14 minute read
OSFA State Fire School Photos
Photos By Raegan Layne, OSFA
This year’s State Fire School was free for all OSFA members and offered a great range of training inside and outside of the classroom.
The change to a more conference-style event was to encourage socializing and camaraderie between students and to increase vendor engagement.
There were just over 200 attendees who heard from instructors from across the state and county, making the event a successful one!
Greetings Oklahoma Fire Service! I hope everyone has been having a safe summer. The heat we have been experiencing can certainly cause problems while on the job. Hopefully, we will get a break from the 100-degree temps and get some rain to help
Frederick FD give us some relief. I want to thank Cliff Davidson and the Ringwood Fire Department, Enid Fire Department and the other fire departments that assisted Cliff for their efforts to host the OSFA Convention. Hopefully, everyone enjoyed their time in Enid. For those of you who were not able to attend the convention, I want to recap the report I gave on the Oklahoma Fire Chiefs Association. The past year has been very positive for OFCA. Our membership is now above 600 with more than 100 first-time members. Since I’m discussing membership, I would like to take this opportunity to invite each of you to join OFCA. Membership in OFCA is open to anyone in the fire service and your first year is free. OFCA memberships consist of: Active Members, Retired Active Members, Associate Members, Sustaining Members, Active Life Members and Honorary Life Members. We have a membership that will accommodate you. If you have any questions of which membership is for you, get in contact with us and we can help you out. We started the year off with our Winter Workshop in January. We were in a new venue in Stillwater at the University’s Alumni Center. The workshop was well attended and had a superb lineup of presentations. Then in April, we held our annual conference in Moore. The conference was well attended by our members, and we had an exceptional number of vendors and associate members there, as well. This was our first full conference since 2019, as we did not meet in 2020 and had an abbreviated conference in 2021 due to Covid. At the conference, the Keith Bryan Memorial Scholarship fund balance reached near the $100,000.00 mark. This amount was the goal set to make this scholarship fund sustainable. The board will now set parameters for the application and award process of the scholarship over the next few months. The scholarship was developed to provide opportunities for aspiring and/or current Oklahoma Fire Officers in leadership and management training and education. The scholarship is only available to members of OFCA. Currently, our Legislative Committee has been meeting and reviewing our Constitution and By-Laws to see if there are any changes that need to be brought to next year’s conference. The 2023 Winter Workshop is scheduled for Jan. 25-27 in Stillwater at the Alumni Center. Planning is under way for the 2023 OFCA Conference set for April in Lawton. This year, I look forward to working with the leadership of the different organizations in the Oklahoma Fire Service. I think with better communication, transparency and the willingness to work together, we can achieve the common goal of doing what is best for the fire service in Oklahoma -- whether it be volunteer, career, labor or management. Stay safe and stay healthy!
OKC FD
Greetings Brothers and Sisters! As summer comes to an end, I hope you had an opportunity to spend time with friends and family. When I run into people I haven’t seen in a while and I ask them how they are doing, many times the statement I hear is “busy.” Never get too busy where your family isn’t your top priority. This is a very important rule of leadership. Although we are a couple months away from Fire Prevention Month, hopefully you and your organization are preparing for some great community risk reduction activities. Never forget community risk reduction should be part of our daily focus, but Fire Prevention Month is a great time to roll out new programs or re-emphasize the basics. This year, the OSFA Memorial Service will take place Oct. 2 to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, as well as those who served in communities all across our state and unfortunately passed away last year. It is extremely important that we continually pay homage to those who have paved the way for each one of us today. I was fortunate to speak to our fire recruits who graduated from their recruit academy on July 15. There were 53 recruits who were extremely excited to start their service in our community. As I discussed 12 areas that will help them be successful, I had the opportunity to reflect on leadership at all levels. One area that I was able to discuss that is always a good reminder for all firefighters is “it’s not about YOU.” Our proud and noble profession that is steeped in tradition does not exist for “I” or “me” but for “WE.” And we exist for those we serve. If we always keep that focus, we will respect the job, honor the profession and do everything within our power to make it better than we found it. Leadership sometimes falls to those who are appointed formally, but we each understand that all our personnel are leaders. Never underestimate your level of influence, no matter what collar brass is on your shirt. Leadership is a verb which requires action and influence in a positive manner to improve our great profession. Now more than ever, the fire service needs great leaders. So continue to learn and improve daily. Until next time, strive for excellence because leaders are not born, they are made.
