Fire & Rescue Staff	Monthly Fire & Ambulance Run Report
Fire Organization Chart	Fire Response Data
Fire Protector Statue	Ambulance Response Data and Services
Department Mission	Fire and Rescue Apparatus
Department History	Fire Prevention & Safety Tips
Code of Ethics	Firefighter Frank
Fire Programs	Fire Web Links

GENERAL INFORMATION

Thank you for visiting our web site. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the many services provided through the City of Eastpointe Fire and Rescue Department. We would like your experience with our department to be a pleasant one, and we will be happy to assist you in any way we can.

The Fire Chief is appointed by, and serves at the pleasure of, the City Manager.

The Fire and Rescue Department is located at 16370 Nine Mile Road. For any additional information not listed on these web pages, please call the department's non-emergency number at (586) 445-5055.

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FIRE AND RESCUE STAFF

Bob Niedermaier, Interim Fire Chief/Fire Marshal

Black Unit

Red Unit: "The Big Red One"

Green Unit: "The Green Machine"

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THE EASTPOINTE FIRE PROTECTOR STATUE

On October 27, 1996, the Eastpointe Fire 'Protector' Statue was dedicated in front of the fire station. This statue commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Fire Department. The project, which cost in excess of $15,000, was 100% funded by donations and contributions made by residents, business and community leaders and members of the Eastpointe Fire & Rescue Department.

Major contributors of $500 or more were as follows: Eastpointe Department of Parks and Recreation, East Detroit Public Schools, North of Nine Mile Homeowners, Villa Restaurant, Eastpointe Firefighters Union Local 1561, Eastpointe Goodfellows, Pete and Frank's Fruit Ranch, Hudson Construction, Shafer Rochelle VFW, Post #6782 Ladies Auxiliary, Fraternal Order of Eagles #2795, Rick Landuyt-Century 21 Associates, Kim Devine-Eastowne Lounge and First State Bank.

Other fundraisers included a Dinner Dance, Fill-the-Helmet Campaign, Chief's Pledge Run and a letter of solicitation throughout the community.

A retired firefighter, present firefighter and two members of the Department's Fire Explorers Club representing the future, unveiled the 'Protector.'

The inscription below the statue reads:

"We honor those who have gone before us and challenge those who come after us to continue the tradition of excellence."

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MISSION

The Eastpointe Fire and Rescue Department is dedicated to the protection and preservation of life, property and the environment, for the community of Eastpointe. This is accomplished by effectively utilizing modern technology and practices of fire suppression, rescue and prevention.

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HISTORY

The Eastpointe Fire & Rescue Department has come a long way since the first organized firefighting unit was established in 1921. At that time, the City of Eastpointe was still the Village of Halfway. Businessmen from Halfway raised $1800 to purchased a Model T truck (known as Lizzie) equipped with two thirty-five gallon chemical tanks for fire extinguishment. The first fire department personnel consisted of ten volunteers. In 1941 the department became a combination department with the appointment of a full-time chief and firefighters.

In the fall of 1944, the City (then named East Detroit) felt a pressing need for a city operated ambulance. The firefighters at that time raised funds by popular subscription and the sale of raffle tickets to purchase a fully equipped Ford emergency ambulance. The ambulance was put into service in March of 1945 and was operated by the firefighters.

The Fire Department moved to its present location on the corner of Pleasant and Nine Mile on December 1, 1956. Prior to that time, personal and equipment were stationed in the City's Municipal Building, on Nine Mile Road, sharing space with the City Hall staff and the Police Department.

The largest single change in the department's ambulance service occurred in 1998. Thanks to the passing of a city millage in November 1996, funds were generated to train and equip the department for Advanced Life Support (ALS) service. In February 1998, the department was licensed through the State of Michigan for ALS services. Twenty-three (23) firefighters are now trained as paramedics.

Today, the department is comprised of thirty (30) full-time employees (27 in suppression, 1 secretary, 1 Fire Marshal, 1 Chief). Additionally, the department has part-time on-call firefighters. The services provided to the community extend beyond structural firefighting and emergency medical services. Personnel are trained to respond in specialized areas, including hazardous materials incidents, weapons of mass destruction, confined space rescue and emergency medical services.

