WEST BEND FIRE DEPARTMENT Planning to Protect......Acting to Save November 2014 Volume 2, Issue 11 Inside this issue: Fire & EMS Run Report 1 EMS Bureau Report 2 Fire Prevention/Public Education Bureau 4 Operations Bureau 6 Training Bureau 7 In Their Own Words 8 YEARS of SERVICE ~ NOVEMBER Capt. T Lamberg...11/26/90 LT J Gustafson...11/18/96 LT R Lesiecki...11/18/96 FF M Rinzel...11/27/96 FF R Schafer...11/27/96 POC Wahouske..11/02/98 POC FF Guild...11/15/04 Everyone at The West Bend Fire Department wishes you a safe and healthy holiday season. See articles on pages 2, 5 & 6 for holiday health and safety tips...acting to Save Emergency Activities Types of Calls Nov-14 Oct-14 Year to Date (2014) Year to Date (2013) Fires 6 7 57 61 Emergency Medical Calls 234 226 2468 2333 Paramedic Intercepts 13 9 128 115 Interfacility Transports 32 34 464 447 Hazardous Conditions 2 1 48 58 Service Calls/Good Intent Calls 8 10 126 107 False Alarms/False Calls 13 14 187 156 Other/Special Incident Types 0 1 10 6 Totals 308 302 3488 3283 Town of Barton Calls 3 5 84 67 Town of West Bend Calls 17 12 130 138
Emergency Medical Services Bureau Page 2 Holiday Season Health & Safety Tips The holidays are a great opportunity to enjoy time with family and friends, celebrate life, to be grateful, and reflect on what is important to us. The holidays are also a time to appreciate the gift of health. During the holidays we are all out of our normal routine. We eat and drink differently we sleep less and we socialize more. We are also extremely busy and sometimes we can be under a lot of stress. Here are some tips in dealing with the craziness of the holidays and keeping yourself healthy and safe. *Manage stress by keeping your spending and commitments in check. Balance home, work and play. Keep a relaxed and positive outlook and get enough sleep. Make an effort to get outside during the daylight hours and get some exercise. *Travel safely. Always consider road conditions and wear a seatbelt at all times. Don t drink and drive or ride with someone who has been drinking. *Avoid spreading illness by staying away from gatherings if you are not feeling well. Wash hands often and cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. propriately while outside in cold temperatures. Dress in layers whenever possible. *Keep an eye on children while they are eating and playing during holiday gatherings. There are many potential dangers to them during the holidays. Be conscious of keeping alcohol out of their reach and making sure things like small toys or hard candy are not going to pose a choking hazard. *Make sure that smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are all func- *Stay warm and dry during outdoor activities. Make sure children and toddlers are dressed aptioning properly. The holidays are a peak time for fires and Carbon monoxide poisoning. *Handle and prepare food safely. Avoid crosscontamination by keeping raw meat, poultry and seafood away from readyto-eat foods. Cook foods to the proper temperature and refrigerate promptly. *Make a conscious effort to have low-calorie, lowfat meals in between the rich, indulgent holiday standards. Limit fats and sugary foods especially if you have health conditions. *Remember to stay on schedule with medications. During all of the holiday excitement it is easy to forget. These tips will help keep you happy and healthy this Holiday season.