Moore FD
Greg Herbster: OFCA Past President’s Report
Team OFCA at the 128th OSFA Convention Golf Tournament
2022-23 OFCA Executive Board
PRESIDENT James Heap jrheap@pldi.net
1ST VICE PRESIDENT Richard Kelley richard.kelley@okc.gov
2ND VICE PRESIDENT Craig Carruth ccarruth@cityofmustang.org
3RD VICE PRESIDENT
Michael Baker mbaker@cityoftulsa.org Greetings! I hope everyone is enjoying their summer and are stocked up on sunscreen. Two things that are certain in Oklahoma, our summers are hot and dry. Another certainty is that your fire chief’s board is working hard for you. We had the goal this year at our annual conference to reach 100K in our Keith Bryan Scholarship Fund, and with the help of so many of you, we have reached that pinnacle. We cannot wait to see what kind of positive impact this scholarship fund is going to have on our fire service now that we can start handing out scholarships. We are also very excited to get our Legislative Committee geared up for action. Remember, this is a big election year for our state, so please do your research and find out who is the best candidate for office. Get to know your Represen-
PAST PRESIDENT tatives and Senators and build a Greg Herbster relationship so when you call them gregherbster@cityofmoore.com or go see them over issues, they know who you are. I hope everyone enjoys their
OFCA DIRECTOR Kent Lagaly klagaly901@gmail.com summer and time with their family. Until next time, stay safe and stay involved.
Craig Carruth: OFCA 2nd Vice President’s Report
Mustang FD
Greetings Everyone! I hope this addition of the Oklahoma Firefighter magazine finds everyone doing well. Summer has decided to call it a year and school is just getting started. I trust everyone navigated the hot and dry conditions of summer, as we welcome to the cooler temperatures of fall. This time of year reminds me of hearing early morning band practice, the beginning of football season and Fire Prevention Week. Many departments will soon start coordinating with schools and practicing for presentations to educate as many students as possible. This year, the NFPA will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Fire Prevention Week, which is the country’s longest running public health observance and commemorates the tragedy of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. This time of year allows for us in the fire service to take advantage of the opportunity and platform to reduce the risk of fire related deaths and injuries by educating everyone in our communities both young and old about the dangers of a modern faster hotter fire. “Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape” is the campaign for the 100th anniversary of Fire Prevention Week. If your department does not have a fire prevention program to educate your community and you would like to get one started, reach out, as there is a wealth of free material and ideas to get you started. Let us help each other reduce fire related deaths and injuries in our communities and the State of Oklahoma! Switching gears for a quick update, the Legislative Committee is currently meeting once a month. We are in the process of reviewing our Constitution and By-Laws and look to propose suggested changes to the OFCA Board as we move forward. Pending Board approval, our goal is to have the proposals ready for April. On a final note, the 2023 OFCA Winter Workshop will be here before you know it. The theme this year is “Educate, Encourage, Empower -- Leave Them Better.” For organizational leaders, this is a simple reminder to educate, encourage, and empower those around us daily. This can be our community members, civic leaders, city leadership, and most importantly our members. Make time to attend this opportunity to learn, connect, and recharge. Save the date -- Jan. 25-27 at the Oklahoma State University Alumni Center in Stillwater. Be there, as you do not want to miss out! Stay Safe!
Kent Lagaly: OFCA Executive Director’s Report
Ret. El Reno FD
Greetings! I will keep this short and sweet. We need your help! It is that time of the year when the staff is working diligently to get the invoices out for this year’s dues. We are switching to a new database that is more user-friendly and will allow for better tracking in the years to come. As you are aware, when you make the switch to a new system, sometimes things can get a little tricky. By the time you read this, you or your department should have received your invoice. Please check with the appropriate person to make sure all the information for your members -- active and sustaining -- is correct and make the appropriate changes. If you or your department have not received an invoice, contact Raegan at the office and she will get you taken care of. Where we need everyone’s help is with our retired members. They are a vital part of the organization as they provide a wealth of experience and knowledge and are great mentors for all of us. It is sometimes a task to keep current contact information for these folks when they retire, so they sometimes do not receive their invoice. As I mentioned at the beginning, the staff is working hard to get all our membership information updated. Raegan has create a QR Code (on Page 47) that will help our retired Chief Officers get signed up. If you know of any retired Chief Officers from your department who may not have the opportunity to get this information, please reach out to them and let them know that we need them. Their experience and knowledge are vital to the organization’s ability to fulfill the mission and purpose of the OFCA! Until next time, be safe, and hopefully I will see you soon.
