ARES Volunteers Support Major Flood Responses

This is why alternative communications are so important..

Amateur Radio operators put their skills to work during flooding in the Centralia area of Southwest Washington and historic flooding in the Greater St Louis area in December and January. In Missouri ARES® volunteers from three counties pitched in. According to Bill Grimsbo, N0PNP, District C Emergency Coordinator, Amateur Radio volunteers contributed more than 170 hours of service just in his district, working with responding agencies.

“These people commit their personal time as well as working regular hours at jobs that represent a cross section of America’s workforce for the greater good of the community,” he pointed out.

Prolonged rainfall occurred December 26-28, with the heaviest rainfall in a 50 to 75 mile wide swath from Southwest Missouri through the St Louis Metropolitan area and into Central Illinois. The total 6 to 12 inches of rainfall led to life-threatening flash flooding and historic river flooding, capping off the wettest year on record for St Louis at 61.24 inches.

More than 26 radio amateurs from St Louis Metro ARES, St Charles County ARES, Illinois Section ARES, and St Louis and suburban radio club members worked with the American Red Cross in serving some 19,400 meals and coordinating more than 640 overnight stays for those displaced by flooding. ARES and club operators were asked to help coordinate communications among shelters in four counties and Red Cross headquarters. On average, volunteers worked 6 to 8 hour shifts, employing repeaters maintained by area radio clubs.

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Confused Over LMRFD Budget

I'm confused about the budget, income, and expenses for the LMRFD. When you review the budget figures, or ask at fire board meetings how much it cost to operate the fire district, we're told it's between $60,000 and $62,000 a month.

I'm not a numbers guy, so someone please explain this to me...

The LMRFD gets $1,100,000 from tax revenue and other income. 

$62,000 X 12 months = $744,000

$1,100,000-$744,000=$356,000

Doesn't the LMRFD have $356,000 over the monthly cost to operate?

Confused....

 

Wanted Firefighter EMT Paramedic for Small Arizona Community

Wanted Firefighter EMT Paramedic for Small Arizona Community

The Lake Mohave Ranchos Fire District (LMRFD) is looking for a firefighter EMT paramedic for our high desert community. If your an experienced firefighter or one who may be retiring soon and would like to continue serving your community, or a young person looking to get experience, this is the place.

Bring your hiking boots and check out Dolan Springs beautiful trail system near Mt Tipton.  web page www.dolanspringstrails.com  Dolan Springs is a small community with a population of around 2,000 people, but 1,000,000 people visit the Grand Canyon West. 

Bring your big boy toys, 4-wheelers, 4X4's and boats, to explore Lake Mead and hundreds of miles of ATV and jeep trails. Check out Meadviews Ridge Riders ATV Club

Dolan Springs is the Gateway to Lake Mead and the Grand Canyon West. Meadview overlooks Lake Mead with it's 1000 miles of shoreline, year round fishing, boating, swimming, and water skiing,

These are high desert communities with mild climates, according to BestPlaces.net Dolan Springs has 293 of sunshine, compared to Seattle with 152 days of sunshine.

Entertainment an hour and you're in Laughlin Nevada all the shows like Vegas only cheaper prices. Want the big city, Las Vegas is only 90 minutes away. Big city not your cup of tea, it's 35 miles to Kingman Arizona and historic Route 66.

Lake Mohave Ranchos Fire District

Volunteer Firefighter Facts like the $139 Billion they Save Our Nation Each Year -- Please Educate Yourself

Educating people about how important volunteer firefighters are to to America, especially the $139 Billion Dollars they save us in these times of budget problems. 

Volunteer Fire Service Fact Sheet

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) is the leading nonprofit membership association representing the interests of the volunteer fire, EMS, and rescue services. Organized in 1976, the NVFC serves as the voice of the volunteer fire and emergency services in the national arena and provides invaluable tools, resources, programs, training, and advocacy for first responders across the nation. Each state firefighter’s association elects a representative to the NVFC Board of Directors.

We welcome you to browse our web site at www.nvfc.org to learn more about the volunteer fire and emergency services and information regarding membership, training, legislation, and meetings.

This Fact Sheet was produced in order to provide an overall picture of today’s volunteer fire and emergency services.

• Volunteers comprise 69% of firefighters in the United States. Of the total estimated 1,140,750 volunteer and paid firefighters across the country, 786,150 are volunteer.1 • Communities served by volunteer firefighters depend on them to be their first line of defense for many types of emergencies. Volunteer firefighters are summoned to a wide array of emergencies across the country every day including fires, emergency medical incidents, terrorist events, natural disasters, hazardous materials incidents, water rescue emergencies, high-angle and confined space emergencies, and other general public service calls. The public relies on the volunteer emergency services to be their first line of defense in these emergencies. Volunteers spend an enormous amount of time training to prepare for these emergencies.

• The majority of fire departments in the United States are volunteer. Of the total 30,052 fire departments in the country, 19,807 are all volunteer; 5,797 are mostly volunteer; 1,971 are mostly career; and 2,477 are all career.

The volunteer fire service has challenges with recruitment and retention, but the option is what? Please educate your self about volunteer firefighters and the $139 Billion Dollars they they save the nation each year.
More Fire Service Statistics and Fact Sheets HERE

Response to LMRFD Support.com

I have nothing to gain from the Lake Mohave Ranchos Fire District other than better fire/EMS and fire insurance rates. I choose to educate the area's residents about problems with the EMS system in the LMRFD, and look for alternatives and solutions. Other choose to attack people with name calling and unprofessional conduct. 

As a young paramedic I took oath that said, "I shall share my medical knowledge with those who may benefit from what I have learned". I try to honor that oath, and the paramedics that came before me.

