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Accomplishments
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1997-2001
/ 2001-2002
/ 2003-2004
/ 2005
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2005
- Conducting a live fire training session using a
donated structure.
- Developed draft Dam Safety Failure Plans for
Hide-A-Way Lake and Anchor Lake communities.
- Implemented the department’s
continuously-evolving and cutting edge Standard Operating Guidelines.
- Actively participated in the Pearl River County
Firefighters Association.
- Sent medical personnel to stand by at all PRC
home football games.
- Had personnel graduate from both the EMT-Basic
and First Responder classes that were held during the year.
- Conducted life safety and first aid sessions
and for several groups such as kindergartens and Cub Scouts.
- Attended an appreciation service sponsored by
Resurrection Life Church for Fire/Rescue, EMS, Law Enforcement and
military personnel.
- Attended the annual Blue Mass sponsored by St.
Charles Catholic Church in Picayune, which was held for the benefit of
all Fire/Rescue, EMS and Law Enforcement personnel in the county.
- However, eclipsing all services provided during
2005 was the department’s response to Hurricane
Katrina. Personnel spent literally thousands of hours
responding to emergency calls, managing food, water and MRE allocation
points, and coordinating the county’s multi-disciplinary
Search & Rescue Recon teams that were comprised of fire,
rescue, law enforcement, medical, and military agencies. Our
Chief also served as the county’s Deputy Incident Commander
for the county’s Katrina response at the EOC. The
department rounded out its Katrina work by working with the
Governor’s Commission on Recovery, Rebuilding and Renewal
near the end of the year.
2003-2004
- Purchased Engine 2, which was placed at the
HAWL Station, but which will serve the entire District when
needed. Class 8 rating is ensured with this purchase.
- Purchased Tanker 1, which also ensured our
Class 8 rating and preserves the large home insurance decreases we
obtained for homeowners by going to a Class 8.
- Received funding of a Federal FEMA Firefighters
grant for over $100,000 to purchase hose, radios, computers, helmets,
coats & pants, boots, gloves, hoods, PASS devices, flashlights,
scene safety vests, air packs, individual face pieces, an LCD
projector, a comprehensive training package, and a full set
of rescue, medical, and CPR training equipment.
- Implemented the $35,000 FEMA grant we secured,
and which provided:
- A set of hydraulic rescue tools for Engine 2
- A portable multi-gas detector
- Five chain saws
- Three air pack staging tarps
- Basic water rescue equipment for those
personnel who are not Swiftwater Rescue certified
- A pneumatic air chisel set, and
- Incident Command Kits for all Officers.
- Had personnel graduate from both the EMT-Basic
and First Responder classes that were held during the year.
- Developed, trained and equipped the only
certified Swiftwater/Flood Rescue Team in the county and region.
- With a Federal grant, we purchased School
Emergency Incident Command resources for use by PRC School District and
presented these to their Security Chief and their Board of Directors
with a plan for all agencies to work together to achieve mutual goals
in school emergencies.
- Chief Wagner conducted fire/rescue/EMS
communications training for new Pearl River County and Picayune PD
Dispatchers as part of their APCO E-911 certification class.
- Sponsored the annual Emergency Services Against
Drunk Driving for PRC high school students at Hendrix Stadium.
- Held a Recruit class for new personnel.
- Attended an appreciation service sponsored by
First Baptist Church of Carriere for Firefighters who battled the
church fire in December of 2000.
- Actively participated in the Pearl River County
Firefighters Association.
- Sent medical personnel to stand by at all PRC
home football games.
- Conducted life safety and first aid sessions
and for several groups such as kindergartens and Cub Scouts.
- Continued to manage our finances to enable us
to keep Assistant Chief Chris Banks on as a paid independent contractor
for required maintenance work.
- Attended the annual Blue Mass sponsored by St.
Charles Catholic Church in Picayune, which was held for the benefit of
all Fire/Rescue, EMS and Law Enforcement personnel in the county.
- Sponsored a community blood drive through
Mississippi Blood Services.
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2001-2002
- Met with about 75 PRC school teachers to
explain the fire department’s capabilities and seek their
suggestions on how we can better serve them.
- Had a followup meeting with school authorities,
Sheriff’s Dept personnel & mutual aid fire
depts. Agreed on a unified system of responding to school
emergencies that uses elements of the Incident Command System.
- Held a review of the December 2000 fire at
Carriere First Baptist Church. The review was attended by
about 50 personnel from area fire departments. We reviewed
how – through a team effort - we were able to effectively
stop the fire and save the majority of the complex. We also
brainstormed strategies and tactics we thought we could improve on.
- Sent Chief Wagner and Captain Klingenberger to Command
School 2001 in Atlanta.
- Conducted a hands-on vehicle rescue &
extrication class for Pine Grove Fire Dept.
