Buying a New Ambulance or Used Ambulance

I see the LMRFD is looking at spending $140,000 to $170,000 of our tax dollars for a new ambulance. Add a stretcher supplies and a heart monitor and your close to $200,000 of our tax money.

Here's a used four wheel drive ambulance with 41000 miles, just broke in for a diesel. It's stocked and ready to go with stretcher  Basic Life Support ambulance for $21,900

Another ambulance with only 41,000 miles $21,900 BLS Stocked with stretcher

Here's a 2008 Ford Super Duty F-350 DRW for $19,700 BLS Stocked with stretcher 

Remember a new stretcher alone can cost $5,000 to $27,000 No ambulance included!!!!!
This one is used for $10,000 

Two Rollovers on US93 One Fatal One Not

December 22^nd 2016 was a cold day with fog and rain in the Dolan Springs area. As usual I was listening to scanner traffic on DPS, MCSO and fire dispatch channels.

A little after 9:00AM DPS put out two rollover accidents about four miles apart on Highway 93 North of Rosie’s.

Several DPS units a Mohave County sheriff’s deputy and the Lake Mohave Ranchos ambulance were dispatched to the first accident, an SUV at mile post 22. DPS dispatch advised responding units that the driver at mile post 22 was hanging out the window of an SUV.

The MCSO deputy was the closest unit and was first on scene at both accidents. The deputy checked the second accident first as it was closest to Dolan Springs at mile post 24. Checking for injuries the deputy advised dispatch that the driver had self extricated and was walking around the vehicle.

The deputy then proceeded to the first accident at mile post 22 about four miles away. Upon arriving at the accident, he advised dispatch that the driver was pinned in the vehicle in critical condition and he needed EMS.

It was a foggy day and they had a hard time finding a medical helicopter willing to fly. When the helicopter did arrive they couldn’t land. Law enforcement at mile post 22 kept saying the driver was pinned in the vehicle and in critical condition and kept asking for EMS.

At some point the LMRFD chief asked the ambulance to call him by cell phone. What he didn’t want to say over the radio, we’ll never know.

When the LMRFD ambulance arrived at the accident at mile post 24, the one where the driver was walking around, fire dispatch said no, and wanted them to respond to the other accident.

The ambulance R415 said this “negative alarm Per-chief 401 we were advised to stop at the accident at mp24 we’ll be out investigating”.  Basically telling dispatch no, and hanging up on them. Law enforcement continued to ask for EMS that never arrived.

I literally listened to patient at mile post 22 die over the radio as reports from law enforcement got worse and worse until around 10:00 AM DPS advised troopers it was now a fatality accident.

Nobody has the right to triage a patient from 40 miles away and decide who lives and who dies. EMS should always use first hand reports from those on the scene and respond to most critical patient first, especially when it’s known that the other patient is walking around.

We all know about the Golden Hour and in this case it was wasted on a stable patient rather than the critical patient who needed paramedics.

To me the fact that the driver was breathing on his own and lived for almost an hour tells me he didn’t have a spinal injury that caused paralysis and would cause his breathing to stop. The fact that he lived for around an hour laying on the cold wet ground, tells me internal bleeding wasn’t bad enough to cause him to bleed out rapidly.

None of this information can tell us if the driver would have survived the accident. What it does tell us is that LMRFD paramedics should have responded to the most critical patient and done everything possible to give him a chance to survive.

NOTE: The accident at MP 22 ended up being at MP 20.5

UPDATE
This is the call that Charlotte was referring to at the November 20th board meeting when she asked if complaints should be directed to the chief. I saw no point in reporting a bad action by the fire chief to the fire chief...

If it was your family member pinned in a vehicle in critical condition what do you think was the right thing to do? 

There's what may meet the requirements of the LMRFD's CON Certificate of Need and then there's what's the right thing to do.

CON says ambulance must respond to 50% of calls in 20 minutes, 70% of calls in 30 minutes, 85% of calls in 45 minutes, and 98% of calls in 60 minutes.

The patient at MP 22 was an 18 year old kid who had just graduated high school and was in Vegas looking into a job and visiting his sister.

It was raining on December 22nd, it was cold and only 40 degrees. Someone can die from hypothermia in 1-2 hours at 40 degrees. He could have been suffering from hypothermia. My paramedic training was that any patient with hypothermia is not dead until they are warm and dead. 

The EMS Board looked into this and said LMRFD did respond to both calls. Thats is True 

The LMRFD ambulance was dispatched at 09:11 hrs and arrived at the accident where the driver was walking around at 09:37 hrs. Other EMS did not arrive for 20 minutes after they had transported the stable patient.

In the report the medical director said it was reasonable to respond to the first patients they encounter. MY PROBLEM is that the LMRFD ambulance was dispatched to the critical patient at MP 22 not the MP 24 accident. Yet at the chiefs direction the ambulance stopped at a stable patient 4 miles short and picked up a stable patient.

