WEST BEND FIRE DEPARTMENT Planning to Protect......Acting to Save Inside this issue: 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 ~April YEARS of SERVICE ~July POC FF S. Rusch..07/05/95 MPO M. Forster...07/07/97 LT. R. Hasse.....07/07/97 MPO R. Monday....07/07/97 FF S.Stockhausen..07/19/10 August 2018 Volume 7, Issue 08 Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation donates EMS Equipment The West Bend Fire Department is super excited to announce that we have received a very generous grant from the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation. A portion of a customers purchase in 2018 goes to the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, to be used to provide lifesaving equipment to first responders. The total of the grant received by the (continued on page 3)..Acting to Save Emergency Activities Types of Calls July 2018 July 2017 Year to Date (2018) Year to Date (2017) Fires Calls 57 35 284 226 Emergency Medical Calls 267 225 1866 1771 Paramedic Intercepts 17 15 81 107 Interfacility Transports 42 37 277 261 Community Paramedics 0 0 33 0 Totals 383 312 2541 2365 Town of Barton Calls 14 7 70 84 Town of West Bend Calls 16 8 75 78
Fire Department Operations Page 2 By Battalion Chief John Spartz Notable August Responses and Operations WBFD was dispatched on August 4th for a two vehicle crash on County Highway at the on-off ramps for Northbound Highway 45. One patient had to be extricated due to the driver s door being damaged. One patient was treated and transported to St. Joseph s Hospital. The second patient was released on the scene. A garbage truck had a fire under the cargo box on August 13th at MPTC. Damage was minimal. Firehouse Subs Donates Water From H2O for Heroes Program Firehouse Subs donated over 90 cases of water they collected during their H2O for Heroes drive in early August. Customers could bring in a case of water and receive a free sub and the West Bend Firehouse Subs store raised more cases of water than any other store in the State. Thanks Firehouse Subs! A two car crash occurred on W. Scenic Drive on August 20 when a car ran into the back end of a second car. The first car was pushed into the ditch and overturned after the collision. Both drivers were wearing seatbelts and were transported to St. Joseph s Hospital for further evaluation.
Emergency Medical Services Bureau Captain Robert Monday Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation cont. Page 3 West Bend Fire Department is over twenty thousand dollars. McGrath Video Laryngoscopes Earlier this year the department changed from Philips Cardiac Monitors to Physio Control Life Pack 15 s. With that change in monitors came a change in how to secure them in the ambulance. One of the items in the grant is new brackets for the ambulance. The new brackets are safer and make it easier for our paramedics to quickly remove the defibrillator and also to quickly and easily secure the defibrillator. The second item we received in the grant are video laryngoscopes. When someone is not breathing it is imperative to secure their airway and breathe for them. This is a very time critical and mission critical skill. By using our new McGrath Video Laryngoscopes we will be faster and more effective in our efforts to safely secure an airway. We received four video laryngoscopes and will place one on each of our four ambulances. The last item we received is an automated ventilator. For the past several years we have been doing hospital to hospital transfers of patients who are unconscious and not breathing on their own. We would have to manually bag the patient with a bag valve mask from one facility to another. While this is a common practice in the industry, the use of an automated ventilator is much more efficient and safer for the patient and the paramedic. With the automated ventilator we are able to set the same rate, pressure, and volume that the patient was receiving at the hospital and maintain that throughout the transport to the higher level of care facility. We are truly grateful for the generosity of the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation for the grant to allow us to purchase these tools assist in our mission. Automated Ventilator
Page 4 Fire Prevention & Public Safety Bureau Fire Safety Education, Code Enforcement and Fire Investigation Deputy Chief Chuck Beistle and Captain Kenny Asselin NFPA Announces Theme for Fire Prevention Week From www.nfpa.org The latest statistics from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) show that if you have a reported fire in your home, you are more likely to die today than you were a few decades ago. This startling statistic is behind this year s Fire Prevention Week theme: Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware - fire can happen anywhere. Fire Prevention Week takes place October 7-13, 2018. Through three simple calls-to-action, this year s theme identifies basic but essential ways people can reduce their risk to fire and be prepared in the event of one: Look for places fire can start Listen for the sound of the smoke alarm Learn two ways out of each room People take safety for granted and are not aware of the risk of fire, said Lorraine Carli, NFPA vice president of Outreach and Advocacy. Paying attention to your surroundings, looking for available exits in the event of a fire or other emergency, and taking the smoke alarm seriously if it sounds can make a potentially life-saving difference in a fire or other emergency situation. This year s Fire Prevention Week messages apply to virtually all locations. However, NFPA continues to focus on home fire safety, as the majority of U.S. fire deaths (four out of five) occur at home each year. In fact, the fire death rate (per 1000 home fires reported to the fire department) was 10 percent higher in 2016 than in 1980. While we ve made significant progress in preventing home fires from happening, these statistics show that there s still much more work to do when it comes to teaching people how to protect themselves in the event of one, and why advance planning is so critically important, said Carli. Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware fire can happen anywhere. works to remind the public that fires can and do still happen at home, as well as other locations - and that there are basic, but vitally important steps people can take to remain safe. As the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for more than 90 years, NFPA works with local fire departments throughout North America to promote the campaign in their communities and reaches out to the public directly to encourage everyone to take action to be safe. For a wealth of information and resources about this year s Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware fire can happen anywhere. campaign, visit www.firepreventionweek. org.
