Inside Suffolk's Firefighting Evolution: A Chat with Chief Matthews

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Welcome to the First Responders Podcast, the podcast about first responders
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made by first responders.
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Now for your host, Brian Miller, a retired first responder with over 25 years of experience.
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All right, we are out here in Suffolk once again. This is Brian with the First Responders podcast.
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I'm sitting across the desk from Chief Matthews from the Suffolk Fire Department.
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How you doing, sir? Hey, hey. Good afternoon to you, sir.
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All right, Chief. Tell me a little bit about yourself and then we'll get into the department.
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Yes, sir. So my name is Jeff Matthews. I have been with Suffolk Fire and Rescue
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for roughly 16 years now.
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I spent the first 15 years of my career out in operations. Ended up getting
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promoted in 2017, I want to say,
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to lieutenant and got assigned to the EMS Bureau as an EMS supervisor.
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Then I got roughly a year or so under my belt there and then went to Engine
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25 in Harborview for a year.
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And then 2020 came around, the good old COVID pandemic reared its head and there
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was an opportunity for us to put a second EMS supervisor in service on the northern inside of town.
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And I ended up hopping in that position for about four and a half years and
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got promoted to captain within that position.
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And we needed that position sooner than that, even just, you know,
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having one street supervisor on the street was definitely not optimal as much as we had grown.
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And then there was an opportunity to come into the office April,
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I'm sorry, no, August last year and to help with the pharmacy transition.
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And if anybody firing EMS regionally knows that that was a fun endeavor,
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however, it's over and it's been a service for a few months now,
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and it's been going exceptionally well and was fortunate enough to get promoted to battalion chief.
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And I am now the EMS bureau chief for the department.
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Very good. I can imagine that pharmacy switchover was quite a bit of paperwork.
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Oh, yes. And still is. So it's one of those deals where, you know,
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not only is there the initiation of getting the certifications, getting the licenses,
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but the maintenance and the upkeep of that paperwork and certain audit schedules
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that have to happen and paperwork being rotated on a schedule of every two years
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before you can destroy it. There's a lot to it.
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So, you know, much respect to anyone and everyone who's involved in the pharmacy relations.
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Very good. Thank you, sir. I appreciate it.
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So tell me a little bit about the city of Suffolk and the Suffolk Fire Department.
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Yes, sir. Suffolk Fire and Rescue serves roughly 430 square miles of a city.
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And Suffolk's interesting in that, you know, it's almost like three cities in
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one. You've got inner city downtown.
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You've got some rural countryside with lots of acreage.
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And then you've got a booming up and coming northern end. So lots of opportunities
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to do different operations and different work within different realms of the city.
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Our department, currently we have nine stations in service, soon to be 10,
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with the upcoming College Drive and Hampton Roads Parkway Station 11.
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So we're excited to get that off the ground. That ribbon cutting is actually this month.
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Oh, okay, cool. Well, maybe we can get out there and cover it.
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There you go. Talk about it and put some pictures on the Facebook page.
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That's right. There would definitely
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be no shortage of pictures for social media. That's for certain.
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And so with our, we'll go in and count station 11 as if it's going to be in
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service because it's soon to be.
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That would give us 11 engines on the street, four ladders, two rescues, nine medics.
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And then there's two shift battalion chiefs, one for battalion one, one for battalion two.
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There's two EMS supervisors, one shift safety officer.
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And as of July of last year, we put in place a shift commander position.
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And I believe they actually went in service in September, but they oversee the
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whole entire shift and that's a new addition that's been pretty helpful.
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So we got quite a bit of units on the street. It's been fun.
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That's a big change. Like I told you earlier, I started out here with the volunteer
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rescue squad back in the early nineties and we had.
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Good day, you'd have a medic unit in downtown and you'd have one at Bennett's Creek. That's right.
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For the whole city. That's outrageous.
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And the one thing that I loved about work in Suffolk, and you touched on it,
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you could be at a shooting one minute and then your next call could be a combine
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accident or something on the farm.
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So you get a good mixed bag. It's a good place, or at least it was back then.
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Do you still get a lot of agriculture stuff? Sure thing.
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Yeah. If it's not farm machinery or some of the, you know, accidents that happen
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on those rural roads, the brush fires have been pretty plentiful lately too.
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And that offers a very unique dynamic with, you know, water supply, if any.
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And so, yeah, it's, you know, and then when it comes to EMS,
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you know, we've got the level one trauma center in downtown Norfolk.
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And there are certain areas of the city that's 10 minutes or less of a drive,
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but then there's some areas that are 45, 50 minutes of a drive.
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So a lot of dynamics that Suffolk offers and a lot of decision-making that has
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to happen depending on where you're at.