Engine 431 from Meadview was dispatched for extrication at 09:11 hrs but didn't arrive at the critical patient until 10:35 hrs He was already dead.

 

Home Lost to Fire in Dolan Springs

Diana and her children lost their home in Dolan Springs

This is a must read  Kingman Miner Article on Home Fire Another reason we need to open the fire district to allow more volunteers.

Dolan Springs Trailer Fire 01-02-2017

There was a trailer fire on Cotton Rd and 7th last night. The LMRFD was on scene quickly but like most trailer fires it was fully involved when they arrived. They knocked the fire down pretty fast and there were no injuries.

The American Red Cross is Helping Solve America's Biggest Disaster Threat, Home Fires

Please Help Solve America's Biggest Disaster Threat Home Fires

• On average
  7
  people
  die every day from a home fire.
 
• On average
  36
  people
  suffer injuries as a result of home fires every day.
 
• Over
  $7 billion
  in property damage
  occurs every year.

We installed 10 Red Cross smoke alarms and conducted education on fire safety in Dolan Springs last Saturday. We already have sixteen more smoke alarms to install in Meadview and White Hills.

We'll be making appointments with those who already contacted the Red Cross, and be doing the installations and fire safety education in Meadview and White Hills right after Christmas.

The Red Cross smoke alarms have a guaranteed 10 year battery, so there's no need to change batteries every year, 

WARNING If your smoke alarm is 10 years old, the battery may test fine, but the sensor may have failed and may not work when needed. Replace smoke alarms at least every 10 years. 

If your smoke alarms are over 10 years old or if you have no smoke alarms in your home, please call the Red Cross office in Kingman at (928) 753-1402.

PLEASE LEARN FIRE SAFETY DEVELOP AND PRACTICE A PLAN OF ESCAPE 

Install and maintain Fire extinguishers on every level of the home and in the kitchen, basement and garage. Know how to use a fire extinguisher prior to an emergency. 

Make a floor plan indicating all doors and windows and at least two (2) escape routes from each room. Second story windows may need a rope or chain ladder.

Have a family meeting and discuss your escape plan, showing everyone what to do in case of fire.

Determine a place outside your home where you all can meet if a fire occurs.

 Familiarize everyone with the sound of the smoke alarm and train them to leave your home when they hear it. DO NOT GO BACK INTO THE HOME

Practice a fire drill at least every six months, including fire drills at night. Ensure that small children hear the alarm and wake when it sounds. They must wake up in order to execute the escape plan. Practice allows all occupants to test your plan before an emergency. You may not be able to reach your children. It is important they know what to do.

WHAT TO DO WHEN THE ALARM SOUNDS

 Alert small children in the home. • Leave immediately by your escape plan. Every second counts, so don’t waste time getting dressed or picking up valuables.

In leaving, don’t open any inside door without first feeling its surface. If hot, or if you see smoke seeping through cracks, don’t open that door! Instead, use your alternate exit. If the inside of the door is cool, place your shoulder against it, open it slightly and be ready to slam it shut if heat and smoke rush in.

Stay close to the floor if the air is smoky. Breathe shallowly through a cloth, wet if possible.

Once outside, go to your selected meeting place and make sure everyone is there.

Call the fire department from your neighbor’s home - not from yours!

Don’t return to your home until the fire officials say that it is all right to do so. 

• .
• 
  

Past the 10,000 View Mark

My little EMS blog past the 10,000 view mark today. I'm surprised by how many people have an interest in our little community....

The Cost to Patients in EMS Response Time

Today we have miracle drugs and surgeries that can make the difference between going home, going to a nursing home or death, if the patient gets there in a timely manner. Most EMS systems have an average response time of 8 minutes on 90% of calls. In our area it's very important to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. 

In a stroke each minute cost the patient 2,000,000 brain cells. If you think you’re having a stroke, please call EMS. Every minute that passes can make the difference in how well your  brain, arms, legs, speech or thinking ability will recover.

These time frames are very important; please learn them, and the symptoms of a stroke.

4.5 hours  – the maximum number of hours that can pass between the start of stroke symptoms and the start of clot-dissolving treatment (called tPA).  Many patients delay seeking care, losing precious minutes.

2 million  – The approximate number of brain cells (neurons) lost for each minute delay in restoring blood flow after a stroke. Earlier treatment is better.

60 – the number of minutes between the moment a typical stroke victim reaches a hospital, and the moment they get treatment to break up a blood clot in their brain. This “door to needle time” includes the time it takes to use brain scanners to tell whether a clot or bleeding is causing the stroke.

Learn this acronym, FAST

Face drooping: Does one side of the face droop or is it numb?

Arm weakness: Is one arm weak or numb?

Speech difficulty: Is speech slurred, are you unable to speak, or are you hard to understand?

