Planning to Protect...Acting to Save

Transcription

1 WEST BEND FIRE DEPARTMENT Planning to Protect......Acting to Save September 2018 Inside this issue: Sprinkler Saves West Bend Apartment 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 of SERVICE ~ September ~April LT. M. Heinen.. 09/21/94 MPO D. Reisdorf...09/16/01 An automatic fire sprinkler system suppressed a kitchen fire in an apartment building on S Main St on a Friday evening. On the night of September 29th at approximately 7:43 p.m., the West Bend Fire received the report of a fire in a third floor apartment. Arriving units found a smoke filled apartment with an activated sprinkler head. A neighbor stated that he had attempted to douse the flames with a fire extinguisher. The heat was intense enough to melt the fusible link on the sprinkler head. What could have been a disastrous conflagration was contained to the top of the stove and the kitchen cabinets. An unattended skillet was the cause of the grease fire. People are reminded to always be attentive to what they are cooking on the stove. Fire sprinklers are 96% effective at extinguishing fires when they are activated. Fire sprinklers reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by 80% Planning to Protect..Acting to Save Emergency Activities Types of Calls September 2018 September 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 By Battalion Chief John Spartz Page 2 Photo/WAFD West Allis Firefighter-EMT Chad Staszak was attending a local West Bend event while off-duty last month when a woman collapsed. FF-EMT Staszak jumped into action and began performing CPR. Suddenly, a bystander attacked him by punching him in the head. FF-EMT Staszak continued to perform CPR while WB police intervened with his attacker. Staszak continued performing CPR until WBFD medical crews arrived on scene. WBFD would like to thank FF-EMT Staszak for his assistance, dedication and professionalism. Rennert s Fire Equipment performed the annual fire apparatus pump maintenance and service tests during September. These mandatory tests insure the fire pumps and associated equipment operate to maximum efficiency. Rennert s performs the tests in the department parking lot and can complete all five trucks in one day. Aerial ladders were also serviced. Administrative Assistant Williams had a fire prevention question and needed to call in some expert help. Sparky the Fire Dog was in the station preparing for the department s October open house, he showed her a solution to keep everyone safe. Sparky says, Look. Listen. Learn. Schmidt Road Renamed for Fallen Sheriff s Deputy A section of Schmidt Road was closed in September and renamed for Washington County Sheriff s Deputy John Spike Schmitt. Deputy Schmitt was killed, while on duty, in a traffic accident on September 9, He was responding to an assistance call from another police officer. A section of old road is being used by the Sheriff s Department as a service drive and will be named in his honor. Left: A ceremony was held with WBFD s Truck 1 providing the American Flag. Right: Deputy Schmitt s family members unveil the new sign designating John M. Schmitt Memorial Drive

3 Emergency Medical Services Bureau Battalion Chief Tom Thrash Requests for Ambulance Continue to Rise Page 3 The West Bend Fire Department Ambulances continue to increase their call volume. Data from Jan 2017 to Oct 2017 shows we transported 2051 patients. Data from Jan 2018 to Oct 2018 shows we have transported This increase has been a trend for the last several years. This is not just a local trend, several other fire and ambulance departments across the state have been reporting a greater need for ambulance requests. The table below shows what hospitals our patients are transported to. As you can see, Froedtert St. Joseph s Hospital is the most common destination, we go there over 68% of the time. Patient condition, patients primary care physician, and patient hospital preference all play a factor in determining which hospital we will transport to. Ultimately, the decision is made by our team of skilled Paramedics to get you to the most appropriate facility.

4 Page 4 Fire Prevention & Public Safety Bureau Fire Safety Education, Code Enforcement and Fire Investigation Deputy Chief Chuck Beistle and Captain Kenny Asselin Citizens Awarded at City Council Meeting The fire prevention and suppression activities of fire departments across the nation are often made easier due to the actions of citizens who go out of their way to assist in times of need. The West Bend Fire Department makes efforts to recognize those individuals who go above and beyond the call of duty. Sometimes their efforts are heroic in the sense that they put themselves in harm s way. Other times it is an effort that may appear small but could have a large impact. The first award goes to Josh Harter, Justin Jilling, and Tim Dexter for their actions on December 20th, Harter, a volunteer firefighter for the Kewaskum Fire Department noticed smoke coming from a residence on Jefferson St. At the time Harter was attempting to determine if the residents were home and alert them, Jilling and Dexter, deputies for the Washington County Sheriff s Department, also noticed the smoke and started to assist Harter. The deputies used extinguishers in an attempt to control the fire. Through their efforts, they not only reduced the amount of damage to the structure and contents, but helped save some pets in the process. The other award went to Steve Eklund. While he and his wife were taking down their artificial Christmas tree, they noticed a choking electrical smell which filled the room. They had noticed that the LED lighting system and wires had failed. Mr Eklund contacted the West Bend Fire Department and brought the tree and lighting system to the station. The Consumer Product Safety Commission was contacted and took interest in the tree. A subsequent recall of the tree and lighting system was issued. It is difficult to quantify the number of potential lives and properties saved Mr Eklund s notification. However, the selfless actions of these individuals deserves to be recognized. Congratulations to all of them for their awards.

