Citizens Public Safety Academy - learn how government works

The City of North Charleston Police Fire, Code Enforcement and Building Departments announce its Citizens Public Safety Academy program. The program, which begins on February 5, 2014, is designed to bring awareness to the many aspects of public safety.

The Citizens Public Safety Academy is designed to foster better communication between citizens of North Charleston and public safety professionals. During the 11 week program citizens will get an inside look at what Police Officers, Firefighters, Code Enforcement Officers and Building Inspectors encounter on a daily basis. The Citizens Public Safety Academy will be held two times a year (February to April, and May to July).

Course Curriculum:

     Police (Emergency Response, Laws, Arrests, Search & Seizure and Use of Force
     Fire (Emergency Response, Fire Fighting and Inspections
     Code Enforcement (Health and Sanitation)
     Building Department (Building Inspections, Permits and Property Maintenance)

Additional Course Information

Applications for the Academy, also available in person at NCPD Training Unit (2nd floor City Hall).

Release of Liability and Course Agreement

For more information citizens can call (843) 740-2648.

North Charleston Fire Department receives international accreditation

The North Charleston Fire Department (NCFD) will formally announce its international accreditation at the North Charleston City Council meeting on Thursday at 7:00pm in City Hall.

The NCFD was unanimously awarded Accredited Agency Status by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) at the Center for Public Safety Excellence Commission hearings in Chicago, Illinois on August 15, 2013. The NCFD is one of only 187 agencies worldwide and one of six in South Carolina (Mt. Pleasant, Hilton Head, Charleston AFB, Parris Island, and Spartanburg)to obtain CFAI Accredited Agency Status.

The Accreditation model provides a comprehensive self-assessment and evaluation process that enables fire and emergency service agencies to examine performance levels and compare them to industry best practices. Departments are required to develop a community-driven strategic plan, standards of cover assessment and an extensive risk analysis of the community they serve. The model examines 244 performance indicators that must be verified through an on-site peer review by subject matter experts from around the country.

It typically takes a fire department 3-5 years to become accredited. The accreditation is recognized worldwide as a measure of excellence in the fire service.

“Accreditation is confirmation to our citizens that the highest quality fire service is being received,” said Mayor Keith Summey. “Subjecting our fire department to outside peer reviews and investigations and upholding a high level of standards is important to ensure we continue to innovate to better protect our city.”

“Our purpose in seeking accreditation was to invite the most intense scrutiny available to ensure that we can meet all of the fire protection needs of our thriving city," said Fire Chief Greg Bulanow. "We see this as a validation of more than three years of hard work to systematically improve the service we provide and we will continue to use this process to become an even better department."

Police Chief Completes FBI Executive Institute Leadership Session

On Friday, September 16th North Charleston Police Chief Jon R. Zumalt along with 40 other Law Enforcement Executives around the world successfully completed the FBI National Executive Institute (NEI) Leadership Session XXXIV.  NEI is the FBI’s premier executive training initiative where chief executives of the largest law enforcement organizations in the U.S., Canada, the U.K, and Australia attend three one-week training sessions throughout the year at the FBI Academy.  The focus of the training is strategic leadership development and current affairs for a diverse group of law enforcement professionals who bring immensely different levels of experience and perspectives.  Executives from the U.S. are nominated by the Special Agent in Charge of their local FBI field office.

During Session XXXIV, attendees completed numerous studies to include:  American presidents:  Leadership Lessons from Nixon to Obama” presented by journalist Bob Woodward; Southwest Border Issues:  International, Transnational and National Threats; Policing in a Divided Society; Media and the Police Executive; Lincoln on Leadership:  Executive Strategies for Tough Times; Crisis Leadership:  1996 Mt. Everest Tragedy Case Study; and “No Shortcuts to the Top” Inspirational Leadership.  In addition, attendees were involved in roundtable discussion with Attorney General Eric Holder and FBI Director Robert Mueller as well a visit to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.

More than 1,000 law enforcement executives graduated from NEI since 1976.  Following graduation, each executive is invited to join the NEI Associates (NEIA), a non-profit foundation that continues the education of these executives and sponsors various research projects.

About Chief Zumalt
Chief Zumalt began his career in law enforcement in 1980 when he joined the Wichita Kansas Police Department as a reserve officer.  This was the beginning of a 21 year career with the Wichita Police Department where he held command positions in Patrol, Training, Special Operations, Technical Services, Internal Affairs and Special Investigations.

