Administrative BriefMarch 29, 2012
ADMINISTRATIVE BRIEF FROM LARRY MULLIKIN
FIRE DEPARTMENT
The department has accomplished some amazing tasks in the last several months. First, was the
unexpected evaluation of the City’s fire protection services by the Insurance Services Office (ISO). ISO
evaluates the City’s fire protection by dividing the percentages across three categories: fire department
50%, water department 40%, and dispatch – 911 services 10%.
Salina is currently rated as a Class III
community for fire protection and will
remain so for the coming years based on
this evaluation. The overall scoring
improved from our last evaluation in 2000 of
75.83 points, falling just short of receiving a
Class II rating. Our current score of 78.7 is
only 1.3 points away from a Class II rating
of 80 points. The City of Salina is one of 41
Kansas communities that have a Class III
rating. The City of Eastbrough is the State’s
only Class I community, which is comprised
of all residences and no buildings.
Staff was tasked with examining the point total awarded to each category and identifying a path-forward
and a dollar cost. Six insurance companies were contacted to determine the benefit to businesses for
improving the City’s classification. The short answer is “none.” Below a Class IV there is no reduction in
rates when a city moves to a lower classification. Today, insurance companies are putting more
emphasis and analysis on loss history and experience, rather than the ISO classification. So, what are
the reasons or benefits in achieving a lower classification?
.
There is a correlation between lower ISO classifications and the amount of fire loss On average,
communities with superior fire-protection services — and therefore good Public Protection Classifications
1
— have lower fire losses than communities whose fire-protection services are not as comprehensive.
Whether insurance companies use ISO’s classification or their own loss experience, the result is the
same. Lower loss experience translates into lower premiums. Determining how that value compares with
the cost of achieving a Class II rating will engage the Commission, City Manager, and the Utilities and
Fire Department.
EMS / Medical Director
Our Medical Director, Dr. Sean Herrington, has provided you with the following assessment of where the
department is in providing county-wide advanced life support (ALS) ambulance and emergency services.
Commissioners,
As Medical Director for Salina Fire/EMS, I would like to take this opportunity to provide you with some
information that will update you on some of our completed and pending projects. Salina Fire/ EMS has completed
one of the busiest years in our history. Not only did we run a record number of emerge ncy calls, our out of town
transfer numbers were dramatically up as well. To add to this call load the department experienced an increase in
medical stand-by requests, including stand-bys at Crisis City, city and county school events, as well as other
community events.
1 http://www.iso.com/Research-and-Analyses/Studies-and-Whitepapers/ISO-s-PPC-Program-Page-3.html
Commission Information Memorandum
Page 2
We have completed implementation of several other projects as well:
Digital Intubation Equipment (King Vision – pictured right)
We have added five King Vision digital laryngoscopes on our front line
medic units. This equipment gives the Paramedic an actual digital picture
of the oral cavity of the patient when placing an endotracial tube (breathing
tube).
Picture of the King Tube being inserted
Two new Zoll Heart Monitors
into the trachea of a mannequin.
These monitors have end tidal C02 an d 12 lead EKG capabilities. With the
addition of new software, our Paramedics can now monitor and wirelessly transmit our 12 lead EKGs directly to the
Emergency Room or to a physician's office. The 12 lead EKG can provide the paramedic and physician with an
indication that a STEMI is occurring. In a STEMI, the coronary artery is completely blocked off by the blood clot,
and as a result virtually all the heart muscle being supplied by the affected artery starts to die.
This more severe type of heart attack is usually recognized by characteristic changes it produces on the ECG. One
of those ECG changes is a characteristic elevation in wh at is called the "ST segment." The elevated ST segment
indicates that a relatively large amount of heart muscle damage is occurring (because the coronary artery is totally
occluded), and is what gives this type of heart attack its name.
Cooperative effort with Salina Regional Health Center III becoming a Level III Trauma Center
Salina Fire/ EMS is the only service in the Stale of Kansas allowed to initiate a Trauma Activation from the field.
The America College of Surgeons will make a verification visit this summer for final review of Salina Regional
Health Center's Trauma Program. We are also participating in area wide QA through the state trauma system and
Salina Regional Health Center.
Heart Safe Community Access AED Program
Through a partnership with USD 305, USD 306, and USD 307, as well as county responders, we have placed an
additional 25 AED's in various locations through out the community including every school. We have already
documented cases of actual Held saves in Salina by the use of this equipment. Our intent and direction is to make
Salina and Saline County a Heart Safe Community.
Deployment of an additional fourth fully staffed medic unit located at Fire Station #4
This additional will help us examine the effects on call-lo ad balancing and individual fire station efficiency. The
Fire Chief and I would expect this deployment to provi de more efficient emergency response activities and aid in
transfer of medical patients to other specialty medical facilities.
A new bariatric ambulance was delivered and being equipped for service
The long awaited delivery of an ambulance specially designed to lift and transport obese patients occurred several
weeks ago. As you probably know, obesity appears to be a significant and growing problem in our society. Moving
extremely heavy patients is a difficult task, even for firefighters. The hydraulic lift on this unit will make loading
patients safer and easier on everyone involved. But, this ambulance is also best suited to haul an incubator for
infants when necessary. The hydraulic lift unit will gently lift the unit up and into the ambulance.
As you can see we have had a productive year and look forward to serving the taxpayers of Salina and Saline
County. I would be excited to share any additional information on any of our projects or welcome any additional
recommendations that would benefit our community.
Commission Information Memorandum
Page 3
MONDAY’S MEETING
Enclosed are other items on the agenda. If any Commissioner has questions or cannot attend
the meeting, please contact me.
Jason A. Gage, City Manager