WEST BEND FIRE DEPARTMENT Planning to Protect......Acting to Save November 2016 Volume 4, Issue 11 Inside this issue: Fire & EMS Run Review 1 EMS Bureau Report 2 Fire Prev./ Public Safety 4 Operations Bureau 6 Training Bureau 7 In Their Own Words 8 YEARS of SERVICE ~ November Capt. T Lamberg...11/26/90 BC J Gustafson...11/18/96 LT R Lesiecki...11/18/96 FF M Rinzel...11/27/96 LT R Schafer..11/27/96 POC Wahouske...11/02/98 POC FF Guild...11/15/04..Acting to Save Emergency Activities Wishing Everyone A Safe Holiday Season. All of us at the West Bend Fire Department would like to wish everyone a Happy and Safe Holiday Season. The holidays are all about family gatherings, good cheer, and festivities. Unfortunately the holidays also see a dramatic increase in life safety issues including fires and carbon monoxide incidents. Some sobering facts are that the top 3 days for home structure fires are Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas day. Two of the leading causes for these holiday fires are cooking and home decorating candles. By taking some preventative steps and following some simple rules of thumb, most home fires can be prevented during the holidays and beyond. Another important issue to consider especially around the holidays is carbon monoxide safety. The peak months for carbon monoxide (CO) incidents is November through February. This coincides with the peak heating season months. Often called the invisible killer CO is a colorless, odorless gas produced when fuels burn incompletely. Although the popularity of CO alarms has been growing in recent years studies still show not everyone is familiar with the hazards of CO poisoning in the home. Continued on page 2 Types of Calls November 2016 October 2016 Year to Date (2016) Year to Date (2015) Fires Calls 26 46 394 368 Emergency Medical Calls 246 206 2617 2604 Paramedic Intercepts 11 10 126 123 Interfacility Transports 26 46 420 461 Totals 309 308 3557 3556 Town of Barton Calls 4 5 85 77 Town of West Bend Calls 8 9 108 139
Emergency Medical Services Bureau BC Todd Van Langen and Captain Tom Thrash Page 2 Wishing Everyone A Safe Holiday Season by BC Van Langen We know that carbon monoxide poisoning occurrences increase around meter in every room with a fuel burning appliance, each bedroom, and any that unattended cooking is the leading cause of U.S. home fires and home fire injuries, with most cooking fires involving the stovetop. When cooking stay in the kitchen. Especially while you re frying, grilling, boiling, or broiling food. Keep anything that can catch fire away from the stovetop, half of all candle fires start because the candles had been to close to flammable objects. When burning candles keep them at least 12 inches away from anything that can burn, and remember to blow them out when you leave the room or go to bed. Use candle holders which are sturdy, won t the holiday season. Faulty furnaces, water heaters, and restricted or dirty chimneys are some of the causes. Running a vehicle inside a garage or room a chimney flue passes through. You can also bring a battery operated CO alarm with you when you travel to be sure your protected. grilling to near an open garage door can increase levels inside the home. You should have a CO Cooking during the holidays is a highlight for many people, those that cook it and those that get to eat it. The facts are and turn it off when you leave the kitchen, even if it is for a short period of time. Create a kid-free zone of at least 3 feet around the stove and areas where hot food or drinks are prepared or served. Candles are widely used in homes throughout the holidays. December is the peak month for home candle fires. More than tip over and are placed on uncluttered surfaces. Avoid using candles in the bedroom where more than one third of home candle fires begin. Never leave a child or pet alone in a room with a burning candle. Consider using flameless candles which look and smell like real candles. Please keep these tips in mind over the holidays.
Emergency Medical Services Bureau Page 3 Battalion Chief Todd Van Langen & Captain Tom Thrash WBFD Captains Are Teachers for a Day The West Bend Fire Department was contacted by Badger Middle School 8th grade science teacher Lisa Swaney to see if we could talk to her students about a medical career. She said the students were learning about different career paths that involved science and medicine. Captains Lamberg and Thrash spent two different days at Badger Mid- Captain Lamberg working with a student at Badger Middle School to take a look at dle School talking to his heartbeat using our Philips Cardiac Monitor each 8th grade class about a career in fire- We addressed the imples of how knowledge about the many life savfighting and Emergency portance of having a of chemistry helps with ing medications that we Medical Services. solid educational backunderstanding fire be- administer and they ground. We gave examhavior and hazardous were able to see how our materials as well as cardiac monitor works grasping the pharmacol- when we placed it on ogy involved with being one of their classmates. a Paramedic. We also They even got a brief talked about how lesson on how to read an knowledge of biology is EKG. pertinent in understand- We finished the lesson ing body systems and by telling them about how math is needed to the different college calculate medication courses and certificadosages. We brought tions that are required along one of our training to become a full time mannequins and a Firefighter/Paramedic. plethora of EMS supplies and equipment so We enjoyed our day at we could demonstrate to Badger. The students the students how our were very engaged and Captain Thrash talking to 8th Graders at Badger Middle education translates in- interactive and the scischool about a career as a Firefighter/Paramedic to highly technical skills ence dept. teachers were The students learned very appreciative.
