WHAT MOTIVATES AND DISCOURAGES VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS

This is an excerpt from Firerescue1.com article about retaining volunteer firefighters. It points out three reasons people volunteer to take all the necessary training to be on call 24/7 for when a neighbor needs help.

1. Serving their community
2. Emotional fulfillment
3. Camaraderie within the firehouse

I think the most important of the three reasons people volunteer is the camaraderie around the firehouse. Many volunteer firefighters have worked in the fire service, law enforcement, or the military where you have that camaraderie. I think when you leave the fire service or law enforcement it's that camaraderie and of being part of something bigger that you miss.

In the past when I went to Station 41 in Dolan Springs it wasn't a friendly place. Someone would crack the door and ask what you wanted like you were invading their house, when it's our house... 

With the new leadership it seems to be a friendlier place where you're greeted with a smile rather than, what do you want...  I only hope this camaraderie 
continues and the new volunteers feel a part of their fire department that comes with being a volunteer. 

3 Factors that Motivate Volunteer Firefighters to Join the Service 

Read the complete article here 

Allowing volunteer firefighters to be emotionally fulfilled by serving their communities and feel a part of firehouse camaraderie will help recruitment and retention efforts

Since recruiting and retaining volunteer firefighters has posed a considerable challenge to the fire service over the past several decades, a significant amount of trade and scholarly research has focused on this topic. Researchers and fire service leaders have worked tirelessly to better understand what’s causing the decline and to craft solutions to recruit more volunteers.

One of the major initiatives has been to identify what motivates someone to become a volunteer firefighter. It’s been found that volunteers are largely motivated by the following three factors. 

1. Serving their community: Volunteer firefighters are seeking a meaningful and practical way to serve their neighbors. Their service includes not only responding to emergency calls, but participating in community-oriented events such as chili-dinner fundraisers, public education events at schools and more. These are people who thrive on engaging with the community and putting their training to valuable use. A proven way to burn-out volunteers is with insignificant or infrequent service opportunities.
2. Emotional fulfillment: Studies are proving that volunteer firefighters are not motivated by money. The emotional feelings of value and worth are the only return that most volunteers desire. Volunteers at successful volunteer organizations report that they would continue to perform their duties without pay simply because they love what they do. Making volunteer firefighters question their community worth is an effective way to remove the love for what they do. 
3. Camaraderie within the firehouse: Firefighters have historically been gripped by the sense of community and camaraderie around the firehouse. This network of support, education and enjoyment, often referred to as the brotherhood, is rarely experienced in other professions. Fire departments with an absent, negative, or cliquey sense of community make it difficult and unenjoyable for volunteers to join. This is especially true in combination departments that occasionally foster divides between career and volunteer firefighters.

Although there may be some overlap, the motivations of volunteer firefighters differ from those of career firefighters. Figuring out how to appeal directly to volunteers has proven to be a considerable challenge for many fire service leaders. A sustainable and realistic solution has yet to be identified. Continued attention and research on volunteer firefighter retention and recruitment is therefore critical to the system’s survival.

The next article in this series will explore political obstacles, employee requirement and retention, and increasing call volumes, which tied for the third most prominent and influential challenges to combination departments.

Portable Solar Powered Repeater Finished.. Wanna Come Play With Tech Toys...

I installed my GMRS repeater at the house here on 9th in Dolan a month ago and I've had some interest from people who want to form a local emergency communications group.
462.675 PL tone 100.0


UPDATE
Aug 1st Added a duplexer so I only need one antenna....

GMRS Repeater

You will need a GMRS or amateur radio license. If you don't have your license it's pretty easy... Radios are cheap $50 or so... Look at your smartphone, now imagine it's going to be down for a couple weeks...

I finished my solar powered portable GMRS repeater in an ammo box. 462.725 PL tone 100.0 It can be deployed on a high spot for local communications or mountain top for communications in remote areas. With it's built-in battery and solar power it can provide communications over a wide area for some time.

