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 2019 Volume 7, Issue 07

WEST BEND FIRE DEPARTMENT

Planning to Protect…..Acting to Save

Deputy Chief Charles

Beistle has won the

American Legion Fire-

fighter of the Year at the

local, county, district,

and the state levels. FF

Marc Rinzel has won

EMT of the Year at the

local level! Each year the

American Legion holds

an award for their local

areas Firefighters and

Emergency Medical

Technicians of the year.

This is a distinct honor

awarded to these two

WBFD Members with

much competition

throughout every level.

DC Beistle has been a

member of the Depart-

ment since 1993 and FF

Marc Rinzel has been

since 2000. Both are

grateful and are humbled

by this recognition. Con-

gratulations to both for a

job well done!

WBFD Members win Fire Fighter and EMT of the year

Emergency Activities

Types of Calls July 2019 July 2018

Year to Date (2019)

Year to Date (2018)

Fires Calls 44 57 273 284 Emergency Medical Calls 303 267 1867 1866 Paramedic Intercepts 9 17 67 81 Interfacility Transports 31 42 261 277 Community Paramedics 0 0 0 33 Totals 387 383 2468 2541

Town of Barton Calls 12 14 66 70 Town of West Bend Calls 14 16 91 75

YEARS of SERVICE ~July

POC FF S. Rusch… ..07/05/95

LT. M. Forster...….....07/07/97

LT. R. Hasse….....…..07/07/97

CPT R. Monday.…….07/07/97

MPO S.Stockhausen ..07/19/10

Page 2 Fire Department Operations By Battalion Chief John Spartz

WBFD Truck 1 and a

crew assisted with

hanging Germanfest

banners across Main

Street. Preparations

are on-going for the

annual event held

every August in

Downtown West

Bend. The fire depart-

ment annually helps

by hanging and re-

moving the banners.

Early Morning Fire Damages Condominium Building

Crews from the West Bend

Fire Department were dis-

patched at 1:21 a.m. on

July 26th for a fire at 1914

River Drive. A six family

condominium building had

heavy fire showing when

units arrived. First arriv-

ing crews began an exteri-

or attack as all occupants

were out of the building. A

quick exterior fire attack

was begun to stop the fast

moving fire and to protect

a duplex next to the origi-

nal structure. A MABAS

Card to the 2nd Box Level

was initiated and brought

several county depart-

ments in for assistance.

The building suffered ex-

tensive damage, displacing

all occupants. The cause of

the fire is under investiga-

tion.

Left Photo: River Dr. fire as crews begin sup-

pression efforts. Top Photo: Water is applied

to hotspots at the front of the fire building.

Page 3

Emergency Medical Services Bureau Battalion Chief Tom Thrash

Child Passenger Safety Week, Sept. 15-21

Motor vehicle injuries

are a leading cause of

death among children in

the United States. But

many of these deaths

can be prevented.

In the United States,

723 children ages 12

years and younger died

as occupants in motor

vehicle crashes during

2016,4and more than

128,000 were injured in

2016.

One CDC study found

that, in one year, more

than 618,000 children

ages 0-12 rode in vehi-

cles without the use of a

child safety seat or

booster seat or a seat

belt at least some of the

time.

Of the children ages 12

years and younger who

died in a crash in 2016

(for which restraint use

was known), 35% were

not buckled up.

Information Provided

By: CDC Centers for

Disease Control and

Prevention.

Washington Ozaukee Public Health Depart-

ment Offers Car Seat Safety Checks

Our Certified Car Seat Technicians can offer

you hands on training for your car seat and

walk you through the installation process.

Call to make an appointment

Car Seat Program

West Bend Office

Phone: 262-335-4462

333 E. Washington St., Suite 1100

West Bend WI 53095

Page 4

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

by Deputy Chief Chuck Beistle and Captain Kenny Asselin

The Five Es of Community Risk Reduction The fire department is so

much more than a group

of men and women who

hop on shiny fire trucks

and put out fires. There

is so much more to the

job of the firefighter

than grabbing a hose line

and dousing water on a

house that is engulfed in

flames. Firefighting ef-

forts are the last line of

defense in a long list of

efforts aimed at stopping

the fire before it ever be-

gan. The fire is a result

of a number of FAIL-

URES in the attempts to

reduce the risk of fire.

The Vision 2020 Project

defines Community Risk

Reduction (CRR) as

“the identification and

prioritization of risks fol-

lowed by the coordinat-

ed application of re-

sources to minimize the

probability or occurrence

and/or the impact of un-

fortunate events.” In

simpler terms, there are

people who look at what

causes bad things to

happen and helps pro-

mote solutions so they

don’t happen. There are

5 Es of CRR that help

mitigate those risks.

