Bucks County Chiefs and Firefighters Association ...



BUCKS COUNTY FIRE NEWS

September 2018

A PUBLICATION OF THE BUCKS COUNTY FIRE CHIEFS’ & FIREFIGHTERS’ ASSOCIATION

WWW.

The next meeting of the Chiefs’ & FireFirefighters’ Association will be held at Station 40, Springtown, on September 17th.

7 PM Food

7:45 PM Meeting Start 

Tara Stoudt, Field Marketing Manager for California Casualty Management Company will be presenting a program for Auto and Home Insurance specifically targeted to First Responders.

 

The October meeting will be held at Station 4, Trevose, on October 15th.

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Highlights of the August meeting:

Pay Pal can now be used to pay dues, buy books, etc. through the website and at company meetings.

On Tuesday, August 14, the SR-6 Subcommittee members testified in front of a Joint meeting of the Pennsylvania Senate and House Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committees at the State Fire Academy in Lewistown. More information can be found here including a video of the testimony given by the various subcommittee chairs:



Greg Jakubowski, Chair of the Innovation Subcommittee, presented testimony on the following topics for this subcommittee:

· Municipal Support and Education Regarding Fire/EMS

· Community Risk Reduction Resources

· State to Develop Regional Technical Advisors for Fire/EMS similar to New Jersey

· Simplify Administrative requirements for Relief Associations, particularly audits for those receiving less than $15,000/year in state aid

· State to provide funding for Basic Firefighter/EMT Training

· State to provide tax relief to Employers to Release Employees for Fire/EMS Training

· State should adopt Legislation to Facilitate Regional/County Fire Services as some areas may wish to pursue this now or in the future.

An additional recommendation will be that the state should adopt model building codes as-is, do not remove sprinkler requirements for dwellings and other buildings. Also legislation to prohibit requirements for separate water main and meter for residential sprinklers, and eliminate standby fees for other sprinkler systems.

SR6 Survey: Two issues that are hot.

1. Pass legislation to permit/require direct payment from insurers to EMS providers

2. Pass legislation to restore FTEs for community colleges to fund basic fire training.

Discussion took place in Harrisburg to remove the State Fire Commissioner’s Office from Veteran’s Affairs and make it a standalone office.

When dealing with a pipeline safety event, reporting the GPS location will quickly identify who’s pipeline it is and what product it is carrying.

Fire School Report

Danielle Stebner, Director of Certification & Curriculum reported on the following topics.

The college is aware of the changes to the junior firefighter requirements, under child labor laws, and the basic training requirement being implemented by the State Fire Commissioner and DCNR. We have not received the information regarding the required training at this point and are looking into this. We have reached out to Representative Frank Farry and Tom Cook, Interim State Fire Academy Director and they are looking into this as well. When we receive the information we are prepared to offer a training course to meet these requirements and this will have to be offered on a continuous basis. This will be for those who come in and cannot gain entry into a Bucks Basic Fire Academy immediately.

The college has made changes to the Fire Fighter 1 timeline for juniors. Juniors ending the Bucks Basic portion of the program at the age of 14 and 15 will have to wait until 16 to take the Hazardous Materials Operations portion and then once they turn 18 they will have to challenge Fire Fighter 1. This will not require a Structural Burn, however, we can put them into a burn at the department’s request.

Those ending the Bucks Basic portion of the program at the age of 16 and 17 will complete the process up to Hazardous Materials Operations. They will then have to wait until they turn 18. Once they turn 18 they have (3) three months to contact certification and we will place them into the Structural Burn and then they will finish their testing with that current Fire Fighter 1 class. Their written will carry over and they will only be required to do (7) seven skills. If the students wait past that (3) three month mark they will be required to Challenge the program including retaking the written exam and completing (14) fourteen skills.

The changes to the policy take effect as of August 2018 and begin with the summer 2018 Fire Fighter 1 program. Any student’s in programs prior to the summer 2018 program will still fall under the old policy. There is a PowerPoint available for any department interested in reading the flow of the program for each age. If interested contact Danielle Stebner at danielle.stebner@bucks.edu.The Fallen Firefighter Memorial Event will take place in Doylestown on September 30th.

History: During the peak of the Horse-Draw era in the Philadelphia Fire Dept., 460 horses were in service.