Portable Repeater

Solar Powered Repeater in an Ammo Box

The GMRS license from the FCC is $70 for 10 years. It gives you 8 repeater frequencies and most cities have GMRS repeaters you can use in that area. GMRS Repeater List I can hit a repeater GMRS on Mt Charleston with a handheld radio and talk to anyone else who can see Mt Charleston, 150 miles or so...

There's no test you just fill out the application pay your money and in a few days you have your license, it covers you immediate family too.

The Amateur Radio License is a little harder to get. 

This one takes study, you will need to know basic radio theory, frequencies, and FCC rules. If your interested 

I'm told there are very limited government capabilities at the local level to assist with emergency communications. We need to improve not only our local capabilities but the regional HAM communities capabilities and response planning. 

Without communications nothing works, nothing! 
Law enforcement, fire service, and EMS have no way be dispatched, no way to know who needs help or where to respond, no way to know what roads are open or closed, and no way to call for help...

You will need to take the basic National Incident Management System or NIMS training from FEMA's Emergency Management Institute if you would like to be involved in emergency communications.

Anyone interested in being involved in a local communications group please contact me. 

Have We Come Full Circle in Radio Communications?

Have we come full circle when it comes to the type of two-way radio communications we use? From two-way radios, to cell phones, to push-to-talk cell phones, to push-to-talk smartphones, to something that looks like the first and works like the last....

As a deputy in Montana we used low band two-way radios on 39.82 Mhz, kind of like a CB radio. We couldn't talk to our sheriff's office 30 miles away, but we could talk to the Catoosa County Sheriff's Office down in Georgia just fine.

Our sheriff's office was a little behind in technology, but in the 70's other agencies were using VHF and UHF radios with mountain top repeaters. These provided more reliable communications than the older low band radios.

This Motorola M1225 UHF mobile uses a PTT microphone and worked on mountain top repeaters. 

Out West where we have high mountain tops repeaters can have range of 100 miles or more. 

In the 80's we saw cell phones starting to be used by law enforcement involved in sensitive operations. Even with speed dial calling other officers was a hassle. 

Then in 1996 Nextel launched iDEN service allowing push-to-talk communications much like law enforcement was used to. This was favored by many law enforcement agencies because it allowed dispatch to talk to one officer or all the officers on a squad and allow them to shared information.

Advances in technology brings us to PoC or Push-to-talk Over Cellular. PoC has advanced rapidly with Verizon, Sprint and AT&T all offering some type of PTT service.

Today we have something that looks like a conventional two-way radio with it's microphone, but has the familiar screen and operation of a smartphone.

These hybrid Smartphone PoC units have some advantages over conventional two-way radios and there are pros and cons to both.

Since PoC uses the cellular tower system there are no cost for building and maintaining mountain top repeaters. As long as cellular networks are up and running first responders get priority over other users using services like the WPS the Wireless Priority Service a Federal program that prioritize calls over wireless networks.

Unlike our familiar two-way radios that use mountain top repeaters  these hybrid Smartphone PoC units are only limited by the cellular network. With mobile CradlePoint LET Routers, GoTenna, or Beartooth the range of smartphone PoC's can be extended but that's another discussion.... 

I don't know... 

When cops and truckers used two-way radios with microphone's that had cords they could talk and didn't crash into everything they saw. 

Then you get cell phones as small as a microphone and people, even truckers go nuts and can't drive and talk at the same time.

NOW we have these hybrid Smartphone PoC units with a microphone with a cord.... So are truckers going to drive better holding that microphone again? 

Can you imagine a millennial driving a stick shift and talking on a CB radio?

I don't know... Drive Safe... Talk Safe... K

Firefighter Helmet Lights Thinking Out of the Box....

