Official publication of the Oklahoma State Firefighters Association
October 2017 Volume 34, Issue 8
Takin’ Care Of Business 2017-2018 OSFA COMMITTEES NAMED 204 Members on 11 Committees n n n n n n n n n n n
Legislative Committee Memorial Committee Volunteer Fire Service Committee Educational Advisory Committee Safety & Health Committee Financial Advisory Committee EMS Committee Membership Committee Benevolent Committee Museum Expansion Committee Stavros Scholarship Foundation
Members & Mission Statements Inside I N S I D E
OSFA Executive Board Members’ Comments............................................................. 5-6 Executive Director’s Report ...............................................................................................7 Firefighter Near-Miss Report ........................................................................................ 10 Chaplain’s Corner ............................................................................................................ 10 OSFA Women’s Auxiliary Report .................................................................................. 11 State Fire Marshal Report ..............................................................................................11 ISO Report ........................................................................................................................12 18th Annual OSFA Statewide Memorial Service......................................................... 14 Tulsa FD’s 100 Year Memorial Service ........................................................................ 15 OSFA Committees .................................................................................................... 16-21 Museum News .................................................................................................................29 Executive Board Meeting Highlights ....................................................................... 26-27
ChangeService ServiceRequested Requested Change
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
2October 2017Oklahoma Firefighter
Oklahoma FirefighterOctober 20173
klahoma Firefighter October 2017 • Volume 34 — Issue 8
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 Phil Ostrander phil@osfa.info
Managing Editor Penelope Soldan penelopes@osfa.info
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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.
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Simply email the OSFA office at amyh@osfa.info and request digital editions. Please provide your name and address for verification.
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4October 2017Oklahoma Firefighter
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Oklahoma FirefighterOctober 20175
OSFA AROUND OKLAHOMA
PREsident n
Matt Lay
Tulsa FD
matthewlay@icloud.com • 918-760-9065
Another crazy
busy month in a crazy busy year for Oklahoma Firefighters. Here’s a quick rundown of some highlights …
Tulsa Fire: On Sept. 11, more than 100 firefighters from Tulsa and surrounding departments completed a Memorial Stair Climb at the 40-story ONE Gas Tower in downtown Tulsa. We all made three trips up and down in full bunker gear to commemorate the sacrifice of 343 FDNY brethren that were lost that day 16 years ago. Many thanks to Tulsa Fire Captain Joey Marshall and Driver John Buck, IAFF Local 176, along with Jackie Price and all the members of the Price Family Properties Team for setting up this incredible event that raised almost $5,000 for the Hydrants of Hope Charity. As a department, we continue to grow and will begin a new academy of 30 firefighters in November, with another selection process currently underway to fill a class of 30 next May. These cadets will undergo five months of academically and physically rigorous training at the Tulsa Fire Safety Training Center collocated on the campus of Tulsa Community College NE. Get a glimpse of this facility at the upcoming Fire Service Instructors of Oklahoma Annual Conference the weekend of Nov. 2-4, or at the 2018 OSFA State Fire School on May 3-6. OKC 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb: Exactly 343 firefighters from all over Oklahoma and around the region completed a 110-story climb at the Chase Building in downtown OKC on Sept. 16. Every time a firefighter completed the task, a nametag of one of the fallen 343 was placed on an accountability board, a bell was struck and a hand salute rendered. It was a truly moving reminder of their sacrifice.
Something we Oklahoma firefighters honor in both word and deed. All proceeds from the OKC 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb go to support the Oklahoma Firefighters Foundation. Thank you to all that made this event possible!
OK-IMT & OK-TF1: The Oklahoma Incident Management Team and Oklahoma Task Force One, our urban search and rescue (US&R) team, deployed in response Hurricane Harvey. These statewide assets are comprised of highly trained first responders from all over Oklahoma that are capable of engaging a wide array of emergencies from small to large and simple to complex. The members of OK-TF1 along with more than 100 other firefighters assigned to swiftwater teams from around the state affected the rescue and evacuation of more than 700 people! Cajun Navy ain’t got nothing on these Okies! The OK-IMT was assigned to assist the local government of Rockport, TX, with restoration of utilities, infrastructure, and services to the community. Strong work by all!
SAFER Grant: The OSFA received a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant last fall. Our Volunteer Coordinator Sheri Nickel has been traveling the highways and byways of this state attending every county fire meeting possible. The data and contacts derived from these meetings will prove invaluable as we enter the second phase of this grant that includes more than $1 million in firefighter training. If you’ve got questions about this statewide, volunteer firefighter recruitment and retention campaign, contact Sheri at SheriN@ osfa.info or call (405) 424-1452.
As always, if there’s anything the Board or Staff of the OSFA can do for you or your department, please don’t hesitate to let us know. Take Care and God Bless.
Help support your Oklahoma Firefighters Museum Expansion and the Oklahoma Fallen and Living Firefighters Memorial by purchasing 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.
Sept. 6: Back on the road tonight. Meeting with the Pushmahata county fire chiefs tonight. Sept. 7: It has been a busy day! OSU-FST Safety Symposium in Stillwater and the Creek County Fire Chief’s meeting in Olive. Sept. 12: Thank you Ottawa County Fire/ EMS for inviting us to your County Fire Chief’s meeting tonight. Sept. 13: Thank you to the Ellis County Fire Departments for hosting the NW Counties Strike Team Meeting tonight in Arnett. Sept. 14: Rounding off the week with the Marshall County Fire Chiefs. We have successfully hit every border of our great state in the last three days. Sept 18: Caddo County Chief’s meeting in Ft. Cobb
6October 2017Oklahoma Firefighter
1st vice PREsident
n
2nd vice PresidenT
Dereck Cassady
n
Ponca City FD
IAFFLocal2479@yahoo.com 580-761-5338
I would like to start off by saying thank you to all of you that participated in the Memorial Golf Tournament. It was a big success. Also, thanks to the OSFA staff, museum staff and the many others who put time and effort into making the tournament a success.
Last month, I wrote about behavioral health and some changes we need to make in the fire service. It seems like weekly we are hearing about a brother or sister leaving the job because of PTSD. What is PTSD? Post-traumatic stress disorder is defined as exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, natural disaster or sexual violation. The person could have directly experienced the traumatic event, learned that the traumatic event happened to a close friend or a family member or experienced the repeated or extreme exposure to aversive details of the traumatic events. These events can cause recurrent distressing dreams in which the dream is related to the event, flash backs or other dissociative reactions in which the individual feels or acts as if the traumatic events are recurring, intense or prolonged psychological distress at exposure to internal or external cues that symbolize or resemble an aspect of the traumatic events as well as physiological reactions to reminders of the traumatic events.
So what does this look like in the fire service? It could be as simple as being awaken from a deep sleep at 2 a.m. to respond to the unknown call of a life or death situation. It could be responding to a fire where someone may be trapped or the fatality car wreck that has killed multiple people in one family. It could be backing up your brother or sister while rescuing someone from raging flood water. The degree of distress is different for each person. Some can walk away unaffected, while others experience deep lingering thoughts. Those effects can present in many different ways, such as trouble sleeping, headaches, stomach aches, light headedness, shakiness, foggy thinking, fast heart rate, sweating and loss of interest in things you previously enjoyed, just to name a few. Add on top that the stigma that firefighters are supposed to be “strong” and “unaffected” by the job we do, or the feeling that one person is unaffected yet another is greatly affected which increases the ideology of being “weak.” We must change the culture in the fire service.
So what do we do to address these situations? We talk, we communicate and we give voice to the subject and provide resources for our brothers and sisters to access. We provide debriefings when a shift has responded to a “bad call.” We ask how our brothers and sisters are doing, with intention and we listen to not only what is being said, but how it is being expressed. We teach about self-care and its importance for our firefighters, their spouses and their families. As we must remember that we are all in this together. If you or someone you know needs help, take that step and get it before it is too late. You can get the help you need by calling the IAFF Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery Center 24/7 @ 855-412-2216. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 800-273-8255. STAY SAFE!
Mike Kelley
OKC FD
mkelley@local157.org On Sept. 21, we held the annual OSFA Memorial Fundraiser Golf Tournament at Lincoln West. Thanks to all who came out and played and to our corporate sponsors that made it another successful tournament! Speaking of the Memorial, the 18th annual OSFA Memorial Service on Oct. 1 will pay honor to our members that have gone before us. This is a chance also for us to show our appreciation to the family members that we must recognize sacrifice a lot to enable us to serve out communities. The board is also excited to showcase our newly renovated Memorial. Thanks again to our museum staff that works tirelessly throughout the year to not only keep our Museum looking great but also maintaining the grounds and the Memorial. OSFA staffers Sheri Nickel and Tim Bartram are continuing their efforts to help our organization meet the needs of our volunteer brothers and sisters. I truly appreciate their work on behalf of your OSFA. If you have suggestions on ways that we can assist you and your department or area of the state, please reach out to one of the board mem-
• 405-623-4388
bers or our excellent staff. We are all committed to meeting the needs of our members. On the pension front, Bob Jones has announced his retirement effective early next year. The pension board has started the search for his replacement. Bob has served us well and his expertise will be missed. The board is also executing an RFP for a plan that members Plan B interest can be rolled into should they fail to make an election. It’s not too early to start planning for your required interest distribution that will begin June 30, 2018. If you haven’t registered for the new selfservice feature for the website do so now at https://www.ok.gov/fprs/ . Stay safe brothers and sister! Sheri Nickel manning OSFA display at McAlester Classic
PAST President n
Mike Duncan
Dewey FD
mduncan51 @aol.com • 918-214-6865 Hello All! I hope everyone is doing good. Summer is almost over. Football
time is here. It has been a crazy fall. Wildland fires have already started and other states have it really bad. As for the current Hurricanes, the loss of lives and property, those people really need our prayers. I want to thank those from Oklahoma that went and helped out with the Hurricanes, as well as all the other responders from other states. It will be a long cleanup process in a lot of areas. We need to be thankful they all turned and went eastward, instead of dropping all that rain on us. The NVFC has been offering some free online training for volunteers. The NVFC has a company that is giving out $5,000 dollar grants to Fire Depatments for training. The FD or FD member that is applying has to be a member of the NVFC to get the grant. The NVFC Board Meeting is the last week of
September in Kearney, NE. The Committees will all meet and work on the ongoing agendas, Still looking and supporting Legislation for a tax incentive on the Federal level for Volunteers. NVFC still has some money for Recruitment and Retention from a grant they received. They are supporting and working on the Cancer Registry with Legislatures. It’s time to be thinking of Flu shots and all those kinds of things. That time of year is coming. Remember, one of the best ways not to catch what is going around is to wash your hands regularly. We all need to stay healthy and stay safe in all that we do. I have made it official. I’m going to retire from Dewey Fire Department on Sept. 30 with a little over 42 years of service -- about 22-and-ahalf years were at Dewey in the pension system. There’s a time that everyone needs to leave and it’s my time, I’m sure I will miss it, but it’s time. I’m going to stay on at Fire Service Training for awhile longer, so it won’t be like completely leaving. I will miss the guys. Everyone stay safe and stay healthy.
Oklahoma FirefighterOctober 20177
3rd vice President n
Eric Harlow
Guthrie FD
ericharlow200@gmail.com • 405-520-2893
Greetings fellow Oklahoma Firefighters! Are you ready for fall yet? I know that I’m ready for the cooler temperatures to stay. I hope you’re all enjoying the football season and hopefully managing to catch a few games in between calls. When’s the last time you visited our wonderful Museum?
Director Gene Brown and his hardworking staff have really been busting their tails to make the Museum better for everyone. There are all kinds of minor changes that they’ve been making to the antique apparatus to make them more “period-correct.” I know they won’t stop until they’ve gotten everything exactly like they want it. Speaking of the exhibits, if your department has any really old equipment laying around -- stuff that’s considered antique with real brass fittings, etc. -the museum would gladly take them off your hands. Feel free to contact them if you have anything you’d like to donate. And if you haven’t taken the time to visit, bring the family and friends and make a day of it. There is a lot of history to see in the collection.
Our various committees are starting to meet with their new members, and it continues to amaze me at how many of you volunteer your time to be a part of these groups. Our organization could not continue moving forward without your help. There will be many important issues discussed by the committees this year. The Membership Committee will be examining our different types of memberships and looking at possible changes to those that may benefit more of our brother and sister firefighters across the state. The Educational Advisory Committee is still working hard to make the 2018 State Fire School the best one yet. This is a very experienced, talent-laden group that I know will stop at nothing but bringing us all the very best in classes and instructors. The Legislative Committee will be cranking up soon as the legislature starts their special session and gets into the regular session for 2018. Our pension system finished the 2016-2017 year in great shape. It continues to make gains and perform well. The pension board will continue to watch our investments to ensure that they continue to perform as well as possible. The board has a lot of work cut out for them as we go into next year with some rules changes and personnel changes at the pension office. We will continue to defend our pension system without fail.
In closing, I want to extend best wishes and happy retirement to my friend and fellow Fire Chief, Jim Hock of the Del City Fire Department. I’ve learned a lot over the years from Jim, and he has done wonders to improve the Del City Fire Department and their capabilities to serve the citizens of their city. Jim retired with over 30 years of service to the Oklahoma Fire Service and the City of Del City. Until next month, stay safe!
2017-18 OSFA Executive Board PRESIDENT: Matt Lay 918-760-9065 matthewlay@icloud.com
3RD VICE PRESIDENT Eric Harlow 405-520-2893 ericharlow200@gmail.com
1ST VICE PRESIDENT Dereck Cassady 580-761-5338 IAFFLocal2479@yahoo.com
PAST PRESIDENT Mike Duncan 918-214-6865 mduncan51@aol.com
2ND VICE PRESIDENT Mike Kelley 405-623-4388 mkelley@local157.org
www.osfa.info (405) 424-1452 1-800-308-5336
n FUNDRAISERS: The Village Firefighters Association’s 3rd Annual Golf Tournament Oct. 23 at The Greens Country Club. Cost is $75 per player/$300 per team. Includes Lunch, Door Prizes, Range Balls, Drinks. For more info, contact Dayton Ries at 405-919-3788 or daytonries31@yahoo.com.. Jennings FD Coed Wiffle Ball Tournament Oct. 21 at Jennings Ball Fields. Cost is $250 per team (6-10 players - at least 2 girls). If 12 teams play, $500 cash prize goes to winning team. All proceeds go to buy new PPE for Volunteer Firefighters. For more info, contact Keith at 918-798-6391 or Jenningsfiredepartment@yahoo.com.
n TRAINING: 2018 OSFA State Fire School Instructor Applications are being accepted until 4:15 p.m. on Dec. 1. Submissions should focus on current issues, lessons learned, creative best practices, participant interaction and hands-on training. Email instructor proposals to amyh@osfa.info. The 2018 OSFA John F. Futhey II State Fire School is May 3-6 at Tulsa Comm College and Tulsa FD Training Center. Western Regional Fire & EMS School Oct. 27-29 at Canadian Valley Tech Center in El Reno. Hosted by El Reno FD and Canadian County Chiefs. For more information or to register, go to www.osufst.org or call 800-3045727.
8October 2017Oklahoma Firefighter
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ORFA REport Dana Cramer
Norman FD Retired
Tired of a COLA diet? Then tell your legislator you want to taste the sweetness of a Cost Of Living Adjustment (raise) in your pension. It’s time for them to stop hiding behind the budget and give retirees a raise! This will not effect the state budget -- the system absorbs the cost. Retirees have made enough concessions over the last five years to prove to the legislature that we are responsible stewards of our system. Now it’s time for legislators to step up and give us a taste of sweetness in a COLA for all retirees. Raise the multiplier for volunteers. Here is a opportunity for the legislature to help the constituents who work to get them elected. Let them hear from you. Be a Leader!
