WEST BEND FIRE DEPARTMENT Planning to Protect......Acting to Save October 2017 Volume 5, Issue 10 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 ~ October MPO L Schwechel..l0/07/91 MPO M. Benidt...10/22/07 BC. T. Thrash...10/22/07 FF A. Hakes..10/01/2015 Cold Weather Safety and Emergency Responses Cold weather and snow bring their own problems for emergency responders answering a call for help. Snow and ice can make driving hazardous for emergency vehicles. When arriving at a scene getting to the patient can be a challenge. When responding to a motor vehicle crash the footing on the scene can be very slippery and initially there is not a lot fire personnel can do but to move about very carefully. When arriving at a residence it s very important that sidewalks and especially steps are snow and ice free for emergency responders to quickly arrive to the patient. Using salt or some other type material to keep these surfaces from being slippery could prevent one of the responders from being injured. The sooner you clean the sidewalks and steps after a snowfall the better. Unfortunately, we know emergencies have no schedule and can happen at any time of the day or night. cont. pg 2..Acting to Save Emergency Activities Types of Calls October 2017 October 2016 Year to Date (2017) Year to Date (2016) Fires Calls 38 46 332 368 Emergency Medical Calls 275 206 2579 2371 Paramedic Intercepts 14 10 143 115 Interfacility Transports 41 46 374 394 Community Paramedics 2 0 13 0 Totals 370 308 3441 3248 Town of Barton Calls 12 5 112 81 Town of West Bend Calls 17 9 117 100
Page 2 It is especially important for people to help out the elderly at this time of year and make sure the surfaces they are walking on are not slippery, a fall for an elderly person can be a devastating injury. When snow does fall PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE make sure that the Fire Hydrant near your home is shoveled out and clear of snow for easy access. Please try to maintain a minimum of 3 x 3 clearing around all sides of the hydrant. This will allow us to quickly use the hydrant when need and not cause any unnecessary delays. STAY SAFE AND ENJOY THE NEW SEASON! WEST BEND FIRE DEPARTMENT INTERN PROGRAM By Captain Kenny Asselin The West Bend Fire Department hosts a high school intern program through the West Bend and Slinger School Districts. High school students who have an interest in pursuing a career in the fire service get credit toward graduation by spending time in the fire station learning what firefighter/paramedics do. Our current student is Roman Skurek, a senior from Pathways Charter School. As part of his high school curriculum, Roman gets to train with the on duty crews on firefighting and emergency medical services job related duties. Our interns are able to suit up in turnout gear, practice search and rescue techniques, and wear self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). Intern students also receive training for paramedic tasks such as endotracheal intubation, cardiac monitoring, defibrillation, and medication administration. Our intern training program has a track record of success. Several of our past high school interns are currently working in full time firefighting jobs, including Steve Mechinech (Sheboygan Fire Department), Pete Ziegelbauer (North Shore Fire Department), Chuck Prinz (Oak Creek Fire Department), and our very own Firefighter/ Paramedic Joe Weinert. Senior Roman Skurek of Pathways Charter School is interning with the West Bend Fire Department. Roman gets to train with the firefighter/paramedics for high school credit. Roman is hoping to pursue a career as a full time firefighter/paramedic.