Time to call 9-1-1: If you have any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get to the hospital immediately.

From  www.uofmhealth.org/news/archive/201302/after-stroke-every-minute-counts-u-m-stroke-doctor-co

Who's Going to Pay for Out of District Fire Call like This One?

Many of the parcels in the Meadview area pay no tax to the LMRFD, yet receive the same response and protection as those of us who pay hundreds of dollars a year. We were told it costs $1500 to respond to a call.

Who pays when the LMRFD responds to parcels who pay no tax? I asked for a list of fire responses some time back to check on this problem, but I was told they would need to print a years worth of calls and it would take a lot of time.....

Today at about 5 AM the area was hit by a short but heavy rain storm with lightning and flash flood warnings from the weather service. The LMRFD received a call that a power pole was on fire at 3054 W Hiller Dr in Meadview. The parcel is out Greg's Hide Out road about 15 miles from the Meadview fire station.

Someone needs to go back over past fire calls to see how many parcels that are outside the fire district were provided service and paid nothing. Just 10 out of district fire calls a year would cost tax payers $15,000. I don't know about you, but that's a lot of money to me.....

How many out of district fire responses were done over the past couple years, and how many actually paid the LMRFD for the service?

Medical Alert for Your Cell Phone $15

Many older people live alone today. Companies advertise medical alert systems that only work at home within range of the base receiver or WiFi signal.

There's an alternative that works anywhere your cell phone works, rather than only around the house. It's called Zomm, it's called a wireless leash for your phone. It lets you know when you are out of range of your phone, you can answer calls too.

The good part is it can be worn around your neck or in your pocket and allows one button 911 calls. So rather than paying hundred of dollars and $30 a month for a medical alert system, when you can buy a Zomm for around $15 on eBay and it works anywhere your cell phone works.

I would be happy to help anyone setup their Zomm for 911 calls if they need help.

It's Our Money......

I see the LMRFD just spent $10,000 to see if they could get a loan for a new ambulance if needed.

This article below says on average a new diesel-powered ambulance costs $230,000.

This is a used fully stocked BLS Basic Life Support Ambulance just add an EMT... Cost is only $14,000 It comes with oxygen tanks, KED sled, back board, miscellaneous medical equipment and an AED.

That's a savings of $216,000.00

LMRFD Support Hero's Page Fatal Fire

I'm tired of being accused of providing false information by the LMRFD Support page. I see Ellen said on her Setting It Straight page about the fatal Mikonis fire that I said "Ingeborg Mikonis would later die from burns she suffered". www.lmrfdsupport.com/setting-it-straight.html 

Ellen's Setting It Straight page said "Ingeborg Mikonis would later die from burns she suffered. FALSE!  She died from wrong medication administered at the hospital that conflicted with other medication she was taking that hospital personnel were not aware of".

I try and provide references to what I post, as I did in this case. Yes Ingeborg Mikonis had health problems, BUT the Nevada Death Certificate says the intimidate cause of death was "Thermal Burns due to or as of Vehicle Fire" and lists other significant conditions as "cardio vascular disease". A copy of the death certificate is below.

This was a fatal fire with an gas explosion and no one investigated the fire, or even listed it as a fatal fire even though the death certificate says the cause of death was burns.

Look at the death certificate, you decide what doctors say she died from, not what Ellen says she died from.

Link to original post http://dolanemsproblems.blogspot.com/2015/08/tragedy-in-dolan-springs-explosion-only.html

Family and Friends or Neighbor to Neighbor Help App

There's a new app that let's you alert family, friends, or a group of trusted people if you're in an emergency situation and need help. It tells the person asking for help how far away you are, and an ETA to your location. It can also show live video so people responding can see whats going on.

It's a great app for anyone who want's to organize independently in order to manage and respond to local emergencies when professionals may not be available. .

The app Cell 411 allows users to issue emergency alerts to family, friends and neighbors, 

Download Cell 411 for Free!Android download: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.safearx.cell411&hl=en

iOS download: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cell-411/id1023158186?ls=1&mt=8

Chloride CRT Team Installs Smoke Detectors

Chloride CRT Citizen Response Team
On Saturday August 27th the Chloride CRT Team installed smoke detectors around town. Three teams installed 38 smoke detectors in homes around Chloride making these homes safer. Most residents were elderly and their smoke detectors were outdated and may not have worked when needed.

One resident who was 90 years old was happy to receive her new smoke detectors. Her old smoke detector was installed in 1998, and her fire extinguisher was 27 years old. Needless to say, neither would have worked if needed.

Residents received smoke detectors as well as fire prevention and escape plan education. Most had no escape plan, or location to meet other family members if a fire should happen.

Thanks to all the CRT members who helped with the installation of these life saving alarms.

