Steve Ebner

From the Chief “701”

wwalsh@flmfire.org — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 21:45:00 GMT

I hope everyone had a good Christmas and I wish each of you and your families a healthy and happy new year.
The business meeting for December was held at station 3, the mem- bership attending voted in the new by laws. The last step of the proc- ess for the new by laws will be the presentation at the BOD meeting on Jan 5th for approval from the board. After approval, a copy will be placed in your mailbox at Station 1. At the December business meet- ing officers were also selected and ratified by the membership. (See complete list on page 2).
As all of you know, Kathy Hogan has served as EMS Lieutenant for the past two years. In November she advised me that she will not have time to be EMS Lieutenant for 2010. She stated her full time business was keeping her very busy and she felt she did not have the time to do job necessary for the position. During her tenure as Lieutenant, Kathy’s contributions to the department have been many, and very much appreciated. Thank you Kathy for your time and efforts that helped make our vision a reality.
A quick look back at 2009... we have realized some of our signifi- cant goals.
One of the more pronounced achievements is the pride that has devel- oped within the department. The pride and confidence that has evolved has also led to a very cohesive membership, able to deliver a professional service to the community we serve. We have seen that this is evident in working incidents on EMS calls and Fire calls. The progression of the services we provide and how we provide those services are a testament to the time, dedication and commitment by everyone involved with the department.
Some of our other achievements have been the contract signing for station 5 on CR 117. This project is scheduled to begin shortly, weather dependant, and should be completed by April 2010. In addi- tion, the contract for the purchase of a new Pierce engine was signed and the truck should arrive by mid summer. Both of these projects
have allowed the department to stay on tract in meeting our 2009 long-range goals.
In the past year, we have been able to secure over $240,000 in grant money, which has allowed the department to move forward with the construction of station 5, and purchase much needed equipment.
Looking forward in 2010...
We will be working on advancing our structural fire fighting skills and capabilities. This will be a 3 step process,
We will start out with the Fire Fighter II class starting in January; with the completion of the Fire Fighter II program we will have some ad- vanced fire fighting live burns at the tower in Farmington. We will also arrange more trips to Farmington, later in the year, for live burns at the tower.
At the same time I will be working with our members on our Engi- neer skills with driver and pumping operations. As we have seen on calls, the more we train, the more automatic we become when work- ing on an incident.
As I stated earlier, we will see the completion of station 5, the deliv- ery of the new engine by mid summer and the conversion of engine 74 to a tanker this winter.
The combination of training, the addition of equipment and apparatus placement will enable us to better serve our community, but most importantly, it keeps our fire fighters safer while they are able to de- liver a more effective and efficient service while operating on an inci- dent.
It has been my pleasure to work with such an energetic, committed group of people in 2009 and I look forward to all that we will accom- plish together in 2010.
Happy New Y ear!

Freezing Pumps

wwalsh@flmfire.org — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 03:24:00 GMT

I will be draining all fire pumps on the apparatus today due to the freezing temperatures.

On the Structure Engines, please follow the instructions below,
If you pick up a truck and need to use the pump you will have to:
1. Close the main pump drain
2. Close all auxiliary drains on the pump panel
3. Engage the pump
4. Open your tank to pump valve/gate
5. Prime the pump till you have water

When you have finished pump operations please drain the pump at the time you cease operations
1. Disengage the pump
2. Close the tank to pump valve/gate
2. Open main pump drain
3. Open all auxiliary drains on the pump panel
4. Open 2 ½ intake, below steamer

As long as we do not have water on the pump we should not have freezing issues with the pump.

