WEST BEND FIRE DEPARTMENT

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1 WEST BEND FIRE DEPARTMENT Inside this issue: Fire & EMS 1 EMS Bureau Report 2 Fire Prevention/Public Safety Bureau Operations Bureau 6 Training Bureau 7 In Their Own Words 8 YEARS of SERVICE ~ FEBRUARY Chief G. Kudek.. 29 years FF D. Keon years FF J. McCoy.. 12 years FF F. Samuel.14 years..acting to Save Emergency Activities Types of Calls 4 The West Bend Fire Department responded to 3610 emergency incidents last year, fortunately we did not have any accidents during any of those responses. An Emergency Response means our lights and sirens are activated. While responding our personnel have experienced close calls due to drivers not paying attention for one reason or another. (On the cellphone, talking or texting, radio too loud.) Wisconsin State Law requires motorists to Planning to Protect......Acting to Save yield when approached by an emergency vehicle. In an emergency, minutes can mean the difference between life and death and critical seconds can be lost if drivers don t make way for emergency vehicles. Take sirens February 2014 Volume 2, Issue 2 Beware of Emergency Vehicles seriously. Make way for an ambulance, fire truck or police vehicle. Someday you may be the one calling for help, or the life on the line might be a friend, neighbor or someone you love. During an emergency response our department guidelines require us to stop at all red lights. Emergency vehicles take precautions against causing accidents and we are asking for the public to do the same. Feb-14 Jan-14 Year to Date (2014) Year to Date (2013) Fires Emergency Medical Calls Paramedic Intercepts Interfacility Transports Hazardous Conditions Service Calls/Good Intent Calls False Alarms/False Calls Other/Special Incident Types Totals Town of Barton Calls Town of West Bend Calls

2 Page 2 Emergency Medical Services Bureau Battalion Chief Todd VanLangen Page 2 Oxygen the Medication Oxygen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that all living things need to survive. Every cell in our body needs a constant supply of oxygen to function properly. Oxygen is the most often administered medication to the patients that we treat. The FDA regulates compressed oxygen as a prescription drug. Our personnel are licensed to administer oxygen to our patients. Pictured to the left are two sizes of oxygen cylinders that we carry on our med rigs. The larger bottle is classified as an M bottle, the smaller bottle is a D bottle. The main differences between these two bottles is that the M bottle is mounted permanently in the box of the med rig and the D bottle is portable. The M bottle pictured below is mounted in an outside cabinet on the med rig. There are several oxygen ports located in different locations inside the box of the med rig where oxygen valves can be mounted and oxygen can be administered to the patient. The M bottle is filled to approximately 2000 psi and can be used on multiple patients. Pictured to the right is a D bottle mounted on the patient gurney, this is the smaller but portable bottle. Each med rig carries 4-5 of these smaller bottles. There is one D bottle mounted on the gurney, one inside a carrying bag that can be brought to the patient s side, and 2-3 spare bottles stored inside the med rig. Both the M and D bottles are used differently but serve the same purpose of timely delivery of oxygen to our patients. Delivering Oxygen to the patient concentration of oxygen to the patient. Oxygen masks come in different sizes and can be used on adult, child, and infant patients. It is beneficial for EMS personnel to know what the oxygen concentration is within the patient s blood. Pictured below is a pulse oximeter which gives a digital readout of the percentage of oxygen in the patient s blood. As close to 100% as possible is better for There are several different ways to deliver oxygen to a patient. The delivery method depends on the condition of the patient and the assessment by the EMS personnel. Pictured above is a patient being treated by EMS personnel in the med rig using a non-rebreather type oxygen mask. This type of mask delivers a higher the patient. In the above picture EMS personnel are using the portable oxygen and a nasal cannula to deliver oxygen to a patient. The nasal cannula delivers a lower concentration of oxygen to the patient compared to the non-rebreather mask. The EMS personnel also have attached the pulse oximeter to the patients right index finger to see the concentration of oxygen in the blood.