Jay Fleming

Need Standard Background Checks

Many agencies that use both volunteers and professionals to accomplish their mission require background checks. Each background check cost someone money along the way, either the person applying, or the agency. We need a standard background check that's valid for a certain amount of time.

I just went through a background check so I can deploy nationwide for the Red Cross Disaster Action Team. My wife just went though background checks for both the Red Cross and the Foster Care Review Board. How many background checks do they need to do?

We need a standard background check that's valid for one year. I understand there are different levels of background checks, so they could have one for volunteers and a higher level for someone who has access to sensitive information.

People should be given a card saying they passed a background check of a specific level that's valid for one year. This would save the agencies who require background checks money, and get volunteers and new employees on the job sooner.

FREE 10 Year Smoke Detector Installed FREE

The Chloride CERT Team in conjunction with the American Red Cross is offering to install up to 6 smoke detectors FREE. These smoke detectors have a 10 year life, so no changing batteries every 6 months.

The smoke detector is free, the installation is free, and fire safety education is free....

If you are interested contact me at OurCERTTeam@gmail.com to setup an appointment to have your free smoke detectors installed..

Jay

A Reasonable Alcohol Policy from Chandler Fire Department

A drug free work place is one thing, but including a substance like alcohol is going too far. I found only a few fire departments with an alcohol policy as strict as the LMRFD. I found that the Chandler Fire Department has a reasonable alcohol policy that protect the public, yet allows a a firefighter to have a beer at a family picnic, or off-duty with a fellow firefighter after a tough day.

Asking a volunteer to not use a lawful substance is wrong. What's next, no large soda drinks or fatty food at the fire station? That might be a better policy than no alcohol. You see half the firefighters who die each year, die from heart attacks, not fighting a fire.

It's funny you can't use alcohol if employed by the LMRFD, but you can use tobacco, a substance that kills 400,000 people a year? Go figure.....

www.chandleraz.gov/content/HR_DrugFreeWorkplace.pdf

Alcohol in the Fire House Not A Good Idea Today

Alcohol in volunteer fire departments was a tradition where I worked in Washington, Idaho, and Montana in the 80's. After a fire the firefighters would go back to the station, have a beer and clean the trucks. Not the best idea in case of another fire...

I was working for the sheriff's office back them, and got stuck dispatching once in a while. I was covering a dispatch shift at the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office on Christmas one year, The fire department was having it's yearly Christmas party.

It was a small county not much going on , and I was board. So I decided to wish the firefighters a Merry Christmas. I punched up fire frequency on my console and hit the fire tones, after a pause I said Merry Christmas from the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office.

The phone range about a minute later, when they were done saying not nice words, they told me when all 40 pagers went off, their hearts all skipped a beat. They knew at that point nobody could drive a fire truck.

Another time I dispatched the fire department to a barn fire about 5 miles north of town. We could see the smoke from the sheriff's office and as soon as the fire rig turned north they advised dispatch to start tankers.

As soon as the first rig turned in the driveway, they advised dispatch to cancel the tankers and bring beer. The barn was a total loss and they let it burn. In big cities like Spokane nothing like that went on at fire stations, but they were a paid full time fire department. Drinking was for off duty.

The reason these volunteer fire departments did one hell of a job for over 100 years, was they weren't just fire fighters, they were the community. They trained together, they fought fires and they risk their lives so many times together, and not for one dime in pay.

Times have changed and drinking in the fire house is no longer done, one main reason was somebody had to drive those fire trucks from the barn fire back to the station.

But preventing volunteers in any position especially hard to come by EMS and firefighter personal from using a lawful product on their off duty time, is going to far. Having a drug free workplace is one thing, but telling volunteers they can't have a beer at a family picnic isn't American, and I can think of nothing more American than a volunteer firefighter.

I don't agree with reno's policy, but with a breathalyzer less than $50 on eBay, there's no reason for any volunteer to respond with anything over zero for blood alcohol. A beer or two Friday night shouldn't keep a volunteer with a zero blood alcohol on Saturday afternoon from responding to save your life. There are times as a police officer or firefighter when you just need to let off some steam from what you saw that shift.

 Lost Tradition
We've lost a lot of traditions like the pole firefighters would slid down from the sleeping area to the fire trucks. I got to slide down one of the poles at Station One in Spokane. We figured out sleepy firefighters shouldn't slide down brass poles from the second story in the middle of the night, some weren't awake.

Lost Tradition
I see no firefighters ride the tail board of the fire truck any longer. That was fun, the truck would stop at the  fire hydrant and a firefighter would grab two 2 1/2" hoses and wrap them around the hydrant, then signal the fire truck to take off laying hose as it went.

The firefighter at the hydrant would hook up the hoses and standby for the signal to turn on the hydrant when the engineer had them hooked to the pump.

The volunteer fire department was the community in many small towns, but we've made it so difficult for someone to volunteer, they say why.

