HomeMy WebLinkAbout#12 - Fire Department Annual Report Staff Report
DATE: 3/6/2024 AGENDA ITEM: 2023 Fire Department Annual Report TO: Mayor and Council SUBMITTED BY: Dustin Kalis, Fire Chief & Anthony Svoboda, Assistant Fire Chief REVIEWED BY: Clark Schroeder, City Administrator
BACKGROUND: The 2023 Lake Elmo Fire Department Annual Report allows us to share our data regarding our responses to emergency incidents and the service we provide to our city and surrounding communities.
It also allows the department to highlight some of the accomplishments, trainings and activities that
took place throughout the previous year. ISSUE BEFORE COUNCIL: Should the City Council accept the 2023 Fire Department Annual Report as presented?
DETAILS AND ANALYSIS: The fire department annual report allows the department to share data regarding emergency incidents and provide insight into our overall department operations. This report also provides the department a way to highlight staff accomplishments, trainings and activities that took place throughout the previous
year.
In 2022, the City of Lake Elmo began participating in the State of Minnesota Performance Measurement Program. The annual fire department report includes these performance measures while also including many other important metrics and data points the department has identified and tracks.
RECOMMENDATION:
If removed from the consent agenda staff recommends the following motion: “Motion to adopt the 2023 Fire Department Annual Report.”
ATTACHMENTS:
1) 2023 Fire Department Annual Report.
- Annual Report -
- 2023 -
Table of Contents
- Message from the Fire Chief
- Introduction
- History
- Administration
- Operations
- Training
- Fire Prevention and Code Enforcement
- Community Education
- Personnel Recognitions
- Key Accomplishments - 2023
- Strategic Plan - 2024
A message from the Fire Chief, Dustin Kalis
“The Lake Elmo Fire Department is proud to serve the
neighbors and friends that make up our great city.
Our community is rapidly changing, as Lake Elmo is the
fastest growing city in Minnesota! 2023 was a year full
of milestones for our department: new central fire station,
an updated staffing model on duty 24/7 utilizing both career and paid-on-call staff, and delivery of
a new engine.
With all these rapid changes, your fire department remains committed to making sure that the
service you deserve is the service you get. We would not be able to make this possible without the
support of the community, our city council, and city administration. I appreciate the commitment
that the citizens of Lake Elmo instill in public safety.
I hope that you will once again find the information in this year’s annual report informative. We
strive to provide clear and accurate data that allows us to structure our service and operations
now and into the future.
Thank you!”
Introduction and Purpose
The City of Lake Elmo, Minnesota is a second ring/emerging suburb of Saint Paul. The Fire Department was established in 1957
and currently serves a population (2023) of approximately 13,500 residents. Services provided by the Fire Department include
Fire Suppression, Rescue, Emergency Medical Services, Code Enforcement, Community Education and Risk Reduction.
The intent of this document is to provide clear and accurate data pertaining to the functions of the Lake Elmo Fire
Department. Its primary audience is the residents of the City of Lake Elmo, its City Council, and all those interested in learning
about our operations.
This document includes information related to emergency responses, staffing, training, department fleet, and other critical
data that Fire Department staff utilize on a regular basis to determine the effectiveness of your Fire Department. All
information included herein is considered public data and, in accordance with the request of the City Council, some of which is
reported on a quarterly basis. This information is subsequently reported to the State of Minnesota Performance Measurement
Program. The period in which data was collected for this document is: 01/01/2023 through 12/31/2023.