After being on a couple fires at night I decided a helmet light was a necessity. I found some nice LED flashlights with helmet mounts for firefighters for $90. Since the FAA requires lights for night flights on drones, I didn't have an extra $90 and had a set of LED lights and mounts for my Mavic Pro so I thought I would give them a try.

The lights I use are called Lume Cubes and they're not designed for drones, actually they're designed for professional photographers providing various lighting for video and flash photography.

To me the Lume Cube has several advantages over a standard helmet mounted LED flashlight. It has a Bluetooth app with flash and video modes. It's dimmable from 0 to 1500 Lumens in the app and has 10 levels of brightness from the Cube. 

For investigators and others who need to take photos at fireground the Lume Cube has lots of light for shooting video and the optical sensor triggers the Lume Cube each time your camera flash goes off to provide additional lighting options. 

It's metal exterior is tough, the charge port is easy to access and it's waterproof down to 100', so it should do well in wet conditions,

At level 3 it provides good light for working 3-5' away, at level 10 the Lume Cube is very bright, it lights the area like one of the scene lights on our fire trucks. On level 10 it gives you 25 minutes of use, at 50% you can get up to 2 hours of use, on level 3 it should last 4 hours or more.

A Bluetooth app gives you control of the brightness as well as other functions like a strobe effect from your phone. This makes it easy to control brightness and strobe effect. The strobe is very bright and could be used to direct someone toward a firefighter or find a disoriented or down firefighter.

Tech Stuff for Photographers It's 1500 Lumen Light features a 6000K color temperature, and the unit's output is dimmable from 0 to 1500 Lumens. You will understand all the lighting features it has better than I do http://gooddogdigital.com/product/lume-cube/

What Part of RED FLAG WARNING No Burning Don't people Understand?

RED FLAG WARNING 

NO BURNING ALLOWED

As one of the new volunteers for the LMRFD I think we've been responding to far too many trash fires and controlled burns in the district. Wake up people it's hot and dry out there....

What Part of RED FLAG WARNING! 

 No Burning Don't People Understand?

With the recent winds around Dolan and Meadview we've been lucky that one of these trash fires hasn't gotten away and caused the loss of someones home.

First you can not burn trash anytime, garbage, plastics, and packaging must be taken to a landfill. Even then you can only burn natural material like trees and brush. 

You need to get a burn permit from the LMRFD. That said, no burn permits will be issued until the Red Flag Warning is canceled. 

Who Ya Gonna Call.......

Do you have a Family Communication Plan? A plan can make all the difference in case of an emergency. Do you know who you would call in case of an emergency? Do you have a family meeting place?

RED FLAG WARNING 

Mohave County Fire Restrictions from 2019 Jun 21 midnight until rescinded....

