A Firefighter No More?

from www.hooksandhooligans.com

When do you quit being a firefighter? When was the moment, wherever you are in your journey in the fire service, that you stopped being a firefighter? Was it when you made driver? Made Captain? Made Chief? I remember years ago when I was in some social situation with my wife and after an introduction one of her colleagues would ask, “And what do you do?” My response was, “I’m a fireman.” (I will dive into my thoughts on gender titles some other time.) My supporting spouse added in, “He’s also a Captain and a Paramedic.” While that was true and I was not trying to conceal those facts, my first response was that I am a fireman. 10 years, and a couple promotions later, I still like to say that I’m a firefighter. Do I get to spray water? Force doors? Perform a search? Vent the roof? Rarely, and it is a blessed treat when it comes along. 

  I will admit that I have weaseled my way in on a few extrications here and there with the justification that, “They just needed another pair of hands.” But that’s about all I get these days. Such is life as a chief officer. 

  For me the desire is still there. Regardless of the bugles on my shirt I still want to be a firefighter. Given the choice of sitting in a meeting or training on pump ops? Its pump ops every time. QA reports or drill on setting up a Z-rig? Z-rig wins. File training reports or wash the rigs? Hand me the brush.  

 My point is this. If you can answer that question, if you can point to that spot along your journey that you no longer considered yourself a firefighter, then what are you? The bigger question is, “why are you still here?” Think about all the things that make up being a firefighter, the values and the ideals, the things that drew you into the job. If that isn’t still a part of you and your purpose for serving, then what are you doing it for?  

 In my opinion, we have no other purpose than to serve. We may serve in different ways, operations, support, training, prevention, but we should all have in our hearts that we exist to serve. Hopefully, along the way in our journey we have retained the essence of being a firefighter. We think of service before self. We think of brothers before self. We see what needs to be done and we do it. We solve problems that our within our realm and we make a difference. 

  So my question is, are you a firefighter? And if there is any hesitation in your response, how can you get back to it?  

 – Chief Dave Cline Hooks & Hooligans Senior Correspondent - See more at: http://hooksandhooligans.com/a-fireman-no-more/#sthash.BJ4SCiku.dpuf

Region 5 Update

Fire Instructor I class:  We have one space remaining in a Fire Instructor I class at St. Andrew’s Fire Department 4/24-5/3 (two weekend class).  Registration is available on the portal.

Course Updates:  The following SCFA courses are currently in the update process, with new revisions coming soon: 3330-Auto Extrication, 3224-Arson Detection, 2723-Haz Mat Tech, 4165-Fire & Life Safety Educator, 2100-Fire Officer I, 2102-Fire Officer II, 1210-EVDT, 1220-Pump Ops, 1221-Pump Ops II, and 1250-Aerial Ops.  Instructors will be notified about the update process for each one.

Long Range Planning:   Now is the time to meet with your neighboring departments and coordinate training through the remainder of 2015.  Once you have determined your training needs, coordinated with your neighboring departments, and looked on the portal to see what is already available, please email your in-house and request class needs to Brent Turner at brent.turner@llr.sc.gov    Brent will need the following information via email:

·         Course Name/Course Code

·         Will it be In-House (you will supply the instructors) or Request (SCFA will supply instructors, must meet a minimum student requirement)?

·         If you have a preferred schedule—evening, weekday, weekend, etc.. (if you need us to staff, please do not give us specific dates, let us pick dates based on our instructor availability)

·         Location of class (station name or number)

·         Any SCFA equipment/trailer support needed

Additionally, you can let Brent know if your department would like to host an IFSAC testing/general retesting session at any point after June 30, and some potential dates/times.

Retesting policy:  Be aware that students have up to 120 days from course completion to take their first retest.  If they fail their first retest, then they have up to 210 days from course completion to take a second retest.  Please make sure students schedule their retesting session far in advance, so we are able to accommodate them during their eligibility period.

Reminder: Students cannot register for a class until all the required prereqs for that class are on their transcript.