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Yeah, I told you earlier, I was out here last week talking to the sheriff and
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one of the things that we talked about discussing the size of the city,
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I remember running a call working a patient from Mineral Springs to Obesee.
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And if I remember right, it was 30, 45 minutes with lights and sirens. Sure.
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Yeah, it was a long ride. It's a massive city, land-wise.
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So let's talk about the different divisions and different jobs that you guys had.
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You said operations, that's your street-level guys, the guys working the floors, correct?
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That's right. So what else have we got? So, you know, operations,
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as you stated, it's the day-to-day where the rubber meets the road with the
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folks that are out and about answering the calls for service.
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And then there's our administrative section, which is housed here within this
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building at Station 6, sort of adjacent.
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And within administration, there's technical support services,
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which helps to lend, finance, budget, health and human services,
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health and safety, logistics.
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And then we've got a training bureau that is actually housed out of our Market
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Street location, an old human resources building where they have access to classrooms,
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breakout rooms, equipment, and such.
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And they even still host academies out by St.
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Julian's Creek Annex and the Southside Regional.
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So you guys train in conjunction with Chesapeake, right?
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So we're at the same location, not necessarily together. I got you, I got you.
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It wouldn't be uncommon to see Portsmouth and Suffolk recruits together.
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You know, that's that's happened quite a bit in the past.
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But everything is what they call HERFA or Hampton Roads Regional Fire Academy
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now. Gotcha, okay, I gotcha. That's sort of that all-encompassing umbrella.
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Over here, we've got a fire marshal's office that's been pretty robust and probably
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much different than what you remember.
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I think there's nine members within the fire marshal's office now,
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and they're doing great work.
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There's a communications and IT side of the job where, you know,
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they can help facilitate communications in areas that have been wiped out.
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Black Mountain, North Carolina being the most recent big event that we've had.
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Where they were able to establish communications and help facilitate work being done down there.
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ISO and accreditation, that's a big part of our lives now in terms of measuring
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what we're doing, coming up with a plan to maintain and even improve what we're doing.
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So that's a big... So as the department grows, so does the bureaucracy.
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Oh, yes. Yeah, very much.
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That's okay, though. It's actually kind of fun. It holds us accountable.
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It really does. And to have targets to shoot for, whether it's administratively
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or operationally shift to shift,
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you know, that's kind of a fun little friendly competition side of it.
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And then there's a logistics bureau now that, yeah, that's out back,
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housed right out here outside of station six.
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So they help take care of fleet and fleet equipment, station supplies.
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The chief of logistics is actually hitting up the new station build.
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So that's his pride and joy right now. And he's doing a wonderful job with it.
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But the pharmacy is housed out there at Logistics.
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We kind of rent space, if you will. And then there's the EMS Bureau, which I'm in charge of.
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So pharmacy falls under me. The six EMS Street supervisors fall under me.
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And that's grown quite a bit in terms of having a unit of whole blood on the
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street, rapid and delayed sequence induction.
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I read something about the whole blood thing a couple of months ago.
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Yeah, yeah. It's just amazing that the steps that they've, the progress that
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we've made or the EMS folks have made since I started.
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And I mean, whole blood, I would have ever thought you'd have whole blood on
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the ambulance. Correct. What about pre-hospital ultrasound?
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That's crazy. It kind of is, but it's neat.
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I just received some scans last night from some scans that got downloaded and
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sent in. So you guys have that here? We do, yes, sir. Do you?
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Yep. And that was in partnership with Tidewater EMS.
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They sponsored us to go through training. There's eight of us that have been
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through the classroom training, field scans. We've got a unit on EMS-1 and a
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device on EMS-2, so the street supervisors carry it.
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Oh, okay. So they're not carried on the Medicare. Not just yet,
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but, you know, I would venture to say 10, 15 years, maybe less.
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The ultrasound is being likened to a new age stethoscope. You can see and do so many things with it.
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And I would subscribe to it. I like it.
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Oh, anything that's going to improve patient care and speed up the information
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that we get. That's right. What about...
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What kind of special operations, HAZMAT, stuff like that? Absolutely.
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So there's quite a buzz around special operations.
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HAZMAT, you just mentioned, they are getting a good team of folks trained up,
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not only to technician, but to specialist levels.
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And that team is looking to be housed out at station 11 at the news station.
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So, you know, I'm not entirely sure of the concept, whether they're going to
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train two pieces to kind of run one as a primary and another one as a backup.
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We kind of do that with technical rescue as it is, but, but yeah,
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they've been doing some serious training with regards to not only the,
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the boots on the ground and where the rubber meets the road,
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but like taking several week long organic chemistry classes and really getting
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in the weeds of understanding that information.
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So they're, they are in it to win it. That's for sure.
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We do have the technical rescue team that's been off the ground for a good 10
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or 12 years now. technician-level experts in all the disciplines,
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rope, water, confined space, vehicle rescue.
