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2015 Annual ReportExcellenceTradition of

Table of Contents 1

On Sunday April 26, the El Paso Fire Department was dispatched to a Third Alarm fire at the 1300 block of Lomaland Dr. Crews fought the fire for nearly seven hours. Firefighters used “trench cutting” to separate the section of the building that was on fire from the two other unaffected wings of the property. A total of 25 units and 74 personnel responded to the incident. Photo and cover photo by PIO Carlos A. Briano.

Introduction 2Letter from the Chief 4

Firefighter of the Year 6Promotions/Retirements 7

Statistics 8Fire Incident Summary 10

EMS Incident Summary 12Other Incidents Summary 14

Response Timeline 16Facilities/Stations 18

Office of the Chief 26Grants/Finance 28

Fire Human Resources 30Standards/Public Information 32

Award Recipients 33

Operations 34Emergency Operations 36

Fire Prevention 40Prevention and Inspection 42

Fire Investigations 44

Capital Assets and Personnel Support Services 46Office of Emergency Management 48

Special Operations 50Fire Medical Research 52

Logistics 56Facility Oversight 58

Aircraft Rescue Firefighting 60

Technical Services andProfessional Development 62

9-1-1 Communications 64Health and Safety 66

Operations Research 68Professional Development and Training 70

El Paso Fire Department416 N. Stanton STE 200

El Paso TX 79901(915) 485-5600www.epfire.org

Two decades later, El Paso firefighters, along with

those from 54 other fire departments from across the

nation, became charter members of the IAFF, International

Association of Firefighters founded in 1918.

That tradition continued into the 40s when in 1942,

EPFD placed fifth in the nation in the National Fire

Prevention Contest; it was the highest ranking department

in Texas. In that decade, the department was one of the

few in the nation to pioneer booster tanks on fire engines.

In the 1970’s, the department was one of the first to

explore the Fire Cat technology, a self-propelled monitor

nozzle.

The excellence continued into the 90s when the

department constructed it’s state-of-the art burn building

in 1993, the first of its kind in Texas. In 1997, El Paso

firefighters began to use thermal imagers. Today, EPFD

has one on every structural apparatus, a rarity among fire

departments nationwide.

In 2003, the department earned a Class 1 rating in

Public Protection from the Insurance Services Organization

(ISO). As a result, El Pasoans pay some of the lowest

property insurance rates in the nation. In 2012, the

department received international accreditation from the

Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI).

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

estimates there are 30,052 fire departments in the United

States. The El Paso Fire Department is one of only 217

accredited fire departments in the world, and one of only

61 in the country with an Insurance Services Organization

(ISO) Public Protection Classification 1.

Only 13 fire departments in the country are both an

ISO Class 1 department and recognized as an accredited

agency. Only three are metro-sized (populations over

500,000).

In it’s 143-year history, the department has shown that

the City of El Paso has exceptional coverage for all of its

citizens, businesses and visitors. We hope you will enjoy

reading many of the ways the El Paso Fire Department

continued its Tradition of Excellence in 2015.

Introduction 32 Annual Report 2015

The Mission of the El Paso Fire Department

is to provide emergency response, prevention,

preparedness and education to residents,

businesses and visitors of our city so they can

live safely and prosper in a hazard resilient

community.

Mission

The El Paso Fire Department will be a

recognized leader in the fire and rescue service

at the local, state, regional and national level.

Our culture will reflect a trusting, cooperative

and friendly team atmosphere nurtured by

respect for each other and for the pubic we

serve.

We will earn and honor our community’s trust

through the provisions of the most effective,

efficient and fiscally responsible service possible

to all groups in all areas in the city.

We will explore all opportunities to improve

our people and our services, and spend time and

energy developing the best strategy possible

for providing the service delivery required in our

community.

We will demonstrate our excellence at all

times, and will be internationally accredited and

recognized for applying industry best practices.

Vision

Professionalism

Respect

Integrity

Duty

Excellence

Values

Excellence is not easily achieved. It’s a descriptor mainly reserved for the

upper echelon, the cream of the crop. The El Paso Fire Department

has always strived for that standard. And by meeting that standard

repeatedly over the course of 143 years, the department has

established a tradition of excellence.

From its initial formation in 1883, the El Paso Fire

Department has established itself as one of the best fire

departments in the state. Now, it can be argued that

it is one of the best in the country, if not the world.

The examples are many. On July 8, 1901,

the El Paso Herald reported that the 900

GPM steam pumper acquired by

the department “was the most

powerful ever seen in this

part of the country.” Continued on page 3.

ExcellenceTradition of

Photo by PIO Carlos A. Briano.

Fire Chief ’s Letter 5

I am pleased to present the El Paso Fire

Department’s Annual Report for 2015. This

has been a year of changes not just for

the city, but for the fire department as

well. We trained 114 Company Officers in

standard command practices for common,

everyday strategic and tactical emergency

operations through the Blue Card system

as we move towards a standard Incident

Command approach. Our staffing has

faced some changes due to annual

retirements. A total of 37 recruits

were graduated from

the Fire Training

Academy and 58 personnel, ranging from Fire

Suppression Technician to an Assistant Chief,

were promoted; they are all well-deserving

employees contributing towards the success of

the organization.

Many of the department’s accomplishments

will be reported in the following pages. However,

what the report may not show is the outstanding

dedication and professionalism of the employees

within the organization. As you look through

this report, my staff and I hope you will notice

a few testimonials which have been placed

within it. These testimonials are from citizens

who utilized our services over the past year

and were gracious enough to send us a letter of

appreciation. These testimonials are only a small

glimpse of the positive comments my office

receives annually, but they are typical of the

many received each year.

One program I am very pleased to report about

is the success of our Community Health and

Wellness initiative through the assistance of

the Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment

(DSRIP). Prompted by the goal of enhancing

access to healthcare, the health of patients and

families served, and improving the health of our

community’s population, over the past year we

have provided more than 2,000 immunizations

and wellness checks to underinsured residents

in our community. The program has helped

hundreds in the community to follow their health

care plans and may keep them from having to

call 9-1-1 for emergency medical services.

Public Safety Education is very important to

our employees and to our community. To ensure

we develop a direct communication link between

the department and the community we serve, 21

journalists were trained and certified as Certified

Fire Journalists through our Media Academy

program. By educating and training reporters

and photographers to comprehend fire service

tactics, strategies, equipment and jargon, the fire

department helps ensure the public will receive

more accurate and complete information about

the service the fire department provides.

We’ve taken advantage of every opportunity

to present our safety messages. Firefighters

completed hundreds of hours in public safety

events including Compression-Only CPR

training, Water Safety Training, In-Station

Tours, Fire Department Youth Camp, Daycare

Inspections, Home Safety Surveys, Smoke Alarm

Installations and a variety of others.

Our 2015 Annual Report is a reflection of

our commitment to the community we serve.

It is filled with statistics and information

that identifies ways in which we continue to

successfully meet our mission and improve our

department for the future.

Our success is due to the dedicated

employees of our department, the support of our

community and its leaders. We could not meet

our mission without this dedication and support.

I hope you find this report informative and

interesting.

Respectfully,

Fire Chief Samuel Peña

4 Annual Report 2015

Promotions and Retirements 76

Assistant ChiefJorge Cortez Deputy ChiefRicci Carson

Ramon ValenciaBattalion ChiefDaniel CoronadoKevin M. Dieter

Christopher EscandonRaul Garica-Flores

CaptainKevin D. Dieter

Raul MaciasPaul Mott

Kenneth PersingerAlex Portillo

Christopher ReavesJesus Salmeron

Miguel TorresRichard Varela

LieutenantJ.J. BeemanRonald Brinks

Steven DeveauRyan Dubord

Jaime GonzalezMatthew Hunter

Peter LiechtiManuel Maldonado

Gabriel MartinezEdwardo Montoya

Jose MunozManuel OrtizBryan Silva

Esau Villegas

Fire Suppression TechnicianFrancisco AlonsoDaniel Boisselier

Craig DagenChristopher Falcon

Eduardo FloresEfrain Garcia, Jr.Benny Gutierrez

Carlos HernandezJesus LemusMartin LermaAndres LopezRamon Luera

Orlando MartinezJodie Matejcek

Pascual MendozaRicardo Mendoza

Jaime MunozGil Nevarez

James Nicholson

Andrew RenteriaEmilio SalcidoVictor SanchezArturo Santana

David TorresRamiro Vega

Alonzo ZambranoCalvin Zielsdorf

CiviliansReymundo Atilano

David AvilaEdwin Ayala

Dora CastanedaJonathan Hernandez

David MontoyaDeidra MoralesRachel Vargas

Promotions

RetirementsUniform

Michael Ortiz, 32Cesar Martinez, 30

Christopher Celaya, 28Vicente Gonzalez, 28Juan Rodriguez, 28Michael Moss, 27

Edward Beltran, 27Daniel Valles, 27

Miguel Valencia, 26Jesse Bustamante, 26

Ruben Flores, 26Francisco Villegas, 26Rodolfo Rodriguez, 26Armando Medrano, 26

Raymond Cano, 26Rafael Reyes, 25

Gerardo Arreola, 25Michael Cade, 24John Concha, 24

David Rios, 23David Tellez, 23

Marco Santiago, 23Daniel Gonzales, 23Calvin Shanks, 22David Smith, 22

Adolfo Duarte, 22Fermin Sosa, 22David Valero, 21

Dennis Reglen, 21Jay Binion, 21

Gustavo, Guerrero, 20Paul Bianchi, 17

CivilianRaul Muro, 22

Maria Robles, 20Martha Bilbo, 15

Zoraida Burke, 13

Annual Report 2015

The El Paso Fire Department congratulates the following personnel who have been recognized as

outstanding firefighters. Each quarter an individual is selected as the Firefighter of the Quarter. These

individuals exemplify the mission, vision and values of the El Paso Fire Department. One of these four is

then selected as the Firefighter of the Year, one of the highest recognitions the department can give an

individual firefighter.

Firefighter of the Year

FPM Wyatt Schmidt

First Quarter

FF Efrain Garcia

Second Quarter

FF Max Martinez

Third Quarter

Capt. Gonzalo Soto

Fourth Quarter

Firefighter of the Quarter

At the Annual Medal Day Ceremony, held Thursday Sept. 3 at the Chamizal National Memorial Ampitheater, FF Efrain Garcia was named 2015 Firefighter of the Year. He is shown here with Keynote Speakers Congressman Beto O’Rourke and Emma W. Schwartz. Photo by Fred Jones.

At the Promotion Ceremony held Thursday Feb. 26 at the Firefighters Hall, FST David McWatters, FST Victor Sanchez and Lt. Jaime Gonzalez were part of the 30 personnel honored on their promotion. Training Chief Jorge Cortez was the Keynote Speaker for the event. Photos by Rudy Gutierrez/El Paso Times.

