2015 - Operations Valley Bureau Annual Report

4960 Balboa Blvd.

Encino, CA 91316

[email protected] 818 728 9921

818 728 9931 Fax /lafdvalley @lafdvalley

OPERATIONS VALLEY BUREAU ANNUAL REPORT 2015 LAFD OVB

CONTENTS 04 STAFF

06 OVERVIEW

07 BATTALIONS

08 FIRE STATISTICS

09 EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES

10 BUREAU ACTIVITIES

12 COMMUNITY CONNECTION

17 BUREAU INITIATIVES

19 ADMINISTRATIVE EFFECTIVENESS

21 CHALLENGES

22 GOALS

Operations Valley Bureau

continually strives for

operational excellence

by actively engaging our

business and community

partners, increasing our

political alignment and

connectivity, employing

administrative efficiency

a n d i m p r o v i n g

communications with our

internal clients.

OVB VISION STATEMENT

The LAFD Strategic Plan

concentrates on nine goals with

corresponding strategic actions

providing direction and initiatives

to drive decisions and actions

designed to guide the

Department into 2018. Enacted

as a foundational document,

the Strategic Plan serves as the

guiding principle for the

establishment of the Four Bureau

Reorganization Plan.

LAFD STRATEGIC PLAN

LAFD STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS

Provide Exceptional Public Safety and Emergency Service

Implement and Capitalize on Advanced Technologies

Identify Cost Effective Solutions to Manage Expenditures

Enhance Qualities of Leadership, Management and Project Delivery

Enhance LAFD Risk Management Systems

Strengthen Community Relationships to Improve Infrastructure and Enhance Resiliency during

Emergency Events

Implement Green Initiatives that will Improve Emergency Systems and Reduce Impact

Recruit, Develop and Retain a Professional and Diverse Workforce

Support New Business and Improve Development Services

666

555

444

777

888

999

111

222

333

“Our key priorities focus on improving our service delivery, implementing advanced

technologies, employing sound budgeting practices and enhancing our leadership.”

~ Fire Chief Ralph M. Terrazas

LAFD Strategic Plan 2015-2017


The Bureau Training Support Specialist (TSS) acts as an extension of the In Service Training Section of

the Training and Support Bureau. At the Department level, the TSS plays an integral part in

developing professional training provided to the sworn membership. At the Bureau level, the TSS is

responsible for coordinating and delivering Department mandated as well as Bureau specific

training as determined by the Bureau Commander.

TRAINING OFFICER CAPTAIN II

The Management Analyst performs professional staff work by researching, assembling, analyzing,

and interpreting data and by preparing correspondence and reports with recommendations to

management on a wide variety of administrative, fiscal, grants, budgetary, personnel, legislative

and managerial problems; may supervise or act as a lead worker to staff involved in a central

agency, operating department, or bureau administration; and related work.

MANAGEMENT ANALYST II

The Secretary performs secretarial duties and difficult clerical work requiring the use of independent

judgment and knowledge of the functions of the organizational unit. Additionally, the secretary

participates in preparing correspondence for a variety of projects and reports. The secretary assists in

the management, coordination, and oversight of the day-to-day operations of the Bureau.

SECRETARY

The primary responsibility of the Operations Valley Bureau Commander is to manage the day-to-day

oversight of five battalions; 38 fire stations and 1117 personnel assigned across three platoons. This

position also holds the responsibility of responding to significant incidents, the interpretation and

implementation of Department policies, coordination of Bureau programs and community

outreach including social media engagement; political and allied agency coordination; conduct

meetings and conduct field inspections of personnel, fire stations and apparatus.

DEPUTY CHIEF BUREAU COMMANDER

Assigned normal business hours, the Staff Assistant Bureau Commander assists in the overall daily

management of the Valley Bureau. As an adjunct to the Bureau Commander, this position often

works on behalf of the Bureau Commander to build relationships with various community alliances.

Additionally, this position initiates and manages key strategic projects relative to the goals of the

Valley Bureau and the Department.

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT BUREAU COMMANDER

STAFF

EMS/RESILIENCE OFFICER CAPTAIN I

The EMS Captain position has evolved to create an effective avenue for

communication, training and performance evaluation. By regularly hosting EMS specific

meetings, the Captain is able to address performance trends, operational concerns

and service improvements. OVB utilizes the EMS Captain position proactively—thereby

increasing the training opportunities for field resources and training Paramedic interns.

Christal Chacon

Daryl Arbuthnott

Trevor Richmond

Richard Fields

Danny Wu

Aggie Rodriguez


PLATOON DUTY ASSISTANT BUREAU COMMANDERS

The Adjutant is a fire

captain who works a 24-

hour platoon duty schedule

and responds to the scene

of emergencies to assist the

Incident Commander with

mit igat ion th rough

accurate situation and

resource status along with

coordinating command

post operations. The

Adjutant may be assigned

to fill a Command or

General Staff position on an

incident management

team or an operational role.