Emergency Medical Services Bureau Battalion Chief Todd Van Langen & Captain Tom Thrash Page 3 Record Management The EMS and Training Bureau have been working hard to implement a new record management system. This new records system will be replacing the current records system that we have in place. This has been a big undertaking to have everything in place to make the transition from old to new software in January. Our current records system is becoming outdated and the new software company is offering a preferred online based system which played into our decision to make the change. In addition, technical support with our existing software takes quite a long time and updates needed to keep the software system running smoothly are often delayed. The process to implement a better system started close to a year ago when several WBFD staff started researching what other departments are using as well as attending trade shows and talking with the different software companies. The department tested out several different programs before making the choice. ProPhoenix is the company that came out on top. There are several reasons that ProPhoenix was chosen. First they offer a package deal which is what our department was looking for. They offer modules for EMS and fire reporting, The main screen in the vehicles. along with scheduling, inventory, training and fire inspection modules. The other huge benefit is that it is the same software that our police department and dispatchers use. We will now have a computer in each of our front line emergency response vehicles. The computer will be connected to the police department dispatch center. Our firefighters and paramedics will now have much needed dispatch information at their fingertips. They will be able to locate fire hydrants and have valuable preplan information available while en route to an emergency call. They will also be able to conduct fire inspections and have all the building information with them. Additional benefits to an internet based reporting system will come into play during our ambulance calls. We transport to 5 or 6 different hospitals which means we may have some extended transport times. Our paramedics will now be able to complete reports while on the road saving time after they return to the station. At times we may transport a patient to Milwaukee or other cities and be away from the station for 90 minutes or longer. Prior to the new software and on-board computers the paramedic would spend another 30-45 minutes entering reports after returning to the station. Our focus for the rest of 2014 will be to train all of our personnel on the new software system so we can go live with it on January 1 st.
Fire Prevention & Public Safety Bureau Battalion Chief Chuck Beistle & Captain Tammy Lamberg Page 4 November 2014 Fire Inspections Follow-up Compliance Semi-Annual Annual Total Violations Inspections Cards Station #1 188 15 203 31 9 7 Station #2 26 0 26 7 1 1 Station #3 93 0 93 17 1 6 Bureau Captain 36 2 38 9 11 1 Totals 343 17 360 64 22 15 Software to Simplify Fire Inspections By Captain Tammy Lamberg With the addition of ProPhoenix software at The West Bend Fire Department the WBFD Prevention Bureau will be able to greatly increase efficiency and save time while conducting fire inspections. Our inspectors will be using a Samsung Galaxy 4 Tablet. Four tablets have been purchased. One will be in use by Captain Lamberg and the other three will be in use by the shift fire inspectors at each of the 3 fire stations. The tablet will allow us to have access to all of the occupancy information records that are on file at the fire department while we are on the site of a fire inspection. This includes things like past violations, and locations of fire notification and protection systems. It will also allow us to access and update occupancy contact information at the time of the inspection. The entire inspection report will be completed while the inspection is being conducted saving the inspectors from having to enter the reports when they return to the station. Property owners will be able to sign directly on the tablet at the end of the inspection. The violation reports will then be able to be immediately emailed to the responsible party allowing us to be completely paperless. November Permits & Fees Count Permit Type Total Fees 1 Alarm System install/modification; 51-250 devices 345.00 1 Temporary LP Tank 75.00 1 Sprinkler Install/Modification; 15-50 heads 190.00 Total= Total Permit Fees for November 610.00
Fire Prevention & Public Safety Bureau Battalion Chief Chuck Beistle & Captain Tammy Lamberg Plan Reviews, System Acceptances, Consultations and Site Investigations for November OCCUPANCY TYPE ACTIVITY NOTES Page 5 Storage Meeting Met with new building owner regarding upgrades needed for occupancy Health care Acceptance testing Upgraded system tested for integration of notification & FP systems Assembly Meeting Meeting with Contractor and building owner regarding alarm system problems Commercial Plan review New sprinkler system plan review Business Plan review New sprinkler system plan review Business Plan review New sprinkler system plan review Educ./Assembly Acceptance testing Tested alarm system in first phase of multi-phase renovation project Restaurant Acceptance testing Commercial kitchen suppression system tested Industrial Follow-up/consult Building owner advised of improper installation of spray booth Storage Meeting Consult with Bldg. Insp., City Admin and city legal team re problem building Commercial Plan review Tenant build out/change of use review Holiday Oven & Stove Fires By Captain Tammy Lamberg A higher incident rate of oven and stove fires occur during the holiday season. We would like to offer the following information to help keep everyone safe. Before the holidays thoroughly clean the stove top and oven of any grease or cooking debris and be sure that your cooking equipment If using a turkey fryis in good condition. The high volume of use during this season can put appliances to the test. On the day of the holiday keep the number of people in your kitchen to a minimum, especially children. Turn pot handles on the stovetop toward the center of the stove. Make sure dish towels and oven mitts are kept away from stove top. Use timers so food does not burn. With many different dishes cooking at once it is easy to forget about something. Monitor items baking in the oven. Keep oven light on so you can see the progress of the items being baked. er be extremely cautious. Be sure your turkey is completely thawed. Partially frozen turkeys will cause an oil splatter when placed in the fryer. Do not overfill the fryer with oil. Turkey fryers cause numerous fires in the U.S. Follow these guidelines to have a safe and yummy holiday season!
