Oklahoma Firefighter June/July 2019

June/July 2019 Volume 36, Issue 5

Official publication of the Oklahoma State Firefighters Association

More Photos Inside!

OSFA LEGISLATIVE SUCCESSES 2019 Bills signed into Law

by Gov. Kevin Stitt: HB 2051 HB 2161 HB 2269 SB 164

I N S I D E

OSFA Executive Board Members’ Comments............................................................. 5-6 OSFA Executive Director’s Report - Steve Lumry ......................................................... 7 OFCA Report - 3rd VP James Heap ................................................................................ 8 ORFA Report - President Juan Rodriguez ..................................................................... 8 OSFA Women’s Auxiliary Report -Marti Carpenter...................................................... 8 Chaplain’s Corner - Rusty Stowe ......................................................................................9 Firefighter Near-Miss Report - Greg Lindsay ............................................................... 10 In Memoriam .................................................................................................................. 16 Museum News - Gene Brown ......................................................................................... 20 Oklahoma Fire Spotlight -- Elk City FD ........................................................................ 22 Executive Board Meeting Highlights ............................................................................. 31

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OKLAHOMA STATE STATE FIREFIGHTERS FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION ASSOCIATION OKLAHOMA 2716 N.E. N.E. 50th 50th St. St. 2716 Oklahoma City, City, OK OK 73111 73111 Oklahoma

Non-Profit Org. Org. Non-Profit U.S. Postage Postage U.S. PAID PAID Okla. City, OK OK Okla.

City, Permit No. No. 570 570 Permit

2June/July 2019Oklahoma Firefighter

Oklahoma FirefighterJune/July 20193

klahoma Firefighter June/July 2019

Volume 36 — Issue 5

Official Publication of the Oklahoma State Firefighters Association 2716 N.E. 50th Street Oklahoma City, OK 73111 (405) 424-1452 • 1-800-308-5336 Fax (405) 424-1032 osfa@osfa.info • www.osfa.info Published monthly by and for members of the Oklahoma State Firefighters Association to educate its membership, to improve the fire service, and to enhance the value and dignity of their profession, either paid or volunteer.

Editor in Chief Steve Lumry stevel@osfa.info

Managing Editor Penelope Soldan penelopes@osfa.info

Letters to the Editor: Oklahoma Firefighter encourages the

open exchange of ideas, opinions and concerns among members of the fire service community.

Letters to the Editor should: concentrate on issues, not personalities; be typed; be signed by the writer and include writer’s telephone number; and be mailed (or emailed) to the Oklahoma State Firefighters Association: 2716 N.E. 50th St., Oklahoma City, OK, 73111 (osfa@osfa.info).

Oklahoma Firefighter reserves the right to publish, edit and condense letters according to space limitations and the editor’s judgement. Great care will be taken to ensure the message in the letter is not altered. Anonymous letters will not be published.

Official publication of the Oklahoma State Firefighters Association Official publication of the Oklahoma State Firefighters Association

May 2019 May 2019 Volume 36, Issue 4 Volume 36, Issue 4

ACTA NON NON VERBA VERBA (( Actions Actions not not Words Words )) ACTA Oklahoma State State Oklahoma Firefighters Firefighters

OSFA Convention Sponsors’ INDEX Angelo Gordon ..................... 32

Grant & Eisenhofer ............. 27

Battea Class Action ............. 27

Hall Capital ............................ 32

Bernstein, Litowitz, Berger & Grossman ............ 29

Labaton Sucharow .............. 30

Fred Alger ............................. 26 Garcia Hamilton & Assoc ... 12

Association Association

125th OSFA OSFA 125th Convention Convention

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OK Permit No. 570 570 Permit No. Permit No. No. 570 570 Permit

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Read it on your smart phone, laptop or other digital device!

WP Global Partners ........... 23

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OKLAHOMA STATE STATE FIREFIGHTERS FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION ASSOCIATION OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA STATE FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION ASSOCIATION OKLAHOMA STATE 2716 N.E. N.E. 50th 50th St. FIREFIGHTERS 2716 St. 2716 N.E. 50th 50th St. 2716 N.E. Oklahoma City,St. OK 73111 73111 Oklahoma City, OK Oklahoma City, City, OK OK 73111 73111 Oklahoma

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Scott + Scott ........................ 11

June 5 5 -- 8, 8, 2019 2019 June

for Digital Newspaper

Lord Abbett .......................... 31

II N N S S II D D E E

2019 OSFA Convention Details .......................................................................................4 2019 OSFA Convention Details .......................................................................................4 OSFA Executive Board Members’ Comments ............................................................5-6 OSFA Executive Board Members’ Comments ............................................................5-6 OSFA Executive Director’s Report - Steve Lumry ..........................................................7 OSFA Executive Director’s Report - Steve Lumry ..........................................................7 OSFA Women’s Auxiliary Report -Marti Carpenter ......................................................8 OSFA Women’s Auxiliary Report -Marti Carpenter ......................................................8 Firefighter Near-Miss Report - Greg Lindsay ............................................................... 10 Firefighter Near-Miss Report - Greg Lindsay ............................................................... 10 Museum News - Gene Brown ........................................................................................13 Museum News - Gene Brown ........................................................................................13 ORFA Report - President Juan Rodriguez ....................................................................15 ORFA Report - President Juan Rodriguez ....................................................................15 House Passes Firefighter Bills ............................................................................... 18-19 House Passes Firefighter Bills ............................................................................... 18-19 Chaplain’s Corner - Kim Hayes .....................................................................................19 Chaplain’s Corner - Kim Hayes .....................................................................................19 Executive Board Meeting Highlights ............................................................................ 24 Executive Board Meeting Highlights ............................................................................ 24 Oklahoma Fire Spotlight -- Ft. Towson FD .................................................................. 26 Oklahoma Fire Spotlight -- Ft. Towson FD .................................................................. 26

Simply call (405-424-1452) or email the OSFA office (osfa@osfa.info) and request digital editions!

Please provide your name and address for verification.

Casco Industries ............... 36

OAEVT .................................. 13

Chief Fire & Safety ........... 2

Okla. Heart Hospital .......... 15

Conrad Fire Equipment .... 16

OSU Fire Service Training .... 24-25

Hotchkiss FD Truck .......... 27

Pension & Retirement ... 28

ITE Fire & Rescue .............. 17

Phillips Murrah P.C. ......... 3

Jon’s Mid America ............. 35

Roberts Testing ................ 13

MES .................................... 21

Sharp Testing ..................... 34

NAFECO ............................. 4

Triple H Transmission ....... 23

4June/July 2019Oklahoma Firefighter

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Oklahoma FirefighterJune/July 20195

PREsident n

Dereck Cassady Ponca City FD IAFFLocal2479@ yahoo.com 580-761-5338

I hope everyone has been able to stay dry.

On behalf of the OSFA Board and Staff, I would like to say thank you to all of you who have spent countless hours out in the weather we have had the last couple weeks.

I know many of you have worked diligently to keep your community safe.

Whether it be thunderstorms, floods or tornadoes, you were most likely the first ones in and the last ones to leave. And for that, we again say THANK YOU!

Once again, I want to express my thanks to Chief Ray Driskell and the Tulsa Fire Department for all the time and effort they put in to the OSFA State Fire School.

Without their generosity, we wouldn’t be where we are today. I also want to send a thank you to the Educational Advisory Committee, because once again they knocked it out of the park.

As we look back on the legislative session, I feel we were pretty successful in getting our bills passed.

I know we didn’t get a COLA for the retirees, but I can say for sure it WAS NOT because of lack of effort.

Many people were involved in getting the COLA bill to the point it is today, and for that I say THANK YOU! As legislators are back home until next year, I’m asking each of you to get out and meet your legislators. They might be the vote we need to get the COLA bill -- or any other bill -- passed next year.

Stay safe!

Past PREsident n

Matt Lay

Tulsa FD

matthewlay@icloud.com • 918-760-9065

Not the end, just a new beginning…

Words cannot express what an honor and a privilege it has been to serve Oklahoma Firefighters on the OSFA Executive Board.

In this moment – writing my last article as Past President – it seems like only yesterday that I raised my right hand at a Convention in Claremore in solemn promise to serve brother and sister firefighters, past and present.

Yet somehow, it also feels like a lifetime ago. The people (too many to thank!), the victories, the tragedies, the battles, the journey itself … have left an indelible mark on my life.

There is no doubt that we will continue to face challenges. These trials, like so many we have already faced, only serve to make us stronger. I have faith in the firefighters on our OSFA Board (even those yet to serve).

I’ve always said that we have an incredible amount of institutional knowledge in our Past Presidents. Hope to help the new kids “get educated” in much the same way I was mentored along the way. Made all the difference!

Excited to see everyone at the 125th Annual OSFA Convention hosted by Dereck Cassady and Ponca City Fire. I know how much work he has put into it and will serve as an excellent capstone to a stellar year leading this organization.

I always look forward to convention each year as a little booster shot of sorts.

Thanks in advance to all the guys and gals from Ponca that will make this such a memorable event.

I’m also excited to begin the next phase of my journey in the fire service … and in life. I don’t know exactly what that will look like, but I hope it brings us back together again someday.

Take Care and God Bless!

OSFA Committee Sign-Up Form OSFA’s Executive Board is always looking for new people to serve on committees and will make appointments at the June or July Board Meeting.

Committee members must have the time to serve and have approval from their employer’s superior officer.

Meetings normally last two hours.

Committee members traveling over 50 miles round trip receive 55 cents per mile and $5 for lunch.

If you would like to serve on a committee, please fill out this form and either put it in the box at the head table during Saturday’s OSFA Convention meeting or mail it to the OSFA Office, 2716 NE 50th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73111.

NAME:________________________________________________________ DEPARTMENT:_________________________________________________

oPAID

oVOLUNTEER

PHONE:______________ EMAIL:_________________________________

Please indicate which committee is suited to your interest: LEGISLATIVE EDUCATIONAL ADVISORY MEMORIAL

VOLUNTEER FIRE SERVICE

SAFETY & HEALTH

FINANCIAL ADVISORY

PUBLIC EDUCATION

EMS

BENEVOLENT

MEMBERSHIP

MUSEUM EXPANSION

6June/July 2019Oklahoma Firefighter

2nd vice PresidenT

1st vice PresidenT n

Mike Kelley

OKC FD

n

The latest development in the fight for a COLA came from our friends in the House. The Speaker used one of his shell bills to place COLA language in and sent it to a committee.

They requested an actuarial study on a 4% COLA for 2020. This gives us an opportunity for the 4% that originally passed out of the House 98-3. The Senate will still be the fight next year.

I want to close by discussing leadership. Leaders are servants. I challenge you to find a great leader who is not also involved in multiple other aspects in the fire service, whether serving on a committee, teaching, or being involved in the community.

A leader understands the importance of giving back to an organization that helps others become better.

One of the most difficult parts of formal leadership is the requirement for you to work harder for the people around you for them to succeed. These leaders’ greatest aspiration is to leave everything they do better than they found it!

True leaders want to see others succeed over their own success. They have the mentality of putting the team before themselves and wanting nothing more than to see the team’s success over their own.

Some leaders believe that knowledge is power, and the more knowledge they can retain the better they are. This couldn’t be further from the truth!

True power comes from mentoring and sharing knowledge. There is no better way to leave a legacy than to develop those around you to be better than yourself.

Leaders can find the positive in any situation, whether good or bad. They take every bad situation and turn it in to a learning experience and make themselves better because of it.

Leaders understand that attitudes are contagious, both good and bad.

People can have the skills, the knowledge, and a good work ethic, but if they have a bad attitude then it all counts for nothing!

Most leaders will take someone with little skill and a great attitude rather than someone with a lot of skill and a negative attitude.

Leaders do the right thing simply because it is the right thing to do.

What do you do when no one is looking? This is a character trait that is not something you develop overnight but rather something you exhibit over time through consistently making the ethical decisions, both around the station and on the scene.

Everyone has the ability to be a leader, it’s their choice.

