North Charleston to hire 15 firefighters with federal grant

New federal resources have been awarded to the North Charleston Fire Department. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response Grants (SAFER) program awarded $1,813,830 on Friday to North Charleston to hire 15 firefighters.

The SAFER grant program supports the hiring of firefighters and the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. SAFER grants are awarded directly to volunteer, combination, and career fire departments to help the departments increase the number of frontline firefighters. In addition, the grant encourages the hiring of veterans. More information can be found http://www.fema.gov/firegrants.

“Firefighters put their lives on the line every day to keep our residents and communities safe,” said Mayor Keith Summey. “These new federal resources extend the efforts of the North Charleston Fire Department and ensure we have the skilled responders needed.”

“The performance data we gained through the accreditation process helped us clearly demonstrate the need for this additional staffing,” said Fire Chief Greg Bulanow. “The additional personnel will be utilized to increase staff on our ladder trucks to better protect the increasing number of large residential and commercial structures in our thriving city. This will ultimately result in safer and more effective fire protection to the citizens of North Charleston.”

Chief Bulanow continued, “We have very good experience with hiring veterans, as they fit in well with the culture and values of our organization. We regularly attend veterans’ job fairs as part of our recruiting strategy and hope to hire as many veterans as we can to maximize the benefit of this grant.”

Interested applicants can contact the City’s Human Resource Department for applications or visit http://www.northcharleston.org/residents/Departments/HR/vacancies.aspx

Fire Chief Bulanow recognizes personnel for going above and beyond the call of duty

Recognized: Eng. Stephanie Julazadeh, FF Michael Phillips, FF Brian Morton and FF Corey Shaw  A Letter from Chief Bulanow On February 16th upon arriving at work, Eng. Stephanie Julazadeh noticed a couple in the field area behind the Remount Road fire station who were packing up their bedding from apparently sleeping there the previous night.  Eng. Julazadeh spoke with the couple and learned that they were recently homeless and trying to get back on their feet.  After speaking with the couple, Eng. Julazadeh went to McDonalds and used her own money to purchase breakfast for them.  That evening the couple came back to Station 3 stating that they were concerned about the cold temperatures predicted for that night and asked if the crew knew of any place where they could stay.  With temperatures near freezing, the crew invited them into the apparatus bay to warm up and requested that dispatch send a police unit to see if they could assist.  In the meantime the crew continued to visit with the couple and learned that the husband is a military veteran and had a job interview scheduled for the following Monday.  A NCPD unit arrived at Station 3 and advised that all shelters were full and there was no assistance available to them.  The firefighters asked if the officers would be willing to transport the couple to a nearby hotel if the fire crew were to pay for the room and the officers agreed.  So Eng. Julazadeh, FF Michael Phillips, FF Morton and FF Shaw pooled their resources and gave the officers enough money to pay for the room and the officers took the couple to a nearby hotel where they spent the night.   While speaking to the couple the firefighters learned that the man had skills as a handyman.   FF Morton told the husband that he had some work that needed to be done at his house and offered the work to him.  He accepted and went to FF Morton’s house on Monday afternoon after his interview.  The crew has kept in touch with the couple and the man has secured basic employment and the couple has been able to maintain housing since that night. The members of this crew demonstrated great compassion to this couple. They went well out of their way to help them and sacrificially gave of their own money to help them in their time of need. To recognize the great compassion that they demonstrated, I am pleased to present Eng. Julazadeh, FF Michael Phillips, FF Brian Morton and FF Cory Shaw with a Letter of Commendation along with my admiration and gratitude.

Recognized: Captain James Langdon, FF Robert Marriot and FF Morgan Doyle  A Letter from Chief Bulanow On February 9, 2013, Engine 205 responded to an emergency call for a woman who had just given birth. The crew arrived and found an unconscious 20 year-old female with a still attached baby on the floor. The mother had lost consciousness while giving birth to the baby. The infant was blue, cold to the touch and was not breathing. Neighbors had found them and called 911. The crew immediately went to work. They clamped off and cut the umbilical cord and Captain Langdon and FF Marriot began providing care to the baby. They suctioned the mouth, provided warmth and rubbed the infant’s chest to stimulate breathing.  Meanwhile FF Doyle worked to care for and revive the mother and provided oxygen. By the time Charleston County EMS arrived to transport the mother and baby they were both conscious and breathing on their own. FF Marriot rode to the hospital while continuing to provide warmth and stimulation to the newborn infant.  I am pleased to report that due in large part to the care provided by this crew, the mother and baby were both revived with strong vital signs as confirmed when they arrived at the hospital. It is worth noting that both Captain Langdon and Firefighter Marriot were certified as EMTs and that FF Doyle has recently completed her EMT training and is preparing for her final test. For the swift and skillful care they provided, I am pleased to present Captain James Langdon, FF Robert Marriot and FF Morgan Doyle with a Unit Commendation along with my admiration and gratitude for a job well done.