Emergency Medical Services Bureau Battalion Chief Tom Thrash Changes in Equipment on the Horizon Page 3 The West Bend Fire Department currently has 36 Paramedics who strive to provide the best possible service to our customers. One of the achievements we are extremely proud of is our ability to recognize when someone is having a heart attack. Some telltale signs are chest pain with pain radiating to the arm, jaw, back or abdomen. If you experience any of these signs you should call 911. Our highly trained Paramedics will respond and perform a complete assessment to determine if you are indeed having a heart attack. And, if you are having a heart attack we will work to transport you to the most appropriate facility. In order to complete a cardiac assessment we utilize a cardiac monitor or sometimes called a defibrillator or defib. Currently we us the MRX made by Philips. Our Philips has the ability to do a 12 lead picture of your heart and then transmit the results to Doctor at the Emergency Department. Unfortunately, Philips has decided to no longer manufacture the MRX and is also not fully supporting all the features of the current ones. This leaves our department in a position where we will have to make a change to a different cardiac monitor sooner rather than later. The West Bend Fire Department EMS committee has started working on finding a replacement for our 4 Philips MRX units. As of right now it is down to a Zoll X series or the Physio-Control Lifepak 15. We are also working with other area fire departments trying to use the same equipment and get better pricing. West Bend Fire Department EMS currently use the HeartStart MRX made by Philips
Page 4 Fire Prevention & Public Safety Bureau Fire Safety Education, Code Enforcement and Fire Investigation Deputy Chief Chuck Beistle and Captain Kenny Asselin The month of October is a busy time of year for the West Bend Fire Department, and fire departments across the United States, in regards to fire prevention activities. This is because of the commemoration of Fire Prevention Week due to the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. On the night of October 8th, 1871, a fire started in the O Leary barn on Dekoven St. just south of Chicago s downtown area. The fire raged through the Chicago on the next day, killing 300 people, destroying 17,000 structures, leaving 100,000 people homeless, and $200 million in damage. Overshadowed by the Great Chicago Fire is the Great Peshtigo Fire in northern Wisconsin. On the same night as the Great Chicago Fire, the Great Peshtigo Fire marched through the woods of northeastern Wisconsin. That fire consumed 1,875 square miles of forest, destroyed twelve communities, and killed somewhere between 1,500 and 2,500 people. During the month of October, West Bend Fire Department personnel do not have any regularly scheduled fire prevention inspections. The shift personnel concentrate on delivering fire safety messages to school aged children and community groups. Our firefighter/paramedics during the month of October: Made fire prevention visits to pre-k, Kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade students at four public and four private elementary schools Participated in the annual Fire Prevention Week open house at Station #1 with approximately 400 visitors Conducted station tours for Cub Scouts and other youth groups and day care centers. Taught fire extinguisher training classes for several businesses in the city Witnessed several fire drills for local schools Hosted several Breakfast with the Firefighters winners Sparky the Fire Dog (Paid on Call Firefighter Steve Rusch) greets visitors to the annual Fire Prevention Week open house at Station # 1 on Saturday, October 7th. Over 400 children and adults attended the open house. Our Fire Prevention Week activities were developed to be appropriate for each age group. Kindergarten children watch Sparky s ABC s of Fire Safety and get a firefighter gear demonstration. This is so small children know that firefighters are their friends and learn to not be scare of firefighters. 1st graders watch Timon and Pumbaa s fire safety video and get to experience the smoke trailer. 2nd graders watch a game show video that shows the danger of fire and how to get out and stay out. (Continued on next page)
Fire Prevention & Public Safety Bureau Fire Safety Education, Code Enforcement and Fire Investigation by Deputy Chief Chuck Beistle and Captain Kenny Asselin (continued from previous page) Other activities that the Fire Prevention Bureau completed for the month of October included: Attended the annual Wisconsin State Fire Inspectors Conference in Green Bay Investigated a complaint of a person living in an industrial building Investigated a complaint of a commercial occupancy out of compliance with licensing, electrical, building, and fire codes Tent inspection Fireworks inspection Assisted a condo association with plans for fire sprinklers that were lost and the sprinkler company had gone out of business. (A copy of the plans was in our property files) Sprinkler and fire alarm acceptance tests at two businesses Follow ups on a fire alarm panel that was moved as well as a sprinkler system that was out of service Normally, we would explain a code or display some violations in this space. However, we would like to post several pictures from the month to show many of our October activities. The shift personnel worked extremely hard in October to complete their prevention activities while still running fire and ambulance calls as well as all of the other assigned duties. We are proud of their accomplishments and they should be commended for their efforts. Page 5
