Inside this issue:

Fire & EMS Run Review 1

Fire Department Operations 2

EMS Bureau Report 3

Fire Prev./ Public Safety 4

Maintenance Bureau 6

Training Bureau 7

In Their Own Words 8

Planning to Protect... ...Acting to Save

July 2017 Volume 5, Issue 7

WEST BEND FIRE DEPARTMENT

…..Acting to Save

Annual Hose Testing West Bend Fire Depart-

ment personnel will be

performing our annual

hose testing procedures

for all hose. Hose testing

is an annual requirement

to meet the standards of

NFPA 1962. Testing the

hose annually prevents

any potential injuries or

accidents from weak, fail-

ing hose or separated cou-

plings.

The hoses on West Bend

Fire Department appa-

ratus are 1 3/4 inches, 2

1/2 inches, 3 inches, and 5

inches in diameter. Most

of the hose comes in 50

foot lengths, while some

of the 1 3/4 inch and 5

inch hose comes in 100

foot lengths. The hose is

attached to the hose test-

er and filled with water.

The hose is then pressur-

ized to 250 psi for 5

minutes. The 5 inch hose

is only pressurized to 185

psi. If the hose doesn't

burst or the couplings

don't separate from the

hose, the hose is deemed

safe to use. After the

test, the hose is drained of

water and hung to dry.

The 5 inch rubber hose is

able to be placed back on

the fire engine. Each fire

engine carries over 2,000

feet of hose. There are

lengths of backup hose at

Station 1 for reloading

while the other hose is

drying.

Hose testing will continue

through August.

Emergency Activities

Types of Calls July 2017 July 2016

Year to Date (2017)

Year to Date (2016)

Fires Calls 35 31 226 227 Emergency Medical Calls 225 286 1771 1663 Paramedic Intercepts 15 15 107 76 Interfacility Transports 37 30 261 273

Totals 312 362 2365 2239

Town of Barton Calls 7 10 84 60

Town of West Bend Calls 8 10 78 69

YEARS of SERVICE ~July

POC FF S. Rusch… ..07/05/95

MPO M. Forster….....07/07/97

LT. R. Hasse….....…..07/07/97

MPO R. Monday...….07/07/97

FF S.Stockhausen …..07/19/10

Page 2 Page 2

Firefighters Prepare for Promotional Exam

Fire Department Operations Battalion Chief John Spartz

Fire department equip-

ment and crews may have

been spotted spraying wa-

ter at what may appear to

be nothing during the past

month. Actually, there is

a purpose behind their

actions.

Several firefighters are

working on completing

the promotional process

for motor pump operator.

A motor pump operator is

responsible for driving

and operating the depart-

ment’s fire pumps and

aerial ladders.

The promotional process

requires the candidates to

take a written test and be

able to operate the fire

apparatus in different sit-

uations.

A written test was given

in July and the successful

candidates are now prac-

ticing for the practical

portion of the testing pro-

cess.

The practical test requires

the candidates to show

sufficient driving skills,

complete a drafting evolu-

tion, set the aerial ladder

and pump from a hy-

drant.

Candidates will be scored

and ranked when the test

is completed to develop a

promotional list. They

will also “act” as motor

pump operators on shift

to fill open spots due to

vacations and illness.

Engine 1 set up for a drafting operation.

Engine 1’s Pump Operator’s Panel .

A training class discusses pump theory and

techniques.

Fire department pumps can be

top mounted or side mounted as

seen in this picture.

Water enters a low level

strainer in the dump tank of a

drafting operation.

Hoses connected to a hydrant insure a

continuous water supply.

Page 3

July is over and we are

closer to the end of sum-

mer, maybe closer than we

want. With the end of

summer comes time to send

the kids back to school.

Several schools start back

in the end of August with

the majority starting after

the Labor Day weekend.

Please be respectful of the

big yellow buses as they

transport our kids to and

from school.

Remember that when a

school bus has the RED

FLASHING lights on they

control the road way. Do

not pass that bus from any

direction and stay at least

15 to 20 feet away from the

bus. You may pass when

the red flashing lights are

turned off. Also when pro-

ceeding to pass that bus be

extremely vigilant of chil-

dren that may be crossing

the street and not paying

attention.

Remind your children that

are waiting at the bus stop.

Always cross the street in

the cross walk. Do not

play in the street or near

the curb. Do not approach

the bus until the bus driver

has opened the door and

waived you onto the bus.

When getting off the bus be

sure not to run out into

traffic. Only cross the

street when the bus drivers

signals you to cross.

When riding the bus be

sure to remain seated and

be quiet. Do not distract

the driver in any way.

The West Bend Fire De-

partment wants to thank

all school bus drivers for

what they do and wish all

the students a safe and suc-

cessful school year.

Emergency Medical Services Bureau Captain Tom Thrash

SCHOOL BUS SAFETY

Page 4

Fire Prevention & Public Safety Bureau Fire Safety Education, Code Enforcement and Fire Investigation

Deputy Chief Chuck Beistle

July was a pretty active

month for the West

Bend Fire Department

Fire Prevention Bureau.

