2023 Eden Prairie Fire Department Annual Report

2023 EDEN PRAIRIE FIRE DEPARTMENT

E P F D XCELLENCE RIDE AMILY EDICATION

MISSION

We lead and strive to minimize risk, increase safety, and improve the quality of life in our community through education, code compliance and emergency response. TABLE

Station 1

14800 Scenic Heights Rd.

Engine 12, Quint 11

Personnel: 11 FT Career, 1 Captain, 3 Lieutenants, 20 PT Duty Crew

Station 2

12100 Sunnybrook Rd.

Engines 21 & 22

Personnel: 1 Captain, 3 Lieutenants, 20 PT Duty Crew

Station 3

7350 Eden Prairie Rd.

Engines 31 & 32

Personnel: 1 Captain, 3 Lieutenants, 19 PT Duty Crew

Station 4

17920 Linwood Ct.

Engine 41, Tower 41

Personnel: 1 Captain, 3 Lieutenants, 18 PT Duty Crew

MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF STATIONS

Station 1 serves as the department’s headquarters as well as the main hub. It also serves as the Hennepin EMS paramedic ambulance service station. The Station 1 service area is the largest of the City's four stations and its crew responds to the most incidents. Station 1 is also the City's primary Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

Station 2 is nestled in the busiest "quadrant" of the City which includes single-family homes, multifamily apartments, senior living, Eden Prairie Center mall and other commercial establishments.

Eden Prairie Fire Department 4

Station 3 is located across from the popular Round Lake Park and within walking distance to the Community Center and Eden Prairie High School. It is the oldest active station in Eden Prairie.

Station 4 is the newest of the four Stations. Station 4 is also home to the City's back-up Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF MESSAGE FROM THE FIRE CHIEF

It is my pleasure to share the Eden Prairie Fire Department (EPFD) 2023 Annual Report with you. This past year has been a year of change, challenge and flexibility for the EPFD, and while this report captures many data points and several accomplishments, there is so much more to celebrate and much more is planned for the years ahead.

The EPFD is a combination Fire Department utilizing full-time and parttime staff (Duty Crew firefighters) for our service delivery. In 2023 we reorganized divisions and added new personnel. The two divisions that were reorganized are the Training and Health/Safety Division, and the Emergency Management and Prevention Division. The EPFD continues to place great focus on community risk reduction, including building code inspections, fire and life safety code inspections, fire prevention education, plan review, pre-planning, and public relations with our skilled and innovate building inspections and fire inspections teams.

The Operations Division continues to focus on high-quality effective service delivery, and its Technical Operations Specialist continues to provide innovative solutions to our communications and security needs throughout the City.

While the contents of the Annual Report focus on details and data from the Fire Department’s programs, projects and performance, it is the people we serve and the people who provide the service who are at the heart of the mission. I want to say a big thank-you to our people! We are very fortunate to have such a supportive community, City staff and elected officials, which allows us to provide exceptional service delivery to our community.

I am proud to serve the City of Eden Prairie and lead the incredible team of dedicated men and women at EPFD. As we reflect on the accomplishments of 2023, we continue to be focused on what is yet to come for the EPFD and the outstanding community we serve.

Thank you for your ongoing encouragement and support of the EPFD.

Scott Gerber, Fire Chief

Eden Prairie City Council

Lisa Toomey, Mark Freiberg, Ron Case, PG Narayanan, Kathy Nelson

Donations

Thank You Eden Prairie Lions!

The Eden Prairie Lions Club donated $6,000 for new airway suction devices. We purchased the devices listed below for all 8 big trucks.

INTRODUCTION DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW AND

The Eden Prairie Fire Department (EPFD) has existed as a fire department within the State of Minnesota since 1967. The Fire Department is one of six core service areas that comprise Eden Prairie's City government operations. Eden Prairie is located in close proximity to the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area providing a perfect balance of small town feel and big city amenities. The Fire Department has an Insurance Services Office rating of 3.

The population of Eden Prairie is over 65,000 and there are more than 2,800 businesses. Eden Prairie is home to one public school system and three private schools.

