Benchmark Happenings

Safeguarding Communities and Values: Adam Momberger on Firefighting Excellence and Home Safety in Johnson City

• Jonathan Tipton, Steve Reed & Christine Reed • Episode 40

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Discover the compelling journey of Adam Momberger, the Administrative District Chief of the Johnson City Fire Department, as he reveals what drew him from Ohio to the vibrant community of Johnson City. Learn about the department's unwavering commitment to their core values—Honesty, Empathy, Loyalty, and Professionalism—through the HELP acronym, setting the tone for their mission as an all-hazards provider. Adam also shares the thrill of firefighting, from the physical challenges to the strategic partnership with the city's water department, which has helped secure an impressive ISO 1 rating, potentially benefiting local homeowners with lower insurance premiums.

In an episode packed with insights, Adam takes us behind the scenes of the Johnson City Fire Department's rigorous training regimen. With over 200 hours of annual training in critical areas like EMS, technical rescue, and hazmat response, the department is always ready for the next call. Adam highlights how data analytics play a crucial role in anticipating emergencies, while the Emergency Operations Center stands as a vital component during flooding events. Plus, get a handle on city policies around leaf and brush burning, emphasizing the importance of utilizing city services to keep the community safe.

We round out our discussion with essential home safety tips tailored for families with children. From smoke and CO2 detector usage to securing household items, Adam provides practical advice to enhance home safety. The conversation broadens to the need for sprinkler systems in businesses and the collaborative efforts that bolster firefighting efficiency. Aspiring firefighters won't want to miss Adam's advice on the importance of early maturity and education to succeed in this noble profession. Celebrate the dedication of the Johnson City Fire Department and gain valuable insights into safeguarding your home and community.

To help you to navigate the home buying and mortgage process, Jonathan & Steve are currently licensed in Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Virginia, contact us today at 423-491-5405 or visit www.jonathanandsteve.com.

Speaker 1:

This is Benchmark Happenings, brought to you by Jonathan and Steve from Benchmark Home Loans. Northeast Tennessee, johnson City, kingsport, bristol, the Tri-Cities One of the most beautiful places in the country to live. Tons of great things to do and awesome local businesses. And on this show you'll find out why people are dying to move to Northeast Tennessee. And on the way we'll have discussions about mortgages and we'll interview people in the real estate industry. It's what we do. This is Benchmark Happenings, brought to you by Benchmark Home Loans and now your host, christine Reed. And now your host, christine Reed.

Speaker 2:

Well, welcome back everybody to another podcast with Benchmark Happenings, and so we always have a star of the show. So I'll have to tell you the reason we have this star today is because I actually enrolled and participated in a class of Johnson City 101. And it was a class to learn about all the great things about Johnson City all the municipalities, our fire department, our police department, and so today we have the Johnson City Fire Department Administrative District Chief, adam Momberger. So, adam, thank you for being here today.

Speaker 3:

Thank you for having me.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely Well. It's a privilege and we do appreciate your time. I know you're a busy guy with lots to do. So we talk about the Johnson City Fire Department, the mission and core values. The Johnson City Fire Department's mission is to be the all-hazards provider to the citizens and visitors through prevention, preparedness and emergency response. The core values will help the Johnson City Fire Department to establish their guiding philosophy. So I love that and I love the acronym HELP.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, it's a good memory tool for us and it really embodies what we do and what we think our character is.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely, and I'm just going to cover that. So HELP, honesty, truthful in all we do, e for empathy, compassion for all in need, loyalty devoted to serving the community, professionalism through valued service. Yeah, so, adam, firefighters are just sort of near and dear to our hearts here at Benchmark, and my husband, Steve, his dad, is a retired firefighter, so I know that the job just requires it's a heart of service that you have, and that every firefighter out there. So you care about people. And so, adam, are you original to Johnson City or did you move from a different area?

Speaker 3:

I originally lived in Ohio and I moved here approximately 2004.