Be a leader! Stay safe!

2018-19 OSFA Executive Board PRESIDENT: Dereck Cassady 580-761-5338 • IAFFLocal2479@yahoo.com 1ST VICE PRESIDENT: Mike Kelley 405-623-4388 • mkelley@local157.org 2ND VICE PRESIDENT: Eric Harlow 405-520-2893 • ericharlow200@gmail.com 3RD VICE PRESIDENT: Cliff Davidson 580-554-1886 • davidsoncliff@yahoo.com PAST PRESIDENT: Matt Lay 918-760-9065 • matthewlay@icloud.com

Guthrie FD

ericharlow200@gmail.com • 405-520-2893

mkelley@local157.org • 405-623-4338

The ORFA Convention will be June 4 in Ponca City. Immediately following the ORFA Convention will be the 125th Annual OSFA Convention.

Check the OSFA App or the website for a schedule of events. Dereck and his team have been working to make this a memorable convention.

Eric Harlow

Greetings Oklahoma Firefighters!

Well, it’s safe to say that no one’s in a drought anymore. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m ready for the rain to stop.

With that being said, I can’t talk enough about how proud I am of all our first responders in Oklahoma. When the calls have come in -- and we all know that’s been almost nonstop lately -- we have risen to the occasion and responded quickly and efficiently.

Everyone naturally looks to the fire service to take care of the problems. We’ve helped our neighbors statewide when called. I’ve seen crews from Guymon in the Tulsa area and Pottawatomie County crews in Blackwell, all pitching it to help our brothers and sisters.

It just goes to show that we will respond ... wherever and whenever. It speaks volumes for our departments and our state.

I hope that any damages you all have sustained have been minimal. We will rebuild and repair what’s needed. It’s who we are. We won’t let this get us down as a state.

Governor Stitt and President Trump have committed state and federal resources to help us get through this trying time.

We all know that sometimes FEMA reimbursement takes a long time to receive, but they’re working to streamline this process and make it much faster. Make sure you document, document, document.

Save your receipts and account for any damages you sustain to your equipment.

Convention time is here. By the time many of you read this, it will have already passed us by. I know that President Cassady and the brothers and sisters of PCFD and surrounding agencies will have a great 125th convention lined up for us.

I hope to see you all there.

The legislative session has ended and I know we did not succeed in obtaining a COLA for our retirees this year. We came super close, but in the end, the Senate ordered an actuarial study be performed on the system before awarding any raises.

This study was ordered for a 2% COLA for all system retirees. The House then filed its own bill to do a study on a 4% COLA. So we will watch and see what happens in the off season and how the next session starts up. Don’t lose hope. We will continue to pull out all the stops and diligently work on this for our retirees.

We were able to get a few bills signed into law that will help our members, including a bill that will allow Title 19 Fire Protection Districts to annex territories in adjoining counties. This will allow those districts to be funded properly by territories they’re already protecting. See Page 14 for more details on the four bills OSFA requested that were signed into law by Governor Kevin Stitt.

In closing, I want to remind everyone to stay safe and be careful if you have to get into these flood waters. Make sure to properly decon yourself and all of your gear.

You don’t know what is floating in that water.

Also be mindful of snakes, as they’re very prevalent in these flood waters. Until next time, take care!

3rd vice PresidenT n

Cliff Davidson

Hello everyone!

Let me start off by saying that if you missed State Fire School, you missed a great training opportunity. Tulsa Fire, as always, did a great job hosting the school and allowing everyone the access of their awesome training facility.

I would like to thank Tulsa Fire for their gracious hospitality. If you couldn’t make it this year, try to put it on your calendar for next year. The dates are May 7-9, 2020.

And if you do sign up next year and for some rea-

Ringwood FD

580-554-1886 davidsoncliff@yahoo.com

son can’t make it, please let someone know so someone else can sign up for that class and so it will give an accurate head count. There is a lot of money put into the State Fire School hiring instructors from all over the country and flying them in and paying for their hotel rooms.

Thanks to everyone who made it this year. I hope you had a great experience, and I look forward to seeing you again next year.

OSFA and OSU-FST will have several of the online Firefighter 1 classes around the state this year, so if one is in your area, try to take advantage of it.

Everyone stay safe and enjoy your summer!

Oklahoma FirefighterJune/July 20197

OSFA executive director n

Steve Lumry

stevel@osfa.info • 405-424-1452

Are You a Barnabas?

Sometimes when we are searching for inspiration for our articles, we find it in the strangest places.

I was recently attending the funeral of the stepson of a friend of mine, Battalion Chief Grant Roberts from the Oklahoma City Fire Department. His stepson was Patrick McGinnis. I did not personally know Patrick but was attending out of respect for my friend.

As I listened to the minister talk about the life of a 27 year old, it became apparent that Patrick was a Barnabas. While I am not going to be getting biblical on you, I am going to have to explain my thoughts so you understand where I am coming from.

The minister at the funeral described that Barnabas’ original given name was something else.

It was changed as he grew up because Barnabas means “encourager.”

Now, I cannot even attempt to be as eloquent as the minister who described the life of a young man taken too early, but I can relay the thought that was expressed that I believe has a place in the fire service.

Patrick, as the minister described, was someone who went out of his way to spread encouragement and love to those he came into contact with, much in the same manner as Barnabas did.

Barnabas took people who had the talents and knowledge and gave them the confidence to use those talents and knowledge for good.

Dictionary.com defines encourage as: to inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence; to stimulate by assistance, approval, etc. (i.e. one of the chief duties of a teacher is to encourage students); or to promote, advance, or foster.

Let’s explore this issue a little further using the first definition, “to inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence.”

“To encourage,” the minister said, “is to instill with courage - encourage.” That could be the courage to promote fire safety, the courage to become a volunteer firefighter, the courage to make a difference.

Almost everyone has some sort of talent that can be utilized to enhance the fire service in one form or another. Everyone can use some encouragement once in a while.

Barnabas took John Mark, who according to the minister had a terrible track record up to that point, and inspired him to become someone who had the confidence to use his talents and eventually become a go to, sought out person and even to write what would become one of the gospels contained in the new testament of the Bible.

One of my old co-workers just happened to have the name John Mark, as well. He, too, went by the name of Mark and he had lots of hidden talents that many people failed to see.

All that Mark needed was the opportunity and some encouragement, and he has enjoyed a long successful career as a firefighter. He is well respected on the department and has achieved many great things, including a spot on the CISM team, Peer Support team, Wellness Committee and Chairman of the VEBA insurance board.

Mark put that encouragement from several people to good use and is also a Barnabas himself.

Barnabas saw the good in people and worked to bring that out, he encouraged them, gave them confidence and helped them succeed.

It doesn’t matter what your rank is in the fire service. We can all be someone who encourages others and promotes their good qualities. People don’t get into the fire service to cause harm.

They try to do the right thing as they understand it.

In many instances, all they need is some encouragement. Are you a Barnabas?

Until next time, STAY SAFE!

OSFA Staff & Museum Staff Executive Director Steve Lumry stevel@osfa.info Special Projects Tim Bartram timb@osfa.info Administrative Assistant Kristen Horton kristenh@osfa.info Receptionist Leesa Black leesab@osfa.info

Administrative Director Sheri Nickel sherin@osfa.info

Museum Director Gene Brown geneb@osfa.info

Event & Promotions Coordinator Trisha Chain trishac@osfa.info

Museum Assistant Quintin James quintinj@osfa.info

Publications Penelope Soldan penelopes@osfa.info

Museum Assistant Bob Noll bobn@osfa.info

405-424-1452 • 800-308-5336 www.osfa.info

OSFA STAFF n

Kristen Horton Administrative Assistant kristenh@osfa.info

It is almost time for the OSFA Convention! Things in the office are moving rather swiftly as we prepare for our biggest event of the year.

I am handling registration this year. We have had a steady stream of departments turn in their forms.

OSFA President, Dereck Cassady, has planned a wonderful lineup of events, including the MDA Picnic, the Poker Run and the Bar Crawl. I hope everyone has a good time!

We also just got done with the OSFA State Fire School. That was a long week for me but so worth it. I coordinated the vendors and food trucks this year. I hope everyone enjoyed both of them.

While at Fire School I was offered the chance to do a live burn with our new receptionist Leesa Black.

We both had gotten fully dressed and put our masks on when they had to call it for lightening. We were disappointed, but safety is most important. Hopefully, we will get to try again next year.

I cannot wait to see everyone at Convention in Ponca City!

MEET LEESA BLACK Leesa Black joined the OSFA staff in May. She will greet those who come by or call the OSFA office and help answer any questions.

The 32-year-old was born and raised in Litchfield, Maine. She moved to Oklahoma in 2013.

Leesa has a Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology and EMT-Basic.

“I’ve worked alongside fire departments for the past five years while working on an ambulance in the metro.”

When asked what she is looking forward to as a member of the OSFA staff, Leesa said: “I’m looking forward to being a part of a different aspect of the first response field.”

OSFA staffers Leesa Black and Kristen Horton at State Fire School

8June/July 2019Oklahoma Firefighter

n

ORFA REport

n

Juan Rodriguez

Marti Carpenter

Lawton FD Retired

Hello retirees!

Well, Convention time is here. I can’t believe I’ve been president for a year and on the ORFA board for 4 years!

It’s difficult to measure if we’ve been successful or not. I know that we have helped some members with information about Medicare due to the work of a committee that Tippy Pierce had run.

We have been unsuccessful so far in our main goal in achieving a COLA for retirees. I don’t think we were completely unsuccessful though.

Because of the ORFA Executive Board, the resolution to seek a COLA was brought to convention. That resolution passed and became the main priority of the OSFA. Because of this session, despite the COLA not getting out of committee, we will now have an actuarial study under the OPLAA act trying to achieve a COLA for retirees. This will be the first time OPLAA will be used to do this.

The original act was created to avoid ever giving COLA raises to retirees. In a nutshell, we have forced the issue to be looked at.

We have also been successful in educating legislators about the needs of retirees. I believe we can be cautiously optimistic about the future.

I hope all of you are well. I did my best.

Jr Board Member

1ST VICE PRESIDENT Tippy Pierce, Moore • fftip@swbell.net • 405-924-1104 2ND VICE PRESIDENT George Fina, OKC • gomsc38@gmail.com • 405-373-2409 3RD VICE PRESIDENT A.K. “Yogi” Cole, Tulsa • ycole@ipa.net • 918-231-3591 PAST PRESIDENT Dana Cramer, Norman • dcramer3@cox.net • 405-570-1387

SCHOLARSHIPS BENEFITTING FIREFIGHTERS From Oklahoma City Community Foundation

Pete & Lela Stavros Scholarship Foundation Awarding scholarships to high school seniors -- all the children of Oklahoma Firefighters -- since 2004.

At the 2018 OSFA Convention, five $1,000 scholarships were awarded.

Keith Bryan Memorial Scholarship Fund Established in 2012 to provide scholarship opportunities for aspiring and/or current Oklahoma Fire Officers in leadership and management training education.

Available to members of the OFCA.

To Make Secure Donation With Credit Card: www.occf.org/stavros

•

www.occf.org/ofcabryan

To make contribution with check, call OSFA office at 405-424-1452 for donation card & return envelope

2018-19 OSFA Women’s

Hello All! By the time you read this, convention will be here (or will be almost

over)!

I hope a good time will be had by all!

And soon, new officers will be installed and I will be stepping up to fill the Treasurer’s shoes.

I have enjoyed my first year on the board. I have learned so much and look forward to mentoring our new Jr. Board member.

Thank you to everyone who made this past year a success.

And with that I pass the torch that is this article that will continue to bring you information every issue.

