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Master Plan Nashua Fire Rescue, NH

3. If you could change one thing about the department's training program, what would it

be?

= 59 of the requests included a formally established and organized program, hands-on scenarios
including use of the training facility, and more consistency to assure that everyone is being trained
uniformly.

= 25 of the responses to this question requested Officer Development. Specific topics included Human
Resources, Personnel Management, Mayday Management, and Professional Ethics.

= 30fthe responses suggested more funding for travel outside training as well as shift coverage.

= 20f the responses suggested that the firefighters would benefit from spending some time learning
about the role of the dispatchers.

4. In your opinion, what is the best way to communicate information within Nashua Fire
Rescue?
= The two most common responses to this question were email (23) and face-to-face (20)

communications. Many of the respondents felt that these two forms of communication were best
used in tandem.

= There were multiple requests for start-of-shift briefings so that everyone knows what to expect.
There was a common theme in the responses that some of the current Deputy Chiefs regularly visit
the station in person more often than others. There was a perception that the crews who received
personal visits from the deputies were better informed than those who only received emails.

= An additional 12 respondents noted the necessity to implement and consistently enforce the chain
of command within Nashua Fire Rescue.

5. How would you rate morale at the department?

Figure 208. Internal Survey Question 5 Results

Excellent__No Opinion
0% 0%

Average
27%

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7.

8.

Nashua Fire Rescue, NH

What suggestions do you have for improving firefighter morale at the department?
The most common response (45) to this question suggested changes in the way the fire department

is managed. There were repeated requests for better and more consistent communication.
Accountability was another very common theme. Respondents wanted to see the leadership hold
the membership accountable from the top down, but they also called for the union to hold members
accountable from the bottom up.

A number of the respondents also felt that the Board of Fire Commissioners created complications
within the fire department system that negatively impacts morale. The current promotional process
was repeatedly listed as a detractor from morale as well.

In your opinion, what should the Department's leadership be doing more of?
The most common response to this question (22) was a request for more engagement from the
department leadership. Specifically, members would like to see more of the leadership and have time
to talk with them on both a professional and personal level.

The next most common response (19) was for more decisive leadership. They wanted to see decisions
made, explained, and then implemented. Other suggestions included listening to the membership,
allowing company officers to take more initiative, and more requests for better and more consistent
communication.

How would you rate your overall personal work environment at the department?

Figure 109. Internal Survey Question 8 Results

No Opinion
0%

Ceti (-SaV
OA

Average
28%

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9. How proud are you fo tell other people that you are a member of Nashua Fire Rescue?

Figure 110. Internal Survey Question 9 Results

No Opinion
3%

Not Proud
abs

Somewhat Proud Very Proud
32% Ero

10. On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is poor and 10 is excellent, how would you rate the
following external services and programs provided to the public by the Department?

Figure 111. Internal Survey Question 10 Results

Fire Suppression

Emergency Medical Services

Code Enforcement

Plan Inspections

Technical Rescue (as currently provided)

Public Education

10

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11. On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is poor and 10 is excellent, how would you rate the
following internal services and processes provided by the Department?

Figure 112. Internal Survey Question 11 Results

Equipment and Apparatus Maintenance
Facility Maintenance

Firefighter Benefits

Firefighter Relations

Safety Programs

Dispatch/Communications

Organizational Planning

Administrative Support 3.24
Wellness/Fitness Program se
0 2 4 6 8 10

12. Please identify your level of agreement with each of the following statements about
the Department's facilities and apparatus:

Figure 113. Internal Survey Question 12 Results

Pump testing is completed on a regular basis.
Ladder testing is completed on a regular basis.

Hose testing is completed on a regular basis.

Apparatus repairs and maintenance are
completed in a timely manner.

Apparatus are well maintained.

The current fleet of apparatus is adequate to meet
the needs of the department.

The facilities are in good repair.

The facilities are well maintained.

The existing facilities are adequate to meet the
needs of the department.

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

§ Strongly Agree Somewhat Agree Somewhat Disagree Strongly Disagree No Opinion

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13. If you could change only one thing about the work environment at Nashua Fire
Rescue, what would it be?
= The most common response (29) to this question was morale. Specific repeated comments included

requests for more brotherhood and less negativity among the members.
= The next most common responses (16) were to improve accountability throughout the Department.

= Other common requests included single station dispatching (9) and improved communication (6).

14. Please identify your level of agreement with each of the following statements as they
relate to the Department's community relations:

Figure 114. Internal Survey Question 14 Results

55% 18%
m4

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

The department leadership strives to maintain
cooperative working relationships with
neighboring emergency service providers.