Assigned as part of the

Bureau staff, the Adjutant

assists with Bureau

programs, staffing details,

deployment, stakeholder

contacts, meetings, and

general liaison with

community stakeholders

including: neighborhood

councils, the Los Angeles

Police Department and

elected officials.

PLATOON DUTY ADJUTANTS CAPTAIN I

Three Assistant Bureau

Commanders are assigned

by platoon to OVB (i.e.

“Command 42”). These

Assistant Commanders

work a 24-hour platoon-

duty schedule and are

each paired with a

Captain/Adjutant. One of

two City-wide on-duty

c omma n d t e am s

(Command 42 and 22),

they provide immediate

response and around-the-

clock command and

control coverage for all on-

duty LAFD field resources.

The initial response to

significant emergency

incidents includes the

closest 24-hour Command

Team with subsequent

notifications to the

re spect i ve Bu reau

Commander and staff.

Command 42 is staffed under the platoon duty

system with an Assistant Bureau Commander

(Assistant Chief) and an Adjutant (Captain)

paired as a command team. After business hours

and on weekends, Command 42 shares

emergency response coverage for half of the

City which includes both West and Valley

Bureaus. Command 42 is housed at Fire Station

88 in Sherman Oaks.

COMMAND COMMAND COMMAND 424242

Andrew Fox

Emile Mack

Gregory Reynar

Scott LaRue

Xenophon Gikas

Charles Boswell


OVERVIEW

On Monday, January 11, 2015, the Los Angeles

Fire Department (LAFD) implemented one of

the most significant organizational changes in

its 129-year history. The concept of

reorganization had been a discussion topic for

several years. The “Four Bureau Re-

Organization Plan” was again, reintroduced

through a consultant firm recommending

realignment consistent with the Los Angeles

Police Department (LAPD) organizational

bureaus. The goal of this alignment was to

provide a decentralization of tasks and

responsibilities thereby bringing the LAFD into a

closer collaborative public safety partnership

with the local communities. This realignment

supports the Department’s efforts of refocusing

and directly connecting with important

community needs following emergency

incidents. The resilience efforts performed by

Operations Valley Bureau (OVB) have proven

to offer affected community members

guidance and support following a crisis. Some

of these efforts include connecting city and

other available resources to reduce the

recovery time.

OVB encompasses nearly 240 square miles of

the San Fernando Valley. Serving a population

of 1.8 million residents and business commuters,

OVB is directly accountable for the 38 fire

stations that responded to 139,444 calls for

service in 2015.

Within OVB, there are five geographic Battalion

offices each supervising between seven to nine

fire stations. Additionally, there are five EMS

Battalion offices splitting 24-hour platoon, or

4/10 work schedules. Each station houses

multiple apparatus, equipment, and 4 to 16

personnel each day. OVB is responsible for

managing the operational and administrative

needs of all assigned fire stations, personnel

and resources.

In its short year of existence, OVB has quickly

become part of the San Fernando Valley

landscape woven into its unique communities

from North Hollywood to Encino to Sylmar to

Granada Hills. OVB has become the

communities’ “go-to” point of contact for fire

department-related matters. In turn, OVB is

proud to be serving each resident and business

entity within the San Fernando Valley.

OVB is one of two Bureau offices assigned a 24-

hour command and control response

capability for managing complex, large-scale

emergency incidents or events.

ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGORGANIZATIONAL CHANGORGANIZATIONAL CHANGEEE


BATTALIONS

••• 1.6 million residents1.6 million residents1.6 million residents

••• 8 Council Districts8 Council Districts8 Council Districts

••• 33 Neighborhood 33 Neighborhood 33 Neighborhood CouncilsCouncilsCouncils

••• 38 Fire Stations38 Fire Stations38 Fire Stations

••• 139,444 Responses139,444 Responses139,444 Responses

Canoga Park, Reseda, Tarzana, Warner Center, West Hills, Winnetka,

Woodland Hills Fire Stations: 72 ● 73 ● 84 ● 93 ● 104 ● 105 ● 106

Chatsworth, Granada Hills, North Hills, Porter Ranch, Northridge Fire Stations: 8 ● 18 ● 28 ● 70 ● 87 ● 96 ● 103 ● 107

Beverly Crest, North Hollywood, Toluca Lake, Sherman Oaks, Studio City,

Valley Village Fire Stations: 60 ● 78 ● 86 ● 89 ● 97 ● 102 ● 108

Arleta, La Tuna Canyon, Lake View Terrace, Missions Hills, Pacoima,

Panorama City, San Fernando City, Shadow Hills, Sun Valley, Sunland, Sylmar,

Tujunga Fire Stations: 7 ● 24 ● 74 ● 75 ● 77 ● 91 ● 98

Bel-Air, Beverly Glen, Encino, Encino Hills, Lake Balboa, North Hills, Panorama

City, Sherman Oaks, Van Nuys, Van Nuys Airport Fire Stations: 39 ● 81 ● 83 ● 88 ● 90 ● 99 ● 100 ● 109 ● 114

