Salute Firefighters - Salute to Firefighters 2015

2015 WHIDBEY ISLAND

SALUTE TO FIREFIGHTERS

A SUPPLEMENT TO THE SOUTH WHIDBEY RECORD, WHIDBEY NEWS-TIMES & THE WHIDBEY EXAMINER

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Salute to Firefighters 2015

OCTOBER IS

FIRE PREVENTION MONTH

FIRE PREVENTION MONTH FIRE PREVENTION MONTH FIRE PREVENTION MONTH page sponsored This page This is sponsored by: FIREby: DISTRICT #7

South Whidbey Fire & EMS JOIN US! JOIN US! Volunteer to be Volunteer to be aaFirefighter!

Firefighter!

It’s very important that you take precautions when it comes to fire.Always practice these safety tips:

If your clothes catch fire . . .

Safety Fire

Never play with matches or lighters Do not handle gasoline or other liquids that burn Be careful around stoves, heaters and open fires Do not cook unless an adult is present If smoke is around, stay low to the ground REMEMBER, if something catches on fire, get help. Call 9-1-1 Kids and adults should work together to form an emergency plan, including an escape route. Don’t forget to practice the plan.

STOP where you are.

DROP to the ground ROLL over and over until the flames are out, covering your face and mouth with your hands

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Salute to Firefighters 2015

Change in scope Training required today doesn’t stop firefighters from serving communities

By RON NEWBERRY Staff reporter

When Rusty Palmer entered the fire service in the mid 1970s in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the pace was slower, yet the job was more hazardous.

He remembers there were only two selfcontained breathing apparatus in a department of 38 firefighters. So when a fire call came in, most firefighters went without adequate lung protection.

“Today, we’ve got one for every firefighter and in every seat in the organization,” said Palmer, who’s now the fire chief at South Whidbey Fire/EMS. “And there’s a very strong expectation that everyone wears it.”

Palmer has witnessed numerous changes in nearly 40 years in the fire service, with improvements in safety to better protect first responders among the most significant.

But just as safety regulations in the industry have evolved and expanded over the decades, so has the scope of the firefighter’s role.

Long gone are the days when the job was just about putting out fires.

“When I joined, all I did was fight fire,” Palmer said. “Not long after that, I became an EMT (emergency medical technician). Then, I fought fire and became a medical aid, then a hazardous materials technician.

“The number of things a firefighter is expected to do today is far and above what was expected four decades ago.”

The expectation for a firefighter in agencies on Whidbey Island, whether paid or volunteer, is to obtain Firefighter 1 and EMT-Basic certifications within a year or two of being hired.

Earning these certifications gives a firefighter the skill-sets to perform nearly all duties associated with firefighting as well as additional medical training beyond First Aid and CPR. Responding to medical emergencies is the most common call a fire department receives.

Through September, Central Whidbey Fire & Rescue was called to respond to 12 structure fires this year, compared to nearly 700 medical incidents.

About 70 percent of the calls that come into Central Whidbey Fire are medically related,

said fire chief Ed Hartin, whose department consists of 10 career firefighters, 10 part-time firefighters and 20 volunteers.

About 60 percent of the calls that come into the Oak Harbor Fire Department are medical in nature, according to fire chief Ray Merrill.

“When I first came into the fire service, we were strictly fire,” said Merrill, who got his start in Westport 40 years ago. “We didn’t do medical work at all.”

“The biggest evolution firefighters have had in the last 40 years is the scope of their work,” said North Whidbey Fire and Rescue chief Mike Brown, whose department is mostly volunteer. “Besides our fire operation, we respond to motor vehicle accidents. We respond to hazardous material spills or releases. We respond to marine search and rescue.

We respond to high-angle rescue. Those are things where the scope of our practice has expanded in such a way the last 40 years or so that our skill level is incredibly broad.”

With this widened scope has come the need for more training for the modern-day firefighter.

Palmer is amazed by the dedication shown by his department of 62 volunteers and 10 paid staff.

His volunteers range in age from 19 to 75 and have given about 25,000 hours of their time to the department.

He said South Whidbey is on pace to respond to more than 2,400 calls this year.

“That’s with volunteers,” Palmer said. “It blows my mind that our volunteers are able to keep doing that because it is such a tap on their time. The amount of training is huge now.”

The departments on the island have joined forces once a year to offer an academy where recruits can earn their Firefighter 1 certification.