Available IFSAC testing & general retesting sessions  **To register for any session, please contact the regional office** 

3/25	Wed	9am	Colleton Co Fire/Rescue, Sta 19
4/25	Sat	9am	St. Paul’s Fire Dept HQ
5/27	Wed	6:30pm	Burton Fire Dept, Pinewood Sta
6/24	Wed	9am	Colleton Co Fire/Rescue, Sta 19

Region 5 Update

ProBoard Information/Update:  Please see attachment.

HSO Class:  We have 2 spaces remaining in a Health & Safety Officer class at Jasper Co Fire/Rescue on 4/25 & 4/26.  Registration is available on the portal.   

Evaluations:   When agreeing to evaluate, please make a note which position you have been assigned (lead or skills).   Also, instructors,  please note that evaluations will be conducted per the course schedule.  If you are running ahead and want your evaluation to start earlier in the day, please communicate with the regional office at least 24 hours in advance.

Allendale/Bamberg/Hampton Weed & Feed:   There is some room in the Allendale/Bamberg/Hampton Co Weed & Feed program starting mid-March.  This program will be weekends only and include IOW’s/teach backs for the entire Essentials series (1152/1153/1154), Haz Mat Ops, EVDT and Auto Extrication.   Instructors wishing to attend should have successfully completed these classes as a student and have successfully completed the Fire Instructor I class.  The Weed & Feed program is not available for electronic registration, so please submit paper registrations to this office.

Long Range Planning:   Now is the time to meet with your neighboring departments and coordinate training through the remainder of 2015.  Once you have determined your training needs, coordinated with your neighboring departments, and looked on the portal to see what is already available, please email your in-house and request class needs to Brent Turner at brent.turner@llr.sc.gov    Brent will need the following information via email:

·         Course Name/Course Code

·         Will it be In-House (you will supply the instructors) or Request (SCFA will supply instructors, must meet a minimum student requirement)?

·         If you have a preferred schedule—evening, weekday, weekend, etc.. (if you need us to staff, please do not give us specific dates, let us pick dates based on our instructor availability)

·         Location of class (station name or number)

·         Any SCFA equipment/trailer support needed

Additionally, you can let Brent know if your department would like to host an IFSAC testing/general retesting session at any point after June 30, and some potential dates/times.

Southeastern Fire School:   The brochure for Southeastern can be found at the following: http://www.scfa.state.sc.us/PDF/2015_Southeastern_Brochure.pdf  

Retesting policy:  Be aware that students have up to 120 days from course completion to take their first retest.  If they fail their first retest, then they have up to 210 days from course completion to take a second retest.  Please make sure students schedule their retesting session far in advance, so we are able to accommodate them during their eligibility period.

Reminder: Students cannot register for a class until all the required prereqs for that class are on their transcript.

Available IFSAC testing & general retesting sessions  **To register for any session, please contact the regional office** 

3/25	Wed	9am	Colleton Co Fire/Rescue, Sta 19
4/25	Sat	9am	St. Paul’s Fire Dept HQ
5/27	Wed	6:30pm	Burton Fire Dept, Pinewood Sta
6/24	Wed	9am	Colleton Co Fire/Rescue, Sta 19

Complacency: "It's just a car fire."

Although most car fires go out relatively easily and safely, there are plenty of potential dangers involved. Toxic smoke, exploding bumper struts, air bags, seatbelt pre-tensioners, fuel spills, propane cylinders, combustible metals, and the vehicle suddenly moving are just some of the hidden dangers that may not be readily apparent when we arrive on scene. Remember that no fire is "routine" until it is out. Every fire, regardless of how benign it may seem, could be your last fire if you allow yourself to become complacent. Here are a few general guidelines regarding car fires:

