Fire Chief’s Report: June 1 – June 30, 2014

— from OIFR Chief Kevin O’Brien —

Fire Chief’s Goals and Priorities for 2014

• Execute the mission of OIFR through the direction of the Board of Commissioners
• Improve and maintain fiscal accountability for all OIFR operations
• Provide positive leadership for OIFR and our community
• Improve reliability and performance for OIFR
• Execute the OIFR strategic plan
• Provide sound management and oversight for all operations, equipment, facilities, projects and programs for OIFR
  • Maintain a high level of service delivery
  • Improve operations through identifying efficiencies
  • Update all policy, procedures and guidelines
  • Improve all communications (Radio, Interdepartmental, Community)
  • Expand public programs
• Foster open and clear communications with the Orcas Island Community and our surrounding partners

..CALLS FOR SERVICE
 ....................This Report ........Year to Date
 EMS..................  40....................331
 Fire/Other........     17....................128
 Total................. 57................... 459
 2012..........   1/1/12–5/31/12..............329
 2013.............1/1/13-5/31/13..............405

Total call volume for 2012 was 783 (14% increase)
Total call volume for 2013 was 879 (12% increase)
Year to date increase from 2013 is 13.3%
Overlapping calls for 2014 is 123 or 26.8%

Notable Alarms
Deck Fire June 3: OIFR responded to an Eastsound restaurant for the report of a deck fire. Arriving personnel found the site of a small fire that was extinguished and was located on a railing of an exterior deck. The probable cause of the fire was determined to be an improperly discarded cigarette.

House Fire June 8: At approximately 12:00 a.m., 25 Orcas Firefighters and 10 units responded to the View Haven neighborhood for the report of an explosion and fire in a home. Arriving responders found an approximate 1700 square foot, wood frame home heavily involved in fire and immediately began fire suppression efforts.

The lone occupant of the home told responders that he was alerted to a loud “bang” and saw there was fire extending into his home originating from a vehicle parked in an adjacent carport. The man then exited his home uninjured.

OIFR and Lopez Fire and Rescue investigated the fire in coordination with the San Juan County Fire Marshal’s Office. The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental in nature originating in the vehicle parked in the carport.

Aid Call June 10: OIFR responded to evaluate and assist an adult female in custody of the San Juan County Sheriff’s Deputies. The patient was transported to Peace Island Hospital on San Juan Island in stable condition by the Sheriff’s boat with OIFR personnel.

Cardiac June 23: At 12:36 a.m. OIFR assisted an adult male experiencing a significant cardiac episode. EMS personnel provided treatment including the administration of vital medication and cardiac shock therapy. The patient responded positively and was transferred to Airlift Northwest in stable condition for transport to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Bellingham.

Apartment Fire June 25: At 12:46 a.m., OIFR responded to the report of an apartment fire on Lover’s Lane in Eastsound. Arriving personnel found a kitchen fire extinguished by the occupant and a neighbor utilizing fire extinguishers. The fire was investigated by OIFR in coordination with the San Juan County Fire Marshal’s Office. It was determined that the fire was accidental in nature and originated within the electrical components of the stove.

News and Events
Residential and Commercial Permitted Burning is Closed Effective July 1, commercial and residential permitted burning is closed through September. If conditions allow, we expect permitted burning to reopen in October. Recreational camp fires no larger than two feet in diameter are currently allowed. If you have a recreational fire, please make sure that it is attended at all times and maintain a method of extinguishment in close proximity. When you are finished with the camp fire, make sure it is “dead out.” OIFR will continue to monitor the fire risk conditions of our island and we will keep you posted regarding the possible closure of recreational fires.

Incident Command Training A group of OIFR officers attended the ICS 300 and 400 suite of training which are federally mandated incident management classes. The training was held in Friday Harbor over the course of four days.

National Fire Academy From June 16 through June 27, Chief O’Brien attended the Executive Fire Officer’s Program (EFOP) at the National Fire Academy. The EFOP is a prominent, four-year, executive leadership program that includes applied research projects designed to improve emergency response capabilities.

Volunteer Response Committee Consistent with our strategic plan, OIFR volunteers and staff began an internal process to assess and provide recommendations regarding the response guidelines and benefits for our volunteers.

Island Injury Prevention Symposium On Saturday, June 21, in partnership with Providence Regional Medical Center, Everett; OIFR hosted a public injury prevention symposium with a focus on head injuries.

Upcoming Events
“Fly In” Pancake Breakfast On the mornings of Saturday August 2, and Sunday August 3, the OIFR Volunteer Association will be serving up their world famous pancakes. Proceeds for the events go to the OIFR Volunteer Association to fund local scholarships, response equipment, and assistance to volunteers.