Cal Fire/San Luis Obispo County Fire Department

CAL FIRE
CHIEF JALBERT’S REPORT
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
CHIEF JALBERT’S REPORT
1
BATTALION I
2
BATTALION II
3
BATTALION III
7
BATTALION IV
8
BATTALION V
12
HEALTH & FITNESS
15
PREVENTION
17
OTHER NEWS FROM OUR UNIT
18
FROM THE VAULT
26
THANKS
28
BABIES
31
I have now been in the unit for four months. During this time, I
have had an opportunity to visit every fire station and camp and
conduct a ride along with each of the field Battalion Chiefs. I have
also had an opportunity to meet many of the employees and the
PCFs. I am overwhelmed by the warm welcome and ability to just
sit and talk with folks. There is so much that I have learned about
this great unit and I cannot tell you how proud and honored I am to
be the unit chief.
I have been very diligent in taking the time to meet all of the
county, state, and local officials and feel that I have a decent
grasp of where the unit is and where we are potentially going.
With input from the field, the management team and I have sat
down and set a course of action for the remainder of the year. We
have developed our goals and objectives which will keep us
focused and on course.
There are many facets to this unit from wildland and structure fire
protection, EMS and extrication, hazmat, USAR, crash rescue,
water rescue, beach rescue, cliff rescue, dispatching, and on and
on that makes the amazing service we provide world class. All of
you do an amazing job everyday overcoming many challenges
that come from the incidents, politics, staffing, and just life. Thank
you!
While the firefighters are on the front lines, our administrative staff
is keeping everything moving by supporting all of us. There are a
lot of things that goes on behind the scenes that make all of us
successful. This is a HUGE part of our team. Thank you too!
As we are now in the peak of fire season, a lot of you have been
mobilized to respond out of unit to fires throughout the state. This
means that others must stay back and “protect the fort”. In either case, we are all operating at a high RPM to
serve the public and prepare for the next incident. It is imperative that we maintain this highly diligent state of
readiness as burning conditions will only worsen in the coming months. With that, you need to make sure that
you take care of yourself and each other as this is both a sprint and a marathon.
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BATTALION I-3411 ~ TOM MC EWEN
Station 15
On March 26th and 27th, three
South Bay - Station 15 personnel
participated in the Monster and
Sea 24 hour Cancer Paddle
Fundraiser. The paddle took place
in the Morro Bay harbor. Six
stand-up paddle boarders rotated
in one or two hour paddle shifts at
a time. The team, included
RFF Stanley Craig, RFF/P Trevor
Hamblin, FAE/P Teddy Borja and
three other paddle boarders from
the local communities. The 24
hour, non-stop paddle event
raised money for local Central
STANLEY, TREVOR, AND TEDDY (3 FROM LEFT )
Coast families dealing with
cancer. Local businesses and community members donated money, food, and other resources. The six
people, Morro Bay team, met their goal of $4000. Envelopes containing $1000 are in the process of being
delivered to four local families in need.
Also In March, Station 15 - South Bay donated several pieces of PPE to the Todos Santos Fire Department of
Baja California, Mexico. Among the PPE items were 39 turnout jackets, 10 pair of bunker pants, a bag of
gloves, Nomex hoods, goggles, and boots. South Bay 15 Reserve Company had used the gear until recent
upgrades replaced them. Jim Gray of Station 35 made the gear transportation arrangements down to Todos
Santos B.C.
.
~3~
BATTALION II – 3412  ERIC SHALHOOB
On March 7, twelve Cal Fire and SLO County Fire firefighters participated in the Leukemia and Lymphoma
Society's 25th annual "Scott Seattle Firefighter StairClimb" at Seattle's Columbia Center Tower - the 2nd tallest
building west of the Mississippi River. This rigorous climb consist of 69 floors (1,356 steps and 788 vertical
feet) wearing full structure gear and being while on air.
We are also pleased that two local Families affected by Leukemia attended the event as the team's honorees.