Oklahoma Retired Firefighters Association 2017-18 Executive Board PRESIDENT Dana Cramer, Norman dcramer3@cox.net 405-570-1387
2ND VP Tippy Pierce, Moore fftip@swbell.net 405-924-1104
1ST VP Juan Rodriguez, Lawton jrod911@gmail.com
3RD VP George Fina, OKC gomsc38@gmail.com 405-373-2409
2017 ORFA FUN & FELLOWSHIP GOLF TOURNAMENT
Wednesday, October 18, 2017 at Fire Lake Golf Course 1901 Gordon Cooper Dr., Shawnee, OK 74801
Registration at 10 a.m. Lunch at 11 a.m. • Tee-Off at Noon Cost: $55 per person (includes green fees, cart & lunch) Mulligans are 3 for $10 This tourney is designed to be a fun event for ORFA members and supporters to get together and enjoy some golf and each others’ company
PAST PRESIDENT Phil Ostrander, Tulsa phil@okgov.us
Register online at www.osfa.info Questions? Call OSFA Office at 405-424-1452
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 2016 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
Oklahoma FirefighterOctober 20179
Question & Answers Oklahoma Firefighter asked last issue’s readers this question: “What’s the most frightened you’ve ever been?” Here is what they said: w Jeremy Goodrich, Yukon: Letting a rookie or BC drive hot to a call! w Greg Roberts, Norman Retired: Many years ago, at an oil tank battery fire, an explosion was imminent and everyone knew it. Every firefighter close to the tanks broke and ran, seconds later the tank blew up and scorched the area where we had been working. Incredibly, no one was injured. It’s amazing how fast you can move in full bunkers. w Bryan West, OSU-FST: I was 5 years old at Frontier City with my older cousins in the mirror maze and we went through the wrong door. We got stuck in a small room and they told me we would die there before anyone found us. w David Fincher, Lawton: My crew and I responded to a difficulty breathing call that turned out to be a double homicide. We were in the house, but the house hadn’t been secured by PD. We didn’t know if the shooter was in the house with us or not. w Richelle Treece, Bethel Acres: Over summer vacation way back when I was a teenager, a bunch of us unsupervised kids decided we were going to jump off a bridge. Literally, one at a time we jumped off a bridge into a river. I don’t remember how high it was, but we did keep one kid on lookout so we wouldn’t jump right when boats were coming! That fall felt like forever! w Juan Rodriguez, Lawton Retired: OU Health Center, July 2011. Sitting next to my wife’s bed. w Mike Weinkauf, Orlando: One time we were fighting fire in the middle of the night. We were making a good attack on it when suddenly we backed off into a ditch and the back wheels of the brush truck were off the ground. The truck was stuck and we couldn’t move and you could see the fire coming at us. All I could think about was how are we going to get out of here. Luckily another truck came and put the fire out around us and got us pulled out. w Bert Norton, Midwest City: Probably when my wife Melody and I were expecting our first child. I wasn’t sure what to do, how we would make it, and the new responsibility that was soon to come. w Greg Lindsay, Oklahoma City: The first day of school, and the last day of school. w Aaron Burns, Broken Arrow Retired: My scariest fire was when I was with Northwest and I was in knee deep and I pulled for more hose and my partner had split. We didn’t have extra guys so I was stuck for about 10 minutes by myself. Only time I ever hit a brother. Longer story but that’s for my book. w Riley Blackwell, OSFA: Probably the time I was robbed GTA style.
w Sandy Thompson, Women’s Auxiliary: When I arrived at OU Med because I was told my husband had suffered a dislocated shoulder as a result of a tree falling on him. I was met by the chaplain who was carrying David’s boots wallet, and cell phone and asked to follow him to the private family room. Turned out to be much more than what I was expecting. By the grace of God, my husband who arrived in critical condition and wasn’t expected to live through the night, was released from the hospital 8 days later! w Mike “Rookie” Billingsley, Nichols Hills Retired: Every time I sit in the Dentist chair. w Dan Newbury, Tulsa: The most frightened I’ve been on the job was as a rook on E18 in Tulsa. We were dispatched to a business fire alarm at a large nursing home. There we were, three hours after eating jalapeno chicken and my gut was hotter than three house fires and about the BLEVE. The bunker gear and SCBA added pressure to what was surly going to be a code brown. I couldn’t walk but a few steps without the pressure of an excrement extrication. I was sure if I didn’t make it to a little firemen’s’ room, I was sure to turn my nomex pants into oh-no-me pants. After walking what seem to be 100 miles of nursing hallways, I found a bathroom to “check for smoke.” I found no smoke in that room, but the noise of my SCAB hitting the tile floor was quickly followed by a semisolid sound nastier than any fatality car wreck. Having avoided an emergency defecation situation, I washed my hands, redonned my PPE, and returned to search with my crew now a few pounds lighter.
w Chris Griffith, Covington: The most
frightened I have ever been occurred during a football game in the St. Louis MO area. My youngest son was playing, it was his senior year of high school, and I was there by myself. My wife had something she had to do that has completely slipped my mind in the years since this event happened. As a play was running, someone hit my son like a freight train from behind. His head snapped back, he fell like a rag doll and did not move. He was lying there on the field, face down, and from where I was sitting up in the stands, I did not see any movement at all. Nobody on the field seemed to notice him lying there because it was a big play, and the hit happened well behind the ball. I had just been studying the types of brain trauma and injuries that can occur in sports, and my mind instantly went to a worst-case scenario, and a prayer sprang up in my mind. It was most likely only a matter of seconds before the trainer noticed him laying there, and ran out to him, but it was one of those events when it felt like time stood still. It felt like an eternity. He wound up being okay. He was knocked out and had a concussion, but for those moments I feared the worst. That event was scarier even than times when I thought I might die.
October’s question --
“What’s the best pet (or pets) you’ve ever had?” Everyone is Welcome to Submit an Answer. Simply Email Your Response to penelopes@osfa.info
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live long & prosper Tammy McKinney
OKC FD Safety & Health Committee
As I am sure you have all heard by now, cancer among our brothers and sisters in the fire service is reaching potentially epidemic proportions. Recent statistics show that 68% of all firefighters will be diagnosed with some type of cancer in their lifetime as compared to 22% of the average population. For those of us who are genetically predisposed with a family history of cancer, I suspect this number is even higher in this population. In July 2016, NIOSH published a cancer study, and here is a brief synopsis of what the study showed. Researchers studied cancer rates for 29,993 firefighters in San Francisco, Chicago, and Philadelphia between 1950 and 2009. Here is a summary of the NIOSH study findings: • Higher cancer rates in respiratory, digestive, and urinary systems which indicate firefighters are more prone to these types of cancer. • Mesothelioma rates were 2 times greater than the average population. • Prostate and bladder cancers were found at a much higher rate than expected, especially in younger firefighters. • In all, researchers found that two thirds of firefighters (68%) develop cancer as compared to the general population, no matter race or gender. How do we reduce this risk? In the fire service, we rely heavily on Standard Operating Procedures or Guidelines to protect our personnel from the dangers that our profession entails. Well, it’s time we include cancer prevention in our day-to-day operations. Several months ago I came across a video called “Health In, Health Out” from Vancouver (https://vimeo.com/171759302). If you don’t have access to the internet, here is a brief overview of the information provided in the video. “Health In, Health Out” provides a great outline for any department to build a quality cancer prevention SOP. 1) Ensure all personnel wear full turnout gear with SCBA donned and in use while products of combustion are still active. If air quality monitoring equipment is available, it should be used during and after the fire. Remember to monitor the area around the pump panel. 2) A decontamination area should be established. This can be done by the pump operator using a traffic cone and wheel brush or fox tail brush and a booster or redline. This area should be out of the smoke and products of combustion. a. Climate will determine type of decon used, wet or dry. As firefighters exit the fire building in pairs, they should decontaminate each other while SCBA is still donned and in use. b. Once gear is decontaminated, gear should be removed and firefighters should move the rehab area. Hands should be washed using soap and water if available, disposable wet wipes will work for this as well. Remember your hands are highly contaminated once you take your structural gloves off. Wet wipes, Purell brand does not contain alcohol and are very effective when removing contaminants. Wipe your face neck, forearms and any other exposed skin thoroughly. 3) Wait until the structure is clear of contaminant before proceeding with salvage and overhaul operations. Don’t assume that just because you are not seeing active smoke that carcinogen contaminant are not active. SCBA! 4) When released from the scene, structural gear should be bagged, sealed and placed in a compartment, not the cab of the apparatus, for transport back to the station. 5) Gear should be washed in an extractor before placed back in service. a. Hoods, helmets, masks and gloves should not be left out of the washing process. It is best to refer to the manufacturer’s instructions on proper cleaning techniques for these items. 6) Firefighters’ first priority when returning to the station should be to shower immediately. A workout should be done in the following 24 hours to eliminate any products of combustions absorbed through the skin. NOTE: Not many departments have the means to take gear out of service after every fire. Please keep in mind that studies show, thorough on-scene decontamination procedures can remove up to 90% of the contaminants on the gear. Lastly, all fire station living quarters should be mandatory NO BUNKER GEAR ZONES! Hopefully this information has proven valuable to departmental cancer prevention efforts. Be safe out there and take care of each other.
10October 2017Oklahoma Firefighter
NEAR-MISS REPORT
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ATV ATTACK The jobs we do are hard to number. One day we may be on a ladder truck forcing entry and throwing ground ladders. The next shift we could be making a hose line stretch or performing patient care. No matter what we ride, knowing how to work with the equipment is the first task for the job. Realizing we have to know how to work with all the equipment in the rig room is the challenge. The highlighted report this month began in the field on a Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) fire. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a Wildland Urban Interface is roughly defined as the zone where natural areas and development meet. The crew finds themselves on the opposite side of a fire from where they need to be. After changing vehicles, cutting around the flank, and emerging in the burned area, they begin to make progress on the fire. There is, however, one thing that escaped the attention of the firefighters when they deployed into the field. EVENT NARRATIVE What was the initial size-up? When we arrived on the scene, the wind was driving a 5 to 8-acre grass fire towards a farm through an old unused pasture. Event Description As we arrived on the scene, the grass fire was not directly threatening any farm buildings, but with a small shift of the wind, we would have bigger prob-
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By Greg Lindsay
OKC Fire Department
lems to mitigate. Right away, another firefighter and I suited up and grabbed our six-wheel ATV with a small tank and pump unit. We drove around the field to get into the “black” and started fighting the fire with the onboard water and hose. All in all, it went very well, we were able to knock the fire down as we proceeded along the western edge of the fire until we flanked the fire away from the farm buildings. As we were doing this, we forgot to latch the hose reel. At one point, the whole reel had unraveled when it caught on the brush and nearly ripped the hose from the firefighter’s hand as well as off the reel. However, that didn’t happen. Luckily, we stopped in time to rewind the hose, latch the reel and continue to fight the fire. With help from a mutual aid partner, we were able to control the fire and keep it from affecting any of the nearby buildings. Describe the lessons learned at this event: There is a chance to ruin your equipment and lose control of the fire if you aren’t careful with your setup. Take time to do a thorough vehicle inspection before deploying onto the fire line. Be sure your pump is set correctly, and the hose reel locked in place. Describe the leading practices you noticed at this incident: Working in the blackened area, protecting exposures, teamwork. ________________________________________________ The report stated the event occurred in April of 2016. The weather factors that effected the fire were temperatures up to 70 degrees and steady wind up to 12 miles per hour that was pushing the fire toward the farm buildings. All the lessons shared from this report consisted of the need to set up the equipment properly before
Chaplain’s corner Chris Griffith
entering the fire line. On that note, discuss the following with your crew. • What type of checklist do you have before entering the field on a wildland fire? Is it a physical list you keep on the apparatus, or one you have memorized from previous experience? • The topography of the wildland is an important factor when off road. We know the topography can affect the progress of the fire, how does it go into your decisions when driving off-road? • In the field, tactics can also become more challenging depending on the fuels, weather, and position on the fire ground. When you are working alone on the apparatus, discuss your best practices for bringing the fire under control. Discuss tactics for the right flank as well as the left. • What is the most important piece of advice you can share with firefighters that do not have much experience in a WUI environment? • Do you use programs that include community involvement for creating fire safe areas and fire-adapted communities? We have been responding to Wildland Urban Interface, or WUI fires for a long time, we just didn’t have a name for the fire type. Being able to distinguish these types of fires from other wildland fires gives us the ability to compare apples to apples. If you have an event that shares a lesson for the wildland firefighter or WUI incident, click onto the website at www.Firefighternearmiss.com, and select “Submit A Report.” Your anonymous report could be the difference between safety and injury. Take time to help the next shift have a safer shift. The complete report -- Unlatched Hose Reel Puts Wildland Firefighters in Peril -- can be found at http://firefighternearmiss.com/Reports?id=9634
Covington FD Chaplain
pastorgriffith@gmail.com
What’s the first thing that pops into your and other first responders will be called upon to answer the alarm head when you hear October? Is it thoughts and do their best to work through the chaos and restore order. of the leaves changing colors? You’ll do it, too. That is your calling, and I thank God for the men Maybe you think about fall football games and women who feel compelled to do these jobs. or even hunting season? Firefighters see the ugly side of people and the results of their deciI think of Halloween. Trick or treating. sions because you care enough to subject yourselves to that potential It is a fun time of year when people get to horror, for the benefit of our selfish society. dress up like something from their imaginaTrick or Treat? If the things firefighters have to witness and endure tion. It might be something cute, funny, or are either of those things, it is a trick; a mean trick. maybe something sexy. You do it though. You help the injured; you clean up the messes, To post prayer requests Halloween isn’t just about dressing up as something scary anyyou extinguish the results of bonfires that people light, with no regard and find up-to-date into the wind, or the dry conditions. You do these things for our society more, even though lots of people do that. That doesn’t mean that formation on the Oklaand receive very little thanks. the season isn’t scary all on its own. People are going to use Halhoma Fire Chaplains, You do the work of being the hands and feet of Jesus. You care for loween as an excuse to make poor decisions. people who are unable (or unwilling) to protect themselves, and those Here are some of the types of poor decisions people make this go to www.okfirechaparound them. time of year. lains.org. If the trick is played on you, through the things you are exposed I know that this is not an exhaustive list of every boneheaded decito, both physically, and emotionally, you are the people who give the sion that people will make. The capacity for questionable decisions treats. is one of the few things I see that apparently has no limit. So, what As I said before, you are the hands and feet of Jesus. You restore order over are these decisions that occur to me? chaos. You take care of the lost. You give through your actions, and on behalf of the I’m thinking about bonfires that get out of control. I’m thinking about kids wearing dark costumes, walking in the dark streets at night, with no thought of the people you protect, I thank you. Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for being away from your families for danger of their surroundings, particularly cars. long shifts. Thank you for performing tasks that most people are not psychologiI’m thinking about the drivers in those cars who use any holiday as an excuse cally, physically, or emotionally prepared to do. to have another party, then after the drinking, they get behind the wheel of their I hope October is safe, and uneventful in your part of the state, and if it is not, I vehicle, and jeopardize themselves, and everyone around them. will keep you and your families in my prayers. The peace of the Lord be with you. We all know one of the things that these decisions have in common; firefighters
Oklahoma FirefighterOctober 201711
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women’s auxiliary Report
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Robert Doke
Sandy Thompson 2006 President
State Fire Marshal
2017-18 Women’s Auxiliary Board
Robert.Doke@fire.ok.gov
At various times, fire departments Hello Ladies, have the ability to deplete their inI don’t know about you, but I am loving the cooler temperatures ventory of equipment. and the changing of the leaves. Fall is absolutely my favorite time of One option is to donate the equipyear. ment to a fire department that could Hopefully many of you were able to make it to the Memorial Serput the equipment to good use. It PRESIDENT vice held Oct. 1 at the Oklahoma Fallen and Living Firefighter Memois not uncommon for a transfer of Tennie Green rial in Oklahoma City. It is always a special time to show the families equipment to occur with a hand shake tennie.green@gmail.com of our fallen firefighters that they are remembered and appreciated for or a Letter-Of-Transfer. (918) 440-7060 the service they have given. If your department or Council/ October is National Fire Prevention Month. Many of our firefighters Board leans more toward a more formal means, there is a State VICE PRESIDENT will head out to the local schools to do presentations on fire safety to the Statute that may provide the donating fire department in a Erica Koch kids. permitted manner. ejv97@cox.net So many times when I receive calls about starting a new auxiliary, Below is the State Statute that addresses “Used Equipment”. (405) 308-2010 they ask questions about what an auxiliary does. Well this is one thing our local auxiliary participates in along with the firefighters. Oklahoma Statutes SEC/TREASURER We help by handing out Jr. firefighter badges and helping the kids on Title 11. Cities and Towns Susan Walker and off the trucks. Part 2 - Oklahoma Volunteer Firefighters Act sw233821@gmail.com This year, our department will have a new fire safety house to help Section 29-206 - Used Equipment (580) 351-4116 with the presentation. This house was purchased and donated by our local auxiliary. A municipality may enter into agreements for used equipPAST PRESIDENT I am not including this to brag about my local but to encourage those ment that has been tested and certified as safe with a volunteer Diana Cramer that are considering starting an auxiliary. When a few work together for fire department and shall not be liable for any damage caused cramerdr@cox.net a common goal, they can accomplish quite a lot. by the use of such equipment by the volunteer fire department. (405) 613-2513 A few months ago I had the opportunity to attend the organizational meetings of the Washington and Dustin auxiliaries. As is common, the ladies were eager to get started but weren’t really sure where to begin. So here are a few things to think about when contemplating starting an auxiliary.