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Where are they stationed? They're stationed out of Station 1.
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So the technical rescue truck, or Rescue 1 as it's named, is based out of Station 1.
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And then Engine 2 is sort of the concept where that truck has at least technical
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rescue operations members that they could help, one,
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back up the tech rescue team on an actual incident or jump over and fill spots
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on the rescue when annual leave or sick leave happens.
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And they've got to refill that spot. We do have SWAT medics.
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They support the state and city police departments, and that's been pretty robust.
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We've got a Marine team now with not only a big old fire boat,
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but a myriad of boats, a mid-level rescue boat. They've got inflatables.
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They've got Zodiacs. And, I mean, they're just to get into any and all bodies
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of water and either put out fires or go get people that, you know,
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might break down on a jet ski or whatever the case.
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And where do they keep the boat? So the boat is actually down at Volvo Penta,
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down in the Eclipse section of the city, and I.
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They have a couple boats where they could just tow behind and pull from the
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stations, but that team is based out of Chukatuck Station 9.
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The comms team has certainly developed into a special operations team.
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They've got drones that they could set in the air for hunting brush fires and
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search and rescue kind of operations.
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Speaking of search and rescue, that's another specialty team that's off the ground now.
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And then the medical access to resources in the community or the MARC program
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that's hand-in-hand with our community medicine initiatives,
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that's taken quite a bit of notice and garnered some good attention lately.
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What's the community medicine initiative? Yes, sir.
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What they do, if they can identify from the field patients that just need some
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additional support, whether it's fall risk reduction,
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durable medical equipment, they've got mechanisms and connections with the region
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to where they can plug people into those kind of resources.
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Or it might be simple recommendations of, oh, hey, we could rearrange your furniture
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a little bit, or maybe this rug needs to come on out as we keep tripping over it.
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So just identifying risks and helping to reduce those as needed.
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That's very cool. I really like that. I like the community involvement aspect
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of that. Sounds really good.
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Very much. And really just looking at the reduction in fires from the good work
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of the fire marshal's office.
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Prevention is everything when it comes down to it. So, you know,
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this is sort of our, call it the FMO of EMS, right?
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Just getting ahead of it and trying to prevent calls where we can,
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you know, keep people healthy and safe. Wow.
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So let's talk a little bit about manpower. Yes, sir. So let's roll in.
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How many sworn and non-sworn employees do you have? What kind of job vacancies do you have?
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Yes, sir. In terms of an exact number, that number changes
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day to day only because we've had some recent retirements as
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of last week with the recruit academy sometimes that
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number fluctuates but i'd say anywhere from 330
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to 340 roughly members of suffolk firing a lot bigger department than it was
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when i was out this way i can only imagine do you remember how many was was
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on the roster back then i know they had three stations okay that was about it
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this there was one out here,
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than, so White Marsh,
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the station at White Marsh wasn't but a couple of years old when I left. Okay.
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And then Market Street. There you go. And then, you know, Holland and all of
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them had their volunteer. Sure. Their volunteers, but,
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So from three stations to 300, a little bit of exponential growth there.
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Just listening to you talk about the growth.
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And like I told you when I got here, I haven't been this deep into Suffolk in
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probably 15, 20 years. Oh, man. If not longer.
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But so how many job vacancies are you looking at right now?
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Ooh, hard to pinpoint the amount of vacancies.
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I know we just got allotted some positions as of the new fiscal year.
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Okay. And let's see, I'd say anywhere from 20 to 25, and that's a loose figure.
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But I think with the 10 vacancies that we just got and, you know,
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with some of the retirements and just, you know, different things,
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I feel like 20 to 25 is just a very ballpark number.
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And we do a couple of different things to help get people in the door.
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We've obviously got the recruit process, which, you know, ground up,
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no real required certifications.
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You know, we would provide that training to everybody.
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And from a recruit standpoint, but we do have what they call a certified application
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process where, you know, maybe somebody spent time in another department and
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they've retired out of there and like to come work elsewhere.
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There's an opportunity for us to capture those people and that come loaded with
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certifications and time on the job.
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Like a lateral transfer type thing. Might as well call it that,
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exactly. And, you know, that has put them through about a month or two long
00:16:07.005 --> 00:16:09.545
mini academy, they call it, just to make sure that, you know,
00:16:09.605 --> 00:16:12.985
they come sound with some skills and expectations of how we handle business.
00:16:13.325 --> 00:16:17.905
And then there's an EMS level of competency checks and all that good stuff,
00:16:17.905 --> 00:16:20.505
too. They call it the field training evaluation program.
00:16:20.705 --> 00:16:25.285
Everybody gets 240 hours worth of skills and time on an ambulance before they
00:16:25.285 --> 00:16:28.745
simply get cut loose to operate it and or act as an attendant in charge.