PUBLIC SAFETY Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4 2023 2022 2021
FIRE - Number of Fire/Rescue/EMS Responses: 213 258 274 302 1047 791 568
FIRE - Number of Fire Inspections: 114 183 219 133 649 514 312
FIRE - Average Fire/Rescue Per 1,000 Residents: 6.08 6.65 8.44 8.69 9.95 5.89 4.7
FIRE - Average EMS Incidents per 1,000 Residents: 10.75 12.96 12.96 15.17 17.28 9.99 7.83
FIRE - Average Alarm to Enroute time in minutes: 2.15 2.91 2.82 1.33 3.07 n/a n/a
FIRE - Average Alarm to Arrival time in minutes: 7.57 8.3 8.4 7.6 7.97 n/a n/a
FIRE - Staffed turnout time within 90 seconds (Fire/Rescue): Y Y Y Y Y n/a n/a
FIRE - Staffed turnout time within 60 seconds (EMS): Y Y Y Y Y n/a n/a
Information as presented to the City Council in the Quarterly Report.
Logo and Branding Update
In late 2022, with anticipation of moving towards the central fire station model, Chief Kalis entertained the
idea of updating the fire department logo and branding material. Historically, within the department, logo
changes were accompanied by new chiefs or major events. For example, prior to 2023, the fire department
logo was last updated for the department’s 50-year anniversary in 2007.
The move to the new central station signified an end to an era of service that our fire department is very
proud of. Under one roof, with a new staffing plan in place, it was decided to update our brand to reflect the
changes our department has undertaken in the past few years and the accomplishments we have made along
the way.
At our December holiday party, the members of the Lake Elmo Fire Department voted on several options,
ultimately deciding on the logo and branding scheme that was formally adopted February 1, 2023.
The traditional Maltese and graphic are used together to represent our
department. The Maltese logo serves as our official patch and is used
for uniforms. Both graphics will appear on vehicles.
History of the Lake Elmo Fire Department
The Lake Elmo Fire Department was established in March 1957 by a group of community activists who realized
the necessity for the village to have its own fire protection. A volunteer fire department was established, and a
fire station was built downtown. The need became furthermore apparent as the siren blew and calls for
service steadily increased. In the years that followed many changes impacted the fire department including
the addition of medical and rescue calls.
History Highlights
• 1957 - 38 volunteers establish the fire department; Ed Kramer is named Fire Chief.
• 1981 - The department purchases its first Ladder truck, a 50ft tele squirt boom.
• 1986 - The department opens Station 2 on Jamaca Avenue North.
• 1990 – Dick Sachs is appointed Fire Chief and would serve a total of 43 years with the department.
• 2000 - Greg Malmquist is appointed as the first full-time Fire Chief.
• 2006 - The department moves Station 2 to the Public Works site, further North on Jamaca.
• 2007 – The department celebrated its 50-year anniversary.
• 2015 – The department replaced its 1975 Ladder truck after 40 years of service.
• 2020 - Dustin Kalis is appointed as the second full-time Fire Chief.
• 2023 - The original 1957 Station 1 and Station 2 are closed, the Central Fire Station is opened.
• 2023 - The staffing model is updated to include 24/7 career firefighters on duty.
Jeremy Penman
Captain – Paid on Call
Michael Schwarz
Captain – Paid on Call
1 Lieutenant – Paid on Call
3 Engineers – Paid on Call
23 Firefighters – Paid on Call
Gold Shift
2 Firefighters - Career
Black Shift
2 Firefighters - Career
1 Support Staff
1 Chaplain
The fire department is administered by a career Fire Chief
and Assistant Fire Chief, who are responsible for day-to-day
operations. The remaining command staff consists of two
paid on call Captains and one paid on call Lieutenant.
The department operates using a combination model of
career and paid on call staff. In 2023, the department
transitioned to a fully staffed model, meaning that, career
and paid on call staff are on duty all the time.
Paid on call staff work scheduled shifts and supplement the
career schedule working as a crew member and filling open
shifts.
In total, the department roster consists of 34 uniformed
personnel (8 career, 27 paid on call, 1 support) and 1
civilian Chaplain.
Red Shift
2 Firefighters - Career
Dustin Kalis
Fire Chief
Anthony Svoboda
Assistant Fire Chief / Fire Marshal
Administration and Organization
462
541 554 568
791
1047
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Response Totals by Year -2023
47 1
652
96 40 74 89 48 0
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
Responses by Type -2023
Operations - Emergency Response Overall
1,047
RESPONSE INCIDENTS
Calls for service in 2023 represent a 32.3% increase in call volume compared to the year prior.