2018-19 ORFA Executive Board PRESIDENT Juan Rodriguez, Lawton • jrod911@gmail.com

WOMEN’s AUX REport

n

Auxiliary Executive Board PRESIDENT

Erica Koch ejv97@cox.net • 405-308-2010 VICE PRESIDENT

Susan Walker sw233821@gmail.com • 580-351-4116 JR BD MEMBER

Marti Carpenter marticarpenter@att.net • 405-590-4608 PAST PRESIDENT

Tennie Green tennie.green@gmail.com • 918-440-7060

OFCA REport James Heap

Frederick FD OFCA 3rd Vice President

Greetings OSFA! The Oklahoma Fire Chiefs Association is a great organization to belong to. Since I joined OFCA seven years ago, I have met a lot of great people.

The relationships that I have developed within the organization have benefited me and my fire department through networking with other chief officers from around the state.

I don’t care what it is you are working on or what kind of problem you are trying to correct, whether your department is paid or volunteer, large or small, someone from somewhere has had the same situation.

Granted, it may have been on a smaller or larger scale than yours, but there is someone who can help you, and you can meet these people by joining OFCA and attending events sponsored by OFCA. The benefits of joining OFCA include not only the network of other chief officers, but also the Winter Workshop where there are a few days of educational sessions, as well as the annual OFCA Conference held in April where you will usually hear great speakers and presentations from different fire organizations from across the state.

OFCA works with firefighters from around the state on educational and legislative activities and much more.

There are several different types of membership and you don’t have to be a chief officer to be a member of OFCA, because membership is open to all active firefighters. And the best news is that the OFCA Executive Board is offering a one-year free membership to first-time members. Here are the different membership choices: Active Members $36 per year, Retired Active Members $26 per year, Sustaining Members $18 per year.

Take a look at the OFCA website (www.osfa.info/ofca) to see which membership fits you. I encourage you to join OFCA to take advantage of all the great benefits I have mentioned. You will be glad you did!

2018-19 OFCA Executive Board PRESIDENT Bruce Anthony, Tuttle • banthony@cityoftuttle.com 1ST VICE PRESIDENT Bert Norton, Midwest City • bnorton@midwestcityok.org 2ND VICE PRESIDENT Greg Herbster, Moore • gregherbster@cityofmoore.com 3RD VICE PRESIDENT James Heap, Frederick • jrheap@pldi.net PAST PRESIDENT Sean Douglas, Claremore • sdouglas@claremorecity.com

Oklahoma FirefighterJune/July 20199

Question & Answers Oklahoma Firefighter asked last issue’s readers this question: “What is the nicest thing a stranger has done for you or someone you know?”

Here is what they said: w Donnie Bennett, Oklahoma City: One of the nicest things a stranger has done for me was explain to me as a new firefighter the importance of forming my own opinion. w Bert Norton, Midwest City: Purchased my meal. And I had no idea who they were to thank. w Kristen Horton, OSFA Staff: When I was 17 and just started driving, my car broke down in the middle of a back road around midnight (an hour past curfew).

My dad was about 30 minutes away so a nice elderly couple let me park my car in their driveway and come inside until my dad got there to fix my car. We ended up leaving it there until daylight, but it was fixed the next day. w Bre Dahl, Marshall: The gift to me was my life and gave it a new purpose. It wasn’t just one person, either, but a whole team at OU Trauma One Unit.

They not only took care of me, they took care of my family also.

Thanks to them and the responders in Crescent that night, I’m here today.

And after that ordeal, I decided to pay it forward and become a Firefighter/EMT to be there for others on their worst day and hopefully make it a little easier for them. w Aaron Burns, Broken Arrow Retired: Here recently, my health has deteriated, but my yard is still being taken care of, my French drain was installed and I had help getting my roof fixed.

I owe a lot of gratitude to the boys in blue at Tulsa Local 176 for not caring about different locals and showing they care about all local firefighters. w Richelle Treece, Bethel Acres: My late husband’s chemo treatments were done in a large room with several other patients, and one day he had a really bad reaction.

As we were leaving, this stranger handed me a note. It was a poem about how she saw his struggle and she saw his pain, but that she also saw how hard he was trying to be strong and fight.

He died 10 years ago, but I kept that note to give his kids to show them he was a fighter right up to the end. w Bryan West, OSU-FST: The nicest thing a stranger has done for me is pay for my meal at a restaurant without my knowledge.

Then I picked out another stranger and paid for theirs. w Marti Carpenter, OSFA Women’s Auxiliary: My close friend Jeff went out and found mine and Clay’s beloved Chocolate Lab (Maverick) and brought him home to us.

I wish the outcome of his venture out of the backyard was better, but unfortunately he was killed. Jeff’s brother even rode in the back of the pickup with his body so he wouldn’t be alone. I’ll never forget it.

Next Month’s Question --

“What was the last photo you took with your cell phone?”

Everyone is Welcome to Participate!

Email Your Response to penelopes@osfa.info

n

Chaplain’s Corner

Rusty Stowe

Mustang FD Chaplain Chaplain for OKC Retired Firefighters

The sad legacy of the great Civil War was more than 1.1 million people were killed or wounded.

In the Battle of Antietam, historians tell us that more than 20,000 casualties occured.

History tells us that General George McClellan, leader of the Union forces, was able to stop General Robert E. Lee not because he was a much smarter military mind, but because he had knowledge of the battle plans Lee had prepared.

It seems that two Union soldiers discovered a misplaced copy of Lee’s plan of attack and delivered them to McClellan before the fighting broke out. By knowing the confederate strategy, the Union general was able to mount defenses and attacks that eventually led to victory.

Every day we find ourselves dealing with some kind of battle in our lives.

It may be a physical battle with some illness or cancer. It may be a financial battle because our best laid financial plans do not go as we expected. It may be a situation with some family member that causes us to feel like we are under attack.

And if you are a child of God, then you may find yourself dealing with a completely different kind of battle that the Bible calls a “spiritual battle.”

According to the writings of the Apostle Paul in the New Testament, we know who the enemy is, what his nature is, what his strategies are and how he wants to destroy us.

But we also read that we can be victorious over Satan because we can be clothed with the “spiritual armor” of God. This “armor” helps us resist any atttack launched by Satan, and we are ensured victory through Christ Jesus.

Anyone who is or has ever been a firefighter knows

To post prayer requests and find up-to-date information on the Oklahoma Fire Chaplains, go to www.okfirechaplains.org.

Membership is open to all who are involved with the fire service chaplaincy.

Some of our members are full-time career chaplains; the majority are volunteers.

Others are firefighters or paramedics who have religious training, denominational officials, laypersons, or seminary students.

Membership Qualifications: Members are appointed to the chaplaincy by a fire service agency.

Members are endorsed by their religious body for the ministry as a chaplain.

the importance of being fully outfitted with the finest bunker gear on the market.

And they also know that bunker gear must be worn for it to do the job it was intended to do.

Members currently serving as A firefighter would never think about going into a fire department chaplain. fully involved burning structure with just a portion of his protective gear in place. What good is a SCBA if it is left hanging on the locker door at the station?

What difference does it make if you going into a structure with your warm stocking hat on instead of your helmet? And not many will show up wearing their flip-flops instead of their boots.

Now this sound ridiculous because every firefighter knows the importance of his or her equipment. The same thing applies in our spiritual lives.

In Ephesians 6, we read that we need to dress ourselves daily with the Armor of God. The Apostle Paul says this includes: the belt of truth, the breast plate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit.

The evil one knows exactly where to attack us and he will do that if we allow ourselves to go unprotected.

The greatest comfort we have in fighting our spititual battles is to know that God has a battle plan and in the end -- WE WIN! When our men and women go into a fire fight, they have a plan and because of this plan they will be overcomers. The armor of God cannot be a defensive weapon if we do not use it. Our protective gear cannot be a defensive weapon if it is left at the fire house.

It is only when we clothe ourselves completely and properly that we can withstand anything this world throws our way.

It is an honor to serve as a Fire Chaplain and I feel blessed to serve those who serve others.

May God bless you and protect you as you serve your local departments.

10June/July 2019Oklahoma Firefighter

n

NEAR-MISS REPORT

By Greg Lindsay

Hazards During Extrication Responding to a vehicle accident requires us to focus on several things.

Depending on location, residential street or highway, the distractions can multiply exponentially.

Remembering that our incident priorities, life safety, incident stabilization, and property conservation remain running in the background, contrasted by the immediate needs in front of us.

The challenges of patient care, roadway blocking, other responders needing access, and complicated mechanical conditions with the vehicle, can make the entire scene chaotic.

It is easy to see how this type of incident will require firefighters to do more than initially anticipated.

In the feature report this month, we have a crew that responds on a vehicle accident requiring extrication. The vehicle has a single passenger with an airbag deployment via the steering wheel. As the crew begins extrication, the side curtain airbag deploys injuring two firefighters.

The resulting investigation poses more questions than it answers. Consider this incident as if you responded to it.

Explosion During Extrication Injures Two Rescuers Published: 7/22/2018 http://firefighternearmiss.com/Reports?id=12809

EVENT NARRATIVE Crews were operating on the scene of an MVA and were performing a vehicle roof removal during the extrication. During the event, the car was stabilized with cribbing, and appropriate plastics were removed to prepare to make a cut with hydraulic cutters.

During the cut involving the lower section of the “B” post, an explosion occurred.

This resulted in two firefighters being seen at the ER for “ringing in the ears.” These two were working over the “B” post during the cut. One was released back to duty with noted hearing loss; a second was sent home for a ruptured tympanic membrane (eardrum) and, after several days on light duty, returned to work.

LESSON LEARNED Initially, it was believed that a line or cylinder used to pressurize the side-impact airbag system, that went unnoticed due to an atypical position, was cut during the extrication. Post-incident investigation of the vehicle found this not to be the case.

As there was no passenger in the vehicle during the time of the collision, a new possible theory is that the passenger’s seat airbag had not deployed. This would leave that airbag ready to deploy at any moment. A firefighter inside the vehicle treating the driver was kneeling on the passenger seat to provide care. It may be possible this caused the airbag sensor to become active.

It would then be possible for the cut of the “B” post next to the seat, to jar the car enough that the airbag deployed or that the firefighter hit the seat causing the airbag to deploy. This could potentially lead to a pressure change in the direction of those performing the extrication and may have caused or contributed to the damage sustained by personnel on the scene.

However, this is just a theory and brings into question, why hearing damage isn’t noted more often where airbags are deployed during a collision. In conclusion, we were not able to identify what caused the “explosion” or what factors helped contribute to it. It is not known if the cut is actually, what caused the explosion, or if it was a coincidence in timing. We believe further investigation may be merited by appropriate parties.

The internal investigation is ongoing at this time. To address these concerns we initiated a safety bulletin, and initiated training regarding the location of these airbags and the associated hazards.

OKC Fire Department

How do you begin to manage these hazards? One of the most important steps is to begin de-energizing the electrical systems. Turn off the key then disconnect the battery.

The recommendation is to disconnect both battery cables rather than cutting them beginning with the negative cable.

Cutting the cables can cause an arc, which could cause any number of problems. Confirm the system is de-energized by activating the brake lights or headlamps.

If you have ever attended an extrication class where the instructor set off the airbag charge, it is likely a small battery was all that was necessary. Because many people charge small electronics in their cars, it is possible those batteries can back feed the electrical system.

Look for these plugged into charging ports and disconnect them to be safe. Manufacturers recommend waiting a specific time for the charge to dissipate, but it varies with each model.

Extra care to avoid placing yourself into the airbag spaces is a good idea, but if there is a critical patient, try not to linger in the vehicle.

In this report, the author also pointed out that the passenger seat was vacant when the accident occurred. Many modern vehicles have sensors that activate airbags only when occupied.

As the reporter points out, the seat sensor combined with the angle of impact can determine if an airbag deploys. In this case, it is unsure what caused the airbag to initiate.

An article found online provides insight into why the firefighters may have been injured when the charge initiated.

In “The Stored Gas Inflator Cylinder; To Cut or Not to Cut,” Chris Rufert shares how much force is used to inflate an airbag. In the article, he states these cylinders can hold more than 1.5 cubic feet of gas compressed to 3000 psi or more.

When we cut the cylinders, the force is enough to produce a significant pressure wave. Eardrums close to the cylinder can rupture or if close enough, a lung rupture can occur when pressures are much less than those ordinarily found in these systems.

