u RETIREMENT OF FIREFIGHTER
LUPE OLVERA ........... 1
Sp ri n g/ S u mm e r 2 0 14
u F IREFIGHTER ’ S ASSOCIATION
TOOL PURCHASE ........ 2
u A PPRECIATION DINNER
HONORS ...................
3
u S PRING CLEANING AND
POISON SAFETY ......... 4
u W HY DO THEY DO THAT?
.............................. 5
Channahon
Fire
u NO MORE BACK INJURIES FOR
US ........................... 6
u P ARAMEDICS RECOGNIZED
.............................. 7
T HE CH A NN A HO N FIR E PR OTE CT IO N D ISTR ICT A ND IT S ME MB ER S
P R O V ID E A U NIQ UE S ER V ICE IN T H E A R E AS O F EME R G E NC Y R E S PO N S E,
E D U C A T I O N A N D AW A R E N E S S W I T H P R O F E S S I O N A L I S M , D E D I C A T I O N
A N D PR ID E T O TH E C O MMU N IT Y A ND T HO S E IN N EE D .
The Interstate 55 speed limit in the southwestern portion of Will County and northeastern portion of Grundy
County is posted as 70 MPH. Please exercise caution and maintain situational awareness along this stretch of
interstate to reduce the potential of accidents.
Driving Safety in
Construction Zones
As we enter the 2014 road construction season, please remember
to exercise extra caution as you
drive through these zones. Road
construction routes will increase in
the Channahon area as the Des
Plaines River Bridge project continues. Please observe the following
tips before traveling within these
zones:
MANAGE YOUR SPEED:
· Slow Down
· Follow Posted Speed Limits
· Leave a Little Earlier
MANAGE YOUR SPACE:
· Leave Room
· Don't Pass on the Shoulder
· Watch Out for Tailgaters
MANAGE YOUR STRESS:
· Keep Your Cool
· Pay Attention
· Expect Delays
REMINDER!
Construction along the Interstate 55
corridor will begin March 31! Please
plan accordingly and drive safely as the
Des Plaines River Bridge Project resumes.
Retirement of Firefighter Lupe Olvera
On January 31, 2014, Candelario “Lupe” Olvera retired as a volunteer firefighter. He served the
Channahon Fire Protection District for 20 years. Firefighter Olvera was an active member of the
organization. He functioned as a Water Rescue Team member and an Honor Guard member.
He is also very active in the community serving on the Channahon Park District’s Three Rivers
Festival Committee and performs honor guard duty at the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Cemetery.
Firefighter Olvera’s dedication and commitment to the organization will be missed. From all of
us at the fire district, we wish Firefighter Olvera the very best and appreciate his service to the
community.
Firefighter’s Association
Tool Purchase
What
is it?
The Channahon Volunteer Firefighter’s
Association purchased new power
and hand tools that were placed into
service on our Snorkel 419.
The purchase included a new roof
ventilation power saw, power rescue
saw, and special hooks used during
overhaul and ventilation. The total
purchase equated to $2,500.00.
The funding that made the purchases
In addition, the Volunteer Firefighter’s
Association purchased new rescue
shoring struts that may be used for
trench rescues. The struts will be
housed on our technical rescue trailer.
The struts cost $13,000.00.
Pictured: FF/P Steve Garry, FF/P Kurt
Liebermann and FF/P Jason Hartman
possible was earned from the annual
fundraiser the organization hosts
during the Three Rivers Festival. A
great big thank you to our Volunteer
Firefighter’s Association and their
support of the district and its mission
to provide high quality service!
Is it a fancy pasta maker?
Is it a car jack?
Nope! It is a hose clamp. It is
used on larger diameter
hoses such as the 2 1/2”
hose. It is placed on the hose
near the fire engine that is
pumping the water. Once it is
clamped down the firefighter
will connect the other end of
the hose to the fire hydrant
and open it up. When the
engineer is ready for water,
they will unclamp it and water
will flow.