Speaker 2:

Okay, so what brought you to Johnson City?

Speaker 3:

It was several facets of the area. You know the beautiful climate, escaping the taxes.

Speaker 2:

No state tax in Tennessee right.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, a diversified economy a stable economy. That isn't just wrapped up in one industry, like much of the Midwest.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely so. You've settled here and this is your home, so why did you become a firefighter?

Speaker 3:

I believe in the value of civil service. I've always liked the idea of helping leave the world a better place than what you came into it with and the excitement of it. I think all firefighters want that excitement. It's a little different than the day-to-day for a lot of other occupations.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and so really the physical aspect of being a firefighter it's pretty intense. Not that you're out there doing a lot of things like that every day, but when those times happen it calls for a lot of resiliency and a lot of strength. So what type of physical demands do you put your team through as firefighters just to be ready for those times that when they have to respond?

Speaker 3:

So we train regularly, daily, but we try to do a performance evaluation of everybody. We call it an air consumption drill. So every year you've seen them wear what we call an SCBA, which is the backpack they've got on that's full of air. Well it's a finite resource. The amount of air is finite. So they need to make it last as long as possible so they can be as effective as possible. So every October, november.

Speaker 3:

So we're getting ready to do it all of our personnel will put on all their gear and they conduct this obstacle course, and it's not how fast they can do it, it's how many times they can do it on a single bottle. So they're making their air last long. They're learning to do that, they're learning to manage their breathing and it's a good tool. And we track it year to year so we can see are they improving, are they?

Speaker 3:

as we get older, there's going to be a little declination, but it's a good tool for us that's awesome and when we did our tour with the fire department it was absolutely fascinating.

Speaker 2:

I was so impressed with the amount of time that they you have to put on that uniform when you have to go to a fire. It was the pants and the boots and the hat and the respirator. What's the time frame on that?

Speaker 3:

So we call all of that turnout gear. That's kind of our ensemble. And we try to be out of the station in a minute 20.

Speaker 2:

Wow, that's amazing. So we all know the importance of. I'm going to kind of track on to insurance, right, but some people may not know that Johnson City Fire Department could play a role in lowering homeowner premiums. So, adam, how is that possible?

Speaker 3:

So there is this evaluation tool that it's called ISO and it's looking at the three things that would affect a fire. So we have an evaluation of the fire department, which makes up 50% of it. We have an evaluation of the water department, which makes up the 40%, and then 10% for the communication system or dispatch. So it takes all three of those and it collaborates or configures a score, almost like a grade for a test.

Speaker 3:

Okay, or anything over 90 is considered ISO 1, which is the best, and we're fortunate to be an ISO 1. A lot of the credit goes to the city's water department, which is unbelievable. We always hear they can't believe that our water department is as good as it is.

Speaker 2:

It is that's awesome, so let me ask you this it is that's awesome, so let me ask you this so, with having that ISO rating of one, do other cities have that or do they kind of struggle to get there?

Speaker 3:

It is a struggle for a lot of other cities. It's not that we're the only ones, but there's another body, the accreditation, just like a university would have their accreditation, and there's actually only three in the state that are ISO 1 accredited and we're one of the three.

Speaker 2:

Oh, my goodness, I hope everybody heard that. So Johnson City, tennessee is one of three that has that ISO rating of 1.

Speaker 3:

So that's awesome ISO and accredited ISO 1 and accredited and accredited.

Speaker 2:

That is awesome. So, wow, no ISO 1, and accredited and accredited. That is awesome. So, wow, no wonder everybody wants to move here and be in Johnson City, right? So tell us about the makeup of the Johnson City Fire Department, Adam. How many firefighters do you have?

Speaker 3:

So we have 137 members of the fire department. You'll find them in various roles. Some are in administrative roles, like I am now, and support staff, and then we have the miracle workers out there on the streets that are getting it done every day.

Speaker 2:

Okay, and then. So how many fire stations do we have total?

