Volume XII Issue IIII

OUR MISSION: TO LIMIT THE LOSS OF LIFE AND PROPERTY THROUGH PLANNING, PREVENTION AND RESPONSE The Park Ridge Fire Department responded to a car vs. tree accident with possible entrapment. Upon arrival, smoke was present and bystanders were keeping the engine fire at bay with a garden hose. Extrication was set up concurrently with a 1 ¾ pre-connect line used to douse the fire still burning in the engine compartment. FF/PM Bruchsaler entered the backseat to render EMS care to the patient in the vehicle until she was extricated. The door was forced open by FF/PM s Cleary and Skinner, while Lt. Boeringa and FF/PM Jarka extinguished the fire, then cooled the engine compartment. Volume XII Issue IIII www.parkridgefd.org

Highlight of the Month Fire Administration Deputy Chief Sorensen (left) and Fire Chief Zywanski (2 nd from left) receive a grant check from FM Global in the amount of $2,500. James Timmerman (2 nd from right) and Sal Raspanti (right) are pictured as well. FF/PM s Skinner and Pavone reading to children at Field School for Screen Free Week, held April 15-20, 2012. The Screen Free Week committee planned activities, including a reading day held April 2, where volunteers from different facets of the community read to children at the Field School library. 1

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FF/PM s Laube (L) and Naffziger (R) read to the children at the Park Ridge Pubic Library on 4/23/2012. F/PM s Naffziger and Laube have designed and started the beginning stages of their garden behind the Administration building. They will be providing their shift (Gold-35), with fresh, affordable vegetables for their meals. The work and funding will be done by the FF/PM s themselves. 3

Three government students that visited the Fire Department are pictured in front of Station 35. Attached are letters from two students. 4

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To the Traffic Safety Committee: Wow! What a terrific helmet sale hundreds of kids and adults will be riding safer this spring thanks to this hugely popular event. It was almost a total sell out of helmets! We had door busters arrive 15 20 minutes ahead of our 5 p.m. start time and were continuously busy until just a few minutes before closing at 7 p.m. We received so many thanks from parents who were thrilled not only to get a bargain, but more importantly and they all stressed this to have the helmet custom fitted to each child by an expert nurse. We think this strong showing was a reflection of pent up demand (last sale was four years ago in 2008); extensive publicity outreach; favorable weather (just misty, no rain); great price; and parents committed to safety for their families. Based on this success, the hospital agrees with our suggestion to schedule a sale every other year as a rotating feature during Healthy Living month. Thanks again to everyone who came to participate or supported the event in other ways. Special thanks to Jane Everett from our committee, Off. Laura Kappler from Park Ridge Police who also came with 3 youth Explorers, and Deputy Chief Jeff Sorensen who distributed fire engine cards to the children. And of course, many thanks to Principal Dan Walsh and Franklin School for hosting the event in the gym. We will send official thanks to the hospital for providing so many staff members and the helmet inventory to make this event happen. Bernadette Tramm Public Information Coordinator Park Ridge Niles School District 64 164 S. Prospect Ave., Park Ridge, IL 60068 P/847 318 4343 F/847 318 4351 www.d64.org Personnel News Fire Administration Congratulations to FF Jay Bieniek on 30 years of outstanding service with the Park Ridge Fire Department! FF Bieniek is on Gold shift at Station 35. Pictured below from left to right are: FF/PM s Weingart, Naffziger, FF Bieniek, Lt. Krause and FF/PM Laube. 6

World Trade Center Steel Update Fire Administration The Commission reviewed the cost estimates of Myefski Architects, Inc. and The Lakota Group, and selected Myefski as the lead designer. 7

Response Statistics Fire Administration CODE MONTHLY REPONSES 2011 MONTHLY REPONSES 2012 MONTHLY PERCENT 2011 MONTHLY PERCENT 2012 1 ambulance 200 189 66% 66% 2 single vehicle 41 44 14% 15% 3 full fire 33 27 11% 9% 13 mutual & auto aid 29 26 10% 9% TOTAL RESPONSES 303 286 100% 100% 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 Code 1 Code 2 Code 3 Code 13 Total 2010 2011 2012 4600 4100 3600 3100 2600 2100 1600 1100 600 100 Incident Response Deputy Chief Sorensen CURRENT MONTH TOTAL ALARMS YTD April 11 Companies responded to a single-vehicle crash with a conscious victim, and smoke coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle had significant frontend damage, frame damage, and roof damage from the force of impact. Extrication was needed due to the inability to open the driver's door. The patient was transported to Lutheran General Hospital. April 14 Battalion #35, Utility #36 and Squad #35 responded to assist the North Maine Fire Protection District on a water rescue call. A boater had jumped into a lake 8