It's already illegal to use hand-held cell phones in school and construction zones, and all
cell phone use is banned for drivers under age 18 unless they are making an emergency
call. Illinois also prohibits texting while driving.
As of January 1, 2014, a new state law went into effect that bans the use of hand-held
devices while driving in Illinois. Motorists still can chat and drive, but only if they use handsfree technology such as a Bluetooth device, earpiece, headset or speakerphone. Otherwise,
they'll need to put it in park or face fines that start at $75. Is your phone call really that
important? Drive safe!
Executive Support Program
Graduate – Pamela Fink,
Administrative Assistant
The Channahon Fire Protection District would like to congratulate Administrative
Assistant Pam Fink as she graduated the Illinois Fire Service Administrative
Professional’s Executive Support Program in December. This is a twelve (12)
week program that introduces routine administrative and operational practices to
an executive fire support assistant to improve their understanding of the organization and their roles. During the program, Pam completed various classroom and
practical exercises. She graduated with Executive Support Program certification
from the Office of the State Fire Marshal on December 11 during the annual
Illinois Fire Service Administrative Professional’s luncheon. We are proud of Pam
and her efforts to attain this goal!
Appreciation Dinner Honors
The Fire District honored several members for their service and achievements within
the organization at the 2013 Appreciation Dinner on November 16.
Five Year Service Award
Edward Eddy, William Hulbert,
Brett Proctor, Scott Schneider
Ten Year Service Award
Allen Koranda, Andrew Anderson,
Rich Arnold (not pictured)
Kenneth J. Frayne
Member of the Year
Award
Thirty Five Year Service Award
Trustee Michael Rittof
Pictured with Terrence is his
lovely wife Kelly.
Twenty Year Service Award
Trustee Robert Meyers, Lupe Olvera
This award is for the individual that best
fits the ideals of service and dedication as
demonstrated by our fallen brother Ken
Frayne. They must show exceptional leadership, courage, responsibility and going
above and beyond. The winner is nominated by their peers.
This year’s award goes to Firefighter/
Paramedic Terrence O’Hern. Terrence
has been with the department for 11 years
and has taken on the responsibility of
Quarter Master, making sure everyone
has the proper uniforms and firefighting
gear.
Special Team Commendations
Water Rescue and Dive: Kurt Liebermann,
Richard Arnold
CART: Keith Swatek, Brian McMillin, Edward
Eddy, Andrew Anderson
Fire Investigations: Keith Swatek, Jacob
Randich, Matt Skole, Adam Hughes
Honor Guard: Lupe Olvera, Richard Debord
High Call Club
Jerry Briones, Richard Kruger, Robert Plant, Lupe Olvera, Michael
Hammerstein, Mark Swatek, Edward Eddy, William Hulbert,
Chris Skrabel, Zachary Toepper, Keith Swatek, Chaz McGinnis.
Not pictured: Anthony Holland, Laron Sullivan, Donald Welch,
and Edward Wrobel,
**We accidentally omitted the recognition of FF/Engineer Keith Swatek in the last newsletter which recognized a group of our staff
for their efforts during the Flooding Events last spring. We apologize to FF/Engineer Swatek for the oversight.
Spring Cleaning and
Poison Safety
·
Keep all household cleaning products and other
poisonous products separated from food products.
·
Never leave a cleaning product open and
unattended.
·
When using cleaning products, work in wellventilated areas.
·
Dispose of cleaning products according to the
instructions on the label or at your community
chemical waste drop-off site.
·
Before you start your spring cleaning, the Illinois
Poison Center (IPC) advises you to take additional
precautions when clearing out cupboards, closets,
basements and garages. Spending a few extra
minutes to correct any potential poisoning hazards
in your home could prevent serious harm — even
death — for a family member, neighbor or pet.
Each year, the IPC handles many calls involving
toxic exposure to household cleaners, with products
such as bleaches, disinfectants, floor and tile cleaners, automatic dishwasher detergent and glass
cleaners, most commonly mentioned as the source
of the poisoning. Frequently, exposures occurred
because these products were not in their original
containers, had been improperly used, or had been
left open and unattended by an adult.
