Authorizing Council's Committee on Public Safety to investigate and hold public hearings reviewing the adequacy and frequency of training provided to Fire Fighters and other first responder personnel of the Philadelphia Fire Department, and what impact rolling brown-outs are having on training and preparedness.

WHEREAS, The hearing held by the Committee on Labor and Civil Service on October 11, 2012, revealed serious concerns about the type and amount of training provided to members of the Philadelphia Fire Department; and

WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Fire Department employs more than 2,300 sworn members and civilians, all of whom must be trained at a high level in order to maintain public safety; and

WHEREAS,

Whether the level of funding dedicated to training by the Fire Department meets the needs of the sworn members and civilians should be investigated; and

WHEREAS, Whether training standards of the Fire Department meet national standards needs to be investigated

; and

WHEREAS, The policies of the Fire Department in developing, administering and scheduling training for the specialized positions such as safety officers, EMT's and the command staff needs to be examined; and

WHEREAS, The policy of rolling brown-outs was instituted in the Fire Department, and any impact that policy is having on members preparedness needs to be explored; and

WHEREAS, The types and availability of grant funding for Fire Fighter training needs to be investigated; and

WHEREAS, It is crucial to the safety and protection of the citizens of Philadelphia to have Fire Fighters, whose job it is often to lay their lives on the line for others, to be trained in the latest and most effective fire fighting methods and protocols; now therefore,

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, THAT the Committee on Public Safety is hereby authorized to hold public hearings reviewing the effectiveness of the training programs that currently exist within the Philadelphia Fire Department.

End