Emergency Medical Services Bureau BC Todd Van Langen and Captain Tom Thrash

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1 WEST BEND FIRE DEPARTMENT Planning to Protect......Acting to Save Inside this issue: Fire & EMS Run Review 1 EMS Bureau Report 2 Fire Prev./ Public Safety 4 Operations Bureau 6 Training Bureau 7 In Their Own Words 8 YEARS of SERVICE ~March LT. D McCreary. 03/22/00 MPO K Demler.03/02/08..Acting to Save Emergency Activities Annual Fitness Assess- Each year all members of the Fire /Rescue Department participate in our Annual Fitness Assessments. Due to the physical demands and duties required to be a firefighter it is necessary to keep us all fit. This year marks the 7th year for the assessments. The West Bend Fire Department has adopted the IAFF/IAFC joint Wellness Fitness Initiative which are compromised of the following components: Body Composition (BMI and Body Fat) Aerobic Capacity (Gerkin Treadmill Test) Muscular Strength (Arm, Grip and Leg) Muscular Endurance (Push Ups and Static Plank) Flexibility (Sit and Reach) Thorough record keeping is essential and we use this information from year to year and look for significant changes in results. This can be critical to catching problems early March 2017 Volume 5, Issue 3 on. We currently have 3 Certified Peer Fitness Trainers on the department. These 3 personnel conduct, evaluate and recommend a fitness plan for the each individual. This is a tall task but worth it to have a Fit and Healthy Department! Types of Calls March 2017 March 2016 Year to Date (2017) Year to Date (2016) Fires Calls Emergency Medical Calls Paramedic Intercepts Interfacility Transports Totals Town of Barton Calls Town of West Bend Calls

2 Emergency Medical Services Bureau BC Todd Van Langen and Captain Tom Thrash Page 2 Helping Paramedic Students Succeed by BC Van Langen they are able to ride-along and observe and learn from seasoned paramedics. Through our Training Bureau and Captain Tom Thrash the students are plus years. The paramedic students are required to participate in a program called the Capstone Project. The idea behind the project is to take all the able to schedule a time slot where they are able to go to either Station-1 or Station- 3 and ride on the Med-Unit with the preceptor paramedics. To be a preceptor you need to have a minimum of two year experience as a licensed working paramedic. The average number of years of experience between our paramedics is seven knowledge the students have learned in classroom and lab time and put it to use out in the field under the guidance of the preceptor paramedic. Each student needs to log 50 hours of ride-along time and they need to be the lead paramedic on 20 patient contact calls. Valuable field experience is gained through these preceptor ride-alongs. Paramedics provide emergency pre-hospital care to those experiencing a medical emergency such as illness, injury, or trauma. West Bend Fire Department personnel continue to play an important role in developing the skills future paramedics will use when they meet the requirements and are licensed as a paramedic. For the past seven years our department has been involved in a paramedic preceptorship program with students from the Moraine Park and Waukesha County Technical Colleges. The Technical College Paramedic program consists of 38 credits. Typically the class is a full year, two semesters of classroom, lab experience, and fieldwork requirements. These paramedic programs help develop the students skills and prepare them to work in an emergency medical system. Some of the topics the students are taught include: anatomy and physiology, patient assessment, pharmacology, pre-hospital treatment and care, respiratory and cardiac management, EMS operations, and caring for special populations. After the students reach a predetermined time in their education process

3 Emergency Medical Services Bureau Battalion Chief Todd Van Langen & Captain Tom Thrash Page 3 2 Steps to save a life. That is all it takes to save a life. If you see someone collapse from sudden cardiac arrest you can save their life with two steps. STEP 1 CALL 911 STEP 2 PUSH HARD AND FAST IN THE CENTER OF THE CHEST and don t stop until EMS arrives. Those two simple steps can be all it takes to revive someone from sudden cardiac arrest. Studies have shown that there is still oxygen in the blood after someone s heart stops beating. We need to keep that oxygenated blood circulating until EMS arrives or someone with an AED. If you have more questions about what to do if someone collapses from sudden cardiac arrest then you should contact Captain Tom Thrash at (262) and schedule a class to learn CPR and how to use and automated external defibrillator (AED). Remember call 911 and push hard and fast on the center of the chest.