Speaker 3:

Nine.

Speaker 2:

Nine Okay.

Speaker 3:

With hopes for more.

Speaker 2:

Hopes for more. That's right, and so how many firefighters are at each station? So how many firefighters are at each station?

Speaker 3:

Each station is going to vary a little based on the apparatus there. So if it's just an engine, it's going to have three. If they have an engine and a ladder truck, they're going to have five or six.

Speaker 2:

Okay, yeah, and you mentioned those ladder trucks. So when we did our tour we had the opportunity to climb the ladder truck, did you like that? Yes, I did. It was a little intimidating, I will have to say, but I'll be honest with you. He didn't raise it very high, okay, and that was fine with me. So I did climb to the top, but I slowly descended down as long as you don't look down, you'll be all right.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that was awesome, but from a fire department perspective, what are some tips that you would give people buying or building a home in Johnson city?

Speaker 3:

Uh well, it's a cliche, but it's very true. The smoke detector save lives and making sure there's batteries in there. Um every time the clock changes, time changes that change the batteries. Or, as we tell the kids every Halloween and Easter, I need to change it. Talk to mom and dad. If your house has gas, you need to have CO detectors because that is a silent killer and need to make sure we have that on all floors.

Speaker 2:

Okay, so if we have like a propane tank that we use for like at our house, like our fireplaces and appliances, would we still need a CO2 detector?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, it's a good idea to have one.

Speaker 2:

Okay, all right. Honey, you heard that we need a CO2 detector. I'm all about that. I like safety. So change your batteries and your smoke detectors twice a year, with the time change. I think that's really easy. I like that. So that's something good to know. So in Johnson City, what's the most common cause of a house fire?

Speaker 3:

Cooking fires.

Speaker 2:

Oh, okay.

Speaker 3:

Johnson City also has kind of a younger demographic, as we know, and especially with the college those life skills haven't been fully fine tuned yet.

Speaker 2:

Okay, so if you have, if I'm cooking something on my stove and there happens to be a fire, maybe I had some grease and it caught on fire what do we do? How do we handle that?

Speaker 3:

Adam, first thing you need to do is call the fire department.

Speaker 2:

Okay.

Speaker 3:

You could put a lid over it. Do not throw water on it because it's just going to disturb it. From a real estate standpoint, they make these what they're called stovetop, over-the-stove extinguishers. You just put them right under the range, there under the hood, and if they detect heat they'll disperse the powder onto it and it'll put it out and stop it.

Speaker 2:

Wow, that is cool. Where can you get those?

Speaker 3:

Lowe's Home Depot. Any hardware store is going to carry them.

Speaker 2:

Okay, now we do have fire extinguishers in our house under the kitchen sink and stuff in a couple of places, but I'd never heard of that.

Speaker 3:

They're fairly new this decade.

Speaker 2:

Okay, well, that's great to know. So when people think of the Johnson City Fire Department, they typically think of men and women who put out fires, but your work encompasses a whole lot more than that. So what else do you do besides fire suppression?

Speaker 3:

So anytime you have a med call, the fire department's going to be there, because all of our personnel are trained to EMT level or above.

Speaker 2:

Okay.

Speaker 3:

Hazardous materials calls so those chemicals that they're bringing across the interstate. We're going to be the ones that go Technical rescue. So if you get stuck on Buffalo Mountain or a sprained ankle out there, we'll be the ones that come along with our friends at EMS. If they don't know who to call, they call the fire department. So we'll be there.

Speaker 2:

That's our motto We'll be there, and if your cat's up in the tree, right.

Speaker 3:

We've done it have you really yeah in the tree right. We've done it.

Speaker 2:

That's great. So tell us about some of the specialized training. You touched on it just a little bit at the beginning, but what are some of the training that the Johnson City Fire Department receives?

