Christmas Holiday Coverage:
24th; 0700-1900 FF/EVO1. 1900-0700 EMT/FF/EVO2.
25th; 0700-1900; 2 vacancies. 1 must be an EMT. There is no one on-duty on Christmas day.
(Holiday incentive pay applies.)
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Congratulations Jake and Kathleen! On Tuesday, Kathleen gave birth to baby boy Dawson.
6 pounds 22 inches!
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Per Diem Shift Quals: General Notice 15-1332 dated 10/26/15, EVO2 will be a required qualification for all scheduled (templeted) per diem shifts after January 3, 2016.
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Crew needed to cover Buxton FD: BFD is doing thier live fire training on Saturday, November 21st. We've been asked to provide a cover engine to the Bar Mills station. Need and EVO2, 2 FF2 and an officer (engineer or Sr FF). Please let me know if you can help out.
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Thanksgiving Dinner at the fire station: A sign up sheet is on the bulletin board for the Thanksgiving Dinner at the station on Wednesday, November 25th.
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Coffee Break Training: Levels of Prevention
Learning Objective: The student will be able to explain the three levels of prevention.
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Chili Cook off and Cribbage Tourney: Sunday, November 22 from 1200 to 1600 at the fire station.
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Alfred's Fire: I attended the AAR on last Saturday's fire on Back Road in Alfred. A very good job done. Looking at the building construction, location of the fire, wind conditions, Holding the fire to the bravo side quite a task. This was the first fire the Engine 83 has operated at. It relayed to Alfred's Engine 2 and its foam unit was used during overhaul.
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MVC at South St & Goodwins Mills Road: Kudos to FF Chris Ray! Chris found himself as the incident commander at a multi-vehicle, multi-patient crash with very limited manpower resources. On arrival, Rescues 85 and 86 with crews of 2 each. No manpower for Engine 83 was available. It was 1730. As luck would have it, another ambulance call comes in. Alfred Rescue covered that. The MVC did require an Engine. Chris called for an Arundel engine. Good call. Chris was hit with a lot during that call. Manpower is always the premium on any call. He managed things well.
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New EVO2's: Congratulations to FF Gambino and FF Sanfilippo for qualifying as EVO2! Good job!
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Driving Safety: Winter is coming, we've already set clocks back, so it's much darker during the evening commute, with inclement weather on the way our driving skills need to adjust. In our personal vehicles and especially in emergency vehicles. If we're going to help anyone, we've got to get there first. Directive 2321/Apparatus Operation, discusses response speeds and conditions. Look it over. Make sure you are driving for the conditions. What is the maximum speed when driving "code 3"? What is rate of closure? In your mail slots is a copy of 2321. Please sign page 8 and return it to me. I also put a copy of Directive 2303/Use of POV in your mail slot too. Also, take a look at Life Safety Initiative 11: Response Policy
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From APEMS: Narcan and Patient refusals - We have had a couple of reports of patients receiving Narcan, waking up, and then refusing transport, including when only BLS providers are on scene. We recognize that a patient who has received Narcan and then becomes conscious, alert, and oriented has the right to refuse transport, however, it is important to remember that this is a high-risk sign-off. Because of this, all patient sign-offs post Narcan administration should involve OLMC. We know that this may not change the disposition of the call, but it is important to involve OLMC and document that involvement. When counseling your patient about the refusal, make sure that they understand that the drug they overdosed on will stay in their system far longer than the Narcan you gave to reverse the effects, and this should be documented as well.
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More on SLICE-RS: The link below is to a video interview with Chief Eddie Buchanan one of the architects of SLICE-RS. He puts his perspective on the concept.
http://www.firefighternation.com/videos/talking-slice-rs-eddie-buchanan
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ICE RESCUE AWARENESS COURSE: at West Kennebunk Fire Station.
Date: December 12 Time: 09:00 - 12:00 PM. This is a classroom-formated training program designed for all First Responders, regardless of their abilities or physical condition. The course is designed to provide First Responders with the knowledge required to safely and effectively respond to rescue and/or recovery incidents on or through the ice. This 3-hour program meets/exceeds NFPA 1670 Standard for Technical Rescue and certification is valid for 5 years from the course completion date. Prior to the course, participants will be assigned pre-requisite reading to be completed prior to the course date. At the course, each participant will receive a course guidebook and materials. Upon successful completion, graduates will be provided with a course completion certificate. Tuition: $35 per person. (Note: Graduates of the Ice Rescue Awareness course may participate in the practical skills session of an Ice Rescue Technician course within 18 months of their course completion date at a reduced cost of $150 per person). For information and/or registration, please access the ICE RESCUE AWARENESS course registration page at http://www.lifesaving.com/registration/ice-rescue-awareness-course-december-12-2015, or call 207/967-8614.
