Fire Prevention Week proclamation and fire rescue update
What the county recorded
This item is not from the published agenda
It is a stretch of the recording that this archive identified as a separate matter — a call to order, a recess, or something taken up that the agenda does not list. There is no official title, no staff recommendation and no disposition, because the county never recorded one. Everything below is inferred.
The source document
The county’s agenda for Board of County Commissioners, Oct 11, 2022
The published PDF, as served by the county. This item is one entry in it.
The county’s minutes for Board of County Commissioners, Oct 11, 2022
The published PDF, as served by the county. This item is one entry in it.
What was said
Machine transcription of 17m of recording, with speaker names inferred from voice matching. 70% of 80 lines carry a name. It shows what was said, not what was decided, and both the words and the names can be wrong.
Sorry for being late but they totally stopped traffic on fifty two. I'll send this one in a second. And um we are now to the consent You're now resolution. Oh resolutions. That's why we find these.
Res one. That's on eleven A.M. time search.
Okay. The next one then.
I don't have a white video right now.
Where's my
Here we go. go.
You all you all know what to do. do.
Okay, thank you. Turn off off the microphone also if it doesn't ring.
Okay. I'll go ahead and read the resolution. Resolution number twenty-three dash zero zero zero two. A resolution of the Board of County Commissioners of Pasco County, Florida, declaring October 9th through October 15th as Fire Prevention Week in Pasco County. Whereas since the organization of the first fire departments during our nation's infancy, firefighters have maintained their dedication to protecting the health and safety of the public. And whereas the Pasco
County Board of County Commissioners is committed To ensuring the safety and security of all those living in and visiting Pasco County. Enrás, during Fire Prevention Week, we can honor the brave firefighters, first and refirst responders who risked their lives to protect our community and reaffirm the importance of fire safety and preparedness. NRAS, in 2021, home fires caused 2,580 civilian deaths in the United States, according to the National Fire. Fire Protection Association. In that same year, Pasco County Fire Rescue responded
to 813 residential fires. NRAS Pasco County Fire Rescue is dedicated to reducing the occurrence of home fires and home fire injuries through fire prevention education. Enras, a key element of Pasco County Fire Rescue's fire prevention education is the importance of having smoke alarms installed in the home. NRAS smoke alarms are critical elements of fire safety that have helped significantly decrease United States home fire deaths over the last 40 years. NRAS fire smoke
alarms can increase I'm sorry, let me try that again. Whereas smoke alarms can sense smoke well before you you can and will alert you to a danger in which you may have as little as two minutes to escape from from safely. And whereas Pasco County residents should ensure everyone in the home understands the sounds of smoke alarms and know how to respond when alerted to fire. And whereas Pasco County residents Who have planned and practiced a home fire
escape plan are more prepared and well and will therefore be more likely to survive survive a fire. And Raz Pasco County residents who are responsive to public education Measures are better able to take personal steps to increase their safety from fire, especially in their homes. And RAS during Fire Prevention Week, citizens of Pasco County are called to educate themselves about fire safety and commit to taking all necessary steps to prevent and prepare for fires. And RAS, in 2022 Fire Prevention
Week themed Fire Won't Wait, Plan Your Escape, effectively serves to remind Pasco County. residents of the importance of haver having a home Fire Escape Plan. Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Board of County Commissioners of Pasco County, Florida, that said board hereby declares October 9th through October 15th as fire prevention week in Pasco County and urges all residents to plan and practice a home fire escape plan and to support the many public safety activities and efforts of the Pasco County Fire Rescue. Done and resolved in regular
session with a quorum present and voting this 11th. Day of October twenty twenty two. All in favor?
Aye. Well good morning. And I Mike, I just sent you a picture if you could put it up there. Um I actually visited a fire station in another state uh last week so and I took a picture with the guys out front so I was gonna show that to you. Um welcome. This is such an important resolution. And um we are very grateful for all you do for the county and I know every commissioner is gonna want to say something, but once you go ahead and address
this. On behalf of the division, community risk, uh the entire organization, because it truly takes a tribe and that's support from the commission, county administration, other departments, um, the the building construction services, county attorney's office, they've all been instrumental in our success. Um with the gear and The direction of public education. Five years ago, we didn't have a Pub Ed program within our organization. Since then, we've expanded the division. We have two time, two full-time public educators, an entire team that supports them. We launched off
this year's the hundredth anniversary of fire prevention week. It's the longest public safety campaign in the United States running. We launched off with the open house on Sunday and we We had our entire team volunteering on their day off. to uh kick that off of the open house at station twenty three in Lana Lakes. Very successful. Um over five hundred community members came through. We uh got rid of a lot of hot dogs and popcorn.