The department is sufficiently engaged in the
community.

The department is respected by the community
that it serves.

Strongly Agree Somewhat Agree Somewhat Disagree & Strongly Disagree No Opinion

15. In your opinion, what is the community's overall image of Nashua Fire Rescue?

Figure 115. Internal Survey Question 15 Results

Poor
0%

No Opinion
0%

Average
13%

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16. In your opinion, what is the Department's single greatest strength?
The most common response to this question (86) was “manpower.” The staffing level was highly valued

as were the people who make up Nashua Fire Rescue. Most of the respondents felt that they worked with
good people who were both proficient at their jobs and dedicated to the organization.

The next most common response (14) was that Nashua Fire Rescue's strength is its aggressive firefighting
capability.

17. In your opinion, what is the Department's single greatest weakness?
Leadership was the most common response to this question (26 respondents). The other common

answers were communications (10), the Board of Fire Commissioners (8), and morale (6).

18. In your opinion, what single greatest opportunity should the Department take
advantage of in the future?
The most common response to this question (33) was that Nashua Fire Rescue should become more

involved in EMS, including both transport and Advanced Life Support.

The second most common response (19) to this question was that the department should provide more
and better training for its members.

19. In your opinion, what is the single most significant threat that the Department faces in
the future?
The most common response (18) to this question is that the department is threatened by a lack of

qualified incoming candidates to be firefighters.
The second two most common answers to this question were politics (15) and low morale (14).

20. Please use the space below to tell us your suggestions or final thoughts for improving
Nashua Fire Rescue.
The most common responses (18) to this question reiterated the need for better personnel management,

including more communication and transparency.

The other most common responses included offering more and better training (8) and eliminating the
Fire Commission (4).

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Appendix B: Development of Response Standards and Targets

There are three main factors the lead to successful mitigation of emergencies; sufficient numbers of well-
trained personnel, arriving on reliable and well-equipped apparatus appropriate to the task at hand, quickly
enough to make a positive difference in property preserved or lives saved. The previous sections of this report
have laid out the current staffing levels, facilities and equipment, and response performance for Nashua Fire
Rescue. The following describes the consequences of failing to deliver sufficient personnel and equipment
early enough to mitigate the emergency addressed.

Dynamics of Fire in Buildings

Most fires within buildings develop in a predictable fashion unless influenced by highly flammable material.
Ignition, or the beginning of a fire, starts the sequence of events. It may take several minutes or even hours
from the time of ignition until a flame is visible. This smoldering stage is very dangerous, especially during
times when people are sleeping, since large amounts of highly toxic smoke may be generated during this
phase.

Once flames do appear, the sequence continues rapidly. Combustible material adjacent to the flame heat
and ignite, which in turn heats and ignites other adjacent materials if sufficient oxygen is present. As the
objects burn, heated gases accumulate at the ceiling of the room. Some of the gases are flammable and
highly toxic.

The spread of the fire from this point continues quickly. Soon the flammable gases at the ceiling as well as
other combustible material in the room of origin reach ignition temperature. At that point, an event termed
“flashover” occurs; the gases and other material ignite, which in turn ignites everything in the room. Once
flashover occurs, damage caused by the fire is significant and the environment within the room can no longer
support human life. Flashover usually occurs about five to eight minutes from the appearance of flames in
typically furnished and ventilated buildings. Since flashover has such a dramatic influence on the outcome of
a fire event, the goal of any fire agency is to apply water to a fire before flashover occurs.

Although modern codes tend to make fires in newer structures more infrequent, today’s energy-efficient
construction (designed to hold heat during the winter) also tends to confine the heat of a hostile fire. In
addition, research has shown that modern furnishings generally ignite more quickly and burn hotter (due to
synthetics). In the 1970s, scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology found that after a
fire broke out, building occupants had about 17 minutes to escape before being overcome by heat and smoke.
Today, that estimate is as short as three minutes.3* The necessity of effective early warning (smoke alarms),
early suppression (fire sprinklers), and firefighters arriving on the scene of a fire in the shortest span of time
is more critical now than ever.

32 National Institute of Standards and Technology, Performance of Home Smoke Alarms, Analysis of the Response of Several Available
Technologies in Residential Fire Settings, Bukowski, Richard, et al.

