FireRescue November 2007.pub - City of Boca Raton

Page 8BOCA FIRE-RESCUEA Portrait of Our Very OwnRoving Mechanic —He Brings His Toolbox to YouDave HobsonWhere were you born?West Palm BeachWhere do you live?I have lived in Boca since 1972.What did you do with your life prior to joining the City?I graduated from Boca High and became a Mechanic and wrecker driver soonafterwards.How long have you worked for the City?21 years and 6 monthsWhat is your exact job title?Vehicle Technician IWhat led you to Fire Apparatus maintenance?It’s every mechanics dream to work on Fire Trucks and so I answered an add in the paper to fulfill my dream.What things do you like the most about working for Fire Rescue Services?The people I work with and the importance of maintaining the Fire Engines.What was your greatest experience?Raising my children.When you are not working, what do you enjoy doing?Building cars and drag racing them when complete.Tell us about the “Fire Chief” of your household, the real boss and your children?I plan to be married forever to my wonderful wife, Janet. Together we have raised 3 great children. I truly enjoy spendingtime with my wife, my adult children and my granddaughter, Alyssa.Are you handy around your house? And how come your wife complains that you never work on her car?I am not handy around the house and I have no time to work on the boss’s car (so I am in the dog house).

Page 10BOCA FIRE-RESCUETraining andSafety DivisionBy: Pat KellyDivision ChiefA journey of a thousand miles beginswith a single step.- Confucius.Training: Hello to all once again.The Fire Training Officers of thePalm Beaches is hosting a two day,hands-on training event. The datesare December 11 and 12, 2007; Aand B shifts respectively. The venueis located in West Palm Beach andan individual will be able to attendtwo different 4-hour sessions perday. We are offering classes such asHigh Rise Bail Out and Self Rescueand Hybrid Car updates with handsonextrication exercises. The anticipatedcost will be $35 per sessionand lunch will be provided. Detailsto follow!Fitness Issues by Warren Hunt:With my promotion to Captain, I wasasked to head the Department’s FitnessProgram. Keith Metcalf waskind enough to give me the necessarytraining to get the fitness evaluationscompleted. Soon the fitness evaluationswill be completed and shortlyafterward, the cycle will begin again.Some meet the annual evaluationswith skepticism. The evaluations aremerely a tool for you to use in selfimprovement. I would like to challengeall to welcome the fitnessevaluation as an opportunity to getyour personal health back on track ormaintain your current level of fitness.I know most of us are sore a coupleof days after stepping on the Stair-Master and maxing out on sit-upsand push-ups. Let your sore musclesbe your reminder that you needto attempt to improve your physicalwell being. In a sense, we are dutybound to be in the best conditionwe can be for our brothers and sisterswho we serve with and the citizenswhom we serve. The mostimportant reason is found at home.With so many of us in the fire servicestricken by cardiac conditions,we do owe our family members ourlongevity and good health.Please take the time to go into thestation gym and use the StairMasterfor five minutes at 60 steps perminute. Do half of the sit-ups andhalf of the push-ups you did onyour fitness evaluation. The nextshift, do six minutes on the stairmill and increase every exercise byone. Challenge yourself to keepthis regimen every shift.If you are scheduled to work at FireStation 5, please take 30 minutespre or post work to get in a quickwork out at one of the stations thathave fitness equipment. I know thepersonnel who work at these stationswill accommodate you bydelaying their work out. If youneed some advice on strength andconditioning, please don’t hesitateto contact me. I will do my best tohelp you or get someone who hasthe answers to your questions.Now, please join me in congratulatingthe six new probationary firefighterson the successful completionof their Phase I OrientationTraining. When you see them onshift, I am certain that you willagree that they represent the type ofindividual we want in our Department.Take the time to work withand develop them into productive,competent members of our organization.John Gibson, C PlatoonShelly Griffith, A PlatoonSherry Griffith, C Platoon