Middletown Township staff has entered into an agreement that will provide firefighting services during the daytime. The Office of the Fire Marshal came to an agreement with the Penndel Fire Company and William Penn Fire Company to lease fire trucks during working hours to respond to fires. The agreement was approved at the August 13, 2018, Board of Supervisors meeting. This marks a significant shift in the focus of the Office of the Fire Marshal, making firefighting a primary job function rather than just support for the fire companies. Fire Engine 244 went into service with Middletown staff at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 14, 2018.

In December of 2017, the two volunteer fire companies approached the Township to discuss how to provide more consistent responses to daytime emergencies. In recent decades, the number of volunteer firefighters in the region and across the state has dramatically decreased, and finding sufficient coverage during working hours grows increasingly difficult. On July 9, 2018, Fire Marshal Jim McGuire, joined by representatives from both the Penndel and William Penn Fire Companies, led a discussion at the public Board of Supervisors meeting. After this discussion, the final plan was proposed and approved on August 13. All four of the volunteer fire companies serving Middletown were present at this meeting to voice their support for the plan.

The Township will lease a fire truck from the Penndel Fire Company and the William Penn Fire Company for $20 a year. This apparatus will be used by the Township Fire Marshal Staff during routine and special hours as needed. The Township will also insure the vehicles during the times that they are used by Township staff and it will perform annual maintenance on those trucks. Prior to this agreement, Fire Marshal staff would first report to fire stations to provide support in fire responses. This innovative solution from the Board of Supervisors and the fire companies will instead allow staff to respond to emergencies immediately. Staff will perform their other tasks, including fire prevention, investigations, and inspections, from the fire truck so that they can report directly to an emergency no matter where they are in the community. The community will benefit greatly by having a rapid response from staff and a truck fully equipped for fire suppression, hazardous materials incidents, special rescue situations, and other emergencies. The service will also benefit the boroughs that are currently served by the Penndel and William Penn Fire Companies.

“I want to thank all four of our fire companies for engaging with us in the discussions in the development of these leases and how we can best serve the community,” said Board of Supervisors Chairperson Amy Strouse. “We hope that this can be a model for municipalities to partner with their local fire companies to provide a needed service to the community.” The fire companies have been critical partners in creating this agreement, and Middletown Township is grateful for their efforts and investment toward community safety.

Middletown Twp. becomes the 6th weekday-daytime paid crew in the county (Newtown, Bristol, Northampton, Bensalem, & Warrington)

The Bucks County Public Safety Training Center has scheduled retest nights for anyone that is unable to make it to the Training Center during the daytime. The following nights are set for retests:

- Wednesday September 26, 2018 @ Lower Bucks Public Safety Training Center – starting at 7pm

- Wednesday October 24, 2018 @ Bucks County Public Safety Training Center – starting at 7pm

- Wednesday November 14, 2018 @ Lower Bucks Public Safety Training Center – starting at 7pm

- Wednesday December 19, 2018 @ Bucks County Public Safety Training Center – starting at 7pm

Anyone that is interested in attending one of these retest nights, must contact either Kimberly Walsh @ 215-340-8422 or Kimberly.Walsh@bucks.edu or Vinay Setty @ 215-340-8401 or Vinay.Setty@bucks.edu.

No one will be admitted without prior approval from either Kim or Vinay.

Please bring the letter that was issued to you and a picture ID to the testing.

More than 80 percent of the children (ages 2 to 13) studied slept through the sound of the smoke detector.

October is National Fire Safety Month, and according to Invensys Controls, smoke alarms should be replaced every 87,000 hours, or about 10 years. In addition, carbon monoxide alarms should be replaced every five years.

Since many homeowners change the battery in their home safety products the weekend we return to standard time, Invensys Controls is now reminding consumers that with one glance at the back of the alarm, homeowners can know the real age of the unit by checking the date of manufacture.

The U.S. Fire Administration for Homeland Security, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) and the Red Cross agree after working for 87,000 hours, normal environmental conditions in the home can have an impact on the performance of your smoke alarm.

Don't wait, check the date. Replace your detectors every 10 years.

The legislative Regulation Review Committee in Connecticut has formally approved new safety codes, including a State Building Code, Fire Safety Code, and Fire Prevention Code that will fall short of nationally recognized standards and fire safety requirements. The Connecticut codes all go into effect by October, but none will include requirements for residential fire sprinklers that are part of nationally recognized safety codes. As a result, the Connecticut codes fall short of using proven measures to keep Connecticut families and firefighters safe from fire.

