ALBEMARLE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF FIRE RESCUE QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER

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1 Albemarle County will be home to the model volunteer-career fire and emergency medical services system. We will provide the highest quality services to protect and preserve the lives, property, and environment of our community. We believe in excellence in public service through: Integrity We believe in honesty and doing the right thing for our customers and always honoring our commitments. Innovation We believe in embracing ongoing innovation, creativity, and change for achieving continuous improvement and results in our jobs, our organization, and our community. Stewardship We believe in our role as stewards of the public trust and responsible management of all the county s human, environmental, and financial resources. Learning We believe in ongoing learning and improvement of our community, our personnel, and our organization. Our external customers are all those in need of emergent and nonemergent services. Our internal customers are department personnel - career & volunteer, other county staff, and local elected officials. ALBEMARLE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF FIRE RESCUE QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER The Department of Homeland Security has announced that the Albemarle County Department of Fire Rescue has been awarded a 2004 Office of Domestic Preparedness federal grant in the amount of $301,339. The grant is offered through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program or the FIRE Act. The total program costs over $430,000 and will require a local match of approximately $130,000. The purpose of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program is to award one-year grants directly to fire departments to enhance their abilities with respect to fire and fire-related hazards. The primary goal is to provide assistance to meet fire departments firefighting and emergency response needs. This program seeks to support departments that lack the tools and resources necessary to protect the health and safety of the public and their firefighting personnel with respect to fire and all other hazards they may face. The grant will allow the implementation of a continuing proactive wellness and fitness program for the department's volunteer and career personnel. This program will be broad-based and be available for participation by all personnel. The wellness and fitness program will be mandatory for all career personnel. The program will be optional, but strongly promoted and encouraged for volunteer personnel through highlighting incentives and advantages of program participation. Since the program is mandatory for career personnel, medical surveillance, physicals, and immunizations will be required. Volunteers who commit to participate in the formal program and undergo the same fitness assessments as career personnel will also enjoy the medical surveillance, physicals, and immunizations. Volunteers who do not commit to participate in the formal program will have the option to enroll at any time and will still enjoy use of the fitness equipment that will be located at each station as well as the immunization program. Periodic physical exams and health screenings will be conducted prior to each annual fitness assessment for personnel participating in the program. The wellness & fitness program will follow NFPA 1583 Health Related Fitness Programs for Firefighters. Emphasis will be placed on individual and group fitness that closely follows job specific duties and tasks. Participating personnel will be evaluated annually on his/her fitness for duty. Continued on Page 10 Ask-the-Doc Page 2 Plummer Joins Department Page 3 The Training Grounds Page 4 News Briefs Pages 7-8 Calendar of Events Pages Caught in the Act Page 15

2 Question: I m not sure when I need to call for medical control when using the chest pain protocol. If I m an ALS provider, do I really need to call before I can give any medications? Short Answer: No. Long Answer: The goal of treatment for a patient with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is to rapidly assess and treat to limit ischemic injury and subsequent short- and long-term complications. Acute coronary syndrome is a continuum of presentations from unstable angina to non-q wave MI to STelevation MI. Almost half of these patients die before reaching the hospital, and 25% of the remainder die within the next year. 17% have ischemic pain (possibly chest pain) as their first and only symptom. What the protocol is trying to convey (apparently not as clearly as we thought) is that if a patient is suspected of having or known to have an acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction, the sooner the receiving hospital is notified and can prepare for patient arrival, the better. Of course, many times you do not have a 12- lead ECG available, but, based on your history, assessment, and experience, you have a significant concern that your patient is having the real thing or the big one. Time is key in the management of acute coronary syndromes. Don t let the call for medical control delay treating your patient with the standing order medications. Initiate aspirin therapy (the cheapest intervention we have and the most effective), to decrease platelet aggregation and formation of extensive clot and further obstruction of blood flow. Begin IV, give nitroglycerin as directed, in an effort to dilate the coronary vessels and restore blood flow to the ischemic &# # By: Dr. Sabina Braithwaite, OMD area as soon as possible and limit damage to the cardiac muscle. Call as soon as practical, when you have your patient stabilized or if the standing order medications do not alleviate the patient symptoms and you are requesting Metoprolol, Morphine, or Promethazine orders. For ALS providers, the early call is meant to be used if you have a 12-lead that demonstrates ischemic changes (i.e., ST elevation in contiguous leads), so that the cardiac interventional (cath) team can be alerted of the STEMI. Alternatively, if your assessment convinces you that this patient looks bad and is potentially going to decompensate en route or is going to need immediate attention on arrival at the ED (i.e., hypotensive, bradycardic, persistent severe pain consistent with ACS in spite of appropriate meds), giving the hospital a heads-up and getting the physicians in contact with you early is probably a good idea. And if you think the patient looks that bad, be sure that they are wearing the defib/pacing pads in case you need them! Remember, time is of the essence with ACS as a cardiologist once told me, dead meat don t beat. Keep that heart muscle alive, keep your patient alive, treat ACS aggressively! Additional reading: American Heart Association, Guidelines 2000 for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care, Circulation 102(8): Sabina Braithwaite, MD is the Operational Medical Director for the Department of Fire Rescue. Dr. Braithwaite can be contacted at: sbraithwaite@albemarle.org!! "#$ % The Department of Fire Rescue is planning to move to their new offices at COB-5 th Street, the Public Safety & Human Services Center, during late November or early December During this time, there will be a slight disruption in administrative services. Watch the website, for dates and more information. Sirens is the official newsletter of the Albemarle County, Virginia Department of Fire Rescue and is published quarterly. The newsletter is printed by PrintSource of Charlottesville, Virginia. The Volunteer Recruitment & Retention Committee (a committee of the Albemarle County Fire Rescue Advisory Board) facilitates the production of the newsletter. STAFF & PERSONNEL Administration Chief: J. Dan Eggleston Assistant Chief: John Oprandy Captain: Jason C. Nauman Administrative Assistant: Nellie Durham Operations Assistant Chief: Training Captain: Prevention Assistant Chief: Fire Rescue Advisory Board Chair: Vice Chair: Rick Plummer M. Scott Lambert Robert Lowry George Stephens Doug Smythers HOW TO CONTACT US Mail/Shipping th Street Charlottesville, Virginia Voice FAX jnauman@albemarle.org Website SUBMISSIONS Articles, feature stories, cartoons, photographs, classifieds (buy or sell), upcoming training, station news, and station events and functions are welcome. The deadline for Winter 2005 submissions is Monday, 6 December REPRINTS/PERMISSIONS No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including photocopying, or utilized by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the Department of Fire Rescue. Please direct requests for reprints and/or permissions to the attention of Jason Nauman. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The following individuals have made extraordinary efforts and contributions to make this newsletter possible: Christina Davis Rebecca Morris

3 ' (&!! By: Ricky A. Plummer The Department has announced the hiring of Rick Plummer to succeed Carl J. Pumphrey as the Assistant Chief of Operations. Rick is excited about joining our ranks and took some time to share some information about him. Rick is moving from Maine and hopes to assume his new role and responsibilities in October/November I was born in Amesbury, Massachusetts, and I grew up in the Newburyport, MA area. I joined the Newbury Volunteer Fire Department in It was there I found the love for the fire service. I later was hired for a short time as a full-time firefighter with the Durham-University of New Hampshire Fire Department. While there, I obtained my EMT-Basic, Firefighter I and II. I then joined the ranks of the City of Portsmouth, New Hampshire Fire Department. I worked my way up through the ranks from firefighter, Lieutenant, Captain, Deputy Chief and Chief of Department. I also was the fire department mechanic for 15 years. While shift Captain, I was also the Town Manager in Milton, NH. While Chief in Portsmouth, I served on the board of directors of the New Hampshire Chiefs, the area Hazardous Materials Team and was appointed by New Hampshire Governor Jeanne Shaheen to the New Hampshire Fire Commission. In Portsmouth, we operated out of three fire stations with 60 full-time firefighters. I have traveled several times to western forest fires with the New Hampshire State Crew. I also served on the North Berwick Volunteer Fire Department for many years, until I was appointed Chief in Portsmouth. I retired from the City of Portsmouth in December of 2001 with over 20 years of service. I was then hired in the Town of Standish, Maine as their first full-time chief. I was hired to combine their separate Fire and EMS departments into one department. I accomplished this task in just over one year. Following, I was hired by the City of Biddeford Fire Department as Chief of Department. They operate with three stations, one of which is staffed with fulltime firefighters 24/7. The two other stations are volunteer. On 1 October 2004 the department will staff Station 3 with full-time firefighters daily and volunteers at night. While working in Portsmouth, I obtained my Associates Degree in Fire Science and then my Bachelors Degree in Public