Page 11BOCA FIRE-RESCUEBill Swoope, A PlatoonJared Vermeulen, D PlatoonAaron Walden, B PlatoonSpecial OpsBy:Scott JohnstonDivision ChiefThis month’s article will be basedon some recent research I did onEmergency Scene Rehabilitationof emergency responders whileworking on an emergency sceneand is based on NFPA 1584.It is important to look after ourown while working at an emergencyscene where there is excessiveheat, cold, or any aspect of thescene which may expose us to psychologicalstress. So please keepan eye on each other while performingyour duties each andevery day so we all go homesafely.For now, I would like to focus onHeat Stress which is mainly whatwe face while working at the sceneof an emergency.There is an easy method to use forrehabilitation of personnel whichis referred to as the 6 R’s whichare: Rest, Rehydration, Restoration,Rx, Relief, and Refueling.1. Rest – 20 minutes of workshould be followed by 10 minutesof rest when using a 30 minutebottle. However when we work,we use a 45 minute bottle whichchanges things. The rest periodshould be bumped up to 20 minutesof rest following 30 minutesof work or one 45 to 60 minutebottle. All rest periods should includere-hydration, which will bediscussed next.2. Rehydration – 12 to 32ounces of fluid should be consumedduring a 20 minute rest period.This is a minimum and shouldbe increased in extreme heat conditions,which are normally what weoperate in. During lengthy operations,a good rule of thumb is toconsume one quart of fluid per hourin order to stay properly hydrated.During bottle changes, it is recommendedthat a minimum of 8 oz offluid be consumed while you arewaiting for that fresh bottle. It isalso important to pay attention towhat fluids you are consuming. Waterof course is the most important;however under working conditions,we need to replace electrolytes.When consuming bottled or preparedsports activity drinks, it is importantto match the amount ofsports activity drink with an equalamount of water, (i.e.: 16 oz. SADfollowed by 16 oz of water). It isalso important to consume adequateamounts of water throughout the dayto stay hydrated and drink conservativeamounts of caffeinated and carbonatedbeverages. Remember thatif you are thirsty, you are alreadydehydrated, try and stay ahead of thegame and stay hydrated through outthe day and you will perform betterand be less likely to be overcome byheat stress.3. Rx – Medical monitoring ofemergency personnel is essentialand should be performed on everyonewho enters the rehab area.Medical monitoring should be specificin nature and conducted at specificintervals. Medical monitoringshould include Heart Rate, BloodPressure, Core Body Temperature,and Carbon Monoxide levels whenworking structure fires. Limits havebeen established, and should be adheredto without question. No personnelshould be allowed to activelywork on scene until their vital signsare within these normal limits,PERIOD. Failure to enforce medi-

Page 12BOCA FIRE-RESCUEcal monitoring can lead to heatstress injuries including death. It isalso essential that medical personnelare assigned to the rehab area, rendermedical attention to any personnelexhibiting signs or symptomssuch as Chest Pain, Shortness ofBreath, or any other forms of acuteillness.4. Restoration – Restoration ofcore body temperature is essential toavoid heat stress injuries. The bestway to accomplish this is through“Active Cooling” which can be accomplishedwith our new KoreKooler chairs which are carried onHaz Mat 6. The theory for this techniquecomes from a study conductedby the British Royal Navy. Thisstudy found that one of the mosteffective ways to cool the core bodytemperature was to immerse thehands and forearms in water whichwas cooler then the normal bodytemperature (anywhere from 68F-86F) due to the close proximity ofthe blood vessels running just belowthe skin. This technique significantlylowered core body temperaturesin as little as 10 minutes. PPEdrastically limits the bodies abilityto release the excessive heat built upwhich can rapidly cause personnelto move through heat exhaustion toheat stroke. Every method should beused to maintain the body’s coretemperature below 100.6. This willbe one of the vital signs monitoredin the rehab area.5. Relief – Relief should consist ofpersonnel totally removing PPEwhich allows both your body andyour PPE relief from the built upheat. One thing frequently overlookedis the heat retained in yourPPE. If you don’t remove the gearfrom your body, the heat accumulates,therefore