Additionally, the team has submitted pictures of over a dozen local children and adults affected by leukemia or
lymphoma, including our own Misty & Jeremy Blake's daughter Annie. In each stairwell there was a poster of a
person affected by leukemia or lymphoma. Last year's SLU team said these posters were a huge motivation to
persevere to the top!
Aside from being required to raise at least $300 for the leukemia and Lymphoma Society, each firefighter must
also pay all of their own travel costs (airfare, lodging, food, etc.) which can range from $500 - $700 each. (CAL
FIRE permanent staff not included)
Working with the local non-profit San Luis Obispo County Firefighters Benevolent Association ("SLOCOFBA"),
the public can make donations towards the team's travel costs.
To learn more about the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Annual Firefighter Stairclimb, you can visit their
website:
http://www.llswa.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ff_home
~4~
~5~
Battalion 2 promotions
Congratulations to the following Battalion 2 employees that have accepted promotions from FAE to
Fire Captain assignments.
FAE Pete Campbell to CZU permanent Fire Captain assignment
FAE Derek McTiernan to SLU Battalion 3 Fire Captain/LT assignment
FAE/Paramedic Rick Baier to BEU, LT Fire Captain/Schedule B assignment
FAE/Paramedic Roger Rinehart to MVU, permanent Fire Captain Paramedic assignment
FAE/Paramedic Corey Nicholson to SLU battalion 4, Fire Captain/LT assignment
Welcome to new Battalion 2 employees
Daniel Fry to station 20 FAE/Paramedic LT
Shawn Hughes to Station 20 FAE LT schedule B
Samuel McElhinney to Station 20 FAE/Paramedic LT
Mike Easton to Station 22 FAE/Paramedic LT
Doyle San Nicolas to Station 22 FFII/Paramedic
New PCF(Company20)
Company 20 welcomes new PCF Rookies Bryan Jean, Riley Evans-Foster and Ryan Bower. All 3
completed the most recent SLO County Firefighters academy and have begun their rookie task
books.
Company 20 BBQ
Nipomo/Mesa PCF Company 20 and the Nipomo Firefighters auxiliary held their annual Tri-Tip BBQ
fundraiser. This large, well-attended event was held in the parking lot of Von’s Grocery in Nipomo. In
all, over 400 dinner plates were sold. Fire apparatus, Fire Prevention/Safety literature and Smokey
Bear were all on display. Next up for this group is their annual Fourth of July pancake Breakfast that
is held at Nipomo Station 20.
~6~
Recently, Nipomo station 20 Captain Felix Camacho and Engineer/Paramedic Rick Baier traveled to OES
Headquarters in Mather, Ca. just outside Sacramento to deliver OES fire engine 273, as it had completed its
life span with in the OES system. Engine 273 served the state of California and San Luis Obispo County for 16
years. In return, we accepted delivery of our new apparatus, OES 387. Engine 387 is the newest model of type
1 fire apparatus in the OES system and is also classified as a USAR type 3. The buildup is very similar to the
previous engine 273, however, OES 387 has a larger cab and is outfitted with an entire compliment of brand
new tools, equipment and hose. Also replaced at the same time were San Luis Obispo City Fire OES 271
replaced with OES 385 and Five Cities Fire Authority OES 272 replaced with OES 386. Morro Bay Fire and
Atascadero Fire are scheduled to have their OES rigs replaced next year. OES 387 will be housed and
response ready from Nipomo Station 20.
~7~
BATTALION III – 3413  STEVE CRAWFORD
BOAT 33 OPERATIONS CLASS
Written by Ryan Grebe , Fire Captain, North Coast Battalion
The Boat 33 emergency response on Lake Nacimiento is by far the most unique and challenging aspect of
being assigned to Station 33. Boat response demands knowledge of the lake itself along with a healthy
understanding of water rescue and EMS.
On April 3rd, 2016 Battalion 3 firefighters and PCF’s took part in the first annual Boat 33 Operations class. The
class was designed to give full-time employees and PCF’s an opportunity to train together on the skills needed
to perform emergency operations on Boat 33. Students were required to complete a California accredited
boater safety course along with a pre-requisite reading assignment before the start of class. The training day
started with an extensive power point presentation that outlined
the mission of the boat program, equipment used, and basic
rescue techniques. After a boat orientation with FC Gray, FC
Patchett, and FF Newby, the students headed out into the
water.
