News Articles
|
Tuesday, March 09, 2010 THE LATEST: TUES MAR 9 |
In this Edition: Around Montana Update: Child with matches starts Butte fire Injured car accident victim survives freezing temps, long wait near Libby Officials continue followup on Libby mill fire Missoula firefighters rule the world at stair-climbing competition 44th Annual Creston Auction & County Fair Around the Nation Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program Workshop Schedule Now Available Update: PA Medic Heart Attack LODD
Grants Upcoming Training Opportunities Event Calendar ===========
Around Montana
Update: Child with matches starts Butte fire By John Grant Emeigh of The Montana Standard http://www.mtstandard.com/articles/2010/03/09/area/hjijjgjajhgjhc.txt A 3-year-old girl playing with matches sparked an early-morning fire Monday at this trailer home at 201 Hobson, No. 33, according to Fire Marshal John Lasky. A child playing with matches started a fire in a trailer home in Butte Monday morning. The family of four managed to escape by the father breaking through a rear door window. The fire was reported about 8:20 a.m. at 201 Hobson, No. 33, according to Butte Fire Marshal John Lasky. A 3-year-old girl playing with matches in the living room accidentally ignited a stuffed chair, Lasky said. The parents, Jamie and Tonya Smith, were in their bedroom when they were awoken by the smell of smoke, Lasky said. They gathered the girl and their 1-month old boy and escaped, Lasky said. Jamie Smith was taken to St. James Healthcare to be treated for cuts on his right arm he received by breaking the glass. The rest of the family also was treated for smoke inhalation. Lasky said the mother and the infant boy will remain overnight for observation, but they are in good health. Lasky said firefighters contained the blaze to the living room, but the trailer, which was not insured, incurred heavy smoke damage. It will likely be a total loss, Lasky said. The American Red Cross was contacted to help the family. The family will probably stay with relatives, Lasky said. The trailer didn't have smoke detectors. Lasky cautions people with children not to leave matches or lighters around. "Lock them up just like you would a gun," Lasky said.
=========== Injured car accident victim survives freezing temps, long wait near Libby By Canda Harbaugh, The Western News http://www.thewesternnews.com/articles/2010/03/08/news/doc4b95c21000ea5989565291.txt A Libby woman who endured freezing temperatures overnight after her vehicle slid off a steep embankment on a dirt road near Happy’s Inn was found alive Sunday morning, law-enforcement officials said. Karen Schertel, 51, suffered hyperthermia, a dislocated hip and bruises, but is recovering well, family said. Her husband, Ben Schertel, reported her missing Saturday night when she didn’t return home from her census job. Lincoln County sheriff deputies and family members spent the night searching up and down the network of roads in the Silver Butte area near Happy’s Inn but weren’t able to locate Schertel or the Jeep she was driving. David Thompson Search and Rescue joined the search at first light Sunday morning. “We were trying to cover every road in that area that we could, and we were getting ready to expand our area (late Sunday morning),” said Capt. Roby Bowe of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. Little did searchers know, Schertel was 50 vertical feet below a dirt road that branches off of McKillop Road about a half-mile from Highway 2. Her Jeep was hidden in brush and trees several feet below her, said her family, and a dislocated hip restricted her movement. She heard sirens come and go Saturday night, Bowe said, but they came from emergency responders traveling to the fatal accident on Highway 2 just miles away. She also heard vehicles drive by on McKillop Road, family said, but they were too far away to hear her shouts for help. Temperatures were in the 20s as she lay surrounded by snow shivering without a coat, family said. She told him she tried to use tree bark to provide cover. Karen Schertel later told family and rescuers that she was going downhill when her vehicle began sliding off the icy road. She attempted to bail out of her car, but part of the jeep hit her as it descended. Somehow, she suffered no life-threatening injuries. Her nephew, Tim Schertel, and his brother-in-law began looking for her after 10 a.m. Sunday. They traveled off of McKillop Road onto what appeared to be an old logging trail because as a census worker, Tim Schertel recalled, she was told to travel every road. “I said it looks like someone came in and out of here, so I thought we’d go down and ask if someone saw a census lady,” he recalled. They heard her faint shouts as they drove slowly with the windows down. “She was in a T-shirt and jeans,” he recalled. “I was amazed she was alive.” The men covered her in their shirts and Tim Schertel went for help. “You couldn’t see her or the vehicle from the road,” he said. “I felt like I won the lottery. I couldn’t have driven more directly to her.” Fisher River Valley Fire and Rescue provided immediate medical attention and ALERT helicopter flew her to Kalispell Regional Medical