station gossip fi refi refi the firehouse scene · what has changed since you were on? “a lot...

the firehouse sceneIs a monthly publication of the

Harlem-Roscoe Fire Protection DistrictFire Chief Oscar Presley.

Postage

Station GossipWe say goodbye to two of our fi refi ghters this month. Lt. Chad Radke has accepted a fi refi ghting position at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station in Arizona. Firefi ghter Dan Zintak is now a police offi cer for the South Beloit Police Department. We will miss both of them and we wish them the best.We wish for speedy recoveries to Dispatcher Jim Sutherland, Chief Presley’s wife Dean, and Lt. Vern Sarver’s wife Diane. Ask Lt. Virgil Johnson about his recent vacation. I guess he was sideswiped by a semi-truck, high winds tore up his awning on his motor home, they ran into hail, and the storm kept following them. He said they were going through Iowa when the winds tore up his awning and he had to stop to try to get it tied back up. Well, the winds were making it impossible even with help from a couple of truckers and drivers. He was on the off-ramp and here comes a big semi. It stops and blocks the wind so they could get a handle on the awning. Well, Virgil said he was worried that the trucker was blocking the ramp, but the driver told him not to worrry. He said, that’s the way they do things in Iowa! Gee Virgil, we are so happy you and Sharon made it back okay.Capt. Sabin has bought himself a new green car. You will have to ask him about his love of green.Everyone was to try on the new duty shirts to see what size they wear. And if you didn’t read the sign you didn’t know that the white tag ones were women’s sizes - Right, Kaiser??How many people can get in the second seat of the Chief’s buggy? Jerry was really bummed it rained in Springfi eld. They were going to use Quint 752 to raise the fl ag for the morning service. The new 2007 County Maps are in.Congratulations to the Extrication Team; They continue to make us proud. They brought home two trophies from Madison. Mark your calendar for these dates also:

Nationals - July 17-22 in Myrtle Beach Internationals - August 20-26 in Indianapolis

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New Chief’s Buggy or Inspectors Car?

Hey Aaron, afraid the cruise ship is going down?

Harlem-Roscoe FirePO Box 450Roscoe, IL 61073

The Firehouse Scene - 2

Vol. 12 No. 7 www.harlemroscoefi re.com July 2007

Car Catches Fire after CrashA Dodge Stratus burns after it was struck by a semi truck at the intersection of Belvidere Road and Hwy. 173 on June 21. Harlem-Roscoe Firefi ghter Gina McCauley pulls hose to extinguish the fi re. See page 2 for more...

Driver Gets Out of Burning CarBy Sheryl Drost

A semi truck and a Dodge Stratus crashed at the intersection of Belvidere Road and Hwy. 173 on June 21. The force of the crash sent the Dodge into the ditch and the semi came to a stop further down the highway. Luckily, the driver of the Dodge was able to get out before the car became fully involved with fi re. He was taken to the hospital by ambulance. Firefi ghters were able to quickly put the fi re out in the car as Paramedics attended to the injured driver. The semi driver was unhurt.

Firefi ghters Jon Pyzynski and Gina McCauley, with charged hose line in hand, head to the car that was fully involved with fi re.

Lt. Chad Radke helps with the hose line as Gina works on extinguishing the fi re inside the car. Jon uses a tool to open the front hood of the car to get to fi re there.

The semi can be seen further down the road on the left side of the picture above as fi refi ghters fi nish putting out the fi re in the car.

Firefi ghters Rescue Stranded BoatBy Sheryl Drost

A broken propeller on a pontoon boat ruins a night of fi shing and strands three fi shermen on the boat -- two of them handicapped. June 17, Harlem-Roscoe Firefi ghters responded to Riverside Park in Roscoe with one of the department’s boats after a call for help from the stranded fi shermen. After the propeller broke, the driver of the boat was victim to the current as the boat fl oated down the river. Firefi ghters were able to tie up to the boat and tow it to the dock area at Riverside Park. The dock had not been installed yet for the year, so fi refi ghters on the shore waded into the water to help the fi shermen off the boat and safely to shore.

After fi nding the disabled boat, fi refi ghter Jim Daughenbaugh boarded it and connected one end of the tow line to the pontoon boat. Firefi ghter Adam Cox connected the other end to the department’s boat. Captain Mike Drost then towed the stranded boat to the dock area at Riverside Park.

Firefi ghters Joe Quast and Matt Bush waded into the river to help carry one of the fi shermen safely to shore. Paramedics Jay Alms and John Morgan stand by, ready to see if any medical help is needed. Firefi ghters Jim Daughenbuagh and Dave Doyle wait to help the second fi sherman off the boat.

The department’s boat is loaded back on the trailer after a successful rescue!

The Firehouse Scene - The Firehouse Scene - Page 11

The PanelBy Lt. Jerry McCormick

Hello to all. Hope this month’s letter fi nds you all in good health and enjoying the summer.

This past month we held the defensive driving class at station # 1 on June 9. The class was a success. It lasted approximately six hours and some of those who attended are now driving. There are a few who were not there. We will have another defensive driving class either late this fall or early next year. Keep in mind that the defensive driving class is mandatory for you to be able to drive any fi re department apparatus.

June 14 -16, Pierce Manufacturing was in town for training on quint 752. The class was a great success and everyone enjoyed their time getting to know the truck. Our thanks goes out to Pierce for a great job with all of the classes that they did for us on both quints. Quint 752 should hopefully be in service within a couple of weeks.

There are several current operators and offi cers that need to complete the road course. All of the personnel involved have been given a memo about the course, what trucks they need to do the course in, and a time frame. All personnel involved need to get the course done by August 1. Please contact a driving division member to get the course done. The division members include: Lt. McCormick, Engineers: Matt Bush, Marty Green, Dave Doyle, Brian Archambeau, and Jeff Morris. Lt. Ron Klaman has stated that he can also help out with the road course if needed. If any questions, please feel free to contact me.

We are still working on some classes to be offered in the future. Some of these include pump classes, aerial operations classes, and aerial pump operations classes. If anyone has any ideas on classes or would like to see something taught, please let me know. I am open to any and all ideas.

Until next month, have fun and stay safe. Jerry

Quint Training

Instructors from Pierce go over the operation of the ladder on 752.

Probie Team Takes 3rd in Water FightsBy Randy Lovelace

On June 23, 2007, three probationary fi refi ghters competed as the Harlem Roscoe Probies, in the Turtle Township Fire Department water fi ghts. The team consisted of Brian Mayer, Marice “Reety” Radke and myself, and we garnered a 3rd place trophy at the event. The trophy refl ected the excellent positioning of the team with a 1st round

bye which guaranteed 3rd place in the event, and should not be confused with a grade of the team’s performance.

With excellent guidance from competing teams, the Turtle Township Fire Chief and members of the Harlem-Roscoe Fire Department, the team went from comically incompetent to mildly successful, learning about teamwork and accomplishing a task with dynamic conditions.

During the event, we learned the importance of clear communication, sharing of workloads, and developing simple skills like aiming nozzles and humping hose lines. We quickly became aware of the humility that goes along with the process of learning something new in front of avid spectators, friends and strangers.