The pumps on the brush trucks will be drained as well,
1. All drains will be closed when you pick up the truck
2. Open tank to pump valve
3. Prime the pump till you have water

When finished, at the time you cease pump operations
1. Shut down the pump, close tank to pump valve
2. Open main drain on pump
3. Open all valves except tank to pump valve, allow water to drain out completely
4. Close all valves

Happy Holidays, from the Chief “701”

wwalsh@flmfire.org — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:22:00 GMT

Here we are close to the end of 2009 and we are looking ahead to 2010. Where has the time gone? it seems to go by so quickly. I am sure we will all look back at 2009 as a tough year, considering the economic climate, and I hope everyone has weathered the economic storm pretty well.
In the past year we have been called upon to mitigate some very significant incidents involving medical, fire, wild land and hazmat. I would like to express my appreciation to each and every one of you who have participated in re-sponding to these calls. All of you, when called upon under some of the most adverse conditions and circumstances, have performed and executed your skills and talents in the most professional manner. This has been a direct result of the training, dedication and commitment by the members of the department. This has not been an easy accomplish-ment, we all know about the time spent away from home for the department, attending training in house as well as outside classes, working on vehicle checks, vehicle mainte-nance, fund raising, GIS, IT and all of the other special pro-jects that have culminated in the organization that we have today. As your Fire Chief, I want to thank everyone for mak-ing 2009 a very successful year and I am very proud of each and every one for the accomplishments we as a de-partment have achieved.
As we end the year we are also seeing our hazmat opera-tions class come to completion with eleven members at-tending, as well as one of our members finishing his EMT-B class. We are also in the planning stages to offer, In Janu-ary 2010, an EMT-B refresher class as well as a Firefighter II class. We need to have participation for both of these classes so please contact me with the class that you would like to attend.
In early 2010, we are working toward breaking ground for the construction of station 5 on County Road 117. We have ordered a new engine, designed for structural and wild land firefighting, and we expect to receive it in July or Au-gust. Over the winter we will be working on the conversion of Engine 74 to a tanker. All of these projects when com-plete and on line will enhance our capabilities to serve the district more effectively. As we proceed with these projects help will be needed especially with the conversion of en-gine 74.
The Department Business Meeting is scheduled for De-cember 15 (see your calendar). Several topics of impor-tance will be brought to the floor for discussion. The new bylaws will be introduced for membership approval and vote, line officers for next year will be voted in and we need to vote for the Firefighter of the Year for the banquet in January. If there is someone you would like to nominate for the Firefighter of the Year, please check your email for the criteria and submit your nomination in writing to me in a sealed envelope to be opened, read and voted on at the December business meeting. Results of the vote will be revealed during the January banquet.
Mary and I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a joyous Christmas season and all good blessings in the coming New Year.

License Plate Riders

wwalsh@flmfire.org — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:06:00 GMT

I have ordered license plate "riders" for everyone's POV. They came in and I've put two in each of your mailboxes at Sta. 1.

From the Chief “701”

wwalsh@flmfire.org — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 01:33:00 GMT

The department will be taking possession of two 6 x 6 brush units from Colorado State Forest. These units will arrive late fall or early winter, after the Fort Collins shop has check over the units. Brush Tanker 73 will be returned back to the Forest Service once these units are placed in service. This will leave us with three 6 x 6 brush tankers with low profile tanks. One of the trucks will have a CAFS unit on board.

IMPORTANT! Please note the following for EMS response. When dispatched on a medical call to a residence with a known single patient incident, only ONE medic unit should respond. Additional personnel should respond with a rescue unit if a medic unit is already in route. When dispatched on an MVA call, ONE medic unit, a rescue, and an engine should respond in that order. If additional personnel are available, a second medic unit may respond after the initial assignment has been filled.

A follow-up to department discussion regarding expanded EMS service. Since our meeting with the membership, we have been updated by the county in reference to anticipated future reduction in revenue due to the poor economic climate. Due to the possibility of future financial restraints, the expanded EMS service will be put on hold for the time being and will be revisited at a future date. In the meantime, EMS service will continue in the same manner as currently provided by the department. Please feel free to give me a call if you have any questions regarding the future financials or EMS service that will be provided at this time.