Fire Department dedicates new engine and heavy rescue with ceremonial wet-down

The North Charleston Fire Department will hold a traditional wet-down ceremony for an Engine and a Heavy Rescue that has joined the fleet on Monday, June 11, 2012 at 1:00pm at the North Charleston and American LaFrance Fire Museum. Both trucks will operate from Fire Station #7 on Leeds Avenue and will replace a 1995 Engine and a 2002 Heavy Rescue.

Both trucks were built by Pierce Manufacturing in Appleton, WI are based on the Arrow XT chassis.

A wet-down ceremony is a traditional welcome for a fire apparatus or station. The tradition originated in historic east coast fire departments when changing out old fire pumpers for the new. The horses would be unhitched and water was transferred to the new apparatus. It would then be dried off and pushed into the stall for service.

Engine photo from Pierce Manufacturing
Heavy Rescue photo from Pierce Manufacturing
Photos of the Heavy Rescue while parked behind City Hall

Firefighter Combat Challenge comes to North Charleston this weekend

The Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge will be coming to North Charleston this weekend. The event is being offered to promote the physical fitness of firefighters, and will be part of the 20-plus Challenge tour to be held throughout the United States in 2012.

While you must be a firefighter to take part in the competition, the public is encouraged to come and watch as the participants navigate the Challenge course or “The toughest two minutes in sports,” as it’s frequently known.

The Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge will be held at Tanger Outlet, located at 4840 Tanger Outlet Blvd, North Charleston, SC 29418. The individual competition starts at Friday, May 18 at 4:00pm. The tandem and team relays begin on Saturday, May 19 at 11:00 am.

Firefighters competing in the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge will be competing in a five-evolution event, which includes a 5-story tower climb with high-rise pack, hose hoist, forcible entry, hose advance, and victim rescue. Competitions shall include individual, team, tandem, and relay. Firefighters will vie for times, points, and placement qualifying them for the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge World Challenge, to be held in November 2012.

 “The Firefighter Combat Challenge is set to showcase the hard work of our local fire departments that keep us safe during our times of need. The intricacy of their equipment and tasks are most often overlooked by the public, but the complexity of the profession is definitely real. This spectacular event, featuring the firefighter’s brain and brawn, will offer us the rare, yet exciting peak into the actions of the brave men and women that put their lives on the line for us every day,” stated Mayor Keith Summey.


This year’s Combat Challenge is being held in conjunction with the Annual Safe Kids Bike Rodeo and Safety Day at the Fire Museum. The North Charleston and American LaFrance Fire Museum and Educational Center will celebrate its fifth anniversary on Saturday, May 19, 2012, with a full day of family fun activities to entertain while raising awareness to prevent accidental childhood injury.

The Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge was founded 20 years ago, by Dr. Paul Davis, as a physical fitness research project at the University of Maryland. The Challenge is based out of Burtonsville, Maryland, and maintains a goal of promoting fitness within the first responder community.

For more information about the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge, please visit http://www.firefighterchallenge.com, or call 301.421.4433.

North Charleston unveils Pink Fire Truck

The City of North Charleston unveiled its very own pink fire truck in front of city hall on Friday, October 21, 2011. Inspired by the Pink Heals National Fire Truck Tour, the city will use the pink fire truck to raise awareness for women and local non-profits in their fight against cancer.

At the unveiling, the fire truck was dedicated to Brenda Cawley who has shown brave resolve and been an inspiration to others in their fight against cancer. In addition, all city employees who have battled cancer will be specifically acknowledged on the fire truck.