Ellen tells us she has worked for the fire district for 10 years. I don't understand why someone with limited web and computer skills was being paid over $16.00 an hour. That's more per hour than a firefighter paramedic with 3000 hours of training gets paid. Why....

When I asked why information was outdated on the LMRFD web page, she said she didn't know how to change it. I question her computer skills. When I requested information i was told she would need to charge me for information because it would take hours, and she would need to print hundreds of pages to find a few fire calls I had asked about.

$16 an hour, really.... Anyone that knows databases could find the information is a couple minutes, and print it on one page of paper.

It's funny that for 2 years the LMRFD web page had information that mislead people wanting to visit or move to the area. Telling them the LMRFD had 7 ALS ambulances, 4 rescue vehicles, and lots of man power, when it really only had 1 ambulance and 2 EMT's most of the time.

When I complained about the misleading information, Ellen told me she didn't know how to fix it  and their web master had quit. What I find funny, is how good she is at running the LMRFD SUPPORT page, when she couldn't run the fire districts page.

LMRFD Budget
We've been told over and over that the LMRFD needs $62,000.00 a month to operate, and we have no money. We're also told the LMRFD receives $1,100,000.00 in tax revenue. So how is it we have no money? 
12X$62,000=$744,000 
$1,100,000-$744,000=$356,000
Do we have an extra $356,000 or $29,666 a month?

LMRFD and the NACFD
The LMRFD doesn't have a bad relationship with NACFD. We have had a mutual aid agreement, and will continue to have a mutual aid agreement with NACFD. It's a standard agreement between neighboring fire districts.

At several fire board meetings prior to the consolidation vote by NACFD, Mr Flynn told us he didn't care if we decided to consolidate with NACFD or go as a stand alone fire district, he would be there to support us during the process.

After consolidation his attitude changed and at fire board meetings he appeared to be mad the NACFD vote didn't go his way. What happened to I'll support you no matter what the decision? 

At one time the LMRFD had many local paid and volunteer firefighters. We went broke, we got that, but so did Rural Metro Ambulance Service. They were the second biggest EMS provider in the nation, and they went broke, so stop blaming everything on the old fire board.

The good ol boy system is alive and well in Mohave County. Rather than do a nation wide search for firefighters, we were told no body want's to work here. Then they hire their buddies part time from the "small community" of local fire fighters. They work one day here, one at their fire department, and then get a day off.and do it again. Pretty good deal...

We don't have one LMRFD firefighter who lives inside the LMRFD. The only firefighter with a stake in the community is Mike Pettway who's lived in the area for a long time. He's worked for the fire district for many years and truly cares about the community. I feel Mike is the only firefighter who is truly a POC, Paid on Call firefighter, he's the only one closes enough to respond if needed off duty. All the other firefighters live in Kingman and Lake Havasu 40 to 100 miles away.

In a major weather event, or worse, we would have the 3 firefighters working at the time. On a bad day, and Mr Flynn doesn't want to admit it, but on some days, there is only one firefighter working in the LMRFD, and not always a paramedic on duty.

I've asked Chief Moore, Mr Flynn, and the county attorney who's responsible when the fire board allows firefighters to leave the fire district on ambulance calls, and my home burns down.I pay $200 a year to the LMRFD so firefighters are in the fire district to protect my home if needed.


Homeowners Insurance Class 8 ISO

Homeowners Insurance is going to go up because over the last 3 years the leadership has gotten rid of all the volunteer firefighters. 

To receive an ISO rating of 8, the LMRFD would need to pump 250 gallons per minute continousley for 2 hours. Tell me how with 2-3 firefighters, that's 30,000 gallons of water

Minimum Criteria for Class 8 or Better

To receive a Public Protection Classification (PPC™) of Class 8 or better, a community must first have the minimum facilities and practices needed for a PPC rating and must earn a score of at least 20 points when evaluated according to the criteria in the Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS). The community must also have these additional minimum facilities:

There must be a minimum water supply of 250 gpm for a 2-hour duration for fire protection in the area.

If the fire department delivers the 250 gpm through tanker shuttle, large-diameter hose, or other alternative water supply, the water must be available within 5 minutes of the arrival of the first-due engine, and the department must maintain the flow, without interruption, for the 2-hour duration. ISO Rating Info

Hostile and Slanderous Attacks
There were no hostile or slanderous attacks from me. I asked questions Mr Flynn questions he didn't want to answer. 

Like why was the turnout time, the time it takes to leave the fire station, over 5 minutes on some calls when NFPA 1710 recommends a turnout time of less than 80 seconds, and many departments have a time of 60 seconds for turnout time on fire responses. 

Like the question about the Two-In-Two-Out Rule. 

I asked if two firefighters could enter a burning home to do a rescue. After a long pause, Mr Flynn said yes. Commonly referred to as the 2-in/2-out rule, it's a federal mandate said to be "the most important advance in firefighter safety in decades", and "a regulation that goes a long way in making one of the most dangerous professions safer".

His answer was correct, but... OSHA says "If an immediate action is necessary to save a life, an exception or deviation to the 2-in/2-out rule is permissible. If initial attack personnel are aware of an known life hazard that can be alleviated by immediate action, deviation from the 2-in/2-out rule may be permitted as an exception to a fire department operational plan. 

However, such deviations can result in OSHA issuing a "de minimis" citation. A "de minimis" citation does not require a monetary penalty or corrective action, but any actions taken in accordance with this exception provision require an investigation by the concerned fire department with a written report to the Fire Chief.

If firefighters decide to deviate from the 2-in/2-out OSHA rule, and it leads to injury or death, then OSHA fines us a lot of money, and the families file lawsuits.

The safety of the citizens and firefighters must come first. 
 Landmark Residential Fire Study Shows How Crew Sizes and Arrival Times Influence Saving Lives and Property