In 2001 following a nationwide search, Chief Zumalt was hired by Mayor Keith Summey to lead the City of North Charleston Police Department.  Under his leadership, Chief Zumalt has reshaped the police department and brought back a "sense of pride" with his innovative management style he describes as "democratic police leadership."  Chief Zumalt leads his agency through an Executive Staff form where the Deputy Chiefs work along with him to problem solve, develop policies and plans, and manage the daily activities of the agency.  Chief Zumalt believes all employees should have the ability to be creative and bring solutions to the table for consideration. His philosophy is to treat employees as the department's number one customer with the belief that by doing so they will be happier, more productive and will treat external customers well.

Chief Zumalt credits the city's crime control success to the department's use of intelligence to monitor and track violent offender; adjusting resources daily to emerging crime trends; an attack on drug trafficking and drug related violence; educating the community on crime problems and crime prevention; creating problem-solving partnerships with the community; and improving traffic safety. In addition, the department works as a team member with other city departments focusing government resources in troubled neighborhoods improving livability and quality of life which has proven to be a sound crime reduction strategy.

Chief Zumalt holds a Masters Degree in Administration and is a graduate of FBI-LEEDS Seminar Session 47 and the FBI National Executive Institute Session 34.  In 2005 he was elected to the Executive Board of FBI LEEDA a national organization of 5,000 police leaders.  He is a member of the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), South Carolina Police Chiefs Association, and Chair of the Regional Advisory Council for the NIJ National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center – Southeast Region. Chief Zumalt is Chairman of Charleston County 9-1-1 Consolidated Dispatch Board of Directors.

9/11 memorial service to remember lives lost, honor nation’s first responders and military personnel

A memorial service commemorating the 10th anniversary of the tragic events of 9/11 is set for Friday, September 9, 2011, 10:00 am at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center. The public is invited to attend the event.  There will be no charge for admission or parking.

The event, wholly planned by Charleston area first responders and military personnel, will include participation from nearly every public safety agency in the region.

A portion of the service will include remarks from first responders who were at the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, DC on September 11, 2001 and will feature music by the Charleston Police Pipes and Drums and the Academic Magnet High School Vocal Ensemble.  In addition, fire apparatus from agencies throughout the Charleston area will be on display surrounding the Performing Arts Center.

“We hope to come together as a local community of first responders to commemorate this anniversary,” said North Charleston Fire Chief Greg Bulanow.  He continued, “It provides an opportunity to appropriately honor and reflect on the enormous sacrifices that were made that day in the service of duty.  We hope that many will join us, including young people, who perhaps were too young to understand or remember September 11, 2001, but who are growing up in a world that was shaped by that day.”

Charleston County EMS Director Don Lundy stated, “That date changed the way of life for all of us, but particularly for the men and women who protect our loved ones every day. For that, we should honor those who gave their lives and remember those who continue to do this work every day, without fear or trepidation. They all are the real heroes walking among us."

Participating agencies:

Joint Base Charleston
South Carolina Highway Patrol
Charleston County Sheriff’s Office
Charleston County EMS
Charleston County Emergency Management
Charleston Police Department
Charleston Fire Department
Charleston Police Department Pipes & Drums
North Charleston Police Department
North Charleston Fire Department
North Charleston Fire Museum
Mount Pleasant Police Department
Mount Pleasant Fire Department
College of Charleston First Responders
Isle of Palms Police Department
Isle of Palms Fire DepartmentSt. Andrews Fire Department
St. Johns Fire Department
Summerville Fire Department
Ashley River Fire Department
Caromi Fire Department
James Island Fire Department
Awendaw Fire Department
Dorchester County EMS
Moncks Corner Rural Fire Department
Goose Creek Fire Department
Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy

Non-public safety participants:
The Boeing Company’s Safety Officials
Royal Missionary Baptist Church
CCSD’s Academic Magnet High School

Charleston area public safety representatives and military personnel planning 10th Anniversary 9/11 Service

A memorial service commemorating the 10th anniversary of the tragic events of 9/11 is being planned by local first responders, Charleston Air Force Base officials, the Charleston Fire Chief’s Association, South Carolina Highway Patrol, Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy, and other public safety agencies for Friday, September 9, 2011, 10:00 am at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center.

Apart from music brought by Royal Missionary Baptist Church, the entire program will consist only of public safety and military personnel.

The public is invited to attend the event.  There will be no charge for admission or parking.

Officials Break Ground on Consolidated 9-1-1 and Emergency Operations Center

On Tuesday, July 26, officials from multiple jurisdictions in Charleston County gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony for the future building planned to house the County's Consolidated 9-1-1 Center and Emergency Operations Center. The new structure, which is scheduled to open in the spring of 2013, will enable the full consolidation of 9-1-1 and emergency dispatch operations in Charleston County, and will also serve as the new location for the County’s Emergency Operations Center.