Speaker 3:

So they receive over 200 hours a year of training. It's going to diversify for EMS. They have their qualifications. They've got to meet there. We do a lot of technical rescue training, so visual tracking that's one we're getting ready to do right now. They'll use GPS land navigation so people on the mountain that get lost A lot of times. Cell phones aren't an option, so they have to find ways to set up divisions and locate these individuals and go through a strategic process to find them. Oh, okay.

Speaker 3:

Obviously, our fire training is a big part of it. Hazmat training, you name it. If we do it, we're going to train on it.

Speaker 2:

Oh my goodness. So do they have to fit that in with their? Do they have to do that, apart from their regular working hours, to work in those 200 hours of training at them?

Speaker 3:

That occurs on shift, so they're doing that while they're at work. Now we send them to classes around the country as well to get some more specialized training and just get a more holistic view of industry changes as they come.

Speaker 2:

What would be some of those classes that in other parts of the country that that maybe you would attend?

Speaker 3:

They do in New Mexico. There's a like a bomb class where they go out there for a lot of the hazmat stuff, Cause they have the I can't remember the name of the facility out there. The base Alabama has a rail car that they use to simulate what happened, kind of, in Ohio.

Speaker 2:

East, palestine, ohio, that kind of a response.

Speaker 3:

So there's all kinds of stuff.

Speaker 2:

Wow, and I guess with you know the flooding that happened, I bet you guys were just inundated with calls and helping the area in Irwin and Unicoi.

Speaker 3:

Correct. Yeah, we had our people helping with the search and rescue and we have a swift water rescue team and they were involved in that. And then some of us that are chief level officers were in what they call the Emergency Operations Center, the EOC. So kind of the strategy, logistics, that sort of thing.

Speaker 2:

Were you part of that where they were trying to rescue people at Unicoi Hospital off the roof? I know they tried to bring boats in.

Speaker 3:

Our people were not a part of that one, but we were involved in several rescues.

Speaker 2:

Okay, okay, yeah, we never thought that would ever happen in our area, did we?

Speaker 3:

It's a 5,000-year event 5,000?

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 3:

It's a 5,000-year event.

Speaker 2:

Well, and I think you can go by and I've not seen it in person, just from pictures because I know they want people to not be going to those places to look. I mean, if you're going to help, that's great, but don't just go to look and have the extra traffic or something in the way. But I know the river has actually changed, the Nolichucky.

Speaker 3:

Correct, I had the opportunity to go up on a blackhawk to survey the area afterwards, and yeah, it's a new topography.

Speaker 2:

That is crazy. That is crazy and so many people have lost their homes from that event businesses and homes. So I know October is Fire Safety Month, right, correct, okay, okay. So you know we've got some leaves falling and everybody seems to be wanting to hopefully rake up those leaves and do some cleanup. So what kind of advice would you give to people who they want to burn leaves on their property, they want to burn all that brush and they live in johnson city? So what are they supposed to do, adam?

Speaker 3:

so collect it, put it out at the curb, the city will come pick it up.

Speaker 2:

We don't allow burning in the city.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, it's just too much of an issue.

Speaker 2:

Thank you. Oh my gosh. You know, we lived in the county for years in Kingsport and Sullivan County, and people would always burn their leaves, their brush. You'd be outside on a beautiful day and that smoke and stuff would just be. It wouldn't be nice, it would not be pleasant. So is there a certain time of the week? So if I put all my brush out there at the edge of my property, is there a certain day that it's picked up, or is it just?

Speaker 3:

There is. If you go on the city website, it'll identify that day for okay, just like we have different trash days, the same thing okay, all right, well, good to know.

Speaker 2:

And then so for johnson city fire department. So in 2023, let's talk a little bit of data. So how many calls for service did you receive?

Speaker 3:

oh, just under 10,000.