Fire Department Operations Bureau Battalion Chief John Spartz & Captain Jon Coutts Keep the Wreath Green Program Begins in November Page 6 Christmas is a time of great joy and cheer for many. However, it is also a time of increased fire risk. The West Bend Fire Department has adopted the Keep the Wreath Green Program during the Christmas and New Year s holidays. Each wreath is displayed in front of all three fire stations and are decorated with green lights and 1 white light. The single white light at the top of the 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 working 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. Holiday Safety Reminders Here are a few fire safe tips that we all should keep in mind during the upcoming Holiday Season: Burn candles away from any drafts and all flammable materials. More than half of home candle fires occur when something that can catch on fire is to close to the candle. Never leave a burning candle unattended. Candles should be extinguished when you leave a room, leave the residence, or go to bed. Candles started 7% of home Christmas tree structure fires. Christmas trees account for hundreds of fires annually. Live trees should be recut approximately 2 inches above the old cut as soon as you get it home. The tree should then be put into water & the water level should be maintained for the duration that it s in a residence. Keep the tree away from heat sources & use decorations that are flame resistant. Electrical problems were factors in one-third (32%) of home Christmas tree structure fires. Twelve percent of home Christmas tree fires involved decorative lights. Two of every five (39%) home Christmas tree fires started in the living room, family room, or den.
Fire Instruction & Training Bureau Page 7 Battalion Chief Chuck Beistle & Captain Tom Thrash Preparing E1 to be put into service. West Bend Fire Department began training on its new engine in November. Our new engine contains a top mount pump which is different than anything in our fleet. This style was chosen because it provides the motor pump operator with a birds-eye view of the scene. Keeping him or her out of traffic, and providing better access to both sides of the vehicle. The engine is equipped with a master stream that can be oper- ated at the pump panel by the pump operator, which is more efficient than utilizing a second Firefighter for this purpose. The engine is also equipped with an extendable light mast that improves safety on the fireground. The light banks on the mast can be turned in different directions to maximize its effectiveness and coverage area. For training each firefighter drove the engine and operated the pump before this unit was placed into service. En- gine 1 was officially put that they don t freeze into service on Decem- on the way to calls. On ber 10th. fire scenes we maintain a small amount of wawinter Pumping. ter flow in our hoses so Winter is upon us and that they don t freeze. with that comes winter We also confirm our apparatus operation hydrant locations bereview. Every year all fore leaving the station West Bend firefighters in case they are buried are reminded of things in snow. we need to remember Please make sure your when freezing temperafire hydrants are shovtures come around. eled out and easily acmost importantly we cessible with at least are reminded to drive two feet of clearance safely on icy and snow around them. covered roads. We also drain our pumps after HAPPY HOLIDAYS! every use to make sure
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: MPO Dan McCreary Dan McCreary, recently promoted to the Motor Pump Operator position, has been with our department for nearly 15 years. Dan started his fire service career as a volunteer for the Fredonia Fire Department. Dan has obtained numerous fire service and EMS certifications and is currently working on completing his Associate Degree in Fire Science Program through Columbia Southern University. Dan was one of our first personnel to complete the EMT- Paramedic class and help our department to transition from EMT-Intermediate to EMT-Paramedic. Dan is married to Dawn and they have t h r e e c h i l d r e n Delaney, Callahan, and Shealee. Dan enjoys many outdoor sports including hunting, fishing, and snowmobiling and enjoys those trips up north to the cabin with his 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