As we found our skill levels improving, we also developed a strong camaraderie with each other and the other teams. The competitors couldn’t have been more helpful and understanding. While its true there was a lot of laughter coming from our opponents, those same opponents provided necessary time and assistance for the us to work the problem (hitting a seemingly invisible barrel with a 150 PSI 1 ¾ inch hose line), instead of simply going out and beating them quickly.

After the awards ceremony, the 2006 3rd place team, made up of Ramona Baldoni-Lake and Tom Lake, also received their trophy. They had to race away last year on their motorcycle because of stormy weather, and couldn’t stay to get their trophy during the 2006 awards ceremony. It seems that Harlem-Roscoe has a fi rm lock on 3rd place, and now needs to work on moving up.

Dangerous Driving: Worst Days for Traffi c FatalitiesSafe driving is no accident, it happens when drivers practice a safety-fi rst initiative and common sense decision-making. For the millions of motorists who think accidents are random, uncontrollable events, consider these sobering statistics published by the National Highway Traffi c Safety Administration (NHTSA) on traffi c fataliites that defi ne the most dangerous driving days. A clear pattern has emerged over 25 years since the NHTSA has been tracking this data. The pattern proves that drivers, not weather or fate, control the number of traffi c fatalities.

Top 10 Deadliest Days of the Year to Drive.July 4, July 3, December 23, December 24, December 22, August 3, January 1, September 1, September 2, August 4.

Deadliest Days of the Week to Drive .Saturday, Sunday, Friday, Thursday, Monday, Wednesday, Tuesday.

Deadliest Times of the Day to Drive.3:00 - 6:00 pm , 6:00 - 9:00 pm, 9:00 - Midnight, Noon - 3:00 pm Midnight - 3:00 am

Principals Visit Station Two

L-r: Fire Prevention Captain Bill Sabin, New Ralston School Principal Leasa Jackson, and outgoing Principal Steve Miller.

The new and outgoing principals of Ralston Grade School met with Capt. Sabin and Chief Oscar Presley at Station Two on June 26.

The two principals were given a tour of the station. They then discussed whether the station could be a place the kids could go if the school was evacuated and went over upcoming drills and inspections.

The fi re department and the school always work closely together when it comes to student safety, and this was also a nice chance to meet up with the new principal.

Happy ‘65th’Chief Oscar Presley

Yep, the Chief got pranked! :) Chief Presley just happened to go out of town for a few days right before his birthday. Now anyone that knows the chief, knows how he likes to make lists and notes. So, when we found this idea on the internet, it just fi t.

We got as many personnel as we could to sign birthday greetings and sayings on the post-it notes as well. The post-it notes came down very quickly, but stop by his offi ce and check out the picture banner. It shows a row of pictures of Oscar throughout the his 65 years!

Firefi ghters in the Community

June 11, Harlem-Roscoe fi refi ghters attended the groundbreaking for the new Menards. The new mega-store will be located on the corner of Hwy 173 and Forest Hills Road.

Firefi ghters Rico VanderHeyden, Kevin Bouton, and Mike Huffman were on hand with a truck and fi re prevention handouts during a summer celebration on Clayton Circle on June 23.

Lt. Tim Bergeron and Ryan Bussey were on hand at Walmart to give blood pressure checks and hand out literature for their Health Fair on June 23.

Several fi refi ghters also attended the opening ceremonies of the new I-90 interchange at Hwy 173.

The Firehouse Scene - Page 10 The Firehouse Scene -

Village of Roscoe Passes New Fire Code OrdinanceBy Sheryl Drost

The Village of Roscoe has passed a new ordinance adopting new fi re codes for such things as sprinkler systems in buildings as well as other life safety codes.

Ordinance No. 2007-23 passed on June 21 by a 6-0 vote of the village board. It adopts the 2000 edition NFPA 101 Life Safety code and the 2003 edition of the International Fire Code and Appendix chapters B, C, D, E, F, and G as published in the International Code Council for implementation within the boundaries of the Village of Roscoe, IL.

“The passing of this ordinance is something our Fire Prevention Team Capt. Bill Sabin and I have been wanting for some time,” said Harlem-Roscoe Fire Chief Oscar Presley, adding, “This ordinance will make everything consistent for construction and general safety.”

Chief Presley further explained, “It started when Capt. Sabin and I met with two Village of Roscoe offi cials, President Dave Krienke and Trustee Scott Richardson, to discuss the need for the adoption of these codes. President Krienke told us that if that is what was needed, he would see that it gets done! Of course, we had heard that before. But, within a couple of weeks, he called me and said it was done. Thank you, President Krienke!”

Fire Prevention Captain Bill Sabin was elated with the passage of the ordinance. He explained, “All new business construction in the Village of Roscoe will now have to have sprinklers, no matter what the square footage! The code also is used for controlling such things as building structure safety, and road sizes, and numbers of entrances and exits in subdivisions.”

President Krienke said, “When Chief Presley and Capt. Sabin brought this to my attention I was on board right away with it. Public safety is very important to me as well as to our Village Board. I told Trustee Scott Richardson to take it to committee and get it done. He took it to committee and the committee then brought it to the board. It was unanimously passed. We will also be fully backing the fi re department in enforcing this ordinance.”

Trustee Richardson added, “The village already had a code for sprinkling of buildings, but it had some loopholes. All businesses will now be on the same level playing fi eld with the adopting of this ordinance.”

Chief Presley stated, “This is defi nitely a great start, but we hope the Village of Machesney Park, the Village of Rockton, and the County of Winnebago will also adopt it so the rest of our fi re district will be covered as well!”

Village of Roscoe Ordinance No. 2007-23

AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING THE 2000 EDITION NFPA 101 LIFE SAFETY CODE AND THE 2003 EDITION OF THE INTERNATIONAL FIRE CODE AND APPENDIX CHAPTERS B, C, D, E, F, AND G AS PUBLISHED IN THE INTERNATIONAL CODE COUNCIL FOR IMPLEMENTATION WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE VILLAGE OF ROSCOE, ILLINOIS

WHEREAS, the Village wishes to adopt regulations to improve safety of the public by promoting the control of fi re hazards, regulating the installation, use and maintenance of equipment; regulating the use of structures, premises and open areas; providing for the abatement of fi re hazards and setting for standards for compliance to achieve these objectives; and

WHEREAS, the Village of Roscoe is authorized and empowered by statute to enact and enforce the provisions of this Ordinance.