Where do you start?
• It is very important to have the blessing of your fire department. After all, that is who you are there to support. Find out what areas they would like to see the auxiliary help with. • Many are under the assumption that it takes a large number of people to form an auxiliary. This is definitely not the case and you can get started with just a few. My local has 8 members, some have fewer and some have more. It is more about the willingness of those members to participate in auxiliary functions than it is about the number of members you have. • A common goal and willingness to do what needs to be done to reach that goal. Whether it be providing food and drinks to the firefighters who have been on scene for several hours, raising money for needed equipment or supplies, hosting picnics, dinners, or other department wide events, it’s all about a group of people working to accomplish these goals or any goal that your auxiliary chooses to focus on. Please keep in mind these are suggestions to get you started. There is much more information on the website at OSFA.info. Just look under the OSFA tab for Women’s Auxiliary. You can find our state by-laws and a more in depth description of all aspects of forming a local auxiliary. Also, a member of the executive board will be happy to come to one of your meetings to answer questions and help you get started if you wish. In closing, I ask that you please continue to keep those affected by the hurricanes and wildfires that have occurred over the last couple of months in your prayers. These events have left areas of our nation with an unfathomable amount of clean up and rebuilding and it will continue for months and even years to come. With the destruction, we also saw so many stories of people helping people, going above and beyond for those they didn’t even know. So many of these people are members of our firefighter and first responder family. Even though we don’t know the faces, we know the uniforms and are so very blessed to be a part of this family.
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12October 2017Oklahoma Firefighter
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page to ponder
Dan Newbury
Low T, High Consequences As the fire service increases the requirements, demands, and stresses of firefighters both paid and volunteer, the spring tensioner of life is now tightened more than ever. These stresses take a toll on firefighters in many forms and fashions. One of those forms is to rob our bodies of the main building blocks of every man: testosterone. Testosterone is incinerated at structure fires, crushed at car wrecks and slips away after sleepless nights. Firefighters and men in general are at a high risk of low testosterone and being aware is always the first step to correct any issues one might have whatever its cause.
KNOW THY ENEMY: Testosterone is a hormone found in humans, as well as in other animals. The testicles primarily make testosterone in men. Women’s ovaries also make testosterone, though in much smaller amounts. Testosterone production starts to increase significantly during puberty, and begins to dip after age 30. This is important more now than ever with the fire service since the age of retirement is now 22 years for new hires in place of the 20 years for those older, saltier firefighters. This two-year extension set the wheels in motion to have older firefighters in the system and on firetrucks. With testosterone starting to fall at the age of 30, rookies hired at 25 years of age will be 47 when they reach the initial retirement age. With firefighters usually working at least 5 years after their initial retirement period to acquire a Plan B retirement (knock on wood), our 47-year-old hose dragger is now a ripe ladder riding age of 52. The possibility of low levels of testosterone for this firefighter are higher on just age alone. With that being said, what exactly does testosterone do? Testosterone is most often associated with sex drive, and plays a vital role in sperm production. But it also affects bone and muscle mass, the way men store fat in the body, and even red blood cell production. A man’s testosterone levels can also affect his mood (What?!? Moody firemen?). Now where as I will concede our salty 52-year-old dragon-slayer mentioned above could care less about his ability to produce little rescue swimmers; bone and muscle mass, excess fat storage and the inability to properly make red blood cells could become an issue on long nights and longer story telling sessions after every fire. But testosterone isn’t only applied to muscle mass and bone strength.
Tulsa FD
Safety & Health Committee
The physiological link between stress and testosterone is another hormone called cortisol. Cortisol is the body’s primary stress hormone, which increases sugar (glucose) in the bloodstream. It communicates with your brain to help control mood, motivation, and fear, and alters the immune system. When stress (either physical or physiological) is applied to the body, it produces cortisol (a flight-or-fight reaction), but if your body is continuously under stress, the body’s natural alarm system is always on. Continuous elevated cortisol levels are very dangerous and can lead to a number of health issues, including depression, heart disease, and stroke. If one were to look back at our 52-year-old smoke eater, he’ll probably have developed poor sleeping habits (increasing cortisol), poor nutritional habits (reducing testosterone), and place their body under constant stress (increasing cortisol). All of these things will directly impact their health, but more importantly it will elevate their cortisol while reducing their testosterone. A simple structure fire could last 20 minutes or longer, this constant stress load will impact their cortisol levels because during this prolonged time period testosterone production may be turned off to allow for the flight-or-fight response system to work properly. If we do not reduce the stress, then these elevated levels of cortisol will continue to exist, thus keeping our testosterone levels low.
PLAN YOUR WORK, WORK YOUR PLAN: It is nearly impossible to change the nature of the job, however we can approach it in a manner that will help protect against these elements. First, let’s understand that if you do have low testosterone it does not mean you are at high risk of heart disease but rather poor health. There are a few things that can be done naturally to help you increase your testosterone while at the same time reducing the chance of heart disease. The first step is to develop a basic medical screening program that includes a physical and simple blood draw. The second thing would be to educate our firefighters on what to analyze vs. just relying on the doctor. Cholesterol is usually the first thing people look at when talking about heart disease, but what about magnesium or vitamin D? Firefighters are often in hot environments, so it is safe to say that they could develop a magnesium deficiency (magnesium is generally lost through sweating.) Improved magnesium levels have shown to increase testosterone and also decrease inflammation, improve the cardiovascular system, lower levels of oxidative stress, and improve a firefighter’s sleep. More importantly it helps increase testosterone by enhancing vitamin D activity. It is recommended that you get 400-600 mg of magnesium daily. The most common method is by taking the supplement ZMA (Zinc, Magnesium Aspartate, which consists of 30 mg of Zinc, 450 mg of magnesium, and 11 mg of B6 and is taken at night to help promote sleep.) Note: too much magnesium can be stressful to the kidneys, so follow the recommended amount. Vitamin D is another common deficiency because most people do not go outside anymore. Many studies have shown a relationship between low vitamin D and heart disease. Recently, a study published by Hormone and Metabolic research (2011) found that men with low levels of vitamin D had much lower free testosterone and higher estrogen levels. It appears that vitamin D inhibits aromatization in which testosterone is turned into estrogen. The Vitamin D Council recommends a blood level of 50 ng/ml. Finally, we need to look at our zinc. Zinc is important because it lower systemic inflammation and protects your heart. It is an anabolic element that affects tissue repair and healing. During sleep it aids in muscle growth. Zinc deficiencies have been correlated to low testosterone and a greater incidence of male menopause. It should be noted that the chief synergist of growth hormone is insulin, testosterone, zinc, and magnesium. The recommended daily allowance is 30 mg (ZMA). Note: Zinc can be toxic in high dosages, so follow the recommended amount. Low testosterone can be very dangerous to a hydrant-catcher’s health and wellness. Once you have checked your blood work, you can apply other simple methods to help increase your testosterone. Temporary blood sugar spikes will affect your testosterone levels, so avoid sugar, grains, and other foods that lead to an increase in blood sugar. Manage your glycemic index wisely, and include more high-protein quality fats into your diet. Exercise has been shown to help increase testosterone levels. High-intensity interval training that uses large muscle groups combined with adequate zinc levels increases testosterone. For maximal testosterone response, it is recommended that you lift heavy (85-95 percent, one-rep maximum) utilizing squats, deadlifts, and Olympic lifts. The most optimal rest period for testosterone production is 120 seconds between sets during resistance exercise. Just as house fires, medical emergencies, and motor vehicle accidents require firefighters to take in large amounts of information to make a good decision, so must a firefighter with their health. Look into yourself, if you find yourself being fatigued easily, moody, and growing a spare tire fit for a firetruck, make an appointment with your doctor, get checked. Just as one would not drive a fire truck low on water to a fire, enter a medical call unequipped, or stand in traffic without protection. Take care of your body, it’s the only one you are given. Get your levels checked, take care of deficiencies, work to be the heathiest firefighter possible in order to be the healthiest retired firefighter you can be. On average, 50% of firefighters pass away 5 years after retirement. So either never retire or work like hell now to enjoy your retirement more than 5 years. More can be learned about this information by reading articles written by John Hofman and multiple other resources just a key stroke away on Google. John Hofman is the strength and conditioning coach for the Sacramento (CA) Fire Department.
Oklahoma FirefighterOctober 201713
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14October 2017Oklahoma Firefighter
18th Annual Oklahoma Fallen & Living Firefighters Memorial Service Honoring Our Own n October 1, 2017 n Oklahoma City
SUPREME SACRIFICE
LAST ALARM Ada Afton Afton Afton Agra Aline Aline Allen Alva Ames Anadarko Antlers Antlers Antlers Apache Ardmore Ardmore Ardmore Arkoma Atoka Atwood Bartlesville Bartlesville Binger Blackwell Blanchard Boswell Braman Brent Rural Broken Arrow Broken Arow Brooken Buffalo Burns Flat Butler Cache Calera Canton Carnegie Checotah Checotah Claremore Claremore Clinton Clinton Colbert Comanche Comanche Cowskin Rural Davenport Davidson Davis Del City Dewey Dewey Dewey Dougherty Dover Drumright Duncan Duncan Duncan Edmond El Reno Eldorado Elmore City Empire City Eufaula
Billy D. Hodges Charles E. Tipton Sr. John C. White Tom Countryman Seldon J. McEntire Max L. Anthony Frank A. Goss Jr. Jason D. Erickson Darrell D. Whitely Sr. Stanley L. Summers Daisy R Birdwell Curtis W Lawless Lawrence R. (LR) Martin Brooke Trotter William L. Reichardt Doyle E. Doughty Robert H. Miller Harold D. Petty Othel G. Harrison Bill D. Flowers Glen D. Lively Wymann M. Foreman Gilbert R. Watters Larry D. Kizziar Michael R. Phillips Ray G. Foster George Lewis Aubrey F. Kelle Loyd Isley Leonard E. Hale William E. Samuel Jonathan Bash Tra W. Snider Robert Bryan Raymond G. Bruner Gary D. Jackson Rickey L. Burkhalter Gary D. Cypert Carrol “Toby” E. King Michael V. Beaver Joseph Spears Willie D. McKay Donald L. Montgomery Barney L. Brown John “JD” Lafleur Billy F. Lewis Dow L. Pannell Francis E. Ralls James Hollaway Leroy A. Guest Walter A. Peters Jr. Joe T. Ayers William D. Phillips Rufus H. Geurin Oscar R. Rice Bobby R. Thomison Eddie M. Mosley Leo G. States Reginald K. Montgomery Earl R. Brown Bill L. Rice Kenneth W. Lewis Raymond J. Payne Darrel W. Biswell William “Johnny” Freeman Billy R. Brewer Tanner J. Shorter J.M. Bailey
Eufaula Fairfax Fairview Forgan Forgan Fort Supply Fort Supply Fort Supply Freedom Garber Geary Geronimo Geronimo Granite Granite Granite Grove Grove Guthrie Guthrie Guymon Hammon Hickory Hobart Hugo Hugo Hulbert Indiahoma Inola Jay Kansas Kildare Kingfisher Kinta Konawa Kremlin Laverne Laverne Lawton Lawton Lawton Lawton Lawton Leedey Lexington Lindsay Longdale Mangum McAlester Mccurtain Medford Midwest City Mill Creek Moore Morris Mountain View Muskogee Muskogee Muskogee Nescatunga New Cordell Nichols Hills Norman Norman Nowata Oak Cliff Oilton Okarche
Troy H. Jones James L. Fast Kenneth L. Sholtess Gale W. Eagan Charles E. Lemieux Jessie D. Burgess Sam L. Golden Richard E. Kornele Jimmie M. Beagley Joe G. McGehee Lloyd F. McNeely Jr. Frank Alvarez Daniel T. Toombs Eugene J. Hahn Floyd J. Willoughby Johnny L. Wilson Sherman E. Richardson Timothy “TJ” Cunningham Raymond A. Miller William C. Weinand Leonard C. Grove Richard L. Trobaugh Matthew D. Blalock Virgil E. Beatty Robert L. Garrett Don H. Rawls William F. Teague Roy V. Meyers Lester D. Littlefield Elzie B. Stephens Charles Clifford Baker Benedict “Benny” J. Janda John E. Crawford Leon Daniels Frank “Lillard” Berry Robert G. Kirkpatrick Don L. Burke C.K. Rester William T. Gilliam Johnny K. Phillips Jackie D. Taylor Rodney “Rocky” Walters Jerry L. Wiersema William E. Kauk Jr. Charles Ramsey Michael W. Taylor Larry D. Geiger Wade Tyler Jr. Benjamin “B.R.” Busby Raymond J. Lane Elvin Zeman Tony L. Zink Jack Maxwell Bill C. McCawley Dennis F. Sharp Turner Nickelson Kenneth L. Blackburn H. C. Hibbard Jr. George R. Wilson Kim D. Dale Lesley D. Baldwin Mark S. Williams Orval E. Cargill Gilbert A. Vaughn Bill J. Pierce Wylie E. Morton Thomas R. Lochary Mervin L. Kremeier
LEACH Michael Dale Russell
Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Panama Panama Perkins Perry Perry Piedmont Pocola Ponca City Pond Creek Prague Quapaw Ralston Ravia Reydon Ringling Rush Springs Ryan Ryan Ryan Sand Springs Sayre Sentinel Sentinel Shawnee Shawnee
Howard W. Adams Kenneth L. Anderson Ronald J. Angle James W. Avant Bobby G. Bland Louis M. Bunch Sherman M. Carthen Jr. Denny R. Clark Donald T. Crum Henry M. Embrey Herbert Ford James B. Greenhoward, III Glen H. Grusendorf Thomas G. Hamilton Leon N. Harrison Kelly D. Hilburn Hubert J. Hunter James D. Imoe Jr. Bobby R. Johnson Edward L. Koch Sr. Dean D. Lilly Ronnie E. Mays Vernon R. McCurdy Thomas J. “Tom” Morrow Leonard R. O’Daniell Anthony W. Parker Gary D. Rhea Larry D. Rusher Orville Carl Slayton John E. Sprinkle Jr. Wilbur D. Wright Sr. Larry L. Watson Charles W. Sisco Roy L. Sisco Arlis L. Riley Joseph L. Beckham Larry R. Voss Rick E. Lofgren Michael L. Howard Daniel L. Howerton Timothy L. Barwick Bruce E. Huff Richard L. Pliler Kriston S. Kennedy Gary W. McGinnis Charles H. Fry Emmitt T. Morris Jimmy H. Norton Billy R. Bolin James H. Cathey Jerry G. Dalton Larry D. Fisher Randy D. Sanders Kenneth D. Sells Jimmie D. Britton Hershel N. Coomer James D. Roberts
Sneed Soper S. Coffeyville Spiro Stigler Stillwater Stratford Sweetwater Tinker AFB Talihina Tecumseh The Village Thomas Thomas Thomas Tishomingo Tonkawa Tulsa Tulsa Tulsa Tulsa Tulsa Tulsa Tulsa Tulsa Tulsa Tulsa Tulsa Tulsa Tulsa Tulsa Tulsa Tulsa Tulsa Tulsa Tulsa Tulsa Tulsa Tulsa Union City Union City Valley View Vici Vinita Wakita Walters Waukomis Welch Wellston Wilburton Wister Woodward Wright City Wyandotte Wynnewood Yale
Kiwana D. McLaughlin James “J.B.” Stillwell Mark A. Henry Rusty A. Petty Noah F. “Buster” Allison Donald D. Duckwall Boyd Perry Chaz A. Bryan Todd Evers Noah L. Kennedy Jr. Kenneth A. Stanley Edward Michael Green Richard L. Johnson Robert Rubchinuk William “Bill” A. West Daniel A. Parker Charles E. Shultz Larry L. Allison Don L. Arnett Philip M. Benson Earl D. Chilcoat J.D. Duty Donald C. Honn Orvis J. Huddleston Charlie I. Magee Edward L. McCullough William Charles Mitchell James O. Morris Jon A. Penquite Jon R. Piard Jack C. Sanders John R. Scott Jack A. Shields Philip M. Tewell Forrest W. Underwood John L. Wood Jack A. Barnes Andrew “Andy” Simpson Ellwyn L. Simpson John H. Everett Donald L. Sanders Ronald C. Smith Sr. John R. Salisbury Delbert C. Bowers Jr. Dean L. Templin Bill L. Ogletree Bobby R. Meyer Silas R. Bradshaw Burton A. Davis Gary L. Sparks Charles M. Essman Merle A. Shore Daniel F. Valenzuela Terry Butterfield Howard L. Wolf Bobbie J. Reed
