News Articles
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Friday, March 12, 2010 THE LATEST: FRI MAR 12 |
In this Edition: Around Montana Doug O’Donnell to present @ Montana Fire Alliance Convention Montana Standard Guest opinion: Interoperability: big word, bigger project Two young Butte men charged with arson Smoke from roaster clears out Helena eatery Billings youth sets hay bales on fire FireSafe Montana Newsletter Bokma recognized by state fire group for years of service Around the Nation Proper Apparatus placement is vital CT LODD Safety, Health and Survival Week 2010: Fit for Duty Time to Check Your Smoke Alarms P25 audio tests by Maple Bluff Fire Dept. WALL COLLAPSE AT FIRE KILLS DUTCH (NETHERLANDS) FIREFIGHTER IN THE LOD FIRE COLLAPSE VIDEO FROM FDNY'S SAFETY COMMAND FF-EMT DEATH: Life Sentence + 26 years ROTW: Are you sure the ignition is off? (09-914)
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Around Montana Doug O’Donnell to present @ Montana Fire Alliance Convention The Montana Fire Alliance invites you to join Doug O’Donnell at the June 17-20, 2010 Convention in Butte for his class on Water Flow. This class will cover flows required to handle today’s fire situations and why they are needed. “Hose” will explain why we use the hose and flows we do. “Nozzles” will cover the different Handline and Master Stream nozzles, their proper operating pressures and how we achieve them thru fire ground hydraulics. We’ll go over these tools and some of the interesting history behind their existence as well as some of the myths involved with their use. Demonstrations will provide the student with visual observations of straight stream vs. solid stream, various fog patterns, and low and standard pressure nozzles, along with dual pressure nozzles. New innovations in fire stream safety will be shown as well. Proper handling methods will also be covered. Turnouts will be required. Instructor: Doug O’Donnell, lives in Billings, MT. He spent 22 years in the fire service as a firefighter, instructor, and Fire Chief. During that time he achieved Firefighter III status, attended numerous National Fire Academy classes, was a NFPA member, as well as serving on the board of directors with the Montana Fire Chiefs Association. He has been the Northwestern Regional Manager for Task Force Tips since 1991, covering 7 states and has instructed courses in 12 states and 3 Canadian Provinces.
=========== Montana Standard Guest opinion: Interoperability: big word, bigger project By Alan Michaels and Kevin Bruski http://www.mtstandard.com/articles/2010/03/12/opinion/hjijjgihjiidgb.txt Mention the word "interoperability" and you're likely to hear, "Inter...what?" But enter the word into your favorite search engine and you'll find references to computers, cell phones, health-care information databases, gaming devices, even military weapons systems. Put simply, "interoperability" means allowing different forms of technology to share data or otherwise "talk" to one another. For public safety and emergency service providers, interoperability has come to mean one thing: the ability to communicate across physical barriers, such as mountains, or across political boundary lines. It also means communicating over different radio technologies. In the aftermath of 9/11, the Department of Homeland Security has made "interoperable" communications a priority for both urban and rural localities across the United States. In Montana, the Schweitzer administration — like the Martz administration before it — has envisioned an interoperable system that would serve every county, as well as state agencies such as the Montana Highway Patrol. What will interoperability provide? First and foremost, it will allow emergency responders to communicate with each other — and with their dispatchers — across more of the landscape, eliminating "dead spots" that have hindered communications for years. Local ambulances will have constant radio contact with dispatchers and hospitals during long-distance transports. Disaster responders can call in help more easily from the state or from adjacent counties. While other states have centralized the planning and supervision of interoperability systems in the state bureaucracy, Montana turned to counties and sovereign Indian nations. Those local governments banded together into "Interoperability Consortia" which have done much of the heavy lifting of this project. Their contributions, made primarily by people acting in volunteer capacities, cannot be overstated. As a result, Montana has made more progress — for less money — than many other states. We've certainly had our challenges, but we also have avoided many of the issues that have cropped up in other places. In 2005, the local consortia joined with the Montana departments of Justice, Transportation and Natural Resources and Conservation to form Interoperability Montana, a non-profit