In my report in the spring 2010 edition of

this newsletter, I wrote about the dire pre-

dictions from our fire behavior analyst.

Fortunately, he was wrong. The 2010 fire

season was once again fairly calm and did

not live up to the predictions from last

winter. In May and June it started to rain

and life was good most of the summer.

We had a couple notable exceptions – the

Lakeside Fire and the Davis Fire.

The Lakeside Fire started on July 16, 2010

at approximately 5:35 p.m. in the Browns

Gulch area on the east side of the Missouri

river. The fire quickly grew into a 200

acre fire despite all the rain. The fire

started in York Fire’s jurisdiction and

quickly burned into ours. We established

unified command between York Fire, Tri-

Lakes Fire, the Lewis and Clark County

Sheriff’s Office, DNRC, and the U.S. For-

est Service. This inclusive approach al-

lows all the parties to bring their resources

to the table to attack the fire in a coordi-

nated and supportive approach. The fire

burned north and then turned east burning

in a combination of live and red and dead

timber. The fire behavior was extreme

even with the relatively wet conditions

present.

Those individual homes in harm’s way

were immediately evacuated and structure

protection was established in the affected

T R I - L A K E S

T R U S T E E S

Bonnie Jones,

Chair

Nathan Bartow,

Secretary

April Gerth,

Treasurer

Mark Meyer

Bru Bizzotto

Fire Chief:

Bob Drake

475-3552

431-3600

Jackie

Jandt,

Newsletter

T R I - L A K E S V O L U N T E E R

F I R E D E P A R T M E N T Tri-Lakes Tribune W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 V O L U M E 1 1 , I S S U E 2

Website:

trilakesvfd.com

Fire Chief’s Report

The 2014 wildfire season turned out to

be very mild. Thank goodness! The

spring was awful with no real moisture

until June 20th. We were in bad shape

and then it began to rain and it was

awesome!

We have been through three cycles now

of training for offensive attack on struc-

ture fires from the outside and the re-

sults have been very good. We have

used the new approach on the structure

fires we have had this year with dra-

matic results. The approach is working

and the results are there!

The latest unexpected surprise we have

been dealing with is the Ebola outbreak

in Africa. It doesn’t seem like that

something that far away should impact

us here but, as we have seen in Dallas,

it can. I wish we could bury our heads

in the sand and hope that nothing bad

happens here.

We usually try

the other ap-

proach that if we

get ready, it

won’t happen

here. There are

two articles in

this newsletter

that explain what

Ebola is and our

plan for address-

ing it.

We are now

down to 12 ac-

tive volunteer

firefighters, 6

active volun-

teer firefighter/

EMTs, and 5

active volun-

teer EMTs. On

average on any

given day, at

least half of the

volunteers are

not available due to work, family, trav-

el, etc. We have had 5 calls in the last

year where no one from Tri-Lakes was

available to answer the page. Our mu-

tual aid partners or St. Peters ambu-

lance took care of the calls in our ab-

sence.

We need additional volunteer firefight-

ers and EMTs to keep going with an

effective force. If you are able bodied

and have any available time, please

give me a call at 406-431-3600 and talk

to me about volun-

teering. I won’t sug-

ar coat it. I will

shoot straight with

you about what it

takes to be a volun-

teer for Tri-Lakes. I

guarantee you will

never regret coming

on board and help-

ing people on what

is usually the worst

day of their lives.

Fire Chief

Bob Drake

Fire Chief’s Report—Continued On Page 6

http://trilakesvfd.com

The Tri-Lakes Fire Company continues to grown

with the addition of several new firefighters:

Larry Fries

Hans Oaks

Maren Olsen

Cassie Ward

Welcome, and thanks.

P A G E 2

T R I - L A K E S T R I B U N E

Ebola: What Parents Need to Know

In an effort to share

accurate information

and tips, the American

Academy of Pediatrics

(AAP) clarifies what

Ebola is and what par-

ents can do to protect

their children.

What is Ebola? Ebola is a viral infection, yet it is very rare and

is not easy to transmit from person to person.

There is a serious outbreak in West Africa,

however, in part due to lack of germ prevention

and access to adequate medical supplies.

