On behalf of the Brighton Area Fire Authority, Fire Board, and the 90 bravest men and women in the Brighton area, I am pleased to present our 2015 annual report. This report shows a snapshot of the Authority and the great work that is accomplished day in, day out. The Brighton Area Fire Authority provides the full range of emergency and community related services expected of a professional, modern, all‐hazards response agency. Our goal is to meet the needs of our communities by providing response to incidents while striving for fire service excellence. In 2015, our achievements demonstrated our commitment to reducing preventable fires and injuries through our relentless actions before an incident occurs.
In 2015, the Authority took steps to reduce our response time while ensuring a minimum response to all emergency requests. Through a creative measure, our duty crew coverage was expanded in July. Three full‐time captains were assigned new shifts and were partnered with an on‐duty paid‐on‐call staff to ensure two staffed personnel 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This is outside of our previous shift operations held on Monday through Saturday. The new duty crew has demonstrated a decrease in response times and aided our organization in meeting the growing demands of the communities.
In 2015, the Fire Authority saw an 11% increase in incidents as well as additional increases in all other activities; from fire inspections, plan reviews, car seat inspections, smoke alarm installations as well as training hours, our staff has risen to the demand and excelled in all categories. The foundaƟon of the Fire Authority is maintaining well trained personnel. In 2015 we hired 20 new paid‐on‐call firefighters who completed their first year in training. This training placed a demand on our existing staff not only in the fire academy but also in the “on the job” training program to ensure the new recruits were operationally ready.
Training is a key component in meeting our service delivery needs. Continual training beyond the mandatory levels is essential in providing our staff with the skills they need every day and on challenging incidents. The training program has become very flexible to allow for options for our staff. This includes online sessions, practical sessions, along with partnering with the academy and neighboring fire departments.
During 2015, the Fire Authority lost one citizen due to a home fire and this fatality has left a lasting impact on our staff. We will strive for zero fire deaths in future years. Our smoke alarm program continues to set the standard across the Midwest and serves as an important tool in working to quickly alert occupants of a home fire. The program utilizes our staff on incidents, requests, or “blitz” campaigns to engage homeowners in fire safety and ensure working smoke alarms in every home.
Brighton Area firefighters take pride in providing an exceptional level of service in an atmosphere of stewardship and innovation. During 2015, the Authority was awarded approximately $100,000 in grants. Thank you for taking the time to review this annual report. We actively seek your input and feedback. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact me at mobrian@brightonareafire.com.
-Michael O’Brian, Fire Chief