association that coordinates the construction of hilltop towers and the installation of high-tech communications equipment. IM also routes funding from government agencies to local projects. In 2009, aided by the addition of a small band of full-time professional staff, the hard work of IM volunteer leaders yielded concrete (and steel) results: The "Northern Tier Project" is making interoperable communications possible across Montana's high line from Libby to Plentywood. That system also is linked to an existing interoperable system in Lewis and Clark County. IM and the U.S. Air Force formed a "win-win" partnership that has enhanced communications between Malmstrom Air Base and its missile fields in central Montana. The same infrastructure also connects counties from Harlowton to Conrad. IM upgraded equipment that serves the Montana Highway Patrol along Interstates 15 and 90 in southwestern Montana. That work will provide more capacity for MHP and local governments. IM has installed new infrastructure near Townsend, Whitehall, Dillon, Billings and Big Timber, among other places. In 2010, we'll continue that work and expand our work to include projects in eastern Montana. Even as we're building, we're preparing to maintain the network once it's complete. We've received valuable input from local government leaders and public safety service providers. Their ideas will help us craft a plan that will balance services with available funding. (By the way, their comments can be viewed on our Web site — http://interop.mt.gov — along with a wealth of other information about the project.) IM still has more work to do — and more funding to secure — before interoperable communications are available in all of Montana's 56 counties. Our goal remains constant, however: to improve public safety by providing emergency responders with another communications tool that allows them to talk to the people they need to reach, anywhere, anytime. — Alan Michaels is chief of police in Glendive and chairman of the Interoperability Montana Project Directors. Kevin Bruski of Helena is executive director of the non-profit Interoperability Montana inter-governmental association. (Editor's note: Butte-Silver Bow Sheriff John Walsh has been involved with this project for several years. He chairs the IM Finance Committee and is second vice chair of the IM Project Directors. He told The Standard he fully supports this effort and believes it will bring better communications to all of Montana's first responders.) =========== Two young Butte men charged with arson By The Montana Standard Staff http://www.mtstandard.com/articles/2010/03/12/area/hjijjgihjiijea.txt Two young Butte men were charged with arson Thursday in connection with two fires outside an antique shop and the Vu Villa Pizza. Triston Ker, 20, 1332 Sage St., and Andrew M. Stebbins, 19, no fixed address, both are accused of intentionally starting a fire about 11:30 p.m. Sept. 15, 2009, in the alley behind Raven Lode Gifts and Antiques at 126 W. Broadway. The fire damaged part of the basement and outside the structure. They both were charged with felony arson by accountability in that case. Stebbins also was charged Thursday with a separate count of felony arson for an Aug. 10, 2009, at the Vu Villa Pizza. The fire was started about 5 a.m. outside the front door of the business at 521 W. Park St. The fire crawled up the inside of an exterior wall and into a space between the ceiling and the roof. The building incurred smoke damage from the fire and some water damage from Butte firefighters putting out the flames. Both men appeared before Butte Justice Court Justice Bob Lee Thursday afternoon. Lee set Ker's bond at $15,000 in connection with the fire at 126 W. Broadway. Stebbins' bond was set at $100,000 in the Vu Villa Pizza fire and $50,000 in the Raven Lode fire. Lee remanded both men to jail. =========== Smoke from roaster clears out Helena eatery By ANGELA BRANDT Independent Record http://helenair.com/news/article_7a908eb4-2d99-11df-a7b5-001cc4c002e0.html Customers and employees were asked to leave The Bagel Company in downtown Helena Thursday afternoon when the smoke from roasting coffee beans entered the eatery instead being expelled out of the chimney. Brad Hampton, battalion chief with the Helena Fire Department, said the chimney appeared blocked. “We’re clearing the smoke out now so people can go back in. It just scared some people, which I understand,” Hampton said. Kelsey Brandewie, who works the front counter at the Last Chance Gulch restaurant, said a handful of customers and eight employees were smoked out of the building. About 20 minutes later, the store was back in business. “Nobody freaked out, it was just more excitement if anything,” she said while watching firefighters bringing in fans to air out the building. =========== Billings youth sets hay bales on fire Gazette Staff