Public Safety

Provides efficient, responsive services that enhance the quality of life, meet common needs, and promote a safe and healthy community.

• • The ability to provide FEMA Emergency Operation Center centric training to our EOC partners.
  • Design and build a new climate-controlled barn next to our existing utility barn for the storage of emergency food and water and other disaster supplies.
  • Double our social media following for preparedness purposes using our “A Minute with EM” platform.
  • EM staff will be certified FEMA profession trainers in 2024
  • Completion of revised training for all Emergency Support Functions
  • Promotion of the Coordinated Opioid Recovery Program
  • Establish a larger patient care roster within the CORE/Community Paramedicine Team.
  • Transition legacy 9-1-1 traffic to the ESInet for IP delivery
  • Provide enhanced cybersecurity for the P25 radio system
  • Fill staffing vacancies in the Emergency Communications Center
  • Replace end of life dispatch consoles
  • Seek funding to upgrade the P25 radio system to trunking
  • 911 Center Answer 90% of 911 calls < 15 seconds
  • 911 Center Answer 95% of 911 calls < 20 seconds
  • Maintain Emergency Medical Dispatch Compliance Score of 96% or better
  • Maintain Emergency Fire Dispatch Compliance Score of 96% or better
  • Increase to fourth full-time Water Safety employee
  • Prevent Drownings
  • Staff Beach Access #2 on Perdido Key with Lifeguards
  • Staff all Pensacola Beach Lifeguard Tower Locations and Patrols as per staffing plan
  • Increase Preventative Actions and decrease Water Rescues
  • Replace end-of-life Lifeguard Towers
  • Replace end-of-life Lifeguard Vehicles
  • Recruit, Hire, and Train Lifeguards to fill vacancies
  • Fully staff all lifeguard areas on Santa Rosa Island, and service contract for Gulf Islands National Seashore by Memorial Day
  • Continue in-person instruction for Firefighter I
  • Continue publishing an annual training calendar to fit the department's needs and meet industry standards including the National Fire Protection Association and Insurance Service Office which correlates to effective response force.  Topics include the following:
  1. Officer Classes
  2. Hazmat
  3. Advanced Firefighting
  4. Basic Driving
  5. USAR
  6. Water Rescue (Surf, Swiftwater, Boat Operator, Flood Waters)
  • Add an in-person Firefighter II
  • Continue planning and collaborative efforts for training site(s)
  • Continue to explore and institute diversity firefighter recruiting programs
  • Continue community outreach through Community Risk Reduction and Fire Prevention
  • Maintain an operational fleet of apparatus, including reserves and marine assets, and equipment
  • Continue the efficiency of preventative maintenance and routine service for fire service equipment
  • Continued collaboration with fleet to produce effective and efficient workflows to minimize downtime and expenditures of apparatus
  • Monitor expenditures
  1. Continue the replacement plan for various fire equipment
  2. Monitor vehicle usage for rotation/replacement
  3. Continue the PPE replacement on a 5-year rotation
  • Maintain the current ISO rating of 4/4x in rural areas
  • Increase staffing to meet guidelines and studies produced by the National Fire Protection Association, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and Insurance Service Office
  • Maintain current staffing levels of 4 persons for each company/apparatus
  • Explore and apply for grant funding local, state, and federal
  • Fill 2 - remaining EMS paramedic Supervisor positions.
  • Fill the requested 9 Paramedic and 9 EMT positions needed to expand operations for adequate staffing.
  • Add the 4 mid-shift ambulances to bolster daily fleet to meet call volumes.
  • Work in coordination with Emergency Management to take over the existing EM storage warehouse at Public Safety HQ and convert it to an EMS fleet maintenance workshop.
  • Establish a larger patient care roster within the CORE/Community Paramedicine Team.
  • Increase our social media presence. Spotlight employees and equipment. 