4 Page 4 Fire Prevention & Public Safety Bureau Fire Safety Education, Code Enforcement and Fire Investigation Deputy Chief Chuck Beistle

5 Page 5 Fire Prevention & Public Safety Bureau Fire Safety Education, Code Enforcement and Fire Investigation

6 Operations & Maintenance Bureau Page 6 Battalion Chief Jeff Gustafson & Battalion Chief John Spartz Fire Department Pre-Plans New Buildings Fire crews toured the City s new Meijer store during March. Defense s new West Bend office. The West Bend Fire Department works to regularly give fire suppression crews a tour of new buildings before they are opened to the public. This allows the crews to become familiar with the locations of building s fire suppression equipment and systems. Tours were given during March to all shift personnel of two new buildings in the City; Delta Defense and Meijer. lows personnel to ask questions on building construction and see beforehand how the building can help fire fighters attack a fire. Building familiarization has been noted in several fire fighter line of duty deaths. Fire crew s that are familiar with a building before the fire starts have a better chance of successfully extinguishing it. Proper preplanning improves fire fighter efficiency and safety by allowing for quick actions in operations. Building construction top priority is saving lives. Unfortunately, many of the lessons applied today have been learned through tragedy. Commercial buildings have to be designed and constructed to standards that are accepted nationwide. Plans are sent and approved by specialists in building design. Local municipal inspectors, including fire inspectors, work with the contractors to insure safety standards are met. Hours of work go into a building before the first shovels of dirt are turned. Construction managers showed the locations of key building components like elevators, stairwells, and other fire safety features. This al- An occupancy permit means that the building has been completed to the approved plans and the occupants can move in. Pre-Fire reveal a building s fire protection features like this sprinkler connection.

7 Fire Instruction & Training Bureau Deputy Chief Chuck Beistle & Captain Tom Thrash WBFD Public Relations Page 7 Midnight Hoops at the YMCA: The local Kettle Moraine YMCA partnered up with West Police Department, West Bend and Kewaskum School District, and West Bend Fire Department on the third Saturday of the month to give kids fifth thru eighth grade a night of activities. This was available January thru April. The YMCA allowed kids to participate at no charge. Kids played Basketball, Dodgeball, and had a variety of competitions throughout the night. Activities begin around 9:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. Around 10:00 the YMCA supplied Pizza, snacks, and water for the participants. On average there was 70 to 100 participants. They could join a team with the members of our community, or get competitive and play against us. No registration is required, all dates are drop-in. There is one more day left this year on April 22, HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!! Fight For Air Climb: On March 18thThe West Bend Fire Department participated in conjunction with the Hartford Fire Department in forming a five person team to participate in the American Lung Association Fight for Air Climb held at the U.S. Bank Center in Milwaukee. In full structural firefighting gear with an airpack we climbed 1034 step, 97 flights of stair, or 47 stories. There was approximately 500 firefighters from around the state that participated in the event. Our team raised approximately $800 for the Association. The entire event is both rewarding and humbling at the same time. A lot of work for a great cause!

8 In Their Own Words... we have received from our cus- an ambulance call, fire call, or a of the West Bend Fire Depart- making their contact with area perience. The back page of our newsletter features a note or card that tomers.the people we serve. Whether it is during public education assignment, the members ment are always dedicated to residents a positive ex- Personnel Spotlight: Lieutenant Don Peil Lieutenant Don Peil started in the fire service in 1991 when he joined the Saukville Fire Depart -ment as a paid-on-call fire fighter. In 1996, he was hired by Kenosha Fire. Wanting to be closer to family, Don was hired as a West Bend firefighter on January 5th Since then, he has been promoted to the position of Motor Pump Operator, Captain in charge of training and Lieutenant/ Paramedic. Don has an Associate Degree in Fire Science, is a State certified firefighter, motor pump operator, fire officer, EMS instructor, and fire instructor. He also holds certifications in hazmat, rope rescue & trench rescue. Don states that what he likes best about the West Bend Fire Department is that he works with a great group of dedicated people who do an incredible job of providing our patients the best care possible. WEST BEND FIRE DEPARTMENT Planning to Protect...Acting to Save 325 N 8th Ave. West Bend, WI