Move Over or Slow Down. It s the Law in WI!

Transcription

1 WEST BEND FIRE DEPARTMENT Planning to Protect......Acting to Save February 2018 Volume 6, Issue 02 Inside this issue: Fire & EMS Run Review 1 Fire Department Operations 2 EMS Bureau Report 3 Fire Prev./ Public Safety 4 Maintenance Bureau 6 Training Bureau 7 In Their Own Words 8 YEARS of SERVICE ~ FEBRUARY Chief G. Kudek...02/01/85 FF D. Keon....02/05/01 FF J. McCoy.. 02/18/02 FF F. Samuel.02/18/02 FF J. Kolberg.02/17/14..Acting to Save Move Over or Slow Down. It s the Law in WI! Department Has Near Miss on Highway Emergency work in traffic is dangerous. Emergency crews are often concentrating on the work they are doing and not always able to see oncoming vehicles. This is why emergency workers take precautions to avoid being hit by vehicles. Motorists are also required to slow down for emergency vehicles with activated warning lights. On February 12, 2018 one of our firefighter/ paramedics was nearly struck by a completely preventable motor vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 45. A distracted driver entered the highway and went around the closed southbound lane being blocked by emergency vehicles. She merged into the moving traffic lane where she ran into the rear of a vehicle that had slowed for the incident. The collision caused the vehicle to Continued on Page 2 Emergency Activities Types of Calls February 2018 February 2017 Year to Date (2018) Year to Date (2017) Fires Calls Emergency Medical Calls Paramedic Intercepts Interfacility Transports Community Paramedics Totals Town of Barton Calls Town of West Bend Calls

2 Fire Department Operations Battalion Chief John Spartz Move Over and Slow Down for Emergency Flashing Lights Continued from Page 1 be thrown into the median. The striking vehicle then slid past the ambulance that was parked on the right shoulder of the road. Narrowly missing the driver who had exited the ambulance and was obtaining his helmet from a storage cabinet. The vehicle missed the firefighter/paramedic by less than five feet. A witness vehicle that was parked in front of the medical unit was then struck and both vehicles wound up in the ditch. The event lasted less than 10 seconds and was captured on a dash mounted camera from a WI State Patrol squad car. Precautions were being taken by emergency workers as the incident occurred to protect the scene so the emergency crews could complete their work. WBFD uses the State s Traffic Incident Management (TIME) Program as a guideline to protect crews as they are working on the streets and highways. However, it is dangerous work even Vehicles after the crash and emergency crews on scene. DID YOU KNOW A still from the WI State Patrol squad camera showing how close the vehicle came to hitting a West Bend FF. when emergency precautions are in place. A Delton firefighter was seriously injured while working on Interstate 90 near the WIU Dells two weeks before our incident. This iincident occurred with all precautions in place. So why do accidents like this occur? Often motorists are distracted or driving too fast. WI law Page 6 requires motorists to move over for emergency or maintenance vehicles with emergency lights flashing. The Wisconsin DOT has created an awareness campaign called Move Over. For more information you can search for the Move Over Campaign on the WI Department of Transportation s website at In Wisconsin, in 2016, one person was injured or killed in an inattentive related crash every 46 minutes. 25,596 inattentive-related crashes occurred in Wisconsin in 2016, a significant increase from the 2015 figure. In these crashes, 120 people were killed and 11,311 people were injured. Inattentive driving was a contributing factor in alsmost 20% of all 2015 crashes in Wisconsin. More inattentive crashes occur on Fridays. However, the number of crashes was fairly steady throughout the week with the exception of Sunday.

3 The West Bend Fire Department has done a tremendous job in EMS over recent years. One are that we are proud of is the speed and accuracy our paramedics have in diagnosing a STEMI, which is a heart attack, and getting that patient to the most appropriate destination that can take care of the problem. We have worked hard to develop a plan to identify if someone is having a heart attack. Our goal is for every patient that complains of chest pain is to have a 12 lead done in 10 minutes. A 12 lead is an electrical picture of the heart and is used to Emergency Medical Services Bureau Battalion Chief Tom Thrash AHA Case Study Presentation diagnose heart attacks. We can send that 12 lead to the ER doctor at St Joseph s and have them help interrupt if there is a heart attack. With the help of that ER Dr we then decide on which place to transport. For patients that have an Aurora Doctor we will take you to Grafton. And, if you have a Froedtert Doctor we will take you to Froedtert in Wauwatosa. The main difference is we will start to treat the heart attack with different medications to help slow down the damage, but we activate the cath lab. The cath lab is the operating room where the cardiologist will open the blocked artery. When that is activated, that means that the cardiologist and their staff are waiting for the patient. We bypass the emergency department go directly to the cath lab. The national goal is to be at the cath lab in under 90 minutes from first medical contact. The national average is close to 80 minutes. We routinely identify and transport to a cath lab in under 60 minutes. That is with a 30 to 40 minute transport time. Our paramedics do a great job. Froedtert and the American Heart Association recognize the Page 3 efforts of our paramedics and asked us to present our process and some case studies at their Cardiovascular Emergencies Conference last month in the WI Dells. Allyson Kelleher the Chest Pain Coordinator from Froedtert, Captain Kenny Asselin and Battalion Chief Tom Thrash all worked together to present the process for bypassing an ER and going to a cath lab. They also presented several case studies to the group to show the times and positive results.