8 Statistics 9Annual Report 2015

The El Paso Fire Department has response jurisdiction within the city limits of El Paso. This encompasses

an area of 260 square miles and a population of 679,036.

Statistics

Incident Annual ComparisonIncident Annual ComparisonIncident Annual ComparisonIncident Annual Comparison

P12

R5

P25

R1

P21

2,896

3,111

3,1433,178

3,251

Busiest Units

B4

Q16

L24

R1

P21

379

1,820

2,058

3,178

3,251

Busiest Units by Type of Unit

Rescue & EMS Incidents 32,513Service Calls

10,952

Good Intent Calls 9,687

False Calls 2,599

Hazardous Incidents 1,560

Fire Incidents 1,321

Other Calls 85

2015 Incident Summary

“I strongly praise the superior support we received from Rescue 27 on May 28, 2015 when a patient collapsed in our urgent care facility unexpectedly. The crew was actually already here as back-up to another ambulance that had been summoned for another patient. The crew took the lead to ask about the individual who had collapsed. I salute this team for offering their help and transport of a patient for which they had not been summoned. But nevertheless, when the crew saw that the patient (and that we) needed an extra hand, they spoke right up and jumped in to help us. I wanted you to know about the superior performance of your team which included: Lt. D. Gutierrez, FST A. Hernandez, FF J. Starkes; FPM D. Dorman and FF S. Gallardo. Please pass on my gratitude for their help and the admiration I hold for them on that day: Wow!” – Dr. C.

On Wednesday May 27, the crews of Pumper 9 and Rescue 3 responded to a medical emergency. Photo by PIO Carlos A. Briano.

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

1,892

1,734

1,559

1397

1322

47,724

49,700

50,460

51,219

52,513

71,452

72,296

74,453

76,338

78,718

Incidents

Total Incidents Rescue and EMS Incidents Fire Incidents

10 Fire Incident Summary 11Annual Report 2015

The City of El Paso experienced 1,321 fires. The majority of these fires were structure fires, which

accounted for 42% of all fire incidents. The El Paso Fire Department responds with a minimum of seven fire

fighting vehicles to any structural fire. The Primary Response matrix includes: three Pumpers, two Aerials,

one Rescue (ambulance) and one Battalion Chief for command and control. Larger incidents would involve

a Full Response, which would include: four Pumpers, two Aerials, two Rescues (ambulances) and three

Battalion Chiefs.

Fire Incident Summary

Rubbish Fires 245

Structure Fires 555

Vehicle Fires 266

Brush Fires 212

Other Fires 43

Total Fire Incidents

Total Incidents 1,321

On Tuesday Nov. 3, the El Paso Fire Department was dispatched to a condition 2 fire at the 8500 block of Moye Dr. when neighbors called 9-1-1. A total of 12 units and 32 personnel from the El Paso Fire Department responded to this incident Photo by PIO Carlos A. Briano.

Dispatch Times

Call Taker Times

1:27

1:11

0:27

1:10

0:30

1:00

Alarm Processing Times90 Percentile

Benchmark

2014

2015

Total Response Time

Travel Time

Turnout Times

8:39

5:39

2:00

8:31

6:00

2:10

6:20

4:00

1:20

First Unit Times - Fire90 Percentile

Benchmark

2014

2015

Total Response Time

Travel Time

17:08

12:14

17:42

11:45

12:10

10:00

Medium Effective Response Force Times - Fire90 Percentile

Benchmark

2014

2015

92

114

149

127 13

5

111

100

97

75

93

110

118

Fire Incidents per Month

12 EMS Incident Summary 13Annual Report 2015

The City of El Paso saw 52,513 Rescue and EMS incidents during 2015. With 26 ambulances covering

the city, that averages out to just over 2,019 calls per ambulance. Of those, 44,613 were medical

emergencies ranging from cardiac arrests to fainting. The second most responded to EMS emergency was

vehicle accidents, accounting for 16% of all medical calls. The El Paso Fire Department is one of the few

departments in the country that provides Advanced Life Support capability with every ambulance. Averaging

over 4,000 calls a month, the El Paso Fire Department meets the challenge of medical response.

EMS Incident Summary

Medical Emergencies

44,613

Vehicle Accidents 7,318

Water Rescues 9

Extrication Rescues 53 Assistance Calls

395Other Rescues 40

EMS Incidents Total Incidents


“I just wanted to convey my appreciation to the Fire Medical crew who responded to my 9-1-1 call at the Red Roof Inn in El Paso on the night of July 20, 2015 while I was traveling from California to South Texas. They responded to our call in a timely manner and were very professional and pleasant. Thank you to the whole team. Great job!!!”

– Nadia Z.

On Wednesday May 27, FPM Aaron Fierro and FF Rick Alvarado responded to a medical emergency downtown. Photo by PIO Carlos A. Briano.

Total Response Times

Travel Times

Turnout Times

8:57

6:00

1:49

8:45

6:04

2:04

6:00

4:00

1:00

First Unit Times - Medical90 Percentile

Goal

2014

2015


Travel Times

Turnout Times

15:15

7:37

1:49

14:53

7:46

2:04

10:00

8:00

1:00

Medium Effective Response Force Times - Medical90 Percentile

Goal

2014

2015

4,48

9

3,96

2

4,65

1

4,37

6 4,57

3

4,47

2

4,35

6 4,52

0

4,29

4

4,32

9

4,17

2 4,32

2

Rescue & EMS Incidents

14 Other Incident Summary 15Annual Report 2015

Assistance Calls 9,234

Distress Calls 752

Water Problem 655

Unauthorized Burning 72

Animal Problem 124

Smoke/Odor Removal 48

Other Service Call 68

Service Calls


Other Incident Summary

Wrong Location 4,559

Cancelled4,558

Authorized Burning 9

Other Good Intent Call 217

Smoke Scare334

VicinityAlarm 3

Good Intent Calls


Unintentional 1,644

Malfunction 731

Malicious 147 Other False Alarm 77

False Alarm Calls


Explosion (no fire) 12

Excessive Heat 12

Chemical Reaction 3

Steam pressure 3

Gas Pressure 10

Explosive Incidents

Total Incidents 40

Weather Event 25Citizen

Complaint 20

Special Event 6

Other Incidents

Total Incidents 51

Electrical Hazards 461

Flammable Hazards 889

AccidentHazards

94

Chemical Hazards 79

Arson Hazards 20 Other Hazards

17

Hazardous Conditions (No Fire)


915

747

820 865

927 1,01

0

983

988

870

912

978

938

Service Calls Per Month

714

729 82

5

770 83

9

853

891

917

786

822

732 80

9

Good Intent Calls Per Month

137

112

120

118

116 13

0

121

127

112 12

7

169

171

Hazardous Conditions Per Month

223

174 21

6

182

185

250

260

202

194 23

2

234

247

False Alarms Per Month

The types of calls the El Paso Fire Department responds to can be broken down into a 24-hour time period.


The City of El Paso had 78,718 incidents, one every six minutes and 40 seconds. Firefighters must respond at a moment’s notice, at any time, day or night. Photo by PIO Carlos Briano.

Medical responses are the lion’s share of EPFDs work, and the 52,513 calls were attended by professional paramedics and EMTs. That was one every 10 minutes. Photo by PIO Carlos Briano.

There were 7,318 Motor Vehicle Accidents (MVAs) in El Paso. That was one every hour and 12 minutes. Many involved injuries or death. Someone is there to help. Photo by Battalion Chief Francisco Perry-Herrera.

False Alarms steal precious personnel and resources. EPFD received 2,599, one every three hours and 22 minutes.

Strokes accounted for 496 of the responses by EPFD. That was one every 17 hours and 40 minutes. Rapid paramedic intervention is the key.

Rapid CPR and AED use were the keys to responding to the 466 cardiac arrest calls. That was one every 21 hours and 28 minutes.

Time is muscle. Each one of the 2,033 chest pain calls required a rapid response to give a person a chance to survive, in case the pain was a heart attack. That was one every four hours and 19 minutes.

With 1,321 fire calls, “firefighters” earned their namesake by putting out fires ranging from a simple grass fire to someone’s precious home or business. That was one every six hours and 16 minutes. Photo by Deputy Chief Ricci Carson.

On Thursday Nov. 12, the El Paso Fire Department was dispatched to a Condition 3 fire at the 4800 block of Yandell Dr. Crews fought the fire for 93 minutes. A total of 11 units and 28 personnel responded to the incident. Photo by PIO Carlos A. Briano.

2015 Response Timeline

Response Timeline 17

03:00:00 06:00:00 09:00:00 24:00:0015:00:00 18:00:00 21:00:0001:00:00

“Shattered Dreams” simulation photo by Juan Torres/Diario de El Paso.

Facilities 1918

The El Paso Fire Department currently operates out of five facilities.

FacilitiesThe headquarters for the department is currently at 416 N. Stanton, occupying the 2nd floor, 3rd floor and part of the 5th floor. The following divisions operate out of the headquarters building:

Logistics operates out of 8600 Montana, currently occupying the back half of the building. All equipment, apparatus, and supply needs are handled by the Logistics Program personnel, to include:

The Training Academy is located within Ascarate Park at 6800 Delta. The Academy annually trained between 30 to 60 recruit personnel and provided nearly 50,000 continuing education hours to department personnel. The programs located at the Training Academy are:

The 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Program, as well as the Office of Emergency Management, are located in the 9-1-1 Center at 200 N. Kansas St. The facility is operated by the El Paso 9-1-1 District. Located on the 2nd floor of the building is the Emergency Operations Center for the city and county of El Paso.

Fire Chief’s OfficeAssistant Fire Chief OfficesFinance ProgramHuman Resources ProgramPayroll PersonnelOperations Research ProgramProfessional Standards Office

Fire Prevention DivisionCommunity Risk Reduction Construction Codes ComplianceFire Prevention and Safety Inspection Facilities Oversight ProgramFire Medical Research ProgramPublic Information Office

Structural Apparatus AmbulancesSCBAsRescue EquipmentPersonal Protective Equipment

UniformsFirefighting SuppliesMedical SuppliesGeneral Supplies

Professional Development and Training ProgramHealth and Safety ProgramSpecial Operations Program

Call Taking and DispatchOffice of Emergency Management9-1-1 DistrictBorder Regional Advisory Council (RAC)

Annual Report 2015

The Safety and Health Outreach Center (SHOC) is located at 5415 Trowbridge Dr. Multiple community outreach events are held there including vaccination clinics, public education events, tours and media demonstrations. The programs who use the facility include:

Community Risk ReductionFire Medical ResearchOffice of Public Information

Battalion 2

Battalion 6

Battalion 1 Battalion 4

Battalion 5

Battalion 3

Fire StationsThe El Paso Fire Department has 35 stations, that make up six battalions.