Reno policy allows up to .08 BAC for firefighters

www.rgj.com/story/news/2014/06/22/reno-policy-allows-bac-firefighters/11178803

Why No Volunteers? LMRFD Prohibits the Use of Alcohol by Volunteers & Employees

I see now why the LMRFD lost so many volunteers when they started "drug testing" some time ago. In my opinion they ask a little too much from those they ask to volunteer and take hours of training on their own time.

It seems like prohibiting the use of alcohol while off-duty by volunteers and employees would reduce dramatically the number of people who would apply or volunteer in small areas like Dolan Springs.

Many people like a cold beer on a hot summer day, and there's nothing wrong with that. You shouldn't drink and drive, or show up at work drunk or hung over, but other that that there's nothing wrong with a cold beer once in a while.

In the LMRFD employment and volunteer application in the Statement of Understanding and Agreement's Drug and Alcohol Testing section volunteers and employees would not be allowed to have a beer at a family barbeque without being fired.

To prohibit volunteers from engaging in lawful conduct while off-duty in my opinion is asking too much from people willing to GIVE their time to the community.

Drug and Alcohol Testing: In order to assure a drug-free work environment, the District prohibits the use, sale, transfer, being under the influence and/or reporting to work after using or ingesting illicit drugs in accordance with department policies. Under District policy, alcohol is included within the meaning and prohibition of drugs. Successful passage of drug testing will be condition for employment and continued employment. http://lmrfd.org/employment-volunteer-application 

Entire volunteer fire department resigns after drinking is banned
http://www.fark.com/comments/2116797/Entire-volunteer-fire-department-resigns-after-drinking-is-banned-at-local-firehall 

Heroin and Opioid Overdose Help for Users and Abusers

Recently Governor Ducey signed a new law allowing Naloxone also know as Narcan to be dispensed without a prescription. Narcan is a miracle drug to me. As a paramedic I would give Narcan to a patient down from a heroin overdose in respiratory arrest. Within in seconds the patient would wake up, many times mad because we ruined their high. That is until we told them if we would have arrived a few minutes later, they would be dead.

Please, if you know anyone who either uses opioid for pain, or abuses heroin or opioids to keep some Narcan on hand. There's no need for an IV like the old days, it's delivered by a simple nasal spray.

For those who abuse heroin or opioids there's an app for that too. It's called Remote Egg Timer and it's for those who abuse drugs. Currently it's only available at the Android App Store.

Remote Egg Timer allows you to set a contact person, time, and GPS locator. When the user shoots up they start the timer, in 10 minutes an alarm goes off asking if they're ok. If they don't respond, a text message is sent to your contact saying something like "I used call 911".

This app would also be good for those people who are a little stubborn when having chest pain, shortness of breath or stroke symptoms like our neighbor. She had left arm pain for 2 1/2 hours before calling for help.

Please if you have chest pain, arm pain, or shortness of breath, call 911.

Prices soar on the drug-overdose antidote Narcan THIS IS WRONG

Governor Doug Ducey signed a bill last month that allows pharmacists to dispense a drug called Naloxone or Narcan for opioid overdoses without a prescription. Naloxone is a miracle drug, it can reverse an overdose in seconds.

As a paramedic I would find an overdose victim down in respiratory distress and barely breathing. I would start an IV and give the patient a dose of Naloxone. In most cases the within seconds the patient is breathing and is soon alert and oriented.

Pharmacies are over charging for various medications. When pharmacies placed quotas on pain medications, the cost for 90 100 mg extended release morphine tablets went from $200 to over $1000 at K-Mart in Kingman. Prices also went up on Naloxone, the drug used to save people from opioid overdoses. 

Soon after a similar bill allowing the use of Naloxone passed in several states, one company raised the cost of their two pack of Naloxone from $575 to more than $3,700. I'm sorry but Naloxone is not an expensive drug, and should be given to anyone who takes opioid pain medications just in case of an overdose. In Dolan Springs this could mean the difference between life and death for an accidental overdose.

http://www.12news.com/news/local/arizona/prices-soar-on-drug-overdose-antidote/229180559

LMRFD WOW Call -- They Were on Another Call Wasn't The Point

You stopped reading at the first statement... They didn't Respond.

If the LMRFD was on another call that day, that's NOT the problem. The LMRFD ambulance in Dolan isn't available between 3 and 6 or more hours a day because they're out on calls. So not being available to respond because they're on other calls is pretty normal, and not the issue here.

Not having the LMRFD ambulance from Meadview, or AMR River Medical respond when someone is down from unknown medical problem, in not normal. In fact River Medical was so concerned about how this call was being handled, they called the sheriff dispatch and asked if they wanted River Medical to respond.

It's a rare event when another EMS agency is so concerned about how a call is being handled, they offer assistance to the sheriff, not the responding EMS agency.