Speaker 2:

Okay, and our total population here in Johnson City? I don't know that off the top of my head 73,343. You are exact. That is awesome. I think they were talking in our Johnson City 101 class that I think like over 6,000 people had moved to Johnson City within the last what year, or maybe a few years' time frame.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, and that population, johnson City is kind of the regional hub so everybody works here and plays here. So in the daytime business hours that goes up substantially, probably closer to 150,000.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it is, and I think Johnson, I mean it's a great place to be. There's great restaurants, there's fun things to do here. So what would be something that would surprise listeners to know about the Johnson City Fire Department? So surprise us, adam.

Speaker 3:

Surprise us, we do so much with data and analytics.

Speaker 2:

I think it would shock people Really, yeah, okay.

Speaker 3:

We're not looking at how many calls. We're looking at predicting when they're going to occur and where they're going to occur. Okay.

Speaker 2:

Just by analyzing patterns. Mm-hmm. Okay, just by analyzing patterns Mm-hmm.

Speaker 3:

So.

Speaker 2:

Well, have you found that to be pretty on spot? I mean spot on, looking at that data.

Speaker 3:

Humans are predictable. Oh okay, so it's shockingly predictable.

Speaker 2:

So what would be when you talk about like patterns? What would that? What does that look like when you're looking at the data?

Speaker 3:

You'll look at a certain area of the city, a certain neighborhood. Let's look at the overall demographics of that area. As that population group might get a little bit older, You're going to see a little bit more need for medical services. So we can predict okay, this is going to be an uptick. Then when ETSU is in session, we can guarantee we're going to have additional cooking fires and we can plan out where they're going to be and we can see when they're on Christmas break and summer break.

Speaker 2:

That is amazing and so you use that information to. Is that information used to? I know you said you wanted to hopefully put in some more fire stations. Is that information used to help say we've got this data, we need a fire station in this particular area.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, we're always leveraging it to make our argument with facts rather than emotions.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's good. We need facts. That's what everybody wants nowadays data. If you didn't record it, it didn't happen, that's good. We need facts. That's what everybody wants nowadays data. If you didn't record it, it didn't happen. Right, correct. So what are some other things that would be helpful for homeowners to just to make sure that you know we're keeping our homes safe? I mean, we've got smoke detectors. I think the CO2 detector is a great thing to have and, like I said, we have a propane tank, so we'll definitely get one. That's something I didn't even think about. What would be some other good things as a responsible homeowner?

Speaker 3:

Well, especially with kids, limiting the access to those household cleaners, and all that under the sinks. I've got three kids, so one of the things that I would always when they were little, I would have the fear of them grabbing that boiling pot of water on the stovetop and pulling it on. So put that at the back burner, stuff like that.

Speaker 2:

Okay.

Speaker 3:

Hot hair irons and blow dryers. Don't just leave them touching stuff. They're hot for a while, especially those curling irons.

Speaker 2:

Should we unplug them after we use?

Speaker 3:

them. Yeah, let's unplug them and get them away from the hanging towels and whatnot.

Speaker 2:

Okay, well, that's another thing. I'll turn it off, but I don't unplug my curling iron, so I need to make sure to do that. So what about so hazardous substances, especially with your children? What about a microwave? I see so many microwaves that are above the stove and I think about opening that door to the microwave. I've got a hot dish and it's coming. You know, it's above shoulder level.

Speaker 3:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

So is there an option maybe to try to, you know, think about putting your microwave at a I don't know, and I'm just I'm just asking you at a lower level versus up high.

Speaker 3:

I guess that would be the preference of the homeowner and however they feel it works best for them.

Speaker 2:

Okay, and so what about businesses here in Johnson City? Are they required to have like a sprinkler system installed, or are there some that's grandfathered in and don't have to do that? Or is the new, you know, regulation for inspection something that they have to have?

Speaker 3:

They're going to be inspected as a new business. We always encourage sprinkler systems. Not every business has to have one, depending on the building and the nature of their business, but we definitely encourage them because they prevent a lot of damage and life loss. Right, right.