• Always wear full PPE and SCBA. I used to not wear a flash hood to car fires. I thought it wasn't necessary since I wasn't going interior, until one time I directed a narrow fog stream into the passenger compartment of heavily involved car and the steam blew back on me. Steam burns suck. 
• Stage the apparatus in a safe location. Stage uphill and upwind when possible. When it's not possible to stage uphill and upwind, stage further away. If you are within reach of the bumper line on a well-involved vehicle you are probably too close. We have longer hose lines; we don't have fire-proof fire engines. Also, don't stage over or near manholes or sewer drains. Fuel leaking into the sewer system could cause an explosion; you don't want the engine parked over a manhole when that happens.
• Chock the wheels of the burning vehicle when it is safe to do so. At the very least, have a couple pieces of cribbing handy to throw in front of the tires if the vehicle starts rolling. 
• Approach from the corners of the vehicle at a 45 degree angle. Many modern vehicles have pressurized gas struts in the bumpers, hoods, and hatch-backs. When these struts fail they can fire the metal rod just like a bullet. There have been several documented cases of serious firefighter injuries due to this. In at least one case, the rod actually penetrated the firefighter's femur even though he was wearing full turnout gear.
• Use the reach of a straight stream to knock down the bulk of the fire before moving closer. Also remember to deflect the stream off the ground to extinguish fire beneath the vehicle.
• Don't stick your head in the window to extinguish the fire in the passenger compartment. Try to open the doors instead. Air bags can deploy at any time and, once again, steam burns suck. 
• Consider water supply and foam early. Most gasoline now contains ethanol. Ethanol is an alcohol and mixes with water, making it more difficult to extinguish than pure gasoline. I have noticed in recent years that car fires tend to be much more stubborn and sometimes require more than one-thousand gallons of water and the use of foam to extinguish. Don't wait until you run out of water to start thinking about water supply. 
• The engineer is responsible for protecting the apparatus. If there is fuel leaking it may be necessary to pull another line to protect the apparatus from burning fuel running down the road. It may also be a good idea to have a shovel handy to build a small earth berm to deflect runoff away from the apparatus. Also make sure to check ditches for runoff. 

These are just a few basic tips for vehicle fires. Always use solid fundamentals and remember that complacency kills. 

Loss of Skill

By Ray McCormack

from www.fireengineering.com

Many in today's fire service feel that there is resistance to change in regard to extinguishment techniques and other tactics, and they are correct. While resistance is what is felt, the reality is that changes need to be peer-reviewed--not just by a select few, but by departments, as well. Resistance toward change is one thing; resistance to changes is another. However, all of this is a good thing, because changes, especially ones that may go against department policy andextinguishment culture, are critically important and typically require measured acquisition.

The silent component of pushback on many changes is that they reduce the skill levels of firefighters. Some of the biggest centers of resistance to new extinguishment decrees are places where fires occur frequently. This makes sense because those that have developed the skills necessary to attack fires from the interior see little need to change. This is especially true since little science has been produced to prove that they are incorrect in their approach.

Region 5 Update

Evaluations:   On the last day of class, for the written test and practical skills, the lead instructor turns the class over to the lead evaluator.  At that point, theevaluation belongs to the lead evaluator.  We want to make it very clear that the lead evaluator is in charge of all evaluations, and that person is empowered to make decisions that will keep the evaluation running smoothly.  Unless they have been assigned a role in the evaluation prior to that date, the lead instructor, family and friends of students in the class, members of the host department/other agencies, etc… are not to participate or be a distraction during any evaluation. 

Region 5 Staffing:  For the last three years, this region has operated under a staffing shortage.  We are the busiest region, having more classes and training more students than any other, and the staffing issue has been a burden.  We are thrilled to announce that we have now added two new part-time positions to our regional staff:

·         Ron Alexander---most of you know Ron.  He recently retired from St. John’s Fire Department as Chief of Training.  Back in the 1990’s up until 2003, Ron was also the Assistant Coordinator of this Region.  We are happy to have Ron back on our staff.  As of Jan 1, Ron will be working with us one or two days each week.  His duties will include assembling all test boxes for testing sessions and practical skills, as well as proctoring all IFSAC testing/re-testing sessions.

·         Paul Kondor---Paul is a NJ native, but has been in SC for the last few years, and works on shift at Awendaw Fire Department.  As of Dec 1, he will be working with us most of his off shift days.  His duties will include staffing classes, processing completed course packages, course package deliveries/pick ups, etc.  His email address will be paul.kondor@llr.sc.gov and his office number will be 843-552-6217.

Ron and Paul will both be working out of our NCFD satellite office.  Additionally, we are budgeting for a full-time administrative assistant position for FY17.  We are confident these new positions will allow us to better meet our customers’ needs!

