West Bend Fire Department Paramedics

WEST BEND FIRE DEPARTMENT
Planning to Protect...
...Acting to Save
September 2013
Volume 1, Issue 9
Inside this issue:
Fire & EMS
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 ~ September
MPO M. Heinen .. 18 years
MPO D. Reisdorf..12 years
sions to the beat of
―Stayin’ Alive‖ by the
Bee Gees.
Our challenge needed to
accommodate 8 teams at
one time.
The West Bend Fire Department and Fire Fighters Local 2025 hosted a
challenge in the West
Bend Rotary’s Amazing
Race. When approached
to participate we were
instructed to create an
event that the participants could either use
brain, brawn or both.
With help from off-duty
firefighters, their significant
others, and shift personnel,
we were able to pull off our
challenge without a hitch.
Our event included having
to unroll and connect different size hoses until they
could reach the ―burning
house‖ while wearing firefighter gloves, helmet, and
coat.
Participants got a small
taste how physically demanding it is to be a firefighter. Many participants
thanked our members for
the work that they do
daily. The West Bend
Fire Department is already planning new activities for the 2015 race.
Just when they thought
they were done, another
―call‖ came in. This time
each team had to complete
four minutes of CPR with
continuous chest compres-
…..Acting to Save
Emergency Activities
Types of Calls
Fires
Emergency Medical Calls
Paramedic Intercepts
Interfacility Transports
Hazardous Conditions
Service Calls/Good Intent Calls
False Alarms/False Calls
Other/Special Incident Types
Totals
Town of Barton Calls
Town of West Bend Calls
Sep-13
Aug-13
Year to Date (2013)
Year to Date (2012)
5
199
13
54
4
6
28
0
309
8
201
11
21
6
7
15
0
269
50
1868
97
377
48
90
115
5
2650
71
1804
99
326
60
59
143
15
2577
8
10
6
15
52
112
66
100
Page 2
Emergency Medical Services Bureau
Page 2
Battalion Chief Todd VanLangen
Captain Tom Thrash
PSOW - Paramedic Systems of Wisconsin Annual Seminar
This September marked
the 26th annual Paramedic Systems Of Wisconsin
[PSOW] Seminar. The
event took place in Green
Bay on Sept. 18, 19, and
20. PSOW got started in
1988 when a few new paramedic systems found
that they were contacting
each other often looking
for solutions to issues they
were encountering as they
were developing and implementing their new paramedic systems. The idea
came about that if these
groups were to get together
and exchange information
at a conference type format
it would be very beneficial.
In 1988 the first conference
was held in the basement of
the Wauwatosa Fire Department. This was a small conference with only a few paramedic service representatives attending. Representatives from the State EMS
office were also invited to
assure that the paramedic
services understood the ad-
ministrative rules and how
they applied to Paramedic
services. This conference has
proven to be an overwhelming success over the past 26
years. The conference has
provided the opportunity
for exchange of information
and ideas also service representatives have been able to
discuss their accomplishments and their problems.
In 1992 only 9%of the ambulance services in Wisconsin operated at the Paramedic level. Today there
are 450 ambulance services
licensed in the state of Wisconsin and 25% of these
services operate at the Paramedic level. It is estimated
that 85% of ambulance patients have Advanced Life
Support skills available to
them by the responding unit
or through an Intercept
agreement. This advanced
care is provided by approximately 30% of the
licensed EMS systems in
the state. We currently
provides Intercept response to seven different
EMS agencies. This years
PSOW conference started
out with each agency represented given the chance
to talk about their service
and the programs they are
involved in and any issues
they were looking for help
to solve. Attendees to this
conference come from all
across the state and many
ideas and important information is shared. Another
part of the seminar is a
roundtable discussion
where several Medical Director physicians representing different areas of
the state answer any questions from the participants.
pate in a pilot program to
be trained at the EMTIntermediate Enhanced
level which allowed additional medications and skills
to be used for our patients.
In November 1999 our Department offered Advanced
Life Support Intercept Service to 8 surrounding departments. In August of
2007 our Department working with Moraine park
Technical College and at the
time St. Joseph’s Hospital
sent 4 personnel to be
trained at the Paramedic
level. Also in August 2007
our Department started
offering Interfacility
Transport services. In
July of 2008 our Department began a two year
Intermediate to Paramedic service Transition
Program. Over the next
two years, 17 personnel
were trained to the Paramedic level. In August
2010 we became a fully
licensed Paramedic Service. In 2012 our Department responded to
approximately 2900
emergency medical calls.