Facilities 2120


Annual Report 2015

Facilities 2322


Annual Report 2015

Facilities 2524


Annual Report 2015

Office of the Chief 2726 Annual Report 2015

The Office of the Chief is the

administrative office of the El Paso Fire

Department. Chief Samuel Peña is the

Fire Chief of the El Paso Fire Department,

holding that position since March 2013.

Chief Peña rose through the ranks of the

El Paso Fire Department with 20 years

of experience, working as the Strategic

Planning Chief and Training Chief before

being appointed to his current position.

Chief Peña oversees a department of

918 uniform and 240 civilian personnel

who together extend the Tradition of

Excellence of protecting an international

city of over 679,000 people. The Office of

the Chief oversees all operations of the El

Paso Fire Department, which are broken

down into the following divisions:

• Operations Division

• Capital Assets and

Personnel Support Services Division

• Technical Services and

Professional Development Division

The Office of the Chief is also

comprised of several programs that

ensure the efficient workings of the

department. These programs include:

• Finance Program

• Grants Program

• Human Resources Program

• Public Information Office

Office of the ChiefOn Thursday Nov. 12, the El Paso Fire Department was dispatched to a Condition 3 fire at the 4800 block of Yandell Dr. Crews fought the fire for 93 minutes. A total of 11 units and 28 personnel responded to the incident. Photo by PIO Carlos A. Briano.

The purpose of the Grants Administration Program

is to provide grant application, tracking and reporting

services to the department so that it can have

access to additional funding to fulfill its mission.

The Grants

Administration Program

faces the ongoing

challenge of seeking and

acquiring grant funding

for the El Paso Fire

Department. The program

submits grant requests,

tracks grant funding and

grant-match funding, and

submits fiscal reports of

the grant funds to both

the department and to the

agencies directing the

grants. The program is managed by Battalion Chief

Frank Gallegos, with 23 years of experience with

the department, who was assigned the position in

October 2013.

Strategic Achievements

• 3 Grants Managed

• $6,700 Grant Funds Managed

• 5 Grant Applications Submitted

The purpose of the Finance Program is to provide

financial management reporting services to city and

department leadership so they can receive accurate

and timely information to make decisions.

The Finance Program

oversees the financial

operations of the

department: accounts

payable, accounts

receivable and monitoring

the budget. The Finance

Program managed

the department’s

$97,545,192 all-

funds budget, which

includes salaries and

benefits, operating

and grants. Together

with a staff of four personnel, Public Safety Fiscal

Operations Administrator Nicole Cote, with 14

years of experience with the City of El Paso

and 4½ years with the El Paso Fire Department,

provides procurement and budgetary assistance to

all program managers. They identify and address

the short-term and long-term financial needs of

the department by working with all stakeholders

to maintain the Fire Department as a fiscally-

responsible department.


• 5,041 Vendor Invoices Paid

• $1,720,000 Dollars Awarded Locally

28 Grants/Finance 29Annual Report 2015

Grants Finance

Frank Gallegos

Grants Manager

Battalion Chief

Grants being ManagedGrants being ManagedGrants being ManagedGrants being Managed

Nicole Cote

Fiscal Operations

Administrator

FD Emergency Operations

$70,197,474Fire

Communications $8,453,714

Fire Logistics $6,652,676

Fire Prevention $3,699,957

Fire Department Administration

$4,136,316

Fire Training $2,361,679

Fire Medical Research

$2,964,016

Planning and Infrastructure

$580,690

OEM $472,367

Operations Research $470,990

Health and Safety $329,222

Special Operations $357,107

Budget by Program

Total $100,676,208

Salaries and Benefits $89,016,986

Contractual Services $4,178,815

Materials/Supplies $4,648,748

Operating Expenditures $360,507

Non-Operating/Intergovt

Expenditures $1,907,749

Capital Outlay $563,403

Budget Summary

Total Appropriation $100,676,208

Reimbursed Expenditures $110,000.00

Ambulance Service Revenue $10,562,066.00

Fire Inspection Fees $101,193.00

Hazmat Fees $578,990.00

Department Generated Revenue

Total $11,352,249

Administrative Division

$4,608,683

Operations Division $73,897,431

Capital Assets and Personnel Support

Services $10,554,489

Technical Services and Professional

Development $11,615,605

Budget Distribution

Total $100,676,208

30 Human Resources 31Annual Report 2015

The purpose of the Human Resources program

is to provide information, guidance and support

services to the department so it can have the

resources available to achieve the department’s

mission.

The El Paso Fire

Department Human

Resources Division

serves Uniform and

Civilian employees

encompassing all

divisions of the Fire

Department. The team is

tasked with ensuring that

employees’ basic needs

are met by providing

information, guidance and

support services to enable

them to concentrate on

their role in achieving the departments mission. The

program is often an applicant’s first contact with the

department, so the program makes sure to represent

the department’s core values in every aspect of the

hiring process and contacts with external relations.

The program maintains and improves processes

to better serve the department’s employees. These

services include: Payroll processing; FMLA/LOA and

Transitional Duty processing; testing and recruiting;

discipline, training and employee relations.

Over the past calendar year, the Fire Human

Resources team has processed over 1,800

applications and 197 promotions/new hires and

completed extensive recruitment processes for

three Public Safety Communicator Trainee classes,

two Certified Firefighter Trainee classes and one

Firefighter Trainee class. They also administered

over 50 training sessions for Sexual Harassment

Prevention, Ethics and Behavioral Awareness.

Monica Puga, the Fire Human Resources

Manager, has been with the city for over 13

years, eight of those being with the El Paso Fire

Department. She operates with a staff of two

Human Resource Specialists, two Human Resource

Analysts, a Senior Office Assistant, one Payroll

Supervisor, and three Payroll Clerks to meet the

needs of 1077 personnel.


• 50 Sexual Harassment Prevention, Ethics and

Behavioral Awareness Training sessions conducted

• 1 Promotional Exam Administered

Monica Puga

Fire Human Resources

Manager

Fire Human ResourcesTwo or more 1

African American 5

Hispanic 188

Non Specified 2

Caucasian 19

Ethnicity - Civilian

20 - 29161

30 - 39278

40 - 49314

50 - 59100

Over 604

Age Group - Uniform

20 - 2947

30 - 3957

40 - 49 55

50 - 5943

Over 6013

Age Group - Civilian

Retirement 33

Other14

Separations - UniformRetirement

4

Other48

Separations - Civilian

Two or more 4

American Indian 3

Asian 6African

America 17

Hispanic 671

Non Specified 3

Pacific Islander 1

Caucasian 152

Ethnicity - Uniform

On Thursday Dec. 17, 11 firefighters from Class 87 received their red helmets after completing their probationary year. Family and friends attended the ceremony. Photo by PIO Carlos A. Briano.

“At the Texas Committee for the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, we recognize the strain and sacrifices employers are making when their employees are called to active military service. We appreciate the sacrifice, the cooperation and support that you and employees like Raquel Morales demonstrate to our active military personnel.”

– Chairman Eddy S.

StandardsThe purpose of the Professional Standards

Office (PSO) is to oversee and ensure a consistent

and fair disciplinary process for all employees

and to recognize members for their exceptional

professionalism, duty and sacrifice in public service.

With a staff of

four, PSO provides

investigatory services

for all citizen complaints,

alleged misconduct

and/or performance

issues for uniform

personnel. PSO also

provides management

and consultation

services in the area of

departmental discipline,

legal notifications, risk

management incidents

and referrals to the employee assistance program.

PSO proudly provides oversight of Department’s

Awards Program through the Awards Committee, a

cross-section of 15 civilian and uniform personnel,

who review and approve all submitted award

nominations. Persons nominated are eligible for 20

different awards, with the Medal of Valor being the

highest.

An annual Medal Day Ceremony is hosted every

September honoring members and citizens alike for

their life-saving acts of heroism and bravery.

Chief Jorge Rodriguez has served as the

Professional Standards Chief since February 2014

and brings 17 years of experience to the office.

The purpose of the Public Information Office (PIO)

is to oversee the development and dissemination of

department information through the media for the

general public as well as the coordination of internal

and external public affair events.

The PIO has been

given the responsibility

of overseeing media

requests, coordinate

press releases and

press conferences,

as well as serving as

media spokesperson at

incidents.

The PIO maintains

the department website,

manages all social media

platforms, and oversees

the content and design

of the internal e-newsletter. The PIO also assists

with the graphic design of various department

publications.

The PIO is tasked with coordinating all department

events like graduations, promotion ceremonies,

facility ground-breakings/ribbon-cuttings and the

annual Media and Youth Academies.

Carlos Briano has been the Public Information

Officer since August 2014 and serves as the

photographer and graphic artist for the department.

Additionally, the PIO works with the Fire Medical

Research division in the Vaccinations for Health

initiative, a free community health project, by

tracking patient demographics and marketing efforts.

32 Standards/Public Information 33Annual Report 2015

Public Affairs

Jorge Rodriguez

Professional Standards

Battalion Chief

Carlos A. Briano

Public Information

Officer

Award RecipientsPurple Heart

FF Paul Perez

FF Jesus Ruiz

FST Ernesto Valencia

Meritorious Service

FST Marco A. Alvarado

FST Zachary Renteria

Lifesaving

Capt. Raul Macias

Lt. Christopher Elsworth

FST Herman Miller

FF Samuel Harrison

FF Juan Pacheco

Lt. Mark A. Kline

FST Adriel Ayala

FPM Joe Oshiro

FF Luis H. Aguirre

FF Michael J. Jimenez

FF Carlos Marin

Capt. Julius Gutierrez

FST Hector Garcia

FF Julian Bermudes

FF Ryan Mielke

Lt. Edward Kleinhans

FST Craig Dagen

FST Boyd W. Smith

FPM Dona Dorman

FF Jesus Gutierrez

Lt. Ruben Gonzalez

FST Fransisco Carranco

FF Jordan Licerio

Lt. Sergio D. Renteria

FST Timothy S. Fennell

FF Leonard Herrera

FF Esteban Licon

FF Rafael Yee

Lt. Mark Kline

FST Omar Alvarado

FF Adrian Gomez

FF Raul Velez

Lt. Jose Santiago

FST Samuel Santaguida

FF Salvador Bustos

FF Francisco Gonzalez

FF Gregory S. Rap

PSC Edgar Coronado

Lt. Alejandro Rodriguez

FST Daniel Gonzales

FF Oscar Gonzalez

FF Aaron Mendez

FF Edmundo Valencia

Capt. Jose Ortiz

FST Jose Leos

FPM Victor Oshiro

FF Jaime Guerra

FMD Joe Sanchez

Lt. Eduardo Orozco

Lt. Enrique Saucedo

FST Enrique Rodriguez

FF Christopher Carroll

FF Emerson Rodriguez

Lt. Rafael Navarrette

FPM Dallas Taylor

FF Iuzuny Garcia

FF Enrique Mendoza

FF Robert Reichardt

Police Officers

Officer Juan Escobedo

Officer Joe Lopez

Civilian Citation

David Chairez

David Miranda

Esperanza Rodriguez

Lynnette Hobson-Sheawood

Westly Sanchez

Vince Velasquez III

Caleb Sanchez

Arturo Gonzalez

Lorraine Ochoa, RN

Erica Muller, LVN

Gaby Solorzano, RN

Alexis Moreno, LVN

On Thursday Sept. 4, four-year-old Caleb Sanchez received a Civilian Citation medal for his life-saving actions that saved his grandmother’s life. Photo by Luis Hernandez/Diario de El Paso.