Speaker 2:

So I think, too, that you were talking about your relationship with the water department, and I think this is fascinating and I can't speak to it as well as you do. I would love for you to share that. So when you respond to a fire, and so the fire hydrants and things like that, how do you, how is it you're working with the water department to put out that fire?

Speaker 3:

Well, I think it starts in the preparation, because the water department works with us and we have all the hydrants located and we know what the flow is. If you ever drive by in the city, or any city, and you notice how the tops of them are a different color, that's indicating the water flow.

Speaker 2:

And we know that.

Speaker 3:

So if it's a blue top, we're happy, if it's a red top, we're not so happy.

Speaker 2:

Okay.

Speaker 3:

So it starts there and then, knowing that location, so they're testing them, they're making sure they're maintained, so we go out there and we have a fire. Well, what happens if it's a big fire and we're not getting enough water?

Speaker 2:

Okay.

Speaker 3:

We make a call to the water department and they can up the pressure and up the volume of that water to a specific location by utilizing different sectors in the city and doing their magic over there to make that happen for us.

Speaker 2:

That's amazing. Is that something that most water departments and fire departments do in cities, or is that just unique to Johnson City?

Speaker 3:

I don't think it's unique to Johnson City, but I do think we have a really good rapport with them, and I know we work together fairly well, so they're always right there to help us. They'll never tell us no.

Speaker 2:

And I think you know what you said. At best it's really the rapport. It's basically teamwork, right? Yeah, you're working together because we all want a safe community to live in and you're on the administrative side. So what's some of your job description look like on the administrative side of the business?

Speaker 3:

So the reason I know the data so well is because that's what I'm doing Policy researching, things from a legal standpoint to make sure we're doing things within compliance of standards, making sure that we're the support team for those people out there, making sure they have what they need. That's what it all comes down to.

Speaker 2:

And so what would you tell a young person that comes to you and says Adam, you know, I think I want to be a firefighter? What would you say to that person, or what advice would you give them?

Speaker 3:

I think it's the best job in the world. Now I will say to them that you've got to be prepared to grow up a little earlier than you might with some other jobs.

Speaker 2:

Okay.

Speaker 3:

Because you're going to be expected to be an adult a little earlier. I think education is important for them too, and so if they knock those things out before they have a wife and kids, it's not a bad idea, because they might need that later on to advance up the ranks.

Speaker 2:

Yes, yes, that is great, and I know a lot of young children. You know they want to be a firefighter or a police officer, or you know it's such a noble profession.

Speaker 3:

Mine just want to be YouTube influencers.

Speaker 2:

How old are your children?

Speaker 3:

Adam 14, 12, and 6.

Speaker 2:

Okay, 14. That, that makes sense. Yeah, so what do you? What do you tell your children? They want to be YouTube influencers.

Speaker 3:

It's not real social media stuff.

Speaker 2:

It's all well and good, but it's just it's. It's not what we see, is it? Yeah, so well, adam, I want to thank you for being with us today and just your time, and thank you for serving the community and the residents of Johnson City and what you do, and thank you for having a heart of service and also thinking that this is the best job in the world.

Speaker 3:

Thank you for having me.

Speaker 2:

Awesome, I hope you'll come back.

Speaker 3:

Sure.

Speaker 2:

Okay.

Speaker 1:

This has been Benchmark Happenings, brought to you by Jonathan Tipton and Steve Reed from Benchmark Home Loans. Jonathan and Steve are residential mortgage lenders. They do home loans in Northeast Tennessee and they're not only licensed in Tennessee but Florida, georgia, south Carolina and Virginia. We hope you've enjoyed the show. If you did make sure to like, rate and review. Our passion is Northeast Tennessee, so if you have questions about mortgages, call us at 423-491-5405. And the website is wwwjonathanandstevecom. Thanks for being with us and we'll see you next time on Benchmark Happenings.

People on this episode

Contributor

Christine Reed

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Jonathan Tipton

Co-host
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Steve Reed

Co-host