History of EMS in our Department
West Bend was at the
forefront of the Emergency Medical Services
movement. Our Department added rescue services in 1935. A Dodge
Rescue Truck was used
equipped with stretchers,
first aid equipment, and a
ventilator. A mock emergency rescue was filmed
in 1957 using our Department equipment and personnel. The filming was done in
West Bend and was shown
on Milwaukee Channel 10
WMVS. In the early 1970’s
our Department personnel
were licensed as Emergency
Medical Technicians [EMT].
In August 1995, 14 of our
personnel upgraded to EMTIntermediate [EMT-I]. We
were the first and only department in Washington
County to offer that level of
service. In January 1998
our Department applied for
and was chosen to partici-
Page 3
West Bend Fire Department Paramedics (Advanced Skills)
To become a Paramedic in
the State of Wisconsin you
have to first complete EMT
Basic, this course is about
150-180 hours and requires
you to pass the National
Registry Test. Once you
have passed this course you
can embark on the Paramedic Course. The Paramedic Course is about 1000 1500 hours long. It covers
between 300 -500 didactic or
classroom time 300 – 500
skills practice time and 400500 clinical or ride along
time. The Paramedic level is
the highest level of PreHospital care in the State of
Wisconsin. One of the best
skills that a Paramedic
learns during school is the
assessment skill, they learn
to ask the right questions,
listen to the patient, and try
to figure out what may be
causing their injury or illness. In addition to the as-
The WBFD Paramedics EZ-IO kit
sessment there are some
other advanced skills that
are at the Intermediate and
Paramedic Level.
WBFD Paramedics Advanced Airway Kit
Advanced airways are used by
all levels of EMS. However,
only a Paramedic or Intermediate can advance an Endotracheal Tube (ETT). This
means that the Paramedic
uses a Laryngoscope to move
the tongue out of the way and
can see the vocal cords and
will advance a tube directly
into the trachea. This procedure will secure the airway in
case the patients were to vomit or have their tongue fall
back and block the trachea.
Another advanced procedure
would be the do a cricothyrotomy, in which case the Paramedic would make an incision
on the front of the neck and
into the trachea to advance
the ETT through.
Another useful tool and skill
is to start an IV. This is not
only for the Paramedic but
the EMT IV Tech and the
EMT Intermediate. Starting
an IV gives great access to
administer medications. But
starting an IV is not always
that easy. The new skill and
tool we have helps us out. It
is called the EZ-IO. IO
stands for Intraosseous and
means placing a needle and
catheter into the bone marrow. This is done by using
the EZ-IO drill and a special
spade bit needle/catheter
that will bore into the bone
and end up in the middle of
the bone where the marrow
is located. There is no need
to find a suitable vein in the
arm and make attempts
when we can quickly start
the IO in the shin right below the knee cap. The IO is
the same as an IV and any
medications that can be administered via IV can also be
administered via the IO.
Page 4
Planning to Protect…………..
Fire Prevention & Public Safety Activities
Battalion Chief Chuck Beistle & Captain Tammy Lamberg
September 2013 Inspections
Follow-up
Semi-Annual
Annual
Total
Violations
Inspections
Compliance
Cards
Station #1
83
24
107
17
5
13
Station #2
22
8
30
8
0
0
Station #3
70
16
86
20
4
6
Staff Captain/
39
9
48
14
17
Totals
214
57
271
59
26
The Importance of Fire Drills and
Emergency Plans in the Work Place
How often does
your employer conduct fire drills in
your work place?
Individual employees do not typically
think about needing
an escape route
from their work ar-
ea. It is up to the employer to take the initiative to plan for
fires and other emergencies.
A work place emergency plan should always include the following criteria: The
plan should be in
written form and issued to managers or
responsible parties.
Employees should
receive training on
emergency procedures
19
annually. The plan
should show main
evacuation routes
and alternative
routes. Areas of refuge such as fireseparated stairwells
should be identified.
Employees should
be reminded to
close doors as they
leave their work
area. Drills should
be conducted quarterly.