Annually, the department has seen an 15.5% average call volume increase for the last six years.
Operations – Emergency Response Overall
A
F
E
D
C
B
The “heat map” is a great tool that helps your fire department
gauge the areas of the city where incidents are most likely to
happen. This map shows all incident locations in our city and
their frequency. Red boundaries indicate a high volume of
incidents. Some emerging neighborhoods are shown in yellow
and orange.
Points of Interest:
These points of interest in our city highlight our response
profile and the variety of incidents and locations throughout
the jurisdiction.
A: Highway 36 and Lake Elmo Avenue North – 67 incidents
B: “Old Village” (Downtown, Arbor Glen, Fields) – 249 incidents
C: Cimarron / Oak-Land Middle School– 154 incidents
D: Park Reserve (Trails, Boat Launch, Camps) – 25 incidents
E: Hudson Boulevard (The Springs, Boulder Ponds, High Point Surgery,
HealthPartners, Holiday Inn) – 287 incidents
F: Hidden Bay/Tri Lakes Area – 114 incidents
19
8
2
2
7
9
1
48
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Structure Fire
Cooking Fire - Contained
Incinerator Fire
Trash Fire
Vehicle Fire
Brush Fire
Explosion
Total
Fire Suppression Incidents -2023
Operations – Fire Suppression
Overall, the fire department’s response to “fires” remains relatively low, compared to other incident types
across the city. Fire incidents include structure fires, vehicle fires, brush fires, chimney fires, and all situations
where suppression equipment is used. In 2023, the fire department responded to 47 fires and 1 explosion.
Vehicle Fire on 57th ST N.
January 2023
64
2
4
3
74
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Motor Vehicle Accident
Search on Land
Extrication from Vehicle
Water or Ice Rescue
Total
Rescue Inidents -2023
Operations – Rescue
Within the profile of the city, a network of state and county highways increases the risk of vehicle accidents.
Vehicle accidents, as well as other special and technical rescues, make up the Rescue response profile of our
overall response totals.
Water Emergency – Vehicle in Goose Lake
August 2023
36
55
70
101
128
Top 5 EMS Incidents -2023
Fall
Sick Person
Difficulty Breathing
Cardiac
Unconscious Person
104
652
756
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
Respond - No Respond - Yes Total EMS Incidents
EMS Response Overall -2023
Operations – Emergency Medical Services
In 2023, 62% of the incident responses made by the fire department were medical in nature. All fire
department staff are minimally certified as Emergency Medical Responders. All career staff are certified to the
Emergency Medical Technical level. The fire department provides Basic Life Support care.
The fire department transitioned to a full medical response profile in September 2023. Previously, the
department only responded to life threatening medical situations. In partnership with Lakeview Health
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) (our Paramedic Ambulance provider) the decision was made that in the
interest of public safety, the fire department was to respond to all medical emergency calls in Lake Elmo.
This, of course, aligned with our 24/7 staffing plan.
In 2023, the fire department responded to 652 of the total 756 medical incidents in Lake Elmo.
528
15
84
EMS Incidents Level of Priority -2023
Level 3
Level 2
Level 1
542
85
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
Arrival Prior to Ambulance
Arrival After Ambulance
Fire Apparatus Arrival Compared to Ambulance -2023
Operations – Emergency Medical Services
Paramedic Ambulance and Advanced Life Support transport is provided by Lakeview Health Emergency
Medical Services (EMS). Lakeview EMS supports ambulances with two paramedics and provides service to the
City of Lake Elmo for all medical emergency calls for service. Ambulances are dispatched by a separate service
after emergency calls are received at the 911 center. After dispatch, the ambulance responds into Lake Elmo
from one of its three bases. A Lakeview EMS Ambulance is not stationed in Lake Elmo.