NOW, THERFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE PRESIDENT AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGE OF ROSCOE, ILLINOIS, AS FOLLOWS:

It shall be unlawful for any person to violate this Ordinance, to permit or maintain such violation, to refuses to obey any provision thereof, or fail or refuse to comply with any such provision or regulation except as variation may be allowed by action of the Chief of the Harlem-Roscoe Fire Department in writing, and proof of such unlawful act or failure to act shall be deemed prima facie evidence that such act is that of the owner. Prosecution or lack thereof of either the owner or the occupant shall not be deemed to relieve the other.The provisions of this Ordinance shall

apply equally to both public and private property. I shall apply to all new structures and their occupancies including buildings, structures, equipment, and, except as otherwise specifi ed within its own terms, to existing structures and their occupancies, including buildings, structures, and equipment that constitute a clear and present hazard to life or property.The standard for safety from fi re in buildings and structures shall be that set forth in the 2000 edition of the NFPA 101, Life Safety Code, and said Code is hereby adopted and is incorporated as a part of this Ordinance by reference.The standard regulating and governing the safeguarding of life and property from fi re and explosion hazards arising from the storage, handling and use of hazardous substances, materials and devises and from conditions hazardous to life and property in the occupancy of buildings and premises in the Village of Roscoe shall be the 2003 edition of the International Fire Code including appendix chapters B, C, D, E, F and G as published by the International Code Council, and said Code and appendices are hereby adopted and are incorporated as a part of this Ordinance by reference. In addition to the standards set forth in the above-referenced Codes, any non-residential premises containing a balcony or mezzanine area above one story shall be required to have a standpipe.Further, any structure used for public meetings, any commercial building, and any retail business shall have sprinkler systems installed acceptable to the Chief of the Harlem-Roscoe Fire Department regardless of the square footage of the building. Any violation of this Ordinance shall be punishable by a fi ne of up to $750 per day with each day constituting a separate offense.Any ordinance or portion thereof in confl ict with this ordinance is hereby repealed.This Ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage, approval, and publication in pamphlet form as provided by law.

PASSED AND APPROVED by the Board of Trustees this 21st day of June 2007 Ayes: 6 Nays: 0 Absent : 0 Signed by Village President Dave Krienke

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BirthdaysJuly1st John Bergeron7th Mike Drost Virgil Johnson10th Jeff Brandenburg16th John Morgan19th Dan Borchardt Gina McCauley20th Don Fish21st Tim Bergeron25th Jim Sutherland27th Doug Wolfe

August7th Tom Lake8th Kirk Wilson9th Jeff Morris10th Chaplain John Heins11th Rico VanderHeyden14th Tim Schrader22nd Brad Knipp25th Dona Zopp27th Mike Sherbon28th Keith Lincoln

August Breakfast CrewBob Stark, Oscar Presley,

Amber Aaker, Ramona Baldoni-Lake,Christi Wilson, Shery Drost,

Keith Sandberg & Lindsay Weirick

Total 2007 CallsAs of 06/30/07

1092

The Firehouse Scene is a monthly newsletter produced by the Harlem-Roscoe F.P.D.

Editor-in-Chief - Chief Oscar PresleyEditor, Layout, Writer, Photographer -Sheryl Drost

Thank you to our contributing writers this month: Deputy Chief Kirk Wilson, Lt. Jerry McCormick, Randy Lovelace, & Chaplain PowellPrinter - Premier Printing

The Firehouse Scene is available at Station One - 10544 Main Street in Roscoe and on the department’s website after the second Sunday each month.

www.harlemroscoefi re.com

L-r Roscoe Trustee Scott Richardson, Roscoe President Dave Krienke, Fire Chief Oscar Presley, and Fire Prevention Captain Bill Sabin pose with a copy of the newly passed ordinance.

The Firehouse Scene - The Firehouse Scene -Page 9

From the Chief’s DeskBy Chief Oscar Presley

I know it has been some time since ISO was out to visit and rate us as a fi re department. Well, we have received the results this month. Wow! We have a new rating of 3-4-8b. Our old rating was 5-9. East of Dorr Road and north of Roscoe is a 3. The Village of Roscoe and the Village of Machesney Park are a 4. And fi ve miles from a

fi re station is the 8b. Oh, yes, we still have a water shuttle planned for this summer that may improve the area the 8b covers. The local insurance companies will receive this information in August. This may lower your cost on your homeowner’s insurance. I have also asked 9-1-1 on North Main to check to see what is needed for good rates from ISO on the central dispatch.

Our offi cers who attended classes in Springfi eld may have items to share with you. Lt. McCormick showed our 752 to a lot of lookers and we all received nice comments about the Quints.

There are a lot of things coming down the pipe line that may affect us and how we operate. Rules are a big one, our gear is another, as are equipment, tools, technology, and interoperability communications. We are presently working on a new technical rescue truck. You may have seen some of the possible ideas. We are getting close to going down to Alexis to fi nish the inside plans.

I hope we can stay up with or ahead of the demands that are required of us. I hope you have an enjoyable summer and a safe one.

Never Forget the Fallen.By Deputy Chief Kirk Wilson

On Monday, June 18th, the Charleston Fire Department experienced one of the worst fi re tragedies since September 11, 2001. Nine fi refi ghters made the supreme sacrifi ce while battling a sofa warehouse fi re. It is believed that the fi refi ghters were attempting civilian rescue

operations when, without warning, there was a catastrophic roof collapse. According to Charleston Fire Chief Rusty Thomas, there were other companies in the building that thankfully escaped with their lives.

I don’t know if any of you had the opportunity to view the videos on the Internet, but this was truly a fast moving fi re. Sprinklers or any other means of fi re protection did not exist within this structure. With the size, complexity, and fi re load within this building, there should have been fi re protection. This is unfortunate, creating an enormous problem while trying to contain this fi re.

Again, we must remind ourselves that all fi refi ghters (whether career or volunteer) are always vulnerable to injury or even death when responding to or working at incidents.

We can sit and critique the pictures and videos that are provided by the media and ask ourselves what was right or wrong but the real truth of the matter is that we are fi refi ghters trained to take risks when attempting to save life and property. This is our nature.

After the fi re came the reality of dealing with nine line-of-duty fi re deaths. How would our department handle such a great loss of life? How would you handle such a great loss of life? Watching the

memorial service was an emotional and very sad eye opener. Nine caskets were lined with portraits of the brave men who gave their lives for something they truly loved and did well…..being fi refi ghters.

I, along with the offi cers, can’t stress enough the importance of training. Although training may seem repetitive and boring to some, it is important we strive for excellence while training. Repetitive training makes all members work as a “well-oiled machine”. Staying focused on the tasks at hand, such as training, will make all of us more effi cient responders.

The Board of Trustees, along with the department offi cers, never want encounter the heartache and pain of laying a fi refi ghter to rest following a line-of-duty death. Please think before you react and think “safety fi rst”. A total of 61 fi refi ghters have perished across our nation this year.. Please take the time and refl ect on the fi refi ghters that have made the supreme sacrifi ce and pray for our brothers and sisters. Most important, Never Forget the Fallen.

Chaplains CornerBy Chaplain John Powell

We live in the greatest country in the world…(just waiting for all the applause and accolades of agreement). This month we will celebrate our independence as a nation. We celebrate July the 4th will enthusiasm and vigor. There will be many parades, picnics, barbeques, and yes, fi reworks (and in the words of our chief, “leave the explosives to the professionals).

Part of the celebration that culminates every year at this time is rarely understood, often misinterpreted and sometimes taken for granted. Let me give you some words for your consideration: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

These words are from the Bill of Rights. In fact, it is the fi rst amendment of the Bill of Rights. These words have long been special and precious to our land and its citizens. These words give us the unalienable rights to worship and praise our creator without concern of reprisal and punishment from our government or any other hierarchal power.