Eastpointe firefighters take pride in the fact that this single station, centrally located, is one of the busiest station houses in Macomb County, responding to over 3200 different incidents in 2003.

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CODE OF ETHICS

	Demonstrate the highest standards of personal integrity, truthfulness, honesty and fortitude in all our public activities in order to inspire public confidence and trust in the fire service.
	Serve the public with respect, concern, courtesy, and responsiveness. Service to the public is beyond service to oneself.
	Strive for personal professional excellence and encourage the professional development of our associates and those seeking to enter the field of the fire service.
	Approach our organizational duties with a positive attitude and constructively support open communication, creativity, dedication and compassion.
	Serve in such a way that we do not realize undue personal gain from the performance of our official duties.
	Avoid any interest or activity which is in conflict with the conduct of our official duties.
	Respect and protect the privileged information to which we have access in the course of official duties.
	Exercise whatever discretionary authority we have under law to promote the public interest.
	Accept as personal duty the responsibility to keep up to date on emerging issues and to administer the public's needs with professional competence, fairness, impartiality, efficiency and effectiveness.
	Eliminate all forms of illegal discrimination, fraud, and mismanagement of public funds and support colleagues if they are in difficulty because of responsible efforts to correct such discrimination, fraud, mismanagement or abuse.

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Programs

PUBLIC FIRE EDUCATION

This program emphasizes the importance of a strong understanding of fire prevention in the home. Students in all schools within the city or school district, between grades K through 8, are given a comprehensive talk on different aspects of fire hazards. These talks are enhanced through the use of a puppet show and the mobile fire safety house.

JUVENILE FIRESETTER SCREENING

The purpose of this program is to reduce juvenile setting of fires in the community by increasing awareness, improving education at critical ages, increasing early detection of potential problems, and improving intervention techniques through a partnership between the East Detroit School District educators and fire personnel. An extensive interview of both child and parent is used to determine if fire education can correct the behavior or if professional assistance is warranted.

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS TEAM

This six member group represents Eastpointe on the South Macomb Incident Response Team, known as S.M.I.R.T. They are responsible, along with the four other local municipalities to help direct, control, and contain hazardous materials in emergency situations.

TACTICAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE MEDICAL SUPPORT (TERMS) TEAM

The primary purpose of this swat-medic team is to deliver advanced life support medical care within the confines of the police operational perimeter or during such conditions that these services are indicated.

COLOR/HONOR GUARD

This volunteer program emphasizes the tradition of the fire service. The 5-6 member unit performs for parades and fire department funerals (in or around the country).

CONFINED SPACE RESCUE

Early in the year 2000, 75 percent of the department underwent 24 hours of confined space rescue training. This training consisted of both classroom and practical training.

Topics of instruction ranged from specialized rescue equipment to air monitoring, ventilation and safety. At the end of the class, students tested their new skills under realistic rescue conditions.

PUPPET TROUPE

Puppet Troupe Program

This volunteer program has been given primarily at schools, but also at fairs, festivals, civic and homeowners groups. The topics presented go beyond fire prevention/safety programs to include drug and substance abuse, crime prevention and the importance of being kind to others. During the program, there is usually audience interaction with the puppets and either a firefighter or police officer. A song or two is also part of the program. Those involved find great personal satisfaction in working with the children.

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Fire Response Data

CLICK HERE FOR 10-YEAR FIRE RESPONSE DATA

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Ambulance Services

CLICK HERE FOR 10-YEAR AMBULANCE RESPONSE DATA

HISTORY OF THE AMBULANCE

Transporting the wounded

From earliest times, people have required a means of transporting their wounded and sick. The first wounded were probably carried in a hammock strung between two poles. Other unique conveyances included human dhooleys which were used in India; wicker cradles called mule panniers; and Egyptian camel litters. The Mojave Indians devised a litter comprised of a sheet of canvas between two poles carried on the shoulder of two men.