increasing overallbody temperature. Give your bodyand your gear relief from the heatand take it off!6. Refueling – Personnel workingon an emergency scene shouldre-fuel with the proper types ofcalories. Foods should be light andeasily digestible in order to be rapidlyconverted intoenergy. Foods suchas bananas, oranges,apples are good examplesof fruitswhich yield readilyavailable energy. Other types offoods are soups, broths, and stewswhich can be easily digested.Foods to be avoided are heavyfoods which do not digest easilyand somewhat slow you downsuch as subs, pizza, or any type offood with a high salt and fat content.Of course it is much easier to rehabilitateyour body from the stressesof emergency work if you take aproactive approach to your overallhealth. A good healthy approachto diet, exercise, and stress reliefgoes a long way when your bodycomes under fire especially by heatstress. A good exercise programshould include outside work inmoderation to keep your body acclimatedto the extreme environmentwe work in. If you are constantlyworking in an air conditionedenvironment, or your workouts are always done in an air conditionedgym, you will have aproblem when you are faced with astressful and heavy work load inthe extreme heat of the day. Don’tbe afraid to get outside and do awork out, just be smart and conductmoderate exercise, and mostof all stay hydrated and you will bein much better shape to do yourjob and avoid heat stress injuries.Until next month, Stay Safe andStay Healthy.CommunicationsBy:Michael O’NeilDivision ChiefFire Station AlertingWe are starting the purchasing processin upgrading our Zetron Systemthat was approved in the budget.We are currently paying $300 permonth for each fire station Zetronphone line. Upgrading our systemto an IP-based Zetron will save usover $28,000 per year, allow additionalstations to be added in thefuture, and allow more than one dispatchconsole to alert fire stations.Emergency MedicalDispatch ProgramWe recertified all of our Telecommunicatorsthis month and recentlysent 9 telecommunicators to a 24-hour certification course that washosted at the 6500 Building. OurCommunications Center is now100% EMD certified. The StrategicPlan was recently published andthere were three key areas in Communicationsthat were identified.Strategic Plan ObjectiveBy December 31, 2008, train or retraindispatch personnel as needed inEmergency Medical Dispatch and institutequality control to assure properperformance.This is being done in three phases.The first phase has been completedwith the 100% certification of alltelecommunicators. The secondphase is setting up a Quality ImprovementUnit, Dispatch ReviewCommittee, Dispatch Steering Committee,and scheduling select telecommunicatorsto attend an EmergencyDispatch Quality Assurancecourse. The third phase is review-

Page 13BOCA FIRE-RESCUEing current policy and implementingthe policy for case reviews. Themajority of Communications Centershave a dedicated Quality Assuranceperson to QA case reviews.The standards that must be met areextremely rigid.Prioritization ofMedical ResponsesThe concept of EMD is to send theright response the correctway and to providepre-arrival instructions.Our system presentlysends all responses to medical emergenciesas a Code 3 (lights & sirens)response based upon response timestandards. Using the EMD systemas designed will allow us to prioritizeour responses based on a nationallyaccredited system, and allow usnot to report time statistics for minorillness/injury type of alarms.Strategic Plan ObjectiveBy September 30, 2008, incorporatea system within our current dispatchcapability to prioritize callsso the most appropriate responseorder will be issued upon dispatchtransmission.The first phase is to assure compatibilityof the EMD software calledProQA with our CAD. This wascompleted last month. The secondphase of this is to obtain strict adherencepercentages to the EMDprotocols we presently use using theflip cards. Once this is obtained, wewill migrate to the software-basedsystem for the third phase. The softwaresystem dictates the responselevel and unit assignment based onpriority symptoms determined in thecall-taking process. We have totalcontrol over the unit assignmentsand Medical Control is intimatelyinvolved in the setup configurationof this system.Example: A request for medicalassistance for a 20 year old personwho “almost fainted” would dictatea Code 1 Response and recommenda