Operations and Maintenance Battalion Chief Jeff Gustafson & Battalion Chief John Spartz Fires Occur During Fire Prevention Month Page 6 Crews responded to several fire and EMS calls during October in addition to conducting all of the scheduled Fire Prevention Month public education events. There were not any injuries though damage was significant. Crews responded to a house fire on October 10th. Battalion 1, Engine 1 and Truck 2 were the first to arrive and found a bedroom fire spreading to the rest of the house. Crews used what is called a A firefighter climbs a ladder to inspect the remains of a house fire at 8975 Highland Drive in the Town of Kewaskum. (Daily transitional attack where they put water on the fire through a window and then moved to complete the extinguishment from the interior. Fire damage was contained to the bedroom but the entire residence suffered from smoke damage. Investigation found the fire to be caused by an electrical cord. Kewaskum Fire Department requested assistance from several county departments for a house fire on October 18 at 8975 Highland Drive in the Town of Kewaskum. Engine 1, the Tender, and Fire Chief responded. It was determined contractors were working and caused a spark that ignited the structure. The fire call came in at the same time that West Bend and Kewaskum crews were handling a motorcycle accident caused by a tree that feel in the road due to the high wind conditions that day. West Bend crews also assisted Kewaskum on October 25 for a garage fire that had spread to two houses and a shed. Engine 1 responded to Moraine Court in the Village. Crews were on scene for the fast moving fire for approximately 2 hours. No cause for the fire was given. Smoke filling the house was the call on October 27. Crews arrived on scene at 726 James Court to find a pot on the stove that was left on simmer. Water in the pot had boiled off and caused the meat bone to burn causing the smoke. Crews removed the pot from the stove and ventilated the house. A firefighter puts on his air mask as he prepares to enter the house fire. A second crew sets a fan for the Transitional Attack. (Daily News Photo) A rash of gas odors and suspected gas leaks occurred on October 16. The on-duty shift responded to five calls within a three hour period. Investigation of each call revealed two actual gas leaks and sewer gas odors from dry drain traps. Crews also encountered neighbors that were having the same issues at the same time which is really unique. WE Energies crews were also alerted and responded to assist with the investigations. These calls have to be taken seriously to prevent injuries to the occupants and damage to the buildings from explosions due to built up gas levels.
Fire Instruction & Training Bureau Deputy Chief Chuck Beistle & Captain Bob Monday Page 7 SAFE USE OF TURKEY FRYERS The holidays are upon us. Thanksgiving will be here before we know it. The sights and sounds of visiting relatives feasting on turkey and then settling in to watch a whole day of football is near. And once again the West Bend Fire Department will be promoting safe holiday cooking practices. One of the most flavorful meals is a deep fried turkey. There are many advantages to deep frying a turkey over traditional oven baking. A 12 pound deep fried turkey can cook in about 36 minutes where an oven baked turkey will take several hours. A deep fried turkey seals in the juices while having a crispy outside. And last, there is a more even cooking of the turkey since the hot oil gets to every part of the turkey. Immerse the turkey in hot oil. According to the NFPA website, NFPA continues to believe that turkey fryers that use cooking oil, as currently designed, are not suitable for safe use by even a well-informed and careful consumer. These turkey fryers use a substantial quantity of cooking oil at high temperatures and units currently available for home use pose a significant danger that hot oil will be released at some point during the cooking process. In addition, the burners that heat the oil can ignite spilled oil. The use of turkey fryers by consumers can lead to devastating burns, other injuries, and the destruction of property. NFPA urges those who prefer fried turkey to seek out professional establishments, such as grocery stores, specialty food retailers, and restaurants, for the preparation of the dish, or consider a new type of oil-less turkey fryer. If you are going to use a turkey fryer, be sure to follow these safety tips: Place the turkey fryer on a non-combustible level surface. Thaw the turkey. Never place a frozen turkey in the oil. Make sure the oil is between 325 and 350 degrees. Hot oil can ignite. Don t overfill the pot with oil. Overflowing oil can start on fire. The lid for the pot can become extremely hot. Be sure to use pot holders to life the lid to prevent burns. But there are dangers that may outweigh these advantages. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) discourages the use of outdoor gasfueled turkey fryers that The Boise (ID) Fire Department has a YouTube video on how to safely use a turkey fryer. Thank you to the Boise Fire Department Fire Marshal Romeo Gervais for allowing us to use the picture.
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 dedi- cated to making their contact with area residents a positive experience. Personnel Spotlight: Firefighter/ Paramedic Evan Gilling is in his third year with the West Bend Fire Department. Evan got his start with the Jackson Fire Department, and was full time with the Antigo and Rhinelander Fire Departments before coming back to the West Bend area. Evan is a State of Wisconsin certified Firefighter II, Fire Inspector I, and Driver/Operator Pumper and Aerial. Evan is an acting motor pump operator (MPO), a diver on the Washington County Dive Team, a hazardous materials technician, and is licensed as a critical care paramedic. In his spare time he runs a construction and landscape company. Evan is engaged to his fiancé Nicole. We wish him well as they plan their upcoming wedding. 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