The students completed a basic swim test and then spent the
rest of the day learning various rescue techniques and skills.
The primary goal of the water portion of the class was to
expose students to different methods of victim retrieval and
patient packaging. This way they experience the pros and cons
of each method. Training on multiple disciplines allows the
students to feel confident in assessing the scene and
determining the best technique for their situation. The students used throw bags, rescue buoys, and boat
hooks in various situations to practice their victim retrievals
skills. Aside from rescuer safety, a large emphasis was placed
on the EMS side of boat response. Students practiced the most
effective methods for removing spinal patients from the water
and onto the boat. This is one of the most challenging skills,
and students figured out some great ways to work together as a
team to accomplish the objective.
Overall the Boat 33 class was a success. The students did a
great job, and there were many great training moments that will
be passed on and added to the next class. Lake Nacimiento
can get very crowded and busy during the warm summer
months, so I believe that a focused training day like this goes a
long way in improving the quality of service our fire department
can provide to the community, and those on the lake who need
our help.
~8~
BATTALION IV – 3417  JOSH TAYLOR
The following pictures show Burning, Stair climbers, Amtrak Training, and Battalion 4 Training.
~9~
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Station 40 Quarterly Training
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Station 40 CSR Drill
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BATTALION VI – 3416  PAUL LEE
Station 62
Station 62 is proud to have three new rookie PCFs that are nearing the end of their probationary
training period. All three are motivated and doing well. They are excited to be getting their pagers and
responding to calls.
Utility 62 is now in service and has already proven to be an excellent resource. It has been used to
respond B62 to a missing person off of Pismo Pier and was also used for Off-road access to an
injured hiker high up on Ontario Ridge trail. We are currently in the process of equipping U62 with a
rescue board, stokes basket, and stokes wheel in order to increase our ability to respond to rescues
in limited access areas.
Our technical rope rescue gear has been updated to include dual CMC MPD’s, one for the mainline
and one for the belay. The day after being put in service we utilized the new setup in a high angle cliff
rescue, extracting a total of 3 individuals from an isolated beach in the Pirates Cove area. The new
setup has proven to be reliable and efficient and it has reduced the size and weight of our rigging
bags.
Station 63
Shell Beach State of the Station
The boys are back from winter break and ready to tackle
the challenges that 2016 will bring this fire season. We
have some staffing changes that are always expected
within our seasonal ranks. Danny Woodman will pin his
wings and join the Airbase staff. JD Miller will head to
Station 30 where he’ll try hard not to put vegetables in the
eggs. No hearty scrambles for the Paso kids. We wish
them well at their new Station assignments.
We proudly welcome
Jimmy Harris and Erin
Riffle to the Fire House. Jimmy Harris came to our Station from
Parkhill and is eager to hone his waterman skills. Erin Riffle leaves the
Paso Robles Station to join our crew. He’s already made an impact
with his herb garden designs. These young men are ready and
capable of carrying on the Shell Beach firefighter tradition of
excellence.
Thomas Kofron was a busy boy for the 90 days he was away from the
Station. Thomas started his adventure with a trip to Canada where he
found deep powder and long runs. From there he traveled to Thailand
for rock climbing challenges and SCUBA. Back in the States he was a
regular on the big walls of Yosemite and the small walls in Monterey.
He made his trip to Mendocino to harvest his 9.5” abalones that help
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to feed us through the summer months. Thomas also became a certified skydiver and will progress to
a wing suit in the upcoming months. Needless to say, we’ll probably have an opening at the fire
house in the very near future.
Patrick Carufel is returning from winter break for his second
tour at the Shell Beach Fire House. He still enjoys his Shell
Beach residence steps away from the Station. During his time
off this winter he practiced his contractor skills with his father in
Santa Cruz. He even found time to paint his mother’s home.