5 Fire Prevention & Public Safety Bureau Page 5 Fire Safety Education, Code Enforcement and Fire Investigation by Deputy Chief Chuck Beistle and Captain Kenny Asselin Keeping Kids Safe During Halloween Trick or Treat is right around the corner for City of West Bend residents. Children will be knocking on doors asking for candy on Saturday, October 27th, from 4pm until 6pm. While Trick or Treating is a right of passage for children all over the country, there are dangers associated with this fun activity. By following some simple Safe Kids ( safety tips, you can avoid becoming a Halloween statistic and ensure a safe and enjoyable evening this Halloween. *Always trick or treat with an adult until age 12. Safe Kids reports that 12% of children five years of age or younger are permitted to trick or treat alone. *Only trick or treat in familiar areas that are well lit. *Cross streets using traffic signals and crosswalks. On average, twice as many child pedestrians are killed while walking on Halloween compared to other days of the year. *Be sure to look left, right, and left again when crossing the street. *Always walk, don t run, when crossing streets. *Put electronic devices down and keep heads up. *Make eye contact with drivers and watch for cars that are turning or backing up. *Walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible. *Never dart out into the street or cross in between parked cars. *Wear well-fitting, sturdy shoes to prevent trips and falls. *Wear light-colored, flame-retardant, costumes decorated with retroreflective tape or stickers. Only 18% of parents use reflective tape on their children s Halloween costumes. *Carry a flashlight or glow stick to increase visibility to drivers. *Wear face paint and makeup as a mask can restrict a child s vision. *Check treats for signs of tampering before a child is allowed to eat them. *Remind children to eat only treats in original and unopened wrappers.

6 Maintenance Bureau Battalion Chief Jeff Gustafson October Preparations for Fire Prevention Month Page 6 WBFD crews were busy cleaning the fire station for October s annual open house. The cleaning was difficult to complete this year because of running multiple calls during each shift. The battalion chiefs had a huge list of places to clean and prepare we weren t sure we could get it all done before our big day. Luckily for us our favorite fire prevention mascot jumped in to help. He was so excited to spiff up the place for all of his favorite fire prevention helpers, we finished all of the work on time. More work was completed on the new Fire Fighter Memorial in front of Fire Station #1 last month. Ben Heinen, who was instrumental in moving the project forward, recruited some of his friends for the finishing landscape touches. Shrubs were planted on each side of the memorial to provide a natural break from the area surrounding the five memorial stones centered on the patio. Each side garden received small bushes and a small tree was planted in the southern garden. Work consisted of digging the existing grass and replacing it with soil and stone cover. A stone base was also placed around the memorial bench across from the memorial. Look. for places fire can start. Listen. for the sound of the smoke alarm. Learn. two ways out of each room.

7 Fire Instruction & Training Bureau Deputy Chief Chuck Beistle & Captain Bob Monday Motor Pump Operator Qualifying Page 7 The position of Motor Pump Operator (the person who drives and operates the fire truck and the pump) is responsible for safely driving the apparatus to the emergency scene, supplying the correct pressure and volume of water to the firefighters at the end of a hose line, operating other supporting equipment at the emergency scene, and after the incident returning the apparatus to a ready state to respond to the next emergency. NFPA 1002, Fire Apparatus Driver/Operator Professional Qualifications establishes the minimum job performance requirements (JPRs) for fire fighters who drive and operate fire apparatus. Fire fighters that work for the city of West Bend wishing to become Motor Pump Operators must have a minimum of three years on the department, be State of Wisconsin certified as a Driver Operator and pass both a written and a practical exam. The requirements for state certification is a Driver/Operator class that is 66 hours of instruction. In addition to the Driver Operator Class most candidates also receive their Aerial Certification which is an additional 36 hours of class. This class requires driving, positioning, operating the aerial at a minimum nationally recognized level. The West Bend Fire Department also requires its candidates to complete it own in house training. Candidates must learn how to operate each individual engine and aerial apparatus. Some of these tasks include laying hose to a scene (forward lay), drafting from a portable tank of water and flowing water from an aerial. This training helps to ensure that the candidate is capable of driving and operating the vehicle in a safe and efficient manner.

8 In Their Own Words... custom- public edu- ways experi- The back page of our newsletter features a note or card that we have received from our ers.the people we serve. Whether it is during an ambulance call, fire call, or a cation assignment, the members of the West Bend Fire Department are aldedicated to making their contact with area residents a positive ence. Personnel Spotlight: BC John Spartz Battalion Chief John Spartz started with the West Bend Fire Department as a paid on call firefighter in John was hired full time in He earned promotions to motor pump operator, lieutenant, and became a WEST BEND FIRE DEPARTMENT Planning to Protect...Acting to Save battalion chief in He is currently licensed as an EMT-I. John holds a bachelor s degree in Fire Science Management from Southern Illinois University and has completed the National Fie Academy s Executive Fire Officer program. BC Spartz is president of the Washington County Fire Investigators and Haz- Mat Team Coordinator. He volunteers for the Washington County Historical Society and is board president. John and his wife, Wendy, have three children; Aly, Erin, and Drew. They enjoy spending time their grand daughters. 325 N 8th Ave. West Bend, WI