Shelbyville Fire Department ready to respond

Growth has driven many recent changes at Shelbyville Fire Department, Chief John Habel says.

Habel discussed the state of his department Wednesday during Fire Prevention Week.

"We're right where we need to be as far as the growth plan 10 years ago," Habel said. "The biggest thing is the ladder truck. We're fortunate to have obtained that in a grant."

The other "big thing" is dealing with the city's growth, Habel said.

"The next fire station will definitely be on the north side in the quadrant of growth from 41-A to the 231 North and bypass area," Habel said. "That will keep our ISO (Insurance Service Office) rating at 3/9. That means that everything within five miles of a fire station is a 3, beyond that is a 9."

ISO ratings determine costs of home insurance; the lower the number, the lower the rates.

"We're in good shape, equipment-wise," Habel said. Additional purchases will be things such as air packs that need to be replaced.

"I don't know when that will happen, it's up to my bosses -- the city council and managers."

Deputy Chief Ricky McConnell serves with Habel as an administrator.

"We make sure they have everything we need," Habel said. "Ricky does price quotes and things of that type and assists me with grants and day-to-day issues, things for which we need council approval."

Behind the scenes

Fighting fires is perhaps the department's most visible role, but it's actually just a beginning.

Brian Nicholson oversees SFD's fire education efforts.

"Brian is working with all schools to distribute material from the National Fire Safety Council," Habel said. "We purchase educational materials from funds raised from local businesses and industries."

The department provides public education materials for all K-5 students in Bedford County, Nicholson said.

"The best way to fight a fire is to prevent one," Nicholson said. "We do lots of fire prevention work all year long. As far as fire prevention, it's 52 weeks a year."

Much of that prevention is done in partnership with Shelbyville businesses and industries.

"We do routine inspections of every commercial business in town twice a year and all inspections are documented," Nicholson said. "We consult with architects and engineers and help in building phases of new facilities."

Those records become part of a structure database.

"We've built a 5-year database of contact information and building diagrams across Shelbyville to help firefighters quickly find exits," Nicholson said. The information is kept on each fire truck and at department headquarters.

"There's also information on chemical storage so we can hopefully find chemicals and prevent an accident," Nicholson said. "We're better prepared if we do have a fire."

Training efforts

"Our training officer, Terry Vinson, works with the state firefighting commission, handles all training programs, schedules with other fire departments and assists them in training," Habel said. "Area departments help one another out as far as training and equipment."

Vinson also serves on the department's volunteer training committee. Eighteen paid volunteers receive monthly training, Habel said.

"Terry tries to get them ready if any want to go full-time," Habel said. The department has 37 full-time employees.

Pumps

The department oversees the occasional maintenance of the floodgate on North Cannon Boulevard near the Duck River bridge. It is scheduled to be raised Sunday morning, Habel said.

"I don't know why we do this," Habel said. He suspects it's because his department was one of the more organized in the city when the floodgate was built in the early 1960s.

The floodgate's pumps get much more service than earlier years due to reduced costs, Habel said.

"The power company switched to a rate for the pumps based on the amount of electricity used, not a demand fee," Habel said. "Now we actually start them and let them rotate rather than avoid paying a demand fee."

Cost savings

"We do everything in-house from painting, building repairs, laundry, and truck maintenance. We have carpenters and electricians who work here full time who help us out," Habel said.

The firefighters receive daily training on maps, among other things, and receive 20 hours of instruction per month on their shifts, Habel said.

Ready for disaster

"A big part of our call volume is wrecks," Habel said. "We do vehicle extrication; we have a big rescue truck."

The department is part of a multi-agency special response team coordinated by Bedford County Emergency Management Agency. The team specializes in handling situations involving hazardous materials and/or particularly troublesome rescues.

"This way, one multi-agency team doesn't take all personnel from one department," Nicholson said. "It also prevents duplication of resources."

Grant money is expected this year, to add to the team, Habel said. That was also growth-driven, he said.