The EPFD's service area is approximately 36 square miles and consists of a mix of residential, business and industrial areas.

The primary services provided by the EPFD include: Fire Suppression, First Response Basic Life Support (BLS), Emergency Medical Services, Community Risk Reduction, Fire Prevention and Inspections, Fire Investigations, Training, Hazardous Materials "Operations Level" Response, Special Rescue (Marine and Technical) and Technical Operations.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to provide residents, elected and appointed officials, and any other interested parties, a concise summary of what the EPFD has accomplished in 2023.

SCOPE

This annual report contains information about the emergency responses, training, personnel and non-emergency activities undertaken by the EPFD from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2023. The report summarizes these activities using the best available information at the time of the report's compilation.

Eden Prairie Fire Department 8

ORGANIZATION

Rick Getschow City Manager

Ward Parker

Scott Gerber Fire Chief

Justin Johnson

Rik Berkbigler

Angela Dahler Fire Admin

Steve Kartak Assistant Fire Chief

Assistant Fire Chief Assistant Fire Chief Building Official/ Operations Training/ Health & Safety Emergency Building Inspections

Patrick Maynard, Captain 6, Technical Operations

Bernie de Hoog, EMS Coordinator

Cori Wallis, Quartermaster

Matthew Roberts, Tools Coordinator 4 Captains 12 Lieutenants

77 Part-Time Duty Crew Firefighters

Management & Manager Prevention

Matt Worthington, Captain 5, Training

Jeff Carrane, Inspector 1

Dave Shepard, Inspector 2

Rob Cross, Inspector 3

Jason Albers, Inspector 4

Wendell Stockwell, Building Inspector

Tim Fadden, Building Inspector

Mike Uttenhove, Building Inspector

Terry Enstad, Building Inspector

Ken Kragness, Plan Reviewer

John Nelsen, Plan Reviewer

Lisa Morrill, Building Insp Support Specialist

Riley Lundeen, Building Insp Support Specialist

HISTORY

March 16, 1967: The Eden Prairie Village Council votes to establish a volunteer fire department. Ray Mitchell and 20 members made up the initial group.

April 1, 1968: The department places into service its first fire apparatus. The truck was purchased with funds donated from the Eden Prairie Lions Club.

January 23, 1975: The department places into service a tanker truck. This unit allows the department to transport water more effectively to a fire scene.

September 28, 1978: During remodel work at the Mitchell Road Fire Station some building material caught fire, giving the department a new record response time to a fire.

December 21, 1983: After 17 years serving as Chief of department, Ray Mitchell steps down and returns to the rank of Firefighter. Ron Johnson is appointed as his replacement.

October 8, 1988: The newly remodeled Station 3 and the brand new Station 2 are open for business. The former station on Technology and Flying Cloud Drive is decommissioned.

March 13, 1990: Spencer Conrad is voted in as the department's third Fire Chief.

January 11, 1994: While under construction, the Eden Prairie water tower catches fire. According to Asst. Chief Mike Rogers the fire was sparked by a welder's torch.

June 17, 1999: The new (and current) Station 1 is opened.

The previous location on Mitchell Road was demolished to make way for the new freeway on-ramp. This station serves as the department headquarters today.

September 5, 2002: George F. Esbensen is appointed as the City's first full-time Fire Chief.

March 3, 2007: Eden Prairie's fourth fire station is opened at Dell Road and Linwood Ct.

October 1, 2012: Duty Crews are established and members of the department are now scheduling their time on duty. Their presence is still needed for larger incidents but the majority of the calls are handled by those at the stations. The first shift began at 0500.

December 3, 2015: Quint 11 is placed into service and responds on its first run (Motor Vehicle Accident). The Quint is a first-of-its-kind apparatus for Eden Prairie and provides more versatility when responding to incidents.

March 16, 2017: The department kicked off its 50 years of service celebration. Current and retired firefighters gathered at Fire Station 1 to celebrate the event.

April 1, 2019: After the retirement of former Chief Esbensen, Chief Scott Gerber was hired as the fifth Fire Chief of Eden Prairie.