4 Page 4 Fire Prevention & Public Safety Bureau Fire Safety Education, Code Enforcement and Fire Investigation Deputy Chief Chuck Beistle and Captain Kenny Asselin Fire Protection Code Checklist The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is an organization that creates and maintains model codes for adoption by federal, state, and local government agencies. In the State of Wisconsin, the Department of Safety and Professional Services adopts NFPA 1 as the model fire code. The code has rules to alleviate the potential for situations that are statistically proven to start fires. Those fires injure and kill people, destroy property and structures, and reduce productivity in the economy. The West Bend Fire Department has shift firefighter/paramedics that are also certified as fire inspectors. These personnel are dedicated to the prevention of fires in properties in the City of West Bend and surrounding areas. The codes guide our shift fire inspectors to assist business and property owners to help reduce the risks of productivity losses from events that are statistically proven to be preventable. According to the fire code, fire extinguishers are to be checked annually by a certified fire extinguisher company. The extinguishers are also to be checked monthly by the building owner or their designee, and the rear of the tag marked with the date and the initials of the person performing the checks. Fire extinguishers are an important component of a fire protection system. The proper training and use of a fire extinguisher could be the difference between the extinguishment of a small fire with some smoke damage and dry chemical powder on the floor and the loss of entire building including any furnishings and irreplaceable valuables. According to the fire code: Fire extinguishers shall be subjected to maintenance at intervals of not more than 1 year Fire extinguishers shall be inspected at a minimum of 30 day intervals and recorded on the tag. Emergency and exit lights are another component of the fire safety codes that have monthly and annual testing components. Exit and emergency lights are required to have backup power in the event of a power outage. Most often this is in the form of a battery that is stored inside of the emergency or exit light. According to the fire codes: Emergency and exit lights are subject to a monthly functional test of 30 seconds. Emergency and exit lights are subject to an annual functional test of 90 minutes. Written records of visual inspections and test shall be kept by the owner for inspection by the AHJ. Fire sprinkler systems are the best active fire protection components to help reduce the losses from fires. Sprinkler system requirements (continued on page 5)

5 Fire Prevention & Public Safety Bureau Fire Safety Education, Code Enforcement and Fire Investigation by Deputy Chief Chuck Beistle and Captain Kenny Asselin Page 5 (from page 4) include the following: Quarterly tests Annual inspections Annual service of the fire pumps 5 year internal inspections 5 year calibrations or replacement of the gauges Fire alarm systems are an extremely important component of an active fire suppression system. Notification of building occupants through the use of audible and visual signaling devices is one of the best methods to ensure safety from the dangers of fire. Fire alarm systems also have maintenance requirements that help reduce overall losses. These include: Annual tests of the controls, panels, power supplies, and annunciators Annual tests of notification appliances Annual tests of initiating appliances Semi-annual battery load testing Semi-annual testing of supervisory appliances Annual smoke detector sensitivity testing The view of the inside of a blocked sprinkler pipe. Sprinkler systems are proven to be less effective due to reduced water flow if they are not maintained. According to the Fire Protection Handbook Volume 2 (2003), Sprinkler systems have a statistical reliability of if receiving quarterly inspections, but only if semi-annual inspection and tests are performed, for annual inspections, and only reliability if only tested and inspected every other year. Kitchen suppression and exhaust systems prone to fires due to the nature of cooking oils. Grease buildup in the exhaust hoods is the cause of numerous restaurant fires each year. NFPA 96 has a schedule for the inspection of the exhaust hoods depending upon the frequency and type of cooking: Monthly for solid fuel systems Quarterly for high volume and 24 hour cooking Semi-annually for moderate volume cooking Annually for low volume cooking The suppression system should also be checked twice each year. The suppression system shall be checked to ensure the caps are in place, the fusible links are replaced, and the signaling devices are in working order. Maintenance schedules area very important part of active and passive fire suppression systems. There are many proven examples of devastating fires that could have been prevented or suppressed by preventative maintenance on those systems. Statistical analysis shows that fire reduces productivity in the workplace and also robs valuable resources from other potential work and home projects that could have been avoided by simply being aware of and keeping up on maintenance schedules. We would like to thank Jesse Honeyager of Cintas Corporation for the training he conducted for the Area 6 chapter of the Wisconsin State Fire Inspectors Association. We would also like to thank him for the use of the pictures in this article.