A more formalized ambulance surfaced in the late 15th century, when Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain took an unprecedented interest in the welfare of their troops during their crusade against the Moors. Surgical and medical supplies were brought together in special tents for the wounded called ambulancias.

The concept of the ambulance was developed further by a man named Dominique-Jean Larrey who had been appalled by the neglected wounded and poor medical conditions he had witnessed during France's war with the Austrians and Prussians n 1792. Larrey came up with the idea of mobile ambulances - light-weight, two wheeled vehicles which stayed with the troops and allowed surgeons to work on the battlefield, an idea he later refined for Napoleon during the General's Italian campaign.

The evolution of the ambulance took yet another turn during the American Civil War when ambulances were too few, often late, and driven by civilian drunkards and thieves. A physician named Jonathan Letterman reorganized the field medical service to provide an effective ambulance service for the evacuation of battle casualties. In 1864, an act was passed in Congress entitled "An Act to Establish a Uniform System of Ambulances in the Armies of the United States," which spelled out who was responsible for each phase of the ambulance system.

The Geneva Convention, 1864

During the 1864 Convention in Geneva, an agreement was made by several European counties to recognize the neutrality of hospitals, of the sick and wounded, of all persons connected with relief service, and the adoption of a protective sign or badge.

In America, a similar organization had been functioning during the Civil War - The Sanitary Commission, which 20 years later became the American Red Cross, brought into being in large part due to the efforts of Clara Barton.

Precursors of modern ambulances

Most ambulance innovations took place during wartime, which were then adapted to civilian life. American hospitals initiated their own ambulance services during the late 1860s. Horsedrawn, these ambulances had a moveable floor that could be drawn out to receive the patient. Beneath the driver's seat was a container with: a quart of brandy, two tourniquets, six bandages, six small sponges, splint material, blankets and a two-ounce vial of persulphate of iron.

With the arrival of the automobile came a different type of ambulance, the first appearing in 1899. During World War I, many ambulances were adapted from buses and taxis.

The world's oldest builder of ambulances is the Hess and Eisenhardt company in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1937, they sold the first air-conditioned ambulance built in America. Developed with the idea that the ambulance should be a pre-hospital emergency room, these precursors of the modern ambulance were filled with medicine cabinets, roof lights, and two-way radios.

Post World War II advances

Ambulance service has not been confined to ground units. During the Civil War, train ambulances and steam boat hospitals were used, and street car/trolly ambulances were popular in some cities in the late 1800s. More recently, the Star of Life, a water cruiser, began to operate under the direction of the Coast Guard and Marine Police in 1976. And the "medicopter" is commonplace now, first coming into service as a means of evacuating combat patients in Korea and Vietnam, and now invaluable during natural disasters, such as the Johnstown Flood, when medical supplies required refrigeration and patients needed to be airlifted to hospitals.

Today's ambulances come equipped with some amazing new technology, from defibrillators and monitors that can transmit a complete ECG directly to the emergency department to the latest in handheld computers.

Information from:
The Ambulance, by Katherine Traver Barkley
© 1978, Load N Go Press, Kiamesha Lake, New York

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FIRE AND RESCUE APPARATUS

Truck 1 (T-1) is a 1998 Sutphen 100 foot aerial tower. It is powered by a Detroit Diesel 60 Series with an Allison 4060 World transmission. It features a six-person high rise cab, a Hale 1500-gallon per minute single stage pump, a 300-gallon tank, and a 9,000-watt hydraulic powered AC generator.
Alpha 1 a 2006 Ford F450 Super Duty Braun Chief XL Type III paramedic unit.
	Alpha 2 is a 2005 Ford F450 Super Duty Braun Chief XLType III paramedic unit.

Engine 1 is a 2003 Sutphen Monarch Rescue Pumper, 430 hp Cat Diesel, Allison automatic transmission, 1500 gpm Hale pump, 750 gallon water tank, Foam Pro class A foam system, 7.9 kw hydraulic generator, Hurst rescue tools and paramedic equipped. Engine 2 is a 2006 Sutphen Shield Pumper, 370 hp Cummins Diesel, Allison automatic transmission, 1500 gpm Hale pump, 750 gallon water tank, Hale class A foam system, 7.9 kw hydraulic generator.