Intentionally cutting these cylinders is generally discouraged, but when responders are unsure about equipment placement stay back as much as possible when it is absolutely necessary to cut in these areas.

Taking every known precaution to prevent initiating this type of deployment may still not be enough to avoid a hazardous situation. In a motor vehicle collision, the engineering can be scrambled in the twisted metal. How we apply safe practices during these events is a story all its own.

If you have a lesson to share about an extrication, I invite you to send your report to the national reporting system at www.Firefighternearmiss.com. Any information you send is anonymous, and when you include contact information, there is a good chance someone will call to help fill in any additional details that may have been missed.

Your stories are important, and the next generation of responders are depending on us to keep them safe.

Additional resources: Poremba, Jason, Airbag dangers firefighters face found at https://www.firerescue1.com/ firefighter-safety/articles/1168850-Airbagdangers-firefighters-face/ Rufert, Chris, The Stored Gas Inflator Cylinder; To Cut or Not to Cut. Found on the internet at https://advancedextrication. com/2013/02/stored-gas-inflator-cylindercut-cut-chris-rufert

Oklahoma Firefighterď źJune/July 2019ď ź11

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12ď źJune/July 2019ď źOklahoma Firefighter

Proudly Supporting the Oklahoma State Firefighters Association and the 125th Annual Convention

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Oklahoma FirefighterJune/July 201913

2019 Safety Stand Down Quiz on Firefighter Contamination To raise awareness of occupational cancer risks and

firefighter contamination, the National Fire Protection Association, International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Safety Health & Survival Section, and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) have launched The “Fire Service Safety Stand Down Quiz” Sweepstakes.

The informative and interactive online quiz emphasizes the importance of the 2019 Safety Stand Down theme, “Reduce Your Exposure: It’s Everyone’s Responsibility.”

The NFPA, IAFC, and NVFC are asking all fire and emergency services personnel to promote and take the 2019 quiz, which is available through June 19 at www. nfpa.org/fireservicequiz.

The quiz contains 13 questions that center around decontamination best practices and resources developed to reduce the risk of firefighter exposure.

Everyone who completes the quiz will be automatically entered into the sweepstakes, and 200 randomly selected participants will win a limited-edition challenge coin commemorating this year’s Safety Stand Down theme.

Safety Stand Down is a joint educational and awareness initiative of the IAFC, NVFC, and NFPA. This year’s event takes place June 16-22, and agencies across the country are encouraged to suspend all non-emergency activities during that time so that they can focus on training and education related to this year’s theme. An entire week is provided to ensure that all shifts and personnel can participate.

Topic information, training downloads, and videos can be found at www.safetystanddown.org, the official web site for the Safety Stand Down event.

“Within the fire service today, one of the greatest concerns is firefighter contamination – and rightly so,” said Curt Floyd, NFPA’s fire service technical lead and a former deputy fire chief.

“NFPA is proud to collaborate with the IAFC and NVFC on the Safety Stand Down campaign so that we are keeping the issues of firefighter exposure on the forefront.

The sweepstakes quiz, and the campaign itself, helps us to remind firefighters and others that we need to remain vigilant when it comes to firefighter health and safety.”

Test your knowledge today and enter the sweepstakes at www.nfpa.org/fireservicequiz.

About the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC): The IAFC represents the leadership of firefighters and emergency responders worldwide. IAFC members are the world’s leading experts in firefighting, emergency medical services, terrorism response, hazardous materials spills, natural disasters, search and rescue, and public safety legislation. Since 1873, the IAFC has provided a forum for its members to exchange ideas, develop professionally and uncover the latest products and services available to first responders.

About the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC): The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) is the leading nonprofit membership association representing the interests of the volunteer fire, EMS, and rescue services.

The NVFC serves as the voice of the volunteer in the national arena and provides invaluable tools, programs, education, and advocacy for first responders across the nation. OSFA is your tie to the NVFC About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA): Founded in 1896, NFPA is a global, nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property, and economic loss due to fire, electrical, and related hazards.

The association delivers information and knowledge through more than 300 consensus codes and standards, research, training, education, outreach, and advocacy; and by partnering with others who share an interest in furthering the NFPA mission.

For more information visit www.nfpa.org. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed online for free at www.nfpa.org/freeaccess.

OSFA is a member organization of NFPA and is your connection.

The Oklahoma Association of Emergency Vehicle Technicians helps mechanics and departments find training, servicing and parts for emergency equipment.

405-834-5975 • groberts1960@gmail.com

page to ponder Donnie Bennett OKC FD Safety & Heath Committee

Leadership within any organization is important; and with this said, the fire service is no different.

Leaders from within the fire service (formal and informal) have always had a strong and positive impact on the members of the entity in which they are a part of.

When a leader has established a positive atmosphere and gained the trust of peers, the result is success.

A successful fire service leader must be confident in themselves, maintain the ability to inspire confidence in others, takes pride in their organization and community in which they are a part of, and recognizes the strengths and weakness of their peers.

Understanding the strengths and weakness of your peers is imperative to the safety and well-being of everyone that is affected by your work.

Required training in the fire service is a given, but we should consistently add company training to our regimen that is tailored to the strengths and weaknesses of our individual crew.

Be creative and don’t let weather or lack of resources prevent you or your crew from getting better.

Utilize your smartphone, dry erase board, formal and informal leaders within your firehouse and have fun!

ATTENTION Fire Chiefs and Department Heads

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14June/July 2019Oklahoma Firefighter

2019 OSFA LEGISLATIVE SUCCESSES

Governor Stitt Signs HB 2051 Bill will Increase Number of Volunteer Firefighters On April 25, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed into law a bill that will allow retired paid firefighters to return to service as volunteers without effecting their state pensions.

House Bill 2051, authored by House Majority Leader Mike Sanders, R-Kingfisher, and Sen. Casey Murdock, RFelt, passed unanimously in both the House and Senate.

The new law will allow retired paid firefighters to perform as volunteer firefighters for a volunteer department without it affecting their current retirement benefit but also without it counting as an accrued retirement benefit against the state’s pension plan.

“Our rural residents and communities are dependent upon the services of volunteer firefighters to keep them safe from harm in the event of deadly wildfires,” Sanders said. “It helps so much to have individuals who are already trained and well-seasoned to perform these duties.

This is why I worked so hard to ensure that we can build the ranks of volunteer firefighters without adding to the state’s pension costs.”

Murdock said, “With the amount of wildfires we have in Northwest Oklahoma we need all the men and women we can get. The rural fire departments are stretched to the limits. The passage of this bill will allow experienced retired firefighters to join volunteer departments bringing their wealth of knowledge to that team.”

HB 2051 amends language to legislation previously passed by Sanders and signed into law that eliminated the 45-year-old age limit for new firefighters by giving them the ability to join a department without the requirement that they be added to the state’s pension plan.

The legislation, which took effect in November 2015, has resulted in 300 new volunteer firefighters joining rural fire departments over the past 3 ½ years.

Sanders explained that state law previously prohibited willing volunteers over the age of 45 from becoming firefighters because the state’s pension and retirement plan could not afford them. Many people from his district, however, said they would be willing to serve without needing the retirement benefit.

This amendment now will allow retired paid firefighters to participate in protecting the state’s rural fire districts as volunteers without affecting funding that can now be appropriated to other core government services.

Sanders said about 85 percent of the firefighters in Oklahoma are volunteers.

Of the state’s more than 900 fire departments, about 95 percent are certified with the Rural Fire Defense Program.

OSFA President Dereck Cassady praised Governor Stitt along with the efforts of Representative Mike Sanders and Senator Casey Murdock.

“Representative Sanders and Senator Murdock worked closely with OSFA through our lobbyists at the Capitol Don Armes and Julia Jernigan, and our OSFA Executive Director Steve Lumry,” Cassady said. “We are very grateful for Representatives and Senators who take up the cause of the volunteer fire service in Oklahoma and work through our Association to vet the legislation to ensure that it has a positive impact for all of Oklahoma’s fire service.

“We want to express our gratitude to Governor Stitt, Representative Sanders, Senator Murdock, and both the full House and full Senate for their unanimous support.”

Four (4) bills requested

by OSFA signed into law

by Governor Kevin Stitt n House Bill 2161 Authors: Garry Mize (F)(R); Chuck Hall (F)(R) Modifies the Fire Protection District Board of Directors’ qualifications to require they not be active firefighters in their fire protection district, and grants the board power to regulate outdoor burning.

Bill History: April 22, 2019 - Signed by Governor

n House Bill 2051 Authors: Mike Sanders (R); Casey Murdock (F)(R) Allows a retired firefighter to perform volunteer firefighting services for a volunteer department and continue to receive pension from the Oklahoma Pension and Retirement System.

Bill History: April 25, 2019 - Signed by Governor

n Senate Bill 164 Authors: Roland Pederson (F)(R); Garry Mize (F)(R) Relates to county fire protection district boards and provides for the requirement that a fire chief be employed under certain circumstances, allows for adjacent areas within a county, including municipalities, to opt-in or out by a process.

Bill History: April 29, 2019 - Signed by Governor

Governor Stitt Signs SB 164 Bill will provide new rules for Fire Protection Districts On April 29, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed SB 164 -- the third piece of OSFA legislation signed into law this year.

SB 164 was authored by Senator Roland Pederson (R - Burlington) and Assistant Majority Floor Leader Representative Garry Mize (R - Edmond). The bill was co-authored by Representatives Martinez and Miller.

SB 164 allows an increase in the number of board members for fire protection districts from five members currently to be five, seven, or nine members and includes rules for how the terms will be filled.

SB 164 also allows current fire protection districts to cross county boundaries upon an election in the new territory and consent from both boards of county commissioners.

The bill provides new rules for fire protection districts very similar to those that control municipal fire departments, provides for methods and negotiations when a municipality wishes to annex portions of a fire protection district.

Finally, the bill allows for the fire protection district board of directors to choose it’s fiscal year.

OSFA Executive Director Steve Lumry expressed appreciation on behalf of the Association to Governor Stitt, Senator Pederson, and Representatives Mize, Martinez, and Miller.

“We want to thank all involved in this long process to obtain passage of this legislation,” he said. “This idea started out from members contacting the OSFA, followed by the establishment of an OSFA subcommittee, research by the OSFA Legislative Committee, OSFA Legislative Resolution 17-05 passing the OSFA convention, requesting the bill be filed by Senator Pederson, and working through two sessions of the Legislature to finally realize the goal.

“We are very appreciative of those who participated in this process.”

OSFA President Dereck Cassady said, “This piece of legislation was very important to the Title 19 Fire Protection Districts and we worked hard to hold the line and secure passage of this important legislation.

“Thank you to Governor Stitt, Senator Pederson, Representative Mize, Representative Martinez, and Representative Miller for sticking with us and making this happen.”

SB 164 will become effective on November 1, 2019.

n House Bill 2269 Authors: Josh West (R); Paul Rosino (F)(R) Provides for certain public retirement systems to comply with IRS calculation requirements, to pay out of a related fund, and value of assets qualifying for waiver of probate to $50,000; EMERGENCY.

Bill History: May 13, 2019 - Signed by Governor Kevin Stitt addressing delegates at the 2018 OSFA Convention

Oklahoma FirefighterJune/July 201915

KNOW YOUR HEALTH. max

t e s t i n g

In just a few minutes HeartView CT provides information that can save your life. The test is fast, painless and ideal for people in their 40’s, 50’s and 60’s who have never been diagnosed with heart disease.

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Who Should Be Tested?

Men over 40, women over 45 If your family has a history of heart disease If your blood pressure is higher than 130/70 If you have diabetes If you use tobacco If you are obese If you are inactive

The Comfort Of Knowing

At Oklahoma Heart Hospital we use VO2 Max Testing for multiple reasons. VO2 Max

Get ahead of lung cancer with our noninvasive, low-dose CT scan. It uses 90% less

Who Can Be Tested?