Operations Division

Operations 3534

Samuel RodriguezFire Assistant ChiefOperations Division

Annual Report 2015

The purpose of the Operations

Division is to provide response,

investigation and prevention services

to the residents, businesses, visitors

and emergency responders so they

can experience timely, accurate and

appropriate requests, and prevent

incidents through education and

community outreach.

Chief Samuel Rodriguez has been

the Assistant Chief of Operations

since May 2013, having a career

that spans 30 years with the El Paso

Fire Department. Chief Rodriquez

oversees the operational programs

of the department. This includes the

Emergency Operations Program

comprised of three shifts: A Shift, B

Shift and C Shift. The Emergency

Operations Program is the largest

program within the department,

numbering over 800 members.

Here the personnel respond to the

challenge of fire incidents, medical

emergency, hazardous materials

releases and trapped victims. Chief

Rodriguez also oversees the Fire

Prevention Division. Within the Fire

Prevention Division are the following

programs:

• Community Risk Reduction Program

• Construction Code

Compliance Program

• Fire Investigations Program

• Fire Prevention and

Safety Inspection Program

On Thursday Nov. 12, the El Paso Fire Department was dispatched to a Condition 3 fire at the 4800 block of Yandell Dr. Crews fought the fire for 93 minutes. A total of 11 units and 28 personnel responded to the incident. Photo by PIO Carlos A. Briano.

Emergency Operations

Emergency Operations 3736

Hector Cano is the Deputy Chief in charge of A Shift. Chief Cano began his

tenure as Deputy Chief in July 2014, previously serving as the Professional

Standards Battalion Chief for the department. With 21 years of experience, he

leads 268 personnel responding from 35 fire stations to a variety of incidents. This

includes 142 EMT Basics, 4 EMT Intermediates, 88 Paramedics, 37 Rope Techs,

15 Rescue Techs, 8 Water Rescue, 13 ComSAR, 54 Hazmat and 13 ARFF.

A Shift

Annual Report 2015

The purpose of the Emergency Operations

Response Program is to provide emergency

medical, fire suppression, prevention and

specialized rescue services to residents, businesses

and visitors of our city so they can have rapid and

effective responses to emergencies

The Emergency Operations Program is the

largest of the department’s programs as it includes

all the personnel involved in incident response and

mitigation. With over 800 personnel, the Emergency

Operations Program is prepared to meet the

challenge of all types of incidents, responding to

78,718 calls.

The Emergency Operations Program is a 24/7/365

operation that is divided between three shifts. The

personnel work 24-hour shifts, coming on to duty at

11:45 a.m. and going off duty the next day at 11:45

a.m. This workload is handled by 31 Pumpers, 14

Aerial and 26 Rescue Ambulances.

Each shift is led by a Deputy Chief, who directs

citywide operations through six Battalion Chiefs

under their direction. This effectively divides the

city into six districts: West, Downtown, Central,

Northeast, East and Far East. Each Battalion Chief

directs the operations of response apparatus and

personnel from stations within their districts.

Personnel who respond are certified as Structural

Firefighters and medically certified as EMT-Basics,

EMT-Intermediates or Paramedics. Select personnel

from each shift have additional special certifications

in Technical Rescue, Water Rescue, Rope Rescue,

Hazardous Materials Technician and COMSAR

Rescue.


• 58% of Structural Fires Confined to Room of Origin

• 90% on Fire Incidents with a Travel Time of 5:39

or less

• 93% of Advanced Life Support calls with a Travel

Time of 8:00 or less

Hector Cano

Deputy Chief A Shift

A Shift Special CertificationsA Shift Special CertificationsA Shift Special CertificationsA Shift Special Certifications

On Thursday March 12, the El Paso Fire Department was dispatched to a condition 3 fire on 3501 Kemp Ave. when residents called 9-1-1. A total of 15 units and 36 personnel responded to the incident. Photo by PIO Carlos A. Briano.

On Sunday Sept. 13, the El Paso Fire Department was dispatched to the Franklin Mountain State Park when two hikers on the Ron Coleman Trail experienced medical issues and called 9-1-1. The hikers and the ComSAR team made it safely down. A total of six units and 14 personnel responded to the incident. Photo by PIO Carlos A. Briano.

On Tuesday Oct. 27, the El Paso Fire Department was dispatched to the 3600 block of Copia when employees of a school reported an unknown substance inside an envelope/package received in the mail. Photo by PIO Carlos A. Briano.

Total Response Time 90%

Travel Time 90%

Turnout Time 90%

9:00

5:39

2:02

6:20

4:00

1:30

A Shift Response Time 90 Percentile

Benchmark

A Shift

ARFF Incident 19Fire Incidents 180

Hazmat Incidents 314

Medical Incidents 17,521

Non-Emergency Calls 7,544

Other Emergencies 534

Technical Rescues 34

A Shift Incident Types


Operations 3938

Ramon Valencia is the Deputy Chief in charge of C Shift. Chief Valencia began

his tenure as Deputy Chief in May 2015, previously serving as a Battalion Chief

on Battalion 3 for the department. With 24 years of experience, he leads 270

personnel responding from 35 fire stations to a variety of incidents. This includes

185 EMT Basics, 2 EMT Intermediates, 83 Paramedics, 34 Rope Techs, 3

Rescue Techs, 5 Water Rescue, 8 ComSAR, 57 Hazmat and 14 ARFF.

C ShiftRicci Carson is the Deputy Chief in charge of B Shift. Chief Carson began

his tenure as Deputy Chief in May 2015, previously serving as a Battalion

Chief on Battalion 1 for the department. With 28 years of experience, he leads

263 personnel responding from 35 fire stations to a variety of incidents. This

includes 134 EMT Basics, one EMT Intermediate, 90 Paramedics, 29 Rope

Techs, 5 Rescue Techs, 4 Water Rescue, 6 ComSAR, 61 Hazmat and 14 ARFF.

B Shift

Annual Report 2015

Ricci Carson

Deputy Chief B Shift

Ramon Valencia

Deputy Chief C Shift

B Shift Special CertificationsB Shift Special CertificationsB Shift Special CertificationsB Shift Special Certifications

C Shift Special CertificationsC Shift Special CertificationsC Shift Special CertificationsC Shift Special Certifications


Travel Time 90%

Turnout Time 90%

9:19

5:50

2:00

6:20

4:00

1:30

B Shift Response Time 90 Percentile

Benchmark

B Shift


Travel Time 90%

Turnout Time 90%

9:29

5:19

1:58

6:20

4:00

1:30

C Shift Response Time 90 Percentile

Benchmark

C Shift







B Shift Incident Types








C Shift Incident Types


40 Fire Prevention 41

Fire PreventionThe Fire Prevention Division of the El Paso Fire

Department is responsible for code enforcement,

plan review, safety inspections, public education, fire

investigation and arson investigation.

Deputy Chief Orlando

Arriola has directed the

Fire Prevention Division

since October 2013,

bringing 27 years of

fire experience to the

leadership of the division.

Chief Arriola oversees

the Construction Code

Compliance Program,

the Community Risk

Reduction Program,

the Fire Prevention and

Safety Inspection Program and the Fire Investigation

program.

Construction Code Compliance Program

The purpose of the Construction Code

Compliance Program is to provide plan review,

construction inspection and code application

services to the building construction industry and

tenants so they can build and occupy safe and fire-

code-compliant buildings in a timely manner.

Through staff reprioritizing, Construction Code

Compliance was able to attain a plan review

turnaround time for new construction of three days.

This is an improvement from a normal turnaround

time of 20 days. Construction Code Compliance

also established an electronic plan review program

that allows for electronic submittal and review.

This process allows simultaneous review with

other disciplines. These plans are consistently

reviewed on the same day of submittal. Some of

the extensive and high profile construction projects

that Construction Code Compliance had a major

role in include: Sierra Medical Center West, Martin

Building, Downtown Indigo Hotel, and ADP #2 on the

City’s west side.

Community Risk Reduction Program

The purpose of the Community Risk Reduction

Program is to provide fire and life safety educational

services to the El Paso community and its visitors

so they can have the knowledge, skills and tools to

build a safer, more resilient community.

Community Risk Reduction team members

have established several programs to spread

the fire prevention message to private and public

entities as well as target hazard communities in

the El Paso area. With the effort provided by line

company personnel, the Home Safety Program

has been credited with installing over 1,100 smoke

alarms, performing 1,644 home safety surveys and

creating 4,513 home evacuation plans. This valuable

lifesaving program will have a lasting effect for years

to come.

The Community Risk Reduction program is

currently involved in the following programs:

Creating Emergency Action Plans for necessary

occupancies, fire extinguisher training, general fire

safety classes, commercial and home inspections,

managing all public education requests, conducting

Fire Guard classes, performing Return to the Scene

visits after a residential fire, and partnering with civic

organizations during special events and fundraisers.

Outreach partnerships have been established with

the El Paso Neighborhood Association, Operation

Santa Claus, The El Paso Chihuahuas, Adult

Protective Services, the Extreme Weather Taskforce,

Environmental Services, the American Red Cross

and the Texas Department of Aging and Disabilities.

With the nearly completed renovations to the

Safety and Health Outreach Center (former Station

13), the upcoming year will give the Community Risk

Reduction Program the opportunity to host fire safety

events. The vision is to create a facility to educate

the public and showcase proper fire safety behavior

in a home environment. The facility will be utilized

to meet with the media and school-aged children

for educational purposes. Now equipped with this

new location to provide services, Community Risk

Reduction is anticipating a welcomed increase in

spreading the fire safety message.

Annual Report 2015

Orlando Arriola

Fire Marshal

From Oct. 1-13, the El Paso Fire Department’s Community Risk Reduction division took the Gonzo the Clown and Sparky the Dog show on tour. The group performed a total of 12 shows at 10 schools in that period. Photo by PIO Carlos A. Briano.

On Tuesday Nov. 24, the El Paso Fire Department’s Community Risk Reduction division demonstrated the proper way to fry a turkey to the local media. The event took place at the Safety Health Outreach Center (SHOC). Photo by PIO Carlos A. Briano.