What's not normal is to pronounced someone dead over the phone or radio. If someone from the LMRFD had already checked on the patient, that's one thing.

An EMT or paramedic making any diagnosis over the phone is wrong, let alone saying is dead.

Why didn't the LMRFD ambulance from Meadview respond, they weren't available? Why didn't the LMRFD ask AMR River Medical respond like they do on every other call when they're not available?

What if this was your husband or wife?

Government agencies have a history of not identifying problems until someone points them out.

Man down unknown medical call

1. EMS agency Respond
2. Have 2nd unit respond from EMS agency
3. have another EMS agency respond.

First Responders and Marijuana After November 2016

It looks like voters in Nevada and Arizona will have chance to join Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington State, and Washington, D.C. in deciding if they want to legalize recreational marijuana for adult use.

The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol already has 200,000 signatures to get their initiative the Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act on the ballot for the November 2016 general election in Arizona, so we need to talk about this.

If recreational marijuana becomes legal in November law enforcement, EMS, and fire agencies will need to revise their policies on marijuana use. In 2013 CBS 5 Investigates traveled from Phoenix to Dolan Springs to interview me about the use of medical marijuana by first responders. 

Back in 2013 most agencies including DPS didn't have a policy on medical marijuana. CBS 5 only found 3 agencies with specific policies on medical marijuana. Yuma does allow city employees, including firefighters and EMTs to use medical marijuana as long as it is off-duty. Gilbert Fire Department allows employees to have medical marijuana cards, but may reassign or put the employee on paid leave, and Chandler Police Department prohibit officers from having a medical marijuana card. 

What's the LMRFD going to do if recreational marijuana becomes legal? We were told that when the LMRFD started drug testing several years ago, they lost many of the volunteers we depended on.

We would never want anyone to respond to fire or EMS calls while impaired on marijuana, alcohol, or anything else. That said, I would much prefer to have a first responder who used marijuana the night before, rather than one who had a hangover.

Marijuana is legal in one form or another in 23 states and the District of Columbia, and medical marijuana or legalization is on the ballot in as many as 20 states in 2016.

First Responders and Alcohol

Cops and firefighters are notorious drinkers, in many towns there are cop or firefighter bars. Ask anyone who's been on the job more than a few months and they'll have stories about drunk cops pr firefighters. 

In Spokane a DEA agent pulled out of the Sheridan Inn and hit a Spokane police car broadside. He didn't go to jail back then, but was held until a supervisor arrived from Seattle. He was never charged. 

My Undersheriff from Lincoln County got in a fight downtown Spokane. When officers tried to arrest him, he was threatening to tip over their patrol cars. He was 6'5" 300 pounds and they were worried he could really do it, so the sheriff had to talk him down. We go a new undersheriff after that.

One Christmas I was working dispatch while the local fire department was having their party, I punched out the fire tones ringing all 30 pagers at once, after a long pause I said Merry Christmas. After a few minutes the phone rang, it was the firefighters telling me I scared the hell out of them because no one was in any condition to respond to a fire.

Here are some links about first responders and alcohol abuse
Who Will Rescue the Heroes
Firefighters and alcohol
Alcohol and the badge
They drink when they're blue 

What about Marijuana Marijuana vs Alcohol

Many police and fire agencies where it's legal are still not allowing their employees to use marijuana for medical or recreational purposes. If you have ever had bad hangover from alcohol, you know you're not functioning their best. Yet it's ok to drink the night away and show up for duty the next day. Is this the EMT you want showing up when you need medical care?

Marijuana on the other hand doesn't cause a devastating handover leaving someone barley functioning the next morning. No one should ever come to work high or with a hangover. If they're not in top condition, go home.

Drug Testing
People using alcohol or meth can pass drug tests......
Many people today use marijuana for medical and recreational purposes. It's sad that someone who drinks alcohol everyday can be a volunteer for the LMRFD, but someone who used marijuana a month ago would be rejected for failing a drug test. Someone who used meth on Friday can pass a drug test on Monday. Marijuana stays in the system for 30 days, meth and most other serious drugs only 72 hours.

We need to change some of our policies on drug testing. Before the LMRFD required drug testing we had a lot of volunteers. How many injuries or accidents did we have?

Was the drug testing policy changed because of real safety issues and documented accidents, or to be politically correct?

I can only hope in November we choose to stop destroying lives by legalizing recreational marijuana in Arizona.

Jay Fleming
Speaker
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP)
LINK to My Speakers Page 
LINK to LEAP Web Page

Please do your research

Marijuana and Kids
Why legalizing weed is unlikely to turn your kid into a pothead

Cartels are Losing Money Because of Legal Marijuana
Marijuana Legalization: Bad For The Cartels, Better For All

This article tells how many police officers including myself feel about the drug war today.
Why I Hated Being a Cop

LMRFD Refused to Respond, Deputies only response was WOW.