There will be two such opportunities for recruits six months apart starting in 2016.

Agencies such as Central Whidbey and North Whidbey also offer support roles for volunteer members who want to help but aren’t interested in becoming a certified firefighter or EMT. Such roles include operating light apparatus such as a water tender or brush rig.

“Our goal is to engage people more quickly

“Sending heartfelt thanks for all you do everyday to

Thank you to our firefighters 5826 Kramer Rd Langley, WA 98260

360-321-7799

save our lives”

Mother Mentors

Photo by Ron Newberry

Captain Matt VanGiesen with North Whidbey Fire and Rescue operates the pump during a large brushfire at Fort Ebey State Park in July. and give them a narrow skill-set so they can begin to provide to the community various aspects of work,” Hartin said.

South Whidbey is considering this support role option for its volunteers, Palmer said.

The Oak Harbor Fire Department doesn’t have volunteers. It has a career staff of 10 and 34 paid on-call firefighters.

All new hires are required to gain certification as firefighters and EMTs within a year.

“When you talk fire, it still comes down to putting the wet stuff on the red stuff,” Merrill said. “The basic concept is still there.”

“Whidbey General Emergency Medical Services saved my life.

Thank you, EMS.”

- Wayne Locke, Oak Harbor resident

Thank you Thank you for for your your service. service

Since 1988

24 Hour Service

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Thank you for all your hard work & dedication.

You are appreciated!

Linda Earnhart

Managing Broker

Nurturing the caregivers of young children

www.whidbeymothermentors.org 360-321-1484

Windermere Real Estate/Whidbey Island 32785 SR 20, #4, Oak Harbor, WA 98277 360-929-0922 - cell WhidbeyIslandHomes.com | earnhart@whidbey.net

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Salute to Firefighters 2015

South Whidbey Fire and Rescue

Commissioner Bobby Elliot

Commissioner Kenon Simmons

Commissioner Mike Helland

Chief H.L. Rusty Palmer

Asst. Chief Paul Busch

Deputy Chief Jon Beck

Deputy Chief Mike Cotton

Captain Brian Vicki

Captain Jerry Beck

Captain Tom Peterson

Lieutenant Rostov Hershel

Lieutenant Mari St Amand

Lieutenant Robert Frey

Lieutenant Eldon Baker

AJ Agnew

Alex McMahon

Andy O’Keefe

Anne Collins

Ariel Childers

Bill Frederick

Brett Davison

Brian Boyd

Carlee Mills

Chuck Baker

Thank you for your service!

THANK YOU TO OUR WHIDBEY ISLAND FIREFIGHTERS & EMS HEROES!

Thank you to our Whidbey

Harmony Veterinary Services, LLC

Firefighters and EMS

Sandi Farris, DVM

Responders

150 SE Pioneer Way, Oak Harbor, WA 98277 (360) 679-3533

PO Box 772, Coupeville, WA 98239

Cheryl Keefe

Call us at: 360-969-9700

206-930-7316

www.harmony-veterinary.com

Broker/Owner

Whidbey Island South

Salute to Firefighters 2015

South Whidbey Fire and Rescue

Darela Chittim

Dena Peel

Don Mason

Drew Gardner

Erik Westphal

Heidi Beck

James Dobberfuhl

Jared Russell

Jeff Cravy

Jeff Simmons

Jen Buchholz

Jon Bryant

Jon Gabelein

Kathy Eyth

Kay Cope

Kelly Cammermeyer

Kelly McDonald

Ken Lindenstein

Ken Starkweather

Keppi Mills

Kevin Rookstool

Kurt Buchholz

Lisa Dilwicius

Marc Swenson

Thank you Whidbey Island firefighters and EMS responders for your service!

Thanks for your service!

31775 State Route 20, Suite A-1 Oak Harbor, Washington 98277 360-675-7573 www.growingkidsmiles.com kiddoc1@growingkidsmiles.com

360-341-3504

We salute our brave firefighter heroes.

Thank you for your bravery and sacrifice. www.freeland-wa.org

THANK YOU for your service

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Salute to Firefighters 2015

South Whidbey Fire and Rescue

Melissa Conley

Pat McMahon

Paul Rempa

Paul Shimada

Peter Lett

Rebekah Pomeroy

Rob Harrison

Robbyn Hagglund

Robert Armstrong

Robert Husom

Sean McDougald

Sean Roberts

Emergency Checklist If the unthinkable happens, your children will look to you to know how to react and respond. Use the checklist below to help your family prepare and keep children safe in a disaster.

