Chief’s Journal - Crockery Township Fire Department

The Crockery Township Fire Department is proud to announce that we have been selected to recieve a 2007 AFG Grant award.  The total award is $103,000 which we will use to replace some aged equipment, purchase some new equipment as well as add to our departments efficiency and effectiveness.

Due to the age of our Extrication equipment we have began an improvement project towards the replacement of this equipment.  The cost projections for the replacement equipment comes to $30,500.  After considering the great expense and the lack of budget dollars available for such a project we have started a fund raising campaign, through grants and donations the department has raised nearly $15,000 despite this progress we still have a long way to go to meet our goal.   Should you be interested in donating to the project please feel free to contact the township offices for details.

Finally!  Winter is over, or so I hope.  I would like to thank all those who have been wishing me well through my surgery.

I also wantd to comment on the comming of spring, with the warmer weather, the grass is still dry and this combination leads to chance of an outdoor fire spreading quickly.  Please keep your recreation and clean up fires small, and check the conditions prior to burning.  If the DNR issues a burn ban a burning permit which has been issued may be revoked due to a state issued ban. 

This month will be a personal challenge for myself, I will be traveling to Mayo Clinic for re-constructive surgery on the Inferior Vena Cava.  This surgery should help my endurance in strenuous activity, currently my endurance is less than would be expected.  During my absence Deputy Chief Kriger will be in-charge of the department and is more than capable of handling any situation should it arise.  I may be off duty over the month however I plan on working on the department’s federal Grant Applications.  The AFG program opened March 3rd and continue through April 4th.  The department is planning several innovations over the next year, however, since these are in planning stages we hope to have them before the township board for approval over the coming months then we will announce them here.    

Over the past few months the Chiefs Blog has lapsed, I will be working to keep this area more up to date. 

The 2007 annual report is complete and has been presented, in 2007 we have responded to 353 requests for service.  Of those there were no structure fire losses bringing us to nearly two years without a structure fire loss in our community.   In 2007, we did have over $300,000 in fire losses these were attributed to vehicle fires as well as a motor vehicle accident in which two semi trucks hit head on and one erupted into flames also igniting several nearby vehicles.  Unfortunately, so far in the 2008 year we have had two structure fires.  As of February 19th our dollar loss figures are still below $250,000.  Over the last few years we have had several equipment needs which were met through Grant Funds; as many departments throughout our region have we also have been met with fiscal challenges and aging equipment.  Our next need is for replacement of our “Jaws of Life.”  The current tool was purchased in 1987, the ”Jaws” or as we refer to it (Extrication Tools) consist of a power unit or hydraulic pump, a cutter, spreader, and two rams.  While these tools are currently maintained, they have reached what is referred to as recommended service life.  Modern technologies in automobile construction use alloys which were not available 21 years ago when these tools were designed.  Some of the modern alloys require stronger and more powerful cutting tools and spreading forces.  Twenty years ago most vehicles on the road did not have airbags, when in place and un-deployed airbags can create a personnel hazard and may self deploy during extrication, this can cause injury and equipment damage.  Modern tools are lighter weight and designed around these additional concerns.

A new set of Jaws comparable to our current equipment will cost approximately $25,000.00 the replacement of this equipment will have to be a multi-year capitol campaign.         

Over the last month we have finished off the budget process for the
2007-2008 fiscal year. We had a total of five recruits graduate from the
fire academy, the ceremony was held at the Zeeland city side school. I have
completed a private foundation grant for a thermal imager and have nearly
completed the CEDAP federal grant. I am currently working on a DNR grant
which will be a 50% match with a total project cost of less than $1000. We
have received two new Pulaski axes and two drip torches from the spoonville
gun club.

We have taken delivery on two air tanks for the cascade system, this allows
firefighter to re-fill air packs after use. Before purchasing the cascade
system every time our personnel used breathing air tanks had to be
transported to Spring Lake Fire dept. for refilling, if there was a smaller
call where only one or two tanks were used tanks would sit unusable until
6-8 tanks were ready to be sent for filling then these units would be
filled. By having this equipment in house we are able to keep equipment
ready to respond at all times. By adding these tanks we have gone from
being able to fill 10 tanks to 25 tanks before having to refill the system.
We have trained on our new foam appliances and units have been placed into
service.

While these units could have come in handy on a few occasions over the last
two years I have often been told the best prevention is preparedness. By
preparing for that need, we hope we will never have the need.
Unfortunately, with the large volume of fuel tanker traffic through the
township the optimism is overshadowed by the common sense that its only a
matter of time.