On Saturday Oct. 10, the El Paso Fire Department teamed up with Western States Fire Protection Company and Henderson Fire Protection to host a Fire Extinguisher give-a-way and training event. Photo by Lt. James Schaerfl.

42 Prevention and Inspection 43

The purpose of the Fire Prevention and Safety

Inspection Program is to provide safety inspection

services to business occupants so they can continue

to safely operate.


• 87% of permit applications issued within 30 days

• 100% of fire code complaints responded to within

three days of receipt

• 3,620 fire safety inspections completed

The Fire Prevention and Safety Inspection

Program has continued in support of the vacant

building ordinance and with a coordinated effort from

the office of the building official, inspections continue

to ensure buildings are secured or are demolished

if proven to be unsafe for occupation. The section

is also committed in the continued support of the

operations division with all code enforcement

inspections and issues.

Prevention and Inspections

Annual Report 2015

On Sunday May 3, the El Paso Fire Department was dispatched to a condition 2 fire at the 2200 block of Montana when neighbors of a vacant building saw smoke and called 9-1-1. Firefighters contained the fire to approximately 30% of the roof of the property. A total of 11 units and 25 personnel responded to the incident. Photo by Deputy Chief Ricci Carson.



Photo by Deputy Chief Ricci Carson.

2012 2013 2014 2015

6.50

%

9.83

%

11.9

3%

9.72

%

93.5

0%

90.1

7%

88.0

7%

90.2

8%

Vacant Building Fires

Vacant Building Fires Occupied Building Fires

221

941

1,86

6

1,77

8

1,45

8

1,30

2

1,22

6

834

1,74

5 2,08

7

1,88

6

963

Fire Safety Inspections

Total Inspections - 16,307

15 21 26

47

85

39 42 49

55

138

69

24

Fire Safety Presentations

Total Presentations - 610

1,87

3

2,22

2

3,85

0

6,17

3

16,1

90

3,59

6

2,26

5

4,78

8 9,99

2

25,4

84

1,01

04

1,54

0

Safety Presentation Audience

Total Attendance - 88,077

44 45

The purpose of the Fire Investigations program

is to provide investigation, prevention, training and

certification services to the community of El Paso,

its visitors and other governmental agencies so they

can be informed of the causes of fires, and reduce

or eliminate preventable fires.

The El Paso Fire Department Fire Investigations

Program has been able to handle a large call volume

while assisting other sections in the Fire Prevention

Division and other agencies at the local, state and

federal levels. Tasks delegated by the Fire Chief

and Fire Marshal include inspections of commercial

vacant buildings in the downtown area for data

collection and promotion of modified ordinances

and inspection processes. The Investigators

assigned to the section have advanced their skills

and knowledge with current training in the fields of

Active Shooter Response and Juvenile Fire Setting,

along with other state-mandated courses. The joint

efforts of Fire Investigations, accompanied by The

Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives

and United States Marshals, have added to the

increase arrest rate and reduction in the number of

undetermined fires throughout the City of El Paso.

The investigations section investigated a total of 335

fires.The undetermined fires were approximately

20% of the total. Criminal fires, to include adult and

juvenile, are 44% of the investigations call volume,

with 10% being closed/cleared by arrest/citation.

Fire Investigations

Fire InvestigationsAnnual Report 2015

0

20

40

60

80

20112012

20132014

2015

6663

24 2724

Civilian Fire Injuries2011 - 2015

0

5

10

20112012

20132014

2015

9

4

0

4

10

Civilian Fire Deaths2011 - 2015

$0.00

$5,000,000.00

$10,000,000.00

$15,000,000.00

20112012

20132014

2015

$14,

520,

650.

00

$13,

667,

660.

00

$14,

303,

025.

00

$10,

678,

465.

00

$10,

220,

515.

00

Dollar Loss 2011 - 2015

Single Occupancy 80

Other Occupancy 32

Storage 10

Industrial 6

Other Commercial 24

Public 21

OtherStructural 5

MotorVehicles 75

OtherMobile 3

Nonstructural 79

Fire Investigations by Property Use

Total Investigations 341

21

34

49

34

44

19

34

13 14

23 24 26

Fire InvestigationsAdult Felony 1

Adult Misdemeanor 5

Juvenile Felony 3

Juvenile Misdemeanor 7

Arrests

Accidental 92

Criminal 89

Undetermined67 Felony 57

Other 29

Fire Cause Determination

Fire Cause Categories• Undetermined – ignition source, materials first ignited, or the method in which the two came together is unknown• Accidental – Cause of the fire was accidental and nature was not a factor• Felony – cause of the fire meets the elements for a felony arrest• Criminal – cause of the fire meets the elements for a misdemeanor arrest• Other – cause of the fire does not meet criteria for any of the above determinations such as nature (lightning strike)

* 2015 Fire Fatalities (Six incidents)• January Apartment Fire – 1 fatality• May Suicide – 1 fatality• May Vehicle Fire – 2 fatalities• November Apartment Fire – 3 fatalities• December House Fire – 2 fatalities• December Mobile Home Fire – 1 fatality

*

The purpose of the Capital Assets and Personnel Support Services Division is to provide policy, technical assistance, compliance and quality assurance, and logistical services to department employees so they can provide emergency services while ensuring the health, safety and development of department members in service to the community.

Chief Mario D’Agostino has been the Assistant Chief of Capital Assets and Personnel Support Division since May 2013, having a career that spans 23 years with the El Paso Fire Department. Chief D’Agostino oversees several of the support functions of the El Paso Fire Department. Within the division are the following programs:

• Office of Emergency Management

• Special Operations Program

• Fire Medical Research Program

• Facilities Oversight Program

• Aircraft Rescue Firefighting ProgramIn addition to these programs, the

chief directs the Logistics Division which is responsible for:

• Equipment Service, Repair and Procurement Program

• Fire Emergency Apparatus Fleet Program

• Fire Logistics Support Program

From October 26-28, the ARFF Division went to Salt Lake City, Utah for the annual live fire training. The Salt Lake City training facility is one of the best in the nation and provides a realistic environment. Personnel traveled in the morning and trained during the afternoons and into the night. This allowed for night fire drills utilizing two crash trucks and a command vehicle. Photo by FST Corbin Phelps.

Capital Assets and

Capital Assets and Personnel Support Services 4746

Personnel Support Services

Mario D’AgostinoFire Assistant ChiefCapital Assets and Personnel Support Services Division

Annual Report 2015

Office of Emergency Management

Emergency Management 4948 Annual Report 2015

The purpose of the El Paso Office of Emergency

Management Program is to provide planning,

training, coordination and communication services

to the community and regional partners so they

can prevent, prepare, respond and recover from

natural and man-made disasters and large scale

emergencies, resulting in a hazard resilient

community.

The Office of

Emergency Management

(OEM) is funded by

a competitive grant,

Emergency Management

Performance Grant

(EMPG), and matched

by the City of El Paso

and El Paso County.

OEM is responsible

for developing and

maintaining emergency

response plans, developing

relationships and training

with local, regional, state and federal agencies,

providing agency coordination to support incident

commanders with resources, providing outreach

and emergency notifications to the public,

assisting public officials with decision making and

assisting with the recovery phase during large

scale emergencies, disasters and special events.

Other responsibilities include maintaining Citizen

Emergency Response Teams and managing

remaining federal grants. The Office of Emergency

Management is overseen by Chief Al Talavera,

the Emergency Management Coordinator (EMC).

Chief Talavera brings 24 years of fire experience

with him, and has held the position of EMC since

2015, maintaining a staff of 4 personnel to meet the

challenge of managing an office responsible for the

disaster response for a population of over 877,000

people.

Emergency Operation Center Activations

Level I: Maximum Readiness-Emergency

Conditions

• April 20 – Water outage incident in Tornillo, TX

• Sept. 22-23 – Flash flooding

Level II: High Readiness-Warning Conditions

• Sept. 17-18 – Partial activation for flash flooding

Level III: Increased Readiness-Watch Conditions

• January – Monitoring Phase for Severe Weather-

Related event

• January – OEM assisted health officials and

hospitals with technical assistance and was involved

in planning efforts to prevent a possible Ebola

outbreak in El Paso City and County

• August – OEM provided assistance to health

officials for two public health related incidents,

for over 700 patients were possibly exposed to

Tuberculosis over a period of a year

• Ongoing 2015 – OEM coordinated with various

agencies to provide shelter for the remaining influx

of immigrants

Exercises OEM participated or conducted

• Feb. 12 – Dona Ana Pipeline Emergency Tabletop

Exercise

• March 11 – UTEP Active Shooter Tabletop Exercise

• March 11 – UTEP Haz-Mat Tabletop Exercise

• March 31 – Dona Ana Haz-Mat and Mass Migration

Drill

• April – OEM participated in a tabletop exercise for

Kinder Morgan Pipeline

• May 18 – Desert Wind School Evacuation and

Reunification Drill

• June 2 – Cielo Vista Mall Active Shooter Full-Scale

Exercise

• Aug. 12 – UTEP Library Active Shooter Full-Scale

Exercise

• Aug. 20 – U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector

Bi-National Functional Exercise

• October – El Paso International Airport Functional

Exercise

• November – Ft. Bliss Active Shooter Full-Scale

Exercise

Special Events OEM was involved in planning

• February – Race for the Cure in downtown El Paso

• March – Downtown Ball Park Task Force

• March – Live Sonima Tour for 6,000

EPISD students

• March – Monster Jam UTEP

• November – Thanksgiving Parade

• December – Celebration of Lights Parade

• December – Sun Bowl Football Game

Courses taken or offered by OEM

• January – G-489 Management of Spontaneous

Volunteers in Disasters

• January – OEM provided Continuity of Operations

Plan (COOP) training to assist El Paso County

• January – T600 Disaster Accounting 101

• March – Community Emergency Response Team

Train-the-Trainer course

• March – Multi-Hazard Planning for Schools

• April – Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk

Analysis (THIRA) workshop

• April – Shelter Operations Course

• October – Critical Supply Oil and Gas Supply

Chain Resilience Workshop

Additional Actions by Emergency Management

• OEM Conducted Teen Community Emergency

Response Team trainings for Parkland High

School JROTC students and Horizon High School

Emergency Management students

• OEM conducted 21 Neighborhood Emergency

Response Plan presentations to Neighborhood

Associations

• June – OEM passed State Audit for Federal Grant

purchased items from 2009 to 2014

Al Talavera

OEM Deputy Chief



50 Special Operations 51

The purpose of the Special Operations Support

Program is to provide support and technical

assistance for specialized responses to the El

Paso Fire Department and other local and regional

partners so they can safely and effectively perform

their mission.

The Special

Operations Program

combines the special

teams of the El Paso

Fire Department under

one program to facilitate

training, staffing and

equipment of the teams.

