Commissions: Dave Gelsleichter ® Darla Hartley ® Paul Golnik ® Gerald Preuss ® Dusty Wiley

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Fire Chief: Wayne Senter

SKFR Quarterly Community Newsletter

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Preparing for Disaster:  A 3 Step Plan

Preparing for Disaster

      Disaster Supply List

      Portable Supply List

      Emergency Plan

      When Disaster Strikes

      First Aid Kit

      Suggestions & Reminders

Firefighters Begin Training

No. 1 Cause of Injury in Elementary School

Fire Prevention Month

      Just for Kids

      Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery

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Fire Commissioner meetings are open public meetings usually held the 2^nd and 4^th Thursday of each month.  When there is a schedule conflict the meeting is either cancelled or held the 2^nd and/or 4^th Monday of each month.  Check our website to see if any changes have been made to scheduled Fire Commission meetings.

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First Aid & CPR class are held the last Wednesday of each month from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.   Call 360-871-2411 for details.

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Did you know that burn permits are required for all outdoor burning?  Please see our website at www.skfr.org for further information.  To check current status of burn bans, either check our website or call 360-871-2425.

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Would you like to be a volunteer for the fire district?  We have positions open for:

f     Volunteer Firefighters

f     Volunteer Chaplains

f     Volunteer Air Support

f     Volunteer Home Inspectors

f     Volunteer Photographers

f     Volunteer Clerical Support

f     Volunteer HAM Radio Operators

f     Volunteer Tender Operators

If you are interested in being a volunteer, call 360-871-2411.

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Do you need your blood pressure taken?  The fire district takes your blood pressure at no cost to you.  Come in to our headquarters office located at 1974 Fircrest Dr. SE , Port Orchard during our normal business hours, Monday – Friday between 8:00 – 5:00 p.m. and have your blood pressure taken.

Emergencies and disasters can strike quickly and without warning and can force citizens to evacuate their neighborhood or confine them to their home.  Hurricane Katrina is evidence of how devastating a natural disaster can be.  What would you do if basic services – water, gas electricity or telephones – were cut of?  Preparing for disaster is important.   South Kitsap Fire and Rescue will be on the scene after a disaster; however it will be impossible to reach everyone right away.  This is one of the reasons why preparing for disaster is so important.

1.   Disaster Supply List

·         Bottled water (1 gallon per person per day)

·         Cash and coin (ATM and credit cards may not work or be accepted by businesses)

·         Cell phone (non-electrical charger preferred)

·         Clothing, underwear, rain gear

·         Contact information (phone number of family and friends)

·         Copy of documents (driver’s license, passport, birth certificate, etc.) in a waterproof container (originals stay with you)

·         Eating utensils (disposable or plastic)

·         Financial inventory (list of bank and investment accounts, mortgages, and loans, including account numbers and location of original documents)

·         First aid kit

·         Flashlight with extra batteries

·         Food (canned goods, etc that do not require cooking)

·         Medical information (list of medications, chronic conditions, medical history)

·         Medications (3 day supply)

·         Paper towels, toilet paper, sanitary hand wipes, etc.

·         Pet supplies and carrier

·         Radio (battery operated with extra batteries)

·         Sleeping bags or blankets

·         Toiletries (soap, toothpaste and toothbrush, etc.)

·         Tools such as can opener, utility knife, pliers, wrench (to shut off gas), etc.

·         Trash bags

2.   Create a portable supply kit

If evacuation of your home becomes necessary, it is a good idea to store needed supplies in a portable container.  Examples are a rolling trashcan with a lid, or a large rolling cooler.  You can also store disaster supplies in several small coolers or boxes. 

3.   Develop and practice an emergency plan

Please remember that all the planning you do does not do much good if it is not practiced.  Practicing enables you and your family to stay calm in an emergency since everyone knows what to do. It also enables fine-tuning of the plan before it is put into action.

·         Identify emergency evacuation routes and shelters.

·         Plan where family members will meet if separated.

·         Plan a backup location to meet in case the first location is unreachable.

·         Identify a point person in the family to serve as the main contact to contact in case of confusion.

·         Appoint an out-of-state friend or relative to serve as backup contact in case local lines are tied up or out of service.

·         Consider family members with special needs when planning. 

When disaster strikes

·         Listen for official news and instructions on what to do next.

·         Communicate with family members according to the plan.

·         If disaster happens near home, follow instructions on possible evacuation.