Administration. I am certified in Homeland Security Level III, FF III, Instructor I, Fire Officer II, Haz Mat Technician, Weapons of Mass Destruction among other fire-related certifications. I am married; my wife Liz and I have four children and two grandchildren. My brother, Perry, is Fire Chief as well, serving the City of Dover, New Hampshire. Courtesy Photo Chief Rick Plummer consults with a firefighter at the scene of a structure fire. Chief Plummer plans to join the Department of Fire Rescue as Operations Chief in late October or early November We enjoy camping, boating, and formerly snowmobiling! One of the highlights in my career was going to Kennebunkport, ME recently to meet President Bush and his family at their family s summer home. I am happy to be a member of the Albemarle Fire Rescue team. I look forward to working with all of you to make our department a model combination department. With cooperation, trust, and hard work, this can become a reality. Serving as Chief of Operations, I expect to work very closely with all of you, both on and off the fireground. Rick Plummer has been hired as head of the Operations Division for the Department of Fire Rescue. Assistant Chief Plummer may be contacted at: rplumme2@maine.rr.com

4 ) Hello and welcome back to the Training Grounds! Last edition, I wrote about minimum training standards and the Training Division s approach to reach this goal. I would like to use my space to go into detail of the plan to achieve minimum training standards. Recently, the Virginia Department of Fire Programs (VDFP) released a new program entitled Fire Attack Series. This program is designed to achieve minimum training standards for departments that have members unable to commit to the strains of a full firefighter certification course. Based largely on NFPA 1403, this course covers the following topic areas: Safety Personal Protective Equipment SCBA Fire Behavior Portable Extinguishers Water Supply Hose and Appliances Ladders Search and Rescue Structural Burn Anyone who has a current Instructor I certification is allowed to administer this program. While students that attend this certification will still be lacking in many other topic areas addressed in the fire By: Captain Scott Lambert academy, they will be in full compliance with national training standards. Personally, I feel that this series is something that all stations in our system should embrace, and I will gladly concentrate Training Division resources at any station wanting to use the Fire Attack Series. Currently, Station 8 is in the process of implementing this program. The class meets every Tuesday evening, starting at 1830 Hours and lasts roughly three (3) hours. Students are asked to attend this program in lieu of their regularly scheduled duty requirements. In the end, after a 50-hour program, these students will be promoted to the status of Rookie Firefighter, meaning that they are allowed to participate in fireground operations under the guidance of an officer. The best part of this program is the ability to tailor the class schedule to meet the needs of new members as they join, and have a concentrated training that not only prepares them to be an active member in your department, but also conforms to national standards. In addition, Station 6 and Station 7 are currently holding an in-house Firefighter I class, thanks to the diligence of Jack Mellot and Mike Grandstaff. These gentlemen have taken on a tremendous amount of extra duties, while still performing the myriad of tasks associated with the rank of Assistant Chief. While these pilot programs have not concluded, preliminary feedback suggests the amount of work generated by an in-house Firefighter I program will exceed the capabilities of most stations. I would like to think that every station will be able to conduct such programs; however, I believe that aiming for the Fire Attack Series is more of a reality. The biggest obstacle to conducting a Firefighter I program is preparing the students for the state test. The Fire Attack certification is an attendance based program; there is no final examination. As long as the students successfully complete the structural burn, they will be issued certificates of attendance. I hope this sheds some light on the Training Division s plan for minimum training implementation. I welcome any comments, suggestions, or feedback. Scott Lambert has been head of the Training Division for the Department of Fire Rescue since Captain Lambert may be contacted at: slambert2@albemarle.org $ Spring Fire Academy Start Date: 11 January 2005 Location: East Rivanna Spring EMT Academy Start Date: 17 January 2005 Location: Crozet Fire Instructor-I Start Date: 22 February 2005 Location: ACFR Emergency Vehicle Operator Start Date: 5 March 2005 Location: Monticello Fire Rescue Regional School Dates: March 2005 Location: Monticello High School Driver-Aerial Operator Start Date: 14 May 2005 Location: Seminole Trail Driver-Pump Operator Start Date: 31 May 2005 Location: Monticello Fall Fire Academy Start Date: 12 July 2005 Location: Monticello Fall EMT Academy Start Date: TBD Location: Scottsville Rescue Officer Academy Start Date: 2 August 2005 Location: ACFR Emergency Vehicle Operator Start Date: 29 October 2005 Location: Monticello For the most up-to-date information, visit