- Met with HAWL Board of Directors on together
how we can purchase a new pumper for HAWL when Engine 2 loses its
certification in 2003.
- Submitted a grant request to the Federal Govt
for a grant in the amount of $164,000 to fund purchase of radios, saws,
ventilation equipment, hoses & fittings, Incident Command
supplies, rescue tools, water rescue equipment, structural and wildfire
protective gear, and defibrillators. We did not get funded
since we were one of about 20,000 fire depts to submit grants, and some
of these departments didn’t even have first response
pumpers. However, we did get our foot in the door and were
optimistic about funding for the next year since the grant program has
been reauthorized and funding has increased.
- Had Chief Wagner attend the Mississippi
Emergency Medical Technicians Association annual conference and school
in Biloxi.
- Sponsored the annual Emergency Services Against
Drunk Driving for PRC high school students at Hendrix Stadium.
- Through his employer, Chief Wagner was one of
about 14,000 emergency personnel who attended EMS Expo,
an international conference, trade show, and school featuring the
latest techniques and technology in emergency medical care.
- Sponsored a community blood drive through
Mississippi Blood Services.
- Participated in the redesign of the Southeast
Mississippi Trauma Care Region.
- Successfully applied for and received matching
grant funds in the amount of $2000 from the Mississippi Forestry
Commission. With this money we purchased 11 wildfire
jumpsuits and other protective gear for fighting wildfires.
- Held an “in-the-pool” water
rescue class at HAWL, which Linda Chapman conducted for us. A
few weeks later Linda joined the Department as a Recruit.
- Sent 5 personnel to Command School
2001 in New Orleans. This was held in conjunction
with Fire Rescue International, sponsored by the
International Association of Fire Chiefs, which Chief Wagner
attended.
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1997-2001
Sponsored and
coordinated the largest HAZMAT disaster exercise ever conducted in the
State of Mississippi in terms of personnel. It directly
involved over 100 participants and nearly 50 agencies and
organizations. Learnings for all participants were very
useful. This put Carriere on the map.
- Began a Cadet program for qualified young
people ages 14-17 who are interested in fire/rescue/EMS and who want to
serve the community.
- Put together and mailed a Newsletter to
District residents.
- In addition to regular weekly training, we
either conducted, sponsored or participated in the following training:
- Incident Command
- Recruit & Cadet training
- Emergency Medical First Responder
- Amtrak passenger train derailment
- VFIS Emergency Service Driver’s
Course
- Volunteer Leadership in the 21st
Century, sponsored by the International Association of Fire
Chiefs’ Volunteer Chief Officers Section
- Actively participated in the Pearl River
County Volunteer Firefighters Association.
- Took the lead in developing the Standard
Dispatching Procedures for Pearl River County Volunteer Fire Departments
and conducted two training sessions on this for the Picayune and Pearl
River County Dispatchers.
- Sponsored a Boy Scout troop.
- Our recently-developed on-scene traffic
control procedure was recently designated as a national model procedure
for other fire departments to use by VFIS (Volunteer Firefighters
Insurance Service).
- Accepted bids on a new pumper and a new
Rescue truck.
- Sponsored a county-wide Firefighters picnic.
- Implemented a “common sense
version” of the Incident Command System and plain English
radio procedure for our on-scene operations and have offered this to
other fire departments if they wish to use it.
- Established a backup communications system
with the Pearl River County Amateur Radio Club (Ham radio operators)
and used it during Hurricane Georges.
- Conducted a variety of fire prevention
activities during Fire Prevention Week in October.
- Currently developing an Internet website to
keep the public abreast of what we’re doing.
- Developed very good relationships with local
law enforcement agencies.
- Initiated the effort to install the county
fire frequencies in all area Mississippi Highway Patrol cars.
- Developed a much improved apparatus
maintenance program.
- Developed a scene response policy.
- Started using the new Mississippi Fire
Incident Reporting system.
- Donations received:
- Set of airlift rescue bags from the Bennett
family.
- A used ambulance from AMR which was converted
into an Emergency Support Unit that served as a combination Command and
Rehab vehicle.
- Chainsaw from Jim Luke and his Daddy.
- Auxiliary purchased scene function
identification vests for us that make our on-scene operations run
smoother, safer, and more efficiently.
- Developed a run review process by which we
take a look at each one of our runs and determine:
- What went well
- What needs improvement
- Tie this back to the training and SOG process
- Developed good working and personal
relationships with the news media.
- Developed an on-scene Rehab program that is
coordinated by the Auxiliary.
- Two Cadets and one Associate member used
their CPR skills to save a citizen from cardiac arrest at a local
convenience store.
- Had the county install warning signs in a
deadly bend on Old Highway 11 after two fatalities occurred.
No accidents have occurred since then.
- Rewrote and updated our SOGs.
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