Okay, here we are into November and I thought we had just gotten started with October. I think I missed most of that month. Anyway, here are a few memorable tidbits of information for you about the month of November. First, November is a month to recognize a lot of medically related issues, and there’s really a lot to list here. But certainly, November is a month that recognizes some of the more serious medical issues and diseases that our society deals with on a day- today basis. November is also Military Family Appreciation Month (we thank and salute you). It is also Peanut Lovers Month. A couple of weekly observations include (pay attention)
Dear Santa Letter Week (8-14) and National Family Week (21-28). Daily observations include National Men Make Dinner Day (4th), Marine Corps Birthday (Nov.10th, have to be fair to all), Veterans Day (11th, please shake a veteran’s hand and thank them for their service), Have a Bad Day Day (14th) and finally, Black Friday (26th), also known as Buy Nothing Day. Enjoy the month.

Leesa and I have had the opportunity to teach a First Responder class to personnel from the coal mine. We finished the first class during the third week of October and immediately began a second class on October 26th. It has been a real treat for us to have the opportunity to meet and train these people and to learn more about the mine and its operations. They are wonderful people and it is a real benefit to our department
to not only get to know them and the mine operations, but to get to train them. The mine represents a unique situation in our district and to have people trained to render immediate care to patients at the mine is extremely valuable. I feel very confident that when we run calls at the mine in the future, we can rest assured that their initial care will be top notch. The first class was comprised of 10 individuals and the second class is at about 14. We may even get some applications for membership in the department from these classes.
I am also privileged to get to help teach a Haz Mat Operations class to some of our members. While I am a big advocate for exposure to outside instructors, it is a treat for me to get to interact with members of
our department in the classroom. Unfortunately, with tighter and tighter budgets, we will need to more and more utilize the enormous talents we have in our own department to continue moving forward with our training. So, between teaching the First Responder classes and the Haz Mat Ops class, I guess that is how October slipped by so fast.

As I walked outside at Station 3 tonight, the cold temperature hit me and reminded me of the time of year
we are entering. I thought immediately of how the types of calls can be different due to the change in season and how responding to calls can take on a whole different mind set. Examples include chimney fires, hypothermia, and dealing with freezing temperatures and their effects on equipment.I would ask each and every member to take the time and think about responses to incidents from here on in because weather changes everything.

Do you know what to do in the case of a chimney fire? What about an MVA in below freezing temperatures?
Are you prepared with the appropriate gear/clothing to stand on a highway for an hour or two and help with traffic? Take the time to refresh yourself on some of the situations you may find yourself in during the coming months and think about how the weather can change your response.

Last of all, take advantage of some of the trainings coming up. We have some new equipment in the
department and we need to train on it before it is put in service. Also, many of the upcoming trainings are refresher trainings for many, but needed in that skills are lost if not used routinely. Trainings are really for your safety and as many of you know, I am a stickler on safety, only because I want each and every member of this department to go home safely and intact after each and every call.

Have a safe and happy month, and remember to thank those that do so much for all of us.