Eden Prairie Fire Department

3,272

CALLS FOR SERVICE

Suppression calls include structure fires, car fires, fire alarms, water flow alarms, smoke scares, in-flight emergencies and industrial accidents.

2023 CALL CATEGORIES YEARLY CALLS FOR SERVICE COMPARISON

CALLS FOR SERVICE CALLS FOR SERVICE BY TYPE BY CATEGORY

Duty Crew calls are paged to staff on duty at the fire stations. Calls labeled as 'ALL' are paged to the entire department and include structure fires, water, aircraft and railroad incidents.

Photo by Quick Response Films

TECHNICAL OPERATIONS

The Fire Department provides technical operations with security systems for City buildings, radio tower and microwave maintenance, dispatch console support and maintenance, and mobile and portable radio support for public safety and public service users in the City. Staff members also provide support to other agencies.

TECHNOLOGY

The EPFD Technology Operations Division’s year was filled will various infrastructure projects that spanned several City buildings. Security cameras were upgraded and expanded at the Maintenance Facility, the Police Department and the Den Road building. In addition, the new Round Lake Park pavilion was equipped with the latest and greatest technology. The first phase of the City building security and fire alarm system upgrade began toward the end of the year. The new Round Lake Park building system was integrated into the existing camera and security system to enhance and consolidate our security systems into one unified system. In 2024, additional buildings will be converted and our dispatch center personnel could not be more excited.

Radio firmware upgrades, software updates and talk-group changes continued this year. As our neighboring partners continued to encrypt their channels and regional talk-groups were added, our need to maintain interoperability with our police and fire partners remains a priority.

At our stations, the Station 1 Training Room/EOC AV systems were upgraded. The new screens and capabilities will enhance our trainings and our support capabilities during large-scale events. The backup EOC at Station 4 was also refreshed during this time. A garage door alerting system was added to all 21 overhead garage doors at the four stations. The system uses lighting for added visual cues alerting drivers of door status.

Finally, our new business intelligence platform was created. The new dashboards allow our leaders more insight into the ever-changing world of emergency services. This call data will help us shape our response into the future.

Emergency Medical Service calls include medical emergencies, vehicle crashes and other life-threatening conditions. EPFD works collaboratively with the EPPD and Hennepin Healthcare EMS to provide these patients experiencing medical conditions with the best possible care. This call area also includes responses where firefighter(s) provided critical patient care with the paramedics in the ambulance while en route to a hospital.

EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES

EMS CALLS — FD RESPONSE

Photo by West Metro Fire Photography

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO

Emergency Medical Service Response (EMS) is a core component of our service delivery. Our EMS system in the City is a tiered and collaborative response which includes the Eden Prairie Fire and Police departments, and Hennepin HealthCare EMS. The police and fire personnel provide “first responder” service to ensure timely and effective patient care in a time of need. Fire Department staff are trained as emergency medical responders, emergency medical technicians or paramedics.

The knowledge and skills of the firefighters, police officers and paramedics, along with the state-of-theart equipment we have at EPFD allow for timely and effective lifesaving procedures to be started quickly and continued while enroute to a local healthcare facility. In 2023, the overall healthcare system, including the emergency medical services delivery, has continued to be impacted with staffing and service delivery challenges.

Photo by West Metro Fire Photography

SPECIAL OPERATIONS

TECHNICAL RESCUE

EPFD provides first-response capabilities for technical rescue incidents. EPFD works with the State system for technical rescue response, which includes the Edina Fire Department and Task Force 1.

FLYING CLOUD AIRPORT

The EPFD provides emergency response and preventive fire and life safety inspection at the airport in collaboration with the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) staff and businesses onsite.

Emergency response to unplanned events at the airport occurs with a unified and collaborative team. Any coordinated team response includes staff from the Police Department, Hennepin HealthCare EMS, MAC and other agencies as needed.

Additionally, the City has a Flying Cloud Airport Advisory Commission which meets quarter. The Fire Chief serves as the staff liaison for the commission.

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

EPFD provides first response capabilities for hazardous materials incidents. EPFD works with the State system for hazardous materials response, which includes the Hopkins Fire Department as our Chemical Assessment Team.