Who Should Consider A Lung Cancer Screening?

measures the amount of oxygen your body uses at different exertion levels while you exercise on a bike or treadmill. It can help when diagnosing pulmonary disorders and also for identifying target heart rate zones to maximize weight loss and exercise endurance.

• Anyone who wants to take their workout to the next level • Patients who need diagnostics (Diagnostic VO2 max testing with physician interpretation requires a referral.)

Oklahoma Heart Hospital’s low-dose HeartView CT technology detects heart disease years before symptoms develop. The screening test produces clear, precise three-dimensional images that show the amount of calcium buildup in the artery walls of your heart. Calcium buildup is an indicator heart disease is developing.

What’s Included?

What Does The “CT” In HeartView CT Mean?

What Does The “VO2” In VO2 Max Mean?

The “CT” in HeartView CT means Computerized Tomography. Computerized Tomography is the process of using a computer that takes data from several X-ray images of the inside of a person’s body and converts them into pictures on a monitor.

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Included in the testing is a metabolic analysis to help you understand your own metabolic rate and how to stay inside your body’s target caloric zones to lose or maintain weight. When trying to reach your health and fitness goals, our testing can help you work smarter, not harder.

The “V” in VO2 Max means volume. The “O2” in VO2 Max means oxygen. VO2 Max measures how effectively and efficiently your body uses oxygen.

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radiation than conventional chest CT scans when creating images. Our screening equipment is able to detect the disease at its earliest and most treatable stage. Let us help you or someone you know take control of the unknowns and be proactive.

There are risks and benefits to a lung cancer screening. We feel it is important for you to know them before making a decision. If you are in the “High Risk” category you should consider being screened. If you are in the “Moderate and High Risk” category you should engage your physician in the decision whether screening is beneficial for you. If you are in the “Moderate and Low Risk” category, the screening may cause more harm than it will benefit. For this reason, we only recommend patients in the “High Risk” category to consider a lung cancer screening.

High Risk

• Ages 55-74 • Current smoker • Former smoker who quit less than 15 years ago • Smoked at least 30 Pack Years*

Moderate & High Risk

• Over 50 years old • Smoked at least 20 Pack Years* • Has an additional risk factor besides second hand smoke such as exposure to some metals, fumes or a family/personal history of cancer.

Moderate & Low Risk

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Call to Schedule (405) 608-3635

• Ages 50 and younger • Smoked less than 20 Pack Years*

What’s A “Pack Year”?

*A Pack Year is a way to measure your risk.

You can calculate your Pack Year by taking the average number of packs you smoke per day and multiplying by the number of years you’ve smoked.

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Oklahoma Heart Hospital complies with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race,color, national origin, age, disability or sex. ATENCIÓN: Si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al Oklahoma Heart Hospital North, 405-608-3200; Oklahoma Heart Hospital South, 405-628-6000; OHH Physicians, 405-608-3800. CHÚ Ý: Nếu bạn nói Tiếng Việt, có các dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ miễn phí dành cho bạn. Gọi số Oklahoma Heart Hospital North, 405-608-3200; Oklahoma Heart Hospital South, 405-628-6000; OHH Physicians, 405-608-3800.

www.okheart.com

16June/July 2019Oklahoma Firefighter

n

in memoriam

Jimmy “Bo” Hollins, Wetumka FD The Final Fire Alarm sounded for Wetumka Volunteer Firefighter Jimmy “Bo” Hollins on April 24. He was 43.

Known by most as Bo, he worked as a truck driver for CM Heavy Machinery for the past four years, and he was a proud volunteer firefighter for the city of Wetumka.

Bo enjoyed watching NASCAR, singing karaoke, hunting, fishing, riding horses and hanging out with friends in the pasture.

“Fireman of the year for 2018 ... always willing to step up and do anything, always on top of everything! You were a good fireman but better brother! R.I.P Brother!” -- Wetumka FD Facebook

T.J. Allison, Cherokee FD

The Final Fire Alarm sounded for Cherokee Volunteer Firefighter T.J. Allison on April 24. He was 41.

TJ served on the school board for Cherokee Schools as Vice President. He loved to invest in the lives of kids, both as a member of the school board and also as a volunteer coach. There is now a basketball court named in TJ’s honor at the Cherokee Elementary School. He was very active in the community and loved supporting all things Cherokee Chiefs.

TJ was also volunteer firefighter for the Cherokee Fire Department and served his country as a member of the National Guard.

He was named citizen of the year for the City of Cherokee in 2013.

T.J. lost a courageous almost 5-year battle with cancer.

n www.CONRADFIRE.com

Charlie Joyner, Midwest City FD The Final Fire Alarm sounded for Retired Midwest City Fire Chief Charlie Joyner on April 28. He was 78.

Charlie served as president of the Oklahoma Fire Chiefs Association (OFCA) in 1991. He was also a Midwest City Councilman for six years (2000-2006) and was elected as a State Representative, serving District 95 for 10 years (2006 to 2016).

He spent his early years in North Carolina, and when he was 16, he traveled to Midwest City to visit his sister Mary.

And he never left. He fell in love with the city and asked if he could finish school at Midwest City High School. He became a Bomber and graduated in 1958.

In 1966, Charlie was proud to become a member of the Midwest City Fire Department where he served for 22 years. He loved being a firefighter and retired as Fire Chief in 1988.

Charlie loved OU Football, country music and laughing with his family and friends. One of his favorite pastimes included spending time with what he referred to as “the kids”: Tony Bassett, Travis Bassett, Michael Zurmehly and Lauren Zurmehly.

Serving as a firefighter was one of the greatest honors of his life.

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Oklahoma FirefighterJune/July 201917

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18June/July 2019Oklahoma Firefighter

2019 OSFA STATE FIRE SCHOOL

Photos by Educational Advisory Committee Members & OSFA Staff

Oklahoma FirefighterJune/July 201919

2019 OSFA STATE FIRE SCHOOL STATS & COMMENTS

n 800 attendees, including two congressmen n 2,351 certificates n 200 departments from 4 states From Rodney Foster, Educational Advisory Committee, Shawnee Fire Chief (starting June 10): The Educational Advisory Board would like to thank all the firefighters that were able to attend the State Fire School in Tulsa. A total of 800 personnel were able to attend.

The committee was so excited to see all the students and instructors each day. We want to thank all of the spon- Rodney Foster sors and vendors for the event.

The Tulsa Fire Department was amazing once again, and the school went very smooth with their leadership.

We can’t wait for next year. Mark your calendars now for May 7-9, 2020.

From K.C. Cox, Fair Oaks Fire Chief Fair Oaks Members took a total of 28 classes and 94 total hours of training over the past 4 days.

As Chief, I am proud of the dedication and time they give to better serve their community.

From Matt Lay, 2018 OSFA President, Tulsa FD: Great to see this dedicated fire service professional representing Oklahoma Firefighters at the State level!

Just finished training hundreds of career and volunteer first responders in a single weekend and now making history!

Matt’s “making history” comment refers to the announcement that Tulsa Fire Training Chief Julie Lynn was confirmed as the first female State Fire Marshal Commission member.

She will replace Stan May, who resigned as commissioner after being elected to the state House of Julie Lynn Representatives in January.

20June/July 2019Oklahoma Firefighter

n

Museum news Gene Brown Museum Director geneb@osfa.info 405-424-3440

Hello Everyone! I have a story to tell. It’s about the great flood of 2019.

At 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 8, we found out that the museum had flooded. Ceiling tiles were all over the trucks, and water was cascading down everywhere.

What a great way to start the day! Let the cleanup begin.

The Restoration Co. was called to remove the water. We worked through the day to remove the water and tiles from everywhere. We got the water sucked up and began the drying process.

The next morning, I received a call from the Edmond Fire Department, which offered to bring over their rookie class to help with the cleanup.

We accepted! They did an outstanding job. What a great group of hard-working men!

They walked in and got to work. They cleaned and waxed and polished six trucks. The trucks never looked so good!

Thank you, Edmond FD, for your help in our time of need!

We are still working to get the repairs done. We were able to open the museum back up four days later. Hopefully we will complete the repairs very soon.

Despite the flood, good things are happening here at your museum!

The Ride to Remember was a great success. I will report how much the donation from the ride was next issue.

Fire School was a great success, as well. The staff and instructors did a great job making this happen. Please make plans to attend next year.

The Women’s College Softball World Series is coming. This is one of our biggest fund raisers of the year. It starts May 30 and runs through June 5.

If you plan to attend any of the games, please park with us. You will be supporting a great cause!

Monday thru Saturday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Sunday 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

FREE for OSFA Members & Immediate Family

Help support your Oklahoma Firefighters Museum Expansion and the Oklahoma Fallen and Living Firefighters Memorial PURCHASE AN OKLAHOMA FIREFIGHTER LICENSE TAG! Money received from the purchase of each tag goes directly to financing upkeep on the Oklahoma Fallen and Living Firefighters Memorial and Oklahoma Firefighters Museum.

Oklahoma Firefighter tags cost $35 a year (on top of regular tag fees) and $20 goes directly to the Museum/Memorial.

Tags can be purchased from local tag agents any time during the year -- not just with your regular plate. And they can be customized to 6 letters as approved by the Tax Commission.

Oklahoma FirefighterJune/July 201921

MEETING YOUR NEEDS IN A BUDGET FRIENDLY WAY TERESA ELLIS n Sales Representative n 405.202.4124 n tellis@mesfire.com DAVID MOORE n Scott / Hurst Service n 214.724.6989 n dmoore@mesfire.com

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22June/July 2019Oklahoma Firefighter

n OKLAHOMA FIRE SPOTLIGHT

BY GREG ROBERTS Norman FD Retired

ELK CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT

Elk City FD Fire Station

Engine 2 2000 Pierce 1250 pump 750 tank

Ladder 1 1990 Ford/Boardman 1250 pump 500 tank 50’ boom

2006 Pierce 2000 pump 150 tank 100 ft. platform Elk City Fire Chief Billy Word

E-1 2017 Ferrara 1500 pump 1000 tank

Fire Chief: Billy Word Joined OSFA: 1911 Number of stations: 1 Number of engines: 3 Number of ladders: 2 Number of ambulances: 5 Paid Firefighters: 21 Volunteer Firefighters: 19 Paid EMS Only Personnel: 7 Population: Approx. 13,000 ISO Class: 3 Total Runs Per Year: 3,300 Square Miles Served: 600 There is some confusion about how Elk City got its name. Elk City was so named because it is located at the head of Elk Creek, which in turn was named by U.S. Army Captain Randolph Marcy who was leading an expedition to explore the Red River in 1852.

Confusion also stems from the early post offices that served the residents of the town. Even though the town of Elk City has had only one name, its early settlers were served by a post office named Crowe, and later, one named Busch.

Consequently, on many early maps of Oklahoma Territory, the names of “Crowe” or “Busch” are seen instead of “Elk City”.

Finally, on July 20, 1907, shortly before statehood, the Busch Post Office had its name officially changed to Elk City Post Office.

By January 1902, Elk City had more than 60 businesses and a population exceeding 1,000. Paving the streets with bricks also began in 1902.

Though not yet a year old, the town had become one of the largest in western Oklahoma.

Even with two devastating fires -- one on October 28, 1903, which destroyed more than a dozen businesses, and the other in March 1906 which burned 16 businesses to the ground -- Elk City continued to grow into a major transportation and commercial hub.

And by statehood in 1907, the population of Elk City had more than tripled to 3,000 people.

If you would like to see your FD featured in a future issue of Oklahoma Firefighter, please contact Greg Roberts at 405-424-1452 or groberts1960@gmail.com

‘Capturing the Load’ Course Free for First Responders The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) has partnered with On the Job and Off to provide access to the new Capturing the Load course FREE for a limited time to firefighters, EMS providers, and department leadership.

This is a $49 value. The course is available online and on-demand to fit into responders’ busy schedules.

Firefighters and EMS providers routinely face situations that can have a significant impact on their mental health and wellbeing. Understanding the challenges and learning mitigation and coping mechanisms for themselves and their fellow department members is critical to preventing tragic outcomes.