To protect children and adults from an accidental
poisoning exposure during your spring clean-up, the
IPC offers the following tips for poison-proofing your
home:
· Whenever using cleaning products, always read
the product label first and use the product according
to the label directions.
·
Keep all cleaning products in their original
containers with original labels. Many poisoning
incidents happen when a chemical is moved into
containers that kids recognize such as a water bottle
or a Gatorade bottle.
·
Store cleaning products out of sight, in locked
cabinets.
Never combine chemicals together especially
if they contain bleach or other chlorine-active
compounds (sodium hypochlorite). If bleach is
mixed with ammonia or ammonium-based products,
it will release a noxious gas called chloramine. If
bleach is mixed with an acid-based product, such as
a toilet bowl cleaner or lime remover, it will release
chlorine gas. These types of poisonings often occur
in the bathroom, in part, because many bathroom
cleaners are acid-based.
These poison-proofing tips also apply when cleaning garages and basements, which typically contain
many potential hazards, such as bug spray, weed
killers, gasoline, oil, paint and other supplies.
Because of their curious nature, children frequently
come in contact with household cleaning products.
Keeping the IPC phone number (1-800-222-1222)
on all your phones will ensure you don’t waste
precious seconds when dealing with a poisoning
emergency.
Approximately 90 percent of poisonings can be
treated safely and effectively at home, by calling
the IPC and providing the name of the poisonous
substance and the approximate amount involved in
the exposure. The IPC’s staff of pharmacists,
physicians, nurses and poison information specialists have access to references which allow them to
quickly determine the degree of toxicity or hazard,
and they will offer recommendations for managing
the poisoning. They will advise callers to see a
physician or visit an emergency room if a doctor’s
care is needed. They will also make a follow-up call
and suggest further care, if necessary.
*Information obtained from the Illinois Poison Control Center website:
http://illinoispoisoncenter.org/springcleaning
Don’t forget… When you change your clocks
March 9th, change the batteries
in your smoke and CO alarms!
Why Do They Do That?
This section will be an ongoing series that discusses operational components of the fire district to inform
our service recipients why we do what we do.
Why do the firefighters fold fire hose a certain way on the fire engine?
Accessing a fire and beginning fire attack within an efficient time frame is critical to reduce fire loss. Part of the
efficiency comes as firefighters deploy their attack hose from the engine and go inside to extinguish the fire. Each
fire agency folds or “beds” their fire hose using a certain technique that allows for simple and effective deployment.
Hose loads are typically designed with some of the following factors in mind: firefighter staffing on the engine, lengths
between the engine and projected points of entry, types of occupancies, and fire loading hazards. If you watch a firefighter pull the hose, he or she uses a specific technique and the hose is “stretched” in a certain way. Depending on
how the hose is bedded, the firefighter might use a shoulder load, pull loops, or pull certain sections and connect it to
other hoses to prepare the hose for fire attack. Regardless, the objective is to access the fire with the correct hose
diameter, length, and flow to control the fire.
In the Works
The Channahon Fire Protection District strives to improve current levels of service and find new and innovative ways to
deliver new programming to our community and customers. Below you will find some descriptions of projects we are
working on:
f Information Systems Improvements and Upgrade
h Configure internal IT system to meet modern needs and output
f Sharing Information System Specialist with Channahon Park District
h Reviewing the potential of a “shared employee agreement” that would allow two public
organizations to maintain an information technology specialist at shared cost
f Initiation of an organizational succession plan
h Begin writing an plan establishing the future needs of functional positions within the organization
f Water tender apparatus replacement
h Monitor the progress of water tender apparatus purchase with a projected delivery date of
September 2014
f Traffic study at Center Street and Route 6
h Working with the Illinois Department of Transportation to review the possibility of posting improved
warning signage in the area of the intersection to better prepare motorists for approaching
emergency vehicles for safety
Wreath For A Veteran
Pluggy’s Pals Contest
With the unusual amount of snow this year, we asked residents to help us out by
cleaning the snow away from the closest fire hydrant to their house. Fire grows
quickly in just minutes. If the fire department has to dig out a hydrant during an
emergency, it’s going to take more than a few minutes. Helping us out will greatly
help out you or your neighbor!