5 $ *+!,, By: Warren Wood On Saturday, 4 September 2004, five (5) members of Crozet Volunteer Fire Department entered the Miss Emergency Charity Pageant at the Albemarle County Fair. Station 5 Courtesy Photo All donations collected went to the winner s favorite charity. As always, Station 5 led the way for a First Place. Our five members were the only ones in the Charity Pageant and walked away with all the awards. The contestants were judged in Gown, Swimsuit, and Talent. They collected $ in donations for the Crozet Volunteer Fire Department. Chief Bubba Baber received the award for the most entries from a department. Next year the award will be up for grabs again. Will Crozet be unopposed again next year? Crozet volunteers participated in the Albemarle County Fair s Miss Emergency 2004 Pageant. Hats off to the Miss Emergency 2004 Pageant Winners: Station 5 Courtesy Photo Miss Emergency Josh Pugh as Daisy" Miss Personality Steve Hagedorn as "Pookie" Most Donations Collected Steve Hagedorn as Pookie Most Handsome Nick Barrell as Buffy Miss Personality Runner-Up Richard Anderson as "Billy Joe" and Tyler Trevillian as "Torch" Warren Wood is a volunteer Battalion Chief at the Crozet Volunteer Fire Department. The Crozet Volunteer Fire Department s beauty queens took home all of the 2004 Miss Emergency awards at the Albemarle County Fair. Battalion Chief Wood may be contacted at: wlw6t@virginia.edu

6 - 2*+ Eric Graciano Rescue Technician I Dustin Lang Officer I Paul Moody Officer I James Rexter Rescue Technician I.*+0 Paul Bryant Jake Christopher $1/%+) Lindbergh Johnson.)) Danny & Amanda Vanderploeg (28 August 2004) 2 Amanda Butler to David L. Moody *+"03 Haley Elizabeth to Eric & Karen Kudro Pam Butler is an administrative member with the East Rivanna Volunteer Fire Company. Ms. Butler may be contacted at: pbutler04@earthlink.net Station 2 Courtesy Photo By: Pam Butler./) I wish you could see the sadness of a business man as his livelihood goes up in flames, or that family returning home, only to find their house and belongings damaged or lost for good. I wish you could know what it is like to search a burning bedroom for trapped children, flames rolling above your head, your palms and knees burning as you crawl, the floor sagging under your weight as the kitchen below you burns. I wish you could comprehend a wife's horror at 3 a.m. as I check her husband of 40 years for a pulse and find none. I start CPR anyway, hoping to bring him back, knowing intuitively it is too late. But wanting his wife and family to know everything possible was done to try to save his life. I wish you knew the unique smell of burning insulation, the taste of soot-filled mucus, the feeling of intense heat through your turnout gear, the sound of flames crackling, the eeriness of being able to see absolutely nothing in dense smoke-sensations that I've become too familiar with. I wish you could understand how it feels to go to work in the morning after having spent most of the night, hot and soaking wet at a multiple alarm fire. I wish you could read my mind as I respond to a building fire "Is this a false alarm or a working fire? How is the building constructed? What hazards await me? Is anyone trapped?" Or to an EMS call, "What is wrong with the patient? Is it minor or life-threatening? Is the caller really in distress or is he waiting for us with a 2x4 or a gun?" I wish you could be in the emergency room as a doctor pronounces dead the beautiful five-year old girl that I have been trying to save during the past 25 minutes. Who will never go on her first date or say the words, "I love you Mommy" again. I wish you could know the frustration I feel in the cab of the engine or my personal vehicle, the driver with his foot pressing down hard on the pedal, my arm tugging again and again at the air horn chain, as you fail to yield the right-of-way at an intersection or in traffic. When you need us however, your first comment upon our arrival will be, "It took you forever to get here!" I wish you could know my thoughts as I help extricate a girl of teenage years from the remains of her automobile. "What if this was my sister, my girlfriend or a friend? What was her parent s reaction going to be when they opened the door to find a police officer with hat in hand?" I wish you could know how it feels to walk in the back door and greet my parents and family, not having the heart to tell them that I nearly did not come back from the last call. I wish you could feel the hurt as people verbally, and sometimes physically, abuse us or belittle what I do, or as they express their attitudes of "It will never happen to me." I wish you could realize the physical, emotional and mental drain or missed meals, lost sleep and forgone social activities, in addition to all the tragedy my eyes have seen. I wish you could know the brotherhood and self-satisfaction of helping save a life or of preserving someone's property, or being able to be there in time of crisis, or creating order from total chaos. I wish you could understand what it feels like to have a little boy tugging at your arm and asking, "Is Mommy okay?" Not even being able to look in his eyes without tears from your own and not knowing what to say. Or to have to hold back a long time friend who watches his buddy having rescue breathing done on him as they take him away in the ambulance. You know all along he did not have his seat belt on. Unless you have lived with this kind of life, you will never truly understand or appreciate who I am, we are, or what our job really means to us...i wish you could though. Danny & Amanda Vanderploeg were married on 28 August author unknown

