WEST BEND FIRE DEPARTMENT

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1 WEST BEND FIRE DEPARTMENT Planning to Protect......Acting to Save March 2016 Volume 4, Issue 3 Inside this issue: Fire & EMS 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 Department Upgraded to ISO CLASS 2 The West Bend Fire Department was recently evaluated by the Insurance Service Organization (ISO). The ISO collects and evaluates information from communities in the United States on their structure fire suppression capabilities. The ISO then assigns a Public Protection Classification (PPC) from 1 to 10. Class 1 represents an exemplary fire suppression program, and Class 10 indicates that the area's firesuppression program doesn't meet ISO s minimum criteria. (continued on page 6) Emergency Activities Types of Calls March 2016 February 2016 Year to Date (2016) Year to Date (2015) Fires Calls Emergency Medical Calls Paramedic Intercepts Interfacility Transports Totals Town of Barton Calls Town of West Bend Calls

2 Emergency Medical Services Bureau Page 2 BC Van Langen and Captain Thrash Air Medical Transport in Wisconsin by BC Van Langen The routine use of helicopters for medical evacuation evolved around the Korean Conflict in the 1950 s. In the United States the first use of a hospital based helicopter used to transport patients with medical emergencies was established through St. Anthony s Hospital in Denver Colorado in In Wisconsin the use of helicopters for emergency medical transport can be dated back to the early 1980 s. Currently we have 8 different Air Medical S e r v i c e s s c a t t e r e d throughout the State using 12 helicopters to transport patients. Getting a patient to the correct advanced medical treatment center in a timely fashion can be the difference between life or death for certain medical emergencies or traumatic events. These emergency air transport systems have evolved over time so that currently advanced critical care can be administered while the patient is being flown to an advanced care facility. The picture on the right is one of the Flight for Life (FFL) helicopters that services our area. FFL currently runs 2 medical transport helicopters in our state. One helicopter is based in Waukesha and the other in Fond du lac. FFL also has a third helicopter based just across the state line in McHenry Illinois. A state of the art communication center is located at the Waukesha location, this is the communication hub for all 3 FFL helicopters. Complete with high tech communications capability, immediate accessibility to weather and mapping information, visual satellite tracking for FFL aircraft, and security camera view of all 4 FFL helipads. FFL continues to maintain the sixth floor rooftop helipad/hangar facility located on the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center campus. It is utilized for patient transfers to Froedtert Hospital and Children s Hospital of Wisconsin. Both theses hospitals are designated as Level 1 Trauma Care Centers for adult and pediatric patients. This is the highest level of trauma care available. This location also serves as an emergency back up location for the Communications Center in Waukesha. All 3 of the helicopters can travel at an average speed between mph. The crew typically consists of a pilot, Registered Nurse, and a Paramedic. All 3 of these positions have rigorous requirements to hold the position. The aircraft are serviced by mechanics at each facility and are on staff 24/7 365 days a year. FFL has been in service in Wisconsin for over 32 years. FFL celebrated their 30th anniversary on and had flown 33,000 patients safely to their destinations over those years.

3 Emergency Medical Services Bureau Battalion Chief Todd Van Langen & Captain Tom Thrash EMS TRANSPORTS Page 3 # of Transports JAN-MARCH The West Bend Fire Department EMS section continues to be busy with transporting the sick and injured to area hospitals. The decision on where a patient is transported to is always carefully considered. We try to do our best to keep the patient in their primary doctor s health network affiliation. Sometimes though that is not possible. If a patient is medically stable, alert and able to make decisions then our paramedics will take that patient to a hospital of their choosing. Which is usually a hospital that their personal physician is affiliated with. If the patient is alert but has sustained serious trauma or has a critical medical or cardiac problem our paramedics will advise the patient that transport to a facility with an advanced level of care or specific treatment capabilities is advised. For people who are pa- tients of the Froedtert medical system transport will be to St. Joseph s Hospital of West Bend unless they are in need of advanced trauma or cardiac care. Cardiac patients will be taken directly to the Cardiac Cath Lab and trauma patients will be met by a Level I Trauma Team at Froedtert Hospital. Within the Aurora system transport will be to Hartford Hospital for general care or to Aurora Grafton for Cardiac Care. An Aurora patient with serious traumatic injuries will most likely cross health care networks and be taken to Froedtert for Level I trauma care. We are well versed on the treatments and procedures that are available at medical facilities in the Southeastern Wisconsin region. It is our goal to make sure you get the best care in the most timely fashion and whenever possible we will try to keep you within your health care network.

4 Page 4 Fire Prevention & Public Safety Bureau Fire Safety Education, Code Enforcement and Fire Investigation 0 Battalion Chief Chuck Beistle & Captain Tammy Lamberg March Prevention & Inspection Activities ous, low paying Service work with fire departments and police departments. The Irish gladly took these positions, as it provided a means of income and more importantly acceptance into American society. Once these immigrants began having families, Periodic Inspections Reinspections/Follow-ups Violations System Acceptance Tests Requests/Complaints Meetings/Consults Permits Home Smoke Alarm Installs Community Safety Presentations Plan Reviews Irish History in the Fire Service We are all a bit Irish in the month of March but no profession relates more to the Irish heritage than the fire service. In the 1840s, close to two million immigrants from Ireland made their way to America. For many, the only work that they could find was danger- Continued on Page 5