Fire Prevention & Public Safety Bureau Fire Safety Education, Code Enforcement and Fire Investigation by Deputy Chief Chuck Beistle and Captain Kenny Asselin Page 5 West Bend Fire Department Open House Station Number 1, 325 N 8 th Ave. Located on the corner of 7th Avenue and Washington St. Saturday, October 6 th, 2018 10:00 am 1:00 pm Complete the Fire Facts Quiz for a chance to win Breakfast with the Firefighters. Refreshments will be for sale to raise money to purchase fire prevention educational materials Experience the Fire Safety House Fire Apparatus and Emergency Medical Units on Display Meet the Firefighters Mini Firefighter Challenge for the Kids Fire Extinguisher Training Tour the fire station Learn about fire safety in your home Learn about our fire department operations and response capabilities Free coloring books, fire helmets and stickers for the kids.
Maintenance Bureau Battalion Chief Jeff Gustafson City Of West Bend Firefighter Memorial Page 6 Ben Heinen (son of WBFD Lt Mike Heinen) has recently seen the fruits of his labor with the completion of his Eagle Scout Project of creating an amazing memorial to West Bend Firefighters! The original monument had the names of those that had served the City and Department for over 20 years. This also had to be relocated from its original location due to a roadway expansion. In addition to recognizing those that have served 20 years and over, the new memorial also incorporates those that gave their lives in the line of duty. The new monument is scheduled to be rededicated in conjunction with the 150th anniversary of the department, this is scheduled for Memorial Day 2019. Thank you to Ben Heinen for all of his hard work. Ben has spent numerous hours planning, fundraising, coordinating, and building the memorial. This will be a great showcase to honor the commitment and dedication of firefighters who have served the West Bend Fire Department.
Fire Instruction & Training Bureau Deputy Chief Chuck Beistle & Captain Bob Monday High School Sports Injuries Page 7 Every Year, millions of teenagers participate in high school sports. During the 2016-2017 school year 1.16 million high school sport-related injuries were reported. When EMS is called to the scene of a sports injury, paramedics will often be interacting and collaborating with athletic trainers. Athletic trainers are certified and licensed health care professionals who collaborate with physicians to Wendy Reitz and Kyle Butters from Aurora Sports Health. Reitz and Butters are licensed athletic trainers and work with the West Bend School District Athletic Department. Training was provided to the shift firefighter/paramedics on proper removal of helmets and equipment of injured athletes. provide preventative services, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions. They are in attendance at most area high school sporting events at the high school in West Bend. Athletic trainers can handle most sporting injuries that occur at these events. Sprains and strains are the most common, but trainers also splint bone fractures and can even provide care for concussions. When the West Bend Fire Department Paramedics are called it is usually for a traumatic injury. An example of these type of injuries are an athlete that is unable to walk or has a suspected spinal cord injury. Paramedics are also called to provide medication for pain control and any medical problems the athlete may be experiencing such as chest pain or an asthma attack. Paramedics have to stay up to date on the latest athletic equipment. There are a lot different types of football helmets that teams use and paramedics need to stay current on how to safely remove each one. Working with the athletic trainers helps paramedics remain up to date.
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: FF Michael Guild Firefighter Michael Guild is one of our Paid On Call (POC) firefighters. Michael has 12 years on the department. Joining the department in 2006. Over the years Michael has seen many changes in the department and the fire service as a whole. The biggest changes Michael has seen over the years are with the technology the firefighters use from thermal imaging cameras to advancements in gear design. When not at the fire department Michael is employed at Quad Graphics in Hartford as a Binder Operator. In his off time Michael enjoys spending time with his wife and three children. 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