7 4,*+"! 5!!) By: Becky Robinette Wright Tuesday morning, 31 August 2004, the day after. Monday had heralded an unwelcome surprise Tropical Depression Gaston. Up to 15 inches of rain with disaster measured in epic proportions. It was near 8am, my phone rang. "Hello," I said. "Becky? It's Dan Eggleston from Albemarle are you okay?" My heart warmed with gratitude. How can I not promote the wonderful people of Albemarle and Charlottesville? Not only dedicated to their Fire & EMS professions, but they extend the hand of friendship. I had been dealing with tornado warnings, flooding, missing persons, seemingly impossible rescues, my house had sprung so many leaks it looked like a sprinkler system had gone off. My home was hit by a wind burst. And it rained. And rained. And rained. The situation had become tragic mud slides, entrapments, hundreds of vehicles washed away, roads crumbling under the force of the water's power spray. And it rained. I had earlier went to my knees and prayed fervently for the Lord to protect the First Responders and Law Enforcement who would be in this deluge. My prayers were answered. Although the loss of even one life is a tragedy, it could have been mass fatalities, and it wasn't. It was a marathon of life saving operations; Fire & EMS were in the Rescue Olympics. A mistake could cost a life. Books could be written on the experiences Gaston forced upon us. Gaston was a dark tunnel of undesired adventure. All of us who experienced this rampage of nature were changed a little. But, sometimes, in these dark tunnels, a light comes through. "Becky? It s Dan Eggleston from Albemarle are you okay?" As long I have the privilege of being acquainted with people like Albemarle and Charlottesville Fire Rescue, the answer is most definitely, Yes! 6 # 0 %( % The group: volunteer/career fire rescue personnel and leaders. The place: Doubletree Hotel, Charlottesville. The meetings: 31 July and 1 August The mission: To identify challenges facing Virginia's Volunteer/Combination Fire Service and create strategies for addressing these issues, both at the individual or company level and strategically across the commonwealth. Attendees came from across Virginia. "It was a great way to start dialog between departments," Dave Tesh, Volunteer Coordinator for Chesterfield Fire & EMS said. "We all face the same challenges. The Summit was a very positive experience." "Some departments are just starting to have career personnel," Tesh continued. "Any info shared that will help other departments avoid pitfalls is great. I most definitely will attend again next year." "The summit was an outstanding success," Albemarle Fire Chief Dan Eggleston said, "And proved to be better than expected." The purpose of the summit, Eggleston explained, was to discuss issues facing volunteer and combination departments and identify strategies to address those issues. Participants worked with like-sized departments to share ideas and solutions." We all met new people," Chief Eggleston said, "and the relationships are already paying off. We had Chief John Buckman, Chief Fred Windisch, and Chief Gary Scott, myself, Division Chief Eddie Buchanan, and VDFP Director Adam Theil. I liked the work sessions the best. We are already planning the next event. Yes, I definitely will attend again." "Since this was the first one, I think 'The First Annual Volunteer/Combination Department Summit'went very, very well," Captain Jason Nauman of Albemarle said. "We were extremely pleased with the tremendous turnout and participation. The summit was designed to allow volunteer & combination departments to come together and discuss the many tough issues that face those departments. I think that was accomplished. Participating departments also developed strategies to address those issues at the company, local, state, and federal level. Lots of new friendships, partnerships, & networking resources were made at the summit, Nauman added. Nationallyrenowned speakers facilitated the summit, and it was by far the best conference we've ever participated in! This will definitely be an annual event, Nauman heartily replied. I will most certainly attend again." The program was sponsored in cooperation with: Albemarle County Fire Rescue Hanover Fire & EMS Virginia Department of Fire Programs Volunteer Combination Section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs

8 7,*+"! By: Becky Robinette Wright %).0 Deputy Chief John Burruss had just finished teaching a Basic and Light Rescue training class. The skills taught and learned were immediately tested. 15 August at 1700 hours the tones sounded, the Technical Rescue Team leaped into action. We arrived on the scene to find a male hanging upside down in a tree," Burruss said, he was about 20 feet off the ground, entangled in a makeshift harness. This was no ordinary patient; he was a patient acting out being Spiderman and he had been drinking. %8)6'$9 5 6'4 :"; ) April 2004, the 77th Annual Shenandoah Valley Apple Blossom Firefighter's Parade was held. Local apparatus that joined in the festivities included Squad 135 and Logistics 137. The annual parade hosts over 3,000 pieces of fire and rescue apparatus and is one of the largest parades of its type in the world. Squad 135 brought home a nice memento: 1st Place Recognition in the Heavy Squad Division. Congratulations 135! CARS Courtesy Photo We were able to extricate him safely, Burruss said. Moral of the story: Drinking + Spiderman movie = Stupid Acts. He was lucky." ),! & & %<,! The ladder slide consisted of anchoring a rope to the aerial ladder and using it as a lowering mechanism, complete with a pulley system rigged up. Tracy Scrage is a Richmond firefighter, but there is special place in her heart for the beauty of the Albemarle/Charlottesville area. In April 2004, Scrage journeyed to Charlottesville to take part in an event that would change her life. Blue Ridge