	Utility 1 is a 1999 Dodge Ram 4x4 2500. It is powered by a 5.7 L U-8 and features a 4 door club-cab and snow removal plow. It also is equipped with a 16 wench that is receiver mounted front or rear.
Utility 2 is a 2000 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor.
Chief 1 is a 2004 Ford Expedition 4x4.
Fire Marshal 1 is a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer 4x4.

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Fire Prevention & Safety Tips

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS

Portable fire extinguishers apply an “agent” that will cool burning fuel, restrict or remove the oxygen, or interfere with the chemical reaction so the fire cannot continue to burn.

Every home should have at least one fire extinguisher. Consider where you need fire extinguishers. Identify hazardous areas where fires are likely to start and which type of fire would likely occur in each area. Extinguishers should be kept in a handy location but remote from the anticipated fire area. Everyone in the family should know where they are and how to use them.

	For Class A fires in ordinary combustibles, such as wood, paper, cloth, upholstery, plastics or similar materials, use a water or dry chemical extinguisher.
	For Class B fires fueled by flammable liquids and gases, kitchen greases, paint, oil, kerosene or gasoline, use a dry chemical, carbon dioxide or halon extinguisher. Never use water.
	For Class C fires involving live electrical equipment or wires, use a dry chemical, carbon dioxide or halon extinguisher. If possible, cut off the power first, before the fire becomes a Class A or B. Never use water.

An ABC fire extinguisher will extinguish all three classes of fire and is the best type to have in your home.

Check your fire extinguisher for detailed instructions on how to operate your particular type.

The minimum rating for multi-purpose use around the home or small office is a 2A 10BC.

FIREWORKS

Fireworks can bring special meaning to the Fourth of July. However, they can cause serious injury and start dangerous fires. Fireworks, other than Michigan Class C, are illegal. Illegal fireworks include any that move, go up in the air, or explode. For more information on fireworks, contact the fire prevention bureau of the Eastpointe Fire Department at 445-4464.

HOME FIRE ESCAPE PLANNING

When planning a home fire escape plan, draw a floor plan of your home. Show all windows, doors, halls, stairs and bedrooms. Make sure all rooms, especially bedrooms, have at least two exits. Draw dark arrows on your plan to indicate normal exits. Mark emergency escape routes with lighter arrows. These alternative exits are to be used when normal exits are blocked.

Test your escape routes. Make sure windows can be opened easily, and that screens and storm windows can be removed from the inside. If your bedrooms are on the second floor, provide folding escape ladders.

To account for everyone's safety, select and list on your plan a definite meeting place outside the house. Do not waste time gathering valuables or getting dressed. Assign someone to assist infants, elderly and handicapped family members.

Be prepared to call the fire department from a neighbor's house by dialing 911. Give the Communication dispatcher your name, address, phone number and type of emergency. Wait to answer any questions before terminating the call.

Hold fire drills in your home. Have all family members participate. This will test the practicality of your plan and give you a chance to practice escaping.

TORNADO WATCH OR WARNING

A tornado watch means that a tornado may occur in or near your area. Listen to local radio or television for further information.

A tornado warning means that a tornado has actually been sighted or has been indicated by radar and may strike your vicinity. Take shelter at once to protect yourself from being blown away, struck by falling objects, or injured by flying debris.

Here's where to find shelter:

	If you are in a house, go to the middle of the basement. Stay away from doors and windows.
	If there's no basement, go to an interior room on the ground floor.
	Get under something sturdy like a heavy table. If you can, cover yourself with a blanket or sleeping bag.
	In a high-rise building, use the stairs to go to the designated shelter area or an interior room on the lowest floor possible.
	In a car, get out. Take shelter in a nearby building. Do not stay in your car. Never try to out-drive a tornado. If you're caught in the open, lie in a ditch, away from trees.