Clackamas Fire's Community Newsletter
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Clackamas Fire’s Community Newsletter To safely protect and preserve life and property Clackamas Fire District #1 www.clackamasfire.com Message from the Chief, Fred Charlton March 2017 Spring is just around the corner which means the start of warmer weather and outdoor activities. Clackamas Fire wants to ensure your safety all year long and we need your help. As the weather warms up, there is an increased number of people accessing local Inside this issue rivers and lakes for recreational activities and to cool off. Tragically, drownings can happen Chief’s Message………………... 1 in an instance because local waterways are still very cold and have unpredictable fast moving currents. Please use extreme caution when swimming or boating and remember to Firefighter Academy 17-01 1 always wear a life jacket. Board of Directors………..….…. 2 Safety/Public Education..……… 2 More safety information about wearing bike helmets, window safety prevention, working smoke alarms, and backyard burning can be found at our website www.clackamasfire.com. Health and Safety……….……… 3 Employee Highlights…..……….. 4 Firefighter Academy 17-01 Community Outreach 4 On January 23, 2017, Probationary Firefighters Jacob Covey, Graham Heard, James Station Project Updates 6 Faiman and Randy Powers began Academy 17-01. They graduated on March 16, 2017 What is it?.................................. 7 with Probationary Firefighter Power receiving the Highest Test Average Award and Probationary Firefighter Faiman being selected by his peers as the recipient for the Top Foundation Auction....…… 7 Hose Award. After completing their indoctrination shifts, they were assigned to serve on Fire Prevention…………………. 8 Engine 1 at Town Center Station 1, Engine 4 at Lake Road Station 4, and Engine 15 at John Adams Station 15. Bios for each of them will be shared in the April newsletter. Station Activities……………....... 9 Congratulations to Jacob, Graham, James and Randy! Roof Ventilation Training Academy 17-01 Probationary Firefighter Graduates (L to R): James Faiman, Graham Heard, Randy Powers and Jacob Covey . Water Rescue Training 1 Message from the Board of Directors The following took place at the March 20, 2017 regular Board of Directors’ meeting: Chief Charlton presented an update of the Fire District’s Strategic Business Plan. The Board approved the following: Update of the Strategic Business Plan Update of the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with Estacada Fire District #69 Mark Kael as a Civil Service Commissioner Fire Chief to Surplus Equipment Safety/Public Education April is Window Fall Prevention Month Window falls are predictable, therefore preventable. We need your help to reduce the risk of injury to children. Safe Kids Worldwide reports 3,300 children under age 6 fall from windows every year. Windows attract curious children. Children under 7 are most at risk of falling from windows and least likely to remember rules. Most window falls happen from windows with properly installed screens. You can protect your child from falling from a window. Teach kids and caregivers that screens keep bugs out not kids in. Limit window openings to less than 4 inches. On windows that pose a fall risk, limit window openings: STOP at 4” or less by installing child safety window stops that can be easily removed by an adult in an emergency. If you must open a window more than 4” install a window guard that can be easily removed by an adult in an emergency. Crime prevention devices on windows do not protect children from falls. Do not let children watch you operate any child safety product! Remember children imitate adults. Keep play spaces fun & safe. Keep areas in front of windows clear of anything a child can climb on. Children have climbed on furniture, toys and even laundry and fallen out of a window. Enforce a KID-FREE ZONE in front of all windows. Do not allow children to play near windows. Enforce this rule in your home and explain it to others caregivers. Keep windows closed and locked when not in use. Ask about window safety when your child visits other homes. Myths about window falls: 1. My kids know better. 2. We live in a single story house so they can’t get hurt. 3. Only kids with inattentive parents get hurt. 4. I have a window (bug) screen that will keep them from falling. 