Magazine sponsored the Half Marathon in Charlottesville. For Scrage it wasn't merely a race, but a dream and a quest a chance to overcome. Scrage, who always has been an outdoor enthusiast, broke her knees rock-climbing in 1994, and then in 1996 broke both her legs backpacking. She joined the Richmond Fire Department in 2002." I began running in the fire academy," Scrage explained. "It was a good way to motivate myself to stay in shape." Scrage placed third in the Charlottesville race, and the victory encouraged her. Then with sheer determination she took part in and went on to win the Komen Greater Richmond Race for the Cure. She ran to overcome her adversities and in honor of her aunt who had died from cancer. The call: 9 June 2004, male victim trapped on top of a two story building. Units responding to scene: CFD Engine 7, Ladder 1,Chief 1, Chief 2, and Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad (CARS) apparatus. The challenge: performing a technical rescue in an inhibited area. The victim had been doing some work on top of the structure when he was accidentally injured from a nail gun. A nail had penetrated the victims knee and he virtually incapable of movement at the time. "Typically we would have used the aerial ladder," said Deputy Chief Charles Werner of Charlottesville Fire Department, "but we had overhead wires that would not permit this operation." "We did a ladder slide," CARS Deputy Chief John Burruss said. "In this operation with the overhead wires, the aerial ladder was virtually useless." "The patient was secured in a Stokes basket then lowered by gradual process to the ground," Deputy Chief Burruss said. "1/2 inch rope was used in the process." The patient was then transported. CARS Deputy Chief John Burruss is no stranger to Technical Rescue. When not performing local rescues with CARS, he is a State Instructor for VDFP (Virginia Department for Fire Programs). Charlottesville Fire Department does not have a Technical Rescue team, but personnel of the Ladder Company are trained in specialized techniques. Several of CFD members also volunteer with CARS and assist on the Tech Rescue Team. Becky Robinette Wright is a freelance writer based in Chesterfield, Virginia. Fire, rescue, & EMS writing is her contribution to some of Virginia s bravest! Ms. Wright may be contacted at: fungirlwriter@yahoo.com

9 = # 0*+ *+ 2!!% In August, the Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad conducted its first concerted volunteer recruitment effort in recent memory. The results far exceeded our expectations. A professional media campaign using radio, television, and print advertising directed prospective volunteers to two open house events at the McIntire Station. To augment non-student membership, our campaign kicked off prior to the start of the UVA fall semester. The recruitment drive continued at the 31 August UVA Activities Fair, where our primary goal was to recruit students already certified in EMS. CARS Courtesy Photo By: David Starmer The August open houses featured station and apparatus tours, demonstrations, and a chance for applicants to talk with many of our current volunteers. The autumn CARS EMT-B class quickly filled to its capacity of 30 students. There are also over a dozen new CARS volunteers on a waiting list for the next available EMT class. In addition, we recruited several already-certified providers and over a dozen administrative and support volunteers. Almost all of our new volunteers are community members who we hope will be with us for many years to come. This inexpensive effort has been a huge success due to the creativity and hard work of many at CARS. We are pleased that this event was conceived and organized entirely by our volunteers. CARS and the community can only benefit from continued volunteer recruitment success. CARS Courtesy Photo *+) % In September, you will see a new Command 139 in service. The CARS Duty Chief will operate this ALS equipped non-transport vehicle with a full complement of ALS gear. 139 is a 2004 diesel Ford Excursion with a front mounted 12,000 lb. WARN winch. It has seating for three and is outfitted with an Extendo-Bed command module. % #$!! President: David Starmer Vice-President: Pete Davidson Secretary: Cindy Kinard Treasurer: Mike Bannister Training Officer: Mariah Weirich Membership Chair: Kori Hudson Chief Dayton Haugh gives a prospective volunteer an ambulance tour at CARS August Open House. Chief: Dayton Haugh Assistant Chief/Ops: Anthony Yoder Assistant Chief/Support: Benjamin Sojka Deputy Chief/Night: Linda Kattwinkel Deputy Chief/Day: Jake Benner Deputy Chief/Special Ops: John Burruss Command 139 is designed to be a system resource by providing seamless interoperability between fire, police, and EMS when on scene. The rear command area is equipped with lowband, VHF, and UHF radios. In addition, it is contains a cache of mobile radios in a multi-bank charger. Field programming is available for all on-board radios. The command area is also equipped with two laptops, a printer, GPS, and mobile broadband internet. Its full AV setup includes a TIC receiver and a TV/VCR with UHF/VHF/satellite capability. 139's library holds needed reference materials for Haz-Mat, MCI, WMD, technical rescue and other incidents. It also carries standard ICS and MCI support equipment and materials. With the exception of striping, all preparation work was done in house by CARS volunteers at a considerable cost savings. The Excursion, paid for solely with community donations, cost around $40,000 fully equipped. We are both proud and excited to add this state-ofthe-art vehicle to our fleet.