Tulsa FD to Hold 100
100 YEAR MEMORIAL HONORING TULSA FIRE DEPARTMENT’S FIRST FIREFIGHTER Year Memorial Service forDEATHS First
Oklahoma FirefighterOctober 201715
Line of Duty Deaths
By Capt. Mike Burgess Tulsa Fire Department, Ladder 4-C
ing during role call some time later. The bodies of the 2 heroes were buried under tons of concrete and steel and Dann was saved by The Tulsa Fire Department will host a Memofalling into a “lean-to” pocket of space. Shepard rial Service Oct. 24 at First Presbyterian Church to and Hanes would not be recovered until 5 p.m. honor the memory of Joseph Ross Sheppard and that afternoon and by then the streets were crowdWilliam Benjamin “Ben” Hanes -- exactly 100 years ed with on-lookers. Chief Alder stated that no one Type to enter text after the fire at the historic Mayo Building which was to view the bodies. claimed their lives. The funeral service was held at the Presbyterian Tulsa’s fire department was just 12 years old Church and nearly everyone in town was there. when the tragedy struck, and although Tulsa has The fire chaplain, Reverend James Reedy, spoke of lost 5 others since then, they have not lost any the lives of the 2 firemen and their service to the more in a fire. city; while the Reverend CW Kerr of the church That is a remarkable record for a department of detailed how such sacrifices were preordained by that size and is a testament to their training, equipGod. Type to enter text ment, and attitude. The funeral procession went from there to the At the time of the fire, Tulsa had 5 stations and train depot, where Sheppard’s body was taken to was the first fire department west of the MissisWaco, TX and then went on to Rose Hill Cemetery sippi River to be entirely motorized (they had sold where Hanes is currently buried. the last of their horses to Kansas City in 1913). Sheppard was the son of the Chief of DetecThe great fire started on a Tuesday night, Octives at the Waco Police Department and he was tober 23,1917. Tulsa’s first Chief, RC Alder and 2 engaged to be married. Sadly, he was set to leave other companies were investigating a false alarm at 4th100 andyears Kenosha just Two heading the fire department on Nov. 1and -- just 7 days later. ago, onand Octwere 24,1917of Tulsa’s bravest, Joseph Ross Sheppard back when they saw the glow from the business districtBenjamin to the west. The fire Hanes, had started at Co. Number Hanes was the married and had to 2 small William “Ben” of Engine 4 were first firefighters give children. His headstone simply says, “Ben Hanes 10 p.m. at the Tulsa Decorating Company in the Ohio Building and Main. 1889-1917” because his wife didseveral not have much money for the burial. She did petition the their livesnear to the5th citizens of Tulsa. In the early morning hours, after helping rescue women and at the Mayo Building fire,city Hanes Sheppard the denied. By the time Chief Alder arrived, the entire 3-story building waschildren in flames and several forand burial costs died laterwhen and was collapsed. Their was byFittingly, Rev. CW Kerr at the Presbyterian women and children were being rescued with ladders.stairway By 11 p.m., the fire hadfuneral spread topresided the Tulsa FD’s MemorialChurch Service will be held at the same First Presbyterian Church the construction entire town came to pay their top floor of the Mayo Building to the south which was and under andout exposed at respects. at 7th and Boston followed by a bagpipe procession to the Mayo Building where a Memorial Come join us in honoring their lives and dedication thebe Citizens of Tulsa and the the 10th floor. Plaque to will revealed. Tulsareport Fire Dept. There are several accounts of what happened next. One says the fire spread south The city has paid for the plaque as a goodwill gesture for past grievances and the departOct 24th 12 lobby noon and thus put the to the wooden construction crane which burned downwards toatthe ment is currently seeking surviving family members to attend the service. Relatives of Chief First Presbyterian Church firemen above the fire in the stairwell. Another says that the stairway collapsed because the Alder will be in attendance and Reverend Jim Miller of the church will speak as well as Fire S Boston Ave, Tulsa, OK 74119 concrete was still fresh from construction and not fully709 cured. Both accounts are probably Chaplain Danny Lynchard among others. A bagpipe procession will follow to the Mayo Building where a Memorial Plaque will be correct. The Tulsa Fire Department is proud of its rich history and traditions and invites everyone dedicated. For more, visit www.facebook.com/100yearsafterthefire/. Just as the fire was nearly under control, there were 3 firemen fighting fire from the to attend. Several surrounding departments will be represented just as they were 100 years stairway when it collapsed around 2 a.m. taking Sheppard and Hanes of Engine Company ago and a reception will follow at Station 4. Donations for the event and for the Firefighter’s number 4 to their deaths and severely injuring another, “Toots” Dann. Benevolence Fund can be made through the event’s Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/ Since there were no radios back then, it was only discovered that the firemen were miss100yearsafterthefire.
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16October 2017Oklahoma Firefighter
Takin’ Care
f Business
2017-18 Educational Advisory Committee By Jason Louthan OSFA Educational Advisory Committee Chairman It is an honor to once again serve the Oklahoma Fire Service as the Chairman of the 2017-2018 Educational Advisory Committee. The Educational Advisory Committee is set up: “To provide safe, excellent, and pertinent fire and emergency service training to firefighters throughout the State of Oklahoma and to remain diligent in identifying training needs for the Oklahoma Fire Service.” With this direction, the Educational Advisory Committee looks to develop partnerships that can provide quality training to its members. One of the main events MISSION STATEMENT of course is the John F. Futhey II To provide safe, excellent, and pertinent State Fire School each fire and emergency service training to firefighters throughout the State of year. Oklahoma and to remain diligent in The 2017 Fire School saw record numbers for this event identifying training needs for the -- mroe than 700 students. Oklahoma Fire Service. And with that momentum we hope to continue this growth for 2018. Jason Louthan - Seiling, Chairman The committee is already off and running building a bigBrian Brush - Edmond, Vice Chair ger and better fire school for 2018. Justin Beard - Ponca City We have set our goal this year to hopefully offer around Trent Bryan - El Reno 100 classes over the four days and would like to see the Dereck Cassady - Ponca City, OSFA Board overall attendance somewhere north of 800. Melanie Colvin - Slaughterville David Conner - Woodward This year’s committee is larger than it has ever been with Sean Douglas - Claremore, OFCA Board many people wanting to jump on board to help grow this Mike Duncan - Dewey, OSFA Board school and continue to make it a staple event for the OklaDavid Fincher - Lawton homa fire service. Rodney Foster - Midwest City We are always looking for new topics and ideas. Charles French, Jr - Tulsa If you have anything that you would like to share, please Craig Hannan - Perkins, IFSTA let us know at jasonlouthan@yahoo.com. Larry Hansen - Oklahoma City Applications for presentations are being accepted for Eric Harlow - Guthrie consideration until December 1st. Applications can be BreAnn Horn - Marshall found on the OSFA website or contact me and I will be Greta Hurt - Tulsa more than happy to send you one. James Johnson - Tuttle Chuck Kerns - OEM Presentations do not have to be formal classes. If you Matt Lay - Tulsa, OSFA Liaison have an idea or material that you think others could benefit Bryan Lloyd - Tulsa from, send it in. Presentations can range from 2 hours to 8 Loyd Mosier - Owasso hours in length. Cary Provence - Yukon The 2018 OSFA State Fire School, by the way, is set for Ryan Reeves - Guthrie May 3-6 at Tulsa Fire Academy/Tulsa Community College Dr. Eric Reynolds - OSU FST Northeast Campus. Tony Samaniego - Newcastle I have to end this article by thanking everyone who Alan Sanders - Ret. Midwest City, EOC helped make the 2017 State Fire School a huge success. Wesley Sitton - Oklahoma City To our partners and instructors, as well as all the stuTim Townsend - Oak Cliff dents that took the time to attend the many classes that Jason Woydziak - Ardmore were offered, Thank You!
And
2017-18 Stavros Scholarship Committee By Mike Duncan OSFA Stavros Scholarship Committee Chairman Hello! I’m Mike Duncan, Chair of the Pete and Lela Stavros Scholarship Committee. It was Pete and Lela Stavros’ desire to help with college expenses for the children or relatives of active and retired Oklahoma Firefighters who are members of OSFA. They have been helping them since 2002. The Stavros Scolarship Foundation awards five or six scholarships every year. And this year, five students each received a $1,000 scholarship. It would be great to be able to increase that to $1,500 or more. But what we are giving right now is all we can do. We do take donations, and these donations have let us get to the current amount that we are giving. If you could help, it would be greatly appreciated, because we can do much better with your help. To make a secure donation with a credit card, go to www.occf.org/stavros. To make a contribution with a check, call OSFA office at 405-424-1452 for a donation card and return envelope. And tell your sesniors-to-be to apply online next year for 2018 Stavros Scholarships. It doesn’t matter if you are a Paid Firefighter, Volunteer or retired -- your children or relatives can apply. Mike Duncan - Dewey, OSFA Board, Chair Bruce Anthony - Tuttle, OFCA Board Dr. James Caster Marc Edwards Steve Lumry - Ret. OKC, OSFA Admin Dir. Phil Ostrander - Ret. Tulsa, OSFA Exec. Dir. Jim Minx - Ret. OKC, Past OSFA Exec. Dir. OSFA Executive Board
Oklahoma FirefighterOctober 201717
At the last few Executive Board Meetings for the Oklahoma State Firefighters Association, members for OSFA Committees were selected. A total of 204 members are on the 11 OSFA Committees. Following is a list of Committee Members and Mission Statements. all of the OSFA Committee Chairs have submitted an explanation as to what their committees’ responsibilities are to the membership and how the committees plan to accomplish those goals and responsibilities.
2017-18 Legislative Committee By Terrell Thompson OSFA Legislative Committee Chairman To the brothers and sisters of the OSFA. I would first like to take the opportunity to say what an honor it is to be able to be chairing the Legislative Committee this year. I have had the privilege to participate as a member of this committee along with others in the years past, and look forward to working with such a great group of firefighters. The committee is made up of paid, volunteer, active and retired firefighters. The Legislative Committee shall draft such bills for the enactment of legislation as the association may designate, see that such legislation is intelligently presented to the members of the state legislature, and to have the same endeavor passed and enacted into law, In addition, this committee shall initiate and develop firefighter legislative education. Labor management legislation not specifically addressed at the annual convention shall not be opposed or promoted unless labor and management are in total agreement and then only as directed by the OSFA Board. Only legislation vetted and approved by the Legisla-
David Thompson - Slaughterville, Chair Jimmy White - Yukon, Vice Chair Dennis Brittain - Medford Jeff Choate - Geary
Stephen Duke - Perry
Brian Foughty - Ret. Moore Eric Harlow - Guthrie
Travis Harris - Kildare
Tammy McKinney - Oklahoma City Jerimy Meek - Midwest City David Milby - Iowa Tribe Jason Smith - Norman
Josh Stephens - Hawley Rural Randal Sullivan - Eufaula
Bobby Tallchief - Ret. Bartlesville Scott VanHorn - Oklahoma City Kevin Wofford - Vinita
tive Committee and/or the OSFA Board will be supported by the association. As the legislative session at the State Capitol is starting back up after summer break, the OSFA Legislative Committee will be working diligently to ensure that all bills that affect any moving parts of the OSFA or the Oklahoma fire service organizations as a whole will be monitored and addressed. It is our goal to ensure that the firefighters are kept up-to-date on the potential changes of legislation statewide. The members of this committee take great pride in ensuring the overall best for the Oklahoma fire service as one united entity. We as a committee are well-equipped with a very diverse, knowledgeable and passionate group of firefighters that come from all ranks and departments from across the state, coming together to work towards one goal! This committee has the same goals and objectives each and every year -- to always be working for the protection of the pension of the firefighters and changes in any legislation that effects the Oklahoma fire service. I also want to take this time to urge all the members of the OSFA, to reach out to the candidates that will be running in the election cycle in their area this fall. Take the time to get to know them, and speak with them about the issues you have and are dealing with in your area.
Terrell Thompson - El Reno, Chairman Jim Ed Nimmo - Tulsa, Vice Chair Raanon Adams - Lawton Bruce Anthony - Tuttle, OFCA Liaison Cory Beagles - Deer Creek Herb Bradshaw - Ret. Warr Acres T. Dick Cagle - Ret. Tulsa Mike Caniglia - McAlester Dereck Cassady - Ponca City Michael Corbett - Oklahoma City Dana Cramer - Ret. Norman Clifford Davidson - Ringwood George Fina - Ret. Oklahoma City Travis Harris - Kildare James Heap - Frederick Alan Scott Kirby - Mill Creek Jim Nance - Tulsa Bert Norton - Midwest City, OFCA Board Chalk Norton - Ret. Shawnee Tippy Pierce - Ret. Moore, ORFA Liaison Randy Rose - Ret. Oklahoma City Justin Sharp - Broken Arrow John Soos - Ret. Oklahoma City Nick Terhune - Norman David Thompson - Slaughterville Cameron Weems - Oklahoma City Aaron Wright - Norman OSFA Board
2017-18 Membership Committee By David Thompson OSFA Memberhip Committee Chairman First and foremost, I would like to say what an honor and privilege it is to be selected as the OSFA Membership Committee Chair. The primary duty of the Membership Committee is to review and recommend any potential changes to enhance the membership structure of the Association. The goals of the committee include recognizing and suggesting enhancements to current benefits of membership, look for new benefits with the intent of increasing the diversity, expanding the scope of OSFA’s membership base and recommending any proposed changes to the Executive Board.
The Membership Committee was recently created in response to numerous request from entities that are engaged in fire, rescue and EMS services in Oklahoma, but are outside our traditional membership base. We want to make sure that we can provide them with the quality services, representation and benefits that all our members deserve. Since 1894, the OSFA has grown from three fire departments to over 16,000 members. It always has been and is still our mission at the OSFA to be inclusive, not exclusive. We are looking forward to this new expansion in the OSFA family and the important role you are going to play. I would like to mention that with the diversity, knowledge, and experience that the committee members bring, I feel confident that the committee shall make great strides as we continue to make a great organization even stronger better.
18October 2017Oklahoma Firefighter
2017-18 Museum Expansion Committee By Mike Bower OSFA Museum Expansion Committee Chairman
expansion and memorial, meeting with financial advisory in order to determine funding strategy and developing presentation materials. The next step is to raise a good portion of the $4.5 million to pay for the expansion project and to identify an ongoing funding stream in order to pay for the balance of the project. In order for this project to be successful, we need your help and we need your ideas for raising funds and information on any contacts that might contribute to our museum expansion. We intend to work closely with the Financial Advisory Committee to identify every potential revenue generating source. The Museum Expansion Committee believes that once the expansion is complete, it has potential to generate a steady funding stream from revenues generated by leasing the expanded event center located within the museum. If we all work together, we can make this dream a reality just as the membership did 50 years ago when they built the museum. I want to give a special thank you to the Museum Expansion Committee members who have dedicated themselves to this project, as well as our OSFA, ORFA and OFCA Boards.