NCFD Satellite Office:  We recently had several boxes of IFSTA manuals that were allocated for a class removed from the office after hours.  Be aware that as of Dec 1, the code to the back door of our NCFD satellite office will be changed and not given out.  The good news is that Paul will be a regular fixture in the office, and trips to that office can be pre-arranged for a day that he will be there. 

Instructors on SCFA Payroll:  The State is has been under a hiring freeze for SCFA payroll instructors for several years, but due to the significant training numbers in this region, we were given an exemption and allowed to bring additional instructors on payroll to assist us with training needs.   After an interview process, we are happy to announce the following individuals have recently been brought on payroll as part-time SCFA instructors:

·         Paul Kondor (Awendaw Fire Dept)

·         Anthony Simmons (Jasper Co Fire/Rescue)

·         Chris Garniewicz (Bluffton Fire Dept)

After Dec 1, you will begin seeing them on the road, active and teaching all over the region. 

SCEIS:  For our SCFA instructors who are on payroll, if you have any issues logging on to SCEIS, make errors entering your teaching time/travel, please call the Help Desk number location on the log on page for SCEIS.  Please do not call LLR HR, and SCFA staff is not able to assist.  If you call the Help Desk number, they can resolve all your SCEIS issues.  Thanks for your help with this.

Long-Range Planning:  Now that we no longer have a traditional catalog every six months, many of you have starting planning a lot further in advance.  We are easily able to accommodate this, and we have had great feedback from students, who prefer this as well.  

Retesting Policy:  Be aware with the new retesting policy (as of July 1), students must take their first retest within 120 days of their original exam date.  Previously, we allowed 180 days from the original exam date for their one and only retest.   Now, students who do not take their first retest within 120 days are no longer eligible for any retesting, and must take the class over again.    Remember the new policy is: first retest attempt at least 30 days after the original test date, but not more than 120 days after….second retest attempt, at least 30 days after the original test date, but not more than 210 days after.   Please encourage personnel to schedule their retest ASAP….if they wait until the last minute, we may not be able to accommodate them.

SC State Certification (1700-series): A year or so ago, we announced that the SCFA was going to offer a state certification program, called the 1700-series.  These would be a series of job based certification levels, with a bridge to IFSAC FFI certification (if desired). Although it can be implemented by any fire department, it is geared towards the volunteer and/or rural fire service.  Orangeburg County hosted the first pilot last  year.  Then program was rewritten, and we are currently going through the second pilot in Orangeburg County.   While this program is not completely ready for hand off to fire departments, if you would like more information or are interested in the program, we have a better feel for how it works and can start having those discussions. 

Electronic Registration:  Currently, 3/4 of all SCFA registrations are received electronically via the portal.  In Region 5, 97% of our departments utilize this method of registration.  Be aware that the SCFA does intend to “go paperless”.    Those of you who still use paper registration forms, I would be more than happy to meet with you and go over the advantages of using the Fire Portal and answer any questions that you may have.  

Region 5 IOW Blitz--See information attached Please forward the attached schedule to all instructors in your department!

Available IFSAC testing & general retesting sessions

**To register for any session, please contact the regional office**  **If your department has 7 or more students, we can schedule a testing session at your department specifically for them**

12/9	Tues	7pm	Jasper Co Fire/Rescue
1/31	Sat	9am	Goose Creek Rural Fire Dept
2/25	Wed	6:30pm	Dorchester Co Fire/Rescue, Harleyville Sta
3/25	Wed	9am	Colleton Co Fire/Rescue, Sta 19
4/25	Sat	9am	St. Paul’s Fire Dept HQ
5/27	Wed	6:30pm	Burton Fire Dept, Pinewood Sta
6/24	Wed	9am	Colleton Co Fire/Rescue, Sta 19

We’ve recently added several new classes to the online catalog.  Please visit the following link and select ‘Region 5’:https://fire.llr.sc.gov/Portal/Registration/RegionSearch.aspx

