Saturday, November 26, 2016

Weekly Update for Friday, November 25, 2016; Thanksgiving Weekend.

I hope you all had a restful and reflective Thanksgiving Holiday.  We had a very good turnout for the station dinner on Wednesday, thank you to everyone who help organize that.  I'm not sure what happened to the cranberry sauce.  
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OPEN SHIFTS:  Friday 12/2 is open 0500-0700.  Monday 12/26 0700-1900. January: Monday 1/2 1900-0700 (EMT); Tuesday 1/3 0700-1900; Thursday 1/5 1900-0700 (EMT); Friday 1/6 0700-1900 (EMT).
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SHIFT CHANGES:  Those of you who have templeted or scheduled per diem shifts and desire to change your shift -or- If you are interested in picking up a scheduled per diem shift, contact Deputy Johnston. At the beginning of the New Year, (yes, 2016 is almost over!) our 24-hour shifts will change from the "Reverse 24" or 1900-1900, to a "Regular 24" or 0700-0700. We are still in the planning stages of this change. More information is coming soon.
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AWARDS: Again, 2016 is coming to a close. Please give some consideration to end of year awards. Assistant Chief Harris will be opening the on-line nomination form soon.
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CALLS:  November has been an unusually busy month for us. We've run 42 calls this month alone.  We've handled an unusual number of cardiac calls too. Four this month. Our "Pit Crew" approach to handling cardiac arrests has proven to work for us; when it comes to organizing our team and tasks. After that, there's a higher authority calling the shots.  We've had several instances when we've run simultaneous calls this month too. We covered them all. We've done very well at getting apparatus on the road to cover the second, third and even the 4th call.
  Last week, we handled a very unique situation. Lt Martin, FF/EMT Gambino, EMT Sheltra, FF Boyden along with Trooper Kyle Wells, handled what is probably the most difficult of any calls we will ever respond to.  They responded to assist, comfort and console the mother, father and grandparents of the 5-year old boy who was killed on the Maine Turnpike that afternoon. They did a terrific job supporting that family. They made great use of available resources and referrals. They got the family the assistance needed. There is no protocol or SOG for those situations. Great job!
   As we get deeper into the holiday season, we typically get busier. Trends show more emotional, behavioral or stress related calls (depression, suicide), not to mention domestic disputes, during the holidays. Keep Responder Safety in mind. Home heating and cooking problems tend to be more prevalent too.
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SOG UPDATES:   Following are recent codes, some minor changes have been made to the jump kit and monitor.  Those changes are outlined in SOG 3638/Red Jump Kit and SOG 3639/Cardiac Monitors.  Please take some time to look them over.
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YOUR HEALTH AND WELL BEING:  You've got to take care of #1. Your family, your job, your livelihood, you and your health come first.  We run on a lot of calls that are stressful. It's a type of stress that you may not realize until days, months even years after the event. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is not just a military problem. It's existed in the fire service for decades. It just took the military to give it a high-speed name. PTSD can be triggered after one traumatic event. Or it can be triggered after several traumatic calls over the course of a career. It's different from individual to individual. It also has different levels of severity. The good thing is that it's manageable. The best way to deal with it is to hit it head on. Talk about it!  Share the Load  National Fire/EMS Helpline: Call 1-888-731-FIRE (3473).  Chaplain Jacques is always available.
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FIRE INSTRUCTOR COURSE: MFSI will be hosting a Fire Instructor I & II course in South Berwick.  The class will run on Monday nights January through April.  Applications are due by 12/21 with orientation on 1/9.
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CDLs:  We will be phasing in a requirement for all our drivers, EVO3 and 2, to obtain CDLs.  My plan is to phase this in over the next 2-3 years.  Study guides are available on the BMV website.
http://www.maine.gov/sos/bmv/licenses/studyguides.html
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LEADERSHIP IN SUPERVISION PILOT COURSE Opportunity – The NFA is seeking students to attend a pilot offering of the new 6-day course Leadership In Supervision (P0860). The pilot will be held on campus in Emmitsburg, Maryland from February 19-24, 2017. This course will meet the program requirements for completion of Leadership I, II, and III.  For more information visit http://apps.usfa.fema.gov/nfacourses/catalog/details/10673    Courses at NFA are FREE! USFA even pays for your transportation and lodging!
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MEMBERSHIPS:  Thom Hooper is back on as a FF/EMTB/EVO2.  Ernie Sparks is a new member to the Fire Police.
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GEAR RACKS:  The improvements to the gear racks are complete. The rack are now in two parallel columns in the bay. Gear is arranged by company. Please take some time to locate your gear.  Over the past few months there's been a lot of work by a lot of people to complete this project. Thanks!
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SANTA CLAUS VISIT & CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING;  Santa Claus will be visiting the fire station on December 10th. from 1600-1800. This is a joint event with Lyman Parks & Rec.  Captain Lang is our point of contact.
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EVENTS NEXT WEEK: Monday 1900 Traffic Control Training; Tuesday 0900 Briarwood School inspection; Wednesday 1700 Interviews, 1830 Bravo Co.
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Have a great 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

"Like leaders in many walks of life, my business has been to serve with, and for, others."
    -General Stanley McCrystal, US Army
  

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