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

• Emergency Management supported the Florida Department of Emergency Management by deploying to Lafayette County FL to support their County EOC for Hurricane Idalia.
• Activated the Emergency Operation Center for the June16th West Pensacola and Pensacola Beach Tornado to support response and recovery efforts.
• Opened the Marie Young Community Center for a shelter to support the June 16th Tornado.
• Established a cold weather sheltering program with Waterfront Rescue Mission to assist all Escambia County Citizens

EMS

• Redeveloped the EMS recruitment and retention processes with more aggressive exposure in EMT/Medic schools within driving distance
• Fill all full-time EMT vacancies and all full-time Paramedic vacancies. (There were 17 full-time EMT vacancies and 27 full-time Paramedic vacancies as of June 1, 2021.)
• Operating under an "in house" EMS orientation for new employees in academy style fashion with onboarding the 2nd and 4th week of each month.
• Expanded the Inter-Facility Transfer Division skill sets to include ventilator management and some Critical Care skills.
• Reorganized the EMS Training Division to include 2 - Supervisors to allow more efficiency with onboarding new employees, orientation processes, monthly training/education, and skills/certification renewal and tracking.
• Added additional training aids and equipment to the EMS Training Division.
• Implemented all new hire employees receiving International Trauma Life Support (ITLS) in the orientation process.
• 2 ECEMS EMT's will graduate EMS sponsored Paramedic school 12/2

E911 COMMUNICATIONS

• Completed installation of required circuits for Core Services and ESInet for geo-spatial routing of NextGeneration 911 calls
• Obtained and equipped an Emergency Communications response vehicle
• Implemented Quality Assurance reviews of 9-1-1 Fire related calls
• Upgraded Motorola P-25 radio software and hardware
• Replaced 9-1-1 recorders at Escambia County Emergency Communications Center, Escambia County Sheriff's Office, and Pensacola Police Department
• Completed Centegix (panic alarm) integration between 9-1-1 and Escambia County School Board
• Developed and implemented BDA (Bi-directional amplifier) testing requirements with Escambia County Fire Marshall

WATER SAFETY

• Water Safety had over 127,529 preventative actions
• Water Safety performed 213 water rescues
• Provided major medical aid to 54 people
• Helped locate 38 lost children

• Conducted training for 18 new hire lifeguards 

FIRE

• Implemented and completed the minimum standards program
• Implemented and completed and bridge program for Firefighter II
• Current training is on track to meet ISO and NFPA training standards
• Enhanced service with addition 17 firefighters receiving licenses for EMT and 1 for Paramedic
• Continued partnership with external customers
• Continued partnerships with surrounding fire departments for training opportunities
• Planning and development are ongoing for training center
• Ensley fire station remodeled for additional staffing
• Ensley fire station added a ladder truck with 3 persons staffing around the clock
• Molino fire station remodeled and staffed around the clock on a Squad
• Hired a Community Risk Reduction Coordinator
• Purchased of 2 low profile surf rescue trailers mission specific for Pensacola Beach and Innerarity Point
• Awarded American Rescue Plan Act that purchased
• 2 100’ Aerial Ladders delivered
• 2 SV-180 Fire Engines delivered
• 4 support vehicles delivered

Benchmark Sources:

¹Professional Research Consultants comparing to similar services after annually interviewing 400 patients treated by Escambia County EMS

²Informer, Zoll Tablet PCR reporting software, Hospital HL7 Information Exchange

Table 1.1/NFPA 1720

• Collaborate with internal customers to develop, fund, and execute the replacement of Myrtle Grove and Pleasant Grove fire stations, the addition of fire stations in the Paradise Beach Community and near Kingsfield Elementary, and remodel the Dogwood Park fire station to add living space for future staff
• Add an additional 12 FTEs to staff an aerial apparatus to enhance service delivery and increase standards

For additional information please see our interactive reports here

Fire Rescue - Mainland

Fire Rescue - Pensacola Beach

Emergency Management

Emergency Medical Service

Public Safety Administration

Public Safety Communications

Water Safety