion and assignment to lead the Training
Section. Please take time to wish Division Chief Murphy success in her future endeavors. I am confident that Michelle will
be an outstanding addition to the Administrative Division.

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SPECIAL
OPERATIONS
By: Norm Engel
Division Chief
As the dust settles from the changing of
the guard, I have been faced with some
challenges and frustrations, but at the
end of the day it’s all about what we
can do to stay prepared and up to date
with the latest equipment and technologies
in order to provide the highest
level of service possible and come
home safe.
I have been able to take advantage of a
lot of training opportunities in the area,
and by doing so it has opened up the
doors to a host of resources I didn’t
realize were out there.
Recently, Assistant Chief Scott and I
attended a Chemical and Explosives
Outreach Workshop presented by the
local FBI and PBSO Bomb Squad. Initially,
I thought this would just be a fun
day of watching things get blown up
and some networking opportunities
(which it was), but more importantly it
demonstrated and showed examples of
local “mad scientists” and “hobbyists”
in our immediate area mixing and cooking
various types of chemical explosives.
It’s no big secret that you can
download or order a “Bomb Making
Cookbook” on Amazon or some other
internet entity, we just don’t think of it
happening here. Just three weeks ago,
two juveniles were arrested in the central
part of the county for making,
bringing and exploding a device in their
middle school. All these ingredients can
be bought at a local hardware store and
were in fact procured from their homes
and the local Home Depot. We are not
EOD, but we are the first in on a lot of
calls, be it Medical or Fire and there are
clues we can pick up on with just a little
training that might prevent an experiment
from becoming an event.
Next, Fire Boat 3 has two big new
props, a brand new fire pump and
BOCA FIRE RESCUE
panel, fiberglass is repaired, and the leaks in the sponson have been fixed. As we
start the beginning of the “fishing and diving” season, please know the boat if you’re
new to Station 3, and take advantage of training opportunities with Ocean Rescue,
Sea Tow, and the Boca PD Marine Unit. I’m available as well if you want to schedule
training while I’m on duty.
Last week three of our on-duty Haz-Mat crews were able to take advantage of a
training opportunity up at the Port of Palm Beach. There was an exercise at the Port
to check on the response capability and the recognition of a significant event that
spawns from an isolated medical call at the docks. In addition, Dr. Appleton, a
Chemical Engineer and Emergency Responder for DuPont Chemical, lectured and
demonstrated the latest intelligence and materials dealing with explosives and binary
mixtures.
With the attention on terrorism and the event coming to our City, I have taken some
Radiological and Nuc awareness classes. These classes are free and invaluable to us.
The classes range from awareness to use of the PRD’s (Personal Radiation Detector),
up to secondary screening and identification of the Isotopes themselves.
In closing, thank you for your patience during my transition, and please let me know
what I can do to help you to keep our Special Ops program thriving.
Training and Safety
By: Michelle Murphy
Division Chief
“Top of the morning from the training division”.
A lot of activity is scheduled at the training site for the
next two months. Hose testing will continue for the
first two weeks in March. The training tower is scheduled
for a State inspection the second week of March. The flashover simulators are
being worked on. If repairs are completed on schedule, night training will be revisited
in April.
The Training Division is bringing in two speakers from outside the area that are considered
specialists in their own arena the next two months. Chief Gary Ludwig will
be presenting “EMS Operations Unplugged” March 28/29. Chief Michael Chiaramonte
is scheduled April 11/12 for his Charleston presentation. Both of these individuals
give great presentations. Don’t miss out. Call Victoria Osborn (982-4010) to
register.
Boca Raton Fire Rescue is hosting the following classes at Fire Administration during
the months of March /April: Fire Service Course Design (3/12-16/12), Codes &
Standards (3/12-16/12), and Fire Department Administration (4/16-19/12). All of
these classes can be used towards Fire Inspector recertification.
For those scheduled to take the three month test in March and the Lieutenant promotional
exam in April, good luck. Keep studying and practicing. Be safe.

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BOCA FIRE RESCUE
Firefighters Battle Early Morning Blaze in Boca Raton
Photo by Frank Correggio
Firefighter David Weyer uses a Thermal Imaging Camera to check for hot spots and possible fire extension
At approximately 4:30 am, Boca Raton firefighters responded to a report of a structure fire at 1284 NW 4th Street. Emergency
dispatchers received the 9-1-1 call by the homeowner, who noticed flames in a bedroom. Heavy smoke and intense flames
reaching above the roof were seen coming through the bedroom window on the west side of the residence as firefighters arrived.
Fire crews quickly extinguished the fire which was confined to the one bedroom. The entire home suffered smoke and heat damage.
The owner of home was not injured. The Red Cross was on hand to assist the displaced homeowner and her family. The
cause of the fire is under investigation by the State Fire Marshal. Fire officials estimate the damage at $100,000.00.