This right and privilege is too many times not even realized by our country. As I drove to Grand Rapids, MI this past week for training, I am in awe at the gamut of churches and denominations represented just from the view of the interstate. As a minister in a church, I am thankful that no one has the right to make me and our church conform to a “cookie cutter” form of religious and ideological standards. This gives us the right to worship the way we feel is best. Some may argue that their way is best, others may say their way is best. But the best thing of all is that we have the right and privilege to believe as we wish.

If you are a person of faith, you should thank our forefathers for the opportunity that has been a afforded you today. As a chaplain, I am always thankful for the privilege to serve a department, not just as fi re department personnel, but also with the backing as a member of the clergy. Thanks again for the honor to serve. Have a very blessed and happy Fourth of July Preacher

Springfi eld Trip By Lt. Jerry McCormick

Six Harlem-Roscoe Fire personnel and their families attended this year’s Annual IL Association of Fire Protection District’s Conference in Springfi eld on June 21-23 --Trustee Jerry Ocker, Chief Oscar Presley, Assitant Chief Ken O’Dell, Lt. Ron Klaman, Lt. Jerry McCormick, Lt. Jeff Ball, and Lt. Jay Alms.

I was lucky enough to be asked to drive quint 752 down for the conference. I left on Wednesday morning and arrived at approximately 1:30 pm. I met up with all of the Pierce salesmen who work for Global Fire (the Pierce dealer we buy our Pierce trucks from) at a local fi re station just north of Springfi eld. They were all there waiting for me so we could wash the truck. After that, we drove into Springfi eld to get the truck inside for the night.

Thursday morning, we set the truck up outside of the Convention Center and spent another two hours waxing and doing windows to get the truck ready for the conference. 752 was directly across from another Pierce quint. These two trucks were going to be used to raise the American fl ag Friday morning in the opening ceremonies. Thursday afternoon, the weather started calling for rain on Friday morning. When Friday rolled around, we started at 7:30 am with a “wet run” with the set up for the fl ag, so we were ready for the ceremony. Lt. Klaman was to run the other quint. After we were all ready to go, they cancelled the fl ag raising and bag pipers and moved it all inside. Then, at 10 am, when thee fl ag was to be raised, the skies were jet blue and not even a hint of rain was anywhere in sight. But, the bag pipers lead us into the dome where we were able to raise the fl ag with a tower platform from Pierce. The ceremony was nice and the pipers were excellent, especially when they played Amazing Grace.

The rest of the trip was spent looking around at the displays and talking with different vendors and eating some really good food. The guys from Global were an excellent bunch of guys to be around and they treated me like family. All in all, a good time was had by all. The drive home was very long, but nice to be home. I want to say thank you to all who attended. I had a great time.

Driver’s Challenge

Ron, Jerry, Jeff, & Ken all participated in a driver’s challenge in Springfi eld during the conference. They say it was similar to the obstacle course our personnel must perform before they can drive a department vehicle. Lt. Jerry McCormick placed third and we believe he is now permanently attached to the trophy he received. All kidding aside Jerry, good job!

L-r, Chief Oscar Presley, Lt. Jerry McCormick, Lt. Ron Klaman, & Lt. Jeff Ball pose in front of the Fallen FIrefi ghter’s Memorial.

All around the above memorial are bricks with names of people and departments that have donated to the memorial. Left, is a picture of one of our stones. Below is a picture Marcie Ball took out their hotel window looking down at the Quint on display with the other trucks.

Training Snapshots

June 12 - Fire Suppression


June 19 - Water Supply


June 26 - Rope Rescue Training

The Firehouse Scene -Page 8 The Firehouse Scene -

Times RekindledBy Sheryl Drost

When the old war stories start fl ying with our older fi remen, one name seems to pop up a lot – Fred Tuttle. Fred served on Harlem-Roscoe Fire for 13-1/2 years back in the 70’s and 80’s. He retired as a Lieutenant. He currently lives in Venice, Florida. He was back for a visit recently and he and Oscar got talking about the

fun old times and here are his answers to my questions. We didn’t get a new picture of him, but he hasn’t really changed much since these pictures were taken!

What was your fi rst call? “My fi rst call was a grass fi re.”

What was your most memorable call? “One of my most memo-rable calls was a large two or three story house. The house was fully involved with fi re. Oscar had a hose line on the fl oor above me and I was fi ghting the fi re on my fl oor when all of the sudden bullets were pinging everywhere. Boy did I duck. It seems the fi re had gotten into a box of bullets. I want you to know; we still put that fi re out and saved the house!”

What has changed since you were on? “A lot of things have changed since I was on. You have nicer stations. Back then we ran out of one station that covered the whole territory. It was fun to ride on the back of the fi re trucks going down the road. We also would do things you wouldn’t do today. We would run up to a car fi re and stick the hose in the gas tank and fi ll the tank up with water – everyone knew gas fumes are more dangerous than a full tank. We didn’t have breathing masks so you would keep your mouth right behind the nozzle and stream of water to breathe fresh air. Shoot, we fought a lot of fi res that way.

What was your worst call? “The worst calls were the ones where you lost somebody. I remember one where we just couldn’t save it – the house was fully involved when we arrived and we were fi ghting 50 mph winds. Mutual aid departments went to the wrong road, we ran out of water, and then we found a man dead in the basement.”

What was a funny call? “The funniest or well, the most embarrass-ing call has to be responding to a house fi re on the south end. I was the last truck out and all the trucks were heading down 251. Well, I began to think the governor had broken on the truck because I was fl ying. Shoot, I passed up all the trucks and wow, I got to be the fi rst one on the scene. Well, I quickly found out why I could go faster than the other trucks - I had no water in my tank!

Boy, I would also have to say the Coon & Ham Dinners were very memorable too. I was always on the “dishwashing crew” and boy we would have a good time!”

Fred can be seen on the far right with the guys that brought back trophies from the Firefi ghting Play Day at Cherry Valley in 1971. Left to right standing, Terry Pitkis, Harold Richards, ??, Don Paris, and Fred. Kneeling, Richard Mackenthun, Oscar Presley, and Dick Lyford.

HawksPoint Subdivision’s Fourth of July Kiddy Parade

Oil SpillPhotos by Sheryl Drost

July 5, fi refi ghters responded to Rockton Road for a oil spill in a parking lot. It seems a machine had blown a line and spilled over 100 gallons of cutting oil out into the parking lot. The spill was diked and contained before reaching the drain. Workers used machines to suck up the oil and then oil dry was put down. The Sheriff’s Emergency Rescue Team (SERT) Chief Dennis Lolli was called to the scene and assisted the management of the company with the cleanup.

Firefi ghters pour out oil dry over the bulk of the area.

SERT Chief Dennis Lolli had fi refi ghters lift off the drain cover to see if any oil had gotten into the drain. None was found.