Center. Eric Schertel, her brother-in-law, said Monday that she would probably be released from the hospital within a day. He believes the story is nothing short of miraculous. “The first miracle is that the Jeep didn’t kill her,” he said. “The second miracle is that she survived the night, and the third is that she was found.” =========== Officials continue followup on Libby mill fire By Canda Harbaugh, The Western News http://www.thewesternnews.com/articles/2010/03/08/news/doc4b95c25dd8ed2918440979.txt The mill fire in Libby is no longer smoldering, but the aftermath is keeping people busy. The Lincoln County Environmental Health Department continues to collect samples from debris, ash and ambient air to determine if the material poses a health risk. “We want to follow up on our sampling and make sure we know exactly what we are dealing with,” said Kathi Hooper, director of the county health department. The City of Libby/Lincoln County Health Board discussed preliminary test results at a meeting Friday. Thirteen off-site samples detected the presence of amosite, anthophylite and chrysotile asbestos. Amosite asbestos was detected at 2 percent in four samples and less than 1 percent in two others, according to testing results from Hygeia Laboratories in Sierra Madre, Calif. Chrysotile asbestos was detected in one sample at less than 1 percent. Anthophylite was detected at 2 percent in four samples and less than 1 percent in two samples. No other forms of asbestos, including Libby amphibole, were detected. Preliminary results from samples within the plywood plant also showed the presence of chrysotile and anthophylite asbestos. The samples were also tested for other material, such as fiberglass and cellulose. The results of further testing will determine whether the county is obligated to perform a full cleanup of the ash and debris in the community. “We’re not sure this meets a cleanup criteria,” Hooper said. “It has to be greater than 1 percent.” The county nonetheless contracted Environmental Restoration last week to physically pick up debris in high-use areas in the community, such as parks and schools. “Even the samples that don’t have asbestos have fiberglass and we don’t want those on our soccer fields and baseball fields,” Hooper said Friday. Mike Cirian, Environmental Protection Agency field leader in Libby, said at the meeting that ER workers in respirators and hazmat suits shouldn’t spook the public. “People that are out collecting pieces are in suits because that’s an OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) regulation,” Cirian said. “It isn’t because everybody else should be in suits.” Hooper said wet street cleaning methods were used to clean up debris from Libby-area roadways. The city street department and county road crew completed many streets in their districts. The state highway department began vacuuming highways on Friday morning. All materials will be disposed of at the county’s asbestos landfill cell, the county said. Smoldering had continued to affect local air quality a week after the fire, but a contractor used excavators to turn beams and water them down Saturday, Hooper said, effectively putting out all of the hot spots. In related news, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office continues its investigation into the cause of the massive fire. “It’s progressing,” fire investigator Kirk Kraft said Monday. “We’re basically eliminating causes and we’re concentrating in the one area of origin.” The investigation, conducted by the sheriff’s office and state fire marshal’s office, will take quite a bit of time, Kraft said, because of the seriousness of the fire. Revett Mineral’s insurance company began a private investigation late last week, according to Paul Rumelhart, executive director of the Kootenai River Development Council, which manages the industrial site that the building rested on. Revett lost four leased rail cars in the fire. Rumelhart said the industrial site’s insurance on the building had been dropped when the company paid a $3.2 million settlement after the roof collapsed two years ago. =========== Missoula firefighters rule the world at stair-climbing competition By KEILA SZPALLER of the Missoulian http://www.missoulian.com/news/local/article_8e088c8a-2b1e-11df-9088-001cc4c03286.html There are 1,555 firefighters from around the world who competed in this year's Scott Firefighter Stairclimb in Seattle. What do three of the top four have in common? They're from Missoula. "We're looking at each other and saying, ‘What are they feeding those boys?' " said Mike McQuaid, a Stairclimb spokesman. And what are they feeding those ladies? First things first, though. Missoula Rural Fire District's Kory Burgess captured first place, as he did last year, when he set a record for the fastest pace to the 73rd floor of Seattle's tallest building, the Columbia Center. Andy Drobeck, a Missoula City Fire Department firefighter, captured second place, and Missoula Rural Fire's Doug Swain locked in fourth. Third place went to Paul Kimball of the Spokane Valley (Wash.) Fire Department. "The main thing about the climb is just the fact it's a great fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society," Burgess