Within each team are

specialists trained in

various functions such

as: Hazardous Materials,

Swift Water Rescue,

Technical Rescue, Rope

Rescue, Confined Space Rescue, Trench Rescue

and High Angle Rescue.

Chief Matt Thomas has been assigned as Special

Operations Chief since June 2014. He brings 18

years of experience to the position. Chief Thomas

is assisted by a staff of two FSTs who coordinate

training, equipment evaluation, procedural evaluation

and certification management.

Special Teams responded to 1,019 incidents, 674

of them being gas leaks. Other response ranged

from hazardous materials incidents to water rescues.

Accomplishments

• Multiple interagency training events with El Paso

Police, Sheriff’s Office, Border Patrol, Sun Metro,

DPS, Ft. Bliss and Burlington Northern Santa Fe

Railroad.

• A diverse array of modern equipment purchases

and equipment replacement for each special team.

• Bi-national HazMat training event involving

EPFD, Juarez FD and Dona Ana County Fire and

Emergency Services.

• Water Rescue Team is now deployable as part of

Texas Task Force One for State emergencies.


• 4,800 hours spent in multi-agency training

• 6,864 training hours for Special Operations teams

• 12 Equipment evaluations conducted

• 64 training sessions conducted

Special Operations

Annual Report 2015

Matt Thomas

Special Operations

Battalion Chief


Travel Times

Turnout Times

11:01

6:25

1:48

11:08

7:08

2:14

6:20

4:00

1:20

First Unit Times - Hazmat90 Percentile

Goal

2014

2015


Travel Times

18:40

12:05

22:01

14:17

12:50

10:00

Medium Effective Response Force Times - Hazmat90 Percentile

Goal

2014

2015


Travel Times

Turnout Times

14:58

9:13

3:19

12:06

7:31

2:59

6:50

4:00

1:20

First Unit Times - Technical Rescue90 Percentile

Goal

2014

2015


Travel Times

1:08:31

29:42

1:04:16

1:02:13

33:10

25:00

High Effective Response Force TimesTechnical Rescue

90 PercentileGoal

2014

2015

4 12

20

103

53

4 1

17

99

2

Special Team Responses

52

The purpose of the Fire Medical Research

Program is to provide policy, quality assurance and

support services to fire department divisions and

other emergency responder organizations to deliver

effective and efficient emergency patient care

and achieve positive healthcare outcomes to the

community.

The Fire Medical

Research division

continued to support the

mission of the department

to serve businesses,

residents and visitors

through a continued

commitment to ensure

that the department and

its health care partners

are providing patient

care and services to the

highest standard. This

is achieved through the

management of contracts, controlled medication

program, Quality Assessment/Quality Improvement

(QA/QI) Program, Protocol and Standard Operation

Procedures review, Medical Direction, partnerships

with local health care partners, Committees and

immunization programs.

Services are further identified to track

performance and effect. Measuring performance

of service gives the division the ability to access

the effect on patient outcomes or outreach to the

community. Examples of this include programs

that promote disease and injury prevention and

encourage healthy living of residents. This is

currently being measured by the percentage of

cardiac arrest patients with return of spontaneous

circulation. The wellness of the community is also

a primary concern of the department, tracked by

the number of immunizations and health screenings

conducted through the Vaccinations for Health

initiative.

Contracts that are being managed to provide

services to the community include:

• Medical Direction - The contract with Medical

Director Dr. Kenneth Berumen was extended for an

additional year and will expire in September of 2016.

• Texas Tech Medical Control

• Billing and electronic patient care report - This

contract is in extension and is going through bidding

and evaluation.

• Private Ambulance Franchise agreements -

Agreements were extended for two years in May

of 2015. The department continues to monitor

performance and service delivery for each of the

companies.

Through Dr. Berumen’s direction, the department

continues to elevate its ability to care for patients

in the field with the use of controlled medication

that includes Morphine, Diazepam, Midazolam and

Haloperidol. The Department will no longer be using

Fentanyl, which was specific to the Hypothermic

Protocol, due to multiple factors that include

American Heart Association recommendation,

Research Studies, and transport times to hospitals.

The department is currently exceeding the 5% call

review through our QA/QI program and increased

attention to documentation by field crews. The

program continues to review all Cardiac, CPR,


Fire Medical Research 53Annual Report 2015

Stroke and other critical call documentation using

information to track trends or patient care needs.

This information helps shape protocols and standard

operating procedures to ensure the best service to

the community.

The division is working with the Lean Six Sigma

program to identify ways to reduce fiscal loss

through the expiration of pharmaceutical supplies.

This process has included a review of procedures,

cost of pharmaceuticals, gate review and information

analysis.

Through various committees and the Regional

Advisory Council, the division works with local health

partners to identify needs that will help each other

better serve the community.

Lastly, the division continues to provide services

to under-insured adults of the community with the

Vaccinations for Health initiative. 2015 capped a full

year of the outreach. The performance goals were

met with a total of 1,030 attendees. The breakdown

of services distributed was: 768 Influenza, 545

Pneumococcal and 327 Colocare kits.

Robert Arvizu


Deputy Chief

Call TypeCall TypeCall TypeCall TypeNumber of Number of Number of Number of

IncidentsIncidentsIncidentsIncidents

Percentage of Percentage of Percentage of Percentage of

TotalTotalTotalTotalCall TypeCall TypeCall TypeCall Type

Number of Number of Number of Number of

IncidentsIncidentsIncidentsIncidents

Percentage of Percentage of Percentage of Percentage of

TotalTotalTotalTotal

Medical Call TypesMedical Call TypesMedical Call TypesMedical Call Types

Transports 41,004

DOS 246

No Emergency 520

Refusals 8,229

EMS Encounters

Total Encounters 49,999

54 Fire Medical Research 55Annual Report 2015

Frequent Medical Responses53

32 35

52

38 37 38

31

34

39

35

42

Cardiac Arrest

154

138 16

9

157

151

139 16

4

149

134

138

131

136

Convulsions/Seizure15

9

119

152

97

131

110

116

121

99

118

125

113

Diabetic Problem53

44

37

49

34

38

45 48

43

32

39

34

Stroke/CVA

363

376 48

9

486

457

418

397 48

2

489

512

471

445

Traffic Accident MVA

264

209

290

269

284

272

269

264

253

265

242

243

Abdominal Pain

329

324

335 35

7

354 38

1

330

347

292 31

7

314

158

Fall Victim

287

243 28

7

273

244

184

156

170 19

2

189 21

2

227

Breathing Problem

182

158 18

9 202

181

189

180

158 17

3

149

148

124

Chest Pain

Cardiac Arrest

Stroke/CVA

Diabetic Problem

Convulsions/Seizure

Chest Pain

Breathing Problem

Abdominal Pain

Fall Victim

Traffic Accident MVA

466

496

1460

1760

2033

2664

3124

3838

5385

Medical Response Comparison

56 Logistics 57

Equipment Service, Repair and

Procurement Program

The purpose of the Fire Emergency Equipment

and Support Program is to provide equipment

maintenance, training and support services to

Fire Department Divisions and other public safety

organizations so they can safely work in hazardous

environments and have reliable equipment to save

lives and reduce hazards.


• 98% In Service Time for Hydraulic Rescue

Equipment

• 98% In Service Time for SCBAs

The Equipment Service, Repair and Procurement

Program is responsible for procuring, maintaining,

testing and servicing the specialized equipment used

by the El Paso Fire Department in its emergency

response. The program has a certified SCBA center,

and maintains such equipment as the hydraulic

rescue tools used for extrication. The program also

ensures that the Personal Protective Equipment

(PPE) for all firefighters is tested and inspected

annually.

The equipment selection committee completed

wear trials for the Fire Department’s latest PPE

contract. The Coat and Pants are made by Globe

and consists of a Tencate Ultra outer shell, Defender

thermal barrier, and Crosstech Black moisture

barrier giving a TPP rating of 45-47 and THL rating of

255-275. NFPA requires a minimum of 35 TPP and a

THL minimum of 205.

Specialized Equipment

The success of our organization is in part

dependent upon staff that is willing to serve behind

the scenes. There is no success, no victory or

advancement without their efforts. In fact, our

department and the day to day operations in service

of the citizens of El Paso would grind to a halt if it

were not for the men and women of Logistics.

One segment of the Logistical division is

specialized equipment. This segment is responsible

for a whole host of equipment. Anything not

permanently mounted to our emergency response

vehicles with the exception of SCBAs, Thermal

Imagers and a few other pieces of equipment

falls under the scope of Specialized Equipment

Repair. From fire hose to hammers and stretchers

to sockets, there is a good chance it’s procured,

maintained and repaired by specialized equipment.

Strides were made toward equipment replacement

of either aging or obsolete gear. Portable lighting

for Aerial units throughout the city was a special

highlight made possible by Chief Kebschull. A total

of 28 Akron “Scene Star” LED flood lights were

procured and two were assigned to each Aerial.

These state of the art LED flood lights provide

20,000 lumens, almost double the amount of the old

500-watt Circle D floodlights that were in use. We

also replaced six of the oldest ventilation and rescue

saws on some of the aerials. A vast improvement

over the older one, these saws are equipped with

diamond-tipped circular blades and carbide-tipped

chains.

A new Amkus hydraulic rescue system with high

strength cutters replaced one of our aging TNT units

and was strategically located in the field. Numerous

“Black Max” large intake valves were also either

repaired or new units purchased for Pumper and

Quint units. These intake valves represent the latest

and most reliable equipment on the market today. A

dozen or more new combination straight stream and

fog nozzles in 2.5’’ were also distributed to various

companies throughout the department. Honda

EUIs3000’s generators replaced many of the older

generators that were still in service on front line and

reserve company aerials.

LogisticsThe Logistics Division of the El Paso Fire

Department is responsible for all the apparatus,

equipment and supplies that are used by the

department. The Logistics Division is located at

8600 Montana with a 14,257 square-foot facility that

houses the Logistics and Uniform Supply, SCBA

Maintenance, PPE, Vehicle Bay, Apparatus Bay,

Small Equipment Repair and Logistics offices.

Chief Terry Kebschull,

a 24-year veteran with

the department, has

managed the Logistics

Divisions staff of 40

personnel since October

2011. He oversees:

• Fire Emergency

Apparatus Fleet Program

• Fire Logistics Support

Program

• Equipment Service,

Repair and Procurement

Program

Fire Emergency Apparatus Fleet Program

The purpose of the Fire Emergency Apparatus

Fleet Program is to provide fire apparatus,

maintenance, support, repair and replacement

services to Fire Department Divisions so they can

have, in a timely manner, safe and reliable vehicles

to provide around-the-clock emergency services to

residents, businesses and visitors of El Paso.