http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/article_f88734b4-2dd8-11df-a321-001cc4c03286.html A juvenile playing with matches Thursday afternoon started a fire that burned about 20 hay bales on a construction site near Lost Creek Road in the Josephine Crossing Subdivision, said Bill Tatum, assistant fire marshal for the Billings Fire Department. The grass fire was reported about 5:54 p.m. Damages are estimated at $200. The property is insured and there were no injures. =========== FireSafe Montana Newsletter Newsletter Headlines New FireSafe Councils on the Rise!!!! Next Board Meeting Upcoming Local FireSafe Council Meetings 2010 Communities and Wildfire Conference 2010 FireSafe Montana’s Board of Directors 2010 Wildfire Preparedness Awards Click here to view the newsletter FireSafe Montana’s Website FireSafe Montana’s new website is up and running. Be sure to check out upcoming events, news, resources, and much more. www.firesafemt.org Email us your upcoming events, news articles, community meetings, and related links so we can post them on our website. execdir@firesafemt.org Accepting Application for Executive Director FireSafe Montana is accepting applications to fill their Executive Director position. Click here for details. Closing date: March 19, 2010 Reminder that 2010 FireSafe Montana Memberships are Due!!! Click here to pay your dues online Mark Your Calendar!!!! Wildfire Preparedness Week June 21-27, 2010 More details coming soon! Crystal Hagerman Executive Director 406.431.8718 =========== Bokma recognized by state fire group for years of service By Marlo Pronovost, SCN Reporter http://www.stillwatercountynews.com/story1.html George Bokma had no idea what he was walking into Tuesday when summoned to the Stillwater County Commissioners Office. The commissioners, other county department heads and employees and a small contingency of paparazzi were on hand to offer congratulations as Columbus Fire Chief Rich Cowger presented a surprised Bokma with an award from the Montana Mutual Aid in recognition of Bokma’s many years of service as the county fire warden. Bokma has been the Stillwater County Fire Warden since 1997. Prior to that, he served on the County fire board as well as the state Fire District Board. Bokma’s duties as fire warden are to “provide the prevention and assisting in the fire risks in the County,” according to the Stillwater County website. The fire warden also acts as a liaison between the commissioners and the Fire Council. The plaque presented to Bokma bears the following inscription: “For your using every opportunity to help set goals towards attaining them has not gone unnoticed. Nor has the many years of support and work with Montana Mutual Aid. Your passion for doing the right thing for the customer sets you apart. We at Montana Mutual Aid recognize and appreciate your commitment, your family for sharing you with us, your hard work and your continued dedication.” Bokma was also presented with a vest bearing the Montana Mutual Aid (MMA) name and logo. MMA consists of roughly 36 rural fire chiefs around the state who first banded together in the late 1990s in an effort to improve fire fighting in smaller areas that rely mainly on volunteer departments. The MMA mission statement is “We are committed to a timely and measured response to a request for help,” according to the group’s 2009 field operations guide. The group meets a couple of times per year and selects one or two individuals to honor. “They (MMA) recognize people who have done a lot for fire work in the state,” said Cowger. ===========
Around the Nation Proper Apparatus placement is vital Proper Apparatus placement is a must when working motor vehicle collisions of any kind- here's your proof. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ji9tDHXqLHg&NR=1 =========== CT LODD Name: Kevin Swan Rank: Fire Police Captain Age: 69 Gender: Male Status: Volunteer Years of Service: Pending Date of Incident: 03/10/2010 Time of Incident: 0508hrs Date of Death: 03/10/2010 Fire Department: Beacon Hose Co. No. 1 Address: 35 N. Main St., Beacon Falls, CT 06403 Fire Department Chief: Brian Cloney Fire Department Website: http://www.beaconhose.com Incident Location: 20 Susan Street, Beacon Falls, CT 06403 Funeral Arrangements: Pending Memorial Fund Contact and Address: Pending Tribute is being paid to Firefighter Fire Police Captain Kevin Swan at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/ To date, 14 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2010; 13 from incidents that occurred in 2010 and 1 from a previous year incident. Year-to-date monthly and annual USFA firefighter fatality reports are posted online @ http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/statistics/ff_stats.shtm ===========