Mike Bower - Ret. Midwest City, Chair Jesse Bain - Broken Arrow Mike Billingsley - Ret. Nichols Hills Gene Brown - Ret. The Village Mike Caniglia - McAlester Dereck Cassady - Ponca City, OSFA Board Allen Clark - Clark Construction Mike Duncan - Dewey, OSFA Board Eric Harlow - Guthrie, OSFA Board Matt Lay - Tulsa, OSFA Board Clifford Lewis - Ret. Oklahoma City Gary Marrs - Ret. Oklahoma City Jim Minx - Ret. Oklahoma City Clay Moss - Hall Capital Tom Smith - Ret. Oklahoma City Nick Terhune - Norman Scott VanHorn - Oklahoma City Richard Walts - Ret. Fort Sill
Over the past several years, the Museum Expansion Committee under the direction of the OSFA Executive Board has taken several important steps to move closer to the reality of expanding the Oklahoma Firefighters Museum and the OSFA offices. I am pleased to report that much of the preliminary work has been completed. This includes: Extending the property lease with City of Oklahoma City, selecting a contractor to oversee the construction project, creating a site development plan, soil samples, construction cost estimate, convention action to approve utilizing proceeds from car tag sales for expansion, combining accounts of museum and memorial, setting up website to receive donations for
2017-18 Benevolent Committee By T. Dick Cagle Benevolent Committee Chair The Benevolent Committee has been tasked with reviewing the effectiveness/ relevance of all OSFA Benevolent efforts, policies and delivery protocols. Our finding will result in recommendation to the OSFA Board. That said, the committee will focus initially on the following issues: A) Developing a statewide conduit for information flow to and from the
OSFA and it’s members. Specifically to expedite OSFA receipt of a member’s death, outreach to their widowed family through an immediate call explaining their OSFA/OFPRS benefits, availability of assistance at the service, i.e. Fire Honor Guard, pall bears, Fire Apparatus. All information delivered verbally to be followed up in written form and a timely membership email blast notification of the members passing and their service formation. B) Statewide protocol to help a member’s understanding of their OSFA/OFPRS benefit and assistance with the application process. The committee understands fully the magnitude of completing each
task, but moreover the need and importance of statewide delivery of these services to our membership. In the event of death of an OSFA member (Volunteer, Paid, Active or Retired), please notify the OSFA at 1-800-308-5336. The more information you can provide the better -- members status, contact info, Fire Department affiliation, etc. If they’re a member of an ORFA Chapter with a widowed family outreach program in play, by all means call the Chaper first. The OSFA’s efforts aren’t intended to be intrusive, but rather to assure all members are included. Please provide any suggestions to Trisha Chain, OSFA Staff.
T. Dick Cagle - Ret. Tulsa, Chair Justin Beard - OKC Chigger Burch - Ret. Lawton Yogi Cole - Ret. Tulsa / Keys James “JT” Crawford - F. Supply Rob Crews - Lawton Mike Duncan - Dewey Les Foughty - Ret. OKC Chris Hopingardner - Mangum Clifford Lewis - Ret. OKC Nathan Lowery - Iowa Tribe Tom Marcum - Mooreland Phillip Mead - Atoka Justin Miller - Bartlesville Tiffine Montgomery - Deer Creek Tim Moxley - Perry Michael Pettey - Fort Supply Juan Rodriguez - Ret. Lawton Bud Shepherd - Ret. Slaughterville Joshua Smith - Wynnewood Andy Willrath - Mustang
Oklahoma FirefighterOctober 201719
2017-18 Financial Advisory Committee By Mike Kelley OSFA Financial Advisory Committee Chairman The finances of your OSFA are extremely important. The OSFA Board is responsible for approving an annual budget, and in doing so we spend a great deal of time evaluating the services that we provide for our members. We are continually looking for ways to improve and add value to your membership. Your OSFA Board is also responsible for monitoring and approving the monthly bills. We do that to assure that your money is being spent in the most efficient way possible. While everyone may have known the above information, what you may not know is that we also have a Financial Advisory Committee. The Financial Advisory Committee is made up a diverse set of members. Many of the members bring years of experience and institutional knowledge to the committee. That’s important to an organization because to effectively move forward you must understand where
MISSION STATEMENT
To ensure the financial integrity of the Association and develop strategies to continue the financial strength of the Association while maintaining the minimal burden upon the Association’s members
Mike Kelley - OKC, OSFA Board, Chair Mike Bower - Ret. MWC, Vice Chair Larry Bogges - Ret. Lawton Herb Bradshaw - Ret. Warr Acres T. Dick Cagle - Ret. Tulsa James “JT” Crawford - Fort Supply Steve Douglas - Ret. Choctaw Tim Ford - Ret. Nichols Hills Clifford Lewis - Ret. Oklahoma City Jim Minx - Ret. Oklahoma City Michael Petty - Ft. Supply Tippy Pierce - Ret. Moore, ORFA Board Kellie Sawyers - Ret. Oklahoma City Bud Shepherd - Ret. Slaughterville Phil Sipe - Ret.Oklahoma City Mike Smith - Laverne Nick Terhune - Norman Mark Zeckser - Ret. Midwest City
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you have been. When discussing ideas without that knowledge we may inadvertently repeat past mistakes. I’m proud to report that this committee not only has the experience necessary but also a passion and commitment to the cause. While this committee does not regularly meet, we have met and will continue to do so in the near future as we prepare for an expansion of your OSFA and Museum. The preliminary plans for expansion have been drawn up and reviewed, and your Financial Advisory Committee is brainstorming on fundraising ideas. This is an important chapter in our organization’s history, so we encourage all members to support this fundraising effort. We want to continue to have a Museum and Memorial that honors the past and the present!
CONRAD FIRE EQUIPMENT AND SAMMY MARTIN WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE HARRAH, OKLAHOMA FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR THEIR RECENT PURCHASE OF A PIERCE TANKER
20October 2017Oklahoma Firefighter
2017-18 Memorial Committee By Scott VanHorn Memorial Committee Chairman First, I want to say if you have never visited our Oklahoma Fallen and Living Firefighter Memorial, please do so. It is especially beautiful at night and you want to visit before our first freeze so you get the full effect of the pool. It really is a great tribute to Oklahoma Firefighters! Taking care of the Memorial is an ongoing task, and I want to commend the OSFA Board and Staff for doing such a great job. Recent maintenance work has been completed on the site, with the black panels on the Wall of Valor being repaired, as well as some cracks in the granite. I want to thank everyone with a firefighter tag for providing the necessary funds to keep improving this facility. The Memorial Committee will continue to work with the Executive Board and the Financial Advisory Committee to plan and provide for the future of our Memorial. The 2017 Statewide Memorial Ceremony is Oct. 1, and we will honor the 258 Oklahoma Firefighters lost over the past year. Please come out and support over 300 family members who shared their loved ones with the fire service. MISSION STATEMENT To protect, preserve, and improve the Oklahoma Fallen and Living Firefighters Memorial and the Oklahoma Firefighters Museum infrastructure Scott VanHorn - OKC, Chairman Yogi Cole - Keys, Vice Chair Raanon Adams - Lawton Eric Biedermann - OKC Larry Bogges - Ret. Lawton Mike Bower - Ret. Midwest City Herb Bradshaw - Ret. Warr Acres Chigger Burch - Ret. Lawton T. Dick Cagle - Ret. Tulsa John Craig - OKC Sammye Cravens - Civilian Tim Ford - Ret. Nichols Hills Jordon Hughes - El Reno Clifford Lewis - Ret. OKC Bert Norton - MWC Phil Ostrander - Ret. Tulsa, OSFA Exec. Dir. Richard Walts - Ret. Fort Sill
2017-18 Volunteer Fire Service Committee By Michael Weinkauf OSFA Volunteer Fire Service Committee Chairman
MISSION STATEMENT To solicit and bring forth the interests, needs, desires, and requirements for the benefit of the volunteer firefighters in the State of Oklahoma
Greetings my fellow Oklahoma firefighters! My goodness has it been a weird summer or what. We have Michael Weinkauf - Orlando, Chairman been blessed with lots of rain Alan Scott Kirby - Mill Creek, Vice Chair and cooler temperatures for the Mike Duncan - Dewey, OSFA Liaison month of August. Travis Fortune - Fairview But Fall is right around the corTravis Harris - Kildare ner and soon some of you will be cheering on your Andy James - ODAFF favorite football team or getting out into the woods Lee Johnson - Liberty and enjoying the outdoors with all of the fall hunting Tom Marcum - Mooreland seasons coming up. Greg Moore - Onapa This also means that soon it will be time for us Tom Smith - Ret. Dewey members of the Volunteer Fire Service Committee to Randal Sullivan - Eufaula meet and discuss the agenda for the Volunteer FireSherri Thomas - Lakewood fighter Caucus to be held in February. David Thompson - Slaughterville If you are not familiar with this committee, it is Tim Townsend - Oak Cliff comprised of volunteer firefighters from across this Bud Shepherd - Slaughterville great state of ours. We will be set with the task of researching and planning the agenda and needs for the Caucus. I must say I was quite humbled to find out that the OSFA Executive Board has asked me to Chair this committee. Coming from a small town department in Central Oklahoma where everyone has had the mind-set that we are the only ones and change is not an option, it has been challenging for me to promote change and different ways of thinking in my own department let alone anywhere else. So when I was asked to accept this challenge, it made me realize that all my efforts on the home front have not gone unnoticed. That is very humbling for a small town farm boy from Oklahoma to soak into his thoughts. At the 2016 Volunteer Caucus, we accomplished most of what we set out to do. We had a wonderful presentation from members of the Oklahoma Rural Water Association. They enlightened those of us in attendance on why we as firefighters are looking for the quantity supply of water while they are looking for quality. With all the regulations and other circumstances they have to deal with on their side of the spectrum, at times it is a difficult challenge. They discussed solutions that will enable us to work together more efficiently. There was also a lot of open discussion on the floor about the needs of the volunteers in this great state. I was quite shocked to find out after we broke off into the different group discussions, that most of us were on the same page and had the same concerns. This led us too picking the three top issues in the end and these are the Legislative Resolutions that we sent to the floor of the OSFA Convention for consideration by the membership -- and all of these were approved. The first issue we asked for was some incentives for recruitment and retention of firefighters. We also asked that training and funding for said training be made a priority. And lastly we asked for support for the help of local fire departments to be able to enforce the burn bans when needed to be implemented. There was great discussions from all aspects of the Caucus and I think the majority of those who attended learned a lot and were able to take some of that home to their departments. Attendance was up and that is always good to see, as that means that we are coming together more as a group and not trying to fix things on our own. When the committee starts meeting this fall, we will work on the agenda for the 2018 Volunteer Firefighter Caucus. We will work on the planning of the agenda, obtaining individual sponsors and identifying speakers for what I hope will be another great experience for all of those of us who attend. We are all a part of this exciting thing we call the fire service. We try to honor tradition, yet we have to implement change to make sure we are keeping up with the times and the changes that go on in this world. We’ll keep a target on the purpose of the Caucus while making sure that the needs of our volunteer firefighters of this great state are met. This association is all ours. It doesn’t matter if you come from the career side of it or the volunteer side of the spectrum. My challenge to all of you is too get involved in some way and let your concerns or issues be heard. There is plenty of people here to help, you just need to take the time to speak. Someone is here to listen to you.