They are:

Education

Engineering

Enforcement

Economics

Emergency Response

Education entails mak-

ing the public aware of a

problem and providing

alternatives. An exam-

ple would be looking at a

set of data and determin-

ing that children playing

with matches and light-

ers causes fires. Sending

out the message for chil-

dren to not play with

matches and lighters ed-

ucates the public on

those dangers.

Engineering refers to the

mechanical solutions we

can promote or mandate

to help improve public

safety. Some examples

include fire sprinkler sys-

tems that suppress a fire

prior to the arrival of the

fire department. The

engineering of the fire

sprinkler system helps

reduce the number of

deaths and injuries from

fires, as well as reduces

property loss.

Enforcement assumes

that we have mandated

certain features and

have an obligation to see

that the community

complies with the regula-

tions. An example

would be the quarterly

tests and annual inspec-

tions required for fire

sprinkler systems.

Economics refers to the

incentives (or disincen-

tives) used to stimulate

safety actions. One ex-

ample would be tax in-

centives for installing a

fire sprinkler system in a

building.

And finally, the Emer-

gency Response that oc-

curs once everything else

has failed. Even though

fire departments

throughout the nation

have promoted fire safe-

ty since the dawn of

their existence, there are

still people who don’t

use common sense and

don’t listen to the CRR

experts.

A breakdown of the sys-

tem causes emergency

vehicles to rush to a sce-

ne of house fires, car ac-

cidents, and other inci-

dents that create devas-

tation and destruction.

Please remember to em-

brace the 5 Es of Com-

munity Risk Reduction

to help prevent the next

tragedy in the communi-

ty.

A breakdown in Community Risk Reduction (CRR) occurs when actions are taken that are contrary to the risks they have been designed to reduce.

Page 5

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

Deputy Chief Chuck Beistle and Captain Kenny Asselin

Back to School Safety Summer is almost over.

The days are getting

shorter and the nights

are getting cooler. The

winding down of the

summer means Labor

Day is almost upon us.

Once the Labor Day

weekend is over, children

start going back to

school. The first day of

school for students in the

West Bend School Dis-

trict is Tuesday, Septem-

ber 3rd!

The start of the school

year often brings a pleth-

ora of dangers with it.

There is an increase in

vehicle accidents near the

schools, as well as the

occasional pedestrian

struck by a vehicle.

In order to prevent any

type of incidents from

occurring, the following

safety tips should be fol-

lowed:

Walkers

*Walk on the sidewalk; if

there is no sidewalk and

you must walk on the

street, walk facing traf-

fic.

*Before crossing the

street, stop and look left,

right, and left again to

see if cars coming.

*Never dart out in front

of a parked car.

*Never walk while tex-

ting or talking on the

phone

*Do not walk while using

headphones

Bus Riders

*Teach children the

proper way to get on and

off the bus.

*Line up 6 feet away fro

the curb as the bus ap-

proaches.

*If seat belts are availa-

ble, buckle up.

*Wait for the bus to stop

completely before stand-

ing.

*If possible, do not cross

in front of the bus.

Drivers

*Don’t block crosswalks

*Yield to pedestrians in

crosswalks and take ex-

tra care in school zones.

*Never pass a vehicle

stopped for pedestrians.

*Never pass a bus load-

ing or unloading chil-

dren.

*The area 10 feet around

a school bus is the most

dangerous for children.

Stop far enough back to

allow them to safely en-

ter and exit the bus.

*Failure to stop for a bus

with its red lights acti-

vated could lead to a

$250 fine and 4 points.

The return of the school

year leads to dangers and

perils in the roadway.

Please be mindful of oth-

er driver and pedestrians

while on the road. Any

assistance to help reduce

incidents and injury is

appreciated.

Children will be returning to school next month. According to State of Wis-consin statute 346.48(1), operators of motor vehicles who approach from the rear of a bus with red flashing lights must stop not less than 20 feet from the bus and shall remain stopped until the bus operator turns off the red lights.

Page 6 Maintenance Bureau

Annual Ground Ladder Testing Completed

Battalion Chief Jeff Gustafson

Our ladder testing equipment and procedures are

certified to meet the current NFPA-1932 require-

ments for ANNUAL ladder testing.

Testing Includes:

Visual inspection

Halyard and component inspection

Horizontal bending test equipment per NFPA

-1932,5-2

Verification of heat sensor expiration dates

Cleaning of ladders

Documentation provided with each test

ladder hardware test

NFPA-1932 provides the following frequency of

ground ladder testing:

a. At least annually

b. Anytime ladder is suspected of being unsafe

c. After ladder is subjected to overloading or im-

pact loading

d. After heat exposure

e. After any deficiencies have been repaired unless

the repair was the replacement of the lanyard

Annual inspections and test programs uncover

many defects before they become major problems

resulting in better safety and lower maintenance

costs.