Below is a partial list of

tasks complete by

WBFD shift firefighter/

paramedics and preven-

tion bureau personnel:

279 fire prevention

inspections in indus-

trial, commercial,

and multi-family res-

idential structures

11 follow up inspec-

tions to discover the

cause of fire alarms

and ensure the

alarms were back in

service

8 reinspections to

ensure violation

compliance

2 cooking hood ex-

tinguishing system

acceptance test in-

spections

2 smoke detector

installations at pri-

vate residences

A fire alarm consult

at a building addition

under construction

General site review

for a building under

construction

Follow up on a com-

plaint for outside

storage of combusti-

bles that were too

close to a building

Of the 279 fire inspec-

tions that were complet-

ed, there were 55 struc-

tures that had a total of

88 violations. Most of

the violations are minor

and easily correctable

such as fire extinguish-

ers in need of annual

maintenance and exit

and/or emergency light-

ing in need of new bat-

teries.

The complaint received

was in regard to pallet

storage that is too close

to a building. The build-

ing is a non sprinklered

metal storage building.

There were numerous

pallets stored up against

the structure. There are

separation distance re-

quirements in NFPA 1

for pallets.

NFPA 1 Section 34.10.3

states, “Idle pallets shall

be stored outside in ac-

cordance with Table

34.10.3(a) (distance be-

tween pallets and other

storage) and Table

34.10.3(b) (distance be-

tween pallets and a

building). In this in-

stance, there would be

AT LEAST a 20 foot

distance requirement

from a non-sprinklered

metal frame structure.

West Bend Fire Depart-

ment personnel were on

scene for the July 4th

fireworks. A fireworks

permit and inspection

are required for profes-

sional fireworks. The

inspection includes all of

the requirements in

NFPA 1123 Code for

Fireworks Display. The

brush rig was staffed at

the fireworks display for

ember control.

We would also like to

thank Rocco Bartolotta

and everybody from

Wolverine Fireworks for

their assistance with the

inspection process.

Their company should

be proud of their com-

mitment to a culture of

safety in their industry.

A complaint was received regarding pallets being

stored too close to a metal building. The West

Bend Fire Department investigated the com-

plaint and made contact with the building owner.

Page 5

Fire Prevention & Public Safety Bureau Fire Safety Education, Code Enforcement and Fire Investigation

by Captain Kenny Asselin

furnishings and dec-

orations SHALL be

flame resistant.

Storage of materials

SHALL be main-

tained 2 feet from

the ceiling in non-

sprinklered areas of

buildings (18 inches

for sprinklered areas)

We would like to thank

the staffs of the mainte-

nance divisions from the

West Bend School Dis-

trict and the private

schools for their enthusi-

asm in enforcement of

the fire codes. We have

been fortunate in West

Bend to have not had a

large school loss from

fire. Let’s hope the con-

tinued enforcement

keeps what could be

known as “The Great

West Bend School Fire”

from ever happening.

a school fire to occur.

The National Fire Pro-

tection Association mod-

el code NFPA 1, which

is adopted by reference

in the Department of

Safety and Professional

Services code 314, ad-

dresses a number of is-

sues that can and will be

addressed. Some of

these include:

Classroom rugs that

are thermally rated

and MUST have a

Class I rating tag

Artwork and teach-

ing materials on

walls CANNOT ex-

ceed 20 percent of

the wall area in non-

sprinklered buildings

(50 percent in sprin-

klered buildings)

Draperies, curtains,

and other similar

loosely hanging

According to the Nation-

al Fire Protection Asso-

ciation, “From 2009-

2013, U.S. fire depart-

ments responded to an

estimated average of

5,100 structure fires in

educational properties,

annually, which ac-

counts for 1% of all

structure fires. These

fires caused an annual

average of one civilian

death, 79 civilian fire

injuries and $88 million

in direct property dam-

age.” It’s because of

these statistics that we

will be increasing en-

forcement of the fire

codes and raising aware-

ness of the dangers of

fire in the schools. Our

new initiative will be

called the Fire Aware-

ness in Schools Educa-

tion (F.A.I.S.E.) pro-

gram.

There are a myriad of

conditions in schools

that have the potential or

are statistically proven

to start fires in educa-

tional structures. In-

creased education,

awareness, and enforce-

ment are some of the

methods that the West

Bend Fire Department

will be utilizing to de-

crease the potential for

With less than a month

before the new school

year starts, we find it an

appropriate time to talk

about fire safety in the

schools. The West Bend

Fire Department Fire

Prevention Bureau has

been working with the

West Bend School Dis-

trict and area private

schools to promote fire

prevention in the school

buildings. Fire service

organizations such as the

NFPA, along with the

insurance industry, work

tirelessly to curtail the

incidence of fires in edu-

cational structures.

Great efforts have been

made to reduce school

fires.