2017-18 Safety & Health Committee By Dan Newbury OSFA Safety & Health Committee Chairman
Oklahoma FirefighterOctober 201721
2017-18 EMS Committee By Mike Duncan OSFA EMS Committee Chair
Mike Duncan - Dewey, Chair Dereck Cassady - Ponca City Anthony Stewart - Kingfisher Brian Zalewski - Chickasha Mike Baker - Tulsa Mike Harkey - Caney Pebbles Luddington - Freedom Jim Winham - EMSA Russel Brand - Perry Brian Davis - Edmond
Good day! My name is Dan Newbury and I am the new chair for the Safety & Health Committee. I am a Captain for the Tulsa Fire Department in which I Hello all! I would have been a member for 13 short little years. I earned a bachlike to give you a elors’ in safety and fire protection from OSU and an Associates little insight on our newly formed EMS Committee. in fire protection from Tulsa Community College. It has been brought up to the OSFA Board numerWhen not at the fire station, I teach Hazardous materials ous times about how we didn’t have any represenclasses for OSU. tation on EMS Rules and other EMS issues in the As the Chair of the Safety & Health Committee, I hope to State. stand on the shoulders of giants who came before me and continue the great There are around 37 Fire Departments that run a service to all Oklahoma firefighters -- volunteer and career. With the help of the Ambulance, and there’s around 170 Ambulance services that run -- not awesome volunteers on your committee, we hope to work towards research and including air services. And we think we will see more Fire Departments implementation of greater safety tactics, practices and political protection for memrunning ambulances. bers who work the streets of this great state. There are 160 Emergency Response Agencies with most of them beThe responsibilities of your Safety & Health Committee are to take the suggesing Fire Departments. tions and needs of our member and formulate a plan to best serve the firefighters We will be looking at the current rules and other EMS issues and of Oklahoma. work with Oklahoma State Health Dept. in getting those resolved. How does one complete such as open ended and wide covering plan? Simple -We are open to comments from our members on any problems they safety is always set by steps. Steps which set a ground work for any safe operating are having or what is working for them. system. And they are as follows: Step 1 -- Identify the issue: This is where we, the committee, need your help. We will identify issues as best we can, but the fire service is full of people with great ideas and greater work ethic. If you can identify an issue we will work to make the best of any situation. ourselves and ask how can we work today to live tomorrow. We must look at the safety protocols written for us and actually use them. We Step 2 -- Write safety and health protocol: This step will be written by us in brevity so not to disallow anything specifically must put something between the hazard and ourselves. Whether that distance is another person to help lift a heavy patient so to protect our backs, distance but to set parameters in which each fire department can take our building blocks between smoke and our lungs to protect from exposures or and personalize them to individual fire departments. distance between the fried foods and our mouths. We must Step 3 -- Engineering controls: MISSION STATEMENT plan our work and implement our plan. Since the last step is used to make rules and guidelines, Step 6 -- Feedback: this step with place physical protection between firefighters The Safety and Health Committee Once you have used the protocols both written and physiand hazards. These physical separations can include items acts as a clearinghouse of cal, please get feedback from crews and give feedback to such as monitoring for noise, carbon monoxide (CO), and information about firefighter safety crews. Feedback from the people which use safe techniques is hydrogen cyanide (HCN). and health and provides resources more valuable than anything thought up by a group or person If during an event one can identify the existence of CO/ and suggestions to the OSFA on writing protocols. The users of a program can fine tune the HCN, know and have been made aware of the written limits how to improve conditions for program to better allow for the ease of use in the future. for firefighters in relation to CO/HCN and then put space Oklahoma firefighters between firefighters and the hazards while ventilating the Step 7 -- Personal protective equipment: hazards. The scene has been made safer to firefighters without The last and final line of defense for not safe activities is Dan Newbury - Tulsa, Chairman having to place firefighters in the hazard area and in personal always personal protective equipment (PPE). The reason PPE Tammy McKinney - OKC, Vice Chair protective equipment. is the last line of defense is because it relies on the user to not Dewayne Burk - Lawton, OFCA Board only identify the time and place to use the PPE but then to use Step 4 -- Training: Rick Chisum - Okmulgee the PPE correctly and efficiently. When using PPE -- whether Take the written and physical recommendations and train Yogi Cole - Keys it be safety glasses, firefighting gloves vs. extrication gloves, yourself and your fellow firefighters on these tactics. No one Mike Corbett - Oklahoma City ear plugs vs. ear muffs -- the user must be trained and have can be expected to change the world in a stressful environSteve Day - Woodward practiced the use of PPE for the correct situations. ment if they don’t practice in a non stress environment. You Mike Duncan - Dewey, OSFA Board It is better for a firefighter to block traffic with a firetruck should not aim to practice until you get it right, but practice Leslie Feerer - Fargo than to only relay on a reflective vest to offer protection. It is until you can’t get it wrong. Practice as your life depends on David Fincher - Lawton better ventilating a structure and removing hazards to our it, because it does. Eric Harlow - Guthrie, OSFA Board lungs then to only rely on an SCBA to protect us. Step 5 -- Implementation: S.R. Hunter - Bethany PPE should only be used as the last option to protect us This step is where the rubber meets the roads. It is one Darrin Johns - Ponca City when time is of the essence and other lives are at risk. The thing to find a problem, write rules and create controls to Tina Lewis – Deer Creek PPE we have today are better than ever but should not replace make the working environment safer. It is another thing to Tony Lopez - Midwest City the ability of firefighters to make the scene as safe as possible implement the listed plans. This is where we as firefighters Tommy Low - Stillwater for ourselves and the people we have been called to help. get to be better firefighters. Brian McDaniel - Ardmore Fifty percent of fire fighters die within 5 years of retireTyler Meyer - McAlester Using the steps above and the coordinated effort of your ment. Why? Why are the biggest and bravest people to walk Ron Middleswart - Broken Arrow Safety & Health Committee will make us a safer and longer the earth dying only five years after they retire? Why can we Casey Morrison - Claremore lasting fire service. As the fire service’s call volume increases, handle anything the world throws at use to save the lives of Loyd Mosier - Owasso so should the actions of firefighters to be more vigilant to everyone around us but ourselves. Jake Pierce - Ponca City protect ourselves and fellow firefighters. Every call takes a toll on your body. All be it small, every Terry Searcy - Slaughterville Please email me with any ideas and feel free to volunteer run, call, and fire takes its toll on our body. We constantly put Bryan West - OSU FST Rep. your time on the local and state level. Stay safe, stay vigilant our body up as collateral for strangers everyday not thinking and know safety is no accident. twice about the toll it takes on our bodies. We must consider
22October 2017Oklahoma Firefighter
www.osufst.org
1723 West Tyler, Stillwater, OK 74078 • (800) 304-5727 • (405) 744-5727 • Fax: (405) 744-7377
October 2017 CLASS SCHEDULE Current as of September 20, 2017
Courses are subject to change • Call or check online for changes in courses
All courses are FREE unless otherwise noted
Responding to the MAYDAY (66248) Oct. 1 (8 hours) Salina Fire Department
Water Shuttle (65985) Oct. 14-15 (16 hours) Monkey Island Fire Protection District
Certification Evaluator Training (66300) Oct. 27 (8 hours) Oklahoma City Fire Training Center
Hazardous Materials Technician Refresher - Part B (62742) Oct. 3 (8 hours) Pittsburg County Expo Center
Emergency Services Instructor (Instructor I) (66399) Oct. 14-22 (32 hours) Taylor Ferry Fire Department
Certification Proctor Training (66301) Oct. 27 (8 hours) Oklahoma City Fire Training Center
Hazardous Materials Technician Refresher - Part B (62743) Oct. 4 (8 hours) Pittsburg County Expo Center
Fire Officer II: NFPA 1021, 2014 Edition (65368) Oct. 16-19 (40 hours) • $300 - Okla Emergency Responders • $500 - Out-of-state Public Responders Edmond Fire Department
NIMS ICS 300 Intermediate ICS for Expanding Incidents (64797) Oct. 4-5 (16 hours) Washington County Health Department Hazardous Materials Technician Refresher - Part B (62744) Oct. 5 (8 hours) Pittsburg County Expo Center Flammable Gas Emergencies (LPG) (65455) Oct. 6-7 (12 hours) Western Technology Center - Elk City Hazardous Materials Awareness for WMD-HazMat Emergencies (65753) Oct. 8 (8 hours) Little Axe Fire District Hazardous Materials Awareness for WMD-HazMat Emergencies Certification (65754) Oct. 8 (1 hour) Little Axe Fire District Hazardous Materials Technician Refresher - Part B (66348) Oct. 10 (8 hours) Tulsa Fire Academy NIMS ICS 300 Intermediate ICS for Expanding Incidents (66231) Oct. 11-12 (16 hours) Payne County Health Department Hazardous Materials Technician Refresher - Part B (66349) Oct. 11 (8 hours) Tulsa Fire Academy Hazardous Materials Technician Refresher - Part B (66350) Oct. 12 (8 hours) Tulsa Fire Academy Hazardous Materials Operations: Core Competencies (65452) Oct. 13-15 (24 hours) Little Axe Fire District
Hazardous Materials Technician Refresher - Part B (62733) Oct. 17 (8 hours) Sapulpa Fire Department Hazardous Materials Technician Refresher - Part B (62734) Oct. 18 (8 hours) Sapulpa Fire Department Hazardous Materials Technician Refresher - Part B (62735) Oct. 19 (8 hours) Sapulpa Fire Department Hazardous Materials Operations Certification (65454) Oct. 22 (8 hours) Little Axe Fire District Hazardous Materials Technician Refresher - Part B (62736) Oct. 24 (8 hours) Edmond Fire Department
Wildland Training (FFT2) for Structural Firefighters, G-130 (65533) Oct. 27-29 (24 hours) Canadian Valley Tech Center-El Reno Grain Bin Emergencies - Awareness (65549) Oct. 27 (4 hours) Canadian Valley Tech Center-El Reno Hazardous Materials Awareness for WMD-HazMat Emergencies (65203) Oct. 28 (8 hours) Wagoner County Emergency Mgmt. Rehab for Wildland Fire Fighting (65382) Oct. 28 (4 hours) Canadian Valley Tech Center-El Reno Advanced Fire Behavior (65539) Oct. 28 (8 hours) Canadian Valley Tech Center-El Reno Calling the MAYDAY (65541) Oct. 28 (8 hours) Canadian Valley Tech Center-El Reno Exterior Offensive Fire Attack / Structural Fire Scene Size Up (65543) Oct. 28 (8 hours) Canadian Valley Tech Center-El Reno
Certification Evaluator Training (66137) Oct. 24 (8 hours) Broken Arrow Fire Dept Training Center
Oklahoma Emergency Vehicle Drivers Training (65545) Oct. 28 (8 hours) Canadian Valley Tech Center-El Reno
Hazardous Materials Technician Refresher - Part B (62737) Oct. 25 (8 hours) Edmond Fire Department
Oklahoma Emergency Vehicle Drivers Training TtT (65546) Oct. 28 (8 hours) Canadian Valley Tech Center-El Reno
NIMS ICS 400 (EMI) Advanced Incident Command System (66232) Oct. 25-26 (16 hours) Payne County Health Department
Grain Bin Emergencies - Operations (65550) Oct. 28 (8 hours) Canadian Valley Tech Center-El Reno
Certification Proctor Training (66138) Oct. 25 (8 hours) Broken Arrow Fire Dept Training Center
NFA Incident Safety Officer (65695) Oct. 28-29 (16 hours) Canadian Valley Tech Center-El Reno
Hazardous Materials Technician Refresher - Part B (62738) Oct. 26 (8 hours) Edmond Fire Department
Wildland Training (FFT1) for Structural Firefighters, G-131 (65707) Oct. 28 (8 hours) Canadian Valley Tech Center-El Reno
NIMS ICS 300 Intermediate ICS for Expanding Incidents (66230) Oct. 28-29 (16 hours) Chandler Fire Department Nasal Narcan for the First Responder (65384) Oct. 28 (2 hours) Canadian Valley Tech Center-El Reno Oklahoma Trauma Education Program (OTEP) (65386) Oct. 28 (2 hours) Canadian Valley Tech Center-El Reno Hazardous Materials Awareness for WMD-HazMat Emergencies Certification (65206) Oct. 28 (1 hour) Wagoner County Emergency Mgmt. Nasal Narcan for the First Responder Train the Trainer (65388) Oct. 29 (2 hours) Canadian Valley Tech Center-El Reno Advanced Fire Behavior (65540) Oct. 29 (8 hours) Canadian Valley Tech Center-El Reno Calling the MAYDAY (65542) Oct. 29 (8 hours) Canadian Valley Tech Center-El Reno Exterior Offensive Fire Attack / Structural Fire Scene Size Up (65544) Oct. 29 (8 hours) Canadian Valley Tech Center-El Reno Traffic Incident Management System (65547) Oct. 29 (4 hours) Canadian Valley Tech Center-El Reno Grain Bin Emergencies - Operations (65551) Oct. 29 (8 hours) Canadian Valley Tech Center-El Reno Basic Fire Department Standpipe Operations ( Classroom Only) (66251) Oct. 29 (4 hours) Canadian Valley Tech Center-El Reno Oklahoma Trauma Education Program T t T (65389) Oct. 29 (2 hours) Canadian Valley Tech Center-El Reno Traffic Incident Management Sytems Train the Trainer (65548) Oct. 29 Canadian Valley Tech Center-El Reno Hazardous Materials Technician Refresher - Part B (62739) Oct. 31 (8 hours) Durant Fire Department
Oklahoma FirefighterOctober 201723
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fire service training
Dr. Erick Reynolds
OSU FST Director
Brothers and Sisters!
The Oklahoma connection to the response to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma is something that we can all be proud of as Oklahomans. By all reports, our citizens conducted yeoman’s work and did what we do, they took care of the people in need and left the situations better that what they found them! At the end of the day, we are all Okies! Proud of you folks and all of your hard work!
On a personal note, just wanted to say what an AWESOME brother, father, son, friend, firefighter, co-worker, special person Todd Evers was and is! We lost a wonderful human being! Todd always had a way of making people feel special when he talked to you. He made you feel like he genuinely cared about you and your life and that was because, he did! I always enjoyed going to work “on the hill” with Todd and all the rest of “My Guys!” Rest in Peace, Brother! We will take it from here! This is the time of year when pump testing seems to be on everybody’s mind. We wanted to take this opportunity to outline opportunities for your fire department through OSU-FST in regards to pump testing.
erick.reynolds@osufst.org • 405-744-5727 (W) • 405-409-0961 (C) We have a fully trained staff dedicated to providing pump testing and pump test train-the-trainers to your department. In most cases, this can be done at no charge to the department in question. In this course, your personnel will review pump operations, specifications, and requirements as well as gaining the required knowledge on what is needed to conduct in-house pump testing and how to successfully test your apparatus that require annual pump testing. Again, in most cases, this training can be conducted at NO COST to the local department.
We continue to work with Robert Doke at the State Fire Marshal’s office in partnership to better define and present the 5 levels of firefighter training to Oklahoma firefighters through FTAC. We will have career firefighters in 10 years in Oklahoma that otherwise might not have been able to accomplish all that they wanted to in their career as a result of these efforts! These efforts will continue in the future! We appreciate the partnership! We continue to stay busy in spite of the budget woes! Please let us know if there is anything we can do to serve your fire department or firefighters! The phone is always on and the coffee is always hot. Come see us! Be safe out there!
The Mission is Safety By Hersch Wilson Courtesy of NVFC There are typically two ways we come to a conversation about the health and safety of our departments. First, and often heart-breakingly, there is a preventable incident that “wakes up” the department. Second, the officers decide that they need to focus on health and safety before something happens. Of course there is often a third scenario, when a department, because they’ve never had an incident such as a firefighter getting clipped by a car while managing traffic at a rush hour crash, believes they are somehow magically protected and do not need to focus attention on health and safety. The truth is that we can all improve in regard to our two highest priorities – the health and safety of the individuals on our departments. In my non-volunteer life I’ve had the great fortune to work for companies all over the world as a culture and leadership consultant. This article is based on the best practices I observed.
important to the organization. Most fire department mission statements start with “Our mission is to protect life and property.” But most miss this important clause: “Further, we will execute our mission in the safest way possible.” Next, there needs to be: “The health of our firefighters and first responders is the highest priority.” A note: If you see tension between those statements, for example, “protect life” and “the health of our firefighters is the highest priority,” that’s great! Why? Because in the resulting conversations you will have you will find ways to accomplish both. Creating a Safety- and Health-Focused Mission Statement
The health and safety of your department starts with leadership ― the officers working in concert, on the same page. But here is the problem. Depending on the day and the last call, the priorities of a volunteer fire department can change in a heartbeat. There’s that old truck that needs to be replaced, money that needs to be spent down before the end of the fiscal year. We need new recruits! We need to change the way we fight fires! No we don’t! The list goes on. The attention span of any group of people, including fire departments, is short and easily distracted. However, as Max Depree, former CEO of Herman-Mill, noted, “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality.” This means helping an organization understand that no matter what today’s distractions are, the organization has a mission. The task of a leader is to define the mission and keep the organization focused.
The fact is that most organizations and leaders believe that the act of writing a mission statement is the end. Then, the mission statement goes on the wall or in a file and gathers dust. Might as well just toss it. Writing it is the easy part. Making it come alive is the work. Here are some tips for incorporating the mission into the department’s every-day culture. • Be the thought leader. Understand it, be comfortable “selling it,” be comfortable explaining it. • Use it every time you can. It is a speech that you give over and over again until you are sick of hearing yourself talk. Just about then your department will get it, “Oh, you mean safety and health are a priority!” • Build the expectation that everyone on the department needs to know the mission and their role in executing it. As an example, a CEO friend of mine would randomly ask employees, “What is our mission and what is your role in executing our mission?” The word soon got around that not only did you need to know what the mission was, but your role had better be connected to it. Otherwise, the CEO might sweetly ask, “If your role is not connected to our mission . . . why are you here?” • If safety and health truly reflects the priorities of the department, then regular meetings need to include time spent discussing the mission priorities. Simple as that. In an ideal world, the priority discussions ought to be: “How did we do on safety this month? What did we learn?” And the same for health.
Mission Driven
A Culture Shift
Leading
A mission statement is simply a statement of what is
The culture of an organization is something that can’t be
touched or measured but you feel it as soon as you walk into a room of people. It is the ocean we swim in. A great culture is open, fun, curious, supportive, accountable, and can make the job of leading a joy. On the other hand, a toxic culture is back-biting, feuding, blaming, and can make leading miserable. If you sit back and listen you can hear the culture working. Do we really believe safety is an issue? Do we care about our health? Do we openly discuss incidents and mistakes, or do we cover them up? Driving mission into an organization, especially into our tradition-bound departments, is a cultural shift. Changing a culture (aka “the way things are here”) takes patience and over-communicating. It needs to be marketed, sold, and most importantly, led. Yes, it circles back to the leader and the leadership team. You cannot tell adults “how to be.” Rather, first we need to be the change we want to create. For example, create a meeting agenda item such as “Here is the safety mistake I made and what I learned” or “Here are the two things I’m doing to take better care of myself.” Go first! Have your officers go next. Even if there is silence for months, keep the practice going.
Be patient and it will pay off.
The National Volunteer Fire Council recently released a training manual that can help departments learn the “hows” and “whys” of incorporating health and safety into all aspects of their culture and operations. “Volunteer Fire Service Culture: Essential Strategies for Success” is available for free download on the NVFC web site at www.nvfc.org, and print copies can be ordered for your department.
Be Brave. Be Kind. Be Safe! Hersch Wilson is the medical captain with Hondo Volunteer Fire and Rescue in Santa Fe County, NM. He has been with the department since 1987. In his “other life” he is a leadership and organizational culture consultant and a soccer coach. Visit him at Herschwilson.com or on Facebook at ‘Hersch Wilson-Firefighter.’