With the month of April coming to a close we have had a busy yet effective
month. During this month we have seen the five new firefighters obtain
state certification to Firefighter 2 level. Three of these firefighters
were in need of their medical first responder training and these three have
started their training. This month we have also seen a major incident on
M-104, which closed the roadway for several hours, the incident required the
use of the Ottawa County Foam trailer, which was purchased through a grant
and was delivered just two days before the incident. Ironically, both of
the largest incidents over the past three years in Crockery Township were
the true tests for newly initiated county resources. In 2005 our department
initiated the first major incident for the county haz-mat team, and the team
responded as it should and proved to be a valuable asset. During this
months incident the Foam trailer responded and performed superbly. These
two incidents bring to light the need for a way for our department to be
able to deliver a large quantity of foam prior to the arrival of county
resources, basically a sustained attack to get through the first 20 minutes
or so. After thinking about this problem and studying the concern over the
last year since doing a study of the number of Fuel tankers that travel
through the township I decided that over the next year we should look into
budgeting for a large self injecting foam nozzle. These nozzles usually
cost about $1500, I then started looking for alternative ideas, through my
hobby I learned of a fire equipment flea market and attended it this month.
At this sale I picked up one of these nozzles for $100 and believe it or not
it still had the factory tags wire tied to the handle. Another Item
procured at this show was a hose adapter which was needed for the DNR
tanker, this adaptor will be used for filling with smaller diameter hoses
when the fill station will not support large diameter hoses. The unit which
was purchased was more deluxe than the one we wanted but was also a fraction
of the cost, the unit we wanted would have cost the township over $300 new,
while the deluxe model new costs $800; we paid $100. The final purchase of
the day was a suction strainer which we would use when sucking water from
the river, a pond or stream not equipped with a dry hydrant, although this
unit is not the whole unit and we will need to modify it we paid only ten
dollars for a piece which retails for $700.
This month we have also seen the application period open up for the Fire Act
Grants, this year each department could submit for up to three applications.
I have submitted two for our department thus far and will finalize the
last one over the next week (before the deadline.) These Grants are as
follows:

1. Firefighting vehicle - this vehicle if awarded will be valued at
$300,000 with a required matching funds of 5%. This vehicle will help to
bring our department into compliance with the 1986 Insurance rating
recommended improvement statements.

2. Operations and safety - This will be for a breathing air compressor,
firefighter safety and rescue equipment and replacement of the thermal
imaging camera. The value of this grant is approximately $70,000 with a
match of 5%

3. Regional Project - We are teaming up with Spring Lake Township Fire
Dept. on a project to standardize fire hydrant fittings to the same fitting
as the supply hose we carry. Currently we have to attach a 25 lb valve to
the hydrant to adapt it to the hose. While we have the same hydrant thread
as Spring Lake Township, and the same supply hose couplings as all of our
neighbors (storz as they are called) the following communities do not have
the same hydrant thread making their hydrant adaptors useless: Fruitport,
Coopersville-Polkton, Norton Shores, and Egelston Township. The Village of
Spring Lake also has a thread difference so this will make them uniform.
The effect on you the resident: currently if mutual aid is called in they
will either have to put an adaptor on the hydrant then the valve, then the
hose taking time, or they may not have these adaptors at all and may have to
use smaller supply hoses leaving them with less available water supply. By
having these adaptors on the hydrants permanently as our code (which was
adopted in 2005) calls for firefighters will only have to hook a hose to the
hydrant. The connection of hose to hydrant takes seconds versus 2 minutes
or more.

As for next month; I have learned of three more grants which will become
available and some of the applications periods have even already opened.

We continue to strive to be progressive and to provide the most effective
and efficient fire and emergency services to the citizens and visitors of
the township in a cost effective manner.

    After January matching the busiest month in 2006 and February missing that
number by one alarm, it looks as though our run numbers are again on the
rise.  We had hoped to curtail some of these responses by implementing a
policy that we no-longer respond to “slide off accidents”  these are usually
reported in the first or second snowfall of the year.  During these two to
three days per year we usually respond to 10 calls for service which we are
usually cancelled because of no injuries.  Out of an audit of the last 8
years only about four responses out of nearly 100, which were called in as
an unknown slide off, was anyone actually injured and on these responses a
second caller called in to report the injuries while units were responding.
With this information the decision was made not to send units out on
incidents where over 90% are what most citizens would call a false call and
the few that are actual injury accidents will be called out anyway from the
second callers report of injuries.