10 6 %*+ *+ Continued from Page 9 %" ( 6 Some might think that forming competition teams only one month prior to the annual VAVRS convention and practicing only once could not equate to success. The CARS competition teams that traveled to Virginia Beach proved that theory wrong. After fielding strong lineups in the ALS and Rescue competitions, CARS teams are state champions in both events. CARS also garnered an award for VAVRS website of the year. The ALS competition presented the team with a cardiac arrest patient who had overdosed on cocaine. Paramedics Steve Hartman, Brett Henyon, Kori Hudson, and Nikki Kielar missed only three points out of several hundred and bought home a total score above 99% to take first place. The Rescue competition scenario involved a simulated terrorist attack and required the team to use Basic and Light skills to remove a window-washer from his dangling platform on a six story heavily damaged building. CARS was the only team to finish the particularly challenging problem at all - including perennial Rescue champion Westvaco. TRT rescue technicians Chris Fabian, Steve Hartman, Kori Hudson, and Troy Payne along with TRT master rescue technicians John Burruss and Brett Henyon brought home the first place trophy for the first time in ten years. CARS life member Brett Henyon was the captain of both the Rescue and the ALS teams. CARS webmasters Steve Hartman and John Burruss received much deserved recognition for their hard work on the CARS website when rescue1.org was named VAVRS website of the year. CARS President David Starmer remarked, "These victories are a strong reminder to our colleagues, the local community, and our membership that this highly professional all-volunteer agency continues to set the standard. These wins demonstrate the level of service CARS provides to our community on a daily basis. I'm so pleased that our members are receiving well-deserved and hard earned state-wide recognition for their excellent performance." David Starmer is the President of the Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad. Mr. Starmer may be contacted at: dlstarmer@tecinc.com Continued from Page 1 The grant and local match will enable the placement of fitness and exercise equipment at all fire rescue stations including the administrative headquarters. By placing equipment at each station and at the administrative offices, it will ensure that all career and volunteer uniformed personnel have access to the necessary cardiovascular and strength training equipment necessary. The fitness and exercise equipment obtained will be a variety of cardiovascular and strength training equipment. To promote whole-body fitness and wellness, the program will also provide annual nutrition, diet, back care, abdominal health, injury prevention, and stress management education for career and volunteer personnel at each station. There is a direct relationship between high levels of aerobic and muscular fitness and work place productivity and safety. Likewise, raising the overall fitness and wellness of the Department s personnel will help ensure better, safer, and more efficient services to the community. Greater physical capacity increases the ability to deal with adverse firefighting conditions such as hard, repetitive physical labor, exposure to extreme heat and smoke, altitude, and long work hours with reduced sleep and rest. A low level of fitness jeopardizes the safety of not only the individual but also his/her co-workers and the public! Aerobic and muscular fitness, combined with training and experience, are two of the most crucial factors in determining an individual s ability to perform safely and effectively as a firefighter. CARS Courtesy Photo The CARS ALS Competition Team placed first at the Annual VAVRS State Convention in Virginia Beach. According to United States Fire Administration (USFA) data, stress related cardiac deaths are the leading cause of firefighter fatalities, historically accounting for 50 percent of firefighter fatalities. Seven out of ten firefighters retire with some sort of disability, and one in four firefighters die on the job. These statistics are alarming! The USFA goal is to reduce firefighter fatalities by 50 percent within ten years. Funding this initiative will enable the Department of Fire Rescue to do their part to ensure our community responders stay fit and healthy.

11 66 66 %*+ *+.*+0 Elizabeth Vaden D Crew Jeremy Heck B Crew Robert Knight A Crew 0) 7= David Bailey Eric Eccles Spencer Allen Holly Marie Prousalis 2 Rob Riemenschnider Thad Hughes Katie Foster.)) Ken & Julie Ervin 0. ( ) Warren Valentine (family move to Las Vegas) David Straus (bike tour through US & Canada) By: James Rowse Sally Kauffman (hired by ACFR) Bill Papa Schwab (hired by ACFR) ")! Greg McFadyen, former Captain of D Crew has been elected to the Board of Directors. % 8 Please keep Firefighter Bill Underwood in your thoughts and prayers while he is serving in Iraq. #$5!! Chief: Doug Smythers Assistant Chief: Dennis Hahn Battalion Chief: Jeff Bozzone Battalion Chief: Danny Tawney Captain (A): James Rowse Captain (B): Robert Jennette Captain (C): Rob Riemenschnider Captain (C): Mike Rose Captain (D): James Reinhold Rob Riemenschnider to Captain James Rowse is a Captain at the Seminole Trail Volunteer Fire Department. Captain Rowse may be contacted at: ltrowse@hotmail.com 23*+ *+ By: Laurie Byers The Earlysville Volunteer Fire Company hosted their annual Race to Remember on Saturday, 18 September The Earlysville Firehouse 4-Miler commemorates the tragic loss of fire and rescue personnel on 11 September 2001, and raises funds for fire and rescue equipment and training. Station 4 Courtesy Photo Station 4 Courtesy Photo Laurie Byers is a volunteer with the Earlysville Volunteer Fire Company. Ms. Byers may be contacted at: laurieb8@juno.com Runners participated in the annual Race to Remember to benefit the Earlysville Volunteer Fire Company.

