March 2021 Newsletter

Some of us believe that spring is around the corner so to speak.  Some departments are hosting their annual banquet/awards event.  Your association is busy finishing planning stages for the upcoming hands-on trainings.  On March 12 and 13 we are hosting a Basic Rapid Intervention Team at Slinger.  The class filled very quickly and we have a waiting list.  There will be discussion in the near future if we will be able to host another session later.  Our second offering is an Agriculture Rescue program to be held in Fillmore on April 16 and 17.  The instructors have been lined up, including an international expert on gases found at the farmstead, David Kaltenberg [Agro Tech USA]. 

Following is a brief description of each educational opportunity, first are the four sessions for Friday evening at the Fillmore Fire Station:

C-1 What you can’t see, will kill you on the Farmstead related to farm atmosphere? Chemical Storage, Manure gases, Silo gas, manure pits hazards [discussion of using an aerial ladder and/or boat for rescue]  

C-2 Grain Drier fires, small and large units, Discussion as to the hazards, how and what needs to respond

C-3 Grain Bin lecture about the facts behind hazards, Learn about the physics, chemical hazards and whys these happen

C-4 FARM MAPPER, a cloud based program to pre-plan farmsteads and more developed by the National Farm Medicine Center.

Practical Training Sessions will be held on Saturday, April 17 will be hands-on with approximately 16 participants per session.  These will be held at the Golden E Dairy outside of Fillmore.  

P-1 Coffer Dam rescues with the use of semi grain trailer and actual grain bin for people to climb and see the challenges.  This will include the use of harnesses, ropes, haul systems, and coffer dam. It may be helpful to have an aerial truck on scene.  

P-2 Tractor rollover rescues, we have a tractor for this station.  Equipment to be used will be–Air bags, hi-lift jacks, bottle jacks, hydraulic spreader, come-along and chains, along with stabilization cribbing.   

P-3 Extrication from— Corn picking heads, spreading and lifting, Removal of body from forage harvest wagon, Removal of person from an elevated cab, open to one other station piece of equipment, possibly cutting PTO shafts

Equipment needed—Rescue spreader, rams, and cutters, cribbing, reciprocating saw, ladders, long board, long board straps, rope to assist lowering person.

P-4 New Equipment Operations–  Chopper with either a hay or corn head operation with the other to show, Disc mower, corn planter, combine with a corn head,  Windrower/conditioner, merger 

P- 5 Walk-thru on the farmstead to see operations and hazards and opportunity to see operations of a Dairy Farmstead– See the Farmstead in operation at all facets of milking 2,450 head.

P-6 Skid Steer Rescues– Lifting bucket with possible pin, stabilization and lifting of overturned skid steer, cutting cab sections.

We are very grateful to Jefferson Fire Equipment for providing lunch for the instructors and participants.  Property Loss Management of West Bend has offered bottled water for the event.  Most importantly is the ability to hold the hands-on event the Golden E Dairy in the Town of Farmington.

Friday evening will include non-alcoholic beverages and snacks at Fillmore Fire Department [8485 Trading Post Trail RD; West Bend].  Saturday will start and be held at Golden E Dairy [1140 Shalom Dr, West Bend].  Registration with continental breakfast items will be 7:30 to 8:00 am.  Here is the session times and rotation with 10 minutes between sessions:

Just a few highlights from some of our member departments:

On January 26th the members of Belgium Fire Department teamed up with members of Sheboygan County Tech Rescue in touring Lakeside Foods Canning Factory in Belgium. They were able to pre-planned areas that have confined space entry and discussed how we would perform a confined space rescue. 

One of the many snowmobile rescue programs held was on January 26 St. Lawrence and Allenton FD along with St. Lawrence Saints Snowmobile Club.  A few of our club members participated as victims of a mock snowmobile accident in the Allenton Marsh.  St. Lawrence Fire Department led the response with mutual aid from Allenton, Hartford and Slinger fire departments. All of the first responders were grateful to learn tactics to respond to an off-road snowmobile accident.  On Monday the 15th Jackson Fire-Rescue held a similar exercise.

We offer our prayers and thoughts to the Richard Shoenfeldt family as he passed away for comfort and peace.  Rich was a person dedicated to serve others.  He was a deputy with the Ozaukee County Sheriff Department and a Lieutenant with the Saukville Fire Department.  I had the opportunity to work with Rich for the 9-11 Memorial Program and Parade he organized for many years.  It was always a very meaningful event.

On February 23, Justin Fredrickson, a 35-year-old, 16-year veteran of the Cornell Fire Department responded to a fire where he was shot in the abdomen from a weapon that discharged from the heat of the fire.   We offer our prayers for his speedy recovery and able to return home soon.

As of the 24th of February the U.S. Fire Administration has recognized 27 fellow brothers and sisters that have died in the line of duty since January 1, 2021.  Many of these are COVID related.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE: We will be having our Annual Spring Banquet/Meeting and Awards Presentation on Sunday, April 24th at the NEW Cascade Fire Station.  More information will be coming to you in the next two weeks.

Stay Healthy, Stay Safe, Go Home after every cal,

Badger Firefighters Association

UPDATE ON JACKSON FIRE DEPARTMENT’S NEW STATION

All indications are that Jackson’s new station should be ready for the 2021 Annual Meeting and Fall Banquet in November 7th.  Attached are a few pictures of the building in process.