The winners of our Facebook Pluggy’s Pals Contest are the Host and Rex Families.
They cleared the snow, took a picture of it and shared it on our Facebook page.
Members from the Channahon Fire
Protection District attended the
annual Wreaths Across America
ceremony and helped raise enough
donations to sponsor over 150
wreaths used in the Wreath for a
Veteran’s Grave program ceremony
at Abraham Lincoln National
Cemetery Elwood, Illinois.
Host Family
Hayden and Jocelyn
Rex Family
Mackenzie (right), Ashley (left)
with 5 yr. old Lab Zoey
Pictured from left to right are FF
Austin Plumley, FF/EMT Zack
Toepper, FF/EMT Chaz McGinnis,
Deputy Chief Jeffrey Toepper,
Admin. Asst. Pam Fink and FF/P
Mike Hammerstein
No more back injuries for us!
The Channahon Fire Protection District recently installed two Stryker PowerLoad systems in their ALS ambulances. The devices work off of a battery
system that allows EMS providers to load a patient into and out of the
ambulance without lifting any of the patient or equipment weight.
The District ambulances were previously outfitted with Stryker Power Cots,
which utilize a battery operated system that controls hydraulics to raise and
lower the cot, decreasing risk of back injury to the EMS provider. The PowerLoad system works in conjunction with the Power cots, virtually eliminating
the EMS provider from having to manually lift or lower a patient anymore. Not
only does it decrease risk of injury to the provider, but it also decreases the
amount of discomfort previously seen by the patient with the manual raise/
lower methods.
The systems, installed by Emergency Vehicle Technician Rick Kruger of the
Channahon Fire Protection District, consist of a rail system mounted and
braced to the floor of the ambulance, and a battery system that wirelessly
communicates with the stretcher. The EMS provider controls the action from
push buttons at the foot end of the stretcher, and the Power-Load system
does the rest.
The devices were purchased through matching fund grants received from the
CFPD’s workers' compensation insurance provider. The cost to the district
was justifiable considering the potential cost of an on the job injury to one of
its employees. The device will also help to eliminate the risk of injury to the
patient from potential drops or tips.
The Power-load system was introduced by Stryker in 2012. There are a few
agencies in the Chicago area suburbs that have implemented the system.
Our Fire District is proud to be one of a few agencies in the surrounding
communities to have taken the initiative to install the systems.
Above: Cot attached to Power-Load system.
Patient can be loaded into the ambulance with
a push of a button. Below: Power-Load system.
Handling The Incident, Before The Incident
The Channahon Fire Protection District is in the process of
completing and updating our pre-fire plans.
What is a pre-fire plan?
Pre-plan means to plan in advance and is an important
aspect for emergency responders. It provides the capability
to more safely and efficiently mitigate emergencies when
called upon. The opportunity to tour occupancies prior to an
emergency event aids us in situational awareness and helps
identify hazards that could hinder emergency operations.
Being able to have that mental picture of the structure prior
to arrival will assist emergency responders in their decisionmaking process. Please keep in mind that this is not a formal
inspection of your business; it is a training and safety tool for
our department to function safely and efficiently.
How the program works.
CFPD will be contacting local businesses and industrial
facilities to set up an appointment to visit your site and gather
information such as gas shut-off location, fire alarm type
and location, the type of building construction, and hydrant
locations just to name a few. Personnel, if allowed, will take
pictures of pertinent information on site to use in training at
a later date. Most of the pre-plans will take about an hour to
complete. Larger facilities will take longer, or may require a
follow-up visit. The Channahon Fire Protection District
appreciates your assistance and patience with our pre-plan
program.