Capturing the Load is a five-module mental health education course that covers cumulative stress, vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, post-traumatic stress, and the stress continuum.

This course equips and empowers participants with the knowledge and resources to have conversations with their fellow first responders and their loved ones to get any support they need to have a long and healthy volunteer career.

“As firefighters and emergency responders, we are all at risk for behavioral health issues. Even if we are not personally struggling, odds are we know someone that is,” said NVFC Chair Kevin D. Quinn. “The NVFC is proud to partner with On the Job and Off to provide this critical training to 1,000 responders at no cost. I highly encourage boots-on-the-ground firefighters and EMS providers, as well as department leadership, to take advantage of this free training offer.”

On the Job and Off is an online platform dedicated to building more resilient first responders.

Capturing the Load is presented by On the Job and Off CEO and lead instructor Ali Rothrock. In addition to her work in mental health education, Rothrock is a firefighter, EMT, and Certified Trauma Responder. She is also a certified QPR Suicide Prevention Instructor and a member of the Montgomery County (PA) Critical Incident Stress Management Team.

This free offer is good for a limited time, so register today at www.onthejobandoff.com using code: NVFCPROMO

Oklahoma FirefighterJune/July 201923

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24June/July 2019Oklahoma Firefighter

www.osufst.org

1723 West Tyler, Stillwater, OK 74078 • (800) 304-5727 • (405) 744-5727 • Fax: (405) 744-7377

June / July 2019 CLASS SCHEDULE Current as of May 20, 2019

Courses are subject to change • Call or check online for changes in courses

All courses are FREE unless otherwise noted

Vehicle Rescue Technician Level I Part A (72775) June 1-2 (16 hours) Guymon Fire Department

Hazardous Materials Technician Refresher - Part A (71319) June 6 (8 hours) Edmond Fire Department

Flammable Gas Emergencies (LPG) (72785) June 1 (12 hours) Southwest Tech Center - Altus

Basic Fire Department Standpipe Operations ( Classroom Only) (74306) June 6 (4 hours) Edmond Fire Department

Flammable Gas Emergencies (LPG) (73518) June 1-7 (12 hours) Kiamichi Tech Center - Durant Wildland Fire Fighting: Fundamentals (74266) June 1-2 (16 hours) Western Tech Center - Elk City Volunteer Fire Fighting Practices/ Basic Fire Fighting Skills Train the Trainer (73714) June 1 (4 hours) Gould Fire Department Fire Fighter II Flammable Liquids and Gas Emergency: (LPG) or (FLAG) Evaluation (72787) June 1 (8 hours) Southwest Tech Center -- Altus Fire Fighter II Vehicle Extrication Evaluation (72776) June 2 (4 hours) Guymon Fire Department AHIMT - Command and General Staff Functions for Local IMTs (74051) June 3-7 (40 hours) OKC Fire Training Center Emergency Services Instructor (Instructor I) (74257) June 3-6 (32 hours) • $3000 - All Participants Broken Arrow Fire Department Hazardous Materials Technician Refresher - Part A (71317) June 4 (8 hours) Edmond Fire Department Community Emergency Response Team (74150) June 4-5 (20 hours) Fort Sill Youth Center Hazardous Materials Technician Refresher - Part A (71318) June 5 (8 hours) Edmond Fire Department Pipeline Awareness for Emergency Responders (74193) June 5 (4 hours) Bryan County Fairgrounds

Hazardous Materials Operations Refresher: Core Competencies (72804) June 15 (8 hours) Forest Park Fire Department

Hazardous Materials Awareness for WMD-HazMat Emergencies Certification (73429) June 22 (1 hour) Maple Fire Department - Muldrow

Rope Rescue Technician Level I Part A (72908) June 15-16 (16 hours) Eufaula Fire Department

Hazardous Materials Awareness for WMD-HazMat Emergencies Certification (73966) June 22 (1 hour) Central Tech Center - Drumright

Pipeline Awareness for Emergency Responders (73786) June 6 (4 hours) Guymon Fire Department

NIMS ICS 300 Intermediate ICS for Expanding Incidents (73657) June 17-18 (16 hours) Yukon Police Department

Flammable Gas Emergencies (LPG) (72756) June 8 (12 hours) Red River Tech Center -- Duncan

Hazardous Materials Operations for WMD Refresher (71326) June 18 (8 hours) Claremore Fire Department

Vehicle Rescue Technician Level I Part A (72880) June 8-9 (16 hours) Tonkawa Fire Department

OEM Staging Area Manager (72490) June 18 (5 hours) Wagoner County Emergency Management

Wildland Fire Fighting: Fundamentals (73534) June 8-9 (16 hours) Cache Volunteer Fire Department Extrication Fundamentals (73710) June 8 (8 hours) Atoka Fire Department Rope Rescue Technician Level I Part A (73787) June 8-9 (16 hours) High Plains Tech - Woodward Fire Fighter II Flammable Liquids and Gas Emergency: (LPG) or (FLAG) Evaluation (72757) June 8 (8 hours) Red River Tech Center - Duncan

OEM NW Area Workshop (73715) June 18-20 (20 hours) Enid Convention Hall Hazardous Materials Operations for WMD Refresher (71327) June 19 (8 hours) Claremore Fire Department Hazardous Materials Operations for WMD Refresher (71329) June 20 (8 hours) Claremore Fire Department Pipeline Awareness for Emergency Responders (73792) June 20 (4 hours) Heritage Center - Perry

Hazardous Materials Operations Certification (73128) June 9 (8 hours) Clinton Fire Department

Rope Rescue Technician Level I Part B (72909) June 22-23 (16 hours) Eufaula Fire Department

Fire Fighter II Vehicle Extrication Evaluation (72881) June 9 (4 hours) Tonkawa Fire Department

Vehicle Rescue Technician Level I Part A (73416) June 22-23 (16 hours) Beaver Volunteer Fire Department

Rope Rescue: Low Angle Operations (73540) June 14-15 (12 hours) Bridge Creek Fire Department

Hazardous Materials Awareness for WMD-HazMat Emergencies (73428) June 22 (8 hours) Maple Fire Department - Muldrow

Hazardous Materials Decontamination - OK-RRS Basic Operation (71323) June 15 (6 hours) Guymon Fire Department

Hazardous Materials Awareness for WMD-HazMat Emergencies (73965) June 22 (8 hours) Central Tech Center - Drumright

Fire Fighter II Vehicle Extrication Evaluation (73422) June 23 (4 hours) Beaver Volunteer Fire Department NIMS ICS 400 (EMI) Advanced Incident Command System (73656) June 24-25 (16 hours) Yukon Police Department Hazardous Materials Operations for WMD Refresher (73692) June 25 (8 hours) Sand Springs Fire Department Hazardous Materials Technician Refresher - Part A (71324) June 26 (8 hours) Altus Fire Department Industrial Rescue: 24 Hour Rope/ Confined Space Rescue Operations (72792) June 26-28 (24 hours) Baker - Hughes, Barnsdall Hazardous Materials Operations for WMD Refresher (73693) June 26 (8 hours) Sand Springs Fire Department Hazardous Materials Operations for WMD Refresher (73694) June 27 (8 hours) Sand Springs Fire Department Vehicle Rescue Technician Level I Part A (73169) June 29-30 (16 hours) Logan Cnty Fairgrounds - Guthrie Fire Fighter I Certification (73524) June 29 (8 hours) Altus Fire Department Rope Rescue Technician Level I Part B (73788) June 29-30 (16 hours) High Plains Tech - Woodward Fire Fighter I Live Burn (73525) June 30 (8 hours) Altus AFB Fire Department

Fire Fighter I Live Burn Evaluation (73526) June 30 (8 hours) Altus Fire Department Fire Fighter II Vehicle Extrication Evaluation (73170) June 30 (4 hours) Logan Cnty Fairgrounds - Guthrie Hazardous Materials Awareness for WMD-HazMat Emergencies (74212) July 5 (8 hours) Edmond Fire Department Hazardous Materials Awareness for WMD-HazMat Emergencies Certification (74215) July 5 (1 hour) Edmond Fire Department Hazardous Materials Operations: Core Competencies (74219) July 8-10 (24 hours) Edmond Fire Department Emergency Services Instructor (Instructor I) (72963) July 8-11 (32 hours) • $3000 - All Participants Sand Springs Public Safety Center Rope Rescue Technician Level I Part A (73426) July 11-12 (16 hours) Midwest City Fire Department Hazardous Materials Operations for WMD Refresher (71289) July 12 (8 hours) Midwest City Fire Department Hazardous Materials Operations: Core Competencies (72186) July 12-14 (24 hours) Eufaula Community Center Hazardous Materials Operations Certification (74221) July 12 (8 hours) Edmond Fire Department NFA - Fire Service Safety Culture: Who Protects Firefighters from Firefigthers (F0349) (71247) July 15-16 (16 hours) Ardmore Fire Department Hazardous Materials Technician Refresher - Part A (72246) July 16 (8 hours) Sand Springs Fire Department Hazardous Materials Operations for WMD Refresher (71290) July 17 (8 hours) Midwest City Fire Department

Oklahoma FirefighterJune/July 201925

June / July 2019 CLASS SCHEDULE, continued

n

Dr. Erick Reynolds

Hazardous Materials Technician Refresher - Part A (72247) July 17 (8 hours) Sand Springs Fire Department

Weatherford Mid Year Conference (72464) July 25-26 (8 hours) SWOSU Pioneer Event Center

Hazardous Materials Operations for WMD Refresher (71291) July 18 (8 hours) Midwest City Fire Department

Weatherford Mid Year Conference (72465) July 25-26 (8 hours) SWOSU Pioneer Event Center

Hazardous Materials Technician Refresher - Part A (72248) July 18 (8 hours) Sand Springs Fire Department

Hazardous Materials Operations: Core Competencies (73968) July 26-28 (24 hours) Central Tech Center - Drumright

Rope Rescue Technician Level I Part B (73427) July 18-19 (16 hours) Midwest City Fire Department

Emergency Vehicle Driver Training: UTV/ATV (73348) July 27 (8 hours) SWOSU Pioneer Event Center

Oklahoma Emergency Vehicle Drivers Training (73921) July 19-20 (8 hours) Boise City Vol. Fire Department

Pump Operations (73349) July 27 (8 hours) SWOSU Pioneer Event Center

Hazardous Materials Operations Certification (72188) July 21 (8 hours) Eufaula Community Center Hazardous Materials Operations Certification (73063) July 21 (8 hours) Crescent Fire Department

Oklahoma Highway Patrol Bomb Squad Explosive Awareness Training (73354) July 27 (8 hours) SWOSU Pioneer Event Center Extrication Fundamentals (73479) July 27 (8 hours) SWOSU Pioneer Event Center Rope Rescue Technician Level II Part A (73607) July 27-28 (16 hours) Blackwell Fire Department

Hazardous Materials Technician Refresher - Part A (71338) July 23 (8 hours) McAlester Fire Department

Wildland Fire Fighting: Skills (74096) July 27-28 (16 hours) Porter Hill Fire Department Elgin

Hazardous Materials Technician Refresher - Part A (71339) July 24 (8 hours) McAlester Fire Department

ISO, What You Need to Know (74143) July 27 (2 hours) Weatherford Fire Department

NIMS ICS 300 Intermediate ICS for Expanding Incidents (73658) July 24-25 (16 hours) Southwest Tech Center - Altus

Tactical First Aid for the Patrol Officer (TCCC/TEMS Concepts and Skills) (74256) July 27 (8 hours) SWOSU Pioneer Event Center

Pipeline Emergency Awareness for Communications Officers (74090) July 24 (3 hours) Chickasha Police Department Hazardous Materials Technician Refresher - Part A (71341) July 25 (8 hours) McAlester Fire Department Weatherford Mid Year Conference (72463) July 25-26 (8 hours) SWOSU Pioneer Cellular Event Center

OSU FST Director

erick.reynolds@osufst.org • 405-744-5727 (W) • 405-409-0961 (C)

All courses are FREE unless otherwise noted

Oklahoma Emergency Vehicle Drivers Training TtT (73922) July 19-20 (8 hours) Boise City Vol. Fire Department

fire service training

Hazardous Materials Technician Refresher - Part A (71345) July 30 (8 hours) Sapulpa Fire Department Hazardous Materials Technician Refresher - Part A (71346) July 31 (8 hours) Sapulpa Fire Department

Greetings Oklahoma’s Bravest!