Safety, Health and Survival Week 2010: Fit for Duty Fairfax, Va., Mar. 11, 2010...Today the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the International Association of Fire Fighters announced the theme for the 2010 Safety, Health and Survival Week: Fit for Duty. Safety, Health and Survival Week (Safety Week) is a collaborative program sponsored by the IAFC and the IAFF, coordinated by the IAFC Safety, Health and Survival Section and the IAFF Division of Occupational Health, Safety and Medicine, in partnership with more than 20 national fire service organizations. Fire departments are encouraged to suspend all non-emergency activity during Safety Week and instead focus entirely on safety, health and wellness-related training and education until all shifts and personnel have taken part. An entire week is provided to ensure each shift and duty crew can spend one day focusing on these critical issues. With more than 50 percent of fire fighter line-of-duty deaths caused by health and fitness-related issues, both organizations believe it’s imperative that there be a concentrated effort in implementing wellness and fitness programs. Safety Week’s Fit for Duty theme will cover a variety of topics that are extremely important to all fire fighters and EMS personnel. The program will assist fire departments with implementing their own programs to prepare fire fighters and EMS personnel with healthy habits that reduce the risk of many chronic diseases, such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and certain cancers, thereby increasing the chance for a longer and healthier life. While departments are encouraged to identify activities tailored to their specific community, recommended areas of concentration include:
During the week, departments are also encouraged to support comprehensive fitness assessments, medical screenings and educational programs that build and maintain medically and physically fit personnel and help in reducing health and fitness-related deaths or injuries. Planning tools and resources are currently available on the Safety Week website courtesy of the IAFC Safety, Health and Survival Section. Check out the Resources > Health and Wellness webpage for specific resources on this year's areas of concentration. Additional information can also be found on the IAFF’s Health, Safety and Medicine’s website. Online resources in a variety of topic areas are available online year-round to support continuous efforts to promote personnel safety, health and wellness programs. CALL FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES We seek submissions for new SOPs, policies, articles, program summaries, program descriptions, etc., on this year’s areas of concentration. The preferred format for submission this year is a URL link to a departmental or organizational website, in order to facilitate a timely posting of new resources and provide visibility to departments contributing to the program. If a link isn’t available, PDF documents will still be accepted. If you have submitted resources for Safety Week in the past, there’s no need to resubmit the same information. However, if you have updated your resources or have new ones, we would like to add them to the website. If appropriate, please note that your submission is an update of a resource currently posted on the Safety Week website. By providing resource links for use in conjunction with the Safety Week and overall fire/EMS safety efforts, you acknowledge that you:
Email your current resources to safety@iafc.org by Friday, March 26, 2010. In your email, please indicate which of the 2010 areas of concentration (listed above) the resource references Keep watching the Safety Week website and the IAFC Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages for continuing updates to this year’s program and planning resources. Remember to visit the IAFF’s Health, Safety and Medicine’s website for more information on health, wellness and safety programs or contact the IAFF by email at safety@iaff.org for additional resources. =========== Time to Check Your Smoke Alarms This weekend, March 13 and 14, we will all be setting our clocks to Daylight Saving Time. The time change is a good reminder to check your smoke alarms. According to the National Fire Protection Association, more than 66 percent of home fire deaths that occurred between 2003-2006 were in homes without a working smoke alarm. A working smoke alarm significantly increases your chances of surviving a deadly home fire. A properly installed and maintained smoke alarm is the only thing in your home that can alert you and your family to a fire 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Whether you’re awake or asleep, a working smoke alarm is constantly on alert, scanning the air for fire and smoke. Smoke alarms must be maintained! A smoke alarm with a dead or missing battery is the same as having no smoke alarm at all, so test your smoke alarm monthly by pushing the “test” button, if it has one. Smoke alarms are powered by either a battery