BATTALION BATTALION BATTALION 121212



COMMUNITIES SERVED




NORTH HOLLYWOOD FIRE, BATTALION 14

FIRE STATISTICS

In January of 2014, the Department implemented

FireStat to assist in analyzing operational and

administrative effectiveness while ensuring

accountability. FireStat closely mirrors the Los

Angeles Police Department’s CompStat model

whereby data is examined and evaluated

representing a variety of performance areas

throughout the Department. The initial emphasis

focused on response and turnout times (the

amount time personnel take to leave the fire

station following an alarm). Viewed as a cultural

challenge, this measurement became a pivotal

component for determining operational

effectiveness. The current model requires a

quarterly review for each Battalion to discuss

specific data and follow up efforts. Each session

promotes a productive discussion with senior

Department staff to define ways for improving

performance and efficiencies.

Overall, OVB has continually strived to improve in

every area measured through FireStat.The level of

engagement by the Battalion Commanders

clearly demonstrates their taking ownership in the

effectiveness and efficiency of their respective

Battalions. As FireStat moves forward, other

measurable areas that focus on effectiveness are

under development.

OVB METRICS 2015 GOAL

Fire Fatalities 4 20%

decrease

Firefighter Injuries (IOD) 284

25% decrease

OVB Dep. Involved Traffic Accidents 7

20% decrease

Citizen’s Complaints 55* 20%

decrease

LIVESTOCK RESCUE

2015

EMS Responses 117,348

Structure Fires 1277

Automatic Alarms 1259

Smoke Alarm Canvassing 1399

Fire Prevention 97%

Training Hours 163,710

Pulse Point 6630

2016

* +/- 5% variance due to staff transfer


EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES

2015 STATISTICAL SUMMARY

1. Engine 7 Panorama City 13.1

2. Engine 39 Van Nuys 12.8

3. Engine 91 Sylmar 12.5

4. Engine 93 Tarzana 10.5

5. Engine 72 Reseda 10.2

6. Engine 102 Valley Glen 9.9

7. Engine 81 Panorama City 9.4

8. Engine 88 Sherman Oaks 9.3

9. Engine 89 North Hollywood 9.2

10. Engine 105 Woodland Hills 8.5

TOP 10 FIRE RESOURCESTOP 10 FIRE RESOURCESTOP 10 FIRE RESOURCES (Incidents/Day)

1. Sick (No Specific Complaint) 14,188

2. Fall 12,779

3. Difficult Breathing 11,546

4. Unconsciousness/Fainting (near) 10,767

5. Traffic/Transport Accident 10,311

6. Chest Pain 9,942

7. Unknown Problems (Person Down) 8,786

8. Overdose/Poisoning 4,285

9. Convulsions/Seizures 4,192

10. Assault/Taser/Pepper Spray 3,743

TOP 10 EMS CALLSTOP 10 EMS CALLSTOP 10 EMS CALLS (Total Incidents)

1. RA889 North Hollywood 12.9

2. RA881 Panorama City 12.8

3. RA39 Van Nuys 12.6


5. RA98 Pacoima 11.3

6. RA873 Reseda 11.3




10. RA898 Pacoima 10.6

TOP 10 RESCUE AMBULANCES TOP 10 RESCUE AMBULANCES TOP 10 RESCUE AMBULANCES (Incidents/Day)


BUREAU ACTIVITIES

Early discussions regarding the four Bureau concept included how the dispersion of

workload would occur and how emergencies, community outreach, political

engagement and internal customer needs would be managed. Almost immediately OVB

recognized where the most value would come from—investing in its internal customers

who are charged with having direct daily contact with residents. The Bureau emphasizes

proficiency of its members in handling emergencies, proactive community outreach

efforts, and responsive communications with local elected officials.

444

The OVB Bureau Commander conducts thorough

inspections of each fire station within individual

battalions ensuring the condition, preparedness

and cleanliness of apparatus, personal protective

equipment and quarters are in good working

order. An added benefit of this longstanding

tradition is the value of sharing pertinent

Department information with each LAFD

member.

ANNUAL INSPECTIONANNUAL INSPECTIONANNUAL INSPECTION

Although demanding, one of the best methods

for understanding issues that matter most to the

field troops is to meet with them directly. During

2015, the OVB Bureau Commander dedicated

each Friday morning to meet with 38 individual

fire stations on various platoons. Several changes

were implemented based on information

gathered from these meetings which have

continued in 2016.

444 STATION VISITSSTATION VISITSSTATION VISITS


444

One of the more significant changes

incorporated into the four Bureau reorganization

change was the direct reporting of Battalion

Chiefs to the Bureau Commander. To ensure

Commanders are provided consistent

information, OVB conducts at least one Chief

Officer meeting, per platoon, each month which

totaled more than 30 meetings last year.