single Medical Unit in a nolights/sirens mode. However, thatsame person that is not alert, severerespiratory distress or unconsciouswould recommend a Code 3Response for the Medical Unit,and depending on local responsestandards could also recommendan engine company or EMS supervisoras part of the response. Thisis totally customizable to meet localresponse protocols.AVL-AutomatedVehicle LocationOur CAD system supports thisfeature and many police and firedepartment agencies presently useAVL to enhance their responsetime efficiency. The Police Departmentis currently involved inimplementing the ALV.Strategic Plan ObjectiveBy December 31, 2009, incorporateAutomated Vehicle Location(AVL) in all response vehicles.This will assist dispatch with assigningthe closest available unitto an emergency response.The ALV will be accomplished infour phases.• Planning (in progress)• Budget• Installation and Configuration• TrainingWe would like to welcome the newaddition to the George & ChristinaFox family. Ian Becker droppedinto their home on the 24th of Octoberat 12:36 pm. Ian weighed in at8lbs, 6ozs and is 21 inches long.Photo by Explorer Kevin ZimbrickFrank Correggio, Countess De Hoernle and Matt TupperAnnual Explorer Awards NightHonors Fire Explorers and theCountess De HoernleBy: Frank Correggio, PIOOn October 25 th , Boca Raton FireRescue Explorer Post #315 held itsthird annual awards night in theDawson Theater at Boca RatonCommunity Hospital. The awardspresentation was sponsored by BocaRaton Community Hospital.Twenty-two young men and womenfrom Boca Raton received awards ofachievement for their work as FireExplorers. Deputy Chief BrandonKausch received the award for FireExplorer of the Year. JonathanVought, Chief of the Post receivedthe Countess De Hoernle OutstandingAchievement Award,which was named in honor of theCountess De Hoernle for her outstandingwork in our community.Along with family members andfriends, present at the awards presentationwas Deputy Mayor SusanWhelchel, who spoke about the Explorersachievements and accomplishmentsthroughout the year.Explorer Post 315 presented plaquesto Fire Chief Tom Wood and themembers of Boca Raton Fire RescueServices. Assistant Chief Raul Tra-

Page 14BOCA FIRE-RESCUEvieso accepted a plaque on behalf ofthe Boca Raton Firefighters andParamedic Benevolent Trust Fund,John Luca, Fire Captain and Presidentof the Firefighters Local 1560and Sandi Geil from Boca RatonCommunity Hospital also receivedplagues. The plaques were given toeach organization for their help andsupport of Explorer Post 315.Boca Raton Fire Rescue’sHometown HeroesBoca Raton Fire Explorers presenteda plaque to Countess Henrietta DeHoernle for her ongoing and outstandingwork in the community.As part of the festivities, the FireExplorers brought out a birthdaycake and wished the Countess a belatedhappy birthday. Seeing thework that the Fire Explorers dothroughout the year and their commitmentto service, Countess DeHoernle announced that she willcontribute $100,000 to set up ascholarship fund that will assist FireExplorer Post #315 with their educationin fire and emergency medicine.Boca Raton Fire Explorer Post 315was started in 2004 and the successof the program continues to grow.In February of 2007 after successfulcompletion of the fire academy,EMT and paramedic school, BocaRaton Fire Rescue hired its first FireExplorer of Post #315 – JosephJohnson.Happy Thanksgiving Day!Back row:Firefighter/Paramedic’s Marcus Cooper and Matt Smith, Fire Inspector MattWelhalf, Fire Captain Lenny Marraffino, Assistant Chief Raul Travieso, Driver/Engineer Bryan Walton, Firefighter/Paramedic’s Dave Eddinger and PatMurray, Fire Captain Jim Muro, Driver/Engineer Ed Guinn.Front Row:Firefighter/Paramedic’s Mike Sember, Shannon Frederick, and Neil Duffy,Driver/Engineer Joe Ramsey, Firefighter/Paramedic Jason Sekula.Not Pictured: Firefighter/Paramedic’s Todd Withrow and Shane LeonHometown Heroes Protecting Boca RatonBy: Frank Correggio, PIOTwo hundred and two professional firefighters protect and serve thecitizens of Boca Raton. These men and women are part of a specialworkforce that answers the call to put out fires and treat medical emergencies.Out of the two hundred and two there are seventeen who wereborn and or raised here. These men and women chose to return toBoca Raton to work and protect the city and citizens where they grewup and went to school. These are Boca Raton Fire Rescue’s HometownHeroes.