What are the Signs & Symptoms of

Ebola? Ebola typically starts suddenly with a fever but

symptoms can also include a severe headache,

fatigue, muscle pain, weakness, diarrhea, vomit-

ing, stomach pain, or unexplained bleeding or

bruising. The time from infection with the virus

to the onset of symptoms is from 2 to 21 days

(with 8 to 10 days being most common). A per-

son with the Ebola virus can infect others as

soon as they begin to have symptoms. Early-

stage Ebola disease may be confused with other

infectious diseases (e.g., flu) because the initial

symptoms are similar to those seen with other

viral infections.

How is Ebola Spread? Unlike the flu, Ebola is not spread through the

air or water. The chances of you or your chil-

dren becoming infected are slim. Ebola is only

transmitted through direct contact with the body

fluids of an infected person or from objects like

needles that have been in contact with infected

body fluids. This means it does not spread

through air, food, water, or by touching things

like money and keyboards. See Q&A's on Ebo-

la Transmission on CDC.gov.

Can You Get Ebola From a Dog or

Cat? At this time, there have been no reports of

dogs or cats becoming sick with Ebola or be-

ing able to spread Ebola to people or animals.

The chances of a dog or cat being exposed to

Ebola virus in the United States is very low

as they would have to come into contact with

blood and body fluids of a symptomatic per-

son sick with Ebola. See Q&A's about Ebo-

la and Pets on CDC.gov.

Can Ebola Be Prevented? Yes, killing the virus is easy. The Ebola virus

can be killed with soap and water, heat, or a

disinfectant or sanitizing agent. According to

the Centers for Disease Control and Preven-

tion (CDC), washing hands frequently is a

good precaution. This is perhaps the most

important message for children to learn and

share. Because people in West Africa may

not be able to follow these precautions and

may not have access to soap and water, Ebola

has continued to spread.

Important Message for Parents: It is much easier to catch to the flu or other

respiratory viruses than Ebola. For example,

based on the Ebola statistics we have right

now, it is likely that flu will cause far more

illness and deaths around the globe than Ebo-

la will.

News Coverage Understandably, there is heavy coverage in

the media about the spread of Ebola. Howev-

er, it is a good idea to limit young children's

exposure to news stories about it. This way,

parents can decide what information they

want to share

based on their

child's level of

understanding.

Ebola—Continued On Page 8

P A G E 3 V O L U M E 1 1 , I S S U E 2

Long-time trustee Rich Meyering, passed away on August 15, 2014 fol-

lowing a brief bout with cancer.

Rich was an active member in many organizations that served the com-

munity. His passion was as member of the Lakeside Volunteer Fire De-

partment which became Tri-Lakes Volunteer Fire Department in 2006.

He joined as a volunteer firefighter in 1991 retiring in 2003 when he was

elected to the Board of Trustees where he served as Chairman until a

month before his passing. He also spent many years as an EMT-First Re-

sponder. He absolutely loved being a part of the volunteer department and

serving the residents of the area. He focused on the needs and welfare of

the volunteer firefighters and EMTs making sure they had what they

needed to complete their mission safely.

Rich’s institutional knowledge and passion are missed at every meeting. He truly gave his all to Tri-Lakes.

Rich, rest in peace, we will take it from here!

Rich Meyering

The Chicken Coop is On Fire! Heat Lamp Safty Tips

Heat Lamp Safety Tips:

NEVER use a 250 watt infrared heat bulb in

a plastic lamp or garden clamp light! This is a

very dangerous thing to do and these cheap

plastic lamps just aren’t made to withstand

the heat produced by these larger bulbs and

the high amount of electricity required to run

the bulb.

ALWAYS read the wattage instructions and

safety warnings on any lamps you buy before

using them. Wattage information can be

found on the

packaging and

most lamps even

have it in the ti-

tle. Always use a

lamp that is rated

for a higher watt-

age than the bulb

you use. A 300

watt lamp is usu-

ally the size needed for a 250

watt infrared heat bulb, but the

wattage of lamp sold may vary

from place to place.

Purchase a proper heat lamp or brooder lamp

from your local feed store or pet store, these

can be found in the reptile section of pet

stores. Read the wattage instructions carefully

to be sure you are buying the proper sized

lamp for the bulb you plan to use and be sure

it is a metal or ceramic lamp, not a plastic one.

