Introduction
As the warm weather continues into the fall season, higher call volumes have continued as well.  Fall always brings additional activity and preparations for the cold months of the year—get out those long sleeved uniform shirts and fleece jackets!

Personnel

• Four new firefighter-EMT’s began employment with the department in September.  Two (Shawn Malec and Melissa Wolf) began their orientation shifts during the first week of September and two (Bill Brodin and Jacque Gibson) began during the 4th week of September.  As mentioned last month, Shawn comes to the department from Grand Rapids Township and Melissa from Grand Traverse-Metro Fire Department.  Bill is from the Charlevoix area and Jacque is also from Grand Traverse-Metro.  Please welcome these individuals and assist them in their orientation.  All new orientees work three weeks of 12-hour day shifts followed by three weeks of 2-24 hour shifts, during which time they have an opportunity to rotate among all three shifts.  Shift assignments are made by the Chief and will be finalized in October for all new staff.  New personnel are required to complete a comprehensive “Orientation Notebook” that contains skill sheets and other work sheets that are used to assist in the equipment and skills orientation process.  Andrew Anthony has spent time with each of the orientees to ensure they are qualified to drive department apparatus. 
• Interviews were held at the end of the month for paramedic and firefighter/EMT openings.  Additional testing will determine if any of these candidates will be hired. 
• Steve Watson tendered his resignation from the department early in the month.  Steve identified that he was unable to make the time commitment necessary to continue. 
• SCBA mask fit testing was conducted for all fire-qualified personnel and necessary fit adjustments made/mask parts ordered. 

Training

• Bryan Ferguson reports that in the month of September, there were a total of five training sessions held, covering three topics.
• The EMS training topic was anatomy and physiology.  These sessions were held on Wednesday the 3rd and Monday the 22nd and were attended by 20 staff members.  The sessions were instructed by Dr. Don Strachan and Bryan Ferguson
• The Station 2 equipment familiarization sessions were held on Wednesday the 10th and Monday the 29th and were attended by a total of 12 personnel.  Bryan Ferguson instructed these sessions. 
• The Consumers Energy Electrical Safety session, instructed by Craig Baldwin from Consumers Energy in Bay City, was held on Saturday the 20th and was attended by 13 members. 

Administration

• Paperwork and follow-up information were collected and sent in to the State EMS Division in Lansing to complete the EMS agency inspection process.  The documentation of our orientation process plays a huge role in the State’s agency inspection and compliance procedure.  The new agency license has been received and is now posted in the lobby of Station 1. 
• The completion of call paperwork is a necessity that is often not the highlight of each employee’s daily tasks.  Despite this, it is appreciated that everyone has taken extra time to ensure that patient care records are completed for “walk-in” patients and run numbers are placed on all paperwork.  Currently, Doug Lake is responsible for entering all run paperwork into Firehouse.  A single information entry person ensures there is consistency in the data that is entered.  Thank you for making this process smoother. 
• All files and materials for new employee orientation have been placed in an electronic format and organized for print-out and construction of new employee orientation notebooks.  Storing files of this nature in an electronic format permits easy revision and printing of materials. 
• The process of updating the department’s webpage continued in September.  New information was provided to Joanne Rettke, who maintains the site on our behalf.  Photos and descriptions for the apparatus at Station 2 are forthcoming.
• New e-mail addresses have been assigned to all employees.  The use of “g-mail,” rather than the e-mail accounts associated with the department’s web page, provides for larger “mailboxes” and also permits other functions that may be used for scheduling or posting of communications in the future.   
• Box assignments have been determined for Empire Township and maps designed and placed in vehicle map books.  The information is to be forwarded to Leelanau Central Dispatch and actual use of the assignments and designated equipment will be in place as soon as they update their CAD. 
• The 2009-2010 proposed budget has been approved by the Township Board following several meetings for review and discussion.  There was little public comment, however good discussion and general support for the department and its operation were in evidence. 

 
Apparatus

• The front of the cab on 311 has been repainted under warranty due to several blemishes and rust found under the windshield seal.  The rust was discovered when a cracked windshield was replaced.  The truck was out-of-service for several days at the beginning of the month and was again out-of-service for several days later in the month when it was returned to be re-painted due to an unsatisfactory finish on the initial work.  Following the re-painting of the cab, which looks very nice, it was discovered that the motor that delivers windshield washer fluid was non-functional.  This has been repaired as well. 
• American flags have been placed on all apparatus at Station 2.  
• A fuse in 382 has been replaced and broken wire repaired to fix the running lights on the trailer that hauls the Polaris. 
• 221’s high idle switch is now operable and the tank-to-pump valve has been replaced.  An SCBA bracket has been mounted on this apparatus as well.
• The calendar for equipment checks has been modified for October and will hopefully provide more opportunity for exposure to the equipment for more members.  Staff members are asked to please note any comments or concerns regarding the new calendar in the daily Firehouse log. 
• When obtaining fuel in Empire, please note the new curbing and entryway configuration around the gas station.  The new curbs may impact the approach used to get the larger apparatus in, next to the pumps.  Consideration will also need to be made for time of day and congestion during busier times of the year. 