• 84% of Apparatus Fleet Operational and Available

• 392 Preventive Maintenance Services Completed

• Purchased Rescues 24, 25 and 32

• Developed Vehicle Replacement Plan

The Fire Emergency Apparatus Fleet Program

is responsible for all aspects of apparatus

procurement and maintenance. Using the RTA Fleet

Management software, they track parts, repairs,

preventive maintenance and trends of all emergency

response vehicles. The program created a Truck

Committee comprised of personnel from the logistics

center, the emergency response program, finance

and administration to review and recommend

specifications for future apparatus.

Captain Richard Gonzalez is working toward

becoming an ASE Blue Seal Certified maintenance

shop. The number of ASE certified mechanics

reached 70%. 75% is needed to become a certified

shop.

Fire Logistics Support Program

The purpose of the Fire Logistics Support

Program is to provide supply deliveries and

equipment replacement services to Fire Department

Divisions so they can have the right supplies and

equipment to do the job at hand.


• 864 Station and Office Supply Deliveries

Completed

• 864 Medical Supply Deliveries Completed

• 71 Station Appliance Repairs Completed

The Fire Logistics Supply provides all the needed

items used by the divisions of the fire department.

This includes everything from pencils to esophageal

tubes. The program also distributes uniform items

to all personnel. The program initiated an electronic

uniform request system and policy. This was aimed

at reducing out-of-service time due to companies

going out of service to drive to Logistics in order to

request uniforms.

Annual Report 2015

Terry Kebschul

Logistics

Battalion Chief

58 Facility Oversight 59

Facility OversightThe purpose of the Facility Oversight Program is

to provide construction upgrade and maintenance

services to employees and visitors so they can enjoy

a safe, functional and accommodating facility.

The Facilities Oversight

Program ensures that

the facilities used by

the department are the

best possible. Luis Uriel

Flores has managed the

program for 14 years, and

has been with the city

for more than 18 years.

Although the program has

a staff of one, it oversees

several functions. One of

those main functions is

monitoring the entire process of a facilities life, from

conception and planning, through contract bidding,

construction and maintenance. The program also

ensures compliance with federal and state mandated

access and safety measures.

The Facilities Oversight Program accomplished the

following:

New Fire Stations

Land for Fire Station 36

Restroom Additions

Fire Station 16

New Exercise Facilities

Fire Station 16

Window Upgrades

Fire Station 23

Fire Station 25

Safety Health Outreach Center

Interior/Exterior Painting

Safety Health Outreach Center

Fire Station 8

Fire Station 14

Fire Station 18

Kitchen Improvements:

Fire Station 14

Fire Station 20


• 83% of repairs completed on schedule Photos by PIO Carlos A. Briano.

Annual Report 2015

Luis Flores

Lead Planner

“Thank you again for assisting us with our 50th Congressional Town Hall. We are very grateful for all your support and help! You’re the best! We received only positive feedback about the new Fire Station, the firemen and how hospitable the attendees were made to feel. Thank you again and I wish you and your department a wonderful Holiday! ” – Cynthia C.

60 ARFF 61

Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting The purpose of the Aircraft Rescue and Fire

Fighting Support Program is to provide planning,

preparation, training and regulatory compliance

services to the El Paso Fire Department aircraft

rescue personnel, airport personnel and other

government agencies so they are prepared to

mitigate accidents and incidents at the El Paso

International Airport.

The Aircraft Rescue

Fire Fighting Program

works with the El Paso

International Airport

(EPIA) to provide fire

protection for aircraft

and EPIA facilities. With

three ARFF units, a

command and control

vehicle, a quick response

vehicle and a rescue unit

staffed at all times, the

program exceeds the FAA

requirements for the airport. The personnel assigned

to ARFF perform extensive training each year to stay

proficient in their skills.


• 2,778,248 passengers served through 91,000

aircraft operations without an incursion or major

incident

• Large scale natural disaster table top exercise

conducted

Successful FAA inspection passed with no

discrepancies

• All 42 ARFF members maintained 100%

completion on training hours including the annual

live burn in Salt Lake City, Utah.

• Conducted a TCFP certified 80 hour ARFF Tech

course for five new members.

• The first three ARFF members were enrolled and

have been working toward their Airport Master

Firefighter (AMF) certification.

• Delivery of a new Rescue unit.

Annual Report 2015

From October 26-28, the ARFF Division went to Salt Lake City, Utah for the annual live fire training. The Salt Lake City training facility is one of the best in the nation and provides a realistic environment. Personnel traveled in the morning and trained during the afternoons and into the night. This allowed for night fire drills utilizing two crash trucks and a command vehicle. Photo by FST Corbin Phelps.

Ed Snyder

ARFF Battalion Chief

EMS Calls 152

Flammable Spill/Leak 16

AircraftStandby 52

False/GoodIntent 29

ARFF Incident Responses

Total Incidents 249

A B C

12

14 15

ARFF Personnel by

Shift

Technical Services and Professional Development

Technical Services and


On Friday June 19, Captain Jonathan Killings assists PIO Carlos Briano in a burn-building simulation. The simulation concluded the 10th annual Media Academy, in which 15 El Paso journalists completed a week-long training. Completion of the training, which also included rapelling from a tower, maze crawling in full PPE and classroom instruction, earned the participants a fire journalist certification, granting them warm-zone access at incidents. Photo by Jaime Torres/Diario de El Paso.

Professional DevelopmentThe purpose of the Technical

Services and Professional

Development Division is to provide

emergency communications,

planning and training services to the

department and the community so

they can prevent, prepare, respond

and recover from disasters and

emergencies.

Chief Jorge Cortez was

promoted to Assistant Fire

Chief of Technical Services and

Professional Development Division

in October 2015. Chief Cortez

brings 22 years of experience to

the position. He previously served

as a Communications Supervisor,

the Safety Officer and the Training

Chief. The programs overseen by the

division are:

• 9-1-1 Communications Center

• Operations Research Program

• Professional Development

• Health and Safety Program

The division provides the technical

and training support necessary for a

modern fire department which include

Information Technology, Professional

Development, Continuing Education,

Data Analysis, Communication

Configuration, Response Planning,

Radio and Telephone Infrastructure,

Wellness/Fitness Initiative and Safety

analysis.

Jorge CortezFire Assistant Chief

Technical Services and Professional Development Division

64 9-1-1 Communications 65

9-1-1 CommunicationsThe purpose of the 9-1-1 Emergency

Communications program is to provide emergency

and non-emergency communications and dispatch

services to the public and emergency responders

so they can experience timely, accurate and proper

emergency response.

The El Paso 9-1-

1 Communications

Division services more

than 800,000 citizens in

the surrounding area.

The center received

more than 562,000

calls for service. The

division’s teamwork

contributed to El Paso’s

top ranking as one of the

Safest City in America

outranking Austin, TX

and San Antonio, TX.

The staff appreciates supporting the Fire and Police

Departments and is thankful for the opportunity to

serve the citizens of El Paso in their greatest time of

need.

The division answers Fire, Medical and Police

Emergency calls for service and oversees all the

3-1-1 subdivision who answers roughly 450,000 calls

relating to Environmental Services, City Hall, Animal

Services, Code, Streets & Maintenance, Health, and

Graffiti service. The 3-1-1 staff has TCOLE qualified

team members who handle Police Non-Emergency

calls totaling a little over 209,000 annually.

Our program consists of 139 civilian

communicators, supervisors, and support staff.

Administrative staff includes the Communications

Manager Peter Fargo, Communications Assistant

Managers Cynthia Beltran and Fire Captain Kenneth

Persinger.

Data collected by Lean Six Sigma (LSS) team

helped create an official training program and

appointed a first time Public Safety Trainer, Doris

Davis. The LSS team also recommended the

creation of the first Police Dispatcher training

program which will begin in early 2016.


• 59,933 Medical Dispatches Completed

• 7,030 Fire Dispatches Completed

• 243,994 Police Dispatches Completed

Annual Report 2015

Peter Fargo

9-1-1 Communications

Manager

“I had been in and out of the hospital for various medical problems and surgeries. On March 19, I called 9-1-1 and firefighter Jose Medina was the first to get to me. I was in so much pain, it was unbearable. FF Medina did what he had to do to get me on the stretcher, in the ambulance and gave me an IV with meds on the way to the emergency room within minutes. Once I got to the ER, I was rushed to emergency surgery. My surgeon told me if the firefighters hadn’t acted as fast as they did, I probably would not have made it. If that would have happened, my six kids would have lost their single mother. I am so grateful and appreciate FF Medina for his service and actions that day. He will always be my HERO. He will always have a special place in my life for what he did.”

– Sabrina

Health 2,619

Environmental Services 91,770

Graffiti 154

Streets 4,607 Code 7,844

General City121,880

Animal Control 37,217

Fire Non-Emergency 9,760

Police Non-Emergency 230,700

311 Calls by Department

Total Calls 506,551

4,42

8

5,08

6

4,65

8

5,00

8

5,20

0

4,60

1

5,32

1

5,05

8

5,22

8

5,16

7

5,02

1

5,15

7

Medical Dispatches

Total Dispatches 59,933

817

629

640

584

519

486 58

3

515

527 59

1

584

555

Fire Dispatches

Total Dispatches 7,030

21,2

30

21,1

41

18,8

86

19,4

24

18,7

85

17,9

09

20,4

22

20,4

23

21,4

37

20,9

33

21,5

19

21,8

85

Police Dispatches

Total Dispatches 243,994Fire Chief Samuel Peña visited the Communications Center during Telecommunicator Week in April. Photo by PIO Carlos A. Briano.

66 Health and Safety 67

Health and Safety The purpose of the Health and Safety Program

is to provide work place safety, personnel wellness

and fitness assistance services to El Paso Fire

Department employees so they can have a safe

and healthful working environment and improved

physical and behavioral health.

The Health and Safety

Program is lead by Chief

Art Provencio, a 25-year

veteran of the El Paso

Fire Department who

was assigned as the

Safety Officer for the

department in March

2013. The Health and

Safety Program has

several aspects. The

program oversees the

requirement, by contract,

for providing a complete

physical annually to all El Paso Fire Department

personnel. The physical provides blood tests,

hearing and vision tests, pulmonary function test,

stress test, physical ability test and body mass index

measurements.

Chief Provencio is also the Safety Officer for

the department and provides both on scene safety

assessment at large fires and safety training for

personnel. This essential part of scene management

ensures the safety motto “everyone goes home.”

The Health and Safety Program is also

responsible for directing the Wellness/Fitness

program. This program is part of a national wellness/

fitness initiative which has support from the

International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF)

and the International Association of Fire Chiefs

(IAFC). The goal of the Wellness/Fitness Initiative

is to ensure that firefighters have access to fitness

and health instruction from certified Peer Fitness

Trainers (PFT) so that they can continue a long

career being healthy, and retire with that same good

health. The initiative also provides for a process for

injured firefighters to regain their fitness and return

to duty with the aid of a physician and the PFTs. As

part of the initiative, a Wellness/Fitness assessment

provides each person with a good understanding

of their fitness level, and provides the means to

improve it.