5 Page 5 Fire Prevention & Public Safety Bureau Battalion Chief Chuck Beistle & Captain Tammy Lamberg Irish History in the Fire Service Continued many of their sons and grandsons would follow in their footsteps. Many of the East Coast cities like New York and Boston had fire departments dominated by Irish members. (This is still true today. 154 of the 343 New York firefighters who gave their lives on 9/11 were of Irish decent.) In the 1800s fire departments competed with each other to get paid. The insurance agencies only paid the fire company that ar- rived first at a structure fire. Because of this highly competitive atmosphere fire companies had to be very protective of their equipment and horses. It was not unusual for firefighters to damage the equipment or steal the horses of their competition. Because of this Dalmation dogs were brought in to guard the equipment and alert the firefighters of any shenanigans that might be occurring. The Dalmations were excellent dogs for this purpose. The horses were comfortable with the breed and it was common to see the dogs leading the horses to the fire scene. Once on scene the dog would guard the equipment while the firefighters were at work. The Irish also carried forward the tradition of using bagpipes to honor the fallen at a firefighter funeral. In the 1800s it was not uncommon to have several fatalities at a fire. The bagpipers would lead a procession through the town and the people would come out and line the streets to show respect for the fallen. The caskets would be loaded on top of a horse drawn rig for viewing. The most common bagpipe hymn associated with firefighter funerals is Amazing Grace. The mournful and haunting sound of this song will always be associated with our fallen heroes. This practice is still in use today.

6 Fire Department Operations Bureau Battalion Chief John Spartz Department Prepares for 2016 Brush Fire Season Spring usually means an increased possibility of a grass fire in the area. A pick-up truck with a water tank and pump in the bed is used to reach areas that are generally off-road or inaccessible for the larger fire trucks. Four wheel drive is a must. Fighting a grass or brush fire is hard and dirty handon work. Department members are issued a lighter set of fire protective gear designed to combat fatigue and heat stress. They also are issued a traditional helmet that is lighter and easier to wear during a hot brush fire. Crews work to take the fuel away from the fire by sweeping and creating gaps in the source. They often do this by sweeping the fire with brooms and other sweeping devices. Water often has to be carried from the truck into remote sections of brush and fields. Crews from the department recently reviewed the equipment used to combat these fires so they can be ready should this spring eventually dry out. West Bend Fire Dept. s Brush Rig. Portable pump unit carried by the Brush Rig. Fire Department Upgraded to ISO CLASS 2 (continued) Dept. members fill a water pack-back used to extinguish remote fires. A FF uses a grass broom to sweep a practice fire. Always check current open burning regulations. Page 6 The Department has received a Class 2 Rating for buildings within the city, and Class 4 Rating for buildings outside the city limits but within five miles of a fire station. Our Class 2 Rating places us in the top 2% of the over 48,000 fire protection areas that were evaluated. A community's investment in fire mitigation is a proven and reliable predictor of future fire losses. Statistical data on insurance losses bears out the relationship between excellent fire protection as measured by the PPC program and low fire losses. So, insurance companies use PPC information for marketing, underwriting, and to help establish fair premiums for homeowners and commercial fire insurance. In general, the price of fire insurance in a community with a good PPC grade is substantially lower than in a community with a poor PPC grade, assuming all other factors are equal. We have always been extremely proud of the fire protection we provide for both city and town residence. This ISO report and rating proves we are one of the best in the

7 Fire Instruction & Training Bureau Battalion Chief Chuck Beistle & Captain Tom Thrash Page 7 Burning Safety Guidelines: This time of the year many people are raking lawns and gathering piles of dead grass and leaves. Often times people want to burn this type of debris but this is not allowed within city limits. Dispose of the yard waste at the WB City Garage at 251 Municipal Drive. For hours of operation you can go to the City s web site w w w. c i. w e s t - bend.wi.us. According to the City of West Bend ordinance only non chemically treated wood may be burned in a fully enclosed device manufactured for the purpose of wood burning, but only if used as recommended by the manufacturer of the device. Fully enclosed means that any openings through which air or other gases may enter or escape are fully covered by spark arresting screens. Examples of acceptable burning devices are shown in the photos. Covers must always be in place and burning devices must be located at least ten feet from lot lines and any part of a structure. This includes overhangs and decks. (The use of one of these devices on a deck was the direct cause of a house fire here in West Bend). For people who wish to have an in-ground fire pit a screen dome to cover the fire can be purchased at most home improvement stores.

8 In Their Own Words... The back page of our newsletter features a note or card that we have received from our customers.the people we serve. Whether it is during an ambulance call, fire call, or a public education assignment, the members of the West Bend Fire Department are always dedicated to making their contact with area residents a positive experience. Personnel Spotlight: Lieutenant Richard (Rick) Lesiecki has been with the West Bend Fire Department for coming up on 20 years this November. Rick started his career in 1986 with Greendale Fire Department. Rick has been a Paramedic since He started as a fulltime Firefighter November 18, Over the years Rick has worked his way up the ranks currently training to be an Acting Battalion Chief. Rick serves on the EMS Committee and is a member of the Dive Team for 12 years. Rick has been married for 14 years and has a stepdaughter. Rick enjoys spending time up north, skiing, fishing, and boating. Thanks Rick for your hard work and dedication to the West Bend Fire Department. WEST BEND FIRE DEPARTMENT Planning to Protect...Acting to Save 325 N 8th Ave. West Bend, WI