Deputy Fire Chief William Norris

Operations

Oversees Training, Firefighter Health, and Safety, Department Operational Guidelines Committee, Succession Planning.

Training

The department has transitioned to electronic filing for training. All member's training records are stored in two locations. A master copy of the training record is stored on a secured shared drive. A second copy is stored in ESO, the fire department’s record management system.

Members completed annual instruction and testing on Scott Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus mask fitting, first aid & CPR, blood-borne pathogens, hazardous materials, Southeast Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) training, and Addiction and Connection to Treatment training.

Each month every station receives a list of company-level drills to be conducted during that month. Company-level drills are multi-faceted and include articles from fire service publications, practical exercises, and reviews of Standard Operating Guidelines (SOG) or After-Action Reports.

Special Operations Company (SOC) Training

SOC had a productive year in 2022. The goal of having four (4) fully trained SOC members per shift during the week was achieved. Regularly scheduled drills were implemented with the goal of Squad 26 and Truck 37 training together. Eventually, additional fire suppression companies were included in future training. Members of SOC completed 1,728 personnel hours of training with 1,376 hours attributed to certifications and 352 hours in company-level drills.

The following certification training was completed in 2022:

• 17 members completed ProBoard Trench Rescue Technician in March 2022 for 816 personnel hours.

• 7 members completed FEMA Structural Collapse Technician in April 2022 for 560 personnel hours.

• Currently ALL members of the Department have completed Rope Operations ProBoard Certification. This is a requirement upon successful completion of the fire academy.

• The current complement of certified members is as follows:

o (48) Rope Operations

o (21) Confined Space Technicians

o (20) Trench Technicians

o (17) Structural Collapse Technicians

Eight (2-hour) company drills (Squad 26 and Truck 37) were conducted annually for 384 personnel hours. Drills covered the following topics:

• Basic Ropes & Rigging Overview

• Aerial Device Rigging

• Confined Space non-entry reach pole training

• Window/Door and Double T Emergency Building Shoring

• Flying Raker Set-up and Installation

• Search Camera Training

• Fall Protection Devices and use

• Trench Trailer Hook Up and Operation

Naloxone Program

To provide the citizens of Upper Darby Township and the surrounding communities with the best service possible, the Upper Darby Township Fire Department has elected to participate in the Pennsylvania Naloxone (Narcan) for First Responders Program in conjunction with Delaware County Emergency Services. The program provides first responders with Narcan, free of charge for use in the event of an opioid overdose. All department members have completed the necessary training to administer Naloxone safely and appropriately in the event of an overdose.

Firefighter Health and Safety

After Action Reports

The department continues to use “After Action" reports to share critical information from incidents with members of the department. After-Action Reports (AAR) help examine the management and/or response to an incident, exercise, or event by identifying strengths to be maintained and built upon, as well as potential areas of improvement. Each fire company is required to document its actions during a response and identify challenges, and recommendations for improvement. Once completed, the information is collected, and a complete AAR of the incident is provided for department members to review.

The AAR asks five simple questions: 1. What was our mission? 2. What went well? 3. What could have gone better? 4. What might we have done differently? 5. Who needs to know?

Twenty-five (25) After Action Reports were completed and disseminated throughout the department.

Near Miss Reports

Another program that was implemented in 2022 was the Near Miss Program. A near-miss is a potential hazard or incident that has not resulted in any personal injury or property damage. Some examples of near misses are unsafe conditions, improper use of equipment, faulty equipment, and not following proper procedures.

Near Miss Reports are constructive safety measures that focus on how improvements can be made. The goal is to fix potentially dangerous situations before someone is injured, killed, or damaged valuable property.

Research indicates that the safety climate of a workplace directly affects the reporting of near misses. When creating an inclusive safety culture within an organization, reporting near misses should be viewed just as important as reporting actual accidents. Four (4) Near Miss Reports were completed and shared within the department.

Three platoon-wide drills were held in October at Meenan Oil on Lansdowne Avenue (see photos at end). Drills focused on a scenario where an employee was injured on a work platform located 30’ above ground on the side of a 1-million-gallon oil tank. The tank is not accessible via an aerial ladder and rescue was performed by climbing with fall protection, then packaging the patient, and lowering them via ropes. Now that core group members from Squad 26 and Truck 37 have completed their SOC training, all on-duty companies are being incorporated through drills to begin integrating all members into special operations. Squad and Truck Captains also used this opportunity to identify potential future members for succession planning for the Special Operations Division. Meenan Oil Company was extremely helpful with this drill and incorporated our drill into their yearly federally mandated drills.

In April 2022, eight (8) members attended a Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Taskforce full-scale training exercise at the Philadelphia Fire Academy. The exercise is designed to test the interoperability of the five (5) county regional Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) and Hazardous Materials teams. A total of 1,728 personnel hours were accumulated for training and certification.

In addition to regularly scheduled company-level drills, a Tower Rescue Drill is being planned in conjunction with SEPTA utilizing their communications tower.

Safety Stand Down

The theme of the 2022 Safety Stand Down campaign was “Situational Awareness – The Foundation for Good Decision Making.” Safety Stand Down training involved a two-week exercise that reflected the national program and expanded to cover topics where firefighters have been injured and killed. This year focused on the importance of situational awareness during response operations to help members solve problems, prevent bad outcomes, and make better decisions in high-stress environments. Daily focus areas included structure fires, EMS calls, roadway response, and acts of violence.

Department Operational Guidelines

The review process for the department’s policies and procedures is ongoing. Current policies and procedures are over 20 years old. Approved policies are distributed to members for their edification.

Succession Planning

Succession planning is identifying and preparing future leaders, through mentoring, training, and education. Succession planning is part of an organization’s culture and focuses on the future needs to ensure continuity of leadership in the organization.

Six (6) new career firefighters completed their 6-month Probationary training which is separated into monthly modules. Modules consist of administrative assignments, practical exercises, reading materials from firefighting periodicals, and department-specific directives and guidelines.

Five (5) new volunteer firefighters completed their Firefighter I Certification and met the minimum training requirements to ride on fire department apparatus. Pennsylvania Entry Level Firefighter curriculum comprises four separate courses that require 188 hours of classroom and hands-on training. Training includes two (2) days of live smoke and fire training.

New Officer Development programs were developed for company officers and chief officers. Training includes administrative and operational procedures to prepare members to advance to the next rank via coaching, mentoring, and “acting out of rank” assignments.

UDFD has partnered with Bucks County Community College (BCCC) for certification training. The partnership allows each platoon to receive one certification while on duty. The contract also allows members to attend any certification class offered by BCCC. Completing certification training prepares members to work in specialized companies and equips them with promotion opportunities.