This year so far we have seen three occasions and last year there were five
occasions where on accident scenes a small tree or tree limb was against the
doors of vehicles preventing patient access.  Since the department has a
specialized “roof saw” which has a carbide blade on the second engine and
one chain saw on the brush truck none of which are what would be considered
to be “first alarm” units to a motor vehicle accidents it was decided that a
small chain saw should be placed on the rescue truck.  I decided to get
pricing for a good saw, I realize that you can purchase a small 16″ bar
chainsaw for about $100 but usually these units in the fire department don’t
work out too well.  In the Fire Department gasoline powered equipment must
sit without use only occasional starting for long periods of time, much as a
homeowner would use the equipment.  I know from my own experience that after
sitting for three months my chain saw will be difficult to start.  In an
emergency you need the equipment to start within just a few pulls, so we set
out to get bids on a higher quality unit.  After calling one vendor, Norton’s
small engines, stated it was our lucky day and he would donate such a unit
to the department.  This move will save the taxpayers a few hundred dollars,
and the unit is one of what you would consider a top of the line saw.
On the large DNR tanker so far we are at an expenditure rate of
approximately $1500 in materials and $1200 in labor however with the
materials which have been donated to the project or those which are being
re-used from the old unit when completed the total value of the conversion
will be around $20,000 bringing the vehicles value to around $40,000 all for
a 2007 cost to the taxpayers of less than $5000.  We still have to have tank
modifications fabricated and the tank painted as well as compartmentation
which will bring the cost close to that $5000 figure.
The Fire department web site is the latest addition to the departments
communication line, and is proving to be a valuable asset.
The departments sign is nearing completion and should be mounted this
spring.
recently we have added two new firefighters one who was already trained and
one who is in need of training.  We have two other applications pending.
Our department has a great deal of experience and a wide variety of
backgrounds however our new recruits are getting high ratings from the
counties fire trainers.
March will be the month of the Grants, during the months of March and April
we will be submitting grants as follows:

1. Private Foundation - $15,800 towards extrication equipment
2. FEMA - Fire Act - Firefighter operations and safety - TBD, air system 5%
township matching funds
3. FEMA - Fire Act - Vehicle appx $300,000 - 5% township matching funds
(appx $15,000)
4. FEMA - Fire Act - Regional Project - Hydrant modifications quick connect
standardized thread - township match 5% or approximately $3000
5. Homeland Security - CEDAP Program - Township 0% match totally free
equipment as long as we agree that we will be available to send it to an act
of terrorism event

Remember that the odds of receiving any of these grants are slim and the
odds of receiving all of them is zero.  For instance in 2004 out of 6710
applicants for vehicles only 1362 were awarded nationally of those less than
20 were in Michigan so our odds are very slim.  This year I would expect the
number of vehicle applications to triple and the number of awards to be
lower than 1000.  However with this being known the FDAC still advised the
department to apply since you will never be awarded one if you never apply.
In the past departments had to choose between safety equipment and vehicles,
this year you can apply in both areas of operation.
Many people will question the need for another vehicle, according to the
most recent inspection by the Insurance services office we are required to
provide a needed fire flow of 3000 gallons per minute of pump capacity at
several facilities within the township with our largest pump out of
commission. (this accounts for worst case scenario) Currently we have the
following capacities: 1250 GPM, 2000 GPM, and 500 GPM, while with all units
available to respond we fall about 1250 gpm short when we take the largest
pump out of the equation.

As a resident, what does this mean to you?  its simple, the ISO rating
system helps many insurance carriers decide how much your insurance will
cost you.  We are currently an ISO class 8, with class 10 being no
department at all.  Since we are in a status of re-building out staff we
have not yet been able to undergo a rating without the concern of effecting
your rates.  But if we dropped two points to a class 6 that could be a
savings of between $125 and $200 per household depending on the insurance
carrier.  If you should doubt these figures call your carrier and ask them
what the system is and then question what the difference is between a class
8 and a class 6.

    When I came to the department in September of 2004 I came into a fire department in Crisis I met with the firefighters as a group and individually, during these interviews I discussed each members training, and goals and objectives and I got to learn a little about each member.  The department had much equipment which was well worn and in need of replacement.  We submitted for a federal grant to get some of the equipment up to date and received that grant.  This was a large morale booster within the department I also worked to procure other equipment for the safety of firefighters either at a reduced cost through grants as well as procuring used equipment to fill shortfalls.  Your Department operates on a 160,000 annual budget which covers wages, radio equipment, vehicle maintenance, firefighter clothing, facilities costs, fuel, firefighter training, insurance, and supplies.  From this budget only about 16,000 is earmarked for new equipment, with it costing $3,000 to outfit one firefighter with dispatch pager, Fire coat, Helmet, Fire Pants, and Wildland gear this takes up much of the available funds.  Not to mention one piece of fire hose costs $200 to $550 depending on the diameter and nozzles can run between $400 and $1200.  Due to the costs of improvements these types of improvements must occur over time or by the assistance of Grants.