When he wasn’t swinging a hammer, Patrick enjoyed trips to
China Peak and Tahoe where he honed his big mountain skills.
This summer Patrick hopes to improve his skills in the water,
on the mountain, and in the streets.
The Shell Beach Fire House is proud to announce that Patrick
Carufel is selling his Monster Truck. Patrick is in the market to
purchase a practical vehicle that has more substance and less
flash. Please join us in congratulating Patrick for making this
wise decision.
Hayden Mislavsky worked through the winter at the Paso Robles Fire Station where he enjoyed
numerous VMP projects throughout the County. He’s currently on spring break with his girlfriend and
caring for his numerous pet fish. He traveled to Hawaii in April so that he could continue developing
his waterman skills. We’re confident that Hayden will don his wetsuit with a 100% success rate in
2016. Watch out world, Hayden is a second year seasonal.
The Shell Beach Fire House Crew wishes you safe travels and good fortune during your operations
this summer. As always, our door is open for those that want some good coffee and can handle a
slight ribbing. We’ll leave you with a quote from one of our alumni Todd Takahashi, “Follow your
rainbow and you’ll eat your skittles”.
Station 64
Lifeguard season is in full swing. We have 20 returning Lifeguards and we have hired 7 new
Lifeguards for the 2016 season. The new Lifeguards will be attending the USLA Academy here in
Pismo Beach from June 13th- June 24th. We will also have a new tower on the beach replacing a 20
year old tower that served its purpose well. The Junior Lifeguard try outs went well, we have 78
participants this year. The program begins June 27th and runs through August 5th.
Station 62, 63, and 64 participated in a multi-agency Active Shooter drill at Judkins Middle School this
spring. The training was hosted by the Pismo Beach Police Department.
Reserve Firefighter Kenan Martin received the Firefighter of the Year award from The Elks club in
Oceano. Kenan was chosen as the Pismo Beach Firefighter of the Year as well.
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San Luis Obispo Regional Hazardous Materials Response Team
By Paul Lee
The San Luis Obispo Regional Hazardous Materials Response Team is made up of 16 SLO County
Fire members and 16 members from local government Fire Departments. The Team is also made up
of staff from the FBI, San Luis Obispo County Environmental Health, and the California Men’s Colony.
A Board of Directors made up of Fire Chiefs and County Environmental Health governs the Team.
The Board has an annual budget of $67,000 provided by the County, and Cities and Districts within
the County. The Haz Mat Board is supported by a Team Leader and Business Manager that looks
after the teams day to day needs.
January this year brought three members of CAL OES to the Meridian Fire Station to review HM-1
and Team membership. After 18 months of work the equipment and members of the Team were
typed by OES using state standards as a Type II Team. A team certified to the Type II level can
respond to known and unknown hazardous material releases. The difference between a Type I and
Type II Team is the response capability for weapons of mass destruction. The Type II rating the team
has received will fit the needs of the County well.
As a member of the Team, you receive monthly training at different facilities in the County that handle
hazardous materials. Training provided by the FBI allows the team to respond to criminal incidents to
not only mitigate the release but to also collect evidence for law enforcement. Other opportunities
include teaching assignments, out of county training and out of state training for specialty classes.
The Team is always looking for new members that are interested in a specialty that is different in the
fire service.
~ 15 ~
HEALTH AND FITNESS
Written by: Jeremy Heinbach- Unit Fitness Coordinator
I recently had the opportunity to participate in the CAL FIRE Physical Fitness Training Course: 8
Weeks Out in Sacramento. The course was designed and presented by Joel Jamieson and Jon
Pope. Joel is a world renowned expert in strength, conditioning and energy systems. Jon specializes
in Strength and Conditioning coaching as well as nutrition.
Approximately 30 Fitness Coordinators from throughout CAL FIRE attended the two day course that
was coordinated by our Department Fitness Coordinator Ryan Burns. The course took us through
hands on training techniques as well as classroom presentations on various topics. So much
information was presented in the two days that it cannot be summarized in this short article. However,
I want to highlight a few key elements that stuck out in my mind:
1. “The body must maintain movement quality when fatigued.” This concept will directly lead to
maximum performance and injury prevention. Our bodies are constantly pushed to the limit
and frequently operate in the fatigue phase both on the fireline and during our daily workouts.