There have been many

disastrous school fires

that have caused large

numbers of horrific

deaths to school children

throughout history. One

of the most famous is

the Our Lady of the An-

gels fire in Chicago in

1958. Combustible ma-

terials at the bottom of

the stairwell are said to

be the blame for that

fire. Ninety students

and 3 nuns lost their

lives that day because of

circumstances that were

completely preventable.

Maintenance Bureau Battalion Chief Jeff Gustafson & Battalion Chief John Spartz

Page 6

Annual Pressure Testing of Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus Tanks Completed

Hydrostatic testing of

the department’s compo-

site SCBA bottles was

recently completed.

These bottles are re-

quired to be tested every

3 years. SCBA bottles

are used to carry the

breathable air firefight-

ers use in Immediately

Dangerous to Life and

Health (IDLH) environ-

ments. Composite bot-

tles are lighter than steel

which reduces fatigue on

the firefighters who are

actively involved in fire-

fighting operations.

The bottles are tested to

the Department of

Transportation (DOT)

standard. During the

test, the bottles are emp-

tied which causes the

valve to cool to about 13

degrees Fahrenheit. The

valves are then dried.

Bottles are checked for

damage and corrosion.

A bottles internal parts

are checked for buildup

of water, oil, and conden-

sation.

After the inspection, the

bottles are placed in a

pressurized water con-

tainer and filled to 5/3

(167% of their rated

pressure. Normal pres-

sures are 4500 psi, but

the bottle is filled with

water to 7500 psi for one

minute. Water is used

because it is non-

compressible, The bottles

are then dried and reas-

sembled before they are

put back into service.

This testing requires spe-

cialized equipment so the

department hires a firm

that specializes in this

type of testing.

Aladin Fire Protection,

LLC completed this

years testing. All of the

department’s tanks are

set up a on a three year

rotation for hydrostatic

testing.

Lt Don Peil and Abigail Nygren from Aladdin Fire Protection reassemble SCBA tanks after testing.

John Linstad removes the valve form an SCBA tank to conduct an inspection and pressure test.

A frozen valve is removed from the tank. Releasing the air drops the valve

Fire Instruction & Training Bureau Deputy Chief Chuck Beistle & Captain Tom Thrash

Page 7

WBFD Helping Make Summer Events A Success

WBFD assisted with sev-

eral programs through-

out the City to help

make them a success.

We were invited to the

Library to participate in

“Story Time” for two

days. We participated in

reading a book with Fire

Safety lessons, spoke to

the kids about fire safety

and our work day, gear

demonstration, and tour

of our engine at the end

of the presentation.

There was approximate-

ly 40 children and 30

adults that participate in

this event each day.

Annually we assist at the

Dirty Ninja Mud Run.

The siren and air horn

are used to start every

race, because all workers

around the park know

what that signal means.

We use our Ladder

Truck to make a modi-

fied shower for the kids

to clean off at the end of

the race. Our most im-

portant job is to stay vis-

ible and available to the

kids participating.

We are also there to as-

sist with any injuries

that may arise and also

assist with lost children

in the park which hap-

pens every year.

We stoodby at the Tour

Of Americas Dairyland

bike race. (T.O.A.D.

Race). We provided com-

mand Post coverage and

paramedic services.

We get involved with

Germanfest by assisting

them with hanging the

banners across Main

Street.

We participated in the

“Spirit Ride Procession”

while it went through the

City. This procession

was to honor those Tow

Truck Drivers that have

been killed on the job

and to promote aware-

ness for Tow Truck and

Tow Truck Driver

Awareness.

There was drivers from

throughout the southeast

part of the state. It be-

gan at West Bend Eleva-

tor for the opening cere-

mony and ended in Osh-

kosh.

July was also busy for

Fire Station Tours and

Breakfast With the Fire-

fighters winners.

WBFD Truck One Assist with Hanging Germanfest Banners

T.O.A.D. Event Participants

Spirit Ride Procession

325 N 8th Ave.

West Bend, WI 53095

262.335.5054

www.ci.west-bend.wi.us

In Their Own Words…...

WEST BEND FIRE DEPARTMENT

Planning to Protect… ...Acting to Save

The back page of our newsletter features a note or card that we have received from our cus-

tomers….the people we serve. Whether it is during an ambulance call, fire call, or a

public education assignment, the members of the West Bend Fire Depart-

ment are always dedicated to making their contact with area resi-

dents a positive ex- perience.

Personnel Spotlight: Kelly Williams is

the Administrative

Assistant at the

West Bend Fire

Department. She

has been a valua-

ble member of our

team since June of

2013.

Kelly is married

with two girls. Kelly

and her husband

(Doug) are also vol-

unteers with the St.

Lawrence & Allen-

ton Fire Depart-

ment.

Kelly’s previous

work experience

includes being a

phlebotomist, and

then working for a

new pharmaceutical

research company in

2008.

In 2012 Kelly com-

pleted her business

management degree

at MPTC. She has

over five years of

business office expe-

rience with an em-

phasis on busi-ness

development, quali-

ty assurance, train-

ing, records manage-

ment, and financial

analysis. Kelly also

is our go to person

for our records man-

agement system.