An all-female crew from Fire Station 3 drove the fire truck to city hall with North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey as their passenger.

All North Charleston Fire Department personnel to receive EMT-B training

The North Charleston Fire Department has been awarded an Assistance to Firefighters Grant from the U.S. Fire Administration to train all personnel to the level of Emergency Medical Technician-Basic (EMT-B).

The total grant allocation is $160,000.  Last Thursday, March 17, 2011, the North Charleston Finance Committee approved $32,000 in matching funds to be combined with $128,000 from federal funding sources.  The matching funds require a final reading at City Council on Thursday, March 24, 2011 for full approval.

Currently, the North Charleston Fire Department has 229 personnel of which most are certified to provide emergency medical response at the First Responder level, a 56 hour program that meets U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Guidelines.

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant will increase the level of medical training for all personnel to EMT-B, which requires 144 hours of training.  EMT-Bs provide basic life support, typically procedures including CPR, automated external defibrillation, mechanical ventilation, placement of air way adjuncts, splinting, and suctioning.  In addition, EMT-Bs are trained to assist patients with administration of preprescribed nitroglycerin, metered-dose inhaler, and epinephrine auto injectors.

The primary goal of the Assistance to Firefighters Grants is to meet the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical service organizations. Since 2001, Assistance to Firefighters Grant has helped firefighters and other first responders to obtain critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, and other resources needed to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards.

“This grant will allow us to significantly improve our capability in providing initial medical response in coordination with Charleston County EMS,” stated North Charleston Fire Chief Greg Bulanow.

“Having a certified EMT-basic on scene with EMS has proven nationally to be of a great benefit and is very important to the overall care of the patient. We are looking forward to working with North Charleston with this project,” stated Charleston County EMS Director Don Lundy.

Why EMT-B training is important to North Charleston

• NCFD medical responses have increased by more than 300% since 2004 and now make up more than two thirds of total call volume.
• The NCFD responds to only the most serious medical incidents by using dispatching protocols that identify the severity of the need.  In 2010, the NCFD responded to approximately 5,400 of the approximately 16,000 total medical calls in North Charleston.  This ensures that the fire crews are still available to respond to fires while providing the fastest care to those with immediate life-threatening medical needs.  
• Some of the factors that contribute to the increased call volume include: 
• The City is thriving and continuing to grow both in size and density.   
• The American population is aging as the baby boomers reach retirement age.   Seniors tend to move to urban areas and generally place more of a demand on emergency medical services.  
• The economic downturn in the US economy has caused many more people to be uninsured or underinsured.  They may wait until an emergency occurs before they confront a medical situation.

North Charleston Fire Station 5 Grand Opening

The North Charleston Fire Department, City Council, and Mayor R. Keith Summey hosted a Grand Opening for Fire Station 5, located at 6265 Dorchester Road, on Friday, February 18, 2011 at 11:00 am.

The ceremony will include remarks, a ribbon cutting, and a traditional station “WetDown.”  Station tours will be given after the ceremony.

The Station will house an engine and a ladder truck with a total of eight crew members each day.

View Fire Station 5 in a larger map

Message from Fire Chief Gregory Bulanow

Fire Chief Gregory Bulanow

Thank you for your interest in the North Charleston Fire Department.  Our department includes a diverse group of over 225 men and women working collectively to accomplish our mission to protect the quality of life in the City of North Charleston from all predictable hazards through prevention and emergency response.  The mission extends far beyond responding to fires or other emergencies and includes contributing to the quality of life in our City.  For those who assume that our firefighters are lounging at their stations waiting for an emergency call, our mission statement may seem confusing.  What does it mean for a fire department to protect quality of life, and what would that look like?

To see for yourself, you do not need to schedule a visit or tour a station.  In fact, you may not even find us there.  Instead, simply look for us as you participate in the things that are important to you and your family.  Each weekend our crews participate in school festivals, church picnics, neighborhood block parties, corporate family days, charitable fundraisers, and a variety of other events, providing fire safety information and prevention displays.

We offer medical first responders at sports tournaments, competitive run/walks, and neighborhood service days.  You may see us on the water providing assistance to boaters in distress during events, such as the recent Blue Angel’s air show.  You may see us on bike patrol during large events at North Charleston’s beautiful Riverfront Park, or at a child’s birthday party at North Charleston’s fantastic Fire Museum.  Late at night, you may see members of our Fire Marshal’s Bureau at nightclubs and restaurants to ensure the safety of those enjoying the City’s night life.