BATTALION COMMANDERSBATTALION COMMANDERSBATTALION COMMANDERS MEETINGMEETINGMEETING

888

Fire Station 81 doubles as one of two Department

recruit training academies charged with entry-

level firefighter training. During 2015, OVB staff

participated in three recruit graduations at Drill

Tower 81. This opportunity for officers to meet

their new employees and their families helps

ensure a more effective transition from a learning

environment to their respective field assignment.

RECRUIT GRADUATIONRECRUIT GRADUATIONRECRUIT GRADUATION CEREMONYCEREMONYCEREMONY

444

Held weekly to provide updates and share the week’s workload. OVB meetings include the OVB staff

and 24-hr Assistant Bureau Commanders. The greatest value of this administrative reporting change is

that it ensures the most current information is provided to Chief Officers within the Bureau; thereby

eliminating variations of interpretation. The ABCs remain closely involved in every issue affecting the

Bureau regardless of platoon and have a heightened awareness of matters pertaining to their specific

platoons.

OVB STAFF MEETINGOVB STAFF MEETINGOVB STAFF MEETING

444

The Bureau Commander institutionalized another

change that directly impacts communication by

the establishment of a Captains Meeting. The

Commander meets with Company Officers to

discuss their concerns and exchange information

and ways to improve performance. These

meetings occur at least twice a year, per

platoon.

CAPTAINS MEETINGCAPTAINS MEETINGCAPTAINS MEETING


Within four months of its inception, OVB identified prominent

business and community leaders to establish a community-

based advisory committee to assist the Bureau Commander.

This group meets quarterly and has proved to be a valuable

asset to the Bureau’s growth and presence in the San

Fernando Valley. The meetings involve discussing a multitude

of contemporary fire department challenges. The intent is to

solicit input and recommendations provided by community

leaders with a span of education and expertise. The

assortment of backgrounds from the committee members

offers a unique perspective into solving challenging

department problems. To date, this committee has advised

the OVB Bureau Commander with input to improve social

media outreach and recruitment efforts for the Department.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Once operational, OVB launched into high gear engaging its constituents.

Within a few months, residents and business communities became aware of

LAFD’s increased presence. Many of these organizations experienced an

unequaled LAFD presence where collaborative public safety dialogue

dominated each interaction. Fire safety education, community preparedness

and public safety awareness became top discussion topics. Through consistent

attendance at business commerce organizations, homeowner’s group meetings

or neighborhood council meetings, OVB staff seized every opportunity to create

new, innovative ways in which to interact with local communities.

The San Fernando Valley is

home to 33 Neighborhood

Council groups, numerous

homeowner associations and

the City of San Fernando. During

2015, OVB Chief Officers

attended more than 125

meetings. The Bureau has

established a solid presence in

both the residential and

business communities through

attending these meetings.

666 NEIGHBORHOOD NEIGHBORHOOD NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL MEETINGSCOUNCIL MEETINGSCOUNCIL MEETINGS

Pu l sePo in t ’ s smar tphone

application alerts bystanders to

the exact location of a cardiac

emergency so lifesaving CPR

can start minutes before EMS

teams arrive. OVB has actively

promoted PulsePoint in the

valley community with a 2015

growth rate from 665 to 6630

subscribers.

111 PULSEPOINTPULSEPOINTPULSEPOINT

VALLEY PUBLIC SAFETYVALLEY PUBLIC SAFETYVALLEY PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY ADVISORY ADVISORY COMMITTEECOMMITTEECOMMITTEE

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

999 111


The Fire Cadet Program provides youth with an

exciting opportunity to learn about firefighting

and emergency medical services as future

career choices. Cadets are young men and

women ages 14 though 20 from all areas of the

community that participate in fire department

training activities, meetings, and as ride-alongs,

once they are “ride-along” certified. OVB

currently supports five active cadet programs in

the Valley and this youth program has proven to

be useful for not only identifying future LAFD

employees but teaching leadership and life skills

to the participants. In 2015, the Valley Cadet post

participated in approximately 26 OVB events

supporting the department.

888 666 CADET PROGRAMCADET PROGRAMCADET PROGRAM

Large-scale emergency events are supported by

the efforts of the LAFD’s Community Emergency

Response Team (CERT) program. Their selfless

dedication is truly representative of the finest

traditions in the LAFD. OVB has continued this

relationship through active involvement with the

key training events and utilization of the call-out

process for use at the scene of emergencies. The

CERT program has proven to be critical in filling

routine incident gaps that are vital to the overall

success of an emergency. OVB established three

teams, coordinated by Battalion, to support

significant incident management. In 2015,

refresher training, held annually, had

approximately 170 participants.

