The Fire Chief’s Office is responsible
for the overall management of the
Department. These responsibilities
include the establishment of personnel
standards and policies, work schedules,
public relations and the continuous
review of operations and performance.
Other areas of responsibility focus
on fiscal control, personnel management,
resource procurement and the coordination
of the annual budget preparation.
ALARM
MAINTENANCE
The Alarm Maintenance Unit is responsible
for the proper maintenance of the
City radio fire alarm system. The
system includes street alarm boxes
for public use and master boxes
providing automatic alarm transmission
from alarm systems in City schools,
hospitals, nursing homes and several
industries.
In addition, this Division maintains
the central station receiver located
in the Monroe County Public Safety
Communications Center and the Department's
mobile and portable radios.
APPARATUS
DIVISION
The
Apparatus Division is responsible
for the maintenance of all fire
apparatus, support vehicles an
d motorized equipment. This Division
is also responsible for the repair
and maintenance of the County Airport
firefighting equipment. In addition,
the Superintendent of Apparatus
is involved in the acquisition of
new apparatus, from providing the
specifications of the equipment
to the final preparation for service.
CODE
ENFORCEMENT
The
Code Enforcement Unit is responsible
for the inspection of all residential,
commercial, industrial and institutional
properties in the City. Besides
their inspection duties, Code Enforcement
staff assigned to the Unit also
issue permits. These permits allow
for the maintenance, storage, handling
and transportation of all flammable,
toxic and explosive materials.
Inspectors
also attend local traffic control
board meetings, oversee fireworks
displays and conduct alarm test
and fire drills.
This
Unit also provides an inspector
who serves as liaison to the Department
of Community Development.
The
inspector reviews new construction
plans and works with architects
and engineers to ensure plan compliance
to all fire Codes.
EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT
Responsibilities
focus on disaster preparedness and
event aftermath recovery. Personnel
attend and maintain membership on
several committees to facilitate
informationsharing between multi-jurisdictional
agencies. Emergency Management reviews
emergency preparedness, school safety,
and site safety plans and does make
recommendations for improvements
for local agencies, schools, and
businesses.
FIRE
INVESTIGATION
The
Fire Investigation Unit is comprised
of Cause and Origin, Fire Related
Youth (FRY) and the Arson Task Force.
Cause
and Origin surveys the fire scene
to determine the ignition sequence
and fire development . These investigators
also conduct interviews with victims
and witnesses to obtain relevant
information. They respond to all
working fires and, at the request
of the incident commander, to such
incidents as attempted arson, vehicle
fires and rubbish fires.
The
Fire Related Youth Unit was established
to provide community intervention
for children who play with fire.
Once a fire is determined to be
juvenile related, the FRY Unit undertakes
a comprehensive review of the incident
and meets with both the child and
his parents.
The
FRY Unit also receives many calls
from parents requesting that an
investigator talk to their child
about the consequences of fire play,
the appropriate uses of fire and
the legal ramifications of the misuse
of fire.
The
Arson Task Force is comprised of
one firefighter and one police officer.
Should the cause of a fire be incendiary
and involve an adult (a person 16
years or older), the Arson Task
Force is called upon to conduct
a follow-up investigation and lodge
any appropriate criminal charges.
HEALTH
AND SAFETY
One
of the main responsibilities of
the Health & Safety Office is
to research, interpret and enforce
many of the regulations and standards
that apply to the fire service today.
Some of the mandated Occupational
Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) regulations cover areas such
as respiratory protection, hazard
communication, blood borne pathogens,
asbestos exposure, hearing conservation
and hazardous materials. Standards,
such as those issued by the National
Fire Protection Association cover
topics such as firefighter accountability,
Rapid Intervention Team (RIT/FAST)
and medical examinations.
TB testing, Self Contained Breathing
Apparatus (SCBA) fit testing, Turnout
Gear inspections, OSHA reporting,
fire house inspections, Right To
Know/Blood Born Pathogens training
are all programs that stem from
these mandates.
METROPOLITAN
MEDICAL
RESPONSE SYSTEM
The Metropolitan Medical Response
System (MMRS) system is a FEMA based
national program that supports local
jurisdictions’ enhancing and maintaining
response capabilities to manage
mass casualty incidents during the
critical first hours after an incident.
It is during these critical first
hours that lives can be saved and
the population protected. MMRS is
comprised of 120 cities and four
geographical jurisdictions. Together
they cover eighty percent of the
nation’s population.
To accomplish our goals, MMRS works
with a wide range of departments
and agencies within the City of
Rochester, Monroe County, State
of New York, and United States government.
We assist in the development of
“All-Hazard” plans, create mitigation
practices, and conduct exercises
to test our local preparedness.
These All-Hazard plans include Terrorism
(such as Chemical, Explosive, Biological,
and Nuclear/Radioactive attacks),
Hazardous Material incidents (Haz-Mat),
Natural Disasters, and Epidemic
disease outbreaks.
For more information on the MMRS
program go to: www.fema.gov/mmrs
or call the MMRS Coordinator at
(585) 753-3735.
PLANNING
AND RESEARCH
The
Planning and Research Division is
responsible for analyzing operations,
evaluating existing programs, developing
recommendations for the modification
of present practices and procedures
and assisting in the implementation
of new methods and techniques. It
is also responsible for emergency
response analysis and the gathering
of statistical and analytical information.
The field of information technology
remains the primary function of
this Division. Planning and Research
strives to respond to the ever changing
environment of computer technology
PROTECTIVES
The
Protectives is a volunteer organization
which includes a staff of four paid
firefighters who act as drivers.
With a City fire vehicle, the Protectives
respond to fires with the responsibilities
to safeguard and salvage property.
Tarpaulins, fans, pumps and other
equipment are used to reduce smoke
and water damage. For information
on becoming a volunteer for the
Protectives, call (585) 428-5977.
SPECIAL
OPERATIONS
The
Special Operations Office, a subdivision
of the Division of Training, oversees
the Fire Department's six specialty
teams, Hazardous Materials Response,
Confined Space Rescue, High Rise,
Water Rescue, Extrication, and Heavy
Rescue -and is also responsible
for the development and maintenance
of the Metropolitan Medical Response
System program.
SUPRESSION
DIVISION
Suppression personnel respond to
a variety of emergency incidents
including fires, emergency medical
service calls, hazardous conditions,
automatic alarms, river and gorge
rescues and motor vehicle accidents
and extrications. When not engaged
in emergency response activity,
the Division performs fire station
maintenance, district training,
public relation details and property
inspections.
TRAINING
DIVISION
The
Training Division develops and provides
essential training and educational
programs for the fire department.
The division is responsible for
a variety of training units including:
Emergency Medical Services (EMS),
Recruit Training, In-Service Training,
Special Operations, Firefighter
Trainee Program and Special Projects.
The
division is also involved in coordinating
a variety of inter-agency drills
and training, and serves in a leadership
role for the Metropolitan Medical
Response System (MMRS). The division
houses the Emergency Training and
Information Network (ETIN) which
provides fast, reliable, secure,
convenient access by first responders
to wide range of constantly updated
information.
The Training Division works in collaboration
with Monroe Community College, in
utilizing the facility's classrooms,
training props, and fire ground
simulators. This valued relationship
is priceless in insuring that our
members, and many other community
agencies, are given state-of-the-art
training.
For
more information, contact the Training
Division at (585) 753-3731.
