OPEN SHIFTS: December: Tuesday 12/5 0700-1900. Sunday 12/24 0700-1900. Tuesday 12/26 0700-1900. Monday 1/1 0700-1900. The 2018 schedule will be posted by 12/15.
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I want to express my thanks to the Deputy for organizing our Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday and to Lt Daniels for his superb cooking. And to everyone else who helped out. It's always a fun time.
I made a short post on our Facebook page on Thanksgiving morning to mention one of the many things that I am thankful for. And that is all of you. I truly believe our community is a better place to live in because of all of you.
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Christmas Lights: Captain Lang gathered a crew on Saturday and got the station decorated for Christmas. It all looks very good! Thanks to those who chipped in to get that done. (I was going to make an elf reference at the Cap's expense, I decided against that. Maybe later.)
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Santa Claus Visit: Santa will be visiting the station at 1600 on December 9th. Lyman Parks & Rec is organizing the event. Carol Dunham is the liaison between the FD and LPR.
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Blood Drive: 0900-1400 on Saturday, December 9th. I'm guessing, but Santa might be there to donate a pint.
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Holiday Season: This is the time of year we are usually rather busy. Home heating issues, car crashes from bad weather or holiday celebrating. This time of year we typically see an increase in mental health related calls, family disputes, overdoses, etc. Be prepared for them. This is a good time to review the protocols. It's also a good time to look at your own situation. If the holidays stress you out, if some of these holiday season calls get you down, you're probably not alone. Get what's bothering you off your chest. Talk about it with someone you trust.
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Winter: It's here. I hate to say it. Please dress for the weather when you respond to calls. Clear your windows of frost before driving! Carry a spare hat, gloves and socks. Look out for each other.
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I AM Responding: There seems to have been some hick-ups with IAR. You may need to load the version update, and/or reset your password.
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Call Volume: This morning we ran call #694. On this date last year we ran call #665. It's probably going to get busier too. Last year in December alone we ran 93 calls. Our monthly average is 55.
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PICO: There are still seats available in the PICO class in January. Flyer is on the board. I encourage all officers and those who aspire to become officers, to attend this class. Even if you've taken it before, a refresher is always a good thing.
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PPE use and unsafe actions by firefighters: What causes firefighters to take unsafe actions related to personal protective equipment (PPE) use — even though they know they should be doing the opposite? A team of researchers led by Drexel University’s Center for Firefighter Injury Research and Safety Trends recently set out to understand why this occurs and what the fire service can do to fix it. https://www.usfa.fema.gov/current_events/092817.html
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EMS Protocol Update: The next update of EMS protocols goes into effect on 1/8/2018. Protocol update training is available on MEMSED. If you haven't yet, please complete this training ASAP.
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New PCR format: ME EMS has made some changes to the Patient Care Report that should make completing the report easier to use and faster to complete. A training version of the form is available at www.mefirs.org by using these log on credentials:
Username: Training
Password: Provider1!
The new format will go live on December 4th.
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STAFFING: College winter break begins around December 16th. For the month following, we will not have students at the station. We will need a call force driver to respond for all calls.
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EMS Training; 11/28: Dr Brown will be providing training on PCR documentation. This is also a great opportunity to discuss with him anything that's on your mind. EMS related, of course.
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16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives #7 Research Agenda Create a national research agenda and data collection system that relates to the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives. In response to the need to improve firefighter safety, The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation has hosted two research agenda symposiums, one in 2005 and 2011. The National Fire Service Research Agenda is an effort to identify particular areas in which research is needed to contribute to the mission of supporting the Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives of the Everyone Goes Home Program® (NFFF). The resulting document is intended to assist the many different organizations and individuals that have a role in conducting, supporting and encouraging research projects to focus their efforts and resources on the areas that have been identified as important and significant by a group that represents the diverse interests and priorities of the fire service—all with the overarching goal of eliminating preventable firefighter line-of-duty-injuries and fatalities. Communication with all fire departments in clear and concise ways is critical to improving the safety of firefighters. Acknowledging the need for research and data was an important step for the fire service to take in 2004. Now it is critical that the identified research be conducted, the results be transferred and implemented at the local levels. This is the only way that research will impact the life safety of firefighters and the communities they serve.
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Events Next Week: Tuesday 1830 EMS Training. 1900 Fire Police Training. Thursday; Chiefs at 1600. Friday; 0900 Special Fire Commission Meeting.
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Happy Thanksgiving,
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
Cell: 207-432-0390
Station: 207-499-2362
Fax: 207-499-2893
www.gmfd.org
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