666 COMMUNITY EMERGENCY COMMUNITY EMERGENCY COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAMSRESPONSE TEAMSRESPONSE TEAMS

Consistent with the Fire Chief’s vision, OVB has

continued to look for creative ways to attract

viable and representative members to the fire

service profession. In 2015, OVB was active in

recruitment efforts using social media, “Valley

View” newsletter, the VPSAC, other creative

measures. OVB hosted the first recruitment expo

with an emphasis on under-represented groups.

at fire station 81 where a variety of department

resources participated to display the fire

department family and show the benefits of a

career with the LAFD.

888 BUREAU RECRUITMENTBUREAU RECRUITMENTBUREAU RECRUITMENT


Collaborative public partnerships are crucial in building community trust. Working with the local

business community has proven to be mutually beneficial for both the business owner and the

Department. Through these new relationships, OVB secured commitments from business owners to

commit to becoming part of the public safety response effort. OVB is confident these relationships will

continue to grow and provide a unique level of response during events where the whole community

must become part of the solution.

Endorsed by the LAFD,

MySafe:LA has provided

multiple levels of support to the

Department. Most significant

during the 2015 calendar year

was support for fire safety

education and free smoke

detector installations to Valley

residents. MySafe:LA aided

OVB Battalions with scheduled

community canvassing, smoke

alarm giveaways and after-

incident resiliency efforts by

ensuring residents had the

appropriate alarm devices

and in many cases, performed

installations in individual

households.

MYSAFE:LAMYSAFE:LAMYSAFE:LA

Consistent with the smoke alarm

-canvassing program, the

American Red Cross supported

OVB with after-incident efforts

including temporary housing,

food, shelter and other

resilience and recovery needs.

The LAFD continues to enjoy the

longstanding partnership with

the Red Cross and OVB is

looking for other opportunities to

strengthen our partnership.

AMERICAN RED CROSSAMERICAN RED CROSSAMERICAN RED CROSS

RESILIENCY PARTNERSHIPS

Supplying Aid to Victims of

Emergency (SAVE) is a new

program established by the

California Fire Foundation in

collaboration with the United

Firefighters of Los Angeles City

that enables first responders to

offer immediate relief and

comfo r t t o v i c t ims o f

catastrophic loss due to fire or

other natural disasters. Incident

commanders on scene are able

to provide $100 gift cards to

those who have suffered a

minimum of 25% damage to the

property where they reside. This

program works with other

resources such as the Red Cross

and Council District Offices to

help families initiate the

recovery effort after an

unfortunate incident. In 2015,

OBV was able to assist seven

households with SAVE cards.

SAVE CARDSAVE CARDSAVE CARD

SMOKE ALARM INSTALLATION BY VOLUNTEER

666 999


COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

OVB opened the last fire station purchased and

constructed under the “Prop F” Bond. FS 7 serves

Panorama City and houses an Assessment Engine

and one Paramedic Ambulance.

FIRE STATION 7FIRE STATION 7FIRE STATION 7———GRAND GRAND GRAND OPENINGOPENINGOPENING

Through an established partnership with LAFD’s

Fire Foundation, OVB has participated in multiple

community fundraising events. Grateful Hearts

(Battalion 17) is an annual event organized by the

Warner Center Property Management staff. This

event is a street fair for the business community

to support LAPD and LAFD organizations through

the LAFD Fire Foundation. Donations are used to

purchase tools and equipment for fire stations.

GRATEFUL HEARTS STREGRATEFUL HEARTS STREGRATEFUL HEARTS STREET FAIRET FAIRET FAIR

The second Saturday of each May is designated

“Fire Service Recognition Day.” The community is

invited to learn may learn about LAFD services,

interact with firefighters, increase fire safety

knowledge and enjoy family fun. There are

station tours, disaster preparedness literature

and free smoke alarms available. The title

“Honorary Fire Chief” is bestowed to deserving

community members recognizing their support

of the LAFD in a ceremony sponsored by OVB. In

2015, two community members were selected to

represent the Valley.

FIRE SERVICE RECOGNIFIRE SERVICE RECOGNIFIRE SERVICE RECOGNITION DAYTION DAYTION DAY

666 999


Distributed bi-monthly, the OVB newsletter,

“Valley View,” contains current events that may

be of interest to our community. By soliciting

input from internal as well as external

stakeholders, OVB crafts an information medium

that responds to the needs of our community.

Both educational and informative, Valley View is

a useful point of discussion when interacting with

the local community organizations.

OVB met its 2015 target, publishing six issues per

year, which established a solid framework and

timeline for on-time publishing. Valley View

newsletters are distributed at community events

including homeowner associations, business

organizations and other noteworthy events.

Currently, electronic distribution is the primary

method of distribution with greater efforts of

moving towards targeted community outreach

through use of social media/network

technologies. Subscriptions for the newsletter

increased steadily with close to 700 subscribers

thus far.

OVB staff remained progressive with an innovative spirit in its approach to social media campaigns

striving to connect with Valley residents and business communities. Social media has proven to be an

excellent medium to inform and educate our valley neighbors on current events from while also

providing constructive feedback for increasing viewers.