An Intergovernmental Agreement signed in January 2008 joins all local jurisdictions within Charleston County in the plan toward consolidating 9-1-1 and dispatch services. Steps toward consolidation have already been taken, with some jurisdictions opting for early consolidation into the current center located in the County’s Lonnie Hamilton, III Public Services Building in North Charleston. The remaining jurisdictions plan to transition their dispatchers to the new Consolidated 9-1-1 Center once it is completed.

“Consolidation benefits the public by providing dispatchers the ability to talk directly to each other as they are handling emergency calls requiring multi-jurisdictional response, ultimately reducing response times and saving lives,” said Charleston County Consolidated Dispatch Board Chairman Jon Zumalt, who is also the North Charleston Police Chief.

The early consolidation of some jurisdictions into the current 9-1-1 center was a move fully supported by the Consolidated Dispatch Board. Consolidation is already proving to offer many benefits, including:

• New efficiencies allow a call taker to remain on the line with the caller to gather more information and to provide additional scene safety or medical instructions while responders are being sent by a separate dispatcher.
• Faster response times are documented.
• Interoperability and cooperation among response agencies is enhanced.
• Delays and dropped calls due to the transferring of calls to other agencies are reduced.

“The new Consolidated 9-1-1 Center will have many advantages, including the latest in 9-1-1 technology and a better working environment for the Call Takers and Dispatchers that will help them continue providing excellent service under increasing responsibilities,” Lake said. “This building has also been designed for potential growth.”

In addition to 9-1-1 and emergency dispatch operations in Charleston County, the new center will be the location of the County’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC), which is also currently located at the County’s Lonnie Hamilton, III Public Services Building in North Charleston. During large, complex incidents, the EOC assumes a coordination role. As an incident expands in size or increases in complexity, central coordination is needed and is provided by the EOC.

“Information from incident commanders is relayed from the Consolidated 9-1-1 Center to the EOC following the occurrence of a disaster, so having both functions under one roof will result in increased efficiency,” said Jason Patno, Charleston County’s Emergency Management Department Director. “Also, staff mandated to work during an emergency incident, such as a hurricane, will benefit from the safety component that the new building will offer.”

FACTS ABOUT THE NEW 9-1-1 AND EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER:

• Location: 8500 Palmetto Commerce Parkway, North Charleston, S.C.
• Size: approximately 38,000 square feet.
• Estimated opening date: spring 2013.
• Facility: two-story structure with backup electrical, water and sewer to ensure continuous operation.
• “Green” features: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver certification goal, rainwater collection, water efficient landscaping and use of recycled materials.
• Approved budget: $26,780,000.
• Safety: the building is designed to be occupied during disasters, with the ability to withstand winds of 191 mph and resist earthquake forces. The first floor will be at elevation 49 feet, which is outside of the 500 year flood plain.

Forest Hills Nursery donates statues honoring police officers and firefighters

Michael and Joy Segars of Forest Hills Nursery & Palm Trees donated The Fireman’s Prayer statue and The Policeman’s Prayer statue to the City of North Charleston for display in the City Hall traffic circle. Each statue pays tribute to our public safety servicemen and women for their ongoing daily work, as well as the family members who provide support at home.

North Charleston Police Department Receives National Accreditation

On Saturday, March 27, 2010 the City of North Charleston Police Department was awarded National Accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (C.A.L.E.A) during the organization’s annual spring conference in Dallas, Texas.

Chief Jon R. Zumalt, along with members of his staff appeared before the commission to complete the reaccreditation process. The accreditation program requires the Police Department to comply with 446 state-of-the-art standards in four basic areas: policies and procedures, administration, operations, and support services. North Charleston Police Department received initial accreditation in 2007.

During the re-accreditation process, members of the commission praised the Police department for its commitment to completing the extensive process; and strengthening community relations while at the same time reducing crime.

National Accreditation strengthens crime prevention and control capabilities; formalizes essential management procedures; establishes fair and nondiscriminatory personnel practices; improves service delivery; solidifies interagency cooperation and coordination; and increases community and staff confidence in the agency.

Chief Jon Zumalt said, “This is a proud moment for the employees of our agency and citizens of North Charleston. It proves that we are making tremendous strides in building trust with our citizens while at the same time implementing crime reduction strategies. If citizens trust law enforcement they will work with us, and this is what we work at everyday developing trust in the community.

Mayor Keith Summey said, “This is a defining moment not only for the hard working men and women of the police department, but for our entire City and residents. “Receiving national accreditation ensures our citizens that they are receiving the best public safety service from a professional agency.”

North Charleston Fire Department receives grant to protect firefighters’ health

North Charleston’s Fire Department will receive $254,102 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under its 2009 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. The grant requires a $50,820 match, which was approved unanimously by the North Charleston Finance Committee on the Thursday, February 18, 2010. The match requires final approval at City Council on Thursday, February 25, 2010.