Make a family plan and determine: n The facilities that will be used as shelters in your community in case of emergency n A designated meet-up location if your family is separated n An emergency contact outside of your area who would not be affected by a local disaster

Shane Cummins

Terry Welch

Tom Gideon

Tony Nissen Not pictured:

Trevor Jones

Vicki Lange

Will Piepeienbrink

WE THANK YOU WHIDBEY ISLAND FIREFIGHTERS AND EMS RESPONDERS

Division Chief Wendy Moffatt Ashley Taylor Melissa Simmons Kevin Simmons Capt. James Towers Bill Stolcis LT. Chris Blasko

Teach your children: n Basic personal information to identify themselves if separated from you n How to dial 911 n Your family’s meet-up locations n How to reach your family’s out-of-town contact Have a communications strategy: n Program all family cell phones with “ICE” (In Case of Emergency) contacts n Include all family phone numbers plus out-of-town contacts n Remind family members that text messages often get through in an emer­-gency, even when a phone call can’t

Local Service, Measurable Savings

THANK YOU

360-331-4440

CALL ME FOR A FREE,ENBERG RANDY NO-OBLIGATION QUOTE! INSURANCE Your Local Agent 5589 S Harbor Ave Freeland, WA 98249 renberg@farmersinsurance.com

5438 S Woodard Ave. Freeland, WA 98249 www.gordonsonblueberryhill.com Phone: 360.331.7515 • E-mail: gordonsonblueberryhill@gmail.com

www.wiws.org

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Salute to Firefighters 2015

Central Whidbey Fire and Rescue

Commissioner Cheryl Engle

Commissioner Paul Messner

Commissioner Steve Hutchinson

Chief Ed Hartin

Deputy Charlie Smith

Training Capt. Jerry Helm

Lieutenant Jennifer Porter

Lieutenant Derik Vrable

Acting Lieutenant Alex Majestic

Alexandra McMahon

Andy Griffen

Brandon Skeith

Brent Stevens

Bryan Mollitor

Chuck Hathaway

Craig Youdarian

David Winship

Diane Paul

Dillion Rogers

Emily Hilberdink

Greg Behan

Holly Slothower

James Meek

Jeff Rhodes

To our local South Whidbey Firefighters and EMS Volunteers.

Thank you for your bravery, hard work and commitment. We appreciate your dedication to keeping us safe Visser Funeral Home 432 Third Street, Langley, WA 360-221-6600

Thank You Whidbey Firefighters And EMS Responders Village Pizzeria is the only waterfront restaurant In Langley.

Serving delicious hand-tossed NY style pizza, we also serve pasta dishes, sandwiches, variety of salads and appetizers.

Come in and enjoy the gorgeous view of the sound and full bar service next to a warm fireplace.

Voting now open for “King 5 Best of Western Washington” vote for us best pizza; we were top 5 last year!

Burley Funeral Chapel 30 S E Ely Street, Oak Harbor, WA. 360-675-3192

106 1st Street, Langley, WA 98260 ▶ 360-221-3363

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Salute to Firefighters 2015

Central Whidbey Fire and Rescue

Jeff Tasoff

Jesse Leyva

Jessica Shaffer

Jim Colton

Jim Huff

John Lloyd

Keith Andrews

Kim Harpe

Kolton Kellison

Kyle Jacobsen

Marvin Raavel

Michael Pelzer

Change the batteries in smoke alarms at Daylight Saving Time

Mike Matros

Phil Matthes

Robert Moore

Todd Duddridge

Tony McNair

Trenton Taylor

Will Piepenbrink

Will Suarez

Thank You Whidbey Firefighters

Bayview Embroidery N’Print “HIGH QUALITY - NOT HIGH PRICES”

(360)679-7900

bayview-embroidery-n-print.com

890 SE Pioneer Way, Ste. 101 Oak Harbor, WA. 98277

(StatePoint) While there are numerous ways to improve home safety, fires are a common threat that you have the power to prevent with preparation.

The International Association of Fire Chiefs and Energizer team up each fall to educate the public about how to improve in-home safety.

The “Change Your Clock Change Your Battery” program reminds everyone to replace the batteries in their home’s smoke detectors when they change their clocks for Daylight Saving Time so they have functioning smoke alarms.

