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AARON SHAROCKMANThe plan comes after a fire in 2002 killed two residents and injured three firefighters at a condo on Island Estates.
CLEARWATER - The city's new fire chief believes more training will address departmental flaws uncovered in the aftermath of a fatal 2002 condominium fire.
On the job since last month, Chief Jamie Geer on Monday proposed extensive training reforms that aim to cover all facets of firefighter development, with an emphasis on leadership.
The plan, which would cost more than $421,000, comes 28 months after a kitchen fire killed two residents and injured three firefighters at a condominium high rise on Island Estates.
Subsequent reviews questioned the department's handling of the Dolphin Cove fire and recommended major organizational changes. A city-commissioned audit in March blistered the fire leadership for a lack of command structure and discipline.
Geer's initiatives, which were tentatively approved during a City Council work session and will be voted on Thursday, seek to address previous concerns. They also attempt to breed a more cohesive department.
"The foundation of an effective fire department is an effective training program," Geer said.
Much of Geer's plan focuses on department officers and crew supervisors, who are the administration's first line of leadership.
Among the individual initiatives, Geer proposes leadership training and officer development for all fire lieutenants. Geer also wants to dedicate $131,000 for incident command training, a problem highlighted during the fire at Dolphin Cove.
"They are our eyes and ears out in the field," Geer said. "Their grasp of the big picture is very important. Their optimism is very important. Their morale and their hopefulness are important.
"We have to develop them as leaders, not just supervisors," Geer said. "There's a big difference in this business."
Many of the programs will also certify Clearwater firefighters as trainers. That means ongoing training costs will be much lower, perhaps $78,000 a year.
Geer also plans to expand programs for new recruits and increase hazardous materials training.
"We want to break the status quo here," said Robert Dube, deputy chief of operations.
Council members said they were pleased by Geer's first major policy reform since taking the job in September.
"This really addresses some of the concerns I've seen from the community," said council member Bill Jonson.
The fifth-floor fire at Dolphin Cove exposed serious tactical flaws and the need for sweeping changes, three different independent reviews of the June 2002 incident found.
Chief among them, all three audits found serious leadership deficiencies at the scene, where it took 28 minutes to get water on the fire once firefighters arrived.
Assistant City Manager Garry Brumback said the city has already made several changes since Dolphin Cove. While Rowland Herald was chief, the department intensified its training program to correct some obvious trouble spots.
The city also moved emergency management operations out of the fire department and hired a fire chief in Geer who has both a fire protection and emergency medical background.
Brumback said the new training program will continue to better prepare the city's 200-person fire department. Since 1997, there has been an average of 145 fires each year, though the large majority of calls have been medical related.
"This is a recognition from the new chief that there are areas that need improving," Brumback said. "By having leaders at all levels of service, we can foster better cooperation at every level in the department."
Aaron Sharockman can be reached at 727 445-4160 or asharockman@sptimes.com