06/14/07 Hwy 251 & Prairie Rose Drive 06/07/07 Rockton Road & Willowbrook Road

06/06/07 Hwy 251 & Prairie Hill Road 07/04/07 Forest Hills Road near Summer Hawk Rd. 06/05/07 Hwy 251 & Ralston Road 06/14/07 I-90 MM 76

06/05/07 Hwy 251 & Swanson Road 06/16/07 Hwy 251 & Bridge St. 06/23/07 Manchester Rd. 07/01/07 I-90 MM 75

06/29/07 Hwy 251 & Williams Drive 06/29/07 Hwy 173 & North Alpine Road

Accidents Photos by Chief Oscar Presley and Sheryl Drost

Training Snapshots





June 26 - Rope Rescue Training


Times RekindledBy Sheryl Drost

When the old war stories start fl ying with our older fi remen, one name seems to pop up a lot – Fred Tuttle. Fred served on Harlem-Roscoe Fire for 13-1/2 years back in the 70’s and 80’s. He retired as a Lieutenant. He currently lives in Venice, Florida. He was back for a visit recently and he and Oscar got talking about the

fun old times and here are his answers to my questions. We didn’t get a new picture of him, but he hasn’t really changed much since these pictures were taken!

What was your fi rst call? “My fi rst call was a grass fi re.”

What was your most memorable call? “One of my most memo-rable calls was a large two or three story house. The house was fully involved with fi re. Oscar had a hose line on the fl oor above me and I was fi ghting the fi re on my fl oor when all of the sudden bullets were pinging everywhere. Boy did I duck. It seems the fi re had gotten into a box of bullets. I want you to know; we still put that fi re out and saved the house!”

What has changed since you were on? “A lot of things have changed since I was on. You have nicer stations. Back then we ran out of one station that covered the whole territory. It was fun to ride on the back of the fi re trucks going down the road. We also would do things you wouldn’t do today. We would run up to a car fi re and stick the hose in the gas tank and fi ll the tank up with water – everyone knew gas fumes are more dangerous than a full tank. We didn’t have breathing masks so you would keep your mouth right behind the nozzle and stream of water to breathe fresh air. Shoot, we fought a lot of fi res that way.

What was your worst call? “The worst calls were the ones where you lost somebody. I remember one where we just couldn’t save it – the house was fully involved when we arrived and we were fi ghting 50 mph winds. Mutual aid departments went to the wrong road, we ran out of water, and then we found a man dead in the basement.”

What was a funny call? “The funniest or well, the most embarrass-ing call has to be responding to a house fi re on the south end. I was the last truck out and all the trucks were heading down 251. Well, I began to think the governor had broken on the truck because I was fl ying. Shoot, I passed up all the trucks and wow, I got to be the fi rst one on the scene. Well, I quickly found out why I could go faster than the other trucks - I had no water in my tank!

Boy, I would also have to say the Coon & Ham Dinners were very memorable too. I was always on the “dishwashing crew” and boy we would have a good time!”

Fred can be seen on the far right with the guys that brought back trophies from the Firefi ghting Play Day at Cherry Valley in 1971. Left to right standing, Terry Pitkis, Harold Richards, ??, Don Paris, and Fred. Kneeling, Richard Mackenthun, Oscar Presley, and Dick Lyford.

HawksPoint Subdivision’s Fourth of July Kiddy Parade

Oil SpillPhotos by Sheryl Drost

July 5, fi refi ghters responded to Rockton Road for a oil spill in a parking lot. It seems a machine had blown a line and spilled over 100 gallons of cutting oil out into the parking lot. The spill was diked and contained before reaching the drain. Workers used machines to suck up the oil and then oil dry was put down. The Sheriff’s Emergency Rescue Team (SERT) Chief Dennis Lolli was called to the scene and assisted the management of the company with the cleanup.

Firefi ghters pour out oil dry over the bulk of the area.

SERT Chief Dennis Lolli had fi refi ghters lift off the drain cover to see if any oil had gotten into the drain. None was found.


From the Chief’s DeskBy Chief Oscar Presley

I know it has been some time since ISO was out to visit and rate us as a fi re department. Well, we have received the results this month. Wow! We have a new rating of 3-4-8b. Our old rating was 5-9. East of Dorr Road and north of Roscoe is a 3. The Village of Roscoe and the Village of Machesney Park are a 4. And fi ve miles from a

fi re station is the 8b. Oh, yes, we still have a water shuttle planned for this summer that may improve the area the 8b covers. The local insurance companies will receive this information in August. This may lower your cost on your homeowner’s insurance. I have also asked 9-1-1 on North Main to check to see what is needed for good rates from ISO on the central dispatch.

Our offi cers who attended classes in Springfi eld may have items to share with you. Lt. McCormick showed our 752 to a lot of lookers and we all received nice comments about the Quints.

There are a lot of things coming down the pipe line that may affect us and how we operate. Rules are a big one, our gear is another, as are equipment, tools, technology, and interoperability communications. We are presently working on a new technical rescue truck. You may have seen some of the possible ideas. We are getting close to going down to Alexis to fi nish the inside plans.

I hope we can stay up with or ahead of the demands that are required of us. I hope you have an enjoyable summer and a safe one.

Never Forget the Fallen.By Deputy Chief Kirk Wilson

On Monday, June 18th, the Charleston Fire Department experienced one of the worst fi re tragedies since September 11, 2001. Nine fi refi ghters made the supreme sacrifi ce while battling a sofa warehouse fi re. It is believed that the fi refi ghters were attempting civilian rescue

operations when, without warning, there was a catastrophic roof collapse. According to Charleston Fire Chief Rusty Thomas, there were other companies in the building that thankfully escaped with their lives.

I don’t know if any of you had the opportunity to view the videos on the Internet, but this was truly a fast moving fi re. Sprinklers or any other means of fi re protection did not exist within this structure. With the size, complexity, and fi re load within this building, there should have been fi re protection. This is unfortunate, creating an enormous problem while trying to contain this fi re.

Again, we must remind ourselves that all fi refi ghters (whether career or volunteer) are always vulnerable to injury or even death when responding to or working at incidents.

We can sit and critique the pictures and videos that are provided by the media and ask ourselves what was right or wrong but the real truth of the matter is that we are fi refi ghters trained to take risks when attempting to save life and property. This is our nature.

After the fi re came the reality of dealing with nine line-of-duty fi re deaths. How would our department handle such a great loss of life? How would you handle such a great loss of life? Watching the

memorial service was an emotional and very sad eye opener. Nine caskets were lined with portraits of the brave men who gave their lives for something they truly loved and did well…..being fi refi ghters.

I, along with the offi cers, can’t stress enough the importance of training. Although training may seem repetitive and boring to some, it is important we strive for excellence while training. Repetitive training makes all members work as a “well-oiled machine”. Staying focused on the tasks at hand, such as training, will make all of us more effi cient responders.

The Board of Trustees, along with the department offi cers, never want encounter the heartache and pain of laying a fi refi ghter to rest following a line-of-duty death. Please think before you react and think “safety fi rst”. A total of 61 fi refi ghters have perished across our nation this year.. Please take the time and refl ect on the fi refi ghters that have made the supreme sacrifi ce and pray for our brothers and sisters. Most important, Never Forget the Fallen.