Hard wired coops or barns are best for running

heat lamps, meaning a building has its own

power supply and grounded power outlet. If

you do use an extension cord, be sure it has

the appropriate amp/watt rating for lamp watt-

age size and ensure to use a sturdy outdoor

cord plugged into a grounded outlet. Never

connect two extension cords together if you

can avoid it. Purchase a cord long enough to

reach your heat lamp. Keep the connection

between the lamp cord and the extension cord

Heat Lamp Safety—Continued On Page 9

P A G E 4

P A G E 5 V O L U M E 1 1 , I S S U E 2

Ebola and Tri-Lakes

There have been many news stories in recent months about the Ebola outbreak in Africa. Please see the

related article about “Ebola: What Parents Need to Know” on page 2 of this newsletter. Just like

every other medical response provider in the country, Tri-Lakes is grappling with the balance between

being prepared for such an event and the remote possibility we may see an Ebola case in our area.

Tri-Lakes has taken a measured approach with our other partners in rural fire, St. Peters Ambulance,

and the 911 Center to keep our members safe while providing the best possible care for what could be

a critically ill patient.

First and foremost, we have recognized that, although remote, it is not impossible for us to see an Ebo-

la case here. We all know the kind of people who live in Helena – caring and compassionate people

who volunteer their time and expertise all over the world. It is not so farfetched that one of our caring

doctors, nurses, or aid workers would travel to Africa to help during this tragic time. If it is possible,

then we better be prepared.

So what does prepared look like for us? Here are the steps we have taken to date:

1. Through discussions with various health departments and the Center for Disease Control (CDC), as

a response community we have implemented steps at the 911 Center to ask the right questions to

try to detect the possibility of an Ebola case as early as possible. This will give all our medical re-

sponders an early warning of the possibility so proper precautions may be taken.

2. We have worked to determine what PPE (personal

protective equipment) is needed to keep our

volunteers safe and purchased those supplies.

We have 25 sets of these supplies on hand.

3. We have trained our EMTs using the CDC

guidelines on how to properly get into and out of

the specialized protective equipment.

4. We have on-scene procedures and plans to quickly

identify possible Ebola cases, institute safety by

backing out to put on PPE, start proper health

care system notifications, and limit the number of

responders exposed to the potential virus.

5. We have an agreement with St. Peters Hospital to

transport not only the patient but all responders that

had patient contact to the hospital to isolation and

decontamination facilities. Once the patient has been transferred into the capable hands of the hos-

pital staff, the responders will be decontaminated using the hospital’s specialized facilities follow-

ing the recommended CDC guidance.

6. Once our responders have been released from the decontamination process and assessed for expo-

sure, they will be given the option to self-quarantine in our new training building while the patient

is tested for Ebola. It takes a couple of days for reliable test results to be obtained. During that time,

Ebola and Tri-Lakes—Continued On Page 9

P A G E 6

T R I - L A K E S T R I B U N E

Meet Our New Volunteer and New Arrival!!!

The following table shows the number of calls and the number of volunteer hours spent on each for the

last three years (hours only include volunteer hours spent on fires where our firefighters were not eligi-

ble for state reimbursement):

As you can see from the numbers, our fire call and medical call volumes were down slightly this year.

Fire calls were down 7% with fire call hours increasing by 4%. The decrease in numbers reflects the

wetter summer we had in 2014. We had 7 fewer medical calls but the hours on those calls fell over 14%

as the number of responders on those calls continued to fall. As in past years, training consumes the

vast majority of hours as our volunteers continue to strive to retain and expand their skills. Total training

hours are down this year due to a lower number of firefighters and EMTs training.

I wish I had a solution to the decreasing number of volunteers. We try to make it as easy as possible to

be a volunteer, however, there is no way to make getting pulled away from your job and/or your family

at a moment’s notice easy for anyone. We spend hundreds of hours training so we can safely help you,

our residents.

A big thank you to our volunteers! They are awesome selfless people who give their all protecting you

every day. They are the true heroes in our organization and make all things possible!

Bob

2014 % Change 2013 % Change 2012 2 Year % Change

Fire calls 69 (7%) 74 (12%) 84 (18%)

Fire call hours 515 4% 493 (50%) 983 (48%)

Medical calls 81 (8%) 88 7% 82 (1%)

Medical call hours 202 (14%) 236 (31%) 340 (41%)

Training hours 1,431 (18%) 1,754 23% 1,424 0%

Total hours 2,556 (11%) 2,888 (7%) 3,103 (18%)

Fire Chief’s Report—Continued From Page 1

DeLaHunt

Tri-Lakes would like to

welcome our new volun-

teer Firefighter:

Dillon DeLaHunt

Thank you for “Signing up!”

