Operations
The Operations Division of the Greater
Brighton Fire Protection District (GBFPD) is the largest division,
serving the district from five fire station locations.
The district is an area of 162 square miles covering the City of
Brighton
,
Henderson
,
Commerce City
, unincorporated
Adams
County
and unincorporated
Weld
County
. (See District Map for actual
coverage area). The operations
division is made up of career and volunteer firefighters making GBFPD a
combination fire department. The
division is
made up of 39 career staff including 3 shift captains, 10 lieutenants, 9
engineers and 17 firefighters with approximately 60 volunteer firefighters
providing additional staffing. An
assistant chief oversees the division with the help from the three Shift
Captains, each of whom is responsible for specific 24-hour shifts (“A”,
“B” or “C”).
The division has responded to an average of 2500 emergency calls annually
over the past 5 years with an increase of % in the past 3 years with at total of
2000 in 2004, 3195 in 2005 and 3150 in 2006.
The division provides the following
emergency and non-emergency services throughout the district.
FIRE SUPPRESSION
The division provides emergency response
to control and extinguish fire in the district.
These fires or potential fires can occur in homes, vehicles, industrial,
commercial properties, grass or weed and any other situation that might become a
fire. All career and volunteer
firefighters are trained to the minimum of the “Firefighter I level” with
select members being trained to the “Firefighter II level”.
The staff is equipped with apparatus including Engines, Tenders, Brush
Trucks, and a Ladder Truck to handle these emergencies with in the district and
to assist with mutual and auto aid to departments in the area.
EMERGENCY MEDIAL
SERVICES
The division provides emergency medial (BLS)
basic life support first response to life threatening calls for service with in
the district. The primary
EMS
care provider is Platte Valley Ambulance. All
career staff are certified and trained as Emergency Medical Technicians
(EMT’s) with the volunteer staff being trained to a minimum of the First
Responder level. The apparatus are
stocked with all the medical supplies necessary to provide Basic Life Support
and defibrillation with the use of an AED (Automatic External Deliberator).
Fire department personnel respond to assist in stabilizing the patient
and to assist Platte Valley Ambulance with patient care on the scene and with
transport if needed.
HAZARDOUS
MATERIALS
The division
provides emergency response to prevent and mitigate hazardous material incidents
with in the district. All members of
the division are trained to the “Operations Level” with select members being
trained to the “Technician Level”. This
specialized training allows the department to provide response to complex
incidents as fires involving hazardous materials, airplane crashes, train
derailments, accidents involving trucks and semi-trailers carrying chemicals and
incidents involving chemical use and misuse in the work place as well as in the
home. Several members that are
trained to the “Technician Level” are also on the ADAMS/JEFFCO Hazmat team.
TECHNICAL RESCUE
The division provides emergency response
to rescue trapped or endangered persons from any cause including vehicle
accidents, structural collapse, cave-ins, trench rescue, surface ice-rescue and
other technical rescues with in the district.
Members of the division are trained to a basic level with select members
being trained to an advanced level. Several
members that are trained to the advanced level are members of the North Area
Technical Rescue Team.
FIRE PREVENTION
The division provides assistance to the
Prevention Division by conducting inspections of businesses and apartment
buildings to help eliminate fire hazards with in the district.
They are also responsible for pre-fire planning which involves becoming
familiar with the buildings and businesses with in the district.
These pre-fire plans include the layout, content, electrical panels, gas
shut offs, sprinkler systems, standpipe locations, fire alarm panels, stairways,
elevators, exits and all other special hazards that may be present.
They are also responsible for public education programs with in the
schools and throughout the community. With
in these programs the firefighters visit classrooms at daycares, preschools,
grade schools, middle schools, and high schools to present fire safety education
information including Fire Prevention Week activities.
They also participate in community activates such as Festival of Lights
and Culture fest just to name a few. All
members are active in fire prevention activities throughout the district.