WATER AND ICE RESCUE

EPFD provides first response rescue capabilities for all types of water and ice-related incidents. EPFD uses two boats, specialized technology, ropes and coldwater rescue suits.

FIRE INSPECTIONS AND INVESTIGATIONS

The Fire Inspections Division is responsible for conducting fire code inspections of all existing businesses, single-family/multifamily rental properties and hazardous materials occupancies within the City. In addition, the fire inspectors are responsible for life-safety reviews, fire code evaluations, permit and licensing oversight for buildings, and field inspections for all new commercial and rental properties. Kitchen hood and duct grease removal, hood system maintenance and kitchen fire protection system operation are all components of the division's regular, routine fire inspection program. These inspections are conducted during non-business hours in restaurants, schools and corporate cafeterias. There were 4,481 inspections completed by the division in 2023.

All fire inspectors are qualified to perform fire investigations and act as primary investigators for all fires that occur in the City. The division also supports the Hennepin County Fire Investigation Team. The division investigated 47 fire incidents in 2023, including structure, vehicle, grass, dumpster and cooking fires.

99% save rate for sprinkled occupancies

61% save rate for unsprinkled occupancies

2023 saw the rental market expand by 510 units with two new rental complexes. For our fire inspection capabilities to keep up with forecasted rental growth, the Fire Prevention Division remains focused on applying new work processes and electronic technologies to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our ongoing inspections program. The paperless inspection process has been successfully implemented. Full implementation of a paperless process for the rental licensing and hazardous materials permitting programs remains a focus.

FIRE INSPECTION SAFETY

There are over 14,000 inspectable occupancies in Eden Prairie that require fire and life-safety inspections on regular intervals. Eden Prairie will see continued development of additional housing and commercial space ahead of the light rail going into operation.

CODE ENFORCEMENT

While code enforcement primarily maintains quality of life standards, it also plays an important role in the early identification of unsafe entry and exit points, maintaining access for emergencies, identifying exterior hazards, reducing public health hazards, and ensuring compliance with the building and fire codes. The EPFD is responsible for enforcing ordinance requirements throughout the City. The Fire Prevention and Building Inspections divisions collaborate with Community Development and other departments to define solutions that meet the needs of the customer and the overall safety of the community. The community is currently classified as an ISO 3-city, which means your home is less likely to be severely damaged or destroyed by fire and may be cheaper to insure. Communities are scored on how well-equipped the City's Fire Department is to extinguish fires in that community.

FIRE PREVENTION AND PUBLIC EDUCATION

The EPFD believes the best fire is a fire that is prevented.

Throughout 2023, the department's Prevention Division continued to offer opportunities for the community to learn about fire safety and community risk reduction.

Fire Department events such as the Citywide Open House, Night to Unite, Neighborhood Night at The Fire Stations, and life-safety education events for community groups and businesses were again well-attended.

In addition to community events, fire inspection staff members remain engaged with our schools on fire prevention education.

Safety

Camp once again was wellattended and a great success. Fire Inspections along with department firefighters remained engaged in youth education during 2023. Our youth fire prevention emphasis continues to build the fire safety culture of the future. The fire prevention education program encompasses all ages, from our seniors to our youngest residents who attend area daycare facilities.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

BUILDING INSPECTIONS

The Building Inspections Division performs public safety functions by ensuring that construction which occurs within the City of Eden Prairie conforms to various state and local building codes. The purpose of these codes is to provide safeguards for life, limb, health, property and public welfare by ensuring that buildings are constructed and maintained safely.

INSPECTIONS

PERMIT VALUATIONS

ePERMITS AND eSCHEDULING

To better serve our customers and improve efficiency, we continue to implement eServices. Currently we offer ePermits and eScheduling which allows our customers to receive many types of permits and schedule inspections online. We implemented ePlan Review services in 2023.

2023 PERMITS ISSUED

In Eden Prairie, we strive to minimize any potential negative impacts of the fire code and/or code enforcement by working with contractors and owners to achieve code compliance, not against them. The division’s primary activities (services) include plan review, on-site inspections, approvals for occupancy, permit issuance, collection of fees and providing information to the public.