Working smoke alarms cut nearly in half the risk of dying in a home fire by providing an early warning.

Having a fresh battery in your smoke detector plays a critical role in giving families the time needed to safely escape a home fire.

In addition to sponsoring this educational campaign, Energizer has donated more than five million batteries to fire departments over the years.

To learn more about the Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery program, visit www.energizer.com/responsibility Take action for the safety of your family and make sure you have working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. It’s the first step to a safer home.

“Thank you to all Whidbey Island Firefighters” Open 7 days a week.

Cozy’s Roadhouse 8872 Hwy 525 Clinton WA 98236 360-341-2838 www.cozysroadhouse.com

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Salute to Firefighters 2015

North Whidbey Fire and Rescue

Commissioner Bruce Carman

Commissioner Jerry Goen

Commissioner Larry Wall

Chief Mike Brown

Batt. Chief Chris Swiger

Batt. Chief Lyle Zimmerman

Captain Gerald Smith

Captain Jeff Amidon

Captain Jim O’Connor

Captain Matt VanGiesen

Captain Steve Lacy

Lieutenant Bill McArthur

Lieutenant Dan Horton

Lieutenant Ed Klaszky

Lieutenant Sherri Brown

Amber W.

Jesus Rellama

Rebecca V.

Sarah P.

Albert Treiber

Amy Viers

Andrew Schmal

Ann Conto

Bill Brooks

Call us or stop by today for a free quote!

Tricia Bozin

5595 Harbor Ave. Freeland, WA 98249 Porterwhidbey.com 360-331-1500

Vanessa McCalister

A big THANK YOU to all the South Whidbey Fire and EMS Volunteers

Thank you for your bravery T I R E S • W H E E L S • B AT T E R I E S • A L I G N M E N T • S H O C K S • B R A K E S

11038 WASHINGTON 525, CLINTON, WA 98236 (360) 341-3313 WWW.LESSCHWAB.COM

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Salute to Firefighters 2015

North Whidbey Fire and Rescue

Bill Cooper

Brandon Bailey

Catherine Martin

Chris Chastain

Chris Hernandez

Chris Lacy

Chris Turner

Cliff Horr

Codi Bittner

Dale Esperum

Dave Hanson

David Morris

David Nelson

Deborah Rogers

Dillon Sather

Dustin Amundson

Dylan Dahl

Frank Valencic

George Lawson

Gregg Alonzo

Guy Fealey

Hannah Tripp

Ian Eby

Jim Anema

Jimmy Zimmerman

Jon Lacy

Jon Pollock

Jonathan Walker

~est 1974~

Thank you to our brave fire fighters for your service!

Our family serving yours for 40 years Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner 7 Days a Week For Food “To Go” Call 360-331-9945 1642 Main St., Freeland

Thank You

Medical Tattoo Instructor for Plastic Surgery Centers Doctor Referred and Recommended Center Washington State Tattoo Advisory Board Member Washington State Licensed Instructor, Technician & Center Whidbey Island School of Micropigmentation 22 Years’ Experience Artist & Clinician

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE WHIDBEY ISLAND FIREFIGHTERS!

Salute to Firefighters 2015

North Whidbey Fire and Rescue

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Josh Fikse

Josh Koorn

Josh Richards

Ken Powell

Lauren Powers

Mark Boberg

Mathew Sypert

Neil Loose

Noah Hetzel

Paul Schroer

Robert Dorr

Ron Rogers

Ryan McCarthy

Ryan Nowicki

Scott Jackson

Sean Redmond

Steve Cope

Tim Schulz

TJ Kelsey

Tom Hoctor

Tom Mohlsick

Travis O’Connor

Ty Welshans

Walter Krytcha

William Canty

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE & BRAVERY

We salute our Whidbey Island Firefighters & EMS Responders 1685 Main Street (360) 331-5211 freelandfamilydental@gmail.com www.freelandfamilydental.com

(360) 678-5611 408 S Main St Coupeville, WA 98239

Yi Qin

Zac Skilbeck

Not pictured: Andy Kiesel, Cameron Hopkins, Carol Flowers, Holly Slothower, Jeffery Cobb, Johnathan Karlburg, Justin Smith, Kevin Frondozo, Mike Reinstra, Richard Hoover, Robert Crane, Shawn O’Connor, Sienna Smoot and William Cheman

The team at The team at Freeland Freeland

thanks you all! thanks you all!