It is important to train our bodies and our minds to maintain proper form and quality
movements in these times of maximum stress and fatigue.
2. Another approach to maximize performance and prevent injury is to “train throughout multiple
planes of motion.” The concept of maintaining a balanced body is to focus on multiple plane
movements: rotation; unilateral movements and side-to-side movements. By integrating these
types of functional movements with our typical forward- backward movements, we greatly
improve our overall mobility and ability to move efficiently.
3. In terms of diet, some may struggle with change. The best way to make a change in your diet
is to focus on “one habit at a time”. Single habit changes are far more successful than multiple
habit changes. For example, a person deficient in fruits and vegetables would benefit from
adding one extra serving of vegetables a day for three weeks. After three weeks, this habit will
become routine and effortless. Then focus on a new single habit if needed. Eventually your
dietary goals will become more controlled and attainable.
For more detailed information from Joel Jamieson and Jon Pope, please visit the following websites:
http://www.8weeksout.com/
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/coach-profile-jonathan-pope
FFI Rehire Academies
With all the new and returning
Firefighters this year, our training
department has conducted two
FFI rehire academies so far. The
CAL FIRE/ SLU Fitness
Assessments were completed
during these academies with the
addition of a voluntary “400 Club”
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challenge. Firefighters were evaluated on the 1.5 mile run, pull-ups, sit-ups, push-ups, wall-sit and
flexibility/ mobility. In order to join the “400 Club”, candidates must have an accumulative point value
of 400 or greater per the following requirements:
Push Ups:
Sit Ups:
Pull Ups:
1.5 Mile Run:
1 point for each push up completed in one minute
1 point for each sit up completed in one minute
3 Points for each pull up completed without releasing the bar
200 Points for completing the run in 9 Minutes; plus .5 points for every second
faster than 9 minutes; minus .5 points for every second after 9 Minutes.
Congratulations to our 2016 “400 Club” members for exceling in Physical Fitness:
Left to right: Cody Vallejo (Station 30) and Thomas Kofron (Station 63)
~ 17 ~
PREVENTION
June 10 - Congratulations to Jonathan
Gee, Forestry Assistant II, for graduation
from Firefighter Academy #58 with 37 of
his peers!
Fire Marshall
With California facing one of the most severe droughts on record, Governor Brown has declared a State of
Emergency and directed state officials to take all necessary actions to prepare for water shortages. He has
also requested significant cut backs in water usage. Bulletin 15-002, Best Practices in Water Management
during Required Testing of Fire Protection System is posted at this link:
http://osfm.fire.ca.gov/informationbulletin/pdf/2015/IB_15-002.Water_Mgmt_During_FP_System_Test.pdf
Mike Salas joined CAL FIRE SLU as the new Fire Marshall in April 2016.
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OTHER NEWS FROM OUR UNIT
RETIREMENT BBQ
On April 2, recent retirees where honored at a BBQ at the Paso Robles Event Center. Bob Bergstrom
and his fire crew did a fabulous job of preparing the meal.
STEVE AND R OB
ROB INTRODUCING HIS FAMILY
S TEVE AND KATHLEEN VAUGHN
S TEVE AND ROB
ZACH N ICHOLS AND PAT MARSHALL
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NANCY M ELLO AND S TEVE
PAT M ARSHALL, S TEVE CRAWFORD , S TEVE VAUGHN
V ICTORIA , HANNAH , AND FRIEND
DENNIS B YRNES
COLONEL R OGHELLO HONORS
BC JOHN R ICHARDSON
TONY RAMIREZ
~ 20 ~
COPY OF SPEECH ROB LEWIN GAVE AT RETIREMENT DINNER
Retirement Celebration 4-2-16
When the seven of us started out, we were young and strong. We were confident for no particularly good reason. We
drove fire engines with clutches and no air conditioning and they frequently broke down or would not even start. We
worked in a time where technology was using multiple sheets of carbon paper and an electronic calculator. Shelters were
just being issued and every firefighter always had a red or blue bandana tied around their neck or face. Fire station
furniture and TVs were from garage sales. We ate bacon for breakfast, ham sandwiches for lunch and pork chops for
dinner. Every meal had a big pitcher filled with Kool-Aid, our version of sports drinks, we called it red death.