or are hardwired into your home’s electrical system. Hardwired smoke alarms are usually equipped with a backup battery. If your smoke alarm is powered by battery, the battery needs to be replaced annually unless it is a long-life battery (check the owner’s manual). All batteries should be maintained and replaced in accordance with manufacturer’s guidance. Choose an annual date, such as the time change, when you will remember to maintain your smoke alarm in tip top condition. Check the manufacturer’s expiration date on the label, replace the batteries if needed, and clean dust away from the slots so that smoke can enter freely. All smoke alarms, hard-wired and battery powered, should be replaced every ten years. These simple steps will help ensure that you and your family will have the best chance of surviving if fire should strike. USFA has a fire safety campaign called Install. Inspect. Protect. which provides information about home smoke alarms and fire sprinklers. Please visit the campaign Web site at www.usfa.dhs.gov/campaigns/smokealarms/. =========== P25 audio tests by Maple Bluff Fire Dept. By Daryl Jones http://www.mapleblufffire.com/videos/Narrowband-radio-test On February 24, 2010 the Maple Bluff Fire Department (MBFD) in Dane County Wisconsin performed tests of several portable radios operating in simplex analog and simplex P25 digital mode. They compared the sound quality of the Kenwood TK-5210, Motorola XTS-2500, Motorola XTS-5000, Motorola APX-7000, EF Johnson SL 5100, Tait 9135, and ICOM 9011 under normal firefighter working conditions. The results of the tests are documented in this video. The Maple Bluff Fire Department is not endorsing any particular manufacturer, vendor, or radio type, and understand there are radios on the market that were not tested. The radios seen in this test were selected by availability at the time of the test through local vendors. The tests done by the Maple Bluff Fire Department lacked many controls that would typically be found in a scientific test. Nevertheless, I think the MBFD folks did good work and that the evidence recorded in the video is significant. The most important point from my perspective is the vastly different performance of radios in simplex P25 mode. Perhaps every fire department needs to perform similar testing before making the decision to “go digital.” Please remember that there is no FCC requirement to convert to digital operation. Please download their Radio Test Worksheet to record your opinion of each radio in their test. Click here to visit the Maple Bluff Fire Department website. If you have questions about this test, please contact: Chief Josh Ripp: jripp at villageofmaplebluff.com Assistant Chief Brad Ingersoll: bingersoll at villageofmaplebluff.com =========== WALL COLLAPSE AT FIRE KILLS DUTCH (NETHERLANDS) FIREFIGHTER IN THE LOD Thanks Billy G from The Secret List @ www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com 44-year-old Firefighter Wiebe de Vries, of the Veendam Fire Brigade and also an officer of that municipality, was killed in the Line of Duty Monday when a wall collapsed at a working shopping center fire. He leaves behind his Wife and 3 children. One other Firefighter was hurt but with NLT injuries. As always our sincere condolences. HERE are videos showing some scenes from the fire: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHuhNRiaW44&translated=1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J8wbVDEQNo =========== FIRE COLLAPSE VIDEO FROM FDNY'S SAFETY COMMAND Thanks Billy G from The Secret List @ www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com Below is a video from a recent taxpayer fire at Bronx Box 55-3563. There was a partial roof collapse, followed by a collapse of the front parapet and exterior wall. Operations at this fire were changed from an offense to defensive attack because of heavy fire and concerns about the structural integrity of the building. Prior to the collapse all units were withdrawn and collapse zones were established. A radio announcement was made over the tactical and command channels by the Incident Commander. Suddenly without warning the front parapet and exterior wall collapsed. There were no injuries as a result of this collapse because collapse zones were established early on and all members remained out of the collapse zone. HERE is the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF45e_VP0xI (If that link fails, try this: http://firefighterclosecalls.com/fullstory.php?103372 ) =========== FF-EMT DEATH: Life Sentence + 26 years Thanks Billy G from The Secret List @ www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com The paraplegic who "drove with a stick" and then struck and killed Delaware City (DE) Firefighter/EMT Michelle Smith in the Line of Duty as she treated an injured motorcyclist on Dec. 20, 2008, was sentenced to life in prison plus 26 years, Thursday.