The funds received from FEMA will be used to install 26 vehicle exhaust removal systems to be placed in city fire stations. The systems utilize a source capture system that removes exhaust directly from the apparatuses to be expelled directly to outside air.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, the most effective means is to connect a hose (to the exhaust pipe of all vehicles) that ventilates exhaust to the outside. This reduces the carbon monoxide, oxides of sulfur and nitrogen, and unburned or partially burned hydrocarbons that are present, as well as the amount of particulates that are often inhaled. Diesel emissions contain many different chemicals that have been found to have a negative effect on firefighters’ health.

The National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have declared human exposure to diesel exhaust as a potential occupational carcinogenic hazard. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concluded in a report made public on Sept. 3, 2002 that long-term exposure to diesel engine exhaust in the air is linked to lung cancer. In addition, NIOSH states that vehicle exhaust fumes are a potential health carcinogen and recommends that occupational exposure to this carcinogen be lowered to the lowest feasible concentration.

North Charleston Fire Chief Gregory A. Bulanow stated, “A fire station combines living quarters with a garage where exposure to diesel exhaust will occur regularly without these systems. I am very pleased that we were awarded this grant to help us maintain our commitment to the long term health and safety of our firefighters.”

North Charleston Fire Department mission, vision, values, and awards

The North Charleston Fire Department hosted an Awards Ceremony on Saturday, November 7, 2009 at Felix Davis Community Center. The Second Annual Awards Ceremony recognized the men and women of the North Charleston Fire Department for their dedication and service to the citizens of the City of North Charleston.

Also at the ceremony, North Charleston Fire Chief Gregory Bulanow unveiled the Fire Department’s new Mission, Vision, and Value Statements. Each statement was developed through committee work and questionnaires, thus giving the members of the department an opportunity to input ideas.

Chief Bulanow said, “Mission, vision and value statements are tools for communicating who we are, what we do and where we are going to all of our stakeholders in order to gain and maintain support within a strategic framework.”



North Charleston Fire Department Mission, Vision and Value Statements
Mission
To protect the quality of life in the City of North Charleston from all predictable hazards through prevention and emergency response.

Vision
To be a fire service leader as a diverse and cohesive team of professionals dedicated to providing service excellence in both proactive risk reduction and courageous, compassionate response to those in need.

We value:
Professionalism - We strive to uphold a professional image by the way we look, act and perform our jobs. We strive to further elevate the fire service as a profession through educational achievement, professional development and by contributing to the body of knowledge of the fire service.

Teamwork - We recognize that we must work together to achieve our mission by uniting individual specialties and the unique strengths of each of us to achieve our common goals.

Courage - In order to achieve worthy objectives, we willingly take calculated risks in the face of danger, difficulty, uncertainty or pain without being overcome by fear or being deflected from the course of action that our duties require.

Honor - We seek to act in accordance with the noble traditions of our profession. We honor those that have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty by constantly working to improve safety and service excellence. Dedication- We are committed to our mission, our department, each other and those we serve.

Respect - We strive to treat each other and those we serve with integrity, fairness, honesty and equality regardless of rank or status; always treating others the way we ourselves wish to be treated.

Compassion - We strive to achieve our mission because of our sympathy for those in distress and our desire to relieve their suffering.

Excellence - We strive to achieve and maintain the highest level of service through innovation, professional development and the continuous effort to improve.

2009 NCFD Award Recipients
Firefighter of the Year: Captain Donald Bowen
Selected from the year’s employees of the month, for his committee work involving off-duty time and his work with the recruit physical fitness program.

Rookie of the Year: Firefighter Paxton Parrish
Selected due to the abundance of personal time devoted to furthering his knowledge in all areas of the fire service through training and education.

Medal of Valor: Captain Gerald Kennedy and Firefighter Christopher Ward
Selected for the successful rescue of a civilian from a third floor apartment at a fire in January, 2009.

Administrative Staff Award: Assistant Chief John Nicholson
Selected for the many hours of personal time devoted to department functions and for other administrative accomplishments.

Distinguished Service Medal/Award:
Engineer Tim Howard - Selected for the successful rescue of a 21 month old child from a swimming pool while off-duty and performing life-saving rescue breaths to revive the child.

Engineer Eric Muench - Selected for successfully performing CPR on an adult choking victim while off-duty.

Battalion Chief John Whetsell - Selected for the successful rescue of a civilian entrapped in a burning car while off-duty.

Community Service Award: Captain Robbie Odom and Engineer Alkhabir Smith
Selected for their countless hours of personal time devoted to leading the Explorer program, a youth program for high school age youth interested in pursuing a career in the fire service.