00:16:28.745 --> 00:16:34.845
So tell me about, all right, what's the minimum age to come to the Suffolk Fire and Rescue?
00:16:35.085 --> 00:16:37.985
I believe 18 or 19 years old. It's pretty young.
00:16:38.305 --> 00:16:41.105
I'm 18, 19 years old. I just got out of high school.
00:16:41.585 --> 00:16:43.505
I don't know what I want to do with my life.
00:16:44.225 --> 00:16:49.965
And I listen to this podcast, and I think, I want to go join Suffolk Fire and Rescue.
00:16:50.345 --> 00:16:55.725
What do I do? What are the steps? So it's never wrong to take a couple station
00:16:55.725 --> 00:17:01.165
visits even, just informally to pop by, talk to the members,
00:17:01.545 --> 00:17:05.665
look at the equipment, ask questions that way you can wrap your head around,
00:17:05.805 --> 00:17:07.585
hey, is this truly what I want to do?
00:17:07.865 --> 00:17:12.005
And then it puts a face to a name, it gets yourself, you know,
00:17:12.205 --> 00:17:16.965
gets somebody familiar with the day-to-day and the schedule and just the opportunity
00:17:16.965 --> 00:17:18.485
to ask questions and learn.
00:17:18.485 --> 00:17:22.125
And if somebody decides, yes, this is definitely what I want to do,
00:17:22.305 --> 00:17:26.505
then we advertise vacancies on the city's website through the employment tabs.
00:17:26.545 --> 00:17:30.985
And then our social media following is rather robust. And we try to blast those
00:17:30.985 --> 00:17:32.405
vacancies on that as well.
00:17:32.765 --> 00:17:36.185
Now, do you guys do, because I know a couple of the departments,
00:17:36.425 --> 00:17:41.285
you can go on their website and fill out an interest card.
00:17:42.045 --> 00:17:46.585
Or do you guys only take applications when you're starting the process? You know what?
00:17:47.385 --> 00:17:51.605
The interest cards do ring a bell. I'm probably not the best person to ask for
00:17:51.605 --> 00:17:54.365
some reason. I can't remember if we still do those or not.
00:17:54.845 --> 00:18:00.225
But if there's an opportunity to do that, yeah, we'd encourage people to fill it out.
00:18:00.485 --> 00:18:04.425
All right. So tell me about the application process. So application process
00:18:04.425 --> 00:18:07.925
is pretty standard for any entry-level position. There's, you know.
00:18:08.765 --> 00:18:12.045
Job history, education, any certifications, if any.
00:18:12.285 --> 00:18:17.405
And then once that period is up, then they will sift through the applications
00:18:17.405 --> 00:18:22.185
and offer interviews for people to come in and interview for the job.
00:18:22.325 --> 00:18:27.905
And at some point, whether it's before or after the interviews, it changes so much.
00:18:28.005 --> 00:18:31.365
And the policy has changed so much since I've done it. But there's a physical
00:18:31.365 --> 00:18:32.785
fitness component to it as well.
00:18:33.005 --> 00:18:36.785
And we do the candidate physical ability test or the CPAT.
00:18:37.065 --> 00:18:42.045
So, it's a standard test that the region as a whole, it sounds like,
00:18:42.105 --> 00:18:45.385
has adopted as their physical fitness test of choice.
00:18:45.645 --> 00:18:48.005
Isn't that like that firefighter challenge thing where you run?
00:18:48.145 --> 00:18:49.225
It's like an obstacle course.
00:18:49.405 --> 00:18:52.225
It's somewhat of an obstacle course. I know there's a stair climber for the
00:18:52.225 --> 00:18:55.305
first few minutes, and then there's a hose drag, a ladder raise,
00:18:55.305 --> 00:19:00.845
a breaching exercise, and then some push-pull exercises, even a confined space component.
00:19:00.845 --> 00:19:04.445
I did it years and years ago, and it's not a slouch of a test.
00:19:04.465 --> 00:19:06.945
No, it's no joke at all. Not at all.
00:19:07.065 --> 00:19:09.905
You know, you definitely have to come loaded with some ability.
00:19:09.925 --> 00:19:13.865
And I think it's a fair gauge of, you know, what the job requires,
00:19:14.005 --> 00:19:15.585
especially in gear and everything else.
00:19:15.725 --> 00:19:20.925
I think a lot of the departments, not only in this region, but across the country are going to that.
00:19:21.145 --> 00:19:26.165
Because I think it, like you said, it's a better measurement of whether you're
00:19:26.165 --> 00:19:28.565
physically fit to do the job. Sure.
00:19:29.105 --> 00:19:32.705
So, all right. So what about a written test? Is there a written test?