24October 2017Oklahoma Firefighter ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Robert Jones Executive Director
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 August 18, 2017 MEETING Members Present: Matt Lay, Herb Bradshaw, Jim Long, Mike Kelley, Dana Cramer, Dereck Cassady, Michael Duncan, Scott VanHorn, Eric Harlow, Craig Freeman, Janet Kohls, Brandy Manek, Frank Stone. Others Present: Robert Jones, Executive Director; Duane Michael, Assistant Director; Chase Rankin, Controller; Terri Williams, Executive Secretary; Marc Edwards, Legal Counsel; Troy Brown and Tim Nash, Andco Consulting; Chris Taube, Medley; Kristen Garrison, Garrison; Andy Pataky and Ben Blakney, Mesirow; Jim Marshall, Insurance Commissioner’s Office. Steven S. Bartley/Enid - Application For “Disability In The Line Of Duty” Pension, Effective August 1, 2017: Motion was made by Cramer and seconded by Duncan to approve the Application for “Disability in the Line of Duty”, effective August 1, 2017. Ayes: Vanhorn, Long and Kelley. Nayes: Lay, Cassady, Harlow, Freeman, Stone, Cramer, Duncan, Manek, Kohls, and Bradshaw. Motion failed. Motion was made by Long and seconded by Harlow to approve as “Service” and send Bartley to the state doctor. Ayes: Lay, Cassady, Harlow, Freeman, Stone, Cramer, Duncan, Long, Manek, Kohls, Vanhorn, Kelley and Bradshaw. Nayes: None. Stephen C. Davis/Oklahoma City – Application For “Disability In The Line Of Duty” Pension, Effective April 1, 2017: Motion was made by Cassady and seconded by Bradshaw to modify the Application for “Disability in the Line of Duty” to “Disability Not in the Line of Duty”, effective June 28, 2017. Ayes: Lay, Cassady, Harlow, Freeman, Manek, Cramer, Duncan, Long, Kohls, Vanhorn, Kelley, Stone and Bradshaw. Nayes: None. Motion carried. Kevin W. Jones/Yukon – Application For “Disability In The Line Of Duty” Pension, Effective August 1, 2017: Motion was made by Harlow and seconded by Long to approve the Application for “Disability in the Line of Duty”, effective July 1, 2017. Vanhorn, Kelley and Bradshaw. Ayes: Lay, Cassady, Harlow, Freeman, Cramer, Duncan, Long, Kohls, Vanhorn, Kelley and Bradshaw. Nayes: Stone. Motion carried. Leon E. Broyles/Bugtussle - Application For “Disability Not In The Line Of Duty” Pension, Effective July 12, 2017: Motion was made by Duncan and seconded by Harlow to approve the Application for “Disability Not in the Line of Duty”, effective July 12, 2017. Ayes: Lay, Cassady, Harlow, Freeman, Stone, Cramer, Duncan, Long, Kohls, Vanhorn, Kelley, Manek and Bradshaw. Nayes: None. Motion carried. Rocky Miller/Oklahoma City – Request To Modify Pension From “Service” To “Disability In The Line Of Duty”: Motion was made by Long and seconded by Kelley to approve the request of Miller to modify the Application from “Service” to “Disability in the Line of Duty” based on the medical information submitted. Ayes: Lay, Cassady, Harlow, Freeman, Manek, Cramer, Duncan, Long, Kohls, Vanhorn, Stone, Kelley and Bradshaw. Nayes: None. Motion carried. Jason Starns/Request Hearing To Present New Evidence On The Denial Of His “Disability In The Line Of Duty”: Edwards stated that Eric Harlow would not be voting on this matter. Starns presented the details of his disability while he was employed with the Guthrie Department. There was no action taken.
Member Services Coordinator
Terri Williams
Vicki Mulbery
Executive Secretary
Accounts Payable Administrator
Chase Rankin
Assistant Director (COO)
Controller
Duane Michael
Than Dinh
Assistant Director (CFO)
Martha Pierce
Thelisha Clark
Records Administrator
Latoya Battle Data Processor
Assistant Controller
n CONSENT AGENDA (September 15, 2017) CHECKS TERMINATED IN AUGUST 2017 (Deceased):
APPLICATION FOR SURVIVING SPOUSE FOR CONTINUATION:
Cordell Duncan Hammon Jay Kremlin McAlester Oilton Oklahoma City Reydon Tecumseh Tulsa Tulsa
09/01/2017 Atoka 09/01/2017 Blanchard 09/01/2017 Grayson 09/01/2017 OKC 09/01/2017 Shawnee 09/01/2017 Tulsa 09/01/2017 Tulsa
Lesley D. Baldwin Mary Bishop Melba L. Collins Elzie B. Stephens Robert G. Kirkpatrick B.R. Busby Willa M. Spradlin-Lochary Rowena Richardson Charles Huston Fry Kenneth A. Stanley John R. Scott Lorna Furgeson
$5,000.00 DEATH BENEFIT: Blanchard Butler Ft. Supply Guthrie Kansas McAlester Nichols Hills Nichols Hills Nichols Hills Reydon Talihina Tulsa Walters
Eisenhour Funeral Home On Behalf Of Ray Gene Foster Bonnie L. Bruner, Widow Of Raymond L. Bruner Billings Funeral Home On Behalf Of Samuel L. Golden Hayes Funeral Home On Behalf Of Raymond A. Miller Wasson Funeral Home On Behalf Of Charles Clifford Baker Bessie Hampton Co-Trustee Of The B.R. Busby Trust Tiffany Elledge, Child Of Mark S. Williams Marcus Paul Williams, Child Of Mark S. Williams Toni L. Morse, Child Of Mark S. Williams Rose Chapel Funeral Service On Behalf Of Charles Huston Fry Barbara Kennedy, Widow Of Noah L. Kennedy Sien-Sheldon Funeral Home On Behalf Of Orvis J. Huddleston Hart-Wyatt Funeral Home On Behalf Of William L. Ogletree
APPLICATION FOR ENTRANCE INTO PENSION SYSTEM: Blackwell Tyler Lickliter Hugo Anthony Self Lawton Logan Dye Lawton Antonio Ervin Lawton Graydon Gatlin Lawton Christopher Kinsey Lawton Matthew Leon Lawton Nicholas Peterpaul Lawton Austin Solenberg Lawton Kevin Stainbrook McAlester Tanner Brown McAlester Russell Ferrari McAlester Joshua Murray Okeene Samuel Rauh Oklahoma City Dillon Degraffenreid Oklahoma City Jake D. Reffner Okmulgee William Murray Sallisaw Jacob Graham Sallisaw Brandon Shockey Sallisaw Colton R. Spencer Shawnee Mykel Moreno Shawnee Cade Thornebury Tecumseh Joshua Billingsley Tecumseh Sen Breeding APPLICATION FOR SURVIVING SPOUSE: 09/01/2017 09/01/2017
Buffalo Jacquelyne Snider, Widow of Tra Snider (Deceased 7-15-2017) Sneed Jim Mclaughlin, Widower Of Kiwana D. McLaughlin (Deceased 8-09-2017)
Billy S. Flowers, Widow Of Bill Flowers Patsy J. Foster, Widow Of Ray G. Foster Harvey Fox, Widower Of Johnnie M. Fox Joann Hunter, Widow Of Hubert Hunter Kathy Roberts, Widow Of James Roberts Phyllis Arnett, Widow Of Donald Arnett Myra Underwood, Widow Of F. Wayne Underwood
APPLICATION FOR SERVICE PENSION: 08/01/2017 09/01/2017 02/01/2017 09/01/2017 09/01/2017 01/22/2015 09/01/2017 08/16/2017 07/01/2017 09/01/2017 09/01/2017 09/01/2017 08/12/2017 09/01/2014 09/01/2017 06/01/2017 09/01/2017 09/01/2017 08/12/2017
Bartlesville Boswell Chattanooga El Reno Enid Fitzhugh Hartshorne Jay Keefeton Keyes Macomb Maud Mcloud Meno OKC Rosston Rush Springs Texhoma Yale
Shermon E. Shanklin Paul L. Green Phillip R. Bohl James D. Harman Ricky L. Griffith Stephen L. Wilburn Richard E. Hudlow Danny R. Tanner Brian K. Bray Paul E. Lowe William R. Glasgow Nicholas R. Silas David L. Thompson Terry E. Cottom James K. Teal Terry D. Shuman Richard L. Adamson Monty G. Stump Wesley R. Savory
APPLICATION FOR VESTED BENEFIT: 04/25/2022 04/02/2017 04/04/2015 04/20/2025 06/08/2024
Durant Maud Meeker Ralston Wanette
Alex K. Davison Billy H. Presley Lynn E. Manning Jesse W. Terry Joseph A. Wellner
REFUND OF CONTRIBUTIONS: Hired
Terminated
Alva Reinart Alva Tony R. Dorman Jr. Cordell Cody P. Hill Duncan Jered Weeks McAlester
09/10/2017 06/14/2017 06/13/2017 06/30/2017
01/01/2008 01/01/2015 12/10/2012 04/20/2007
Oklahoma Firefighterď źOctober 2017ď ź25
Beutel Goodman is a proud partner of the Oklahoma State Firefighters Association. Your success is our success. Managing money for over 50 years. beutelgoodman.com
1780_BeutelGoodman_OklahomaFirefightersAd.indd 1
2017-06-26 12:24 PM
26October 2017Oklahoma Firefighter
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OSFA Executive Board Highlights
The OSFA Executive Board met August 17, 2017 in the boardroom at 2716 NE 50th Street, Oklahoma City, OK, at 9:13 a.m. Roll Call: Matt Lay, present and presiding; Dereck Cassady, present; Mike Kelley, excused; Eric Harlow, present; Mike Duncan, present; Dana Cramer, present. Others: Phil Ostrander, Tim Bartram, Gene Brown, Sheri Nickel, Amy Hall, Jason Louthan, Dewayne Burk and Eric Hamilton. Fire Marshal Commission Report: Matt Lay The Fire Marshal Commission are bracing for another round of potential cuts with the cigarette tax being declared unconstitutional and talk across the board cuts depending upon what revenue is raised. There was some discussion at the last meeting about the Firefighters Training Advisory Committee that was creating the statute, but no action has been taken at this time about setting that Board. Ostrander stated that we are still getting letters in for COFT for tax purposes and we are just forwarding those over to the Fire Marshal’s office. Fire Service Training: Jason Louthan Fire Service Training is getting into the busy season -- students are back in town, can’t drive anywhere and the number of wrecks have sky rocketed. Classes are picking up because everybody wants to start getting them in. Their Oklahoma Fire Office Class is moving along and at the end of this month they will be finishing up course three in Claremore and then they will start course four the last two months September and October, and then graduating November 14th at Stillwater. They have a good group of 22 people and picked up Eric Harlow last month. They went to FRI a few weeks ago in Charlotte, NC and had meetings there with the IAFC they are looking at the program. Next year, the labor of the EFO was going to be a little bit different. Normally, we scatter it our over eight months, do each course section over two months to break it up and next year will be one week deliveries. Basically, they will be breaking it down to get done in four months. The reason is IAFC is bringing in Fire Chief Officers from other countries to take part in this program with them. They can only be here for a maximum of six months before they have to return home. They will be in Stillwater for a month doing classes, they will be out with a department for a month doing write outs. Then they will have a big graduation ceremony at FRI in Dallas. Educational Advisory Committee: Tim Bartram Bartram stated they did meet, making progress, wanted to know if everyone has seen the new proposed logo and just moving forward. They are continuing to have outstanding turn out for this committee and believes that if the whole committee shows up that they will have to meet in the Museum. They have continued to have enthusiasm and have continued people stepping up and working at it. Brent Hatcher Committee: Phil Ostrander Ostrander stated that the committee has not yet met, but he has a check that OSFA will be sending out to the beneficiary of a firefighter that passed away, Gary Cypert from Canton, who was a member of Brent Hatcher.
August 17, 2017 MEETING
Upcoming Dates to Remember: Oct. 1, 2017 -- 18th Statewide Memorial Services – Firefighters Museum, Oklahoma City Oct. 18, 2017 -- ORFA Golf Tournament – Choctaw Creek Golf Course, Choctaw
Volunteer Fire Service Committee: Tim Bartram Bartram stated that the committee has not met, working before he sends the notices out to work with Andy James and Forestry to make sure he is willing and able to serve on the committee. He feels like that needs to be clarified before it is sent out to everybody. He said that Ostrander spoke with Forestry this week and Ostrander said that he will send them the explanation of what that committee does and who is on it. Duncan stated that we need to go ahead and get the notices out the door because that committee needs to meet quickly due to the Volunteer Caucus coming up. EMS Committee: Harlow would like to add Brian Davis from Edmond EMS Chief per his request to join the EMS Committee. The Board is in favor and he will now be added to the EMS Committee. Museum: Gene Brown Brown discussed that Bill McCawley, OSFA Past President, has Stage 4 Kidney Cancer. McCawley will be having a get-together at his house this Saturday at noon and has invited everyone to come. The Memorial repairs are slow but coming along. The main Wall of Valor is finished and they are working on the south side now and then will be finished. Brown spoke with Mickey the contractor about the caulking in the pool and he said that it needs to be completely redone. Mickey is working up a bid to see what they can do it for, hopefully eliminate the leaks and problems we have been having. Everything has been going well in the Museum and they have been learning new stuff every day. Bob has been researching our steamer and has determined that it is either the oldest or second oldest in the country. The pictures that they are getting digitized are coming along great and he foresees us having it finished in the next few months. The ladder and chemical cart are going on loan to Enid for a month due to a special display. Brown and Bob will deliver and pick up from Enid. Brown discussed the new brochure for the Museum because the one we have is OK but does not really give enough information. Hopefully by the next meeting, we will have a completed brochure to show you. The Memorial Golf is coming along very well; there are nine corporate sponsors for a total of $15,300. There are three different hole sponsors and about six or seven more that have sent back e-mails that he believes are going to participate. Brown is working right now on trying to gather up some door prizes; Amy got a free night start at the Hilton downtown and a basketball signed by Blake Griffin to give away. We have been working on the goody bags; Brown got the Memorial golf balls again, towels and few little odds and ends to put in them.
Ostrander discussed the idea of having a Public Education Committee under OSFA. This idea came out of discussions on how to develop an interactive children’s area in the Museum. An initial meeting was held with Pub Ed officers from OKC and Midwest City Fire Departments and OSFA and Museum staff. In this meeting the concept rapidly grew into an even broader concept of this committee being able to help develop Public Educational material and training for Fire Departments State wide and especially being able to help the small rural fire department deliver high quality Public educational material and training. This effort may also allow the museum to access additional funding by moving into an additional role as a Public Education Training Center for the State. Volunteer Recruitment/Retention Report: Sheri Nickel Nickel is still traveling around to different county meetings. There has been a misunderstanding with a few people involving the grant. Nickel has had to clarify what the grant’s purpose is and what all it can be used for. She was called back down to Jackson County because they are trying to implement a Sales Tax in their county. Training will start for the grant the day after Thanksgiving. Nickel stated that we are under budget for the marketing for the grant, but everything else is maxed out. Ostrander discussed that the traveling is going well. They were down in LeFlore County last week and Nickel said that in her report to FEMA, she includes all the representatives from different agencies that are all traveling together to the county meetings. National Volunteer Fire Council: Duncan / Ostrander Duncan stated that NVFC has been pushing a lot of on-line short courses on different Hazmat stuff. It is all free right now, it’s a part of their grant they received. They have been really advertising the Share the Load Program on their Facebook page and it has been getting a lot of hits. The Board meeting will be in Nebraska in September, the Benefit Summit coming up, and everything seems to be going pretty good. Duncan would really like to see them doing their Board meeting here one year. Ostrander discussed the NVFC really putting out a lot of information right now. He said that he has included Bartram and Nickel to the e-mails, so they can help identify things that may be useful. Oklahoma Fire Chiefs Association: Dewayne Burk Burk stated there is not a whole lot going on right now other than Winter Workshop. We will start having committee meetings on that here pretty quickly. Bruce Anthony is in charge of that this year. The Chief’s Conference will be in Lawton the first week of April 2018. We are currently doing the planning on that and we should have a contract today on the hotel. They will be meeting with the Chamber, hopefully to get some funding from them and start soliciting sponsorship. ORFA Report: Dana Cramer Oklahoma State Retirees have not met but should be meeting soon to go over the ORFA Golf Tournament. The Golf Tournament will be at Choctaw Creek Golf Course on Oct. 18.