RECRUITS

THE FUTURE OF EPFD

Training for our new firefighters remains the cornerstone of an effective career. Our recruit firefighters are trained in fire suppression, medical and special rescue skills. The training is conducted through our recruit fire academy at the South Metro Public Safety Training Facility. At the completion of the academy, these firefighters have earned the following certifications: Firefighter I, Firefighter II, Hazardous Materials Operations, and Emergency Medical Technician or Emergency Medical Responder. Recruit training also includes activeshooter response and safe emergency vehicle operations. Recruit training requires approximately 10 months to complete. Upon graduation, an Eden Prairie recruit firefighter has completed over 175 hours of hands-on and in-class training.

2023 was another successful year of recruit firefighter training and onboarding. Nine firefighters graduated from the Fire Academy in May. An additional nine recruit firefighters started their firefighting journey in August, joining the department’s 2023-2024 Fire Academy. All nine remain on track to graduate in M

arch2024.

TRAINING

13,128 TRAINING HOURS

132 AVERAGE HOURS PER FIREFIGHTER

Our department’s training program provides opportunity and flexibility to meet the ever-changing needs of the organization and its members. Firefighters have opportunities to train weekly as a department, train during their shifts, and pursue additional outside training to increase knowledge and hone their firefighting, medical, hazardous materials and special response skills.

The EPFD takes great pride in its firefighter training programs for recruits to veteran firefighters. Training remains the backbone of the department with a focus on firefighter confidence and competence.

For the specific skills training exercise below, firefighters practice ice rescues and winter water emergencies.

Firefighters received training needed to remain proficient with roadway safety, fire suppression, occupant rescue, hazardous materials management and emergency medical skills. Additionally, training topics that affect the fire service across all regions and ranks, including

firefighter wellness, understanding psychological trauma, nutrition, the value of sleep and cancer awareness. The Training Division ensures that content aligns with the requirements for our firefighters to retain their Minnesota State Certifications and Licensing.

COMMUNICATIONS CENTER

DISPATCH

The City of Eden Prairie operates its own Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), also known as a dispatch center. All 911 calls made in Eden Prairie are sent directly to the dispatch center, allowing for enhanced, personalized customer service.

The Eden Prairie dispatchers answer emergency and nonemergency calls, make sound decisions for successful emergency management, and formulate a line of questioning to effectively prioritize and dispatch resources to the public. They ensure responder safety through accurately documenting information obtained, disseminating relevant facts, and maintaining the status of firefighters and police officers while on a call.

45,765

21,361

27,175

Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) Matrix

Allied Radio

All dispatchers are trained to effectively maneuver through several different systems to perform all facets of the position: utilizing telephone technology, participating in the for Emergency Response (ARMER) and knowledgeably accessing numerous related databases.

criminal justice

Eden Prairie dispatchers also serve as liaisons between the public and the various departments of the City, serving as the primary contact for various departments after hours, on weekends and on holidays.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

ALL-HAZARD APPROACH

The City of Eden Prairie has adopted the all-hazard approach to emergency management and crisis response. The Fire Department serves at point for the coordination of the emergency management system. City preparedness and overall community preparedness are cornerstones to our system. In 2023, we conducted Citywide emergency management tabletop training exercises with all City departments.

The Fire Department and the City are committed to promoting a culture of resilience and to ensuring that everything possible has been done to prevent, mitigate and manage a catastrophic event.

Updated city’s Emergency 2023 HIGHLIGHTS

Operations Plan

Updated City’s primary and secondary Emergency Operations Centers with new A/V and communications technology.

Added six new CERT members to the team, and participated in joint training opportunities with Hopkins and St. Louis Park CERT teams

Conducted tabletop exercise with all City departments, the State Patrol, Southwest Transit and Hennepin Healthcare.

Updated Eden Prairie’s portion of Hennepin County’s Mitigation Plan.