I strongly encourage taking this course!!! We have 5 recreational bodies of water in our area. ICE WATER RESCUE is a critical skill for us. Please summit a training request to the Training Officer.
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New study looks at violence against first responders: With reports of increasing violence directed towards first responders, it’s important for fire departments to prepare personnel for the possibility of an attack or assault while on duty. The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) is partnering with the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and Drexel University to research best practices in preventing and mitigating violence against first responders. This study will:
Examine the circumstances surrounding these acts and their effects on personnel.
Look at technological and operational ways to prevent violent workplace/on-duty incidents.
Determine ways to mitigate violent workplace/on-duty incidents when they occur.
Provide examples of current best practices. This study supports the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation’s Life Safety Initiative 12 – Violent Incident Response. USFA will publish study findings in early 2017. For more information, please contact USFA's Bill Troup.
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National Fire Academy (NFA) is seeking students to help pilot test two revised two-day courses in the Incident Management Curriculum. The pilots will be held January 23-24, 2016 at the NFA in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
Strategy and Tactics for Initial Company Operations (P0455): This 2-day course is designed to meet the needs of Company Officers responsible for managing the operations of one or more companies during structural firefighting operations. The course is designed to develop the management skills needed by company officers to accomplish assigned tactics at structure fires.
Preparation for Initial Company Operations (P0458) This 2-day course is designed to develop a better understanding of the roles and responsibilities of a Company Officer in preparing their company for incident operations. In addition, to clarify the transition from firefighter to company officer and the new roles relating to leadership and safety. This course is designed for company officers, acting company officers, or senior firefighters responsible for the management of a single fire company at an emergency incident. Those officers who are responsible for company readiness, personnel safety, and leadership as it relates to company operation.
Student Selection Criteria: Company officers, acting officers, or senior firefighters who command a fire company during emergency operations. Those individuals who are responsible for maintaining skills and company readiness.
Here’s How to Apply: Students interested in attending either of these pilots must submit the FEMA Form 119-25-2, General Admissions Application available for downloading at: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/training/nfa/admissions/apply.html Submit your completed application to the National Emergency Training Center (NETC) Admissions Office not later than December 15, 2015 via mail, fax, or email:
NETC Admissions Office
16825 South Seton Avenue
Emmitsburg, MD 21727
Fax: 301-447-1441
Email: netcadmissions@fema.dhs.gov
Do not make plans to attend this course until you have received your acceptance notification from the NETC Admissions Office.
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Maine Fire Service Institute is pleased to announced the Spring course offering direct from the National Fire Academy. There is no fee for attending these courses. These courses are supported by the National Fire Academy Grants. The courses will be held at the MFSI Headquarters, Brunswick ME on March 12 & 13, 2016 - 16 hours of training with NFA Fire Instructors. Please see the following announcement or visit our website at:http://www.mfte.org/national-fire-academy-spring-direct-delivery-march-12-13-2016-at-mfsi-brunswick/
BEST PRACTICES IN COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION - F0635
Course description: Best Practices in Community Risk Reduction demonstrates to students nationally recognized principles that, when used appropriately, can lead to community risk reduction programs that can measure success in local communities. This course will give students the opportunity to explore programs from communities across the U.S. that have been showcased at Vision 20/20 symposiums. These programs demonstrate what nationally recognized organizations identify as examples of “best practices” in community risk reduction.
SHAPING THE FUTURE - F0602
Course description: This 2-day course is the first of two courses on midlevel management covering the skills and techniques midlevel managers will need to provide leadership and direction for their departments. The first module focuses on identifying opportunities and/or problems. Topics include environmental scanning, paradigm shifts, and methods for reframing problems accurately. The second module deals with group problem-solving techniques. The third module explains the need to quantify, justify, and communicate decisions so they will be implemented effectively. Managing change will be discussed in the final module. Topics include people who resist change, overcoming that resistance, and monitoring and evaluating the change before, during, and after implementation.
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THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF WORKING A FATAL FIRE SCENE
The State Fire Marshal’s Office and BATF are sponsoring training regarding the psychological effects of working fatal fire scenes at no cost.
Dates and locations: December 8th: Florian Hall, Maine DPS- Augusta.
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Other training opportunities are listed on the website https://sites.google.com/site/gmillsfr/fire-rescue/training
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Events Next week: Monday; Bravo Co. Officers 1800. Tuesday Training 1830. Thursday; All Officers 1700, Fire Commission 1830.
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Have a safe weekend,
Chief
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Roger S. Hooper, Fire Chief
Goodwins Mills Fire-Rescue
481 Goodwins Mills Road
Lyman, ME 04002
Office: 207-499-7878
Station: 207-499-2362
Fax: 207-499-2893
www.gmfd.org
rhooper@gmfd.org