00:19:32.705 --> 00:19:35.985
So there, I believe there is a written test,
00:19:36.385 --> 00:19:41.385
you know, general knowledge exam and, and I would definitely have to have somebody
00:19:41.385 --> 00:19:45.625
trust, but verify that again, it's, it's definitely been years and I haven't
00:19:45.625 --> 00:19:48.825
really been involved with any of the recruit hiring processes.
00:19:49.125 --> 00:19:52.725
We could certainly connect you with some of the training office members over
00:19:52.725 --> 00:19:57.485
there too. Well, I think, and that's actually down the road,
00:19:57.505 --> 00:19:59.065
something I'm going to do right now.
00:19:59.205 --> 00:20:03.305
I'm just trying to make contact with these departments and talk to you folks.
00:20:04.285 --> 00:20:08.105
So physical written test. Then an interview.
00:20:08.485 --> 00:20:12.225
Then the interview. Yep. And then you guys do the, what you call it,
00:20:12.285 --> 00:20:13.745
the Hampton Roads Regional Academy.
00:20:13.945 --> 00:20:16.705
We do. Yes, sir. The Hampton Roads Regional Fire Academy. I mean,
00:20:16.945 --> 00:20:20.945
so after the first series of interviews, they may change this as well,
00:20:21.085 --> 00:20:24.765
but there's an opportunity to maybe put a chief on that original panel. Okay.
00:20:25.025 --> 00:20:28.905
Because otherwise there's traditionally been a chief's panel interview,
00:20:28.905 --> 00:20:33.025
and we don't want to draw out processes but so much.
00:20:33.265 --> 00:20:38.705
There's an opportunity to shorten that up. Yeah, because it already takes months.
00:20:39.125 --> 00:20:41.325
I mean, you hear of people...
00:20:42.216 --> 00:20:48.396
Taking six, eight, nine months to go through a hiring process for any first
00:20:48.396 --> 00:20:50.036
responder's job. Absolutely.
00:20:50.356 --> 00:20:53.196
Mine was 10 months from start and finish to get hired here. And that's just
00:20:53.196 --> 00:20:55.636
nature of the beast. Yeah, yeah. A lot of layers.
00:20:55.976 --> 00:20:58.936
A lot of moving parts and stuff like that. A lot of moving parts.
00:20:59.056 --> 00:21:04.036
And then the academy anymore, when we take on a big class where we have to split
00:21:04.036 --> 00:21:07.556
them up into cohorts where maybe one does fire first and one does EMS.
00:21:09.016 --> 00:21:11.656
The based on just the logistics and the
00:21:11.656 --> 00:21:14.496
challenges to get all that stuff set up i do know that
00:21:14.496 --> 00:21:17.656
that's roughly a 12 to 13 month process from starting
00:21:17.656 --> 00:21:20.716
the academy to graduating so i know
00:21:20.716 --> 00:21:24.996
that the the chief of training has got a pretty good idea of maybe trying to
00:21:24.996 --> 00:21:29.316
get a little creative and see if there's some time that we could pare down off
00:21:29.316 --> 00:21:32.296
of that get people in the door a little bit sooner and certainly wouldn't be
00:21:32.296 --> 00:21:38.376
slouching on standards or or processes but just cutting the fat and that's the thing, you know,
00:21:39.096 --> 00:21:44.336
making sure that you get good quality people, it's going to take a while. Oh yeah, it does.
00:21:44.516 --> 00:21:49.456
You know, I mean, coming from a law enforcement background, one of the things
00:21:49.456 --> 00:21:53.536
that a lot of the departments have stopped doing is the polygraph. Sure.
00:21:54.456 --> 00:22:02.176
And that is reflected, I think, in some of the stuff that you see police officers
00:22:02.176 --> 00:22:07.116
and deputies, these younger dudes making poor decisions because I don't think,
00:22:07.376 --> 00:22:09.996
and it's not, it's not a quality thing.
00:22:10.376 --> 00:22:16.536
It's just, I don't know. It's, it's hard to explain, but you can't do,
00:22:16.696 --> 00:22:21.356
you can't cut too much off the process without affecting the type of,
00:22:21.436 --> 00:22:23.936
uh, type of candidates that you get.
00:22:24.396 --> 00:22:29.576
Yeah. That's always a consideration. All right. So I've been through hiring
00:22:29.576 --> 00:22:31.276
process. I've been through the academy.
00:22:32.314 --> 00:22:36.174
Is there a FTO phase or training phase?
00:22:36.514 --> 00:22:40.394
Yes, sir. So there's sort of two collateral components to that.
00:22:40.534 --> 00:22:43.734
There's what they call the fire rookie book or the red book.
00:22:43.794 --> 00:22:46.754
The red book and the blue book. Yes, sir. The blue book, indeed.