Mon–Sat 8am-7pm

Mon-Sat 8am-7pm Sun 9am•-6Sun pm 9am-6pm 331-6799 331-6799 • 1609 E. Main, Freeland 1609 E. Main, Freeland

What you should know about Smoke Alarms Save Lives

The most important things you need to know are smoke alarms save lives and they should be in every home. Follow these important smoke alarm safety measures: • Make sure your smoke alarms are working. This means testing smoke alarms monthly, replacing batteries once a year or when a low-battery alarm chirps and performing other maintenance as NFPA and your smoke alarm manufacturers recommend. And of course, a smoke alarm disabled because of nuisance alarms provides no protection at all.

• It is important to have not just one smoke alarm but smoke alarms in every location required by NFPA standards. (On each level of your home, outside each sleeping area and inside each bedroom.) Tens of millions of U.S. homes are estimated to have smoke alarms but not enough smoke alarms to meet the standards and protect their homes.

• Interconnect your smoke alarms so that a fire detected by any smoke alarm will sound an alarm at every location where a smoke alarm is installed. Interconnection can be done using hard-wiring or wireless broadcast technology.

Interconnected smoke alarms provide early warning of fires that are still far away or are located on the other side of a door or wall that may block sound.

• Develop and practice an escape plan so that everyone in the home knows what to do if the smoke alarm sounds.

That includes planning a second way out from every room in your home. Every household that develops and practices an escape plan with two ways out from every location improves its time to escape in every type of fire.

There Are Different Types of Smoke Alarm Technologies—Ionization and Photoelectric

The two most commonly recognized smoke detection technologies are ionization smoke detection and photoelectric smoke detection.

Ionization smoke detection is generally more responsive to flaming fires and photoelectric smoke detection is generally more responsive to fires that begin with a long period of smoldering (called “smoldering fires”). For each type of smoke alarm, the advantage it provides may be critical to life safety in some fire situations.

Home fatal fires, day or night, include a large number of smoldering fires and a large number of flaming fires. You can not predict the type of fire you may have in your home or when it will occur. Any smoke alarm technology, to be acceptable, must perform acceptably for both types of fires in order to provide early warning of fire at all times of the day or night and whether you are asleep or awake.

The best evidence has always indicated that either type of smoke alarm will provide sufficient time for escape for most people for most fires of either smoldering or flaming type. However, research is ongoing, and standards are living documents. If at any time, research points to a different conclusion, then that will lead to proposals for changes in the NFPA standard or the closely related Underwriters Laboratories standard for testing and approving smoke alarms. Both organizations currently have task groups looking at smoke alarm performance in the current home environment.

For Best Protection Use Both Types of Smoke Alarm Technologies

For best protection, it is recommended both (ionization and photoelectric) technologies be in homes. In addition to individual ionization and photoelectric alarms, combination alarms that include both technologies in a single device are available.

Nuisance Alarms Can Be Minimized

Ionization type smoke alarms are more susceptible to nuisance alarms due to cooking, the leading cause of nuisance alarms, but both types have some susceptibility to nuisance alarms from cooking fumes, and both have susceptibility to nuisance alarms from the steam from a hot shower.

In the past decade or so, a number of steps have been taken to reduce the likelihood of nuisance alarms, including hush features and refinements to installation rules that include guidance on safe distances from nuisance sources.

TV Demonstrations of Smoke Alarm Performance Can Be Misleading

Informal demonstrations, such as ones done for TV news shows, of smoke alarm performance can seriously mislead the viewer and do not provide a sound basis to assess performance. These demonstration tests are not performed in a controlled or scientific way that compares the time of smoke alarm operation to the time when occupants would be incapacitated. The selected fire scenarios may not be representative of real fatal home fires.

Passing or failing a “test” of this sort may have nothing to do with performing well or badly in the wide range of real fires. A valid engineering analysis must select fires that are realistic and analyze them accordingly.

In an informal demonstration, the eye reacts to conditions that look dangerous, mostly visible smoke and visible flame.

However, most people are killed by invisible gases, which do not necessarily spread at the same rate as smoke or flame. A valid engineering analysis must measure conditions caused by fires and assess them according to their real danger.

For more information go to www.nfpa.org/smokealarms

SPONSORED BY Oak Harbor Fire Department

North Whidbey Fire & Rescue

www.oakharbor.org Follow us at Facebook.com/OHFire

www.nwfr.org Follow us at Facebook.com/northwhidbeyfire