Page 15BOCA FIRE-RESCUEBoca Raton Fire Rescue Station OneDedicated In Honor of FormerFire Chief John G. WithrowOn Saturday, October 6, 2007 at 10 am, theCity of Boca Raton dedicated new Fire RescueStation 1 in honor of former Fire ChiefJohn “Jack” G. Withrow. Jack served theCity of Boca Raton from 1963 to 1993. Heserved as Fire Chief from 1976 – 1993.Chief Withrow passed away in February1995. Naming the station in his honor is afitting tribute to Chief Withrow’s distinguishedservice with Boca Raton Fire RescueServices and to the citizens of which heserved.Over 250 family, friends and firefighters andretired firefighters attended the dedicationceremony. Six of the original thirteen BocaRaton Firefighters who opened the station in1965 are still alive today. Four of them attendedthe ceremony: Firefighter JohnClarke, Jack Hartzell, Sam Burke and LieutenantDarold Hurlbert. Also in attendancewere Mayor Steven L. Abrams, DeputyMayor Susan Whelchel, Council MembersPeter Baronoff and Bill Hagar.The 13,372 sq ft state-of-the-art, two-storyfacility will house one Truck, one MedicalUnit, the Battalion Chief, and the EMS Captain.It will be home to eight firefighter/paramedics who work a 24-hour shift.Mrs. Elisabeth Withrow, Mayor Steven L. Abrams,Chief Thomas R. Wood and FF Todd Withrow

Page 16BOCA FIRE-RESCUETeam Boca’s Top Female Is Ready for the World ChallengeBoca Raton Fire Rescue Services Firefighters Combat ChallengeTeam is set to compete at World Challenge XVI in LasVegas, Nevada. The Firefighter Combat Challenge is puttogether by Scott, a company who manufactures gear andequipment for firefighters.One of the members of Team Boca is Firefighter / ParamedicIrena Elmstorm. Irena has been competing in the CombatChallenge since 2004. This year she was crowned the 2007Grand National Champion in the female division. Irena isthe first female Grand National Champion that has won everyregional competition that she entered.On Thursday, November 1, 2007, Team Boca will have theirfinal practice before leaving for the World Challenge. Themedia is invited to see Irena and the rest of the winning membersof Team Boca at their final practice, which will be held atBoca Raton Fire Rescue’s Training Tower located at 800 BanyanTrail. Practice will begin at 5:30 pm.The men and women of Team Boca train hard on their offdays to get ready for what is considered to be the ToughestTwo Minutes in Sports -- the Firefighter Combat Challenge.Results of Irena’s recent Combat ChallengesMay 18, 2007Deerfield Beach, FL - 1st Place Female Division -(Elmstrom)1st Place Co-Ed Tandem w/ Division Chief Scott Johnston --Team BocaAugust 11, 2007Lexington, KY - 1st Place Female Division – (Elmstrom)1st place Co-Ed Tandem w/ David Bowman, NCSeptember 7, 2007Milwaukee, WI - 1st place Female Division - (Elmstrom)1st place co-ed w/David Bowman, NCWorld record time of 1:35.46September 22, 2007Gainesville, FL - 1st Place Female Division - (Elmstrom)1st Place Co-ed Tandem w/ Battalion Chief Brett Lea -- TeamBoca1st Place Female Relay Team w/ Crista Mokenhaupt and IleneRose of Delray Beach Fire RescueOctober 5, 2007Akron, OH - 1st Place Female Division - (Elmstrom)Division Chief Scott Johnston & FF Irena Elmstrom(cont. from Page 2)Training CertificatesJackie Fumero, Office Assistant II/TrainingJackie needs copies of all outside training.Tuition ReimbursementSue Sova, Accounting CoordinatorMust be employed for one full year.PRIOR to beginning class, submit a “TuitionReimbursement” form (Item 37 in electronic filingcabinet) along with proof of enrollment andreceipt of payment. After class has been completed,Sue needs proof of completion and theletter grade you received.[A-100% reimbursement; B-75%; and C-50%.]Irena was mentioned in the October issue of Fire RescueMagazine.

