Chief's Newsletter
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Clackamas Fire’s Community Newsletter To safely protect and preserve life and property Clackamas Fire District #1 www.clackamasire.com Message from the Chief, Fred Charlton August 2017 Are you Prepared? Are you really Prepared? September is National Emergency Preparedness Month and Clackamas Fire District #1 would like to help you prepare yourself, your family, home, business and pets for any type of natural or human-caused Inside this issue disaster. This year’s theme is “Disasters Don’t Plan Ahead. You Can.” Currently, we are Chief’s Message………………... 1 experiencing one of the largest wildfires in the United States just hours away outside of Brookings, Oregon and the very recent hurricane and associated record setting flooding in Board of Directors……………… 2 and around the State of Texas. These are devastating reminders of how impactful disasters can be on our community. Please take time to “Be Prepared” by following easy steps found Emergency Medical Services…. 2 at http://www.clackamasfire.com/divisions/emergency-management-and-disaster- Health and Safety…………….... 4 preparedness/preparing-for-disaster/ Employee Highlights………….... 6 Due to the hot dry weather, Clackamas Fire will remain at EXTREME regarding fire danger Women in Business……………. 8 level. It is critically important to use extreme caution when recreating and working outdoors during these conditions. Please help us keep our community safe. Wildland Fire Update…………... 9 Facilities Update……………...... 10 We have been working hard this summer to start and complete a number of major capital improvement projects. The Damascus Community Fire Station suffered a fire in April and Community Outreach…………... 10 we are anticipating moving back in to the current station in early October. New projects What is it?.................................. 11 include a Fleet/Logistics Center, new community fire station in Oregon City and a new fire station in the community of Damascus. Upcoming Events………………. 13 Fire Prevention…………………. 14 National Night Out Station Activities………………... 16 On August 1, 2017 Clackamas Fire’s firefighters and volunteers participated in National Night Out, which is an annual community-building campaign to promote police and fire community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie in an effort to make our neighborhoods safer, better places to live. National Night Out has been celebrated across North America on the first Tuesday of August since 1983. It’s a day when people hold neighborhood parties to strengthen community cohesiveness and crime resistance, and get to know each other and their local first responders. National Night Out was a great opportunity for community members to have fun and get to know each other. The various communities and neighborhoods have their own way of celebrating National Night Out. Neighborhood block parties were warned that when police and fire stroll through, it would be noisy from the lights and sirens. The requests to have firefighters visit the various National Night Out celebrations gets bigger and better each year. Clackamas Fire encourages communities to continue growing this event to support in keeping crime out of our communities! Pictured above: Fire engine tour at the Mt. Pleasant National Night Out in Oregon City. Pictured right: Firefighters from our HazMat Engine 307 at another National Night Out. 1 Message from the Board of Directors On August 28, 2017, Clackamas Fire District #1’s Board of Directors held several meetings. The first was a work session where staff discussed intergovernmental agreements (IGAs) with Canby Fire District #62, Estacada Fire District #69, Gladstone Fire Department and Lake Oswego Fire Department, Physician Supervisor contract, Legislative Consulting and Lobbying Services contract, Administration Office Remodel, and the City of Milwaukie’s Vertical Housing Development Zone. This was followed by the regular board meeting. Presentations: Mick Smith from the American Heart Association presented the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline EMS Gold Award to the Fire District. This award is presented to agencies who implement quality improvement measures for the treatment of patients who experience severe heart attacks (STEMI). Medical Director Dr. Craig Warden shared his semi-annual Medical Director’s report. The Board approved the following: Proclamation 17-03 – Emergency Preparedness Month for September 2017 Physician Supervisor’s Contract Legislative Consulting and Lobbying Services Contract Administration Office Remodel The next Board of Directors’ Meeting – Monday, September 18, 2017 at 6:30 pm at the Mt. Scott Fire Station 5. Emergency Medical Services Clackamas Fire receives American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline EMS Recognition Award Submitted by EMS Division Chief Bill Conway Milwaukie, August 29, 2017 — Clackamas Fire has received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® EMS Gold Award for the second year in a row for implementing quality improvement measures for the treatment of patients who experience severe heart attacks. The American Heart Association’s Mission Lifeline® program helps hospitals and emergency medical services develop systems of care that follow proven standards and procedures for acute coronary syndrome patients. The program works by mobilizing teams across the continuum of care to implement American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology clinical treatment guidelines. For more information, visit www.heart.org. Every year, more than 250,000 people experience an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) the most deadly type of heart attack caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart that requires timely treatment. To prevent death, it’s critical to restore blood flow as quickly as possible, either by mechanically opening the blocked vessel or by providing clot-busting medication. Unfortunately, a significant number of STEMI patients don't receive this prompt reperfusion therapy, which is critical in restoring blood flow. Mission: Lifeline seeks to save lives by closing the gaps that separate these patients from timely access to appropriate treatments. Mission: Lifeline’s EMS recognition program recognizes emergency medical services for their efforts in improving systems of care and improving the quality of life for these patients. Emergency Medical System providers are vital to the success of Mission: Lifeline. EMS agencies perform 12-lead ECGs which measure the electrical activity of the heart and can help determine if a heart attack has occurred. 2 Emergency Medical Services (cont.) They also follow protocols derived from American Heart Association/ American College of Cardiology guidelines. These correct tools, training, and practices allow EMS providers to rapidly identify suspected heart attack patients, promptly notify the medical center, and trigger an early response from the awaiting hospital personnel. Agencies that receive the Mission: Lifeline Gold award have demonstrated at least 75 percent compliance for each required achievement measure for two years. “EMTs and paramedics play a vital part in the system of care for those who have heart attacks,” said James Jollis, M.D., Chair of the Mission: Lifeline Advisory Working Group. “Since they often are the first medical point of contact, they can shave precious minutes of life-saving treatment time by activating the emergency response system that alerts hospitals. We applaud Clackamas Fire for achieving this award that shows it meets evidence-based guidelines in the treatment of people who have severe heart attacks.” Pictured above, from left to right: Chief Charlton accepting the Lifeline “Clackamas Fire is dedicated to making our service among the best in the Gold Award. country, and the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program is helping us accomplish that by implementing processes for improving systems of care with the goal of improving the quality of care for all acute coronary syndrome patients,” said EMS Division Chief Bill Conway “We are pleased to be recognized for our dedication and achievements in emergency medical care for all cardiac patients.” Hands Only CPR One of the students who received Hands Only CPR from Public Education Specialist Tammy Owen through the Clackamas Fire Hands Only/AED in the Schools Program put her skills to work days after receiving the training when her father suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. Unfortunately, the outcome was not what we hoped for, but the student was able to think clearly and immediately provided assistance instead of standing by helplessly. Public Education Specialist Owen received a thank you from the student’s mother through her teacher. Law Enforcement AED Program All law enforcement agencies in Clackamas County are now dispatched to cardiac arrests simultaneously with fire and ambulance. These agencies were provided AEDs from the Clackamas County EMS System Enhancement Fund. Law enforcement officers are often on the street and may be closer to a cardiac arrest event than the fire department or ambulance agency. This does not duplicate efforts but instead strengthens the chain of survival by reducing the time from onset of cardiac arrest to initial CPR and AED application. To date, Clackamas Fire has documented 20 incidents where law enforcement arrived prior to Fire/EMS and performed CPR in our Fire District. Of these, an AED was applied 14 times and a shock delivered five times. Community Paramedic The Community Paramedic is a specially trained paramedic who helps facilitate more appropriate