Professional Documents
Culture Documents
BUREAU OF FIRE
MAYOR
Anthony George
CITY ADMINISTRATOR
Theodore Wampole
FIRE CHIEF
James Jay Delaney
DEPUTY CHIEF
Alan Klapat
Wilkes-Barre City Fire Department
MISSION STATEMENT
2017 7,822
4,319
2016 7,733
3,922
Year
2015 7,581
3,830 EMS
Fire
2014 6,570
3,606
2013 6,521
3,634
0 5,000 10,000
Number of Calls
In 2017 the Wilkes-Barre City Fire Department presented fire safety education
programs at over fifty different venues reaching approximately 3000 people.
Presenters discussed topics such as the importance of smoke detectors, cooking
safety, candle safety, electrical safety, fire extinguisher operation and fire escape
plans. We also celebrate Fire Prevention Week, which has turned into Fire
Prevention Month with a variety of activities designed to educate parents and kids
about ways to prevent fires. Safety demonstrations and tours of the fire station get
everyone involved and help explain the importance of fire safety. The Fire Safety
House is an essential and effective interactive tool used at schools and other public
events to teach fire safety and evacuation procedures to school aged children and
adults. The Fire Safety House was at 18 locations throughout the year. Some of the
groups receiving fire safety education throughout the year were:
Kirby Park Boy Scouts Winterfest Wilkes-Barre Area School District
NAACP Diversity Picnic Wilkes-Barre Farmers Market
Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre Home Depot Safety Day
YMCA Kid’s Day Children’s Service Center
RIVERFEST Kiddie Space
FACES (Heights Elementary) Head Start Wilkes-Barre Academy, JCC
Smoke Detectors
In 2017 the Wilkes-Barre Fire Department continued its partnership with the
American Red Cross to install smoke detectors and educate residents on home fire
safety. Throughout the year more than 1,000 smoke detectors were installed in
residential housing units throughout the city. This campaign aims to reduce the
number of fire deaths and injuries.
FIRE/EMS TRAINING
The City of Wilkes-Barre Fire Department Training Division is coordinated by Captain Robert Suchoski.
The Training Division is committed to providing classroom and hands on training to the members of the
Wilkes-Barre Fire Department. The training is designed to aid the fire fighters and paramedics in meeting
the ever growing demands and challenges associated with providing the best emergency services to the
Wilkes-Barre community. Nearly 3000 staff hours were dedicated to fire/EMS training. A sample of the
training curriculum covered in 2017 is listed below.
Flashover Simulator
RIT Concepts/Mayday
High Rise Operations
Ladder Climb Drills
Fire Dynamics
SCBA Donning Drills
Carbon Monoxide Monitoring
Advanced Rope Rescue Rigging
Flood Gate Training
OFFICE OF PREVENTION AND INSPECTION
The Office of Prevention and Inspection works closely with the city Building Code
Official in enforcing Pennsylvania’s statewide building code, known as the UCC and the
adopted I-Codes. Fire prevention codes exist to minimize hazards to life and property from
fire and panic. The City of Wilkes-Barre fire code enforcement system offers reduced risk
of hazards, minimizes fire death and injury, controls inherent hazards that cannot be
eliminated and maintains the community’s economic structure.
Fire Prevention and Inspection also maintains a database of over 480 pre-fire plans of local
facilities. These preplans contain important information such as utility locations,
emergency contacts, known hazards, floor plans, and water flow requirements. Visiting
these sites not only assists in updating the database and providing a visual aspect, the
preplans become an invaluable tool for risk assessment leading to effective, efficient and
SAFE firefighting operations.
Fire Inspectors are also members of the Neighborhood Impact Team. This team is
comprised of several city departments that strive to keep our neighborhoods a safe, clean
and welcome place to live and work.
The Office of Prevention and Inspection conducted 110 fire inspections and 37 fire drills
in 2017. There were also over 100 pre-fire plans developed and updated throughout the
year.
The City of Wilkes-Barre Fire Department is taking steps to bolster the defense-
against-fire activity by conducting “Fire Watch” activity within our community.
During this past year fire equipment has been driving through residential
neighborhoods, parks, and business districts several times a day creating a high
visibility presence in the community. Our focus will be placed on vacant and
abandoned properties and pre-determined high risk areas. Using this information
fire fighters can determine if a fire pre-plan is warranted.
Across the United States there are an estimated average of over 300,000 intentionally
set fires each year according to the National Fire Incident Reporting System and the
National Fire Protection Association. These fires cause significant property loss,
injuries, and even death.
The increased fire department presence is meant to deter intentionally set fires,
mitigate observed hazards, and increase community awareness about the risk of fire
in their community, encouraging them to report suspicious activity.
1,744 Community Fire Watches have been completed during this past year offering
a significant presence by the fire department within every section in the City of
Wilkes-Barre.
2017 FIRE/EMS CAPITAL
IMPROVEMENTS AND EQUIPMENT
Improvements and Equipment Cost
Fire Miscellaneous Rescue (Equipment) $9,739.75
“Jaws of Life” – Engine 1 $28,759.64
Fire Rescue- Portable radios $24,120.00
Assistant Fire Chief Response Vehicle $38,188.96
Fire Headquarters – new roof $156,000.00
Fire Radio System – Assistant Chiefs Vehicle $1,811.04
Fire Turnout Gear (16) Coats, Pants, and Boots $44,855.00
Mobile Data Terminals (6) $21,174.00
2017 Fire Mini-Pumper $213,980.00
FFO
OUURR G
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OUUPP RRO
OSSTTEERR
GROUP 1 GROUP 2 GROUP 3 GROUP 4
17(16) Firefighters 18 (14 ) Firefighters 1615) Firefighters 16 (15) Firefighters
2 Paramedics 2 Paramedics 2 Paramedics 2 Paramedics
HHEEAADDQQUUAARRTTEERRSS SSTTAATTIIOONN
ASSISTANT CHIEF 055 J. Ostrum 113 D. Lendacky 083 W. Murtha 060 E. Snarski
CAPTAIN (HQ) 079 R. Smith 084 C. Buchanan 089 M. Bilski 078 R. Fannon
ENGINE 1 149 G. Lehman 119 F. Meehan 103 S. Fox 128 T. Heffers
HOSEMAN E-1 118 D. Hall 143 R. Rae 120 J. Baldoni 132 M. Lear
TRUCK 6 091 W. Dayton 106 R. Sudnick 109 S. Shinko 126 G. Leibman
TRUCK 6 ASSISTANT 132 M. Crawford 127 R. Steininger 104 J. Polacheck 122 T. Snyder
HOSEMAN 182 D. Zalenski 176 W. Court 174 J. Zaremba
HOSEMAN 184 C. Habrack 177 T. Murphy 188 M. Delaney 175 C. Smith
HOSEMAN 186 E. Serafin 183 J. Kirn 192 T. Temarantz
HOSEMAN 199 T. Hart 187 W. Letanski 156 J. Salsavage
HOSEMAN
HOSEMAN
SSOOUUTTHH SSTTAATTIIOONN
HHOOLLLLEENNBBAACCKK SSTTAATTIIOONN
PER-DIEM PARAMEDIC 202 R. Smith 159 C. DeNaples 171 G. Metric 190 M. Gillott
PER-DIEM PARAMEDIC 154 J. Salsavage 161 J. Starosta 167 J. Mooney 178 J. Gildea
PERDIEM PARAMEDIC 194 C. Roman 168 C. Scavone 169 P. Evans 195 J. Shaw
201 J. Chiumento
Temporarily Assigned
Sick / Injured / Family Leave
Military
Probies/ Not Bid