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OSFA Executive Board Highlights
Executive Directors Report: Phil Ostrander Ostrander discussed that Jim Minx called and we are going to set a meeting soon with the Museum Expansion Committee to talk about funding options, changing direction and other opportunities. He said that we are going to try and change the focus on the Museum a little bit. In the next few months we are going to kick that up a notch and thinks that we should be further ahead than what we are. He asked if anybody has and questions or proposed changes they would like to make to the Committee Chair Packets. The Board does not have any changes or questions and believes the packets look good. Ostrander met with the KOPI Group and discussed ideas of how to get a COLA this year. It will take some political maneuvering, everyone is talking about it, the feeling is that the time is right, people on the national level willing to help and everyone is playing defense. We are about the only state that is ready to move on the offensive and he believes there is a possibility of a lot of attention coming to Oklahoma on that because we made the changes we needed to make in our Pension Systems to make them more sound and stable. Ostrander wrote in article about it in last month’s firefighter newspaper and has never had the phone calls and e-mails that he has received regarding that. He believes our members are ready to do something. He has been contact by the Tulsa World about possibly doing an article in their Sunday paper. Here at the office, these guys are working their butts off in August to try and keep up with the yard. Quintin had mowed an area right out front, trimmed it up, made it look good and three days later it looked like he did not even mow it. The guys are doing everything they can to stay on top of this, we have some folks that said they would come out just before the Memorial and really do some fine tuning on the bushes and then come out again after the Memorial to clear trees out. Quintin is a brand new daddy again, they had their baby on Monday and everything is going well. Everything is going very well. New Business: Ostrander was approached yesterday by someone from the PFFO asking if the OSFA once again this year participate in the Platinum $1,500 sponsorship for their legislative event on Sept. 18. Duncan discussed retractable banners and doing one for State Fire School. They want to have one made with the new State Fire School logo on it. Nickel said that while she was at the OEM Conference this week, Caroline came to her with a grant opportunity through the Pipeline Safety Information Communities Technical System Grant. We can run it through the Museum to get $100,000 grant and $10,000 of it will go towards a kiosk for the Museum. It will have educational materials on the kiosk, will be interactive and have the OKPeri information in it, as well. If the Board approves we are going to write it tonight because it is due on Tuesday. Duncan stated that the other $90,000 is for pipeline props and administering the classes. Nickel stated that they decided to write money in the budget for travel and conferences. There is a Four Corner Emergency Management Conference in Branson in November. Nickel stated if it is OK with the Board, OSU-FST and OSFA would like to partner together, get the big booth and push the State Fire School and OKPeri. Nickel discussed the expense for the State Fire
August 17, 2017 MEETING
School T-shirt. They showed the Educational Advisory Committee the new logo and they all like it. They are leaning toward having it added to the T-shirts. Nickel has gone to the Eskimo Joe’s marketing place and they said they could provide our shirts and do the art work at $10.75 per shirt. It would be a high quality shirt with the water screen printing with Chief Pete and they will work with OSU to get Chief Pete approved. She would like to present that as an option. Lay asked about a Fire School web-site for registration and T-shirt sales. Louthan stated that Fire Engineering brought that up and they wanted to develop all that and the Educational Advisory Committee asked them to come to the next meeting. There was discussion by the board and group. Cassady asked if they are going to put a team together and sponsor the Golf Tournament in Tulsa on Sept. 11 that will benefit the Living and Fallen Firefighters Memorial. It is a $1,000 for the sponsorship or $500 for a golf team. Cassady asked if we did anything on that Pub Ed Committee. There was discussion by the Board. Motion carries to form a Pub Education Committee. Lay discussed that they had the first Director’s meeting through the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce last week. Their whole focus right now is the MAPS Project. He is on a list of Sponsors and seen that the Softball Group is as well. He believes that this would be a perfect opportunity for the Oklahoma State Firefighters Museum and Memorial to sign on to something like this as a collation sponsor of this program to bring infrastructure, economic development, and public safety to the Oklahoma City area as a partner. That way we are not just a casual spectator in these affairs, but we would be participating. Bartram stated that he was at the FSIO Board meeting that was held at Tulsa Community College. He said with them starting their Program Academy, is there some way we can financially assist where we are making a contribution to them. Lay said that he would love to hear some ideas and discussion on that down the line. Bartram said that he has two ideas on that, one being some kind of a scholarship program for that or two maybe some specific equipment they may need to train with. There was some discussion by the Board. Selection of Committees: BENEVOLENT COMMITTEE: T. Dick Cagle, Ret. Tulsa (Chair); Justin Beard, OKC; Chigger Burch, Ret. Lawton; Yogi Cole, Ret. Tulsa/Keys; James “JT” Crawford, Fort Supply; Rob Crews, Lawton; Mike Duncan, Dewey; Les Foughty, Ret. OKC; Chris Hopingardner, Mangum; Clifford Lewis, Ret. OKC; Nathan Lowery, Iowa Tribe; Tom Marcum, Mooreland; Phillip Mead, Atoka; Justin Miller, Bartlesville; Tiffine Montgomery, Deer Creek; Tim Moxley, Perry; Michael Pettey, Fort Supply; Juan Rodriguez, Ret. Lawton; Bud Shepherd, Ret. Slaughterville; Joshua Smith, Wynnewood; Andy Willrath, Mustang. MEMORIAL: Scott VanHorn, OKC (Chair), Yogi Cole, Keys (Vice Chair); Raanon Adams, Lawton; Eric Biedermann, OKC; Larry Bogges, Ret. Lawton; Mike Bower, Ret. MWC; Herb Bradshaw, Ret. Warr Acres; Chigger Burch, Ret. Lawton; T. Dick Cagle, Ret. Tulsa; John Craig, OKC; Sammye Cravens, Civilian; Tim Ford, Ret. Nichols Hills; Jordon Hughes, El Reno;
Clifford Lewis, Ret. OKC; Bert Norton, MWC; Phil Ostrander, Ret. Tulsa; Richard Walts, Ret. Ft. Sill. SAFETY AND HEALTH: Dan Newbury, Tulsa (Chair); Tammy McKinney, OKC (Vice Chair); Dewayne Burk, Lawton; Rick Chisum, Okmulgee; Yogi Cole, Keys; Mike Corbett, OKC; Steve Day, Woodward; Mike Duncan, Dewey; Leslie Feerer, Fargo; David Fincher, Lawton; Eric Harlow, Guthrie; S.R. Hunter, Bethany; Darrin Johns, Ponca City; Tina Lewis, Deer Creek; Tony Lopez, MWC; Tommy Low, Stillwater; Brian McDaniel, Ardmore; Tyler Meyer, McAlester; Ron Middleswart, Broken Arrow; Casey Morrison, Claremore; Loyd Mosier, Owasso; Jake Pierce, Ponca City; Terry Searcy, Slaughterville; Bryan West, OSU-FST. FINANCIAL ADVISORY: Mike Kelley, OKC (Chair); Mike Bower, Ret. MWC (Vice Chair); Larry Bogges, Ret. Lawton; Herb Bradshaw, Ret. Warr Acres; T. Dick Cagle, Ret. Tulsa; James “JT” Crawford, Fort Supply; Steve Douglas, Ret. Choctaw; Tim Ford, Ret. Nichols Hills; Clifford Lewis, Ret. OKC; Jim Minx, Ret. OKC; Michael Petty, Fort Supply; Tippy Pierce, Ret. Moore; Kellie Sawyers, OKC; Bud Shepherd, Ret. Slaughterville; Phil Sipe, Ret. OKC; Mike Smith, Laverne; Nick Terhune, Norman; Mark Zeckser, Ret. MWC. MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE: David Thompson, Slaughterville (Chair); Jimmy White, Yukon (Vice Chair); Dennis Brittain, Medford; Jeff Choate, Geary; Stephen Duke, Perry; Brian Foughty, Ret. Moore; Eric Harlow, Guthrie; Travis Harris, Kildare; Tammy McKinney, OKC; Jerimy Meek, MWC; David Milby, Iowa Tribe; Jason Smith, Norman; Josh Stephens, Hawley Rural; Randal Sullivan, Eufaula; Bobby Tallchief, Ret. Bartlesville; Scott VanHorn, OKC; Kevin Wofford, Vinita. MUSEUM EXPANSION COMMITTEE: Mike Bower, Ret. MWC (Chair); Jesse Bain, Broken Arrow; Mike Billingsley, Ret. Nichols Hills; Gene Brown, Ret. The Village; Mike Caniglia, McAlester; Dereck Cassady, Ponca City; Allen Clark, Clark Construction; Mike Duncan, Dewey; Eric Harlow, Guthrie; Matt Lay, Tulsa; Clifford Lewis, Ret. OKC; Gary Marrs, Ret. OKC; Jim Minx, Ret. OKC; Clay Moss, Hall Capital; Tom Smith, Ret. OKC; Nick Terhune, Norman; Scott VanHorn, OKC; Richard Walts, Ret. Fort Sill. PETE AND LELA STAVROS SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION: Mike Duncan, OSFA Board (Chair); Bruce Anthony, OFCA Board; Dr. James Caster; Marc Edwards; Steve Lumry, OSFA Admin. Director; Phil Ostrander, OSFA Exec. Director; Jim Minx, Past OSFA Exec. Director; OSFA Executive Board. Brown discussed that they do not have a SAMS number for the 501 C3 for the grant and it will be $599 to obtain. Cassady asked are we going to combine the Brent Hatcher and Benevolent Committee. Both Committees will be combined and go into effect Jan. 1, 2018 and give them direction. There was discussion by the Board. Adjournment: Motion by Duncan, second by Cassady to adjourn at 12:45 p.m. Motion carries. Next meeting: September 14, 2017.
28October 2017Oklahoma Firefighter
Roberts Testing Pump Testing in your Community Greg Roberts 405-834-5975
groberts1960@gmail.com
SAFER GRANT Recruitment & Retention - First Time Firefighters - FIREFIGHTER 1 - BUNKER GEAR NOV. 24, 2017
APPLICATION PERIOD BEGINS Fire Chief, or appointed representative must contact the Grant Coordinator in writing no sooner than the first day of the grant period and provide accurate fire department rosters for the last 5 years to demonstrate the need to add additional firefighters to their departments. Contact the OSFA for assistance. Funds will be dispersed on a first-come first-served basis according to goals and standards set forth in the Standard Operating Guidelines developed for this grant. Official SOG is available upon request.
OKLAHOMA STATE FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION SHERI NICKEL -- COORDINATOR 2716 N. E. 50th -- Oklahoma City, OK 73111 405-424-1452 office -- 580-554-7123 cell sherin@osfa.info -- www.OSFA.info
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ISO Report Kevin Stoneking
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in memoriam
ISO Coordinator
Julius Pierce, Elk City FD Past OSFA President
(405) 708-9367 • kvin.stoneking@oid.ok.gov
The Final Fire Alarm sounded for Retired Elk City Fire Chief Julius Pierce on Sept. 22. He
Items Needed for an ISO review Greetings From The Oklahoma Insurance department. As always, things have been busy with ISO education around the state. This month I decided to spell out a check list of the information that ISO needs to do a review. As always, I encourage you keep your grading current and notify ISO of any significant improvements in your fire protection abilities. Many in the Oklahoma Fire Service are getting credit for improved fire protection and are being recognized with improved PPC’s (Public Protection Classifications). If you have any questions or would like to schedule a visit, please give me a call. • Training records (These can be in whatever format you have: Paper or electronic) o Fire Training Center o Company Training o Officer Training o New and Existing Driver Training o Hazmat Training o Recruit Training o Building Pre-Plan Activity • Run/Call records for structure fires o Includes any Automatic Aid response
• Hose Test Records (Last three tests completed) o These can be in whatever format you have: Paper or electronic • Pumper Test Records (Last three tests completed) o These can be in whatever format you have: Paper or electronic • Ladder/Aerial Test Records (Last three tests completed) o These can be in whatever format you have: Paper or electronic o This includes non-destructive test within the last 5 years and does not include ground ladder testing
was 94.
Julius who served as OSFA President in 1957, attended 30 OSFA Conventions (1952-82). He served his country honorably in the U.S. Navy, was named Elk City Fire Chief at age 30 and retired from the State Fire Marshal Office in 1982. In an interview with Oklahoma Firefighter in 2013, Julius said: “I had such good cooperation from all the people I was working with, it was just a good time. I enjoyed it so much.” Julius was a dedicated supporter of the OSFA. He is already missed.
James Roberts, Shawnee FD
Jonathan Bash, Brooken FD
The Final Fire Alarm sounded for Retired Shawnee Fire Chief James Roberts on Aug. 25.
The Final Fire Alarm sounded for Brooken FD Captain Jonathan Bash on Aug. 15. He was 32. In addition to being a volunteer firefighter at Brooken, Jonathan was a champion calf, steer and bull rider. He worked for McDonalds in Stigler, Eufaula and McAlester, Marine Development Inc., Redwine/Longroad and Mike Krebbs Construction Co. Jonathan died when a semi at a rock quarry pulled out in front of his vehicle on State Highway 9.
He was 60.
James joined the Shawnee FD in 1980, working his way up in rank and serving seven years as Fire Chief. He also served in Emergency Management and Human Resources before retiring in 2001.. James died in a 3-vehicle accident on I-40 in Midwest City.
• Deployment Analysis o Use of standards of cover analysis according to NFPA 1710 o If NFPA 1710 data is not available ISO will use as an option, Their 1½ and 2½ mile distribution study
• Any GIS files or maps in electronic format that you may have for fire stations, water systems, hydrant locations o Accepted Examples are:
• Shape files
• PDFs, JPEG, GIF
• Community Risk Reduction o Fire Prevention activity • Current Code
• Inspection activity
• Inspectors o Public Fire Safety Education
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• In high risk areas
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• In schools
• Community outreach o Fire Investigation
• Who does the investigation • Use of NFIRs
• Hydrant flow test Program data according to NFPA* or AWWA**: o Flow data from the tested hydrants including • Location and the result of the static and residual reading in PSI • Provide what size orifice the flow came from
• Location and the result of the pitot reading in PSI • GPS location of all hydrants
• Does your water department utilize computerized hydraulic modeling?
30October 2017Oklahoma Firefighter
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Museum news
Gene Brown, Museum Manager
Mon-Sat Sunday
9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 1 to 4:30 p.m.
Hello everyone! There has been a lot going on at the Museum. We have completed the granite repairs on the Memorial. This was a big job but it’s done. It looks so much better and it’s much safer. We were also lucky enough to have Alan Sanders and his crew of volunteers come in and trim the trees around the OSFA Complex. They did an outstanding job. I can’t brag on them enough. This was a job that needed to be done by pros. That is what we got. Without their help, we could not do a job this big in a month. Thank you, Alan Sanders, Noah Gilliam, Bradyn Pressnall, Cole Welton, Allysa Kimmel, Josh Emmons. Wyatt Johnson and Skylar Fox. What a great job! We had the Memorial Golf Tournament Sept. 21. Everyone had a great time. We raised money for the Memorial. Win! Win! I have to also brag about Old Chicago Restaurant and Sarah Foughty. They provided the dinner after the tournament. They worked so hard setting up for dinner and helping cleanup after the meal. They went above and beyond again this year. The food was great and there was plenty for everyone. It’s not often that I have the pleasure to work with such a great company and such friendly people. They did it all for the Firefighters Memorial. Thank you all. Check out next month’s issue of Oklahoma Firefighters for a wrap-up of the Memorial Golf Tourney. And please make plans to join us next year. We couldn’t make this happen without your support. Again, I can’t thank everyone enough for all the help with everything. We couldn’t do it without you. Please Be Safe.
Fire
TOP LEFT: Helping make the OSFA grounds ready for the Statewide Memorial Service were, L to R, Noah Gilliam, Bradyn Pressnall, Cole Whelton, Allysa Kimmel, Josh Emmons, Wyatt Johnson and Skylar Fox. TOP RIGHT: OSFA President Matt Lay, OSFA Volunteer Coordinator Sheri Nickel and Oklahoma Firefighters Museum Assistant Quintin James taking part in the OKC 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb Sept. 16. AT LEFT: Come check out this incredible 9/11 Lawnmower Tribute on loan to the Museum courtesy of the US Lawn Mower Racing Assoc.
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Oklahoma FirefighterOctober 201731
32October 2017Oklahoma Firefighter