If you are interested in

volunteering, please call

Bob Drake at 431-3600.

The Tri-Lakes Commu-

nity would like to con-

gratulate and welcome a

new family member to

our volunteer family:

Norah Kate Alpert,

daughter of Kristina

and Sam Alpert. Sam

is one of our volun-

teer firefighters.

P A G E 7 How to Make a Winter Survival Kit

Everyone should carry a Winter Survival Kit in

their car. In an emergency, it could save your life

and the lives of your passengers. Here is what

you need:

a shovel

windshield scraper and small broom

flashlight with extra batteries

battery powered radio

water

snack food including energy bars

raisins and mini candy bars

matches and small candles

extra hats, socks and mittens

First aid kit with pocket knife

Necessary medications

blankets or sleeping bag

tow chain or rope

road salt, sand, or cat litter

for traction

booster cables

emergency flares and reflec-

tors

fluorescent distress flag and

whistle to attract attention

Cell phone adapter to plug into lighter

Kit tips: Reverse batteries in flashlight to avoid acci-

dental switching and burnout.

Store items in the passenger compartment in

case the trunk is jammed or frozen shut.

Choose small packages of food that you can

eat hot or cold.

911 tips: If possible, call 911 on your cell phone. Pro-

vide your location, condition of everyone in

the vehicle and the problem you're experi-

encing.

Follow instructions: you may be told to stay

where you are until help arrives.

Do not hang up until you know who you

have spoken with and what will happen next.

If you must leave the vehicle, write down

your name, address, phone number and desti-

nation. Place the piece of paper inside the

front windshield for someone to see.

Survival tips: Prepare your vehicle: Make sure you keep

your gas tank at least half full.

Be easy to find: Tell someone where you are

going and the route you will take.

If stuck: Tie a florescent flag (from your kit)

on your antenna or hang it out the window.

At night, keep your dome light on. Rescue

crews can see

a small glow

at a distance.

To reduce

battery drain,

use emergen-

cy flashers

only if you

hear ap-

proaching ve-

hicles. If

you're with

someone else,

make sure at

least one person is awake and keeping watch

for help at all times.

Stay in your vehicle: Walking in a storm can

be very dangerous. You might become lost

or exhausted. Your vehicle is a good shelter.

Avoid Overexertion: Shoveling snow or

pushing your car takes a lot of effort in storm

conditions. Don't risk a heart attack or injury.

That work can also make you hot and

sweaty. Wet clothing loses insulation value,

making you susceptible to hypothermia.

Fresh Air: It's better to be cold and awake

than comfortably warm and sleepy. Snow

can plug your vehicle's exhaust system and

cause deadly carbon monoxide gas to enter

your car. Only run the engine for 10 minutes

an hour and make sure the exhaust pipe is

free of snow. Keeping a window open a

crack while running the engine is also a good

idea.

Don't expect to be comfortable: You want to

survive until you're found.

P A G E 8

T R I - L A K E S T R I B U N E

For the first time in our history, we finally

bought a brand new truck! Actually, two of

them. We were having trouble with one of our

brush trucks and decided it was time to replace

both of the 20 year old trucks with updated

chassis.

We started out like we always do - looking for

used ones. We looked on-line and around the

state and region for good used low mileage one

-ton trucks that would fit under the fire beds we

have on the old brush trucks. We found many

candidates, but either they had over 100,000

miles on them or the price was astronomical.

After months of searching, we finally starting

talking to other fire departments, the City of

Helena, and the County to see where they had

been getting their trucks.

We found out we were eligible to buy on the

New Truck Changes!

Here are some things to remind your children if they are concerned: They are safe.

Our health care system is among the best in the world for taking care of sick people.

Ebola is rare and does not exist everywhere. When cases are found, the person with

the infection is taken to a safe place to be cared for so that he can get better and not

make anyone else sick. Doctors and scientists who know a lot about Ebola are working hard to find ways to

prevent or cure this illness.

Social Media With many children and teens spending a lot of time on social media, there is also the risk that

they could read something online about Ebola that they do not understand and may become un-

necessarily alarmed. Pay close attention to what your children are seeing online. Talk to your

children and help them avoid graphic exposure to the media.