Our ladder testing is conducted by our FD Person-

nel that have met the requirements of Ground

Ladder Testing. All of our ladders passed the An-

nual testing again!!

Fire Instruction & Training Bureau Deputy Chief Chuck Beistle & Captain Bob Monday

Page 7

What Is an Automated External Defibrillator?

An automated external

defibrillator (AED) is a

lightweight, portable

device that delivers an

electric shock through

the chest to the heart.

The shock can poten-

tially stop an irregular

heart beat (arrhythmia)

and allow a normal

rhythm to resume fol-

lowing sudden cardiac

arrest (SCA). SCA oc-

curs when the heart

malfunctions and stops

beating unexpectedly.

If not treated within

minutes, it quickly

leads to death. Most

SCAs result from ven-

tricular fibrillation

(VF). VF is a rapid and

unsynchronized heart

rhythm that originates

in the heart’s lower

chambers (the ventri-

cles). The heart must be

“defibrillated” quickly,

because a victim’s

chance of surviving

drops by seven to 10

percent for every mi-

nute a normal heart-

beat isn’t restored.

Why are AEDs im-

portant? AEDs make it

possible for more people

to respond to a medical

emergency where defib-

rillation is required. Be-

cause AEDs are porta-

ble, they can be used by

nonmedical people (lay-

rescuers). They can be

made part of emergency

response programs that

also include rapid use of

9-1-1 and prompt deliv-

ery of cardio pulmonary

resuscitation (CPR). All

three of these

activities are

vital to im-

proving sur-

vival from

SCA. How

does an AED

work? A built-

in computer

checks a vic-

tim’s heart rhythm

through adhesive elec-

trodes. The computer

calculates whether de-

fibrillation is needed. If

it is, a recorded voice

prompts the rescuer to

press the shock button

on the AED. This shock

momentarily stuns the

heart and stops all ac-

tivity. It gives the heart

the chance to resume

beating effectively. Au-

dible prompts guide the

user through the pro-

cess. AEDs advise a

shock only for ventricu-

lar fibrillation or anoth-

er life-threatening con-

dition called pulseless

ventricular tachycardia.

Who can use an AED?

Non-medical personnel

such as police, fire ser-

vice personnel, flight

attendants, security

guards and other lay

rescuers who

have been

trained in

CPR can use

AEDs. Alt-

hough formal

training in

the use of an

AED is not

required, it is

recommended to help

the rescuer increase

their comfort and level

of confidence. However,

AEDs are intended for

use by the general pub-

lic. Most AEDs use au-

dible voice prompts to

guide the user through

the process. Are AEDs

safe to use? AEDs are

safe to use by anyone.

Some studies have

shown that 90 percent

of the time AEDs are

able to detect a rhythm

that should be defibril-

lated. This data sug-

gests that AEDs are

highly effective in de-

tecting when (or when

not) to deliver a shock.

Where should AEDs be

placed? All first-

response vehicles, in-

cluding ambulances,

law enforcement vehi-

cles and many fire en-

gines should have an

AED. AEDs also should

be placed in public are-

as such as sports ven-

ues, shopping malls,

airports, airplanes,

businesses, convention

centers, hotels, schools

and doctors’ offices.

They should also be in

any other public or pri-

vate place where large

numbers of people gath-

er or where people at

high risk for heart at-

tacks live. They should

be placed near eleva-

tors, cafeterias, main

reception areas, and on

walls in main corridors.

©2017, American Heart

Association

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 customers….the

people we serve. Whether it is during an ambulance call, fire call, or a public education assign-

ment, the members of the West Bend Fire Depart- ment are always dedicated to making

their contact with area residents a positive ex- perience.

Firefighter/Paramedic Da-

vid Keon came to the

West Bend Fire Depart-

ment in 2001 after having

served with the Me-

nomonee Falls Fire De-

partment for three years.

FF Keon was born in Ire-

land and his family emi-

grated to Queens, New

York when he was one

years old. He came to

Wisconsin with his family

in 1992.

Dave obtained his para-

medic certification when

the department upgraded

the EMS service from the

Intermediate level. He

currently works on the

Red Shift and is a relief

Motor Pump Operator.

Dave enjoys hiking out-

doors with his wife, Lori,

and spending time with

his children. He also en-

joys music, boxing and

working on his new home.

Personnel Spotlight: FF/Paramedic David Keon