250 200 150 100 Page 4 Fire Prevention & Public Safety Bureau Fire Safety Education, Code Enforcement and Fire Investigation Deputy Chief Chuck Beistle & Captain Tammy Lamberg November Prevention & Inspection Activities Periodic Inspections Reinspections/Follow-ups Violations System Acceptance Tests Requests/Complaints Meetings/Consults Permits Home Smoke Alarm Installs Community Safety Presentations Plan Reviews 50 0 210 5 12 8 5 9 8 2 1 6
Page 5 Fire Prevention & Public Safety Bureau Fire Safety Education, Code Enforcement and Fire Investigation WSFIA Provides Training & Networking at Annual Conference Several of The West Bend Fire Department fire inspectors are members of the Wisconsin State Fire Inspector s Association. This association provides training and networking for it s members along with functioning as a resource for updates and law changes related to fire codes. Each year the WI Inspectors Association holds an annual conference which hosts close to 300 participants. The planning for each year s event starts immediately after the previous one has been held. A committee of approximately 10 members, which includes WBFD Captain Tammy Lamberg, will spend time going over every evaluation that was received from the previous conference. The group identifies strengths and weaknesses on things such as classroom layouts, daily schedules, overall organization, vendor participation, food, accommodations, social activities and training content. All feedback is considered and the committee pays special attention to suggested presentation topics. After hashing through ideas and making decisions on topics committee members work to find knowledgeable presenters to speak on the subjects. Each year new and interesting classes are presented. The 2016 conference offered many great training opportunities. One of the most popular classes was presented by Ron Wegner and Mindy Shuett from West Bend Mutual Insurance. Our local connection proved valuable in bringing these speakers to our conference. Ron Wegner & Mindy Schuett of West Bend Mutual Insurance. WBFD Captain Tammy Lamberg assists an attendee at the 2016 Wisconsin State Fire Inspector s Association Conference which was held at The Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin Dells. Attendees of 2016 conference, held at Chula Vista resort in Wisconsin Dells, listen to a presentation on integration of fire protection systems in industrial properties.
Fire Department Operations Bureau Battalion Chief John Spartz Keep the Wreath Green This Holiday Season Christmas is a time of great joy and cheer for many. However, it is also a time of increased fire risk. Thousands of fires occur during the holiday season. Locally, a fire can devastate a household in seconds. The members of the West Bend Fire department want to remind you to have a safe holiday season this year. In order to show how many times fire can affect a community, the West Bend Fire Department has adopted the Keep the Wreath Green Program during the 2016 Christmas and New Year s holidays. A holiday wreath is displayed in front of all three fire stations. They are decorated with green lights and 1 white light. The single white light at the top of the Christmas Tree Safety Page 6 wreath is in remembrance of all firefighters who have died in the line of duty. A green light will be replaced with a red light each time our department responds to a structure fire from Thanksgiving through New Year s Day. It is our hope that the wreath will remind people to be fire safe during the holiday season by practicing fire safety everyday. A list of fire safety tips for your family to use are given below. Finally, the Operations and Maintenance Bureau wishes everyone a happy and safe holiday season. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), U.S. Fire departments respond to an average of 230 home fires that start with Christmas trees each year. Christmas tree fires can be avoided by following some simple safety tips. Check for freshness and avoid purchasing dry trees. Check for Fire Resistant labels on artificial trees. Cut 1-2 inches from the base of the tree to insure it absorbs water. Place the tree at least 3 feet away from all heat sources. Discard any lights with worn or broken cords or loose connections. Purchase lights that have a label from a recognized testing laboratory. Never connect more than three strands of incandescent lights together. Dispose of your live tree after the holiday or when it becomes dry. Turn off all Christmas tree lights before leaving home or going to sleep. Water live trees daily. Information from the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI).
Fire Instruction & Training Bureau Deputy Chief Chuck Beistle & Captain Tom Thrash Page 7 Move Over Law: Drivers must provide a safety zone for all emergency vehicles stopped on the side of a road with its warning lights flashing. A citation for a Move Over Law violation costs $263.50 with three demerit points added to your license. On interstate highways and other divided roads with multiple directional lanes, you must move over to vacate the lane closest to the law enforcement or other emergency vehicle if you can safely switch lanes, says State Patrol Superintendent Stephen Fitzgerald. If the road has a single directional lane or you can t safely move over because of traffic, you must reduce your speed until safely past the vehicle. A Wisconsin State Patrol trooper is spreading a message after his squad was struck by a vehicle Sunday, December 4 th, 2016, as the first accumulating snowfall fell in southeastern Wisconsin. Schmidt said he suffered a minor injury in the crash that he said happened on northbound I-41, north of State Highway 60 but he said I will live to serve another day without permanent/ life-altering effects. Other troopers have not been so lucky losing limbs and/ or their life. To create a safety zone for workers on the side of highways, Wisconsin s Move Over Law requires drivers to shift lanes if possible or at least slow down when encountering a law enforcement vehicle, ambulance, fire truck, tow truck or highway maintenance vehicle that is Firefighters and Paramedics are well trained and equipped to protect themselves. But they are at serious risk of being hit by passing vehicles nearly every time they respond to motor vehicle accidents or other emergencies on the roadway. By obeying the Move Over Law, drivers can protect themselves, their passengers, our officers and others who work on highways from serious injuries and deaths.
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 al- ways dedicated to making their contact with area residents a positive experience. Personnel Spotlight: Firefighter Sean Williams Sean Williams started on the West Bend Fire Department on June 25, 2012. Sean earned his paramedic license in 2011, Sean has an Associate Degree in Fire Science. Prior to coming to WBFD Sean served as a firefighter/ paramedic on the Town of Vernon Fire Department, and worked on the primary paramedic unit for Curtis Ambulance. Sean has obtained multiple fitness certifications throughout the years and is currently a member of our Fitness Committee. Sean has been married to his wife Kari for 8 years and they have 3 beautiful children. Sean likes to spend off-time with family and friends. WEST BEND FIRE DEPARTMENT Planning to Protect...Acting to Save 325 N 8th Ave. West Bend, WI 53095 262.335.5054 www.ci.west-bend.wi.us