Vornado has recalled 350,000 Personal Vortex electric space heaters can overheat when in use, posing fire and burn hazards.

In December 2017, a 90-year-old man in Chanhassen, Minnesota died as a result of a fire involving the recalled heater. Vornado has received a total of 19 reports of the heaters catching on fire.

Sold at Bed Bath & Beyond, Home Depot, Menards, Orchard Supply, Target and other stores nationwide and online at , , and other websites from August 2009 through March 2018 for about $30. Manufactured In China.

The Bucks County Commissioners and the Bucks County Emergency Communications Department have partnered with Smart911 to begin a new program that will allow for quicker assistance when a 9-1-1 call is placed. Individuals can now sign up for free online and give pertinent information on themselves and their family which will allow 9-1-1 operators to dispatch law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services quicker and with more relevant data.

Residents can now create an account at with basic contact information. Once the account has been activated, the profile can be customized and residents can share as little or as much as they would like emergency response to have in the event of emergency. The information is only viewable by dispatchers and other emergency personnel when a 9-1-1 call is placed, otherwise it remains safe and secure in the safety profile.

"If your elderly father with Alzheimer's and a history of wandering lives with you, adding his photo to Smart911 allows dispatchers to distribute that photo to emergency personnel as soon as you call 9-1-1," said Audrey Kenny, Director of Bucks County Emergency Communications. "If your daughter has a severe peanut allergy, adding that medical information to Smart911 could give precious moments to the Emergency Medical personnel who won't have to ask as many questions before beginning treatment."

Bensalem Twp. Supervisors voted to place a referendum request from the township fire companies for a one mill Fire Tax increase on the November ballot. The average homeowner would pay $23.60 more per year in taxes.

Station 48, Delaware Valley, received the 5” hose they were looking for last month. Additional 5” is available.

Horsham Township in Montgomery County, PA, a home rule municipality (pop. 26,000) is seeking a qualified professional for the position of Fire Marshal / Emergency Management Coordinator.

This is a full-time position that will be responsible for reviewing new construction plans and the periodic inspection of existing structures for compliance with township ordinances and the ICC building codes.

Mark Hundson Mhudson@

A new burn treatment center began operations at Jefferson Health, 111S. 11th Street, Suite 2130 in Philadelphia on November 1, 2017. Dr. William B. Hughes is the Director. He is the former Director of the Temple Burn Center. Contact Christopher Reif, Christpher.Reif@jefferson.edu for any questions or information.

I, James Serfass, am resigning as Chief 47, Upper Black Eddy Fire. Effective 9/11/18. I am resigning due to health issues arising from complications from my 3-year cancer battle. We will be moving to Florida for relaxation and fishing in November. I would like to thank everyone for the guidance and support that I was given over the years. I started my firefighting in 1976 in Slatington, Pa then on to the Army and back to Sta 18 for a couple years then 88 for a year before ending up with 47 for 16 years. I can honestly say I learned something new from each company. I will miss the service, I'm sure, but I know that my time has come to pass the torch. Sta 47 Chief will be Matt Labant, Jr. He will finish my term thru Dec 2018. The company will then vote a new Chief.

Thanks, stay safe

James Serfass, Jr

Not as many firefighters as expected attended the Jim Lee night at the Bucks County Community College. Those that did attend were treated to an amazing act of bravery and a dedication to training. Several videos showed the severe fire, heat and smoke conditions under which the rescue was performed. Firefighters knew the rear of this typical 5-story apartment building had no fire escapes. Fire escapes were only present in the front.

Jim arrived after being involved in a previous fire and a dump truck vs Taxi accident. The roof was protected by an approximate 5-foot-high fence. The rescue rope was anchored around a chimney and passed under the fence and over the side of the building. Jim climbed the fence and stood on the 8” space between the edge of the roof and the fence as he secured to the rope.

An 81-year-old man was seen in a window. The ceiling had just fallen on him and he was suffering from the smoke and burns to his hands when Jim arrived. He was not able to hold onto anything, including Jim. Jim reached in, grabbed him from his crouching position below the window and held him in his arms as he descended (while hanging by a rope). Shortly after a safe landing the rope burned through and dropped to the ground behind him. The window the man was rescued from was now full of flames.

Great story, great evening. Thanks to everyone who made it possible!

If Your Detectors are not Connected, Your Home is not Protected!

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