said. He said Missoula Rural pulled in more than $10,000 this year. City firefighter Mike Thurlow, Stairclimb team captain, said City Fire has raised at least $5,000 but is still tallying money. It isn't too late to donate, either. Since the event started in 1982, it has earned some $2.7 million for the health agency focused on blood cancers. To contribute, click on the "donate now" button at www.firefighterstairclimb.org; donors may offer money on behalf of a team or participant. Drobeck, who was just pulling into Frenchtown late Monday afternoon, said his legs weren't sore at all. His hands were, though, maybe from grabbing the stair rails. A Missoula firefighter for two and a half years, Drobeck hopes to head back again and vie for the top spot until Burgess doesn't attend or he beats out his peer. "If I'm going to get beat by someone, it's nice to get beat by someone in the same town," said Drobeck, 28. He said Garden City firefighters have earned themselves an enviable reputation in Seattle. "Are you one of those crazy Missoula guys?" people ask him. As for the pre-climb menu, Burgess, the champion, said he doesn't eat anything all that special. He may have had some kind of pasta the evening before. Thurlow, who has raced in the past, figures it isn't about food at all. "I think it's good ol' Montana air, or climbing the M," Thurlow said. "It might just be the healthy lifestyles around here." ***** Among 129 teams this year, Missoula Rural came in No. 1 and Missoula City got ninth place. Thurlow said for a place that doesn't have many highrises, Missoulians do well against those who do come from cities with tall buildings. Firefighters here run up the trail to the M and climb the stairs in Aber Hall to train. They compete against firefighters from the U.S., Canada, Germany and New Zealand, according to a news release. Burgess, 28, has been a firefighter for five years, all with Missoula Rural. He climbed the 1,311 steps this year in 11:01.35. Last year, he logged in 5.6 seconds faster than his time this year for an all-time Stairclimb record. He holds the top two fastest times. The firefighters wear 50 pounds of gear including breathing apparatus; they climb 788 feet in vertical elevation, or 69 stories; and they do so in the 57th tallest building in the world and the tallest by stories on the West Coast, according to the Stairclimb news release. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is the world's largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer, according to the news release. Some 912,938 Americans live with leukemia, Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, myeloma and myelodysplastic syndromes. Drobeck said one of his colleagues' cousins had been in remission, but the cancer started up again. The team refocused on the fundraising this year. "That is the whole reason that we go over there," he said. =========== 44th Annual Creston Auction & County Fair A fundraiser for the Creston Fire Department will be held Friday April 9th – Sunday April 11th. Friday, April 9th – 7AM to 7 PM: Donation and consignment day…Bring items to the sale grounds at Creston School, MT Hwy 35, 12 miles east of Kalispell. Saturday, April 10th – Starts at 9 AM: Creston Auction…Acres of items for sale: new and used household items, antiques, sports equipment, tack, tools, building materials and more. Commission rate: $25%. Single items selling for more than $1000: 18%. Items selling for $5 or less: Proceeds donated to the Creston Fire Department. No Buyer’s Primium. Rummage and Bake sale – 8 AM to 3 PM. Sunday April 11th – Starts at 12 PM: $10 bid tickets go on sale at 9 AM. Auto, Marine, RV & Equipment Sale. Call for info on reserves and titles. Commission rates per item are as follows: $1,000 or less - 25%, $1,001-$10,000 - 10%, more than $10,000 - %5/ Hot food served Saturday and Sunday. Auction volunteers needed! Call 250-7396 for info. ===========
Around the Nation
Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program Workshop Schedule Now Available Greetings, The AFG workshop schedule is now available. The current list is not yet complete, as more times and dates may be added in the future. In addition, the current dates and locations are subject to change. Be sure to check back often. The list is searchable by the locations of workshop as well as times and dates. We also recommend that you search for workshops in neighboring States for workshops that may be more convenient. These free workshops will be held around the country to provide information about the submission of competitive applications under the 2010 Assistance to Firefighters Grants program. The workshop lasts about two hours. Interested representatives from fire departments as well as representatives from non-affiliated EMS organizations are invited to attend the workshops. Information will be presented on program changes, program priorities, eligibility requirements, and the application process. General assistance in writing a competitive narrative for a department's grant application will also be covered. Registration is not necessary. For more information, visit http://firegrantsupport.com/content/html/afg/Workshops/Workshops.aspx