Page 17BOCA FIRE-RESCUEMs. United States VisitsBoca Raton Fire ExplorersOn Thursday, October 4, 2007, Lauren Wanger, Ms.United States 2007, spoke to the Fire Explorer Post #315 and then experienced first hand what its like tobe a firefighter as she was put through training withthe Explorers. The training took place at the FireSupport and Training Tower located at 800 BanyanTrail. Ms. Wanger put on bunker pants, coat, hatand helmet, and handled a hose line. Fire Explorersand instructors assisted as she advanced fire hoseand put water on a simulated fire. The Explorers andMs. Wanger ran through some of the events that theBoca Raton Fire Explorers will be competing in atthe Broward Sheriff Explorer Competition in December.Ms. United States, Lauren Wanger, represented Floridain the National Ms. United States Pageant in LasVegas this August, captured the crown, and wasnamed Ms. United States 2007. Lauren graduatedfrom Rutgers University in New Jersey with highesthonors and obtained her dual masters degree fromLong Island University in both social studies andspecial education.Living in New York, she pursued her music and modeling career, and recorded her EP album titled "Feel It Coming" in 2005.Most recently her song "Famous" was featured in a motion picture soundtrack. Lauren wrote her first book, "How to Stay Fit onthe College Meal Plan and Avoid the Freshman Fifteen." As a seventh grade Government and Economics teacher in BocaRaton, Lauren has chosen "Building Better Lives for Children" as her platform for the year.It was our extreme honor to have Ms. United States visit our Post and share her platform with our group.Ms. United States,Lauren Wanger,graciously donnedthe heavy and hotbunker gear of afirefighter...andhow many Ms.U.S.A.s do youknow who wouldwear a helmet overtheir hair and takethe chance of ruiningtheir manicure?Pictured is Fire ExplorerChief JonathanVought, Ms. UnitedStates LaurenWanger, and PIOFrank Correggio.

Retirees and Their Spouses Attending the Fire Station 1 Dedication CeremonyLeft to Right—Row 1, Sitting: Marcella Ketcham, Shirley Burke, Shirley Pearson, Liz Withrow, TheresaHartzell, Jeanie Branstetter, Mary Krooss, Sheila Cloran, Mary Anne Bond, Chris Murray & Roxanne Trinka.Row 2, Standing: Bill Sobke, Eddie Harper, Sam Burke, Tim Shea, Darold Hurlbert, Jack Hartzell, Bob Branstetter,Richie Krooss, John Clarke, Judy Woodrey & Carol Ott.Row 3, Standing: Bill Trinka, Art Permenter, Craig Bond, Dave Rossow, Dave Cloran & Ray Murray.Row 4, Standing: Linda Millican.Thomas R. Wood, CFOFire ChiefBoca Raton Fire Rescue Services6500 Congress Avenue, Suite 200Boca Raton, FL 33487-2808