During the week, our firefighters are active in our schools, teaching fire prevention, as well as serving as positive role models in reading and mentoring programs.  You may see us at your place of employment, providing inspections to ensure compliance with fire codes to ensure your workplace is safe, or “pre-planning” a building for accurate information in the event of an emergency.  Our certified technicians help parents of small children learn to properly install safety seats in their vehicles.

Throughout the year, our crews join with the other City departments for the Neighborhood Enhancement Team (NET), working to improve the quality of life in targeted neighborhoods.  Our crews go door-to-door installing free smoke alarms as part of our award winning program that has provided thousands of these life saving devices to North Charleston residents.

Any one of these sights is a glimpse of us meeting the demands of our mission.  Our crews are engaged directly with our residents and businesses, working to prevent emergencies or in position to give immediate assistance in ways that fit specifically with the needs of our City.  Our crews also keeping a rigorous training schedule and maintain a constant state of readiness to respond en force to any emergency incident.  These initiatives and activities help us remain proactive and vigilant in providing fire protection.

We work hard to ensure that you will not need us in our traditional role of emergency responders, but if you do, be assured that you will experience the same high quality response that the North Charleston Fire Department has provided since our beginnings in 1937.  While our mission has expanded to meet the demands of the 21st century, it remains consistent with the oldest and finest traditions of the fire service.

Hop over to the City's website for more information on the North Charleston Fire Department

Fire Museum receives generous donation from Case Family

On behalf of the Case Family and the Raymond Case Scholarship Fund, Ms. Linda Case presented a donation in the amount of $8,555.19 to the North Charleston and American LaFrance Fire Museum and Educational Center. The gift will be used for the establishment of a ‘Make Your Own Patch’ exhibit to promote fire safety.

New and innovative exhibits and features are vital in sustaining the popularity and educational value of any museum. From a 32’ touch screen, the ‘Make Your Own Patch’ exhibit will allow museum visitors to build a patch based on eight to ten templates. After template selection, customization will include background and border colors, two editable text regions, and insertion of iconic firefighting images. Each patch prints onto a sticker with a fire safety message. When the exhibit is idle it will continue as a passive display showcasing fire safety messages and images. The exhibit should be fully operational by summer’s end.

This gift is one of many donated to the Fire Museum from the Case Family. Others include an antique fire hose nozzle and a charcoal rendering displayed in the Fire Museum lobby to honor a notable moment of Mr. Case’s fire service career. The caption accompanying the rendering describes his heroic actions at River Downs Race Track on the outskirts of Cincinnati on June 11, 1973. It was there that Mr. Case rescued a German Sheppard from certain death and was instrumental in the safety of an estimated 200 horses. For his actions, he received recognition from the Cincinnati Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Before moving to the Greater Charleston Area, Raymond Case retired from the Cincinnati Fire Department with thirteen years of service. He received numerous accolades during his tenure, including national recognitions.

The City of North Charleston and the Fire Museum are grateful for the overwhelming generosity of the Case Family.

Replacement of Fire Station 5 has begun

The North Charleston Fire Department, City Council, and Mayor R. Keith Summey broke ground on Fire Station 5 on May 20, 2010. The new fire station will be located across the street from the current fire station on Dorchester Road between Covington Hills and Jericho on the Ashley.

When the City conducted inspections of all facilities in November 2007, it was determined that Fire Station 5 needed a complete renovation. The renovation would have taken 6 months and require temporary housing (trailers) for fire personnel. Instead of renovating the station at the current site, which the City leases from the Air Force, it was deemed wiser to construct an up to date station on city owned property.

The new station will contain an additional bay that will house reserve or specialized equipment, some of which is currently stored outside due to lack of space. It will contain a weight room for the crews to maintain a higher level of physical fitness and a day room equipped for classroom training for the crews while they maintain coverage in the area. The new station will also contain living space for a Battalion Chief, as our Battalion Chiefs currently stay at other stations dictated more by space limitations rather than strategic determinations.

View Fire Station 5 in a larger map

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.