On Friday MCSO received a call of a man down between the RV park and the Dollar Store in Dolan Springs. The deputy was quite some distance from Dolan and asked LMRFD to respond. Shortly the dispatcher advised the deputy that LMRFD was NOT responding.

Sounding confused the deputy asked the dispatcher why? Dispatch advised "per fire department, they already know he's dead". The deputy had the same reaction I did, saying,"WOW". After laying on the ground for about 20 minutes MCSO arrived.

I don't know how the LMRFD knew the person was dead. I've worked for law enforcement, fire, and EMS agencies and anyplace I've worked EMS responds to verify someone is deceased. The only way I know to do that is to hookup a heart monitor and verify the rhythm is a flat line.

There are many heart rhythms that can't be detected, especially by a lay person without a heart monitor. I think the tax payers in the LMRFD deserve their EMS to respond and verify a death, especially when the fire station is just blocks away.

This person deserved the LMRFD to respond and verify death, or attempt resuscitation. Only being a few blocks away they should have responded and if nothing else, cover the body and standby for MCSO to arrive.

I hope there's a good explanation for this call. There had been a big improvement in the way calls were handled since the new chief took over. I hope he gets to the bottom of this and lets us know why.

Voting in LMRFD Fire Board Election? READ Information on the Dolan Springs Community Council Money Problems

For people who want information on the Dolan Springs Community Council Money Problems please look at my blog on Corruption in a Small Town

Here's the Report Everyone Should Read!

Please read...
Jay Fleming

Candidates for LMRFD Fire Board

I see Charlotte Kiffer who is running for the fire board says she's understands budgets and financing, and has experienced in mediation and conflict resolution.

Anyone who saw her aggressive abusive manner she attacked me when I found discrepancies in the Community Council finances would know she's a nut. She had to be told several times to calm down during the meeting because of her loud abusive behavior. This type of unprofessional display is not who we want representing us, or the conduct we need at fire board meetings.

If she understands budgets, why didn't she care a woman who had been dead for 1 1/2 years was still signing council checks? When Kathy said she didn't have anyone else to sign the checks. Charlotte took that excuse, and never asked why the current elected board members couldn't sign them.

Rather than look at the discrepancies in the Community Council finances, she mounted a take over of the council and removed me from office. Do you really want someone who covers up budget problems rather than investigate them?

Please don't trust Charlotte Kiffer with our fire department budget. If she covers up problems with the community council budget, our fire district would be in money trouble again very soon.

If Charlotte Kiffer is elected there will be no oversight of our tax money. She has covered up the fact that a dead lady, or former board member who moved away were the only people besides Kathy Dodson-Long who were signing Council checks. In the last year ONLY 4 checks were signed by current elected board members.

Will she try to prevent the video taping of fire board meetings like she did the council meetings. If there is noting to hide, why not allow video taping of meetings?

Yes Charlotte rode in an ambulance once... But what does she know about EMS or firefighting?

With Charlotte Kiffer's aggressive and abusive attacks at council meetings, and lack of willingness to look into thousands of dollars of checks written to questionable sources at the council, please think before you vote.\

Jay Fleming

Fire Board Election, What We Need to Ask...

On May 17th Dolan Springs and Meadview will elect a new board of directors for the LMRFD , and we need to ask some hard questions to those running.

HOMEOWNER INSURANCE RATES
While under the direction of the NACFD, Mr Flynn got rid of our volunteers because they wanted a paid only fire district. This action may have reduced manpower to a level where we can no longer maintain a good rating for homeowners insurance.

We need to ask what our current ISO fire rating is? We were told time and time again that we had an ISO rating of 8. In my opinion without volunteers our rating will drop to an ISO rating of 8B or even a 9. That would mean dramatic increases in homeowners insurance rates.

The keep or receive an ISO rating of 8, the fire district needs be able to pump 250 GPM for two hours continuously without interruption. We need to ask how the LMRFD can logistically pump 250 GPM for two hours continuously without interruption.

VOLUNTEERS
We were told over and over by Mr Flynn and Chief Moore that firefighters had to be certified to Level I or II firefighter status. This is another half-truth we were told. According to the Arizona Center for Fire Service Excellence Fire Service Certification is not required in Arizona it's voluntary.

There are no state regulations requiring fire service personnel to become certified. However departments may make certification mandatory for their firefighters.

That said, in my opinion ALL volunteers for fire service should be trained to a level the Fire Chief and the volunteer is comfortable with. Some volunteers may become firefighters, others may only want to drive the fire truck or tanker and operate the pump to protect firefighters. Simply having volunteers to drive tanker trucks will help protect firefighters and may give us the manpower and water capability needed to receive an ISO rating of 8.

Driving the fire truck or tanker and running the pump doesn't sound very important, but in a heart beat it can be the most important job at a fire scene. This is what happened to me as a young firefighter.....