Due to the increase in heavy truck traffic in our area, along with the well and gas sites, we will be hosting a HazMat Operations class starting in October. Tuesday, October 6^th will be registration night and the first class will be held on Tuesday, October 20^th starting at 1900 at Station 3. Class will run on Tuesday and Thursday evenings through completion sometime in December. Proper training is vital to the safety of all members responding on such incidents and attendance is strongly encouraged. Please check your schedules and contact me if you would like to attend this class. We will be using the Jones & Bartlett “Fundamentals of Firefighter Skills” used in the FFI and FFII classes. Please let me know if you plan to attend and do not have this book so one can be ordered for you.

Regular vehicle maintenance checks have allowed problems with our apparatus to be identified and corrected in the early stages. Regular checks and maintenance of our equipment has been extremely successful and will continue this fall. Along with evening and weekend checks by the membership, I conduct vehicle checks on Fridays. Available members are welcome and encouraged to help when their schedule allows. Please contact either myself or Dennis Portlance if you have time in you schedule to help out. Being familiar with your equipment is vital. Thanks to all who have participated to date!

Your service to the community through your commitment and dedication is appreciated. It takes all of us coming together as “one” to make our department successful.

Thank you for all that you do!

Fall 2009 Class Offerings

wwalsh@flmfire.org — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 03:27:00 GMT

Beginning in late September, a HazMat Ops class is being planned. The HazMat Ops class is open to all members and will give personnel a further awareness of the complexities present during certain situations like MVAs or wild land fires on or near gas and oil sites.

As of January 2009, all new Firefighter I students must have a HazMat Ops for certification.

Following the HazMat Ops class, a Firefighter II class will be held at Station 3: Dates and times TBA. FFII is open to anyone with FFI. The class is less physically challenging than FFI. It's a great opportunity to advance knowledge and skills. If interested contact me.

What Does it Mean to be a Volunteer Fire Fighter? By Chief Ebner “701”

wwalsh@flmfire.org — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 05:04:00 GMT

Some would say, and I am one of those who would say, it takes a special person to be a fire fighter. For some it is a way to give back to the community and for others it starts off as a way to meet friends and interact with a group of individuals who are motivated to come together to help one another. It’s responding to calls day and night to any number of emergencies. It’s the challenge of remembering how to cut a car apart, making entry into a burning structure or responding to that wild land incident with the large plume of smoke and you are still miles out from the scene or you are entering a residence for a medical call and you have family looking at you as if you have all the answers and they want everything to be alright. It is seeing your fellow humans, your neighbors and sometimes your friends at their worst, and looking to you to help them through an event that forever will be in their memory. It is something that you will never forget or regret doing.

Being a volunteer is like taking on a part time job. Time is spent on training, public education, fund raising and a lot of other jobs that are all part of making an organization work. The work does not end when the fire is put out or when that patient has been transported; that is just a small part of the whole.

Fire fighting is a very demanding and dangerous job. We train to educate and prepare ourselves; with education we also lessen the odds against us, keep each other safer and as a result, we do a better job of protecting our community.

Fire fighting can be ugly. The “bad” in fire fighting is part of the “good”. They both make us stronger and better for and at what we do. It is what makes us different .We do what others can not do. Once a new member becomes one of us, they will share in the challenges, the comradeship, and when we are successful, a sense of accomplishment that is second to none.

It takes a special person to fill the boots of a volunteer firefighter. Someone with the desire to do something important for the community. Someone with courage and dedication, who isn’t afraid of hard work, and is willing to accept the challenges of a difficult job. A person who goes out the door , day or night, at the sound of the alarm knowing that they are the first line of defense to answer the call for help.

It is often said that “firefighting gets into your blood.” That is not true. Firefighting gets into your heart.

FLMFPD T shirts and caps.

wwalsh@flmfire.org — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 00:02:00 GMT

I have set out in the training room, at station 3, some items for each of you to pick up,

We now have new Tee shirts in, please pick up 2 for each member
We also have new ball caps in, these are fitted small-medium and large-x large, please try one on for size, 2 for each member
We have some flashlights, these are actually a flashlight on one end and a strobe light on the opposite end and are designed to hang on your gear. These lights are for your safety please be sure to pick one up.