3 CCR? Page 3 When a person stops breathing and their heart is no longer beating they need someone to do it for them to give them a chance to survive. The single most important thing during this time is that proper chest compressions save lives. You see when someone s heart stops beating they were more than likely still breathing right up to that point. That means that they have oxygen in their blood stream. The fact of doing proper chest compressions means we will be able to circulate this oxygenated blood to the heart and brain. Here at the Fire Department we have taken steps to make this a priority. We implemented what is called CCR Cardio Cerebral Resuscitation. This means doing only chest compressions for the first six minutes along with using a defibrillator. This has allowed us to increase the number of patients who we take to the hospital who did not have a pulse who then resume one. Our main goal when responding to someone who is PNB (pulseless non-breathing) is to keep the blood circulating. Circulating the blood and using defibrillation has proven to give the patient the best chance. We also will insert an advanced airway and breath for the patient, either after 6 minutes or the first time we can t deliver a WBFD Paramedics practicing their resuscitation skills on a training mannequin shock. Our data shows us that prior to doing CCR our rate of pulse return and transport to the hospital was around 10% and now by doing CCR our rate has increased to over 30%. That means that every one of the 30% has a better chance of long-term survival because of the changes we have made. C-Spine Immobilization Back in the day of early EMS one of the most emphasized skills was cervical spine immobilization. The thought process was that the neck and the back had to be placed on a board and secured to the board so the patient could not move; this would prevent any more damage to the spinal cord. This was the method or technique that was used for years and years, until now. Further research and study has shown that placing a patient on a hard back board may actually be doing more damage rather than preventing damage. With this new information we have made changes in our protocol for dealing with patients that have neck or back injuries. We will only be using the longboards to move patients to our cots. Instead we will evaluate the patient and then place a well fitted cervical collar on their neck. Next, with our assistance, patients will remove themselves from the vehicle and then lie down on our cot. They will then be advised not to move their neck. Rolled blankets will be placed on either side of their head to WBFD Paramedics applying a cervical collar to a training mannequin trapped in a vehicle at a mock crash scene remind them not to move their head from side to side. With this major change in our protocol we are hoping to make the ride to the hospital more comfortable (if that is possible) and prevent any more damage to the spinal cord.

4 Page 4 Planning to Protect.. February 2014 Inspections Fire Prevention & Public Safety Activities Battalion Chief Chuck Beistle & Captain Tammy Lamberg Follow-up Compliance Semi-Annual Annual Total Violations Inspections Cards Station # Station # Station # Staff Captain/ Townships Totals Fire Investigation Class Captain Lamberg along with WBFD personnel including B.C. Spartz, Lt. Whitmore, Lt. Peil and MPO Hasse have been attending an 8 week class on Fire Investigation and Arson Determination. The class is being taught by a number of different instructors representing different agencies. Content of the class has Permits and Fees included fire behavior related to building construction, fire fatalities, written reporting, photo-documentation of fire investigations, recognition of arson indicators and preserving evidence. Mike Reimer from the state Fire Marshall s office is shown in the photo discussing how fire accelerants can be detected by trained specialty service dogs. Count Permit Type Total Fees 1 Clean agent suppression system $ Hood suppression system $ Fire alarm system 1-50 devices $ Sprinkler systems devices $ Total= Total Permit Fees for February $

5 Fire Prevention and Public Safety Activities DATE OCCUPANCY TYPE ACTIVITY NOTES 2/3 Educational Acceptance test Second phase of renovation sprinkle & alarm testing 2/3 Residential Consult Renovations being planned. Fire protect. requirements addressed 2/5 Storage Follow-up Ongoing issues with warehouse occupancy 2/6 Retail Alarm issues Evaluation with alarm tech to confirm problems have been corrected 2/10 Business Acceptance tests Acceptance of fire protection systems in tenant build-out. 2/10 Municipal Acceptance tests Pre-Action and Clean agent system activation and integrated system Page 5 Understanding Fire Detection & Suppression Systems An alarm company technician is shown testing the back-up battery on a fire alarm control panel. Building owners are responsible for making sure that all required testing and maintenance is properly performed. Fire detection and suppression systems can be very complicated and each system that is installed or in use in a building can be unique from every other system. Whether a property owner has an existing system or is having a new system designed it is important for that property owner to make sure that he or she understands how it works. This should include knowledge of how the system is activated, the intended actions of the fire protection system once it is activated and any limitations of the system. When a new system is installed the technician should demonstrate and explain all of the functions to the building owner. All existing systems require professional maintenance at required intervals. When the technician is on site doing the testing and maintenance the property owner should be present as well. This gives the owner the perfect opportunity to ask questions and improve his understanding of the system. Occupancy Plan Reviews, Consultations and Investigations 2/12 Manufacturing Acceptance tests HVAC detectors & air handling integration with alarm system 2/17 Assembly Follow-up Follow-up on non-compliant heating in assembly occupancy 218 Educational Contactor update Progress update meeting on construction project for school addition 2/18 Residential/care Plan review Sprinkler system and Alarm system plan review 2/24 Healthcare Acceptance tests Fire pump and water supply testing