On big fires we slept on the ground in a new thing they had called paper sleeping bags, it was like getting inside a big
handy-wipe. Logistics always thought it best to put sleeping close to the helicopters on a park lawn that no one bothered
to shut the sprinklers off. We ate C-Rations that came from our father’s war. If you opened a can of chocolate, crackers,
and peanut butter with your P-38 can opener and put it together you had what we would now call an energy bar. Everyone
smoked or chewed tobacco except us college kids who took in plenty of second hand smoke. Butt cans were all over the
station with the word “Butt Can” stenciled on it. Everything was stenciled. If it wasn’t stenciled it was painted safety yellow.
Five day on, two days off. Personal phone calls were only allowed at night and the phones were located where everyone
could hear your conversation with your girlfriend. We had open barracks with bunk beds where your best bet was to fall
asleep before the guy who snored. One bathroom for the men and women with a sign you flipped over that said, “men or
women” for whoever was using it. Everyone was equally harassed about everything, all the time, non-stop. No one had
any money because the pay was lousy and there was no such thing as overtime pay; overtime was for the USFS
firefighters who had it good. When you sprained an ankle, you never told anyone, but simply tightened your boots and
grimaced, knowing that you would be shamed for making the captain do paper work in triplicate using multiple sheets of
the ubiquitous carbon paper.
Google Earth photos, satellite, drones images, no; we had the air attack officer take out a polaroid camera and snap a
picture and then literally fly low over the incident commanders pick-up truck and throw the photo out the window with a
streamer attached. Then we would all hunt for wherever the photo actually ended up.
No high tech gear unless we bought some Vietnam era army surplus web-gear with our own money. We stuffed
everything in our nomex shirt. We shared canteens called banjos and filled them up with creek water, telling our partner
not to backwash. We packed an HT that was the weight and size of a brick. Radios had three frequencies, State, Region
and Local net. At the fire station we took weather readings every two hours and gave the questionable data over the radio.
We needlessly stripped, waxed and buffed the asbestos tile floors endlessly, as if shinny floors were important to fire
prevention.
I am sure somewhere around this time there were promises from Sacramento about building a new Paso Fire Station,
Cuesta Camp and Headquarters. No doubt, Sacramento will keep that 30-year-old promise.
While much has changed, so much remains the same. Firefighters still respond without question when people need us.
Firefighters still show kindness to those who need help. It is still hard for firefighters to do CPR on a child. Firefighters still
do the same hoselays, still mobile attack, still anchor in with one foot in the black and the other in the green flanking the
fire till they cut off the head. They still carry heavy loads up steep hill under hot conditions with little sleep. The fires still
burn hot and the wind still is in charge. CAL FIRE has changed a lot, mostly for the better. Today’s firefighters are every
bit as tough as we were, maybe more. They are smarter, more physically fit and better trained. Our mission remains the
same, protect life, property and our cherished environment. It still take courage and passion to be a firefighter. We are still
a family of families who understands and supports each other.
This is who we are. This is what we do.
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GILBERT MARSHALL MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP TEAM BRANDING
Submitted by Valerie Marshall
THE FOURTH ANNUAL GILBERT MARSHALL MEMORIAL
SCHOLARSHIP TEAM BRANDING held on March 12, 2016,
at the Blasingame arena on Auberry Road, Clovis, Ca. was
once again more successful than we could have imagined.
The weather had been finicky and uncertain until the 12th, but
the day dawned with beautiful puffy clouds, blue sky, and
sunshine.
The GMMS Team Branding is a one-day annual family event,
open to the public, free admission, held in memory of Gilbert
Marshall, the son of Cal Fire Retired Captain Pat Marshall.