As a member of the Civil Defense Fire Rescue I was training at the Spokane Fire Department drill tower. That day we were training on how to do interior attacks on a multi story building. The drill tower is a 3 story cement building and it was full of smoke, another firefighter and I were to do an attack on the third story. 

I pulled a section of hose and threw it over my shoulder. We headed up the stairs and hooked into a stand pipe on the 2^nd floor on the way up. The drill tower was filled with black smoke to simulate a fire. As we turned the corner onto the 3rd floor we gave the signal to the engineer to charge the line. 

As soon as the line was charged the coupler failed. The nozzle separated from the heavy brass coupler on the 2 ½” hose and shot across the room like a missile. As the nozzle took off in one direction ricocheting across the room and down the stairs. The hose took off like a huge angry snake flying around the room. 

We were in full bunkers, but that brass coupler was heavy and could do a lot of damage. If it should hit one of us in the head, it could kill you instantly. If it knocked the nozzle off one of our Scott Airpacks, it would become another missile to deal with.

Because of our training the firefighter running the pump immediately knew something was wrong from the sound the pump, and shut it down. Shutting down the pump when he did most likely saved our lives, he certainly saved us serious injuries that day.


Volunteer firefighters make up the majority of US firefighters. According to the NFPA’s U.S. fire department profile, there are an estimated 30,125 fire departments in the United States. Of these, 2,495 departments are all-career, 1,860 are mostly career, 5,290 are mostly volunteer and 20,480 are all-volunteer. In other words, 70% of all firefighters in America are volunteers, which equates to 768,150 fire and emergency service responders.

We can have a fire academy here in Dolan Springs to train volunteer firefighters, and an EMT course to train EMT's for the ambulance.

At fire board meetings some people made it sound like you would need to spend years in school to be an EMT. Actually we have the person who can train EMT's right here in Dolan Springs in 180 hours.


ISO RATINGS
CLASS 8

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.
• The fire department must have one suitably equipped engine that responds to all first alarm structural fires. Pump capacity must be at least 750 gpm at 150 psi. The engine must have a water tank in accordance with the general criteria of NFPA 1901, Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus, “pumper Fire Apparatus.” 

Who's Really Using Illegal Underhanded Tactics Providing Disinformation and Assassinating Characters

It seems that Ellen Reh-Bower is the one using illegal underhanded tactics and providing disinformation about the fire district and the candidates in violation of election laws.

Ellen violates election laws by signing her blog www.lmrfdsupport.com It's spelled out in this Powerpoint about County Employees and Elections by the Pinal County Board of Suporvisors 

On Ellen's blog signing the blog as Ellen Reh-Bower, Office/Admin LMRFD she is violating the section under Restricted Activities that say's "Public employees may not distribute material that contains political advocacy While acting in their official capacity" in this case signing as the "Office/Admin LMRFD" This is one of those illegal underhanded tactics she uses to provide disinformation while accusing others doing the same.

On Ellen's LMRFD Support candidates page she uses three times the amount of space attacking one candidate as on the other four candidates. Somehow the other four candidates were left out altogether.
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I apologize for providing inaccurate information here about Ellen Reh-Bower and the paragraph was removed.
Since you need to follow a link to comments section, I wanted everyone to see Ellen Reh-Bower's comment and the reason for my apology.
Ellen Reh-Bower' Comment
"Ellen Reh-Bower sat there at every board meeting as the Office Administrator of the LMRFD and watched it go broke." FYI, I NEVER sat at ANY board meeting of the LMRFD before it went broke. That is an easily verifiable, bald faced LIE. It is also an easily verifiable FACT, but you are not interested in FACTS.... that I DID send financial information to the County, our bank, personnel, the board and the "chief", over a period of a year, confirming that the direction we were going was disastrous. I have in my possession 52 emails proving that. A simple review of the minutes for years preceding FEB 2013 will reveal that I NEVER attended ANY board meetings. Your informant is mistaken!" "

NOTE: I Tried to Verify her statement but the LMRFD board minutes prior to 2013 are sparse, saying the meeting was recorded.
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Now she uses underhanded tactics and provides disinformation about the fire district and the candidates signing her PERSONAL Blog as the Office Administrator of the LMRFD.

EXAMPLE OF RESTRICTED ACTIVITY A public employee who, on her own computer on the weekend, drafts a press release about how a measure might affect their agency, and signs the document with their title.

To provide balanced unbiased information about all the candidates is one thing, only listing some candidates rather than everyone running, then singling out one candidate for attack and signing it as Ellen Reh-Bower, Office/Admin LMRFD should be looked into by the Mohave County BOS and the Arizona Attorney General for election violations.

Much damage has been done by a small vocal group centered in Dolan Springs with hostile and slanderous attacks toward those who fought the consolidation and the takeover of the LMRFD.