Fun with Fire Trucks
Tulsa FD
I hope that everyone is managing this unprecedented heat. Within my department, the heat is making an already fragile fire apparatus fleet even more difficult to maintain. So, for this article, I wanted to share some things for both chiefs and department members at all levels to consider when looking at the status of a department’s stable of apparatus. Some of these lessons have been emerging over the past few years, but the volume of them is deeply rooted in history. In my opinion, one of the most important components of a fleet management program is to determine when to replace your apparatus. Regardless of if you are a volunteer or career department, you will not be able to finance, purchase or conduct any form of planning if you do not know when it’s time for a vehicle to move from frontline to reserve or replace it completely. Currently, the Tulsa Fire Department is using a 10-year replacement on engines. Have we achieved this? No. Your plan should be based on run volume, available funding and an assessment of the needs within your jurisdiction. In addition to a replacement plan, a financing strategy is needed to ensure that when the time comes for replacement, you can shop. This is basically a municipal bond, general fund request or a fundraising plan within a smaller community. If you have purchased a fire apparatus lately, you know that prices have increased over 20 percent as the prices of metal skyrockets and supply chain issues delay production times to at or beyond 24 months. Sometimes, you must sacrifice nice-to-have items for essentials. Your fire board and government leadership will want to know what to expect, and this brings me to the third area of focus, politics. Reminding your community and elected officials about your department’s fleet replacement cycle and preparing them in advance for the big check that they must write for a purchase is a never-ending process. Combined with the items above -- and lessons learned from your own department’s history -- you will be able to ensure that everyone involved is not only informed, but able to grab some political clout from housing a new fire apparatus. To be honest, we are in no way experts at this process and our department’s trucks are a constant reminder of what poor planning will achieve. But we have a great team tackling this issue every day and they are passionate about ensuring firefighter and public safety despite working on trucks that may be over 20 years old. Nothing represents the American fire service like a shiny fire truck. This is the most essential tool for our profession, and ensuring their function and availability is the bedrock of our work. I know that my department’s firefighters are not excited about the current state of our fire apparatus. But what I appreciate is their willingness to keep the fleet rolling and serving our residents to the best of their ability. I hope that these small lessons provide a small reminder of how important a fleet management plan is for your department.
FIRE STATION ARCHITECTURE WITH YOU IN MIND FIRE STATION ARCHITECTURE WITH YOU IN MIND FIRE STATION ARCHITECTURE WITH YOU IN MIND
Check out our website: www.k-a-studio.com
Check out our website: www.k-a-studio.com
Our Work in Oklahoma
• Norman Fire Stations Nos. 8 and 9 Our Work in Oklahoma • Edmond Fire Station No. 2 • Del City Central Fire Station • Mustang Fire Station No. 2 • Tulsa Fire Station No. 33 • Moore Fire Station No. 2 • Oklahoma City Fire Stations Nos. 21, 23, 29, and 38 Let’s talk about YOUR fire station! Our Work in Oklahoma • Norman Fire Stations Nos. 8 and 9 • Edmond Fire Station No. 2 • Del City Central Fire Station • Mustang Fire Station No. 2 • Tulsa Fire Station No. 33 • Moore Fire Station No. 2 • Norman Fire Stations Nos. 8 and 9 • Edmond Fire Station No. 2 • Del City Central Fire Station • Mustang Fire Station No. 2 • Tulsa Fire Station No. 33 • Moore Fire Station No. 2 • Oklahoma City Fire Stations Nos. 21, 23, 29, and 38 • Oklahoma City Fire Stations Nos. 21, 23, 29, and 38 Let’s talk about YOUR fire station!
Let’s talk about YOUR fire station!
TM