STAGE I FIRE RESTRICTIONS TO TAKE EFFECT ON STATE LANDS 
***MOHAVE COUNTY - SOUTH OF THE COLORADO RIVER***
Phoenix, AZ (6/20/19) - As fire activity gains momentum and fire suppression resources remain spread thin across Arizona, the Department of Forestry and Fire Management will implement fire restrictions to some state lands on Friday. 
Starting Friday, June 21, at 8 am, Stage I fire restrictions go into effect on Arizona state-owned and managed lands in Gila, La Paz, Maricopa, and Yuma Counties. The department will also put Stage I restrictions in place in Mohave County, south of the Colorado River. 
Restrictions apply to the following state-owned and state-managed lands within the above-mentioned counties including: 
• All State Trust lands outside incorporated municipalities.
• All Game and Fish Commission Wildlife areas and department properties outside incorporated municipalities.
• All State Parks outside incorporated municipalities – State Parks will remain open with fire restrictions in place. Please refer to https://azstateparks.com/fire-safety/ – for park-specific fire restriction information. 
• All Department of Transportation highway, right-of-way property outside incorporated municipalities, not owned by federal land management agencies. 
Restrictions include: 
• Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, campfire, charcoal, coal, or wood stove, other than in a developed campsite or picnic area is prohibited. Exemptions include, a device solely fueled by liquid petroleum or LPG fuels that can be turned on and off. Such devices can only be used in an area that is barren or cleared of all overhead and surrounding flammable materials within three feet of the device. 
• Smoking is prohibited unless it is within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site/improved site or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barred or cleared of all flammable materials. 
• Fireworks or another incendiary device are prohibited – year round. 
• Welding or operating acetylene or other torch devices with an open flame is prohibited. 
Exemptions include: 
• Any federal, state or local law enforcement officer or member of an organized rescue or firefighting organization in the performance of an official duty. 
• All land within a city boundary is exempted unless otherwise stated in a city ordinance. 
All exemptions to these restrictions must be approved by the State Forester. 
If local authorities have imposed stronger restrictions then those listed above, than the local restrictions shall apply. 
These restrictions apply to all permit and lease holders and other authorized users of state-managed lands. These restrictions do not apply to private lands under ARS § 37-1303. 
Restrictions are effective at 8 am on June 21, 2019, and will continue until rescinded. 
For fire restriction information go to: http://firerestrictions.us/az/ - or download the agency’s mobile app by searching the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management in the iTunes and Google Play stores. 
For more information, contact Tiffany Davila at 602-540-1036 or by email at tdavila@dffm.az.gov 

Apps & Tools for Firefighter Communications Mapping & Location Sharing

Our Smartphones are amazing compared with the "portable" radios we had in the 60's. They required $40-$60 in batteries and lasted a day at best. Needless to say we rarely got to use these radios.

In the 60's communications at fireground was difficult at best. In the 70's things got better with a handheld radio you could really hold in your hand, but they were expensive.

Today we have smartphone that give us amazing communications capabilities, when they have service. The problem is cellular service is designed for average daily use. When there's a major event like an earthquake or something local like the Minneapolis bridge collapse cellular systems fail. Minneapolis Bridge Collapse: Why Cellular Service Goes Down During Disasters

Now First Responders have FirstNet a cellular system designed for first responders that gives them priority over other users.

When in remote locations like wildfires many times firefighters have no cell service there are ways to communicate.

Beartooth

Beartooth comes to the rescue providing talk, text, and location sharing in a small unit. Beartooth allows you to talk, text, share maps as well as your location for situational awareness.

GoTenna Pro

GoTenna is a portable mesh network device that allows you to link from unit to unit extending range. You can text, share maps and location with GoTenna but no voice communications.

Both of these units have their own individual advantages and disadvantages, so if your interested in this type of communications check these out carefully.




A PTT Walkie Talkie App is Zello is free and gives you worldwide communications.

International Association of Wildland Fire has a free app Tools for Volunteer and Wildland Firefighters

Fireground Communications, out 4-Wheeling, or Just Talking to Your Wife

Communications at fireground are difficult and many times expensive some Motorola walkie talkies cost $5000-$7000. Firefighters many times have their radios in a pocket where they're difficult to hear especially if their fire gear.

Then comes Zello an app that turns smartphones into walkie talkies. Add a $10 bluetooth headset and a $3 bluetooth camera button as the PTT and you have communications.

You can actually hear with a helmet on, use the BT PTT button to talk without reaching for your radio. The range unlike traditional repeaters the range in unlimited, it works anywhere you have a data signal. 

This works great if you're out 4-wheeling or talking to your wife at the store like we do saving a phone call.

New Fire Chief is Making the LMRFD Safer

Just my opinion but I think our new interim fire chief Tim Bonnee is taking steps to make the LMRFD safer. Chief Bonnee is using volunteers for brush fires especially those out of district leaving the fire crew available. We need more volunteers, hint, hint...

By using volunteers for brush fires it leaves the full time firefighters available for medical emergencies and additional fire calls. 

On the fire on Pierce Ferry the other day we had several citizens assist firefighters dragging hose to get water on the fire. I want to thank the people who helped out you make the firefighters job easier and safer.