CFPD looks forward to meeting with you and your business
soon! If you would like to schedule a pre-plan please speak
with Deputy Chief Toepper or Firefighter Allen Koranda.
Kid’s Bicycle Safety Rodeo
If you are in Kindergarten through 5th grade, come
join us for fun and safety! Try out your bike riding
skills and knowledge on the safety driving course.
Just bring your parents*, your bike, bike helmet
and gym shoes (NO flip-flops or sandals). All kids
will have their bikes inspected, helmets checked for
proper fit and receive a goodie bag at the end of the
course.
Free of charge!
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Minooka Police Department
(parking lot)
121 E. McEvilly Rd., Minooka
*All parents must sign a waiver at time of registration.
Channahon Paramedics Recognized for
Field STEMI Care
On February 14, 2014, Presence Saint Joseph Medical
Center recognized four (4) area advanced life support
provider agencies for their outstanding field care of a
STEMI heart attack patient. Channahon Fire Protection
District Paramedics received honors during the ceremony
for a March 2013 incident and were presented with a certificate of award.
Kind words…
A thank you was sent to us from an Ambulance Service
recipient:
“I really wanted to THANK YOU all for doing what you do
on a daily basis. Thank you for your compassion and caring
to strangers like myself, that you encounter. You are indeed
“angels” here on earth and your help that day brought some
reality to what you have in your hearts for others. The world
is a better place because of you. May God protect each of
you as you help others. Thanks Again!!! “ —Debbie H.,
Aurora, Il.
“STEMI” is an acronym for ST Elevated Myocardial Infarction. No heart attack is a good situation but a STEMI is
extremely dangerous because of severe arterial blockages
associated with this type of condition. Lt. Matt Skole, Firefighter/Paramedics Andrew Anderson, Ryan Jandura, and
Scott Schneider, along with FF/EMT Zach Toepper
responded to the incident. Because of their early recognition of the STEMI and aggressive field care, definitive care
of the STEMI at
PSJMC
was
successful and the
patient
survived.
She was discharged
three days after
being transported.
Standard Mail
U.S. Postage
PAID
Channahon,
IL
60410
Permit No. 6
Channahon Fire Protection District
24929 S. Center St.
Channahon, Il 60410
POSTAL PATRON
Due to the size of the Channahon Fire Protection District and postal mailing routes, this mailing may be over lapped
into other fire district areas. We apologize if this newsletter has reached you in error.
Fire District Board:
Don Montgomery, President
Ron Smothers, Treasurer
Mike Rittof, Secretary
Steve Rittof, Trustee
Bob Meyers, Trustee
Fire Commissioners:
Rodney Lechwar, President
Sue Davis, Secretary
Herb Fishburn, Commissioner
District Staff:
John Petrakis, Chief
Jeff Toepper, Deputy Chief
Jacque McLaughlin, Executive Fire Support Manager
Pam Fink, Administrative Assistant
Rick Kruger, Emergency Vehicle Technician
Laron Sullivan, Fire Inspector
Cindy Wilson, Fire & Life Safety Educator
Dates to Remember
CPR Class Schedule 2014
Class
Date
Time
Location
1st Aid/CPR/AED
March 8
8am
Minooka
Health Care Provider
April 12
8am
Channahon
1st Aid/CPR/AED
May 10
8am
Minooka
Health Care Provider
July 12
8am
Channahon
1st Aid/CPR/AED
August 16
8am
Minooka
Health Care Provider
Sept 6
8am
Channahon
1st Aid/CPR/AED
Nov 8
8am
Minooka
Health Care Provider
Dec 6
8am
Channahon
Babysitting Class Schedule 2014
March 26 (Wednesday)
8am-3pm
June 13 (Friday)
8am-3pm
June 20 (Friday)
8am-3pm
All babysitting classes are held at the Minooka Fire
Station #1. For full class descriptions, registration
deadlines and cost of classes, visit our website:
www.channahonfire.com