00:22:47.074 --> 00:22:53.874
The blue book is relatively new, but for the first year or so that a new firefighter
00:22:53.874 --> 00:22:58.054
recruit is on the floor and in the station, they've got opportunities to get
00:22:58.054 --> 00:23:01.174
with their officers and their senior members to check off certain companies.
00:23:01.174 --> 00:23:06.354
It's one thing to go over in the academy a handful of times in a training environment,
00:23:06.354 --> 00:23:10.334
but to actually take it off the trucks and put your hands on it,
00:23:10.374 --> 00:23:14.394
put your eyes on that stuff, it's just another good backstop to dust off some cobwebs.
00:23:14.574 --> 00:23:20.294
And then the blue book being just that for the EMS side of things to where there's
00:23:20.294 --> 00:23:25.374
equipment to check and there's certain procedures that you get to simulate and do,
00:23:25.414 --> 00:23:31.014
and then a ride time component with some driving log activities and all that stuff too.
00:23:31.174 --> 00:23:36.434
And so you come out of the academy and you're working on your blue book and your red book.
00:23:36.614 --> 00:23:43.054
Are you a probationary firefighter for six months, a year? Is there a set timeline on that?
00:23:43.234 --> 00:23:47.934
There is. So I believe six months, when they hit the academy and they're in
00:23:47.934 --> 00:23:52.334
there for 12 or 13 months, they're effectively an employee for 12, 13 months.
00:23:52.334 --> 00:23:56.794
So generally, you know, 12 months used to check the box, but being that they
00:23:56.794 --> 00:23:58.314
are new operational members.
00:23:58.614 --> 00:24:01.894
Generally they'll have that probationary period on the floor for six months
00:24:01.894 --> 00:24:06.614
to one, go through some rookie book items, and then two, to give their officers
00:24:06.614 --> 00:24:11.614
a chance to gauge their performance and make sure they're steering them in the right direction.
00:24:11.614 --> 00:24:16.214
Yeah, because any first responder, whether it's police or fire,
00:24:16.514 --> 00:24:22.834
will tell you that what you learn in the academy and the way things are really done.
00:24:23.591 --> 00:24:26.771
They're close, but they're also miles apart. Oh, yes, very much.
00:24:26.911 --> 00:24:32.051
So what's the typical day for any firefighter?
00:24:32.071 --> 00:24:35.611
I know they're not typical days, but I come to work. Yeah.
00:24:36.071 --> 00:24:39.311
I report to my station. What am I doing throughout the day?
00:24:39.391 --> 00:24:44.791
So I remember my first several days very, very well, and what a good time that was.
00:24:45.111 --> 00:24:48.511
So generally, typical day, you arrive at the station,
00:24:48.711 --> 00:24:51.931
should be nice and early, get the off-going member
00:24:51.931 --> 00:24:54.651
relief to get a quick turnover at the truck you know
00:24:54.651 --> 00:24:57.791
what's broken what's missing get your gear situated
00:24:57.791 --> 00:25:00.631
next to the truck or on you know whatever piece you're on
00:25:00.631 --> 00:25:03.471
check off your air bottle make sure there's no ifs ands
00:25:03.471 --> 00:25:07.891
or buts about it put your power tag on the truck to account for yourself and
00:25:07.891 --> 00:25:11.411
then before the shift starts our shift start at eight o'clock but you know if
00:25:11.411 --> 00:25:15.391
you get this done at 7 15 or so there's an opportunity to go in the kitchen
00:25:15.391 --> 00:25:19.691
and just have some good coffee time a little bit of you know cutting the mustard
00:25:19.691 --> 00:25:21.991
around the table and just Get yourself warmed up,
00:25:22.411 --> 00:25:26.511
stroke of eight o'clock hits, and then it's apparatus check time to where everybody
00:25:26.511 --> 00:25:30.351
goes out, operates their piece, checks the equipment, make sure they've got
00:25:30.351 --> 00:25:32.151
everything they want and need for the shift.
00:25:32.851 --> 00:25:36.991
While that's happening, maybe a few members break off after their truck checks
00:25:36.991 --> 00:25:40.431
are done and the station chores, you know, and that's anything and everything
00:25:40.431 --> 00:25:45.171
from, you know, changing the HVAC filters at certain points of the month because
00:25:45.171 --> 00:25:46.491
we maintain our own facilities.
00:25:46.491 --> 00:25:50.991
Of course, cleaning bathrooms, sweeping, mopping, emptying trash,
00:25:51.251 --> 00:25:52.731
keeping things tidy and in order.
00:25:52.951 --> 00:25:56.571
The trucks, if they need to be vacuumed out, swept out, washed,
00:25:56.631 --> 00:25:58.051
there's opportunities to do that.
00:25:58.671 --> 00:26:04.391
And then usually 930-ish, different stations have different equipment requirements,
00:26:04.431 --> 00:26:07.451
obviously. But that's a good time for everybody to congregate,
00:26:07.531 --> 00:26:09.411
eat a little breakfast and have a morning meeting.