In 2015, OVB posted real-time targeted messaging to San Fernando residents and topical inclusive

appeals to a broad-base in our community using other languages in addition to English such as

American Sign Language and Spanish. Safety messages on all matters took precedence over simply

reporting fires. Topics have included scalding/burns, pedestrian safety and El Nino preparation/

flooding. Specifically, OVB’s PulsePoint, Twitter, and Facebook accounts soared well above all

expectations during its first year of operation.

OVB NEWSLETTER OVB NEWSLETTER OVB NEWSLETTER VALLEY VIEWVALLEY VIEWVALLEY VIEW

The QR Code was created for easy access to our contact information, social networks and PulsePoint app with a quick scan using a smart phone.

QR CODEQR CODEQR CODE

SOCIAL MEDIA

TWITTERTWITTERTWITTER

48.33k Avg. Impressions

1129 Followers

9.66k Avg. Engagement

1012 Avg. Engagement

958 Avg. Impressions

1276 Followers

FACEBOOKFACEBOOKFACEBOOK

222 666

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BUREAU INITIATIVES

Independent and assisted living facilities are

rapidly becoming a familiar sight in the Valley

with new and existing expansions starting in 2016.

LAFD EMS responses to these facilities increased

significantly over the past several years. For a

variety of reasons the LAFD is responding to these

facilities with very little information regarding the

disposition of the patients. Unfortunately,

corporate policy in many instances is driving how

this vulnerable aging population is cared for.

Foreseeing the elderly community increasing in

the coming years, OVB initiated efforts with the

LA Department of Aging and Council offices to

determine available options. Foundation to this

matter was the idea that better care and

oversight is needed to protect this vulnerable

population.

Based on the concept that end-user input is vital to LAFD operations, OVB developed the Leadership

Empowerment Advisory Panel to remove organizational barriers that often stifle the creative input

offered by its own members. Volunteers from the Department are given instruction on how to think

critically and then given contemporary department challenges to discuss. This provides members an

opportunity to offer real solutions to the problems and promote them when they are implemented.

During this past year, OVB held two separate meetings where incredible insights were given that will

help the Department create reasonable and effective policies. While in session, these meeting ignore

the department rank structure thereby encouraging participants to speak freely.

444 LEADERSHIP EMPOWERMENT ADVISORY PANELLEADERSHIP EMPOWERMENT ADVISORY PANELLEADERSHIP EMPOWERMENT ADVISORY PANEL

SENIOR CARE FACILITY SENIOR CARE FACILITY SENIOR CARE FACILITY INITIATIVE INITIATIVE INITIATIVE

Increasing concerns about the rising homeless

population, the City has begun to look for

solutions that may, locally, solve this social

problem. The OVB office secured a coveted

position on the San Fernando Mental Health

Committee that meets monthly to establish

policy and distribute available financial

assistance those with mental health issues which

is a significant portion of the homeless

demographic. This committee discusses homeless

issues and develops strategies to address this

growing concern. In addition, OVB has worked

with multiple council offices to assist in mitigating

homeless encampment matters and to provide

resiliency measures such as El Nino literature to

those same encampments.

666 111 HOMELESSNESSHOMELESSNESSHOMELESSNESS 111


The City of Los Angeles enjoys

an active outdoor community

that visits numerous hiking trails

throughout the City on a daily

basis. The Santa Monica

Mountains provide exceptional

access to numerous trailheads

used frequently by LA City

residents. One concern is that

many hikers are not aware of

the potential danger of a brush

fire moving into their area. With

u p - t o - d a t e w e a t h e r

forecasting, we are aware of

dangerous fire conditions

before they arrive, therefore

OVB reached out to various

City Council staff to seek

support for installing warning

signage at each entrance to

main trail heads. This signage

would indicate the level of fire

danger for that day. Signage

would indicate the level of fire

danger and brief instruction on

how to prepare for their hike.

This pro-active approach

cautions hikers to reconsider

their activities during “extreme”

or “red flag” fire weather

conditions, thereby increasing

their safety and welfare.

On October 19, 2016 the LAFD

provided a Fast Response

Vehicle (FR-401)to OVB through

the City’s Innovation grant. The

intent was to use this vehicle for

workload relief in the northeast

part of the Valley. Data

supported the need to add

resources into Fire Station 91

(Sylmar) district as it has one of

the highest percentages for

“cross-in” calls (resources

responding into vacant

neighboring districts). OVB’s

efforts were successful in

activating (trial resource) FR 401

while also ensuring a resource

remains available during times

of operation. Our intuitive

suspicion was supported by the

preliminary data which points to

a significant decrease in

response times, time-to-patient

and a reduction in cross-in calls.

One of the greatest values of

the FR-401 is that it allows

resources at Fire Station 91 to

remain available for handling

other emergency calls within

their district. During this trial

period, efforts to test a better

vehicle platform resulted in OVB

securing approval from the Los

A n g e l e s C o u n t y F i r e

Department and the LAFD to

test alternative vehicles.