5. My child is not old enough to climb through a window. Visit the STOP at 4 Inch, The Campaign to Stop Window Falls website: www.stopat4inch.com. Get practical help and resources from Randall Children’s Hospital’s Safety Center: www.legacyhealth.org/windowsafety. Need help? Contact: Jan Berichon, Health Educator, Randall Children’s Hospital Safety Center at: 503-413-4600. Window Stops: Kidco Window Stops Guardian Angel Window Guards Tough Tek Safety Screens 2 Health and Safety Oats Improve Several Heart Disease Markers Most research on oats has focused on how oats impact LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, which can build up in blood vessels and narrow the arteries. Now, a meta-analysis suggests that oats can also reduce two other markers of cardiovascular disease: non-HDL cholesterol (total cholesterol minus the “good” HDL cholesterol), and adolipoprotein B (apoB), a substance that carries LDL cholesterol through the blood. The study, which included an analysis of data from 58 clinical trials, found that diets enriched with about 3.5 grams a day of beta-glucan fiber (a type of fiber present in oats) reduced LDL cholesterol by 4.2%, non-HDL cholesterol by 4.8%, and apoB by 2.3%. What you can do to get more oats in your diet Add oatmeal to smoothies, pancakes, and homemade bread, muffins, and cookies. Make non-traditional savory oatmeal by adding onions, garlic, and mushrooms, spinach or broccoli. Stir oats into meatloaf, burgers, casseroles, and other savory dishes. With your breakfast eggs, replace a side of hash browns with oatmeal; add a bit of shredded Parmesan or crumbled feta cheese for a flavor boost. Source: British Journal of Nutrition, Oct. 11, 2016 Health Question of the Month Q. Are purple and red carrots, purple cauliflower and other colorful varieties of vegetables nutritionally the same as regular varieties? A. Yes, in many cases even more so! Nutritionally, colorful varieties are both similar and different to the more usual options. While more colorful vegetable varieties contain nearly identical amounts of some nutrients like fiber, colorful phytochemicals set them apart. Phytochemicals are biologically active compounds found in plants. At least 5,000 phytochemicals have been identified. Many others are yet to be discovered and much more research is needed before we fully understand their health benefits. Phytochemicals are protective – many are anti-oxidants, protecting cells from damage. 3 Employee Highlights Battalion Chief Brian Burke I have been working for Clackamas Fire District #1 for 25 years. I was hired in the "big group" in June of 1991. I am a Battalion Chief at BC2 “A” shift. I was promoted in March 2017, prior to that I was a captain for 14 years. As a child I watched the TV show, Emergency. I always thought that being a firefighter and helping people would be awesome. During a college/career class in high school, I interviewed a firefighter at my local fire station. I knew right then that this is the career for me. I still feel lucky that I got to pursue and fulfill my childhood dreams. I have been married to my wife, Kimberly, since 1992. She is a first grade teacher at Gafney Lane Elementary School in Oregon City. My son works full time at Wilco, goes to Clackamas Community College and volunteers here at Clackamas Fire. During the summer, he works as a wildland firefighter. My daughter is a freshman at George Fox University. She is studying to become an elementary teacher. She also plays lacrosse for the school. I am a member of the Clackamas County Traffic Safety Commission. I have been serving on the committee since 2002. For the last seven years, I have been going with my church's youth group to build houses in Mexico. It is so great to not only build a house for the family, but also seeing the teens work so hard each year. I enjoy hiking, snowshoeing, kayaking and camping. I was a student/volunteer firefighter at Beavercreek Fire Department. While I was there, I worked with future Clackamas Fire employees Mike and Mark Corless, Doug Damm, Bill Farmer, Will Weatherly and David Slegers. Community Outreach Read Across America Read Across America is an annual event that takes place nationally on March 2 in honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday. Schools reach out to people in the community to come and read books to small groups of students. Each year, Fire District employees join in the reading at local schools. At Gaffney Lane Elementary School, a crew from Hilltop Station 16 enjoyed reading to students. The firefighters participating included Lieutenant Dan Mulick, Apparatus Operator Jared Hanna, Firefighter Phillip Orefice and Firefighter Tyler Dickerson. Even though it was Captain Brian Burke’s day off, he also joined in the reading. Fire Prevention staff also participated and included Inspector Matt Amos, Deputy Fire Marshal Mike Boumann and Deputy Fire Marshal Kari Shanklin. At Lot Whitcomb Elementary School on March 3, a crew from Town Center Station 1 read to students. These firefighters included Captain Brian Burke, Apparatus Operator Andrew Gordian, Firefighter Craig Bowen and Firefighter Dave Doornink. Capt. Burke reading to children . 4 Community Outreach (cont.) What is GMR? Written by Captain Don Davis GMR CEO & Founder Global Mission Readiness (GMR) is a non-profit, charitable organization founded in 2009 to provide emergency services education, training and resources to developing nations, and to promote disaster prevention and self-reliance.