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The prompt arrival of at least four personnel is critical for structure fires. Federal regulations (CFR 1910.120)
require that personnel entering a building involved in fire must be in groups of two. Further, before personnel
can enter a building to extinguish a fire, at least two personnel must be on scene and assigned to conduct
search and rescue in case the fire attack crew becomes trapped. This is referred to as the two-in, two-out
rule. However, if it is known that victims are trapped inside the building, a rescue attempt can be performed
without additional personnel ready to intervene outside the structure. Further, there is no requirement that
all four arrive on the same response vehicle. Many fire departments rely on more than one unit arriving to
initiate interior fire attack.

Perhaps as important as preventing flashover is the need to control a fire before it does damage to the
structural framing of a building. Materials used to construct buildings today are often less fire resistive than
the heavy structural skeletons of older frame buildings. Roof trusses and floor joists are commonly made with
lighter materials that are more easily weakened by the effects of fire. “Light weight” roof trusses fail after
five to seven minutes of direct flame impingement. Plywood |-beam joists can fail after as little as three
minutes of flame contact. This creates a dangerous environment for firefighters.

In addition, the contents of buildings today have a much greater potential for heat production than in the
past. The widespread use of plastics in furnishings and other building contents rapidly accelerate fire spread
and increase the amount of water needed to effectively control a fire. All of these factors make the need for
early application of water essential to a successful fire outcome.

The next figure illustrates the sequence of events during the growth of a structure fire over time.

Figure 116. Fire Growth vs. Reflex Time

Fire Growth vs Reflex Time

Z™ lashover

CPAP AR POPP? PE? EEE? PEP EEE LP Po? ? PE? AAPL ES

Temperature
T
;
re Growth

Hl
T
5
Minutes

1 2 6 7 8 9 10
ime Varies > _
=
5s S
Fire System Response Time 2 =
Detection] Report SP
Ign of of + Ss 5
Fire Alarm | Dispatch | Turn Set fa 3
of Out Respond to Scene up ss
Units =
ui
Time indirectly Time directly manageable
manageable by Fire Service System
<< __ __—______. Reflex Time _

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As is apparent by this description of the sequence of events, application of water in time to prevent flashover
is a serious challenge for any fire department. It is critical, though, as studies of historical fire losses can
demonstrate.

The National Fire Protection Association found that fires contained to the room of origin (typically
extinguished prior to or immediately following flashover) had significantly lower rates of death, injury, and
property loss when compared to fires that had an opportunity to spread beyond the room of origin (typically
extinguished post-flashover). As evidenced in the following figure, fire losses, casualties, and deaths rise
significantly as the extent of fire damage increases.

Figure 117. Fire Extension in Residential Structures, United States, 2011-2015

Rates per 1,000 Fires

Fire Extension
Civilian Deaths Civilian Injuries Average Pollen
eS S t=)

Confined to room of origin or smaller 1.8 24.8 $4,200
Confined to floor of origin 15.8 81.4 $36,300
Confined to building of origin or larger 24.0 57.6 $67,600

Source: National Fire Protection Association

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Emergency Medical Event Sequence

Cardiac arrest is the most significant life-threatening medical event in emergency medicine today. A victim
of cardiac arrest has mere minutes in which to receive lifesaving care if there is to be any hope for
resuscitation. The American Heart Association (AHA) issued a set of cardiopulmonary resuscitation
guidelines designed to streamline emergency procedures for heart attack victims, and to increase the
likelihood of survival. The AHA guidelines include goals for the application of cardiac defibrillation to cardiac
arrest victims. Cardiac arrest survival chances fall by 7 to 10% for every minute between collapse and
defibrillation. Consequently, the AHA recommends cardiac defibrillation within five minutes of cardiac
arrest. As with fires, the sequence of events that lead to emergency cardiac care can be graphically illustrated,
as in the following figure.

Figure 118. Cardiac Arrest Event Sequence

Detect Report Dispatch Turnout —_ =>

95%

90% - er

80% +

100% -

715%
70% ~
60% -
50%
50% ~

40% -

Survival Percentage

30% + 259

20% -
12%
6%

10% ~
0% I

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Minutes

The percentage of opportunity for recovery from cardiac arrest drops quickly as time progresses. The stages
of medical response are very similar to the components described for a fire response. Recent research
stresses the importance of rapid cardiac defibrillation and administration of certain medications as a means
of improving the opportunity for successful resuscitation and survival.

People, Tools, and Time

Time matters a great deal in the achievement of an effective outcome to an emergency event. Time,
however, is not the only factor. Delivering sufficient numbers of properly trained, appropriately equipped
personnel within the critical time period completes the equation.

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