to rescue his dog, and in doing so had gone missing in the lake. Divers from the MABAS Division III sub surface rescue team responded, including one onduty diver from the Park Ridge Fire Department who was assigned as a backup diver upon his arrival on the scene. The first diver in the water made the recovery assisted by the dive boat from Glenview and the sonar equipment from Northbrook. Although the rescue happened rather quickly, the man was transported to Lutheran General Hospital and was pronounced dead on arrival. FIRE INVESTIGATION Lieutenant Derek Decker Investigation Summaries April 1 Engine 35 responded to the area of Petersen and Western for a reported outside fire. A fire involving a landscaping bag full of grass was found burning. The fire was extinguished with a portable water can. No monetary damage resulted. The investigation eliminated any external sources of heat that could have ignited the vegetation. The cause of the fire determined to be spontaneous ignition. The fire was classified as accidental. April 1 All Park Ridge equipment along with the North Maine and Norwood Park Fire Departments responded for the report of smoke inside of a building along the 200 block S. Northwest Highway. Companies arrived to a large two-story commercial building undergoing renovation and light smoke was present on the first floor. After a detailed investigation of the entire structure was completed, the remnants of a fire on the first floor in a construction area were found. The fire had self-extinguished prior to the Fire Department s arrival. The investigation determined the charred debris found on the floor was the remnants of a large bucket with a heater in it that would be used for heating water to remove flooring adhesive. The heater was left on over the weekend and all the water eventually vaporized resulting in the plastic bucket heating and igniting. The resulting damage was estimated to be $4000. The fire was classified as accidental. April 3 & 4 There were two similar fire incidents that occurred at the same location on two separate days. Tower 36 and Battalion 35 responded for an outside fire along the 2000 block of Manor. Upon arrival, a small fire involving mulch and a bush were found on each of the two days. Each fire was in the same general area as the other along the exterior of the single-family house, but they were not directly connected to each other. A garden hose from the house was used to 9

extinguish both fires. In each incident, the surrounding mulch was soaked to prevent future occurrences. The estimated loss from both fires totaled $300. Investigators could not determine the actual cause of the fires, but they are suspecting spontaneous combustion as the source of heat for ignition. The fire was classified as undetermined. April 7 Tower 36 responded to the 200 block of N. Northwest Highway for a reported outside fire. A fire involving a 20 x 20 area of grass was found to be burning. The fire was extinguished using a pre-connected hoseline. The investigation found, along with the burned grassy area, a plastic garbage can that had been destroyed by the fire. The source of heat for ignition could not be determined and the fire was classified as undetermined. The estimated loss from this incident was $50. April 9 Two outside fire incidents occurred on this date at separate locations. Tower 36 responded to Summit and Washington and later to the 400 block of Busse for outside fires. Small mulch fires were found at both locations and doused with a water extinguisher. The damage was minimal and no monetary loss resulted at either location. Both causes were classified as undetermined. April 22 Both Station 35 and 36 fire apparatus responded to the 1800 block of Burton for an activated fire alarm. Upon arrival, it was determined that there had been a small fire in a bathroom garbage can that had already been extinguished by an occupant of the single-family home. The damage was isolated to the small garbage can, but the loss was estimate was not provided. The investigation determined the fire resulted when an occupant of the home was playing with matches and accidentally started the garbage can on fire. The fire was classified as accidental. April 25 Engine 35 responded to the area of Elm and Broadway for an outside fire. A small rubbish fire was found in the sewer and was extinguished with a pressurized water can. No monetary damage resulted and the fire was classified as undetermined. The nine fires during April resulted in a combined fire loss of $4,350. Through April 2012, our Department has responded to a total of 20 fires within the City with damages nearing $750,000. 10

Training Battalion Chief Scott Sankey Quick Drill Throughout the month the Training Division assigns various quick drills to be discussed at the morning roll call. The quick drills for April were Map Grid 3680 Review, MABAS Interoperability with Chicago Fire Dept. policy review, Map and Resource Guide review for MABAS Division 9 (CFD), and NATO Division III response card review. Report of the Week Throughout the month the shifts are assigned a report from the National Firefighters Near Miss web portal. The site provides firefighters a place to anonymously document and share their close calls and near miss experiences with other firefighters around the country. By sharing these reports we hope to prevent similar situations from happening in the future. The reports reviewed for April were, What s that you see, Captain, and Experience doesn t matter if you can t stay inside. Word of the Week Throughout the month shift members at each station are assigned a word. The member researches the word as it relates to the fire service and presents his/her findings to the rest of his station during the morning roll call meeting. The words for April were Waybill and Vapor Dispersion. Target Safety Online Training All department personnel worked towards completing the training module NFPA 1021 Pre- Incident Planning. Weekly Skills Drills/Job Performance Requirements (JPR s) All department shift personnel demonstrated skills proficiency in Hydrant Hook-ups, Single Engine/Single line pumping, and Single Engine/Multiple line pumping. MABAS Division 3 Joint Training Tower 36, Battalion 35, and Engine 36 participated in three days of joint training with other MABAS 3 department at NIPSTA. A classroom session reviewed radiation emergencies. Practical scenarios included search, rescue, victim removal, hose advancement, fire suppression, and ground ladder deployment. MABAS Division III Special Teams Members of the Fire Investigation, HAZMAT, URRT (Dive), and TRT teams participated in Division III training drills. Outside Training FF/PM Dave Malcomson MAYDAY Event 16 hrs FF/PM Robert Sempoch Tactics & Strategies I 40 hrs 11