Recognizing the potential

multifaceted use for Unmanned

Aerial Systems (UAS)—drones,

OVB established a work group

to explore the best use of UAS

during Department activities.

Some of the identified uses

i nc lude : non-emergency

training exercises, Department

sponsored events, community

damage assessment surveys,

fire prevention brush inspections

a n d eme r g e nc y - b a s e d

inc ident s t hat i nc lude ,

h a z a r d o u s m a t e r i a l s

investigations, USAR, confined

space rescue operations and

scene surveys during active

shooter incidents. The UAS work

group is collaborating with the

In-Service Training section, the

Bureau of Fire Prevention,

Anaheim Fire Department and

t h e F e d e r a l A v i a t i o n

Administration (FAA).

111 222 555

UNMANNED AERIAL UNMANNED AERIAL UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMSSYSTEMSSYSTEMS 111 666

FAST RESPONSE FAST RESPONSE FAST RESPONSE VEHICLEVEHICLEVEHICLE

HIKER ALERT HIKER ALERT HIKER ALERT SIGNAGESIGNAGESIGNAGE

666 111

ALISO CANYON GAS ALISO CANYON GAS ALISO CANYON GAS LEAKLEAKLEAK

In late 2015, the Aliso Canyon

natural gas facility experienced

a four month-long gas leak with

thousands of residents being

temporarily relocated. OVB

attended daily briefings with

SCGC, partnered closely with

other public safety partners and

handled numerous inquiries from

our affected communities.

555


ADMINISTRATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OVB continues to look for ways to be administratively efficient. Over the past year,

several initiatives were implemented to maximize employee productivity, resulting in

improvements for department members. Consistent with the Strategic Plan, OVB

leveraged the use of advanced enterprise technologies to assist in the daily

management of the Department. In both instances, these initiatives have been

adopted by the entire department.

OVB launched a new program designed to

expedite the reporting of fire prevention activities

while eliminating a 30-year-old paper report

practice. The new web-based reporting system

was developed within a month and involved a

collaborative effort between the Bureau of Fire

prevention and OVB. This use of existing

technology removed an average of 12-days for

reporting fire prevention activities, at no

additional cost. Now senior staff can immediately

view and retrieve fire prevention activity data

and determine if goals are being met. From the

end user perspective, this application has

simplified of data-entry department-wide.

111 222

Another existing problem was determining

resource availability for mutual-aid agreements

through the Resource Ordering and Status System

(a computer program used by dispatch). In an

effort to streamline the reporting of availability for

department members, OVB staff developed a

web-based application that streamlines the entry

of this information. The result is an accurate

representation of members committed to a

fourteen-day deployment department-wide. This

expedites the formulation of Strike Teams for

immediate need requests and reduces the

amount time needed for staff to verify

deployment status.

WEBWEBWEB---BASED 14BASED 14BASED 14---DAY DAY DAY DEPLOYMENT APPLICATIDEPLOYMENT APPLICATIDEPLOYMENT APPLICATIONONON

A significant cost to the City is the expense of

treating and caring for injured members. In

certain cases, the Department modified policy to

prevent similar accidents. OVB took the initiative

to assist department staff in crafting meaningful

policy to require additional review and additional

research regarding injuries or illnesses related to

duty causes. This new process is intended to

investigate and recommend actions to protect

our members and prevent future accidents.

333 INJURY PREVENTION INJURY PREVENTION INJURY PREVENTION INVESTIGATION PROGRAINVESTIGATION PROGRAINVESTIGATION PROGRAMMM

222 WEBWEBWEB---BASED FIRE PREVEBASED FIRE PREVEBASED FIRE PREVENTION NTION NTION ACTIVITY & TRACKING SYSTEMACTIVITY & TRACKING SYSTEMACTIVITY & TRACKING SYSTEM


444

OVB established a work group to evaluate the

current assessment process for chief officers. The

goal is to improve and enhance the review of

chief officer’s performance. The new assessment

process considers the “whole” performance by

providing a comprehensive “beginning to end”

assessment that clearly defines levels of

performance through scheduled interactive

meetings throughout the chief officer’s rating

period. This is an example of OVB working

towards improving the organization as a whole.

EXECUTIVE APPRAISAL REVIEW EXECUTIVE APPRAISAL REVIEW EXECUTIVE APPRAISAL REVIEW WORK GROUPWORK GROUPWORK GROUP

666

One of the Fire Chief’s strategic goals is

“Strengthen Community Relations to Improve

Infrastructure and Enhance Resiliency during

Emergency Events”. This pointed to ensuring both

the Los Angeles Police and Fire Departments

planned and trained together to establish

operational efficiency. In fact, both Operations

Valley Bureau Commanders (LAPD and LAFD)

worked closely together to bring their respective

command staffs together to build relationships

and trust within each agency’s discipline. During

2015, both agencies conducted two joint training

sessions and regularly attended community

meetings throughout the Valley.