Chaplains CornerBy Chaplain John Powell

We live in the greatest country in the world…(just waiting for all the applause and accolades of agreement). This month we will celebrate our independence as a nation. We celebrate July the 4th will enthusiasm and vigor. There will be many parades, picnics, barbeques, and yes, fi reworks (and in the words of our chief, “leave the explosives to the professionals).

Part of the celebration that culminates every year at this time is rarely understood, often misinterpreted and sometimes taken for granted. Let me give you some words for your consideration: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

These words are from the Bill of Rights. In fact, it is the fi rst amendment of the Bill of Rights. These words have long been special and precious to our land and its citizens. These words give us the unalienable rights to worship and praise our creator without concern of reprisal and punishment from our government or any other hierarchal power.

This right and privilege is too many times not even realized by our country. As I drove to Grand Rapids, MI this past week for training, I am in awe at the gamut of churches and denominations represented just from the view of the interstate. As a minister in a church, I am thankful that no one has the right to make me and our church conform to a “cookie cutter” form of religious and ideological standards. This gives us the right to worship the way we feel is best. Some may argue that their way is best, others may say their way is best. But the best thing of all is that we have the right and privilege to believe as we wish.

If you are a person of faith, you should thank our forefathers for the opportunity that has been a afforded you today. As a chaplain, I am always thankful for the privilege to serve a department, not just as fi re department personnel, but also with the backing as a member of the clergy. Thanks again for the honor to serve. Have a very blessed and happy Fourth of July Preacher

Springfi eld Trip By Lt. Jerry McCormick

Six Harlem-Roscoe Fire personnel and their families attended this year’s Annual IL Association of Fire Protection District’s Conference in Springfi eld on June 21-23 --Trustee Jerry Ocker, Chief Oscar Presley, Assitant Chief Ken O’Dell, Lt. Ron Klaman, Lt. Jerry McCormick, Lt. Jeff Ball, and Lt. Jay Alms.

I was lucky enough to be asked to drive quint 752 down for the conference. I left on Wednesday morning and arrived at approximately 1:30 pm. I met up with all of the Pierce salesmen who work for Global Fire (the Pierce dealer we buy our Pierce trucks from) at a local fi re station just north of Springfi eld. They were all there waiting for me so we could wash the truck. After that, we drove into Springfi eld to get the truck inside for the night.

Thursday morning, we set the truck up outside of the Convention Center and spent another two hours waxing and doing windows to get the truck ready for the conference. 752 was directly across from another Pierce quint. These two trucks were going to be used to raise the American fl ag Friday morning in the opening ceremonies. Thursday afternoon, the weather started calling for rain on Friday morning. When Friday rolled around, we started at 7:30 am with a “wet run” with the set up for the fl ag, so we were ready for the ceremony. Lt. Klaman was to run the other quint. After we were all ready to go, they cancelled the fl ag raising and bag pipers and moved it all inside. Then, at 10 am, when thee fl ag was to be raised, the skies were jet blue and not even a hint of rain was anywhere in sight. But, the bag pipers lead us into the dome where we were able to raise the fl ag with a tower platform from Pierce. The ceremony was nice and the pipers were excellent, especially when they played Amazing Grace.

The rest of the trip was spent looking around at the displays and talking with different vendors and eating some really good food. The guys from Global were an excellent bunch of guys to be around and they treated me like family. All in all, a good time was had by all. The drive home was very long, but nice to be home. I want to say thank you to all who attended. I had a great time.

Driver’s Challenge

Ron, Jerry, Jeff, & Ken all participated in a driver’s challenge in Springfi eld during the conference. They say it was similar to the obstacle course our personnel must perform before they can drive a department vehicle. Lt. Jerry McCormick placed third and we believe he is now permanently attached to the trophy he received. All kidding aside Jerry, good job!

L-r, Chief Oscar Presley, Lt. Jerry McCormick, Lt. Ron Klaman, & Lt. Jeff Ball pose in front of the Fallen FIrefi ghter’s Memorial.

All around the above memorial are bricks with names of people and departments that have donated to the memorial. Left, is a picture of one of our stones. Below is a picture Marcie Ball took out their hotel window looking down at the Quint on display with the other trucks.

Principals Visit Station Two

L-r: Fire Prevention Captain Bill Sabin, New Ralston School Principal Leasa Jackson, and outgoing Principal Steve Miller.

The new and outgoing principals of Ralston Grade School met with Capt. Sabin and Chief Oscar Presley at Station Two on June 26.

The two principals were given a tour of the station. They then discussed whether the station could be a place the kids could go if the school was evacuated and went over upcoming drills and inspections.

The fi re department and the school always work closely together when it comes to student safety, and this was also a nice chance to meet up with the new principal.

Happy ‘65th’Chief Oscar Presley

Yep, the Chief got pranked! :) Chief Presley just happened to go out of town for a few days right before his birthday. Now anyone that knows the chief, knows how he likes to make lists and notes. So, when we found this idea on the internet, it just fi t.

We got as many personnel as we could to sign birthday greetings and sayings on the post-it notes as well. The post-it notes came down very quickly, but stop by his offi ce and check out the picture banner. It shows a row of pictures of Oscar throughout the his 65 years!

Firefi ghters in the Community

June 11, Harlem-Roscoe fi refi ghters attended the groundbreaking for the new Menards. The new mega-store will be located on the corner of Hwy 173 and Forest Hills Road.

Firefi ghters Rico VanderHeyden, Kevin Bouton, and Mike Huffman were on hand with a truck and fi re prevention handouts during a summer celebration on Clayton Circle on June 23.

Lt. Tim Bergeron and Ryan Bussey were on hand at Walmart to give blood pressure checks and hand out literature for their Health Fair on June 23.

Several fi refi ghters also attended the opening ceremonies of the new I-90 interchange at Hwy 173.


Village of Roscoe Passes New Fire Code OrdinanceBy Sheryl Drost

The Village of Roscoe has passed a new ordinance adopting new fi re codes for such things as sprinkler systems in buildings as well as other life safety codes.

Ordinance No. 2007-23 passed on June 21 by a 6-0 vote of the village board. It adopts the 2000 edition NFPA 101 Life Safety code and the 2003 edition of the International Fire Code and Appendix chapters B, C, D, E, F, and G as published in the International Code Council for implementation within the boundaries of the Village of Roscoe, IL.

“The passing of this ordinance is something our Fire Prevention Team Capt. Bill Sabin and I have been wanting for some time,” said Harlem-Roscoe Fire Chief Oscar Presley, adding, “This ordinance will make everything consistent for construction and general safety.”

Chief Presley further explained, “It started when Capt. Sabin and I met with two Village of Roscoe offi cials, President Dave Krienke and Trustee Scott Richardson, to discuss the need for the adoption of these codes. President Krienke told us that if that is what was needed, he would see that it gets done! Of course, we had heard that before. But, within a couple of weeks, he called me and said it was done. Thank you, President Krienke!”

Fire Prevention Captain Bill Sabin was elated with the passage of the ordinance. He explained, “All new business construction in the Village of Roscoe will now have to have sprinklers, no matter what the square footage! The code also is used for controlling such things as building structure safety, and road sizes, and numbers of entrances and exits in subdivisions.”