Special Teams Battalion Chief Scott Sankey Hazardous Materials Team (HAZMAT) Park Ridge HAZMAT members participated in a Division III drill at North Maine Fire Protection District. The drill was for preparation for the NATO Summit that is coming to Chicago in May. A review of detection equipment was performed. Underwater and Rescue and Recovery Team (URRT) The Park Ridge Dive Team hosted the MABAS III training dive for this month. On April 19, nine MABAS III departments participated in a dive drill at Axe Head Lake, in which dive search and rescue, sonar search techniques and boat operations skills were practiced. This training was held at night in order to hone these basic skills in limited lighting conditions. Technical Rescue Team (TRT) The Park Ridge TRT participated in a high angle rope drill in Wilmette. New equipment was used and members rappelled down a 10-story building. Apparatus & Equipment Battalion Chief John Hanson Due to the high amount of miles and the stresses that the vehicles are put under, it is critical that we perform routine and emergency maintenance in cooperation with the City Garage. Below is a list of the maintenance completed for the month: F-26 1998 Command Van - Replace leaking coolant lines F-32 2005 Ambulance - Repair drawer in patient treatment area F-33 2005 Ambulance - Replaced auto eject cover F-41 1995 Engine - Repaired rear window - Replaced A/C compressor clutch assembly F-42 1996 Engine - Rebuilt fuel injection pump - Repaired mirror wiring - Repaired pump transfer valve F-43 2005 Engine - Repaired door open magnet for compartment 12

2012 Pump Tests All fire department apparatus had their fire pumps tested during April. Every vehicle was able to pump their rated capacity, which ranges from 1250 to 2000 gallons per minute, depending on the apparatus. These positive results are due to the daily and weekly checks performed by Fire Department personnel, and the scheduled and emergency repairs performed by the City Garage. 13

Fire Prevention Lieutenant Kevin Plach Activity Monthly Totals 2011 Monthly Totals 2012 Initial Inspections 44 45 Re-Inspections 35 45 Pre-Permit Meetings 0 1 Construction Visits 14 7 Final Inspections 10 6 Plan reviews 13 12 Sprinkler Hydros 1 1 Storage Tank Installs 0 0 Storage Tank Removals 0 0 Residential Sprinklers 0 0 Fire Flow Tests 0 1 Fire Alarm Tests 2 3 Fire Pump Tests 2 6 Key Box Insp./Installs 3 2 Hood Test 1 0 Single Family Home Inspections 1 0 Citations 0 0 Meetings 25 15 Fire Drills 0 0 Seminar/Schools 0 1 Complaints 7 2 Shift Tours 0 0 Public Education Tours 0 4 Total 158 151 Year to Date 513 616 Public Education Lieutenant Kevin Plach Highlights Lt. Plach represented the fire department at the Community Fair on April 21, 2012, held at the Park Ridge Public Library. Car Seat Safety Checks 21 car seat safety checks were performed in April. 14

CPR and First Aid classes have been suspended. Park Ridge Fire Explorer Post 3536 There were two meetings scheduled for April. The first meeting was held on April 11 and the Explorers practiced forcible entry and hose line advancement in the hose tower at Station 36. The Explorers then used that knowledge to simulate a real fire attack on a secured structure. The second meeting was rescheduled to May 2, due to a lack of available advisors. April is National Safe Digging Month Monthly Tip This is the time of year when there is increased public awareness of the need for public works professionals and the general public to dial 8-1-1 in advance of underground projects. This is an essential safety practice that will help to prevent injuries, property damage, and inconvenient outages. In Illinois, calls to the J.U.L.I.E. one-call system should be made at least two business days in advance of any planned activity. This will result in utility companies marking their services prior to the start of any excavation. For more information about how 8-1-1 works and National Safe Digging Month, click here. About 811 Building a deck? Planting a tree? Installing a mailbox? 811 is the new number you should call before you begin any digging project. A new, federally-mandated national "Call Before You Dig" number, 811 was created to help protect you from unintentionally hitting underground utility lines while working on digging projects. People digging often make risky assumptions about whether or not they should get their utility lines marked due to concerns about project delays, costs and previous calls about other projects. These assumptions can be life threatening. Every digging job requires a call even small projects like planting trees or shrubs. If you hit an underground utility line while digging, you can harm yourself or those around you, disrupt service to an entire neighborhood and potentially be responsible for fines and repair costs. Smart digging means calling 811 before each job. Whether you are a homeowner or a professional e Smart digging means calling 811 before each job. Whether you are a homeowner or a professional excavator, one call to 811 gets your underground utility lines marked for FREE. Don't assume you know what's below. Protect yourself and those around you Call 811 every time. 15