» FEBRUARY NEWS ARTICLES

SAFER-Training Members

South Pend Oreille Fire and Rescue provides training to all of its members in a variety of topics that lend themselves to a higher level of service for our community. Currently, we have volunteers taking the annual EMT Basic training that is put on at one of our stations. Classroom training is an important element of the learning process. The next major training that we will offer to local volunteers is the annual Wildland Firefighter Training Academy. This class provides certification in wildland firefighting and enables our volunteers to learn the best methods to stay safe and effectively extinguish wildland fires. You could be a part of our wildland firefighting effort!

South Pend Oreille Fire and Rescue is currently accepting applications for new members. Being a volunteer firefighter offers many benefit is and provides great satisfaction through serving our community and being a member of an elite team of individuals. Please contact us through our website or for more information call as at 509-447-5305.

Safety Message

The less than wintry conditions we have been experiencing promote lower burning temperatures in wood stoves and the like. These low temperatures cause greater creosote buildup and the potential for a chimney fire. Please be sure to clean and inspect your chimney for safe use of your wood burning appliance. For more information on other safety issues please visit our website.

By Chief Mark Havener

Emergencies Increased in 2009

The volunteers at South Pend Oreille Fire and Rescue answered 30 percent more calls in 2009, partially from newly merged areas. The fire district responded to 301 emergency response requests last year, a record number of responses compared to less than 230 requests the year prior. “We realized early in the year that the newly merged areas located in the Camden and south Fertile Valley area would bring a slight increase in calls. The increase that we experienced was far greater than we expected,” fire chief Mark Havener said, adding that the volunteers have responded well to the increased demand.

EMS requests were the leading type of event with 200 responses. Motor vehicle accidents were next with 34. Wildland fires were below average, with 31 outdoor fires. The volunteers responded to 12 structure fires and three vehicle fires. All other call types – including false alarms, smoke scares and service calls – totaled 21. The 65 volunteers with the fire district responded with an average of six personnel per call. The average response time was just slightly less than 10 minutes, from the time 911 is called until responders arrived. This improved by 2 minutes compared to 2008.

In addition to responses in the community, the volunteers participated in lots of training. They compiled nearly 2,100 hours of training in 2009. They also completed in excess of 1,300 hours of volunteer time in keeping the stations and equipment ready to respond. If firefighters were paid at a rate of $16 per hour, this volunteer time alone saved the community in excess of $75,000 in wages. The district is always inviting new applicants to become members of the South Pend Oreille Fire and Rescue team of volunteers. Applications are available at the district’s Web site: www.spofr.com.

Text and Graphic by Chief Mark Havener

Published in the Newport Miner - February 3, 2010  RETURN TO TOP

NEWPORT – Volunteers from Pend Oreille Fire District No. 3 put out the flames on someone’s garbage Saturday night, Jan. 30. Firefighters responded to the site, near Pines Road, after a resident spotted an abandoned trailer and smelled smoke. Instead, fire chief Mark Havener said, firefighters found “hundreds and hundreds of pounds” of garbage that had been lit on fire and left unattended. Havener said no structures or people were threatened by the fire, which had died down after arrival. The fire had been constructed in a pit. It is illegal in Washington to burn substances that are not naturally occurring, like wood. “Over 50 percent of the stuff could have been recycled at the transfer station,” Havener said. Havener said the fire district will be sending out a letter to the property owner to reduce the threat of future fires.

By Chief Mark Havener

» JANUARY NEWS ARTICLES

The fire service brings about many job skill training opportunities. One is the ability to provide excellent customer service. One of the core values of South Pend Oreille Fire & Rescue is to provide caring service! Each winter our members practice dealing with difficult situations in order to be better prepared for such events. The ability to deliver high quality service in difficult times is a highly sought after job skill of our and other fire service organizations. We provide some of that training.