·         Take a moment to check on neighbors who are elderly or those who have small children.

·         If you have gas appliances or smell gas, do not light matches, candles, etc.  Open windows and doors and immediately leave the house.

Your first aid kit supplies

Having the right supplies will make it easier to treat minor injuries.  Remember to place these supplies in a sealed container.

·         2 or 3 inch roller bandages

·         4 inch square gauze pads

·         1 inch (or narrower) adhesive tape

·         Adhesive bandages – various sizes

·         Butterfly bandages

·         Wound cleansers as soap gels, or wipes

·         Ibuprofen or acetaminophen analgesics (adult and children)

·         Antihistamine for allergic reaction

·         Matches in a waterproof container, aluminum foil

·         Antiseptic ointment or cream

·         Calamine lotions

·         Saline eye drops

·         Antacid for stomach upset

·         Anti-diarrhea medication

·         Ace bandages, triangular bandages, hot/cold packs, cotton swabs, flashlight, scissors and safety pins

·         Disposable surgical gloves, thermometer, tweezers

Suggestions and Reminders

·         Keep a smaller version of your Disaster Supply Kit in the trunk of your car.

·         Change your stored water supply every 3 months so it stays fresh.

·         Rotate your stored food every 6 months.

·         Remember family members with special needs.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Community and Family Preparedness Programs and American Red Cross Community Disaster Education are nation-wide efforts in helping citizens prepare for disasters of all types.

For more information, please contact your local EMS office or American Red Cross Chapter.  The information listed in this newsletter is available online at www.fema.gov and www.redcross.org. 

Other publications are also available by calling FEMA at 1-800-480-2520 or writing FEMA, PO Box 2012 , Jessup , MD   20794-2012 .

This information provided to you by:

South Kitsap Fire and Rescue

Wayne Senter, Chief

360.871.2411

The following information is recreated with the permission of the Port Orchard Independent and Reporter Justine Frederiksen.

Firefighters Begin Training – By Justine Frederiksen

Most of the new South Kitsap Fire and Rescue firefighters — technically candidates — were training this week at the Kitsap Readiness Center in Bremerton under the watchful eye of Battalion Chief Eric Quitslund.

“I’m observing them to assess their different training and skill levels,” Quitslund said, explaining that although each of the eight new candidates hired after the successful levy passage next month is a certified firefighter, each district has its own procedures and equipment.  “We’ve found that often they’re trained on different brands of breathing apparatuses, or sometimes they know different ladder commands,” he said.

On Thursday, Quitslund watched as SKFR lieutenants took seven candidates through a “live-fire” drill, and explained that he wasn’t just evaluating their fire skills, but their personalities, as well.  “Since they will be spending so much time together, we try and figure out who will make a compatible mix,” he said, explaining that interacting with the recruits helps him determine who might work well with each other, and also who might work best with certain supervisors.  For instance, Quitslund said the candidates with the most training might be best paired with the supervisors who have heavier workloads, while the candidates with less training might be better served with supervisors who have a keener interest in teaching.

So far, Quitslund said SKFR has filled eight of the nine new positions the levy made possible, and the last position will be filled with a firefighter/paramedic.  The current list of candidates, which includes two women, are: Ryan Auston, from Anacortes; Cody Baker, from Bothell; Reagen Benedetti, from Seattle; Jordan Bradbury, from Olympia; Andrew Charvet, from Kent; Mark Cox, from Ellensburg; Natalie Fell, from North Bend, and Jesse Pingeon, from Burien.

“What’s most impressed me about this group is that all of them have a degree of some sort, either a two-year or four-year,” Quitslund said. “That reflects the fact that firefighting is becoming more and more technical.”

No. 1 Cause of Injury in Elementary School: Playground Accidents

Kitsap County , WA – It is time to head back to school, and in addition to ensuring your child has all the appropriate back to school essentials, it is also important to prevent accidental injuries at our schools.  Playground accidents are the leading cause of injury to children in elementary school. Each year, in the United States, approximately 150,000 children ages 5 to 14 go to the emergency room with accidental injuries involving playground equipment — and 3 out of 4 playground accidents occur on public playgrounds, including school facilities, as opposed to backyard play equipment.

Most playground injuries are not fatal — about 10 children per year die from injuries involving playground equipment, mostly from strangulation when a piece of loose clothing or jewelry gets caught on equipment or the child’s head gets stuck between climbing bars. Falls, however, can also cause fatal injuries or permanent disability.