999

JOINT PUBLIC SAFETY JOINT PUBLIC SAFETY JOINT PUBLIC SAFETY TRAININGTRAININGTRAINING

111

Training is the cornerstone of effectiveness.

During the past year, OVB initiated several

strategic training exercises. One method LAFD

Chief Officers practice operational effectiveness

is through department approved “Green Cell”

training. This training closely reproduces real-time

emergencies that require commanding officers

to make quick decisions regarding incident

strategy. OVB initiated and will continue to

provide this type of virtual training for its

command level officers.

TRAINING AND PROFESSTRAINING AND PROFESSTRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL IONAL IONAL DEVELOPMENTDEVELOPMENTDEVELOPMENT

JOINT COOPERATION WITH WILDLAND SERVICE

Operating in the Mutual Threat Zones (MTZ) can

be difficult with a variety of local, state and

federal agencies responding to the same

emergency event. Communications and

strategies are often dissimilar between the

different responding agencies. During this past

year, OVB coordinated training events between

all of these agencies that focused on effective

communications during a large scale brush fire.

OVB companies worked alongside local, state

and federal firefighters and reconciled the

variety of different tactics that are often

associated with these individual agencies. This

exercise covered not only command

considerations but also the tactical nuances of a

complex operation.

LAPD ACTIVE SHOOTER EXERCISE

999 666 MUTUAL THREAT ZONESMUTUAL THREAT ZONESMUTUAL THREAT ZONES

444


� New Facility Funding

� Additional Bureau Staffing

� IT and Technology Support

� Establishment of Bureau Expense

Account

� Span of Control

CHALLENGES Looking ahead to 2016, the OVB office has set goals consistent with and

complementary to the Department’s Strategic Plan. While many challenges lay

ahead, OVB is dedicated to maintaining its course with a strategic posture that

supports the LAFD and serves the needs of our community.

Valley West Central South Total

Population 1,600,000 313,000 768,000 1,200,000 4,081,000

Size (square miles) 235.2 119 50.1 65.8 470.1

Fire Stations 39 20 23 24 106

Battalions 5 3 3 3 14

Daily On-Duty Staffing 339 185 226 212 962

24-Hour Response A/C 1 - 1 - 2

Staff A/C 1 2 - 1 4

Direct Reports (Chiefs) 20 12 12 10 53

Council Districts Represented 8 4 3 4 15

Neighborhood Councils 33 19 22 25 99*

LAPD Divisions 7 4 6 4 21

Specialized Section/Division Air Ops LAWA - LA Harbor 3

*NC District Crossovers

FOUR BUREAU SUMMARY


HIGHTOWER BRUSH INCIDENT, BATTALION 12 E-AWARDS 2015

GOALS

• Meet Department’s Strategic Plan

benchmarks

• Secure OVB Facility Funding

• Update the Continuity of Operations Plans

(COOP) for OVB facilities

• Restructure OVB’s reporting model to match

Bureau’s needs

• Restoration of Resources

• Engine 73 and 75

• Emergency Incident Technicians

(Battalions 14 and 17) • Staff Wildland Fuel Management Unit,

One Captain I and 6 Firefighter/Heavy

Equipment Operator

• Staff Nurse Educator position

OVB GOALSOVB GOALSOVB GOALS

LAFD/LAPD ST. BALDRICK’S FUNDRAISER

Produced by

Christal Chacon

Trevor Richmond

Danny Wu

Photos by

Jon Brown

Greg Doyle

Juan Guerra

Laura Lichter

Rick McClure

David Edwards

Mike Meadows

Jeremy Oberstein

Sydney Chambers

Adam VanGerpen

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSACKNOWLEDGEMENTSACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Operations Valley Bureau would like to thank the

following staff, city colleagues and partners for

supporting the implementation of Operations Valley

Bureau.

HONORABLE MAYOR Eric Garcetti

COUNCILMEMBERS

CD 2 ● Paul KREKORIAN

CD 3 ● Bob BLUMENFIELD

CD 4 ● David RYU

CD 5 ● Paul KORETZ

CD 6 ● Nury MARTINEZ

CD 7 ● Felipe FUENTES

CD 11 ● Mike BONIN

CD 12 ● Mitch ENGLANDER

FIRE COMMISSION

Delia IBARRA, Esq., President

Andrew GLAZIER, Vice President

Jimmy H. HARA, M.D., Commissioner

Rebecca NINBURG, Commissioner

Jimmie WOODS-GRAY, Commissioner

FIRE CHIEF Ralph M. TERRAZAS

LAPD DEPUTY CHIEF Robert GREEN

City of SAN FERNANDO

MYSAFE:LA

2015 - Operations Valley Bureau Annual Report

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Transcript of 2015 - Operations Valley Bureau Annual Report