Louis Marschik: OSFA Public Education Committee Report MORRIS FD LEADING THE WAY At last year’s OSFA Convention, Oklahoma State Fire Marshal G. Keith Bryant spoke about a very sad and alarming statistic: Oklahoma was #49 in the nation for Ret. OKC FD fire fatalities per capita. This should hit the heart strings of every Oklahoma firefighter. We are losing lives of residents and firefighters that could have been prevented. To address this problem, the OSFA Public Education Committee received 10-year lithium battery smoke alarms to be used throughout Oklahoma. These alarms were donated by Vision 2020 through the work of our Vision 2020 state representative and committee member Cody Banks (Tulsa Fire). Properly working smoke alarms and home escape plans can greatly reduce the chance of death by fire & smoke. Leading by example is the Morris Fire Department. On July 10, members of the Morris Volunteer Fire Department and fellow volunteers came together for their community. They provided their residents with free smoke alarms (provided by Vision 2020) and performed home safety surveys. In one day, they visited 348 homes and installed 174 smoke alarms. And they have now completed their smoke alarm canvassing, as their entire community has now been offered life saving alarms! Job well done, Morris! If your department is interested in providing these life-saving alarms, please call the Oklahoma Firefighter Museum at 405-424-1452 and ask for Gene Brown.
OKLAHOMA PUBLIC EDUCATION VIRTUAL SUMMIT A SUCCESS!
COVID tried its best to derail our summit, but to no prevail! After multiple attempts to have an in-person event, we went the virtual route. With the help of many, the summit was a great success! We even reached some of our brothers & sisters beyond our state lines. Our line-up began with our keynote speaker, Chief Tonya Hoover (acting United States Fire Administrator) with national trends and valuable resources. In case you were wondering, the National Fire Academy is open for business. State Fire Marshal G. Keith Bryant gave an update on the issues/concerns that marijuana has brought to the fire service. He also spoke about our fire fatality problem. The silver lining is that we have improved slightly from
#49 to #48 in the country for fire fatalities per capita. NFPA Regional Director Kelly Ransdell spoke on educational messaging and provided helpful resources available to our departments/communities. Neal Zipser from Knox Box gave an insightful presentation on Carbon Monoxide and CO Detectors. We concluded with updates from the Oklahoma Fire Chiefs Association, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Fire Marshal’s Association of Oklahoma and Safe Kids Oklahoma. A FEW HOLIDAY REMINDERS • Thanksgiving is the #1 day of the year for kitchen fires. Please do not leave the kitchen or grill unattended. • Blow out those nice seasonal smelling
Morris FD members and volunteers getting smoke alarms out to their community
candles before you go to bed. • Keep combustible items and children at least three feet from space heaters. Also, plug them directly into the wall (not extension cords). • Test your Smoke and CO alarms. Thank you to everyone who is making fire safety a priority in their communities. Together, we can prevent fire fatalities!
Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer SIXTH EDITION
AUDIOBOOK
Listen anytime, anywhere. The sixth edition of Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer provides Level I and II officer candidates with knowledge and skills necessary to meet NFPA 1021, 2020 edition. The organization of this edition has been updated and includes new research on cancer prevention, fire behavior and more. The material found in this edition will enable successful team members to become successful team leaders. Available as an in-app purchase through the Fire and Emergency Services Company Officer app.
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