Please do say anything if you find a few grammatical errors today as my normal proof-reader is off today.  I hope everyone is doing well and we have a lot to go over so let’s get started.
 
  • Yesterday was JFRD’s birthday---we turn 146!  According to Cowart’s Heroes All, volunteers formed the Friendship Hook and Ladder Company in Jacksonville on January 10th of 1868, making yesterday the anniversary of the creation of the first organized firefighting unit in Jacksonville history.  Very cool and happy birthday to us!
 
  • Fire 8 Reorg---goes live today the 11th.   The list of changes is below….
 
  • Fire 4 picked up 37
  • Fire 7 picked up 34
  • Fire 8 picked up 56, 38, 39
 
  • New Station 62—will go operational Jan 27th and we will have the transfer/ promotional bulletin on January 24th for those assignments.
 
  • FF / Officer LOA’s---Officers can now enter those LOA’s themselves.  They no longer have to call the district  or battalion chief to do so.
 
  • New Recruits---New hire date has been pushed back to February 4th.  
 
  • Expansion of the Specialty Positions---there was a time on the job, 1922, when the only specialty position was the boats, followed by the Hazmat Team in 1977.  Then came the expansion of the Rope Team to USAR and a district chief assigned to the specialty positions. Then we entered into a contract with the Airport and Cecil Field to provide ARFF services there.  Each expansion came with dividing teams up into multiple stations and apparatus.  All areas of JFRD were involved in this expansion: Prevention, Rescue, Suppression, and Training.  Even Admin Services had to go out and buy all the specialty units.  After 9-11, federal funding was everywhere and the teams again grew with it.  The demand has continued to grow on these units as different agency requirements and varying types of calls we are responding to challenge our current Special Ops footprint.  Just like before, we are expanding with the demand.  This is the reason for the Fire 4, 8,& 9 reorganization.  Another example is people that have promoted out of the Teams, or have simply been part of the Team but never assigned to certain stations, we are going to concentrate those folks into 3 new Squads with unique mission capabilities and requirements.  The last example is the new Battalion assignments. 
 
  • New Squads---Sometime in February, 3 Squads will go into service with a mission to save firefighters; protect those who are protecting others.  I am still finalizing the staffing but as you can imagine, the hardest position to fill is firefighter.  Most of our trained firefighters are found on the teams and a few scattered around the city.  This is an all-volunteer assignment which means everyone is on-board with the mission.  I will send out a finalized staffing list next week.  Same with the SOG as this week has flown by me with little time to write…
 
  • New Suppression Battalion positions---these aren’t three new chiefs but simply upgrades to current positions.  Cost to upgrade was a little over $16,000 for all three.  They were needed because of the increasing work load on the specialty positions and no 40 hour AMIO of Special Op’s.  I have been relying on certain 56 hour chiefs to help me on all the issues but continuing to do so was not an option.  The definition has existed but not exercised in some time under the function definition.  Now I have a point-of-contact for each of the specialties.  Collectively, they make up over 10% of JFRD’s daily staffing and involving multiple contracts(Boeing, Port Authority, Port Security Grant, UASI grants, State Hazmat Sustained Grants, USAR grants, etc.), training requirements, meetings with different agencies and departments, equipment purchases, out of town training classes, future budget requests, etc…  You can see how quickly how I run out of time managing these assets.  A typical meeting with the FBI can last a few hours, same with the Bomb Squad and DEA.  Ports are no different.  But why Battalion Chiefs?  Because under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, or CBA, the only 56 hour position you can special assign is a district chief.  No other rank is allowed special assignment pay.  If you are on a 40 hour week, no problem.  Any rank can and does receive SA pay.  With no 40 hour position available, I have to SA a 56 person, and under the CBA rules that has to be a district chief and when I do, I have to call them Battalion Chief.  As for all the Suppression vs. Rescue rumors, I won’t even waste my energy on that one.  Everyone on this department knows where we are at as an administration on advancing the Rescue Division and its capabilities. 
 
  • Prevention Lt. Exam---is Monday….good luck to all!
 
  • Protest Hearing for the Suppression Captains Exam---is Wednesday.
 
Time to give some thanks….
 
  • To all the folks on the first floor at HQ that came in on a Sunday during the holidays to make sure we all got paid.  Many times, we take for granted our pay, station supplies, HR issues, and the like just get handled.  They sacrificed a Sunday over the holidays to make sure the checks kept flowing.   We all thank you!!!
  • To Liz Henderson and all her folks in Fire Comm.  Most have no idea how much she and her crew are involved in.  Answering a phone and dispatching a call is just the beginning of what goes on in Fire Comm.
  • To Capt. Jordan & Tami Hertlein and those who help in keeping our Logistical Support going.  Huge responsibility with a limited current staff.
  • To everyone at Tact Support who has been working with a limited crew as well.  The work never stops and neither do they!
  • To Gary Daly, who not only keeps our stations repairs moving, but also has been pushing the Station 62 process along.
  • To the Training Academy Staff that has been tasked with multiple new training issues.  Not sure how you all keep up!
  • To Fire Prevention and EPD as your responsibilities are noble and needed and not always generally understood by the masses.  Thank you…
  • To all of you, from the chiefs on down to our new hires as you manage the day to day crisis and issues our city faces.  JFRD would not exist without you and your dedication.  It would not be great without your character and sacrifices.
 
Well that’s it for this week.  I hope it explained some stuff and I hope you know the thanks is heartfelt. I’ve been at work on this for the better part of my Saturday morning and I’m beginning to get look like I need to start working on her curtain rods. (honey-do list).  I hope your Saturday is better than mine and you get to spend some time with family and friends.  We will tonight. 
As always, we thank you for what you do (show up and make things better), why you do it (pre-determined psychological disorder), and for always being the Best Fire Rescue Department in the Country!
 
 
Very respectfully & very proud of you, 
Kurtis R. Wilson
Chief of Operations
Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department