President Krienke said, “When Chief Presley and Capt. Sabin brought this to my attention I was on board right away with it. Public safety is very important to me as well as to our Village Board. I told Trustee Scott Richardson to take it to committee and get it done. He took it to committee and the committee then brought it to the board. It was unanimously passed. We will also be fully backing the fi re department in enforcing this ordinance.”

Trustee Richardson added, “The village already had a code for sprinkling of buildings, but it had some loopholes. All businesses will now be on the same level playing fi eld with the adopting of this ordinance.”

Chief Presley stated, “This is defi nitely a great start, but we hope the Village of Machesney Park, the Village of Rockton, and the County of Winnebago will also adopt it so the rest of our fi re district will be covered as well!”

Village of Roscoe Ordinance No. 2007-23

AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING THE 2000 EDITION NFPA 101 LIFE SAFETY CODE AND THE 2003 EDITION OF THE INTERNATIONAL FIRE CODE AND APPENDIX CHAPTERS B, C, D, E, F, AND G AS PUBLISHED IN THE INTERNATIONAL CODE COUNCIL FOR IMPLEMENTATION WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE VILLAGE OF ROSCOE, ILLINOIS

WHEREAS, the Village wishes to adopt regulations to improve safety of the public by promoting the control of fi re hazards, regulating the installation, use and maintenance of equipment; regulating the use of structures, premises and open areas; providing for the abatement of fi re hazards and setting for standards for compliance to achieve these objectives; and

WHEREAS, the Village of Roscoe is authorized and empowered by statute to enact and enforce the provisions of this Ordinance.

NOW, THERFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE PRESIDENT AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGE OF ROSCOE, ILLINOIS, AS FOLLOWS:

It shall be unlawful for any person to violate this Ordinance, to permit or maintain such violation, to refuses to obey any provision thereof, or fail or refuse to comply with any such provision or regulation except as variation may be allowed by action of the Chief of the Harlem-Roscoe Fire Department in writing, and proof of such unlawful act or failure to act shall be deemed prima facie evidence that such act is that of the owner. Prosecution or lack thereof of either the owner or the occupant shall not be deemed to relieve the other.The provisions of this Ordinance shall

apply equally to both public and private property. I shall apply to all new structures and their occupancies including buildings, structures, equipment, and, except as otherwise specifi ed within its own terms, to existing structures and their occupancies, including buildings, structures, and equipment that constitute a clear and present hazard to life or property.The standard for safety from fi re in buildings and structures shall be that set forth in the 2000 edition of the NFPA 101, Life Safety Code, and said Code is hereby adopted and is incorporated as a part of this Ordinance by reference.The standard regulating and governing the safeguarding of life and property from fi re and explosion hazards arising from the storage, handling and use of hazardous substances, materials and devises and from conditions hazardous to life and property in the occupancy of buildings and premises in the Village of Roscoe shall be the 2003 edition of the International Fire Code including appendix chapters B, C, D, E, F and G as published by the International Code Council, and said Code and appendices are hereby adopted and are incorporated as a part of this Ordinance by reference. In addition to the standards set forth in the above-referenced Codes, any non-residential premises containing a balcony or mezzanine area above one story shall be required to have a standpipe.Further, any structure used for public meetings, any commercial building, and any retail business shall have sprinkler systems installed acceptable to the Chief of the Harlem-Roscoe Fire Department regardless of the square footage of the building. Any violation of this Ordinance shall be punishable by a fi ne of up to $750 per day with each day constituting a separate offense.Any ordinance or portion thereof in confl ict with this ordinance is hereby repealed.This Ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage, approval, and publication in pamphlet form as provided by law.

PASSED AND APPROVED by the Board of Trustees this 21st day of June 2007 Ayes: 6 Nays: 0 Absent : 0 Signed by Village President Dave Krienke

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BirthdaysJuly1st John Bergeron7th Mike Drost Virgil Johnson10th Jeff Brandenburg16th John Morgan19th Dan Borchardt Gina McCauley20th Don Fish21st Tim Bergeron25th Jim Sutherland27th Doug Wolfe

August7th Tom Lake8th Kirk Wilson9th Jeff Morris10th Chaplain John Heins11th Rico VanderHeyden14th Tim Schrader22nd Brad Knipp25th Dona Zopp27th Mike Sherbon28th Keith Lincoln

August Breakfast CrewBob Stark, Oscar Presley,

Amber Aaker, Ramona Baldoni-Lake,Christi Wilson, Shery Drost,

Keith Sandberg & Lindsay Weirick

Total 2007 CallsAs of 06/30/07

1092

The Firehouse Scene is a monthly newsletter produced by the Harlem-Roscoe F.P.D.

Editor-in-Chief - Chief Oscar PresleyEditor, Layout, Writer, Photographer -Sheryl Drost

Thank you to our contributing writers this month: Deputy Chief Kirk Wilson, Lt. Jerry McCormick, Randy Lovelace, & Chaplain PowellPrinter - Premier Printing

The Firehouse Scene is available at Station One - 10544 Main Street in Roscoe and on the department’s website after the second Sunday each month.

www.harlemroscoefi re.com

L-r Roscoe Trustee Scott Richardson, Roscoe President Dave Krienke, Fire Chief Oscar Presley, and Fire Prevention Captain Bill Sabin pose with a copy of the newly passed ordinance.

Driver Gets Out of Burning CarBy Sheryl Drost

A semi truck and a Dodge Stratus crashed at the intersection of Belvidere Road and Hwy. 173 on June 21. The force of the crash sent the Dodge into the ditch and the semi came to a stop further down the highway. Luckily, the driver of the Dodge was able to get out before the car became fully involved with fi re. He was taken to the hospital by ambulance. Firefi ghters were able to quickly put the fi re out in the car as Paramedics attended to the injured driver. The semi driver was unhurt.

Firefi ghters Jon Pyzynski and Gina McCauley, with charged hose line in hand, head to the car that was fully involved with fi re.

Lt. Chad Radke helps with the hose line as Gina works on extinguishing the fi re inside the car. Jon uses a tool to open the front hood of the car to get to fi re there.

The semi can be seen further down the road on the left side of the picture above as fi refi ghters fi nish putting out the fi re in the car.

Firefi ghters Rescue Stranded BoatBy Sheryl Drost

A broken propeller on a pontoon boat ruins a night of fi shing and strands three fi shermen on the boat -- two of them handicapped. June 17, Harlem-Roscoe Firefi ghters responded to Riverside Park in Roscoe with one of the department’s boats after a call for help from the stranded fi shermen. After the propeller broke, the driver of the boat was victim to the current as the boat fl oated down the river. Firefi ghters were able to tie up to the boat and tow it to the dock area at Riverside Park. The dock had not been installed yet for the year, so fi refi ghters on the shore waded into the water to help the fi shermen off the boat and safely to shore.

After fi nding the disabled boat, fi refi ghter Jim Daughenbaugh boarded it and connected one end of the tow line to the pontoon boat. Firefi ghter Adam Cox connected the other end to the department’s boat. Captain Mike Drost then towed the stranded boat to the dock area at Riverside Park.