• 100% of Department completed Annual Physicals

• 9.7% Reduction in Dept. Motor Vehicle Accidents

(MVAs)

• 3.1% Reduction in On-the-Job Injuries (OGIs)

• 45.3% Reduction in Property Damage

• 28.5% Reduction in Exposures

Annual Report 2015

Art Provencio

Safety Officer

Battalion Chief

0

50

100

150

200

20112012

20132014

2015

104

155149

136

104

Fire Service Injuries

Burn 1Caught in/between

4

Collision 4

Cut/Puncture 8

Falls/Slips 20

Other 25

Exertion/Heat Exhaustion 4

Possible Exposures 9 Pulling/Pushing 10

Repetitive Motion 4

Running/Jumping 5

Step into Hole 2

Muscle Strain 35

Strike/Struck by 12

Injuries by CauseUniform & Civilian

20 - 29 YEARS 30

30 - 39 YEARS 41

40 - 49 YEARS 53

50 - 59 YEARS 17

60 - 69 YEARS 2

Injuries by Age GroupUniform & Civilian

10

17

14 13

8 8

14

16

10 10

14

9

Injuries by MonthUniform & Civilian

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

192

265

151

152

143

Injuries by Year

68 Operations Research 69

Operations ResearchThe purpose of the Operational Research

Program is to provide analysis, records management

and decision support services to the El Paso Fire

Department so they can have timely, accurate and

useful information to make service level decisions

and report on operations performance to the public.

The Operations

Research Program

is directed by Chief

Kevin M. Dieter, a 22-

year veteran of the

department who began

his assignment with

Operations Research in

November 2015. With a

staff of three personnel,

the Operations Research

Program is the data

analysis/data recording

office for the El Paso Fire

Department. The program oversees all the strategic

planning documents of the department.

Standards of Cover

The Standards of

Cover document is

the result of the risk

assessment of the City of

El Paso in regards to fire

and other emergencies.

This risk assessment

and strategic planning

process included both

external customers

(citizens, business owners, governmental

representatives, education and health personnel)

and internal customers (fire department uniform and

civilian personnel).

The document provides an overview of the

following: Description of the Community Served,

Services Provided by the El Paso Fire Department,

Community Expectations and Goals, Community

Risk Assessment and Risk Levels, Summary of

System Performance, Performance Objectives and

Measurements, Compliance Methodology, and

Overall Evaluation and Conclusions.

The Standards of Cover document provides the

citizens of El Paso with the record of how the El

Paso Fire Department is responding to the incidents

which occur in the city. This includes the amount of

time (90th percentile) that it takes for the department

to respond, and the amount of personnel and

apparatus that will respond to each specific type,

and level of incident.

Strategic Plan

The Strategic Plan

of the El Paso Fire

Department was a direct

result of the strategic

planning process used in

creating the Standards

of Cover. During the

strategic planning

process, the strength

and weaknesses of the

department were discussed. These discussions lead

to developing the strategic goals of the department.

The issues identified were: an aging infrastructure/

rapidly expanding city, need for diversification and

professional development of personnel, probability

of reduced federal funding, increasing focus on

preventive healthcare for the community, adoption

of new and potentially disparate technology, and the

increase in Fire Department personnel injury rates

and motor vehicle accidents (MVAs).

Using these issues, the department developed

SMART (Specific, Measureable, Attainable,

Realistic, Time Based) goals for each of the

programs to achieve. These goals ranged from

reduction in MVAs for the department, to the

increase of people in the community who are

trained in CPR. The department monitors the goals

monthly and reviews them annually to check for

appropriatness and effectiveness.

Annual Report

The El Paso Fire

Department Annual

Report is a published

document available to the

public that outlines both

the accomplishments

achieved by the

department and the

performance of the

programs for the

calendar year. The publication features a variety

of explanations and graphs to show what the

department does and how well it does it.

Self-Assessment Manual

The Self-Assessment Manual is the method

by which the department goes from where it is

(Standards of Cover) to where it wants to be

(Strategic Plan). As part of the accreditation process,

the self assessment process allows each program to

review how it achieves objectives, and to formulate

plans for achieving goals. The Self-Assessment

Manual is broken into 10 categories: Governance

and Administration, Assessment and Planning, Goals

and Objectives, Financial Resources, Operations,

Physical Resources, Human Resources, Training

and Competency, Essential Resources, and External

Systems Relations.

Accomplishments

• Completion of updated Standards of Cover

document

• Completion of Self-Assessment Manual

• Implementation of revisions from

Critical Task Analysis for responses

• Upgrade of DECCAN software

• Station 36 Impact Analysis

• Turn-out time Process Analysis and implementation

of Accountability Report for extended turn-out times

• Strategic Business Plan Stakeholder Meetings

Conducted

• Accreditation Renewal Approved


• 4,859 Incident Report Audits Completed

• 3,394 Open Records Requests Completed

• 172,961 Reports Delivered

Meeting the Challenge2014 Annual Report

Annual Report 2015

Kevin M. Dieter

Operations Research

Battalion Chief

2016 Update

Fire Department

2015 Update

0

2014–2019 Strategic PlanRevised June 10, 2014

2014 Revision

“We had to show our appreciation for everything the firemen did for us. Although we were all in shock that day, even a few days after the fire,

all the employees were talking about all the efforts the firemen made.

We are very thankful.” – Motel 6 Manager Alex R.

70 Annual Report 2015 Professional Development and Training 71

Professional DevelopmentThe purpose of the Professional Development

and Training Program is to provide education,

training, mentoring and certification services to fire

department personnel, regional agencies and the

public so they can have the knowledge, skills and

abilities to achieve the department’s strategic and

operational results and promote a safe and hazard

resilient community.

The Professional

Development and

Training Program is

directed by Chief Kevin

Mende, the Training

Chief for the El Paso Fire

Department. He brings

28 years of firefighting

experience. The El Paso

Fire Department Training

Academy staff includes a

Fire Captain with a staff

of two Lieutenants, two

FSTs, and one Firefighter. It also includes a Medical

Captain, with a staff of one Lieutenant and three

Paramedics/FSTs. The staff includes a Paramedic

Academy Advanced Coordinator who teaches and

coordinates clinical and field experiences.

Veteran Training: The El Paso Fire Department

Training Academy provided over 56,000 hours of

Continuing Education to the veteran personnel of the

department. These classes are provided either at the

Academy itself or through online courses.

Recruit Training: The Academy graduated

two classes. On May 21, the Academy graduated

10 personnel who had completed an eight-week

academy. Personnel selected for the class had

already been certified as TCFP Basic Firefighters

and TDSHS EMT-Basics. On Dec. 17, the Training

Academy graduated 27 personnel who had

completed a 24-week academy. These personnel

had no previous certifications.

Paramedic Training: 2015 saw the first

Paramedic Academy fully presented by the El

Paso Fire Department. This class provided skilled

Paramedics for response to community needs. The

Paramedic Academy graduated 20 personnel on

Aug. 6.

Medical Specialty Training: Classes were

offered to meet the training requirements as placed

by the Medical Director for all locally credentialed

personnel. These classes include: Basic Life Support

CPR, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric

Advanced Life Support, International Trauma Life

Support and Pre-hospital Emergency Pediatric

Provider. These classes provide vital information on

the current accepted medical treatment of patients.

Online Training: The El Paso Fire Department

Training Academy is certified by TCFP to provide

online training in certification courses needed by

personnel for promotion. The Academy provided the

following courses: 5 Driver/Operation courses to 91

personnel, 4 Fire Officer I courses to 81 personnel,

3 Fire Officer II courses to 36 personnel, 3 Fire

Instructor I courses to 41 personnel, 2 Fire Instructor

II courses to 35 personnel. The Academy is proud

to state that 100% of personnel passed the TCFP

exam for all courses.

Graduating ClassesClass 88

Acevedo Zubia, AlejandroBerry, Jessey

Betancourt, MichaelHenderson, Ted

Lehman ChristopherMendoza, DelfinoPonce, Saturnino

Ramos, LuisRodriguez, VictorRuiz Esparza, Carlos

Class 89Aceves, Carlos E.

Andrade, Adrian A.Antillon, BenjaminAdams, Jordan S.

Campos, MichaelrayCano-Avila, Baltazar

Curiel, EricGarcia, Raul

Guzman, Nicholas J.Hernandez, Daniel

Huerta, Juan A.Jones, Edrick L.

Kazol, Cameron J.Loya, Luis

Lujan Jr., Leonel F.Mendivil, JacobRivera, AndrewRubio, Juan F.

Sanchez II, Daniel A.Sarmiento, Michael P.

Segovia, AndresTejeda Gonzalez, Miguel A.

Thompson, Issac E.Vallejo, John R.

Vasquez, AndrewVillalobos, CarlosZavala, Jesus J.

Paramedic Class 1Aguilar, Larry

Alvarado, RicardoArroyo, Enrique

Barrios De La Cruz, FernandoEscobedo, David

Franco, Roberto M.Garcia, AlejandroGonzalez, Paul A.

Gutierrez, Jesus R.Hernandez, Hector Jr.

Holguin, Jesus R.Jimenez, Michael J.Martinez, Joseph A.Navarrete, HectorOrpinel, Jose P.Ortega, Andres

Pando, Joseph B.Panfile, Guerino A.Robles, Efrain Jr.Sattelmeier, Isaac

Kevin Mende

Training Battalion Chief

Left to right: Class 88, Class 89 and Paramedic Class 1. Group shots by PIO Carlos A. Briano. Portraits by Lifetouch Photography.

3,02

4

3,66

1

3,67

3

5,74

0

6,62

7

4,72

2

3,15

5

3,98

5

4,47

8

6,33

3

5,17

1

4,42

5

Continuing Education Hours


A Prayer For Fallen Firefighters.

You were a Firefighter so Brave and Strong,

You didn’t know something would go wrong.

But it happened on that day,

It happened and it took your life away.

We Prayed for you and the ones you love,

But God needed you and took you above.

You were a Firefighter so Brave and Strong,

Who knows, it may not be long.

I too will lose my life to fate,

But I know you will meet me at the pearly gate.

We are Firefighters and I say that with Pride

We stand together side by side.

Please watch over me from up above,

So I won’t leave the ones I Love.

You were a Firefighter so Brave and Tall,

Always willing to risk it all.

We are Firefighters and I say that with Pride,

And I know that you will be my guide.

So help me through the smokey maze,

and help me fight the dancing blaze.

Please help me keep it from spreading wild,

and help me hear the frightened child.

We are Firefighters and I say that with Pride,

We stand together side by side.

Fallen Firefighter Prayer

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