Permits and Fees
Count
Permit Type
2
Kitchen Suppression
1
Sprinkler System– 251 or more heads
3
Fire Alarm system
1
Tent
Total=
Total Permit Fees for September
Total Fees
$200.00
$1214.00
$640.00
$50.00
$2104.00
Page 5
Fire Prevention and Public Safety Tips
Our children learn
about fire safety at
school during Fire Prevention Week each
year. Along with the
firefighter presentations the students receive handouts to be
taken home and shared
with their families.
Practice a Fire Escape Plan
and designate
a Family Meeting Place
One of the most important lessons highlighted in the information that we send
home is the importance
of having a home fire
escape plan and a meeting place. It is vital for
families to pre-plan
how to get out of
their home in case of
fire. Families should
practice and discuss
the following points:
How to open bedroom windows, how
to feel doors for heat
before opening them,
how to crawl quickly
and stay low on the
floor, where to meet
once they are out of
the house, how to
call 911 and most
importantly to NEVER go back into a
house that is on fire!
Occupancy Plan Reviews, Consultations and Investigations
DATE
OCCUPANCY TYPE ACTIVITY
NOTES
9/3
Multi-family
Alarm consult
Consult on alarm up-grade
9/3
Municipal
Sprinkler test
Hydro test of expanded system
09/4
Educational
FD access consult
Apparatus/ambulance access during construction was evaluated
09/05
Warehouse
Alarm acceptance
Initial testing of new devices and new alarm panel functions
09/06
Assembly
Alarm test
Testing of alarm system with monitoring company
09/10
Restaurant
Suppression sys. test
Newly installed hood system and utility shut-offs tested
09/11
Multi-family
Sprinkler consult
Instr. on daily, weekly, monthly and yearly maintenance requirements
09/12
Multi-family
Dryer venting
Went over code requirements with condo association group
09/17
Storage
Flammable liquids
Follow-up on referral of improperly stored flammable liquids
09/20
Manufacturing
Alarm
Testing of devices in new alarm system
09/23
Warehouse
Fire pump
Testing of pump and the integration with sprinkler and alarm systems
09/26
Restaurant
Suppression sys. test
Newly installed hood system and utility shut-offs tested
09/26
Educational
Sprinkler plan
Review of sprinkler system for school addition/renovation
Page 6
Operations Bureau
Battalion Chief John Spartz
Captain Jon Coutts
WBFD Receives Hazardous Materials Refresher Training
A hazardous materials
refresher class was held at
the Department during
the third week of September.
Training was sponsored by
Wisconsin Emergency
Management through a
grant that was applied for
by Rob Schmid, Washing-
ton County’s Emergency
Manager.
Emergency Response Specialists conducted three 8
hour classes. Each class was
held on separate days so
each shift could participate.
Members from businesses
within Washington County
also participated. The class
is held so hazardous materials technicians can keep up
their skills in handling emergencies involving chemicals
and possible weapons of
mass destruction.
West Bend Fire has 40 hazardous materials technicians
and houses the Washington
County Hazardous Materials Trailer. Class topics
included chemistry, meters, and a practical exercise.
The exercise was held at
Regal Ware to make the
simulation as realistic as
possible.
Quote of the
Month...
“Dirty tools are not
a sign of a busy
company. Dirty
tools are the sign of
a lazy company
with no pride.” —
Lt. Doug Rohn, City
of Madison Fire
Department
Attention to Details
Prevents Larger Problems
Station #1 Prepares for
Fire Prevention Visits
Firefighters work hard to prevent problems before they occur. This holds true
for large industrial complexes, commercial
buildings, and residences. It also is happens in the firehouse. Daily routines are
completed by the on-duty crews to make
sure equipment is working, quarters are
clean, and apparatus is ready to roll.
Station #1 is getting ready for visitors.
Crews recently completed a thorough
cleaning of the station’s living quarters
and apparatus floor for October’s annual
fire prevention visits.
General housekeeping chores are completed on a daily basis during the rest of the
year, but extra attention is given to the
department’s three stations during September. The work is completed by onduty firefighters with each shift being
assigned a different area to clean and
polish. Work includes buffing floors,
heavy cleaning of shelves, and washing
tile.
Heavy call volumes can make completing
the work more difficult, but department
members often help another shift during
these times.
FF Dave Keon completes one of
the many small maintenance
items firefighters perform on a
daily basis.