Equipment

• The gas stored in the stations has been distributed to the portable hydrant and Polaris.  Fresh gas has been placed in the gas cans.  This process will ensure that the fuel available to mix with oil for the small engines (saws, floating pumps, etc.) will remain fresh. 
• The AED formerly located on the bus is now located in 241. 
• All personnel are reminded that the florescent green duty coats provided to all employees meet the new requirements for worker visibility and it is an expectation that they be worn when providing services in roadways or similarly hazardous situations when full turnout gear is not required. 
• All SCBA units and cylinders from both stations have been tested and certified as required on an annual basis.  This included the testing and inspection of all devices from both stations and the initial flow-testing of several units.
• All hydraulic extrication tools have been inspected and serviced as needed for continued safe operation and reliability.  The work was done on-site and the technicians that performed the work spent a total of approximately eight hours at both stations.  The cutters on the tool on 331 are nicked and will need replacement soon.  The replacement cost of the blades is over $800. 
• The vent saw (chain saw) from Station 2 has been returned for additional repair.  The brake mechanism was not functioning properly. 
• Bumper jacks have been mounted near the large diameter hose bed on top of 311.  The jacks are seated onto bolts and secured with cotter pins. 
• Just a reminder about the monitor nozzle on 241:  Please only “finger”-adjust the brass nuts on the monitor.  A tool is not necessary. 
• The Dolphin floating pump (from 382) stopped suddenly while being used to pump water during an exercise.  The crew was unable to get it working again during the training session.  The problem was resolved by “back-flushing” the discharge, which removed a small amount of debris that had apparently gotten caught in the impeller and stopped it.  Following use of this pump, it should be “back-flushed” as we do our apparatus pumps.  This should prevent future problems. 
• The heart monitors are required to have periodic updates and calibration of certain components.  The need for this is indicated on the monitor screen.  Per the device sales representative, the timing of the calibration does not impact the function of the device and the monitor may be used without a negative patient impact.  If you note a message related to calibration or internal battery change on the monitor screen, please advise the shift supervisor so that arrangements can be made to accomplish the necessary maintenance. 

Facilities

• In response to staffing increases and more daily activity at both stations, the “chore calendar” has been modified to more evenly distribute some of the heavier house-keeping chores and increase the frequency of several, such as vacuuming the traffic areas.  The new calendar will be put in service at the end of the month and will be evaluated in October.
• Construction continues on Station 2, with work progressing at a slow pace.  John Kenney has been working with Bill Bolton to assist with ordering and supervising the installation of floor coverings and other “specialty” areas of the construction.  Duty crew members with construction, painting and building skills, including Pete Stern, Eric Dubord, Jay Morse and Bryan Ferguson, have assisted greatly.
• A keypad door entry lock has been placed on the north door at Station 2, with access codes the same as Station 1 for each individual.  Additional keypad locks will be installed at the front door on Lacore and the access from the quarters area into the bays. 
• Weather stations have been installed on the roofs of both Station1 and Station2.  The data obtained by the stations will permit real time assessment of temperature, relative humidity, moisture, etc.  The data feeds into a monitor which, in turn, provides data to the computer for comparison and print out.
• All old hazardous materials such as paint and cleaning fluids have been cleaned out of both stations and disposed of at the recent County Hazmat disposal event.  Just a reminder to all that we must maintain a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for chemicals maintained at the station.  If you received new chemicals for either station, please be sure to place the MSDS in the book for the station in which the chemical will be used. 

Special Events

• Staff from both stations assisted with the annual bridge walk on Labor Day.  The weather was great as usual and the turnout excellent.  It is hoped that the bridge work that is scheduled to begin this fall will permit a walk next fall. 
• The September 11th Remembrance Ceremony was well attended and very nice.  Thanks to Jack Fellows and Norm Wheeler who provided music for the ceremony.  Pastor Robert Wurst and Chief Emeritus DePuy both gave meaningful talks and Chief DePuy made a presentation to the Department of the flag and stars representing the four air tragedies of 9-11. The flag has been hung in the lobby of Station 1.  Prior to the ceremony Chief Dodson participated in a radio interview that discussed the meaning and recognition of the day. 

Acknowledgements

• Donations to the Glen Arbor Fire and Rescue Association are greatly appreciated.  This month, donations were received from the following individuals: 
• Noontiders
• An anonymous philanthropic organization:  This donation will enable us to purchase rescue equipment such as ropes and rope-rescue hardware; ice rescue suits and several hose appliances. 
• Steve and Bonnie Plamondon (in memory of Roy Taghon)
• We received a very nice thank you card from Elaine and Ed Ricker
• The Lions Club in Empire held their annual appreciation dinner for all fire-rescue personnel.  The dinner was well attended by firefighters and EMT’s from Glen Lake Fire and the recognition was greatly appreciated. 

Submitted by:

John A. Dodson
Chief of the Department