or contact your AFG Regional Representative. Regional contacts and telephone numbers are available at http://www.firegrantsupport.com/content/html/program/ContactUs.aspx. We hope to see you soon. AFG Program Office =========== Update: PA Medic Heart Attack LODD Thanks Billy G from The Secret List @ www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com Inspite of previous reports of traumatic injuries it has been determined that Bensalem Paramedic Dan McIntosh died of a heart attack. Bensalem public safety director Fred Harran says Bensalem's emergency workers are in mourning. Emergency medical technician Dan McIntosh, 39 (right), is the first paramedic to die in the line of duty in the township's history. McIntosh was responding to a report of a suicidal person on Sunday night. The patient ran away when McIntosh arrived to help. McIntosh suffered a coronary when he ran after the man. That patient is now being treated for his mental illness. No charges have been filed. McIntosh, a 13-year veteran of the Bucks County rescue squad, leaves behind a wife and two young children. Our sincere condolences to all affected. =========== Grants (** Denotes new Grant) LOCAL FIRE PROTECTION GRANT FUNDING AVAILABLE Missoula, MT---The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) announced today that applications for the 2010 VFA/RFA Grant Program are now being accepted. Applications for matching funds through the federally funded Title II & IV, Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) program (U.S. Forest Service) and the Rural Fire Assistance (RFA) program (U.S. Department of Interior agencies - Bureau of Land Management, Fish & Wildlife Service, National Park Service and Bureau of Indian Affairs) are due March 31, 2010. The cost share money is being made available to defray up to ninety percent of the cost of improving local wildland fire protection. According to Doug Williams, Rural Fire Coordinator with DNRC's Forestry Division, single applications representing countywide fire organizations are required. Eligible applicants to be included are: fire departments, rural fire districts, fire service areas, volunteer fire companies or other government fire service organizations in communities with populations of 10,000 or less. The maximum grant amount for a single applicant is $20,000. The single applications for a group of communities, i.e., countywide fire councils, countywide fire departments, etc., may have a total population of over 10,000. Emphasis will be placed on training, PPE and communications. Construction or improvement of fire stations for housing fire equipment, normal operational expenses and maintenance do not qualify for VFA/RFA funds. Grant funds thru this program go directly to local fire organizations to upgrade needed training, equipment, and protective clothing in the suppression of wildland fire in Montana. Details are available by contacting your local DNRC office, or on the Internet at: www.dnrc.mt.gov/forestry/Fire =========== Upcoming Training Opportunities (** Denotes new Upcoming Training Opportunities) EMI vacancies FYI – as of 2/25/2010, EMI is posting the following vacancies for position specific training and TTT. E953 NIMS ICS All-Haz PIO TTT 4/29-5/1/10 10 vacancies E955 NIMS ICS All-Haz Safety Officer TTT 4/22-23/10 9 vacancies E964 NIMS ICS All-Haz Situation Unit 7/26-30/10 2 vacancies E965 NIMS ICS All-Haz Resource Unit 6/21-24/10 14 vacancies E968 NIMS ICS All-Haz Logistics Section Chief TTT 4/25-27/10 3 vacancies E969 NIMS ICS All-Haz Communications 8/16-19/10 19 vacancies E970 NIMS ICS All-Haz Supply Unit Leader 7/12-15/10 21 vacancies E971 NIMS ICS All-Haz Facilities Unit 8/2-6/10 6 vacancies Lanney Holmes Department of Homeland Security - FEMA Region VIII Denver Federal Center Bldg. 710A Denver, CO 80225 303-235-4629 ===========
===========
Event Calendar
It is important to pre-register for FSTS courses as minimum pre-registration must be met 2 weeks prior to the class or it will be canceled. (NFA requires class minimums be met one month prior to the course scheduled dates, No Exceptions). Courses start at 8:30 a.m. unless otherwise noted. Tuition for NFA Courses and Courses marked with an (*) are $29 per student (Local FD -State) - Federal, private, others and Out of State Tuition is 160% of in-state. + Denotes FSTS courses which are part of the Associates Degree Program through the MSU College of Technology - Great Falls. Most Classes will start at 8:30 a.m. unless noted otherwise. DNRC has several Courses listed below with dates, Course titles and locations. Please register with the email address listed for each class. March 2010 3/20-3/21 PICO – NFA DD, Glendive 3/27-3/28 PICO – NFA DD, Butte 3/29-4/1 Building Codes Educational Conference, Bozeman
April 2010 4/17-4/25 Firefighter I, Great Falls 4/23-4/25 Madison County Training, Harrison May 2010 5/1-5/2 Training Officers Forum, Great Falls 5/8-5/16 Firefighter I, Great Falls 5/24-5/27 ICS-300/400 TtT, Great Falls June 2010 6/5-6/12 Firefighter II, Great Falls
|
MSFCA is a member of the Western Fire Chiefs Association, a division of the International Association of Fire Chiefs
www.firerescue-gpo.com
New Video
Group Purchasing