Hope this writing finds all of you healthy, wealthy and wise!

Summer is here!

The annual OSFA State Fire School in Tulsa finished up a couple of weeks ago. By all estimates, it was a great success!

Can we do better? Sure, we can always find ways to improve, but the comments that came my way were positive!

Thanks to Steve, Sheri, the OSFA Executive Board and OSFA Staff for letting us partner again this year on State Fire School 2019.

Another great learning opportunity will take place at the 125th OSFA Convention June 5-8 in Ponca City! The retirees will meet the preceding day, June 4, in Ponca City, as well!

There will be numerous opportunities for professional development and growth at convention! Please come join our brother and sister firefighters as we learn and grow together!

Please take advantage of this opportunity to learn and get to know each other that much better. Again, thank you to Steve, Sheri, and the OSFA Executive Board for putting together this opportunity to grow professionally!

We are very much appreciative all of the opportunities afforded FST to partner with the OSFA, certainly including being able to partner on the SAFER Grant during the rest of 2019.

n

This grant program is going very well and shows a pass rate in excess of 98% for those folks taking advantage of this unique opportunity! We truly believe that the model for conducting Firefighter 1 courses across Oklahoma has changed and is heading in a new and exciting direction!

We look forward to finding out the results of the 2018 AFG Awards as we know many of you are, as well. We will purchase new LPG props should we be successful in being awarded a new AFG Grant!

We have used the old ones for hundreds of classes across Oklahoma and it is time to simply replace these well-used props!

The OKEFO Class continues to jell as a group! We would ask that you consider attending or allowing some of your up-andcoming personnel to attend this life-changing event!

Each department that has graduates in their population from this program has remarked about what a positive difference it has made in everyday life on the job!

The phone is always on and we would love to hear from you. Or stop by the office in Stillwater. The coffee is on and we would love to visit with you about all things fire!

Tell those people that you love that you love them! You may not get another chance!

Volunteer Fire Service Committee Craig Hannan

Perkins FD & FPP Director

Greetings!

Your Volunteer Fire Service Committee is working on the information gathered at the Volunteer Fire Caucus in January. The committee works year-round to keep the Volunteer Fire Service issues in Oklahoma at the forefront of efforts to create awareness and change.

The committee appreciates your time, attendance and input at the Caucus.

The role of a volunteer firefighter in Oklahoma is not just fire suppression, rescue and EMS, but also working to make things better for the Oklahoma firefighters of today and tomorrow.

For far too long in my volunteer firefighting career, I felt the OSFA was just for “big city” career department issues and not about the “small, poor” volunteer fire department issues.

I could not have been more wrong. The Volunteer Fire Service Committee is just one example of the OSFA’s commitment to addressing the issues facing Oklahoma volunteer fire departments.

Recently, the OSFA State Fire School was held for four days in Tulsa to increase the level of training across all Oklahoma departments.

So, what can you do? Get involved. I know you all need one more thing to do. Family, jobs, training and incident responses all compete for your time.

I am asking you to consider participating in OSFA committees, read and respond to the monthly issues of the Oklahoma Firefighter newspaper and reach out to the OSFA Executive Board with comments and concerns that affect your department.

When the Legislature is in session, reach out to your elected officials on the OSFA talking points. These are just a few examples of ways you can help and be involved.

On the fire ground, research has shown that initial on-scene staffing can make the difference in getting a handle on tough incidents. Incidents relating to the Oklahoma fire service off the fire ground are no different.

Be active, be involved, show up. Stay safe!

26June/July 2019Oklahoma Firefighter

brackets, rear camera, antenna bases, battery ch included. (hose, nozzles, deck gun. flashlights, to SCBA, etc are NOT included.) AS IS, FOB western Oklahoma FirefighterJune/July 201927

You Can Still Gain Tax Benefits from Charitable Donations Like most people, you probably know several organizations worthy of your philanthropy, and you may well have contributed to them, perhaps on an annual basis.

In the past, when you’ve made charitable donations, it’s been a win-win: You were able to provide support to a worthy organization and you received some valuable tax benefits.

But with the passage of the new tax laws, things may have changed considerably for many people.

Are there still tax benefits to making a charitable donation?

Here’s some background: Previously, you may have been able to deduct your charitable donations if you itemized deductions on your income tax return.

So, for example, if you were in the 25 percent tax bracket and you gave $1,000 to a qualified charity, you may have been able to deduct $250.

But under the new tax laws, the standard deduction is almost doubled for 2018, to $24,000 for joint filers, and $12,000 for single filers.

As a result, far fewer people are likely to itemize their deductions. If you’re in this group, you may find that you have less incentive, at least for tax reasons, to make charitable gifts.

However, receiving a tax deduction is not the only tax benefit of making a charitable gift.

If you own an IRA and you’re 70 ½ or older, you generally must start taking withdrawals – technically called required minimum distributions, or RMDs – from your traditional IRA. (Roth IRAs are not subject to RMDs until after the death of the owner.)

If instead of withdrawing the money, the IRA owner decides to transfer the funds directly to a qualified charity, the distributed amount can be excluded from the IRA owner’s income.

So, in effect, you can get a sizable tax benefit from your generosity.

In fact, you may be able to move up to $100,000 from your IRA per year to an eligible charity and have it count as your RMDs, even if the amount donated is more than the required minimum withdrawal.

Even if you aren’t 70 ½ yet, you might still gain some tax benefits from certain types of charitable donations.

When you itemized, and you donated appreciated stocks, you were generally allowed a charitable deduction for the full fair market value of the stocks on the date of the transfer, even if your original cost was only a fraction of that value.

Now, if you don’t itemize, that charitable contribution is not deductible, but you can still avoid the capital gains taxes you’d have to pay if you sold the securities, rather than donating them.

Finally, you could name a qualified charity as a beneficiary of your IRA or 401(k). This can allow the assets to pass free of income tax to the charitable group.

Given the increased standard deduction resulting from the new tax laws, many charitable groups are worried about the potential loss of contributions.

Nonetheless, as we’ve seen, you can still find ways to get some tax benefits from your own charitable gifts. And you’ll still get the same satisfaction from supporting a good cause.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

It was submitted by Jared C. McCoy, CRCP. Edward Jones, its employees and financial advisors cannot provide tax or legal advice. You should consult your attorney or qualified tax advisor regarding your situation.

Protecting Your Future

1995 Boardman Engine n n n n n n

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Photos:

Hose, nozzles, deck gun. flashlights, tools, appliances, SCBA, etc are NOT included.

AS IS, FOB western Colorado. * $25K buys it now, or send bid, opening on July 8, 2019. We retain the right to refuse all offers/bids, but intend to sell.

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Oklahoma State Firefighters Association 125th Annual

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Convention

28June/July 2019Oklahoma Firefighter ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Chase Rankin

Terri Williams

Executive Director

Executive Secretary

James Reynolds

6601 Broadway Ext., Oklahoma City, OK 73116 405-522-4600 • 1-800-525-7461 toll free • 405-522-4643 fax www.okfirepen.state.ok.us

n MEETING (April 19, 2019) Brian G. McDaniel/Ardmore Application For “Disability In The Line Of Duty” Pension, Effective April 1, 2019: Motion Was Made By Lay And Seconded By Cramer To Approve Application For “Disability In Line Of Duty”, Effective April 1, 2019. Ayes: Kelley, Cassady, Vanhorn, Davidson, Manek, Kohls, Combs, Lay, Cramer, Bryant And Rodriguez. Nayes: None. Motion Carried.

David V. Hadermehl/Broken Arrow – Application For “Disability In The Line Of Duty” Pension, Effective March 19, 2019: Motion Was Made By Lay And Seconded By Kelley To Approve Application For “Disability In The Line Of Duty”, Effective March 19, 2019. Ayes: Kelley, Cassady, Vanhorn, Davidson, Manek, Lay, Cramer, Kohls, Combs, Bryant, And Rodriguez.

Nayes: None. Motion Carried.

Patrick D. King/Oklahoma City - Application For “Disability In The Line Of Duty” Pension, Effective April 1, 2019: Motion Was Made By Kelley And Seconded

By Lay To Approve The Application For “Disability In The Line Of Duty”, Effective April, 2019. Ayes: Kelley, Cassady, Vanhorn, Davidson, Combs, Lay, Cramer, Bryant, Manek, Kohls, And Rodriguez.

Nayes: None. Motion Carried.

Timothy Long/Oklahoma City – Application For “Disability In The Line Of Duty” Pension, Effective April 1, 2019: Motion Was Made By Kelley And Seconded By Cramer To Modify The Application For “Disability In The Line Of Duty”, To “Service”, Effective April, 2019. Ayes: Kelley, Cassady, Vanhorn, Davidson, Combs, Lay, Cramer, Bryant, Manek, Kohls, And Rodriguez. Nayes: None. Motion Carried.

Stephen D. Bozarth/Tulsa – Application For “Disability In The Line Of Duty” Pension, Effective April 1, 2019: Motion Was Made

By Kelley And Seconded By Lay To Modify The Application For “Disability In The Line Of Duty”, To “Service”, Effective April, 2019.

Ayes: Kelley, Cassady, Vanhorn, Davidson, Combs, Lay, Cramer, Bryant, Manek, Kohls, And Rodriguez. Nayes: None. Motion Carried.

Mathew C. Cain/Tulsa – Application For “Disability In The Line Of Duty” Pension, Effective April 1, 2019: Motion Was Made By Kelley And Seconded By Combs To Approve The Application For “Disability In The Line Of Duty”, Effective April, 2019. Ayes: Kelley, And Rodriguez. Nayes: Davidson, Cramer, Bryant, Manek, Kohls,

Vanhorn And Combs. Motion Failed.

Motion Was Made By Vanhorn And Seconded By Lay To Modify The Application For “Disability In The Line Of Duty” To “Service, Effective April 1, 2019. Ayes: Kelley, Cassady, Vanhorn, Davidson, Combs, Lay, Cramer, Bryant, Manek, Kohls, And Rodriguez.

Nayes: None. Motion Carried.

Michael C, Owen/Tulsa – Application For “Disability In The Line Of Duty” Pension, Effective April 1, 2019: Motion Was Made By Ms. Kohls And Seconded By Lay To Approve The Application For “Disability In The Line Of Duty”, Effective April, 2019. Ayes: Kelley, Cassady, Vanhorn, Davidson, Combs, Lay, Cramer, Bryant, Manek, Kohls, Lay, And Rodriguez. Nayes: None.

Motion Carried.

Russell Shiever/Tulsa – Application For “Disability In The Line Of Duty” Pension, Effective April 1, 2019: Motion Was Made By Lay And Seconded By Vanorn To Modify The Application For “Disability In The Line Of Duty”, To “Service”, Effective April, 2019. Ayes: Kelley, Cassady, Vanhorn, Davidson, Combs, Lay, Cramer, Bryant, Manek, Kohls, And Rodriguez.

Nayes: None. Motion Carried.

Douglas W. Owens– Request To Modify Pension From “Service” To “Disability In The Line Of Duty”: Motion Was Made By Cramer And Seconded By Kelley To Send Owens To The State Doctor For Further Review. Ayes: Kelley, Cassady, Vanhorn, Davidson, Lay, Cramer, Combs, Bryant, Manek, Kohls, And Rodriguez. Nayes: None. Motion Carried.