Depending on the location of the ambulance, the fire department often arrives at the scene of a medical
emergency before the paramedics. In 2023, the fire department arrived at the scene of a medical emergency
542 times before the ambulance of the 652 total medical calls. This is an 83% pre-ambulance arrival rate.
151 137
157
136
173 162
131
0
50
100
150
200
Incidents by Day of Week -2023
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
93
249 229 226
148
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
Incidents by Time of Day -2023
0000-0400 0800-1200 1200-1600 1600-2000 2000-0000
Operations – Response Times and Figures
In 2023, approximately 82.7 of every 1,000 people in Lake Elmo dialed 911 in need of the fire department. Of
the 1,047 calls for service, the average time that a call was dispatched to the fire department until the first
unit was en route was 1.40 minutes. This average number is a direct reflection of the staffing model in which
staff are ready to respond immediately in the station, rather than having to respond from home first.
A critical factor in our response which cannot be changed is the time from en route to the arrival of the first
apparatus to the dispatched address. Travel time reflects the drivability of our city and the time it takes to go
from Point A to Point B. The City of Lake Elmo and our response area spans 25 square miles.
The average travel time to an incident was 7.97 minutes in 2023.
Received
54%
Given
46%
Aid Given vs Received -2023
Received Given
Operations – Aid Given and Received
Your fire department plays a critical role in supporting neighboring agencies. In return, the same support is
received when requested. Mainly, aid is given and received for larger scale incidents, such as structure fires.
Lake Elmo has automatic aid agreements with neighboring fire departments for structure fires and vehicle
accidents along Highway 36 (Stillwater).
The fire department utilized aid agreements 72 times in 2023. Of those 72 times, 33 were for instances of aid
requested in Lake Elmo and 39 were for aid given outside of the city. Nearly a 50/50 partnership.
1
1
2
2
3
3
7
14
0 5 10 15
Cottage Grove
Hudson,WI
Lower St. Croix Valley
Mahtomedi
Bayport
Stillwater
Woodbury
Oakdale
Aid Given to Department -2023
In 2023, the fire department continued to implement the vehicle replacement
process. As noted, the department was pleased to in service several new vehicles.
Specifically, the replacement for Engine 1 was delivered in the fall which replaced
a 20+ year old apparatus that served the community very well for many years.
Additionally, several new support apparatuses were placed in service. All these
vehicles have seen action since being acquired, including the boat.
The fire department continuously evaluates the reliability of our equipment. In
2023 key purchases made it possible to upgrade our fire hose nozzles, acquire
battery powered extrication equipment, purchase additional sets of turnout gear,
and many other tools and equipment.
Operations – Equipment and Fleet
The fire department maintains a fleet of emergency vehicles which have served the department for various
lengths of time. The fire departments fleet consists of:
Age of Fleet - 2023
Engine 1 *NEW*
Ladder 1 6 years of service
Rescue 1 5 years of service
Rescue 2 7 years of service
Tender 1 3 years of service
Tender 2 16 years of service
Brush 1 *NEW*
Brush 2 19 years of service
UTV 14 years of service
Chief 1 Tahoe 2 years of service
Chief 2 Durango *NEW*
Boat *NEW*
Training
Lake Elmo Firefighters participate in regularly scheduled training events, typically on Monday evenings.
Training topics are based on the Minnesota Board of Fire Training and Education standards. All firefighters,
regardless of career or paid on call, are held to the same standards.
417 2863 70
Training Hours Personnel Hours Scheduled Drills
Within the scope of training, your fire department participated in quarterly Emergency Medical certification
training. These classes are supported in house by two Regions Hospital EMS Education certified fire
department staff.
Additionally, we sent five new recruits to the Ramsey County Fire Academy. These recruits were successful in
completing all the necessary training and certifications to become licensed firefighters.
