Fire Chief’s Report: March 1 – March 31, 2014

— from Chief Kevin O’Brien —

Fire Chief’s Goals and Priorities for 2014

• Execute the mission of OIFR through 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

o Maintain a high level of service delivery

o Improve operations through identifying efficiencies

o Update all policy, procedures and guidelines o Improve all communications (Radio, Interdepartmental, Community)

o 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..................  54....................158
 Fire/Other........     18.....................64
 Total................. 72................... 222
 2012..........   1/1/12–3/31/12..............151
 2013.............1/1/13-3/11/13..............200

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 11%

Public CPR Classes.........26
Orcas CARES.................2

NOTABLE ALARMS

Traumatic Fall: Saturday, March 22, Orcas Island Fire and Rescue was dispatched to the report of person who had fallen down a cliff in the Raccoon Point neighborhood. Responders arrived to find an adult male who had fallen approximately 150 feet down a cliff and landed on the beach. The patient was treated for life threatening injuries and transported in critical condition to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle by a U.S. Coast Guard Helicopter with OIFR Paramedic Bryce Hamilton.

Due to the challenge of the terrain, responders initially accessed the patient via land and by sea with the assistance of the Camp Orkila Landing Craft. Special thanks to Camp Orkila Director Dimitri Stankevich, the U.S. Coast Guard, and all OIFR responders.

Allergic Reaction: Thursday, March 20, OIFR responded to the Orcas Elementary School to assist a student experiencing an allergic reaction. The OIFR paramedic administered medication that stabilized the patient and resolved the reaction symptoms. The patient’s primary physician was contacted and the patient was monitored by OIFR personnel for 30 minutes post medication administration. The patient went home with his mother in stable condition.

Missing Person: Monday, March 24 at approximately 8:00 p.m., OIFR was dispatched by the San Juan County Sheriff to assist in a search for a missing person reported to be lost in the White Beach neighborhood. After an extensive search lasting approximately three hours, the person was found in stable condition.

Transformer Fire: Tuesday, March 25 OIFR responded to a fully involved transformer fire in the Eastman Road neighborhood. Arriving personnel found heavy smoke and flames engulfing a large green electrical transformer. The fire was extinguished and determined to be accidental in nature. There were no injuries to citizens or responders.

Mountain Biking Accident: Friday, March 28 OIFR assisted a male patient who sustained injuries from a mountain bike accident on Mount Constitution. The patient received medical treatment from OIFR responders and was able to return home in stable condition.

NEWS AND EVENTS

Wayne Rankin, 2013 OIFR Citizen of the Year OIFR is especially thankful to Wayne Rankin for his outstanding volunteer work in assisting us with radio communications. Wayne is an expert in radio communications having served as a communications specialist with a major television network. Currently, Wayne is the leader of the Orcas Island Hamm Radio Operators where he has supported OIFR in multiple projects and operations, notably the 911 outage last fall as well as other telecommunications outages. During a search for a missing person in the Eagle Lake neighborhood in June of 2012, Wayne established a mobile communications site which greatly contributed in locating and rescuing the missing man. With sincere appreciation for Wayne’s contributions, OIFR recognizes him as our Citizen of the Year for 2013. Thank you Wayne!

Maintenance Technician/Responder Maintenance Technician-Responder Jack Delisle will be leaving OIFR at the end of April. Jack has served OIFR as a part-time mechanic since 2007 and in April of 2013, Jack was hired as a full-time Maintenance Technician Responder. OIFR thanks Jack for his service.

OIFR Rescue Academy lead by Lieutenant Rich Harvey, OIFR has been conducting a “Rescue Academy” which began in early March will run the course of eight weeks. The Rescue Academy meets two evenings and all day Saturday each week and is designed to improve the overall skills in specialized rescue situations. Topics covered are vehicle extrication, rope rescue systems, search and rescue of lost persons and advanced firefighting practices focused on rescue.

Read Across America On March 3rd, Chief O’Brien joined other community members and Orcas Elementary School staff by participating in “Read Across America” by reading to Mrs. Knapp’s 5th Graders.

Washington Fire Chiefs Chief O’Brien represented the San Juan County EMS and Fire Chief’s at the Washington State Association of Fire Chiefs Annual County Presidents meeting. Topics of the meeting included state-wide emergency deployment, improved emergency communications, and issues surrounding the Affordable Care Act which affect emergency response organizations.

Levy Renewal Information/Recruiting Events Leading up to the Levy Renewal Election on April 22, and an ongoing recruitment drive for volunteer firefighters in Doe Bay, Orcas, and Deer Harbor; Orcas Island Fire and Rescue has been hosting a series of events geared to inform the community of our overall operations, funding, and the details of the Levy Renewal. At each event we offer a “Five Minute Hands Only CPR Class.” If you are unable to attend the events and have questions, please give us a call at (360) 376-2331 or email info@orcasfire.org.

LOOKING AHEAD

Upcoming Levy Information/Recruiting Events

• OPEN HOUSE: Saturday, April 12, 11 a.m.–2 p.m., Doe Bay Fire Station
• TOWN HALL MEETING: Wednesday, April 16, 5–6:30 p.m., Eastsound Fire Station

CPR and First Aid Training at OIFR Public CPR and AED training is held on the first Monday of each month. First Aid, CPR, and AED training on the third Saturday of each month.