00:26:09.671 --> 00:26:13.191
So officers generally lead the meeting or if they're grooming somebody to act
00:26:13.191 --> 00:26:14.931
as an officer, maybe they'll lead the meeting.
00:26:14.931 --> 00:26:20.131
And just to go over new information bulletins, general orders,
00:26:20.331 --> 00:26:23.951
rules and regulations, or any news that has been pumped out from administration
00:26:23.951 --> 00:26:25.571
or other operational members.
00:26:26.111 --> 00:26:30.871
At that point, maybe they'll come up with a training plan for the day and generally
00:26:30.871 --> 00:26:33.391
like to conduct some sort of training every day,
00:26:33.571 --> 00:26:39.531
whether it's an informal tabletop or if it's scheduling an opportunity to go
00:26:39.531 --> 00:26:43.771
put the ladder up and flow water and scale certain buildings,
00:26:43.771 --> 00:26:46.771
they could do that too. just with, you know, good enough planning.
00:26:46.971 --> 00:26:54.051
Now, do you guys have a set schedule or agenda of what has to be covered throughout
00:26:54.051 --> 00:26:55.391
the year, or do you just...
00:26:56.610 --> 00:27:02.370
Yep. So ISO and accreditation drives the requirements for officers or firefighters,
00:27:02.670 --> 00:27:05.590
paramedics even. So there are certain requirements.
00:27:06.010 --> 00:27:09.870
Some even at the facilities where, you know, the Franklin Burn Building,
00:27:10.050 --> 00:27:11.810
maybe it's Virginia Beach Fire Training Center.
00:27:11.990 --> 00:27:16.350
In the coming couple of years, we'll have our own training facility out off
00:27:16.350 --> 00:27:17.990
Carolina Road with a burn building.
00:27:18.130 --> 00:27:20.810
That stuff, you know, you've probably seen on social media, but that'll help.
00:27:20.990 --> 00:27:24.510
That'll be a huge asset for us right here in Suffolk to where we can get those
00:27:24.510 --> 00:27:29.390
facility hours. and run calls when called upon, you know, anything's apt to
00:27:29.390 --> 00:27:31.710
be interrupted. You might have the best plan of the day.
00:27:31.850 --> 00:27:35.510
And then my motto is the day happens. Yeah, that's it. And then it gets interrupted
00:27:35.510 --> 00:27:37.910
for sure, but you do the best you can.
00:27:38.410 --> 00:27:42.370
Lunchtime is a good opportunity to rehydrate, fuel the body for the remainder
00:27:42.370 --> 00:27:45.890
of the afternoon, maybe carry forth those training exercises.
00:27:46.290 --> 00:27:49.450
And then it's dinnertime usually between five and six o'clock.
00:27:49.710 --> 00:27:54.970
And after that, just rest, study, dinnertime, or, you know, just chill time.
00:27:54.970 --> 00:27:57.070
And let everybody have a moment to themselves.
00:27:57.530 --> 00:28:04.330
Nothing beats a fire station meal, man. When I was younger, my dad was at the fire station.
00:28:04.730 --> 00:28:09.890
I was working for the phone company. And if I was ever near the station on the
00:28:09.890 --> 00:28:14.310
days he was working, go in there and throw the guys a couple of dollars and
00:28:14.310 --> 00:28:17.570
get some of the best food in the world. That's right. Yeah, it definitely is.
00:28:17.790 --> 00:28:20.830
Man, it brings back memories. And I'll tell you what, the guys and girls around
00:28:20.830 --> 00:28:25.090
here can really smoke some pork shoulders. And, you know, that's probably one
00:28:25.090 --> 00:28:28.450
of my favorite meals that I've taken away from here is the pork butts,
00:28:28.630 --> 00:28:30.450
the coleslaw and baked beans.
00:28:30.590 --> 00:28:33.910
I could eat it every night of the week. Yeah, I'll tell you, make me hungry.
00:28:34.830 --> 00:28:39.030
All right. So I'm going to give you. Oh, let me ask you real quick.
00:28:39.170 --> 00:28:41.390
Yeah. So we were talking earlier about.
00:28:42.298 --> 00:28:45.578
You have part-time medics and paramedic only.
00:28:45.938 --> 00:28:52.258
So if I'm assigned to an engine, am I going to stay on that engine the whole shift?
00:28:52.558 --> 00:28:55.898
Well, sir, generally for the engines, yes.
00:28:56.278 --> 00:29:00.738
There are things that happen where maybe they have to swap you out due to a
00:29:00.738 --> 00:29:02.358
staffing issue or whatever the case.