Keeping Calm News about the spread of diseases can be alarming, even for adults. Keep yourself well in-

formed so that your own fears are under control. Talk with your children in ways that make

sense to them so they don't become overly concerned or afraid.

Ebola—Continued From Page 2

Montana State and local government contract and

we were pleasantly surprised. We could buy brand

new chassis ordered to fit our current truck beds for

way less than we could find used trucks. An added

benefit was they came with warranties and we were

able to order them with only the equipment and

options we need rather than having to take what is

on them. We were also able to order the color we

wanted rather than having to either take what we

could find or

go through the

process of hav-

ing them paint-

ed.

The result - we

now have two

identical brand

new 2015 Ford

F350 brush trucks that will last us for years. Hav-

ing the trucks be twins simplifies training, makes

them easier for the volunteers to operate, and also

makes them easier to maintain with interchangea-

New Trucks—Continued On Page 12

P A G E 9 V O L U M E 1 1 , I S S U E 2

our responders can voluntarily stay away from their families to

limit the risk of exposing their loved ones to the virus. If the origi-

nal patient comes back negative, then responders can go home knowing they are safe. If the result is

positive for Ebola, then we have already taken all the precautions to keep our community safe and will

immediately start the health monitoring of our responders and insure they are given all the attention they

need while waiting for the 21 day incubation period for the virus to pass.

We want you to know we are paying attention to this very serious matter. We do have a plan and that plan

includes supporting our volunteers every step of the way. Not only are we taking all the precautions we can

to keep them safe, we are addressing their biggest concern – their families. The biggest concern our volun-

teers had was not about exposing themselves but taking something home to their kids or spouse. That is why

we are going farther than CDC guidance and giving our volunteers the option and the ability to stay away

from their families until they KNOW they are safe to go home. Addressing this real concern will keep our

volunteer EMTs available for calls and in the fight for you, our friends and neighbors.

out of the ele-

ments and be

sure it is

mounted high

enough animals

can’t disturb it

or unplug it.

Heat lamps

should be se-

cured to the

side or roof of

the coop at a minimum distance of 15″

from the chickens’ head height if se-

cured above the roost and a minimum of

24″ from the bedding. It is also best to

hang a lamp a minimum of 10″ from any

coop or barn walls, especially if you

have a plastic coop. These lamps can get

very hot, especially the bulb itself and

the metal reflector and it is very im-

portant to ensure the lamp or bulb will

not come into contact with any animals

or a flammable surface. Be sure the

lamp is hung securely and cannot be

knocked down into the bedding or

bumped hard enough to cause the bulb

to burst. Pigs and horses have been

known to chew on the cords if they can

reach them. Plan ahead to keep them

safe.

Heat Lamp Safety—Continued From Page 3

For Brooders and Chicks: Do Not use a large heat lamp in a small brooder

that does not have the minimum safety height

and distance requirements. For these smaller

brooders a smaller clamp light and a 60watt or

40watt bulb is often better and will be much saf-

er. The incandescent light will not effect the

chicks in a negative way.

NEVER use a cardboard box for a chick brooder

with a larger heat bulb, as these boxes are highly

flammable and often don’t have the proper room

for the safety distance. This is one of those times

where home-

made may not be

good.

Supervision:

Kids are curious and

they want to look at

the chicks or the ba-

by pigs. Make sure

they cannot get

themselves and the

animals into trouble. The heat lamps need to be se-

cured in such a way they can’t get knock over or

lowered into the bedding. They certainly don’t in-

tend for anything to happen but sometimes they end

up causing harm to the very thing they care so much

about. A little forethought and supervision may just

save you and us a pile of grief.

Ebola and Tri-Lakes— Continued from Page 5

P A G E 1 0

T R I - L A K E S T R I B U N E

P A G E 1 1 V O L U M E 1 0 , I S S U E 2 Kid’s Page

3200 Spokane Creek Road

Helena MT 59602

The Tri-Lakes Board

of Trustees meets

the first Tuesday of

each month at 7:00

pm at Station #3,

3200 Spokane Creek

Road. The public is

encouraged to at-

tend.

Have a very

and a

ble parts. By working diligently

with local contractors and our vol-

unteers, we were able to upgrade

both trucks and have them in ser-

vice prior to the fire season. The

total cost to buy the chassis, change

the beds, and upgrade the wiring on

both trucks was $75,000 or $37,500

each. They have proven to be awe-

some additions to the department

already!

New Trucks—Continued From Page 8