106
265
10 12 17 3
191
45
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
Inspections by Type -2023
36 2
326
548
649
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Inspections Per Year -2023
Fire Prevention and Code Enforcement
The purpose of the fire prevention program is to promote fire safety, provide education, and (when necessary) enforce codes
and ordinances. Since the inception of the inspections program in 2021, the fire department has continued to maintain our
records system to accurately represent the building and business profile of the city, inspect all commercial occupancies, and
regulates established guidelines for ongoing growth in the city.
The fire department also spends a considerable amount of time reviewing construction plans for new developments and
buildings. Taking time ahead of the project to review the process reduces the potential for problem areas in the future.
Specifically, the department focuses on access, sprinkler/alarm systems, hydrant placement, addressing, and layout.
Community Education
The fire department participated in several community education events in 2023. Most notably, is the
National Night Out event, hosted downtown Lake Elmo. Equally important is our annual speaking engagement
with Lake Elmo Elementary students for Fire Prevention Week.
Brian Talcott #106
Firefighter/EMT (FT)
5 Years of Service
Personnel Recognition – Years of Service Awards
The Lake Elmo Fire Department is proud to recognize these individuals who achieved years of
service accomplishment milestones in 2023.
Chris Klein #88
Engineer
15 Years of Service
Richard Glanzer
Chaplain
10 Years of Service
Douglas Lovett #104
Lieutenant
5 Years of Service
Michael Schwarz #105
Captain
5 Years of Service
Personnel Recognition – Appointments
Anthony Svoboda #118
Appointed to:
Assistant Fire Chief
Fire Marshal
Timothy Anders #132
Appointed to:
Firefighter/EMT (FT)
Peter Haveman #121
Appointed to:
Firefighter/EMT (FT)
William Redman #134
Appointed to:
Firefighter/EMT (FT)
Photo Credit: LEO A DALY and Tom Grady Photography
Personnel Recognition – Promotions
In July of 2023 the fire department hosted our annual employee recognition and family picnic. The
department uses this event to recognize individuals who completed employment milestones, acquired
significant certifications, and most importantly recognize probationary firefighters who completed their fire
academy and have been promoted to regular Firefighters.
Promoted Firefighters: 2023 (Left to Right)
Adam Lembrich #129: Firefighter/EMT
Ike Allickson #128: Firefighter/EMT
Brian Chapman #126: Firefighter/EMT
Alex Weil #131: Firefighter/Paramedic
Matt Watt #130: Firefighter/EMT
Alex Beard #125: Firefighter/EMT
Key Accomplishments – 2023
The fire department is proud of the work that we have done in 2023. We were very busy making
some very key accomplishments last year. Of those accomplishments, we wish to highlight the
following:
• Kicked off a duty crew staffing plan which placed paid on call staff on duty, in the station.
• Held an Alumni Breakfast to recognize all those who have served before us and to signify the
official closure of the original 1957 fire station.
• Placed into service four new pieces of apparatus, including Engine 1.
• Closed Station 1 and Station 2 and moved all operations and equipment to the new Central
Fire Station.
• Increased predictability in our response by adding six new career Firefighter/EMTs who are
scheduled on duty 24/7, 365 days a year.
• Utilized our paid-on-call staff to supplement the duty shift, backfill open positions, and
respond to large scale incidents.
Strategic Plan – 2024
2023 was a big year for our organization. We were successful in our key accomplishments, but
there is still plenty of planning, forward thinking, and training to be done. Looking into 2024, your
fire department remains committed to serving the community in a very high capacity. Our main
priority for 2024 is to maintain the level of service you deserve. To fulfill our commitment to
service, we are looking forward to these upcoming goals:
• Replacement of Brush 2, a 2004 Ford F350, with a Utility type vehicle.
• Updates to our equipment maintenance system, which includes two new gear and personal
protective equipment washing machines.
• Community CPR and AED classes.
• Community Fire Extinguisher training classes.
• A Fire Prevention Open House.
• Expansion of our EMS response profile to all medical incidents, for the entire year.
• Focus groups at senior housing/care facilities.
Photo Credit: LEO A DALY and Tom Grady Photography