6 Page 6 Operations Bureau Battalion Chief John Spartz Captain Jon Coutts New Fire Engine On Schedule For June Delivery West Bend s new fire engine is on schedule for a June delivery. The chassis has been received by UST Fire Apparatus in Delavan. UST was awarded the contract for building the new engine late in On February 20th Batt Chief Spartz and Captain Coutts traveled to Delevan to inspect the chassis. There was one major item found to be out of specification, but the body builder will correct the issue at no charge to the city. The compartment under the rear seat was incorrect. The builder corrected the situation, and it will not delay the completion of the apparatus. Several minor items were found that will also be addressed by the builder. The cabinet layout and the locations of shelves and trays, and the location of equipment was finalized. There is a chance the apparatus will be shown at the Wisconsin Fire Chief s Association equipment show in Milwaukee prior to delivery to the fire department. This engine should serve the city well for its planned 20 year life. *Amounts shown represent total hours Safety Committee Meets West Bend Fire Department s Safety Committee met during the month of February. The Safety Committee exists to identify and make recommendations on situations that could cause an injury to workers or visitors in the stations. Identifying causes of injuries is achieved by reviewing injury reports that have been submitted by fire department members. Once a cause has been identified, steps can be taken to correct the problem. This is completed twice per year. The committee also reported on a project to determine the types of chemicals and where they are stored. Shift members are completing the identification process. The second step of the project will be to create a storage system for the information sheets that will be accessible to all personnel. This project is intended to make the fire department compliant with the requirements of the Federal Government s HazCom Standard. Hazardous Materials Update Planning and mitigation are key components in disaster response. Hazardous materials readiness is no exception. These types of calls are considered as low frequency occurrences with high danger to a community. This means they don t happen often but when they do there are large consequences to people and property. WBFD works hard to maintain response readiness if a hazardous materials call is received. February was extremely busy with three members of the department attending the WI Association of Hazardous Materials (WAHMR) Conference in February. This conference brings together key personnel from the Federal Government, State of WI agencies, hazardous materials response teams, chemical transporters, and manufacturers. Classes ranged from basic responder chemistry to handling large scale incidents. The WBFD has been a member of the Washington County Hazardous Materials Team since 2004.

7 Page 7 Fire Instruction & Training Bureau Battalion Chief Chuck Beistle Captain Tom Thrash There are new reports of surprises that are killing Firefighters. Firehouse Magazine reporter Vincent Dunn reports, Three sudden, unpredictable events are killing firefighters operating inside burning buildings: flashovers, collapses, and explosions. If any of these three devastating events does not immediately kill firefighters, it causes them to be trapped and prevents their escape; fire and smoke will kill them later. Two firefighters killed in a flashover, four firefighters die in a roof collapse, and 10 firefighters die in an ammonium nitrate explosion. These activities typically occur when firefighters are preoccupied with other lifeand death decisions during structure fires, such as searching for victims or advancing houseline. From 2003 to 2012, NIOSH investigated 358 firefighter deaths. During structural firefighting, the number one category of firefighter deaths was being caught or trapped in a burning structure. Flashovers are the most common deadly surprise, then collapses, and then explosions during interior structural firefighting. These are all part of our uncontrolled work environment. The Training Bureau has a hard time physically training for these types of events. These types of situations your hoping and relying on the experience levels of those firefighters assigned to the duties. This type of training is usually video based or done so by trade magazine articles. These videos and articles usually show or tell what happened as a result of some other fire departments incident. An incident that someone had got seriously injured or killed. I don t ever want to be in one of those articles or videos.

8 In Their Own Words... The back page of our newsletter will feature a couple of notes or cards that we receive from our customers.the people we serve. Whether it is on an ambulance call, fire call, or a public education assignment, the members of the West Bend Fire Department are dedicated to making their contact with us a positive experience. Personnel Spotlight: Chief Gerald Kudek Chief Gerald Kudek recently celebrated 25 years as a full-time firefighter for the City of West Bend. He began his full-time career on January 23, Over those 25 years he has served the department in several different capacities. Chief Kudek was promoted to MPO in 1993, to Training Officer in 1996, Battalion Chief in 1997, and Interim Fire Chief in 2000 and has been the cities Fire Chief as of December 22, Chief Kudek holds an Associate Degree in Fire Science from MATC-Milwaukee, a Bachelor s Degree in Fire Service Management from Southern Illinois University, and most recently graduated from the National Fire Academy s Executive Fire Officer Program. In the community Chief Kudek is very active and has served on various committees over the years. Outside of work Chief Kudek enjoys refereeing basketball, but most of all enjoys spending time with his wonderful family. Chief Kudek has been a lifetime resident of West Bend and looks forward to many more years serving and living in this wonderful community. WEST BEND FIRE DEPARTMENT Planning to Protect...Acting to Save 325 N 8th Ave. West Bend, WI