00:29:02.478 --> 00:29:07.958
But generally, if you're a firefighter, advanced EMT, you rotate amongst the
00:29:07.958 --> 00:29:13.038
engine or ladder that you're assigned to. And then the station is in an ambulance
00:29:13.038 --> 00:29:16.558
rotation when it's time to, you know, rotate on it. I got you.
00:29:16.978 --> 00:29:20.678
You know, certain stations are bigger than others. There's some of the smaller houses.
00:29:21.118 --> 00:29:25.998
Those members might be on the ambulance every other shift or every third shift or so.
00:29:26.178 --> 00:29:29.098
Or some of the bigger stations, they might not see it for, you know,
00:29:29.178 --> 00:29:32.118
once a cycle. And that's a seven shift rotation.
00:29:32.278 --> 00:29:36.018
So how many stations do you have?
00:29:36.118 --> 00:29:40.318
We've got, we'll have 10 when station 11 opens. And does everyone have a medic?
00:29:40.758 --> 00:29:43.618
Everyone except for Station 4. Okay.
00:29:43.718 --> 00:29:48.898
But they're in the works of redoing that station plan to where they are going
00:29:48.898 --> 00:29:50.238
to plan to have a medic there.
00:29:50.538 --> 00:29:54.238
And that'll be a tremendous help, especially for Station 1 that generally runs
00:29:54.238 --> 00:29:56.798
that area with Medic 1. Okay, I got you.
00:29:57.278 --> 00:30:00.618
All right, well, I think that covers it. I'm going to give you,
00:30:00.718 --> 00:30:03.318
Chief, I'm going to give you the last word.
00:30:03.818 --> 00:30:08.718
Tell me what it is about Suffolk Fire and Rescue. you, that's going to make
00:30:08.718 --> 00:30:09.818
me want to come work here.
00:30:09.978 --> 00:30:14.838
So I think without question, it's the leadership and the vision that we've got.
00:30:14.958 --> 00:30:19.558
You know, we've got people in the right positions now, young and old alike,
00:30:19.738 --> 00:30:23.418
that can help facilitate growth and development, not only as an organization,
00:30:23.418 --> 00:30:26.098
but as individuals and as professionals here.
00:30:26.298 --> 00:30:31.118
The opportunity for growth, once again, not only with the land and the population,
00:30:31.458 --> 00:30:33.498
but, you know, the businesses are booming.
00:30:33.838 --> 00:30:36.888
There's lots of people on road. There's lots of people shopping here.
00:30:37.088 --> 00:30:41.248
So with that, we're going to need more stations, more personnel and,
00:30:41.248 --> 00:30:45.668
and wild cities, while the land is certainly getting consumed,
00:30:45.668 --> 00:30:48.168
there's still plenty more room to keep.
00:30:48.388 --> 00:30:50.708
Yeah. There's, there's a lot of empty acreage around.
00:30:51.088 --> 00:30:56.228
Oh yes. You know, I remember rides up 17 North across the green James river
00:30:56.228 --> 00:30:59.028
bridge to go to Hampton to see my grandparents every Sunday.
00:30:59.188 --> 00:31:01.168
And it was nothing but fields and trees.
00:31:01.468 --> 00:31:06.788
And now if you can get up 17 because of the traffic you know there's businesses
00:31:06.788 --> 00:31:12.508
there's homes there's all kinds of good stuff so opportunity growth and the leadership,
00:31:13.248 --> 00:31:16.948
it's all I know but I love it I can't complain a bit and I wouldn't trade it
00:31:16.948 --> 00:31:18.288
for anything else I tell you.
00:31:19.208 --> 00:31:22.688
I think for the rest of the day, I'm just going to be dumbfounded of what I've
00:31:22.688 --> 00:31:26.928
seen out here. Because like I told you, I haven't been to Suffolk in years.
00:31:27.148 --> 00:31:31.428
Sure. And the growth of this department is just incredible. It is.
00:31:31.548 --> 00:31:33.668
And I hope you all stay on task.
00:31:33.848 --> 00:31:39.028
And everything looks good so far. Good. And I appreciate you taking time to do this for me.
00:31:39.088 --> 00:31:42.148
No, I can't thank you enough. It's always nice to get to talk to somebody that's
00:31:42.148 --> 00:31:44.988
been there and done it and just, you know. A long time ago.
00:31:45.228 --> 00:31:47.788
Yeah. No, it's a good time. Just can't thank you enough. It's been great.
00:31:47.788 --> 00:31:51.668
All right, ladies and gentlemen, that does it for me. I want to thank Chief Matthews.
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All right, you guys, be safe. Watch your six and take care of each other.
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We'll talk to you down the road.
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You have been listening to the First Responders Podcast with your host, Brian Miller.
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Please tune in for future episodes of this podcast. Our podcast is dedicated
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to the men and women who serve the public as first responders. Thank you.