The Fire Chief also serves as the City's Emergency Management Director and is responsible for:

Overall accuracy and readiness of Emergency Operations Plan

Ensuring the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is functional and ready to be used

Defining and updating the City’s hazard mitigation plan — combined plan with Hennepin County Training personnel for the incident command system

Coordinating emergency management efforts with the South Region and Hennepin County Emergency Management

OUTDOOR WARNING SIRENS

Outdoor warning sirens are used as part of an overall comprehensive warning and notification system. Eden Prairie has 17 sirens which are placed strategically throughout the community and are tested regularly by City staff for proper operation.

When outdoor warning sirens sound, they are for real emergencies and are designed to warn people who are OUTDOORS to seek immediate shelter. They are not designed to warn people who are indoors.

The siren sound is always the same, regardless of the type of emergency. If the sirens sound, DO NOT call 911 to ask what’s going on. Seek shelter and turn on the TV, radio or other device for information. Testing of outdoor warning sirens takes place on the first Wednesday of the month at 1 p.m.

CHAPLAINS

The Fire Department works with the Police Department to support a volunteer chaplain program that provides emotional and spiritual care to community members and public safety responders. Chaplains take turns wearing a pager and being on call for the public safety system.

SUPPORT GROUPS

AUXILIARY

The Eden Prairie Fire Department Auxiliary provides a network of support for EPFD personnel and their families to offer assistance in times of need or loss, and to recognize times for celebration.

The goal of the Auxiliary is to offer support and encouragement as a unified group regardless of station, tenure or status. The Auxiliary actively avails their services to assist in EPFD events, programs or individual needs as requested.

The Auxiliary also participates in monthly training with both the Fire and Police departments.

COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM (CERT)

Community engagement in the emergency management process reinforces resiliency and readiness. One effective method of reinforcing this engagement is by supporting CERT, a group of highly motivated volunteers who are advocates and resources in the event of an emergency incident. These individuals go through an extensive training program and meet throughout the year to maintain their skills. The Fire Department coordinates the CERT group to secure resources, assist with training and to provide oversight. This program has over 50 members to help increase involvement in neighborhood activities.

TRAINING

The South Metro Recruit Fire Academy content and schedule was evaluated and revised to enhance and streamline our recruit training program. Other area academy programs were leveraged in this evaluation. Including a full day of scenario training to provide our recruits with real-life application of the new skills they learned.

Fire officer development remains a component of our fire officer training curriculum. Monthly officer meetings also provide incident command development, mental health and leadership skills.

OPERATIONS

Truck committee designed and wrote specifications for our new ladder truck

due in 2027

Took delivery of eight new suction devices to improve our EMS delivery

Upgrades made to Station 1

EOC/Training room as well as Station 4 back-up EOC/Training room

Took delivery of two new Tahoes

Added Fire Department photographer

INSPECTIONS

4,481 fire inspections were performed

Replaced two open Fire Inspector positions due to internal promotions

Updated Key Secure Program to improve building access during emergencies

Produced updated fire education video for use in Public and Private Schools

Conducted over 150 plan reviews for fire suppression systems in new and existing occupancies

Participated in numerous fire investigations in Eden Prairie and in other suburban fire districts

Conducted fire extinguisher and handsonly CPR training for Eden Prairie businesses and private organizations

Eden Prairie Fire Department

Photo by West Metro Fire Photography

PROMOTIONS AND YEARS OF SERVICE

PROMOTIONS

ROB CROSS — LIEUTENANT

ROB CROSS — FIRE INSPECTOR

JUSTIN JOHNSON — ASSISTANT CHIEF

DAVE SHEPARD — LIEUTENANT

MATT WORTHINGTON CAPTAIN

5 YEARS

DAN FEINE

PATRICK HENGEL

DAVID HUTTON

JOE KRIETER

10 YEARS

PAUL DILL

MARTIN FRIEDERICHS

ALEX HEROFF

DAVE PIECZYNSKI

JAKE SCHNEIDER

JOE YOUNG

15 YEARS

DOUGLAS HAYDEN

JESSICA MEUWISSEN

DAVID GANDRUD

20 YEARS

JEREMY HOEHN

PATRICK MAYNARD

25 YEARS

MIKE STEIN

RICK WELTER