Feel free to stop in and pick up your items, please pick up only the designated amount of each,

800 MHz radios

wwalsh@flmfire.org — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 23:06:00 GMT

Those of you who have a 800MHz handheld radio in your possession, please start using your 800 MHZ radio as a means of communication, person to person, after you have checked on the air using your VHF. The 800 is not linked to dispatch as of yet, so they will not hear us, but in times of lapsed coverage this should help out. Also, lets see how these new systems will work for us, now is the time to work out some bugs if we need to.

We have the unofficial word that our grant request was funded. If that is true we will then have enough 800 MHz equipment to migrate to the 800 system once we have them in place on the units.

From the Chief "701"

wwalsh@flmfire.org — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 21:01:00 GMT

June and July have passed and I hope everyone has had a good summer. The time off has been nice, but it is time to get back to reality. We will have scheduled training in August as follows:

Thursday August 6^th at 1900, Station 3. There will be discussion on the future of our EMS program at Fort Lewis Mesa Fire. All EMTs, please try to attend.

Thursday August 13^th, Friday August 14^th and Saturday August 15^th: We will offer the Engineer short course that we had a couple of years ago. This is a good opportunity for those who would like to learn how to operate the pump panel on the structure engines as well as a good refresher for those who have already taken the class. If you plan on taking the class, or would like to refresh, please contact me so we can accommodate all requests. The Thursday and Friday class will be held at Station 3 starting at 1900, Saturday will be at station 2 starting at 0900.

Thursday August 20^th at 1900, Station 3: We will have Williams Energy presenting the annual pipeline emergency class. Following the class we will have a pipeline emergency exercise simulating fire and patients. This will require the use of Engines and Medic Units as well as enough personnel to participate, so please try to attend.

Over the last few months we have been very busy working on several projects for the betterment of the department. All of these projects have been based on grants and I would like to update you on the progress that we have made.

Communications: Last Spring, we applied for the Homeland Security grant for more 800 mhz. radios. Once we have these radios in and installed we will then have the capability to migrate over to the 800 mhz. system. With the degradation that we have been experiencing with the VHF frequencies, migrating over to the 800 system will be a huge improvement to our communications. We have tested the system using hand held radios and I was quite surprised how well it covered our district. The last word I have received on the grant is that we have been “funded”. This is unofficial, but we should have the “official” word soon on our grant request.

EMS equipment: During the Spring we applied for EMS equipment including two Life Pac 12 monitors and some pediatric equipment. I can tell you that we have been fully funded for this equipment. We are now waiting for the paperwork from the State, and once we have that in hand we will then place the order and get this equipment in.

Station 5 and new Engine: We have a grant request into DOLA for Station 5 on CR 117, a new Engine and equipment to be placed on the engine. On Thursday July 23^rd Doug Zalesky and JT Coyne gave our presentation to the DOLA review board which went very well. We will not get word on the outcome of our grant request for 30 or more days but I do feel we put together a very comprehensive package and the presentation went very well. Keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best; I’m looking for positive thought waves.

Bob and Paul Richardson have invited all Fort Lewis Mesa Fire Protection District members to a pig roast on Saturday August 8^th at 1800. They would like to show their appreciation to the members of the department for what you do. Please try to attend. The location is 3940 CR 119. Covered dishes, I am sure, would be welcome.

As most of you know, Maynard Brandsma, a volunteer Lieutenant with DFRA, passed away last week. The memorial service was on Sunday July 26^th. DFRA had requested an Engine and crew to standby at their Station 1 during the memorial service. Engine 71 with Captain John Vogel, Captain Mark Bauer, Lt. Cassie Ramsey and Fire Fighter Garrett Vogel provided the standby coverage. I just wanted to say thank you for taking your Sunday evening to standby at DFRA Station 1. There have been many times during this time of need that I have received thanks from DFRA staff as well as individuals members of DFRA for the support Fort Lewis Mesa Fire has given to DFRA. Thank you, to all of you, for doing what you do.