Rex Scrudder/Lawton - Request To Modify Pension From “Service” To “Disability In The Line Of Duty”: Motion Was Made

By Rodriguez And Seconded By Vanhorn To Approve The Request Of Scrudder To Modify From “Service” To “Disability In The Line Of Duty”. Ayes: Kelley, Cassady, Vanhorn, Davidson, Lay, Combs, Cramer, Bryant, Manek, Kohls, And Rodriguez. Nayes: None. Motion Carried.

Gerald Luschen/Tulsa – Request To Modify Pension From “Disability Not In The Line Of Duty” To “Disability In The Line Of Duty”: Motion Was Made By Cramer And Seconded By Lay To Approve The Request Of Luschen To Modify From “Service” To “Disability In The Line Of Duty”.

Ayes: Cassady, Vanhorn, Davidson, Combs, Manek, Kohls, Lay, Kelley, Cramer, Bryant And Rodriguez.

Nayes: None. Motion Carried.

Than Dinh

Member Services Coordinator

Vicki Mulbery

Accounts Payable Administrator

Thelisha Clark

Assistant Director (COO)

Controller

Tim Van Horn

Keely Swonger

Records Administrator

Assistant Controller

Assistant Director (CFO)

Martha Pierce

Latoya Battle Data Processor

n CONSENT AGENDA (May 17, 2019) CHECKS TERMINATED IN APRIL 2019: Chouteau Claremore Crescent Dibble Duncan Durant Fletcher Ft. Gibson Foss Inola Jet

Longdale Okeene Pauls Valley Pryor Ratliff Talihina Tulsa Tulsa Watonga Weatherford Wynnewood

Elmeda M. Leforce (Deceased) Lelia Humphrey (Deceased) Max E. Miller Jr. (Deceased) Ramona F. Perkey (Deceased) Linda McCullough (Deceased) Haskell Manners, Jr. (Deceased) Roy R. Thomas (Deceased) Jack F. Wright (Deceased) Terry V. Price (Deceased) Judith North (Adult Child) Billy L. Dunavant (Deceased)

Verna J. Geiger (Deceased) Harrington C. Clark (Deceased) Imogene Stufflebean (Deceased) Leona Weber (Deceased) Dixie C. Walker (Deceased) Dannie R. Reed (Deceased) Alan Harris (Deceased) Margaret L. Tincup (Deceased) Terry R. Lauminick (Deceased) Robert E. Anders (Deceased) David W. Mallow (Deceased)

$5,000.00 DEATH BENEFIT: Ada Ames Apache Arnett Boise City Catoosa Colbert Crescent Crescent Eldorado Grove Holdenville Holdenville Holdenville Jet Jet Norge OKC OKC Tulsa Tulsa Tulsa Tulsa Tulsa Warner Weatherford Wynnewood

Criswell Funeral Home On Behlaf Of Audray Beller Brown-Cummings Funeral Home On Behalf Of Robert W. Paulsen Jackson McKeown, Death Recipient Of Colby McKeown Donna G. Davidson, Personal Rep Glen Dell Bullard Estate Alberta M. Shannon, Widow Of Jerry L. Shannon Rice Funeral Home On Behlaf Of Jerry Conley Angelina Dunlap, Widow Of Edward L. Dunlap Cordry-Gritz Funeral Home On Behalf Of Max Eldon Miller Jr. Mary Lou Smith, Death Recipient Of Jason K. Smith Kimberly K. Henderson, Widow Of John B. Henderson Joyce Wilkie, Widow Of Oscar I. Wilkie Charles P. Huff, Heir Of Charles W. Huff Russel P. Huff, Heir Of Chalres W. Huff Steve Huff, Heir Of Charles W. Huff Rusty Dunavant, Death Recipient Of Bill L. Dunavant Lanman Funeral Home On Behalf Of William L. Hopkins Gilbert Unruh, Spouse Of Erma J. Unruh William G. Wood, Co-Death Recipient Of Billy G. Wood Jimmie D. Wood, Co-Death Recipient Of Billy G. Wood Mms-Payne Funeral Home On Behalf Of Mark E. Meyer Joanne C. Turpen, Widow Of James D. Turpen Mms-Payne Funeral Home On Behalf Of Ryan D. Phillips Brandon Harris, Co-Death Recipient Of Alan Harris Jennifer Steely, Co-Death Recipient Of Alan Harris Lillian J. Mcbee, Widow Of William (Bill) P. Mcbee Kiesau-Lee Funeral Home On Behalf Of Robert Anders Dearman Funral Home On Behalf Of David W. Mallow

APPLICATION FOR ENTRANCE INTO THE PENSION SYSTEM: Bartlesville Broken Bow Cushing Cushing McLoud Norman Norman Norman Norman NW Rogers Oak Cliff Okmulgee Sand Springs Seminole Weatherford

Ryan Witter Michael Caudle Sicily Frasure Austin Lacroix Austin Miller Jake Gifford Jayci Jacks Vincent Russell Blaine Smith Jeremy Hayes Justin Nethercott Cody Barton Matthew Lewis Thomas Sloane Tacoma Copeland

APPLICATION FOR SURVIVING SPOUSE FOR CONTINUATION: 05/01/2019 05/01/2019 05/01/2019 05/01/2019 05/01/2019 05/01/2019 05/01/2019 05/01/2019

Calvin Commerce Elmore City Kiowa Lawton Oklahoma City Tulsa Wilburton

Linda C. Jones, Widow Of Robert L. Jones Lana Morgan, Widow Of Bruce W. Morgan Sr. Raenell Reed, Widow Of Danny A. Reed Carolyn J. Batts, Widow Of Donald R. Batts Barbara Baughman, Widow Of Merle W. Baughman Suda M. Smith, Widow Of Ernest F. Smith Cleo P. Cook, Widow Of Don G. Cook Ann I. Bullard, Widow Of Vernon Bullard

APPLICATION FOR SERVICE PENSION: 05/01/2019 05/01/2019 05/01/2019 05/01/2019 05/01/2019 04/01/2019 05/01/2019 05/01/2019 05/01/2019 03/04/2018 05/01/2019 05/11/2019 05/01/2019

Elmore City Glencoe Goltry Keota Lone Wolf Mill Creek Mustang Oklahoma City Payne Shady Point Sentinel Tishomingo Vinita

APPLICATION FOR VESTED BENEFIT:

Darrell W. Clagg Randall L. Pierce Barry D. Koehn Dan Drummonds Lee A. Horton Creda H. Riddle Roy K. Widmann Jay R. Magerus Alan V. Wilson Adam Castillo Flint D. Cole John L. Howard Kevin W. Wofford

04/08/2029 10/31/2025 03/03/2020 05/01/2016

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07/01/2017

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Bryan K. Schwab Dustin S. Ray Daran G. Flowers Bruce M. Fisher

Oklahoma Firefighterď źJune/July 2019ď ź29

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OSFA Executive Board Highlights

The OSFA Executive Board met April 18, 2019 in the boardroom of the OSFA at 2716 NE 50th Street, Oklahoma City, OK at 9:02 a.m.

Roll Call: Dereck Cassady, Present; Mike Kelley, Present; Eric Harlow, Present; Cliff Davidson, Present; Matt Lay, Present; Juan Rodriguez (ORFA), Present.

Others: Steve Lumry, Gene Brown, Sheri Nickel, Tim Bartram, Trisha Chain, Dr. Erick Reynolds, Bruce Anthony, Don Armes, Eric Hamilton.

Guests: David Mead.

Presentation: Public Consulting Group (PCG) – David Mead. PCG can help qualifying agencies collect additional Medicaid funding for ambulance services and suggested a partnership with OSFA to provide a discount to its members.

The Board requested a draft agreement and references before making a decision.

Armes provided updates on all legislation that is being tracked by the Board, including a COLA bill that has been reduced to 2%.

Fire Service Training Report: Reynolds The online Firefighter 1 class has a 98% pass rate, FST’s Golf Tournament is May 1, and there are 466 students enrolled in the OSFA State Fire School.

OSFA Committee Reports: n Legislative: Lumry The committee met at the State Capitol and visited with legislators. Committee has submitted Legislative Resolution 19-01 and has requested the Board to support. n Safety & Health: Nickel A subcommittee has been formed to investigate the near-miss accident that happened last year in Beaver. n Educational Advisory: Nickel Committee has met twice in the past month to work out last-minute details for the OSFA State Fire School. n Volunteer Fire Service: Bartram A subcommittee was appointed to work on resolutions that were voted on at the Volunteer Caucus. n County Sales Tax A meeting will be scheduled when answers are received from the Attorney General’s office n Public Education: Brown Committee has not met, but the Public Education Summit at the OSFA State Fire School is finalized.

Museum Report: Brown The Memorial Golf Tournament is Sept. 18.

The Stuart truck is still being restored and Quintin is restoring more ladders.

The Women’s College World Series is May 30-June 5 and the Ride to Remember is April 20, where they are expecting 2,000 riders.

Fire Marshal Commission Report: Lumry The State Fire Marshal position is now open for applications.  Volunteer Recruitment & Retention Report: Nickel FPP has agreed to develop Essentials 7 into an audio version with the expectation to be completed by Thanksgiving 2019. It will be offered to Oklahoma firefighters for free.

April 18, 2019 MEETING

An online Firefighter 1 class will be started in Enid on July 11. The Drumright class graduated with a 98% pass rate, as well as the Ardmore class graduating with a 100% pass rate. An Altus class is currently open for enrollment.

Gear has been delivered to five departments and Nickel has submitted another grant requesting $3.5 million.

NVFC Report: Nickel The Anheuser-Busch water project documentary has been completed and will premiere at CFSI. Nickel will be attending a shareholder reception with Anheuser-Busch and NVFC. OFCA Report: Anthony The OFCA Conference went well and the new OFCA Board 3rd Vice President is James Heap from Frederick.

Executive Directors Report: Lumry The OSFA and ORFA audits were completed and returned with no findings.

From last month, the OSFA has received 2019 membership renewals from 12 more departments, adding 192 members.

ORFA membership is at 4460 members, Brent Hatcher Benevolent Fund is at 162 members, and the digital subscription to the Oklahoma Firefighter is at 700 members.

The Legislative Reception hosted 140 total people, and the OFCA Conference Golf Tournament had 18 teams.

The OFCA J. Ray Pence Award was given to Dewayne Burk of Lawton.

OK Policy asked the Board to reconsider sending a donation – request was tabled by Board. Neighborhood Alliance has requested a donation – no action was taken.

Harlow and Lumry presented the OSFA Heroism Award to Trooper Cody Enloe.

Board discussed proposed bylaws of Oklahoma State Firefighters Training and Benevolent Fund, LLC; made modification to state “at all times.”

COLA Campaign report has been provided to the Board. Board has been asked to sponsor the House/ Senate Sergeant at Arms appreciation breakfast.

New Business Rodriguez recommended to send thanks to all organizations who helped support the COLA bill.

Adjourned: 11:41 a.m.

Next meeting: May 18, 2019

Upcoming Dates to Remember: June 4, 2019 38th ORFA Convention Ponca City June 5-8, 2019 125th OSFA Convention Ponca City June 5-8, 2019 87th OSFA Women’s Auxiliary Convention - Ponca City Sept. 18, 2019 23rd David Bain Memorial Golf Tournament Lincoln Park West Course

32June/July 2019Oklahoma Firefighter

Oklahoma FirefighterJune/July 201933

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34June/July 2019Oklahoma Firefighter

OSFA Snapshots

Got something going on at your Fire Department? Share the news! Email photos to osfa@osfa.info

Orlando FD firefighters sharing a meal before their next class at the OSFA State Fire School in Tulsa Learning to make our department better for our citizens of our district.

Green Country Fire Chiefs at the State Capitol on April 25

The Oklahoma Insurance Department is an important partner for our state’s firefighters.

And it was great to see Deputy Insurance Commissioner Tyler Laughlin gearing up for training at this year’s OSFA State Fire School!

Oklahoma representation at the CFSI National Fire and Emergency Services Symposium Dinner held April 25 in Washington D.C.

Students from 10 different FDs graduated from the Blaine County Firefighter 1 class on May 14.

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