Info Central Presents: Fire Chief Jason Fair

On Monday, November 15th, 2021, Info Central had a great turn-out for a “town hall” Q&A with Fire Chief Jason Fair from Charlotte County Fire & EMS.  Having been supplied with some questions in advance, Chief Fair came prepared to discuss CC programs and protocols.

​The group was informed that Bryan Carr is our new Deputy Chief. Chief Fair went on to talk about our current service, which is dual MEMT/Paramedic capability. Engine 10 is supplied with ALS (Advanced Life Support) equipment.

The Chief opened the floor to questions:

1. What do I do in an emergency?  Call 911 immediately. Dispatch needs your correct physical address. Turn on all of the lights in your house to better aid responders in locating the emergency. If someone is available, send them out to the end of the driveway to be visible and to assist responders to your emergency.  You may also notify Security or the Sheriff.
2. What about after-hours emergencies?  The new protocol is that Comms. (Dispatch) will alert the barge directly. There is a barge captain on call 24-7, and the response time is 15 minutes.What if my cell phone is from a different area code?Location identification is not done by cellphone number area code. It is now accomplished using cell phone tower triangulation.
3. Are there any problem locations on the island?  The addressing up at the Resort is still a problem.  Frequently renters don’t know the building name or number for identification.
4. What caused the recent fire at the house in the Resort?  HVAC failed.
5. Does the Fire Department have the code to the Resort main gate?  Yes.
6. What if there is only one egress at the property? You need to find some kind of alternative.
7. What if there is a fire on the beach? (not on a property) Call the Sheriff’s non-emergency #, not the Fire Dept.
8. Are beach accesses labeled? Yes, both within the Resort and down Island. There are 13 easements that are labeled “private” providing access for owners and their guests. There are 3 public easements: 1 each centrally located on Knight Island and Don Pedro Island, and one just south of the Resort gates.
9. Can I choose which hospital I am sent to? Yes and No.  It will depend on your emergency situation and whether it is classified as a “trauma alert”, in which case the FD will make the call.
10. Where does the Medevac land? There are multiple helicopter locations on the island, including at the ferry landing.
11. What about home equipment? Fire extinguisher: Type A, B or C. Use the acronym “P.A.S.S.”. Pull the pin. Aim at the base of the fire. Squeeze the trigger. Sweep from side to side. If you use it, use all of the contents until the cannister is empty. Smoke Alarms: Replace the batteries every year, replace the unit every 10 years.
12. When will the new Station 10 be open? Chief Fair is anticipating completion by mid-January. The driveway was poured on the day of the Q&A.
13. Is there room for shelter at the new firehouse? No.
14. What are the plans for the old station? Chief Fair indicated that the Fire Dept. has no say in what happens to the old firehouse.  Charlotte County classifies the property as “surplus” for sale and make the decision about how to proceed. Our Island Fire & EMS Advisory Committee is working with the CC representative to explore possible plans.

 
Chief Fair discussed extra costs that will impact future tax rates for our MSBU.  These include equipment replacement costs and also increasing the number of firefighters stationed on the Island.  Charlotte County has a 6-month study underway to determine the need for personnel, equipment, and new facilities county-wide. Our ad valorem taxes (General) covers the cost for 1 person/ all shifts and our Fire & EMS taxing unit (MSBU) pays for 1 person/ all shifts.
 
There was discussion of increasing the personnel with the 24/7 coverage. Fire protocol dictates that for every 2 firefighters that enter a building, there must be 2 firefighters that remain out. This protocol can only deviate if life is in danger. We only have 3 firefighters on per shift at this time.  Chief Fair also reminded us that Station 10 personnel are exclusive to the Island. They do not leave to respond to emergencies anywhere else.
 
Finally, the Chief talked about the Red Dot Program, which homeowners can use to indicate the ready availability of emergency information for the responders.  Literature was provided.  Information about the Red Dot program is available at the firehouse.