The LMRFD still needs volunteers and we hope to start training soon. Please come apply to be a volunteer, what's the worst they can do, say no...

PLEASE Everyone Take a First Aid Course and Learn CPR/AED

Paramedic Training Then and Now... The Beginning of EMS as we know it...

Paramedics have only been around since the 70's. When I started in EMS in the 70's many "ambulances" were ran by funeral homes. In Spokane Valley it was Thornhill Funeral Home and Ambulance Service. Makes me a little nervous today.... Things have changed..

When I went to KRMC emergency department last year they were very concerned about my privacy. It took quite a while to see the doc even after being taken back into the ER area, but every few minutes someone came around to ask if my privacy was being protected... It was pretty slow that day so I don't know if any EMT or paramedic students were working that day.

It was a long time ago when I took my paramedic training at Daniel Freeman Hospital in Inglewood California. I had worked a year for Mercy Ambulance in Spokane and wanted to be a paramedic, but didn't want to take a year or two at the community college. I wanted to train in a busy place and found one of the schools where paramedicine was born in LA, a busy place.

I found Daniel Freeman Hospital, the Wedworth-Townsend Paramedic Act was passed on July 15th 1970 and in August 1970 Paramedic Training in California is initiated at Daniel Freeman Memorial Hospital under the direction of Dr. Walter S. Graf. His old Heart Wagon an old bread van was still in the parking lot.

Several friends had gone through training at Daniel Freeman. It was 6 months of training 8-4 five days a week with tests every week. The first day they tell you to pay attention under 70% on any 3 tests and you're out, go home. We started with 30 students and after every test there were empty chairs on Monday, 20 graduated. I did what we'll say was not good in high school, I got 90% all the way through training at Daniel Freeman.

It was a different time heroin and crack cocaine were big LA in 1984 and the Olympics were town. Working at the emergency department at the USC Medical Center was exciting. Beds lined th outside walls with critical patients in the middle. Everyone there were doctors doing their ER rotation, physician assistant or paramedic students.

My first day they introduced me to the big guy in the ER and said listen to him. He gave me an IV tray, taught me little poke in Spanish, and said do what you're told you'll do fine and he left.... The doctors doing their ER rotation made a few mistakes, but it's a teaching hospital.

The physician assistants seemed to have a much better grasp on things, but like paramedic students they have 1 to 2 years of hands on experience in their field. They taught me a lot and would take time to explain things if you didn't get it. Training after working on an ALS ambulance made it easy. I had done or seen everything we were learning done many times, but now I knew why we did it.

EMT's are trained in advanced first aid and transporting patients. Paramedics are trained in a wide area of subjects and now with a little more training some places are starting paramedicine programs where paramedics do more home care follow up to keep from making those emergency runs

If you have been to an ER department lately watch Code Black Documentary a on the old USC Medical Center, AKA the LA County Hospital where many Daniel Freeman paramedics trained, let me know what you think...

If you have an interest in helping others take an EMR or EMT class... Volunteer 80% of calls today are medical calls.

Never Forget July 5th 1973 11 Kingman Firefighters Lost their Lives

July 5th 1973 11 Kingman firefighters lost their lives protecting their community.

The explosion occurred during a propane transfer from a Doxol railroad car to a storage tank on the Getz rail siding near Andy Devine Avenue/Route 66. The incident began when a hair line crack in the side of the tanker was leaking non smelling gas that was ignited by static electricity this caused a spark that ignited the leaking propane gas, this was discovered after a long investigation and trial was conducted. The initial fire badly burned the two railroad employees present, one of whom later died from his burns. The burning propane gas escaping from the valve connection on the rail car quickly heated the liquid propane inside, increasing the tank pressure. This in turn increased the leak and fire, further heating the tank car

Firefighters Memorial Park in Kingman is dedicated to those 11 firefighters who died in the BLEVE