Region 5 Update

Class	Dates	Location
EVDT	12/2-12/14	Estill Fire Dept
STICO	12/13 & 12/14	Orangeburg Co Training Center
Fund of FF	1/6-3/8	Hampton Co Fire Dept
ISO	1/6-1/22 (4 hours a day, on each of 3 shifts, for 4 weeks)	Isle of Palms Fire Dept
DMICO	1/10 & 1/11	Caromi Fire Dept
Pump Ops I	1/12-1/16	Hardeeville Fire Dept
Fire Instructor I	1/12-1/16	Jasper Co Fire/Rescue
PICO	1/17 & 1/18	Pine Ridge Fire Dept
I-400	1/29-1/30	Summerville Fire Dept
NIMS ICS	1/31-2/1	Hilton Head Island F/R
STICO	1/31-2/1	James Island Fire Dept
IFSAC Testing Session/General Retesting Session	1/31 (9am)	Goose Creek Rural Fire Dept
Pipeline Emergencies	2/7 (8:30am-6:30pm)	Allendale Fire Dept
Fire Service Supervision: Personal	2/7-2/8	Burton Fire Dept
Fire Instructor I	2/6-2/22 (two weekend format 2/6-2/8 & 2/20-2/22)	Goose Creek Rural Fire Dept
Pump Ops I	2/9-2/13	James Island Fire Dept
Fire Officer I	2/16-2/26 (Mon-Thurs/Tues-Thurs)	Jasper Co Fire/Rescue
Fire & Life Safety Educator	2/20-3/1, two weekend format (Fri evening/Sat/Sun)	Mt. Pleasant Fire Dept, Sta 2
Fire Instructor II	2/20-3/1, two weekend format (Fri evening/Sat/Sun)	James Island Fire Dept
IFSAC Testing Session/General Retesting Session	2/25 (6:30pm)	Dorchester Co Fire/Rescue-Harleyville Sta
I-300	3/7-3/8	Caromi Fire Dept
Truck Co	3/13-3/16	Isle of Palms Fire Dept
Volunteer Emergency Svcs Management	3/21-3/22	Orangeburg Co Training Center
Aerial Ops	3/24-3/26	Isle of Palms Fire Dept
Pump Ops II	3/28-3/29	Summerville Fire Dept
IFSAC Testing Session/General Retesting Session	3/25 (9am)	Colleton Co Fire/Rescue, Sta 19
Utilities Emergencies	3/26	Colleton Co Fire/Rescue
Fire Officer I	4/6-4/15 (6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14 & 15)	Summerville Fire Dept
Haz Mat Ops	4/10-4/19	Caromi Fire Dept
Leadership I	4/11-4/12	Beaufort Fire Dept
Fire Service Supervision: Team	4/18-4/19	Dorchester Co Fire/Rescue, Harleyville Sta
EVDT	4/23-5/28	Jasper Co Fire/Rescue
Fire Instructor I	4/24-5/3 (two weekend format: Fri evening/Sat/Sun x2)	St. Andrew’s Fire Dept
Health & Safety Officer	4/25-4/26	Jasper Co Fire/Rescue
IFSAC Testing Session/General Retesting Session	4/25 @ 9am	St. Paul’s Fire Dept
PICO	5/2-5/3	James Island Fire Dept
Aerial Ops	5/12-5/17 (two evenings and a weekend)	Summerville Fire Dept
Leadership II	5/16-5/17	James Island Fire Dept
IC: High Rise	5/23-5/24	St. Andrew’s Fire Dept
IFSAC Testing Session/General Retesting Session	5/27 @ 6:30pm	Burton Fire Dept
IC: Structural Collapse	6/6-6/7	Hampton Co Fire Dept
STICO	6/13-6/14	Goose Creek Rural Fire Dept
Fire Officer II	6-19-6/28 (two weekend format: Fri evening/Sat/Sun x2)	Summerville Fire Dept
IFSAC Testing Session/General Retesting Session	6/24 (9am)	Colleton Co Fire/Rescue, Sta 19
Leadership III	6/27-6/28	Colleton Co Fire/Rescue
I-400	7/11-7/12	Goose Creek Rural Fire Dept
Incident Safety Officer	7/11-7/12	Colleton Co Fire/Rescue
Fire Officer I	7/13-7/22	St. Andrew’s Fire Dept
DMICO	7/25-7/26	Colleton Co Fire/Rescue
Auto Extrication	9/12 & 9/13	Jasper Co Fire/Rescue