“A child who falls 10 feet is at risk of spinal cord injury, paralysis and death,” says Michele Jennings, Safe Kids, Kitsap County coordinator. “Protective surface materials can make a life-and-death difference.”

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issues guidelines for playground surfacing and age-appropriate warning labels on playground equipment. In 15 states, some or all of the guidelines in the CPSC’s Handbook for Public Playground Safety are mandatory under state law.

“Nothing can take the place of active supervision, but we do need to make sure our kids are playing in safe environments in the first place,” says Michele Jennings. “The ground should be covered 12 inches deep with shredded rubber, hardwood fiber mulch or fine sand, extending at least six feet in all directions around the equipment.”

Even with proper surfacing, teachers and playground monitors need to keep kids in sight and in reach on the playground. “Simply being in the same place as the children isn’t necessarily supervising,” says Michele Jennings. “Kids on a playground need an adult’s undivided attention.”

For outdoor play, children’s clothing and outerwear should be free of drawstrings and should fit snugly to minimize the risk of getting stuck in a piece of equipment. Do not allow kids to wear helmets, necklaces, purses or scarves on the playground or engage in any pushing, shoving or crowding around playground equipment.

The CPSC handbook is available at www.cpsc.gov or 800-638-2772. “Before your child goes back to school, you might want to take a look at the school playground and, if necessary, discuss the CPSC guidelines with school authorities,” says Michele Jennings.

For more information about playground safety, call 360-662-1198 or visit www.usa.safekids.org.

Safe Kids Kitsap County works to prevent accidental childhood injury, the leading killer of children 14 and under.  Safe Kids Kitsap County is led by Mary Bridge Children's Hospital.

Fire Prevention Month

October is Fire Prevention Month and during this month the personnel from SKFR will be getting the message out to the community “Prevent Cooking Fires” “Watch What You Heat” and “Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery”.

“Just for Kids”

Lets Stay Cool in the Kitchen

• Kids and pets should stay at least 3 feet away from the stove when food is cooking.  If you are too close to the stove, you could be burned if something hot is spilled.
• A grown-up watches the stovetop when he or she is frying, grilling, or boiling food.
• Grown-ups always pay attention to the things that are cooking.
• Things that can burn, dish towels, curtains, or paper are at least 3 feet away from the stove.
• Pot holders or oven mitts are easy for grown-ups to reach when they are cooking.
• Pot handles are turned in toward the back of the stove when a grown-up is cooking.
• If someone gets burned, put cool water on the burn for 3 to 5 minutes
• Microwave ovens cook food really fast.  Food cooked in a microwave can get very hot.  Be careful when you take the cover off food because hot steam can burn you.  Let the food cool before you eat it.  You should use a microwave oven only if a grown-up says it is okay.

“Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery ”

This October, remember to change the batteries in your smoke detectors when you change your clock.  Here are a few tips about smoke alarms.

• Your home should have smoke alarms on every level (even in the basement).  It’s especially important to have them outside of each sleeping area.
• If you sleep with the door closed, have grown-ups consider having interconnected alarms installed.  These alarms (installed by a qualified electrician) are connected so that if one sounds they all sound.
• Smoke alarms should be mounted high on walls or ceilings.  Remember: smoke rises.
• Check to make sure the batteries in the smoke alarms work.  Have a grown-up test them at least once a month.
• Batteries should be replaced once a year, or when you hear the alarm “chirp”…That means the battery is low.
• How old is that alarm anyway?  Smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years.  And if no one can remember how old it is, it’s probably time to replace it.
• Consider installing smoke alarms with “long-life” (10-year) batteries.
• Never “borrow” a battery from a smoke alarm.
• Never paint or decorate a smoke alarm (even with stickers!) because this could keep it from working properly.
• Make sure that everyone in your home knows the sound of the smoke alarm, and knows exactly what to do if the alarm goes off.  Have a grown-up sound the alarm at night to make sure that everyone wakes up.  If they don’t make sure to factor that into your home fire escape plan.

Finally, when the alarm sounds, get out. Always assume that the alarm means a real fire and follow your escape plan.

On behalf of SKFR, I want to express our sincere thanks to every citizen who has called written cards and letters thanking our Firefighter / EMT’s or Firefighters / Paramedics for the excellent service you received. It is truly a pleasure to serve you and while we are unable to answer each thank-you, we want you to know that it means a lot to hear from you on such matters.

Sincerely,

Wayne Senter, Fire Chief