Gilbert died in a logging accident while Pat was employed by
Cal Fire. The proceeds of the day go toward scholarships for graduating seniors of Sierra High School in
Tollhouse, California from which Gilbert graduated, and Minarettes High School in North Fork, California.
Pat and I and our family owe a huge thank you to so many, but especially to our Cal Fire family who step up
and help in so many ways. Some are up at daylight the day of the event to help us set up, then tear down at
the end of the day. Some volunteer to work in the booths, donate raffle and silent auction prizes, and just in
general add to our total enjoyment of the day. You can find SLO Cal Fire in their established spot on the hill
overlooking the arena, so for a good time in 2017 come join us.
We had a new event this year – Steer decorating – and the SLO "girls" made the front page of our local
mountain paper. Below are a few pictures of this year’s GMMS Team Branding, and a “challenge” from Nikkie
Myall, wife of Chris (Jingles) Myall.
Nikkie says: “Throw anything our way and we are determined to succeed!
First round steer dressing was awesome except for our steer collapsed on us outside the pen almost to the
finish line.Second round we were determined to beat the boys! Grabbed our steer and what do you know....
We got the same dang steer the second go round! After his panties were on there was no getting him up. Well
we aren't quitters so after we all very lovingly talked our steer into standing
we made it to the finish line.
The boys on the other hand.. Won the second round. Just so you know it
was by luck because we
had that steer pinned
and panties on, just
couldn't get the dang
thing up on his feet.
Good job guys... But
next year... It's ON!”
LUKE BOURGAULT, M ORGAN PARTRIDGE , TRUONG
NGUYEN, C HRIS MYALL
ABILENE BOURGAULT WITH HER
RAFFLE PRIZE - RAIN BOOTS AND
UMBRELLA
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S HANNON BOURGAULT, MICHELE PARTRIDGE, N IKKIE M YALL
AT GMMS T EAM BRANDING
BUBBA B OURGAULT , LUKE B OURGAULT, PAT M ARSHALL , SCOTT LONG
PRESENTATION OF RIFLES TO 1 ST PLACE WINNERS
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EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRAINING
Submitted by Michael DeLeo
During the first week of February, 2016, I
was fortunate enough to be part of a
medical instruction team that traveled to
Gracias, Lempira, Honduras. We were
tasked in instructing members of the
Gracias Fire Department in basic prehospital emergency medical skills. This
was the second of four week-long class
installments which will eventually cover
most of the basic curriculum for an
Emergency Medical Technician – Basic
as set forth by the US Department of
Transportation and used by the United
States National Registry of Emergency
Medical Technicians.
Approximately 20 students received
classroom and practical training in
trauma-related topics, including Head,
Spine and Chest injuries as well as review of Week 1 topics that included initial patient assessment / scene
survey, extremity splinting and shock. The week concluded with a final multi casualty simulation exercise.
Four of the more experienced Firefighters were selected as trainers and received an additional four hours of
instruction each day. Our intent is to ensure that the skills and didactic lessons will be practiced and passed
along as new firefighters are brought on
with the department in a self-sustaining
model.
These dedicated men and women
comprise the Gracias Fire Department.
They are a mixture of volunteers and
professional firefighters. They have a very
limited budget supplied through the State
Department, and serve a very dense and
mostly impoverished population with a
large geographic area.
Like CAL FIRE, they are all risk and
respond to large scale incidents such as
structure and vegetation fires, vehicle roll
overs, and water and cliff rescues. Medical
responses make up the bulk of their
requests for service. While one or two of the full time staff have had some minimal formal medical training over
the years, the concepts of scene management, organized assessments and standardized treatment is needed
and will be put to immediate use. Once a year, an individual from the department may get selected to go to the
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Capital City for specialized training in fire attack or technical
rescue. At this point, refresher training, protocols and / or SOG’s
are not employed.