6 Maintenance Bureau Battalion Chief Jeff Gustafson Firefighters and Cancer Page 6 Cancer deaths among members of the fire service have risen dramatically over the last 20 years, in tandem with the increasing toxicity of modern fires, due to the proliferation of synthetic products and plastics, and other toxic chemicals that release carcinogenic byproducts when burned. Below is a study of Cancer among US Firefighters With Cancer reduction efforts always a priority the West Bend Fire Department has developed a DECONTAMINATION procedure for after we have been in or near a fire. Below is our 6 step procedure: Rate of cancers in firefighters compared to the general public Testicular cancer (2.02 times greater risk) Multiple myeloma (1.53 times greater risk) Non-Hodgkin s lymphoma (1.51 times greater risk) Skin cancer (1.39 times greater risk) Prostate cancer (1.28 times greater risk) Malignant melanoma (1.31 times great risk) Brain cancer (1.31 times greater risk) Colon cancer (1.21 times great risk) Leukemia (1.14 times greater risk) STEP 1 Gross Decon (On Scene) Rinse all gear with hose and RINSE CLEAN cleaner STEP 2 Complete Skin Wipe Down (On Scene) Take gear off and Wipe Down with FIRE WIPES (Head, neck, face, arm pits, and groin areas). STEP 3 Detailed Apparatus and Equipment Decon (at Station) Use SIMPLE GREEN to wipe down interior of Fire Truck STEP 4 Wash Gear in Extractor (at Station) STEP 5 Cool Water Shower with in 2 to 3 Hours after returning to Station (at Station) STEP 6 Create a good hard sweat minutes of light biking in the CRB (Carcinogen Reduction Booth or Sauna) with in 24 hours of the event

7 Fire Instruction & Training Bureau Page 7 Deputy Chief Chuck Beistle & Captain Bob Monday Project A.D.A.M. The West Bend Fire Department recently assisted the West Bend School District in becoming Heart Safe Schools. Project ADAM is a national, non-profit organization committed to saving lives through advocacy, education, preparedness and collaboration to prevent sudden cardiac death. Focused prevention training and education ensures schools and communities are not only equipped, but trained in prevention of sudden cardiac death. Project ADAM began in 1999 after the death of Adam Lemel, a 17-year-old Whitefish Bay, WI, high school student who collapsed and died while playing basketball. Adam suffered a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), in which ventricular fibrillation occurred, a condition in which the ventricles cannot pump blood into the body. Defibrillation, or an AED, could have saved his life. The long training hours paid off this week when Jackson, Decorah, and Fair Park Elementary Schools and West and East High Schools earned accreditation as Project ADAM Heart Safe Schools. To earn this accreditation, each school successfully completed a surprise emergency response drill on Tuesday. They now have sustainable and comprehensive CPR and AED (auto external defibrillator) response plans at each school. Below is a link to a YouTube video taken by the school district from that day. v=6sgv80ltmsk&feature=youtu.be

8 In Their Own Words... The back page of our newsletter features a note or card that we have reour customers.the people we serve. Whether it is during an call, fire call, or a public education assignment, the of the West Bend Fire Department are aldedicated to making their contact area residents a posiexperience. ceived from ambulance members ways with tive Personnel Spotlight: Firefighter Steven Rusch Steven Rusch is one of our Paid On Call (POC) members. Steve has 22 years on the department. Joining the department in Over the years Steve has seen many changes in the department and the fire service as a whole. The biggest changes Steve has seen over the years are the advancements in equipment along with the increased awareness of firefighter safety on the fire ground. When not at the fire department Steve is employed at a financial services institution, specializing in monitoring computer systems. In his off time Steve enjoys spending time traveling with his wife Kati and three daughters Elisabeth, Emily, and Margret. They enjoy visiting State and National Parks. WEST BEND FIRE DEPARTMENT Planning to Protect...Acting to Save 325 N 8th Ave. West Bend, WI