The judge also noted that no one has ever identified the person who picked Taye up after the accident and helped him flee the scene. Herlihy concluded with several observations "that need to be said," though they were not a factor in his sentence. Since overseeing this trial, Herlihy said he has noticed how few people actually give proper deference to emergency crews on the road. "Too many drivers in this state are too cavalier about paying attention to emergency vehicles," he said. "I just see too much of it."
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ROTW: Are you sure the ignition is off? (09-914) This week's ROTW is 09-914. An excerpt of the event narrative appears below. Hybrid vehicles are gaining in popularity among automakers and buyers. Nowadays, all of the major manufacturers now offer a version of a hybrid vehicle. Hybrid technology is being incorporated into all styles from coupes to SUVs. J.D. Power and Associates predicts that hybrid technology vehicles will account for 7 percent of the car market by 2015, which would be a threefold increase. This prediction gives emergency responders a heads up on the likelihood of encountering hybrid vehicles in the future, and incidents like the account in 09-914 give us a heads up on a special handling tip when the new technology is encountered. "My department responded to a four vehicle auto collision with two injuries. All occupants, except for one operator, which EMS was treating, were out of the vehicles and there was no entrapment...We positioned the apparatus and traffic cones to create a safe working area. We also insured that the parking brakes were set and ignition keys (were) removed from all vehicles... Three of the vehicles had their engine compartments wedged under or into the preceding vehicle, making access to the vehicle batteries very difficult. As the vehicles were now unoccupied and the tow trucks began to arrive, we then assisted with traffic control to safely get the vehicles removed from the scene and began recovering fluids and debris. One of the involved vehicles was a [deleted] hybrid. The tow operator did not seem to be familiar with the vehicle's systems and had difficulty getting the vehicle into neutral to load it onto his flatbed. After several attempts, the vehicle was loaded and secured on the flatbed. The tow operator then began using the wheel lift on the flatbed to tow the next involved vehicle. While they were hooking up the second vehicle, I noticed vapor coming from the hybrid's exhaust..." Handling the hybrid vehicle first requires obtaining knowledge of how the technology works, what systems are in each vehicle, and what hazards those systems pose to emergency responders. Once you have read the entire account of the events in 09-914 and the related reports, consider the following: <>
Related Reports - Topical Relation: Securing Vehicles Hybrid Vehicle Safety Links For more information on hybrid vehicle safety, visit:
Have you experienced a near miss with a hybrid vehicle? Firefighternearmiss.com has a place for you to share your experience with the rest of the fire and emergency services. Note: The questions posed by the reviewers are designed to generate discussion and thought in the name of promoting firefighter safety. They are not intended to pass judgment on the actions and performance of individuals in the reports. Rynnel Gibbs Firefighternearmiss.com is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Assistance to Firefighters Grant program. Founding dollars were also provided by Fireman's Fund Insurance Company. The project is managed by the International Association of Fire Chiefs and supported by FireFighterCloseCalls.com in mutual dedication to firefighter safety and survival. |
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