12 6 *+,.9%! In the past couple of months you may have seen some new faces in the county and some familiar faces with different uniforms on. The department hired six new employees in July and August of this year. These folks have wide and various backgrounds and will surely add to the value of the service that we all provide to Albemarle County. Growing up in Crozet, Donna Walker is a familiar face here in the county. She is an Associate member of the Western Albemarle Rescue Squad and the Crozet Volunteer Fire Department. Her husband, Matt, is also is a career firefighter with ACFR. Donna enjoys playing many sports including volleyball and softball. I (the author) only wished she would help our team! Playing the piano, banjo, mandolin, and the fiddle are among her musical talents. Maybe she will give us a concert one day. Her daughter Jessica is the love of her life. Her spare time is always spent with Jessica. Chuck Byam is another face you may have seen around the area. Chuck is a Life Member of the Charlottesville- Albemarle Rescue Squad. He has also been a member at Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad, which is in Maryland, and the Charlottesville Volunteer Fire Company. Chuck has been an EMT since 1979 and has been a Paramedic since He has been a flight paramedic for Pegasus, MedSTAR, and Montgomery County, Maryland for most of his life. He loves to precept new medics and pass along his extensive knowledge. Chuck is married and has five children and still has more hair than me! His wife Tracy and kids Reid, Landon, Kasey, Devin, and Tyler support him in all of his endeavors. Another who started his career back in the 70 s is Steve Elliott. Steve began with the Fredericksburg Junior Volunteer Rescue Squad in He started out By: Todd Southard with Advanced First Aid and progressed to his current level of Paramedic. He also joined the Fredericksburg Volunteer Fire Company. In 1983 he was hired by the Fredericksburg Fire Department, where he remained until he was hired by Pegasus as a flight paramedic in For a brief period, Steve was also an Associate Member of Charlottesville- Albemarle Rescue Squad. He is currently a volunteer at Lake Monticello Fire Department and Rescue Squad. Steve has also been busy going back to school. He has received his Associate and Bachelor degrees from the University of Richmond. Steve s family keeps him busy with family activities. Wanda, his wife, is a school administrator and an EMT Instructor. With three children, Ashleigh, Julianna, and Joshua, Steve is a busy man. From across the mountain, Kevin Moore makes a long trip just to be here in Albemarle County. Kevin has been volunteering at the Raphine Volunteer Fire Department for the past eight (8) years. Currently, he is the Chief of that department. Kevin was employed by the City of Staunton Fire Department before he made his decision to join us here. When Kevin is not working, he enjoys shoeing horses. This is his part-time work that has kept him busy for 13 years. Kevin has two children, Kelsey and Kraig and is married to Karen. He insists they Staff Photo New career employees for the department; some are new faces; some are familiar faces with a different uniform! try to keep him on the straight and narrow. Sally Kaufman is from Cissna Park, Illinois. She grew up there and attended the University of Illinois where she earned her degree in Psychology. She began her firefighting career at Seminole Trail Volunteer Fire Department in Her interest in helping people in challenging situations and having the ability to see the results caused Sally to seek out her passion. Sally has received her Masters in Psychology from the University of Virginia. She is very interested in advancing her career on the investigative side of the fire service once she has gained valuable experience in operations. Last but not least, Bill Papa Schwab was born and raised in Northern Virginia. Bill was a member of the Seminole Trail Volunteer Fire Department and Appalachian Search and Rescue. Bill served his country in the U.S. Navy from He then worked on repairing many different kinds of electronic devices prior to being hired by Albemarle County. Bill has been married for 31 years to his wife Vicki and has a son, Jimmy, who is a member of the Seminole Trail Volunteer Fire Department. As you can tell, we welcome a wide variety of talents and experiences to the department. This will allow us to better provide the highest quality services to the citizens and visitors of Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville. Please welcome (or re-welcome) these folks into our family. Todd Southard is an instructor in the Training Division for the department. He has been with the department since Instructor Southard may be contacted at: tsouthard@albemarle.org

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15 6$ Staff Photo CARS Courtesy Photo Doug Smythers, Dayton Haugh, and Dennis Hahn talk business at the Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad Installation Picnic in June Pat Cornell will retire from the department in November Look out Bob the Builder, Pat s after your job! Staff Photo Staff Photo Staff Photo Seen at the Ladder 49 weekend premier, Seminole Trail crews conducted public education efforts and recruitment drive at Carmike Cinemas. Station 4 Courtesy Photo Photo Courtesy of the Daily Progress Howard Lagomarsino is on the ice. Howard enjoys refereeing ice hockey games in his spare time. Some Junior Academy participants pose for a picture during the annual Junior Academy held at Earlysville in June 2004.

16 6-6- Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad Crozet Volunteer Fire Department Earlysville Volunteer Fire Company East Rivanna Volunteer Fire Company Monticello Fire Rescue North Garden Volunteer Fire Company Scottsville Volunteer Fire Department Scottsville Volunteer Rescue Squad Seminole Trail Volunteer Fire Department Stony Point Volunteer Fire Company Western Albemarle Rescue Squad We will provide your training free-of-charge. All you need is a willingness to serve, courage, and dedication! Now Available: Volunteer opportunities at a new Hollymead station planned for 2006!!"" # $ #%&'"() +++>,>