Another portion of our mission through public education is our inspections all the way down through code and compliance. We've been very successful. Last year we brought a business plan initiative to you to expand the division by nine inspectors. We've fulfilled all those positions. Many of the new ones are with us here today. Nice. We've been very successful in that initiative. To date, since we've launched that, we've inspected over 5,000 commercial occupancies throughout. the county um and that's generated over half a million dollar revenue to sustain that to where we're not having bear on uh
any taxpayer funding. So that's been very successful. And then again our uh county ordinance code in compliance. Um since we've moved forward with that initiative of uh gaining compliance through county ordinance citation. We've generated over two hundred thousand dollars and direct punitive damages that fund our public messaging in our in that campaign. Um that's afforded us opportunities to buy equipment, swag, um a bounce house, some upgraded three sixty camera equipment for our
investigations unit. uh a Bullock's extinguishing prop system. So all in all with with the support of all the all the departments across the county, we're moving where we should be and we thank you all for the support.
Thank you very much. Commissioner Oakley. Commissioner Oakley.
Thank you um for being here today. I certainly appreciate everything you do for the citizens in Pasco and we know you you work hard and we continue to support you and try to make things better for you every day with new fire stations, new equipment. Whatever we can do, we will support you to do the best job you can do. So I know the citizens of Pasco County appreciate you being there, and especially those times of need, they definitely uh appreciate you being there. So thank you.
Commissioner Moore.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Now I'm going to ask a question. This may not be the right time. Here we go. And I was going to bring it up. No, I I was going to bring it up during possibly miscellaneous business, but You mentioned uh you know the BIP um that we did last year um initiative to add more fire inspectors which is great obviously as a growing county how fast we're growing. Um one of the things I know they do over in Tampa, because one of my good friends is an inspector over there, is they they also
have an expedited process where they do some stuff on nights and weekends. And that's on a more of a volunteer basis if inspector Want to do this, but obviously those people pay for it. You may pay two to three times as much to do it because the inspectors will get double time, right? Because it's the rafter hours time past the regular hours of work. Has we ever thought about that or had that conversation?
We do have that in place with BCS on new construction permitting. Um, there is an option for expedited review to get that that permitting process, um, and that comes. all disciplines, all trades throughout BCS, whether it's mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire inspection. So we have a compliment that is tied directly with Ms. Esther, the building official and her team. And through the application process, that is a current process that's in place where they can't opt expeditive review. They do have to pay for it, but it does take them out of the queue
and bring them to the top of the list and affords overtime to the plans examiners to complete it hopefully day of. In addition to that with the additional positions we've also implemented Firewatch and had the capabilities to enforce that as well as provide that at a at a paid for service by the the the customer, the applicant, nights and weekends. Um the expansion of the investigation side as far as our annual inspections, we also utilize those resources for after hour events, nights, weekends, they're on twenty-four seven.
So we utilize them after hours for some of our businesses that aren't open typically during the Monday through Friday, eight to five, and then our weekend establishments attractions, as well as special use and and details.
Great. Well I learned something today. Thank you. Appreciate it.
Since you mentioned fire investigation, I I have I have a question because you probably know this, but I have had two mobile homes burn on one of Vista Lane. Um one is one we gotta get in there and clean it up. It's it's looking pretty bad. But um I just wondered if you all thought maybe something might be going on.
So every uh we are fortunate to have the shift-bound uh fire investigators. Every fire that occurs in Pasco County, whether it be residential structure, commercial, dumpster, vehicle, wildland fire, every fire that occurs in Pasco County. County does have an origin and cause investigation completed by one of our staff. And then they utilize any identifying themes, whether we work with the sheriff's office, because it may be criminal nature, it may be something that we could address through public education out of malice or poor housekeeping, improper
disclosure of lit lit items. Youth Fire Setter Program has been very successful in their campaign by the by the ladies. Um so we do identify the themes and any outliers they work with public education to see where we could interject uh some reprieve to that.
So if you've if you've uncovered anything I I'd be interested to know on the on those mobile homes that Are burning in that area.
And Madam Chair, what what street was that again? It's
Buena Vista.
Buena Vista.
And in the last six months I've had two. On all on the same side on the left hand side. So
I will certainly look into that and we could we could provide that to you, yes ma'am.
Thank you. And uh Commissioner Fitzpatrick.