A daily vehicle check is the first thing a
fire fighter does during a duty day. Daily
checks start with the basics such as making sure the lights are working and end
with a check of each fire fighter’s selfcontained breathing apparatus air levels.
Weekly checks are more detailed and
check to make equipment on each vehicle
functions properly. This includes operating aerial ladders and fire pumps.
Fire Instruction & Training Bureau
Firefighters are Educators
One of the subjects that we
review every September
with our personnel is how
to best educate people
about fires. In October we
have Fire Prevention
Month. Our October schedule is fully loaded for all 31
days. The West Bend Fire
Department has a presence
in every public and private
school in West Bend along
with many day care centers. Every year we update
current programs and add
new content to programs to
keep things interesting in
the classroom.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
serves as the official sponsor of the October nationwide fire prevention campaign. This year’s NFPA
theme focuses on how to
prevent fires in kitchens—
The #1 place where home
fires start. NFPA provides various statistics
and educational facts related to the annual theme
to emphasize to the public
or to the kids in the classroom.
In preparation for our
school visits, firefighters
are given the theme related information and they
Page 7
Battalion Chief Chuck Beistle
review outlines and the
operation of our various
teaching aids. The biggest
and most valuable prop is
our smoke trailer which
was donated to us by the
Sunrise Rotary. Person-
tional videos and then the
firefighters demonstrate
how they can practice
what they have learned.
It is equipped with a
mocked up kitchen and
bedroom which are used
nel review how to safely
and efficiently operate
everything in it and how
to actively involve up to
25 students at one time.
This can be challenging
since it is a new experience for many of the 4k
and Kindergarten students. In the trailer students are shown educa-
with different lessons. It
is also equipped with a
smoke machine which is
piped throughout the
trailer. All of this can be
controlled from inside the
main control room. Good
preparation goes along
way when educating our
youth and community
about preventing fires.
NFPA releases Firefighter Fatality report
Thirty of these fatalities
were volunteer firefighters,
23 were career firefighters
with the rest consisting of
federal employees and prison inmates.
According to the October
2013 edition of Fire Engine Magazine sixty-four
firefighters died in the line
of duty in 2012.
The greatest number of
deaths occurred on the fire
ground. The year 2012 represented the lowest number
of sudden cardiac deaths,
deaths at structure fires,
and volunteer firefighter
deaths, according to the
NFPA.
The report pointed out that
deaths in motor vehicle
crashes were 10 or fewer for
the fourth consecutive year,
and on duty cardiac-related
deaths decreased for the
fifth consecutive year.
It was the fourth consecutive year that overall fatalities were fewer than
100, bringing the annual
average during the past 10
years to 88 on duty
deaths. A trend that the
fire service strives for.
In Their Own Words…...
The back page of our newsletter will feature a couple of notes or cards that we receive from our customers….the people we serve. Whether it is on an ambulance call, fire call, or a public education assignment,
the members of the West Bend Fire Department are dedicated to making their contact with us a positive
experience.
Lt. Alan Hefter joined the West
Bend Fire department as a paidon-call firefighter in 1988. Prior
to joining our department Al
served as a volunteer firefighter/
EMT with the Allenton Fire Department and was an EMT with
Hartford EMS.
Intermediate (I-85) in 1996, and
an EMT-Intermediate (I-99)
when the department upgraded its
emergency medical service level
in 1998.
He was promoted to motor pump
operator in 1995, Lieutenant in
1999, and serves in the capacity
Al was hired as a full-time fireof Acting Battalion Chief on the
fighter in 1991 when the depart- blue shift. Al is a very experiment consisted of only one staenced leader for the department
tion. Al was an EMT-Basic when and works hard to insure his
he was hired and upgraded his
crews perform at high levels. Al
skill sets to meet department
is a very active member of the
needs by becoming an EMTdepartments Purchasing Commit-
tee.
Lt. Hefter is also very involved behind the scenes of
the fire department. He has
served as the President of the
firefighters union since 1997
and is the Vice President of
the Professional Fire Fighters
of Wisconsin. In his role as
union president Al serves his
membership tirelessly, but
also spends a significant
amount of time working with
management to resolve issues
and foster a working relationship.
WEST BEND FIRE DEPARTPlanning to Protect…
...Acting to Save
325 N 8th Ave.
West Bend, WI 53095
262.335.5054
www.ci.west-bend.wi.us