Firefi ghters Joe Quast and Matt Bush waded into the river to help carry one of the fi shermen safely to shore. Paramedics Jay Alms and John Morgan stand by, ready to see if any medical help is needed. Firefi ghters Jim Daughenbuagh and Dave Doyle wait to help the second fi sherman off the boat.

The department’s boat is loaded back on the trailer after a successful rescue!


The PanelBy Lt. Jerry McCormick

Hello to all. Hope this month’s letter fi nds you all in good health and enjoying the summer.

This past month we held the defensive driving class at station # 1 on June 9. The class was a success. It lasted approximately six hours and some of those who attended are now driving. There are a few who were not there. We will have another defensive driving class either late this fall or early next year. Keep in mind that the defensive driving class is mandatory for you to be able to drive any fi re department apparatus.

June 14 -16, Pierce Manufacturing was in town for training on quint 752. The class was a great success and everyone enjoyed their time getting to know the truck. Our thanks goes out to Pierce for a great job with all of the classes that they did for us on both quints. Quint 752 should hopefully be in service within a couple of weeks.

There are several current operators and offi cers that need to complete the road course. All of the personnel involved have been given a memo about the course, what trucks they need to do the course in, and a time frame. All personnel involved need to get the course done by August 1. Please contact a driving division member to get the course done. The division members include: Lt. McCormick, Engineers: Matt Bush, Marty Green, Dave Doyle, Brian Archambeau, and Jeff Morris. Lt. Ron Klaman has stated that he can also help out with the road course if needed. If any questions, please feel free to contact me.

We are still working on some classes to be offered in the future. Some of these include pump classes, aerial operations classes, and aerial pump operations classes. If anyone has any ideas on classes or would like to see something taught, please let me know. I am open to any and all ideas.

Until next month, have fun and stay safe. Jerry

Quint Training

Instructors from Pierce go over the operation of the ladder on 752.

Probie Team Takes 3rd in Water FightsBy Randy Lovelace

On June 23, 2007, three probationary fi refi ghters competed as the Harlem Roscoe Probies, in the Turtle Township Fire Department water fi ghts. The team consisted of Brian Mayer, Marice “Reety” Radke and myself, and we garnered a 3rd place trophy at the event. The trophy refl ected the excellent positioning of the team with a 1st round

bye which guaranteed 3rd place in the event, and should not be confused with a grade of the team’s performance.

With excellent guidance from competing teams, the Turtle Township Fire Chief and members of the Harlem-Roscoe Fire Department, the team went from comically incompetent to mildly successful, learning about teamwork and accomplishing a task with dynamic conditions.

During the event, we learned the importance of clear communication, sharing of workloads, and developing simple skills like aiming nozzles and humping hose lines. We quickly became aware of the humility that goes along with the process of learning something new in front of avid spectators, friends and strangers.

As we found our skill levels improving, we also developed a strong camaraderie with each other and the other teams. The competitors couldn’t have been more helpful and understanding. While its true there was a lot of laughter coming from our opponents, those same opponents provided necessary time and assistance for the us to work the problem (hitting a seemingly invisible barrel with a 150 PSI 1 ¾ inch hose line), instead of simply going out and beating them quickly.

After the awards ceremony, the 2006 3rd place team, made up of Ramona Baldoni-Lake and Tom Lake, also received their trophy. They had to race away last year on their motorcycle because of stormy weather, and couldn’t stay to get their trophy during the 2006 awards ceremony. It seems that Harlem-Roscoe has a fi rm lock on 3rd place, and now needs to work on moving up.

Dangerous Driving: Worst Days for Traffi c FatalitiesSafe driving is no accident, it happens when drivers practice a safety-fi rst initiative and common sense decision-making. For the millions of motorists who think accidents are random, uncontrollable events, consider these sobering statistics published by the National Highway Traffi c Safety Administration (NHTSA) on traffi c fataliites that defi ne the most dangerous driving days. A clear pattern has emerged over 25 years since the NHTSA has been tracking this data. The pattern proves that drivers, not weather or fate, control the number of traffi c fatalities.

Top 10 Deadliest Days of the Year to Drive.July 4, July 3, December 23, December 24, December 22, August 3, January 1, September 1, September 2, August 4.

Deadliest Days of the Week to Drive .Saturday, Sunday, Friday, Thursday, Monday, Wednesday, Tuesday.

Deadliest Times of the Day to Drive.3:00 - 6:00 pm , 6:00 - 9:00 pm, 9:00 - Midnight, Noon - 3:00 pm Midnight - 3:00 am

the firehouse sceneIs a monthly publication of the

Harlem-Roscoe Fire Protection DistrictFire Chief Oscar Presley.

Postage

Station GossipWe say goodbye to two of our fi refi ghters this month. Lt. Chad Radke has accepted a fi refi ghting position at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station in Arizona. Firefi ghter Dan Zintak is now a police offi cer for the South Beloit Police Department. We will miss both of them and we wish them the best.We wish for speedy recoveries to Dispatcher Jim Sutherland, Chief Presley’s wife Dean, and Lt. Vern Sarver’s wife Diane. Ask Lt. Virgil Johnson about his recent vacation. I guess he was sideswiped by a semi-truck, high winds tore up his awning on his motor home, they ran into hail, and the storm kept following them. He said they were going through Iowa when the winds tore up his awning and he had to stop to try to get it tied back up. Well, the winds were making it impossible even with help from a couple of truckers and drivers. He was on the off-ramp and here comes a big semi. It stops and blocks the wind so they could get a handle on the awning. Well, Virgil said he was worried that the trucker was blocking the ramp, but the driver told him not to worrry. He said, that’s the way they do things in Iowa! Gee Virgil, we are so happy you and Sharon made it back okay.Capt. Sabin has bought himself a new green car. You will have to ask him about his love of green.Everyone was to try on the new duty shirts to see what size they wear. And if you didn’t read the sign you didn’t know that the white tag ones were women’s sizes - Right, Kaiser??How many people can get in the second seat of the Chief’s buggy? Jerry was really bummed it rained in Springfi eld. They were going to use Quint 752 to raise the fl ag for the morning service. The new 2007 County Maps are in.Congratulations to the Extrication Team; They continue to make us proud. They brought home two trophies from Madison. Mark your calendar for these dates also:

Nationals - July 17-22 in Myrtle Beach Internationals - August 20-26 in Indianapolis

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New Chief’s Buggy or Inspectors Car?

Hey Aaron, afraid the cruise ship is going down?

Harlem-Roscoe FirePO Box 450Roscoe, IL 61073

The Firehouse Scene -

Vol. 12 No. 7 www.harlemroscoefi re.com July 2007

Car Catches Fire after CrashA Dodge Stratus burns after it was struck by a semi truck at the intersection of Belvidere Road and Hwy. 173 on June 21. Harlem-Roscoe Firefi ghter Gina McCauley pulls hose to extinguish the fi re. See page 2 for more...

station gossip fi refi refi the firehouse scene · what has changed since you were on? “a lot...

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