I would just like to say thank you for all of your hard work and your dedication to Pasco County and to all of our citizens. Thank you. Thank you, ma'am. Thank you, Mr. Bayonet Point.
Madam Chair, okay.
Yeah.
Okay. Um I'd like to thank all of you, your whole team. It's been phenomenal over the years. How I think how far fire prevention has gone in Pasco County. I think you can see our commitment to giving you a quality place to live as you're as you're working, uh giving you all the tools. And I know the citizens have greatly appreciated, uh evidenced by the vote to keep supporting what your all your efforts and your endeavors. So thank you all very much for your service.
Thank you, sir. And one last thing, Commissioner to the extent of the expansion of our division, uh we've gone to thirty in a in a in the last few years and that afforded us the opportunity to assist with a hurricane deployment down south. We had seven inspectors that we sent this morning to help get their businesses back inspected and and reopened. So um without the the internal personnel resources to cover the needs of the county, we never would have been in a position To afford our friends of the South those resources this morning.
And I want to thank you for that. And I tell you, with your help down there and our service office being down there, it really made a difference for them to get their better.
So we've been successful with two strike forces. We had an ambulance detail and then a technical rescue detail that have already gone down and returned, and then this morning we sent a team of inspectors down to assist to try and get some of those businesses reopened. Well
I tell you, I think greatly. appreciate it as well. I I talked to the Lee County Sheriff Representative down there who's working with uh Pasco sheriffs down there and they were they were so appreciative of everything we're doing. And I was watching the inspections that were going as we're down Estero Road I think it was where they showed the green sticker for the ones that could occupy their homes. Yes sir. Then some had the red sticker behind it that couldn't go. And then some had the green and the red so there was a good mix of it. But it just shows that the inspections were being done, checked again just to make sure everything was okay as things got on. But
thanks for all your helping for helping out them because it could be us in the shoe uh on the situation next to us.
And we appreciate the support It starts here and ultimately ends with the community. So
No, thank you. This this board and has for many years has fully supported your efforts and and we appreciate your efforts too. Thank you. Thank you.
Um Commissioner Pasco Fitzpatrick has a few more words.
And yes, um I just wanted to mention I did attend your open house on Saturday which Sunday, sorry. Sunday from ten to two. I think that's really important that we were able to get the kids in the community out and let them learn about fire safety as well. Of course they had the bounce houses, snow cones. Um Popcorn it was really great because they had a machine where the kids and even they I believe they bring the machine to the different corporations and businesses in the community and it helps teach them how
long would it take for them to put out a fire. So my son was able to just shoot the T V screen and put out the fire, but I believe you had me someone had mentioned that they can take it into their business and if a fire were to happen they have to go and get the extinguisher, things like that and then actually put the fire out. It would give 'em an idea on how long it would take for them to put that fire out. So I think that's a really good learning technique and
And all those resources are available to the businesses throughout the county as well as communities, HOAs, our public educators. You can reach them through the county website, go to our link under public education, their direct contact is on there. And then uh in closing, we would ask everybody to follow this week during the campaign. We introduced the Pink family this week and they're gonna be walking everybody through an escape plan. So follow our social media platforms and uh stay tuned. tune to get some further directions. And how do
they get on your social media platform?
Facebook and Instagram. Instagram. Okay.
And what's the tag? For Instagram. Pasco
County Fire Rescue.
Pasco County Fire putting it out there over the TV. Pasco County Fire Rescue. So this is my picture. I ha I was out in uh Utah. And um my girlfriend was with me, she's the wife of a fire chief in another county. So we went to three fire stations. That's the first time I've ever done that when when I've been uh in another state and um It was fun for us to brag about um my county back home and that's what I'm talking to 'em about here. So um and those are their trucks.
They're they're all off wheel, you know, four wheel drive fire trucks 'cause of the nature of the That area around there. But anyway. Okay, well there are so many of you that I'm gonna come down and give you this and I'll have my fellow commissioner stand up behind.
And and we too have something for you all. Oh really? Yes, ma'am.
Do I have to No. Oh boy.
So they'll love this. I do.
I
gotta need two. What are you all gonna have to give it up? Thank you.
You look cute. It doesn't fit your head
anymore. All right. Alright, scooch in.
Just laid on there, that's what I did. Just laid on the head.
You better put your hat on if we have our hats on.
Thank you. Well.
Thank you.
Yeah this says junior firefighter. What's up with that?
Corey. Corey. This says junior firefighter. What's up with that? No, no,
that's not
Russian.
Okay. So RFY, no
one's
Okay.
Oh my sandwich.