I was lucky enough to respond with them and was impressed
with how much they are able to do with so little. A month or so
prior to my visit, they had a large passenger bus roll over the
side of a cliff w/ 17 fatalities and 60 injured. The two firefighters
that had trained in rope rescue spent over 19 hours bringing up
the victims one by one. Patients are transported to the local ER
in a modified Land Cruiser “ambulance” and long distance
transports; four-to five hours each way are very common. Most
patients are transferred to the major city of San Pedro Sula as
the local hospital has no modern CT or MRI equipment. Simple bandaging supplies and used trauma bags
donated by CAL FIRE SLO were greatly appreciated as funds for medical supplies and equipment are almost
non-existent. The entire station shares two sets of turnouts, and they use a combination cutter-spreader unit
circa 1980’s to extricate. The first out Engine is a water tender that they take great pride in.
Over the course of the week I was welcomed into their station and homes and found that like everywhere we
are bound by the commonality of our profession. The same
pride and dedication to the service of others and our fellows
truly reaches across all boarders and unites us in service.
This project was initiated through the organization “MEDICO.”
Medico is a nonprofit humanitarian service organization that has
been providing comprehensive health care response in Central
America since 1990. Their efforts are through short-term medical
mission teams, long-term community partnerships and ongoing
health education projects.
~ 25 ~
PCF APPRECIATION DINNER
CAL FIRE SLU hosted a dinner honoring the PCFs on May 26 at the South Bay Training Center. After the
dinner, Chief Jalbert recognized those who had reached milestones and presented awards. Susan Parkinson,
fondly referred to as the “Mother of our Unit”, was not able to attend the dinner due to an illness, but provided
all the decorations, helped with the decorations, and provided items for the raffle. Her husband Bob attended
the dinner. After the program, everyone went out to the car where Susan was, to give her a warm and heartfelt
thank-you.
~ 26 ~
FROM THE VAULT
S TEVE R EEDER OR R OB LEWIN?
1999 ACADEMY GRADUATION LEFT TO R IGHT IS FC JASON
C OHN, BC JIM TULLY, JEREMY M ONTGOMERY ( NOW WITH LA
COUNTY F IRE )
PAT K ERCHEN
C APT MATT JAUREGUI AT THE OLD CONSOLE
~ 27 ~
BC PHILL VENERIS WITH THE GOVERNATOR
BC HARKNESS WITH FIRING PISTOL
~ 28 ~
MANY THANKS
~ 29 ~
On Tue, Jun 21, 2016 at 11:11 AM, Nathan <nathank@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi,
Your guys were awesome!
They helped me rig up my ranch water truck for Fire Fighting operations, thank goodness we didn't need it.
Please make sure the Captain of Station Gets this picture.
Thanks again for all of your hardwork in fighting this wildfire!!!
Sincerely,
Nathan Korman
Owner
Vazquez Ranch
El Capitan Canyon, Gaviota, CA
Here are links to all of my sherpa fire pics
Fire Retardant Drop over the ranch (Video):
https://www.facebook.com/nathan.krmn/videos/10153834009149217/
The fire Reaches the Western Border of the Ranch:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153834051254217.1073741848.649824216&type=1&l=76bba01773
The Aftermath on the Western Ridge above our ranch:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153836389049217.1073741849.649824216&type=1&l=ca98c23935
~ 30 ~
ALOHA Chief Jalbert,
Just a little note to say a BIG THANK-YOU for your
outstanding work in controlling & stopping last weekends
fire on Hwy 227 & Price Canyon.
My sister, Carol Florence, lives on the hillside above the fire.
The other neighbors were at a school graduation & she was
home alone. She heard the sirens, smelled smoke & then could
see big smoke. Carol took her cat, & a few essential items & left
the house & hillside.
Please give your firefighters a BIG THANK-YOU
FOR THEIR STELLAR WORK ! I know you help so many people,
save lives, pets & property everyday. I am appreciating each of
you for myself, my sister & all the people who forget to say
THANK-YOU.
with gratitude & warm Aloha,
Joan Marie Florence
~ 31 ~
BABIES
Charlotte Bjerre McLean. 7.7 lbs 19 3/4 inches and has a loud booming voice.
~ 32 ~
Congratulations to our CCC partners celebrating their 40th anniversary