DISTRICT CHIEF JEFFREY WECKS REPLACES RETIRING TOM CLEVENGER AS JOSEPH FIRE CHIEF

Fire District Chief Jeffrey Wecks now has a second fire chief assignment. Wecks is the new chief of the Joseph Fire Department.

Joseph firefighters chose Wecks in their annual election Thursday, June 27. The selection is subject to ratification by the Joseph City Council.

Wecks succeeds Tom Clevenger, who retired July 1 after three years in the top post. The firefighters elected Clevenger as secretary and treasurer of their association. Clevenger also will remain a firefighter.

Longtime Asst. Chief Matt Walker was reelected as were Captains Kevin Warnock, Justin Doherty and Andy Hayes.

All Joseph firefighters and officers are volunteers.

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BE SAFE WITH FIREWORKS

The Office of State Fire Marshal, the Oregon fire service, natural resource agencies, Oregon fireworks wholesalers and safety experts encourage Oregonians to "Keep it Legal and Keep it Safe" when using fireworks. 

The 2013 Oregon fireworks sales season opens Sunday, June 23, and runs through July 6. The OSFM and its partners want everyone to know what fireworks are legal in Oregon, where they are permitted and the important steps to take for fireworks safety. 

"People often forget that legal fireworks can only be purchased from Oregon permitted fireworks retailers and stands," Fire Marshal Mark Wallace said, "and regulations limit where those fireworks may be used. For example, fireworks are prohibited on all Oregon beaches, in parks and campgrounds." 

Oregon law bans possession, use or sale of fireworks that fly, explode or travel more than six feet on the ground or 12 inches into the air. Fireworks commonly called bottle rockets, Roman candles and firecrackers are illegal in Oregon. 

Some 161 fireworks-related fires were reported in Oregon during 2012, resulting in more than 36 injuries and more than $230,000 in property damage. Over the past five years, there were 824 reported fireworks-related fires in Oregon resulting in 111 civilian injuries and was more than $3.6 million in property damage. 

Under Oregon law, officials may seize illegal fireworks and fine offenders up to $500 per violation. Those who misuse fireworks or allow fireworks to cause damage are liable and may be required to pay fire suppression costs or other damage. Parents are also liable for fireworks damage caused by their children.

"All Oregonians share the responsibility to use only legal fireworks and use them carefully," Wallace said. "We encourage you to be aware and considerate of neighbors and their pets before deciding on when and where you choose to light fireworks." 

The OSFM encourages everyone to use the four B's of safe fireworks use: 

• Be Prepared before lighting fireworks: keep water available by using a garden hose or bucket. 

• Be Safe when lighting fireworks: keep children and pets away from fireworks. 

• Be Responsible after lighting fireworks: never relight a dud. Wait 15 to 20 minutes, then soak it in a bucket of water before disposal. 

• Be Aware: use only legal fireworks and use them only in legal places.  

The four B's of fireworks safety brochure is available here: www.oregon.gov/OSP/SFM/docs/Licensing_permits/fireworks/4BesFireworks.pdf. 

Tips in Spanish are also available at: www.oregon.gov/OSP/SFM/docs/Licensing_permits/fireworks/Fireworks_4Bs_Spanish.pdf. 

More fireworks information is available at: www.oregon.gov/OSP/SFM/Licensing_Fireworks_Home.shtml.

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JOSEPH FIRE ELIMINATES CHARGE FOR LAKE RESCUES

Joseph firefighters will respond to rescue calls at Wallowa Lake without cost under a new contract with Wallowa Lake Rural Fire Protection District.

Joseph’s volunteer fire department always has performed rescues as well as fire suppression at the lake, but until now charged a cost-recovery fee for rescue calls. Its contract with the fire district, first negotiated after the district was formed in 2002, covered only fire calls.

Fire district directors earlier this year asked District Fire Chief Jeffrey Wecks, who also is assistant chief of Joseph Fire, to explore adding rescue calls to the contract.

The new contract, effective July 1, provides cost-free rescue services involving any district resident or property owner, no matter whether the rescue occurs in the lake basin, Joseph or rural areas covered by Joseph Fire.

“We’re prepared to take care of traffic accident rescues, especially those requiring use of the Jaws of Life, and any rope rescue,” Wecks said. The Hurst Jaws of Life uses hydraulic pressure to cut through or spread an opening in auto metal to extricate a trapped occupant.

Lake fire officials expressed appreciation for the improved contract.

“This is a solid example of the Joseph Fire Department’s willingness to work with us and the City Council’s recognition of its role in serving the larger community,” said Chuck Anderson, the fire district’s board president.

The contract will cost the fire district $35,125 for the 2013-14 fiscal year, an 8 percent increase over the 2012-13 rate. The district operates on taxes paid by property owners at the head and foot of the lake and along the West Moraine.

Joseph Fire also intends to station a wildland engine at Wallowa Lake to join the city’s structure-fire engine already housed at the lake fire station. Most of the contract increase is to pay for insurance coverage for the wildland engine. The district board agreed to pay for the insurance in exchange for quick availability of the engine for grass, brush or timber fires.

The wildland engine, previously located at the Joseph fire station, is being replaced in Joseph with a Humvee that firefighters are converting to fight wildland fires. 

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DAVID HURLEY TO JOIN FIRE BOARD

David Hurley, owner of Eagle Cap Chalets, will join the fire district Board of Directors in July, being sworn into office along with re-elected incumbents James Burton and Bob Young.

All three were elected unopposed in May. Hurley fills the seat currently held by John Gorsline, who declined to run for re-election.

The swearing-in ceremony will take place at the board's monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, July 14, at the lake fire station.

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FIRE DISTRICT DIRECTORS TO MEET MONDAY

The fire district board of directors will meet Monday, June 10. The meeting, as are all board meetings, is open to the public. Click on the agenda below.

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HOW TO BE SAFE DURING BARBECUES, COOKOUTS

With the onset of warmer, dryer weather, Oregon State Fire Marshal Mark Wallace reminds Oregonians to be fire safe during barbecues and cookouts to avoid tragedy during summer activities. From 2008 through 2012, there were 203 grill-related fires in Oregon, resulting in nine injuries and more than $4 million in property loss.

"Cooking outdoors is a nice way to enjoy Oregon's wonderful summers with family and friends, and following a few basic outdoor cooking fire safety tips will help keep it safe,"  Wallace said. 

The Office of State Fire Marshal offers the following safety tips:

• Use propane and charcoal grills only outdoors. Using them indoors or in any enclosed space such as a garage poses a fire hazard and exposes you and your family to deadly gases.

• Place grills away from the home siding, deck railings, and out from under eaves and overhanging branches.

• Place your grill a safe distance from play areas and foot traffic.

• Keep children and pets away from the grilling area; declare a three-foot safe zone around the grill.

• Periodically remove grease or fat buildup from catch trays to prevent it from being ignited by a hot grill.

• For propane grills, make sure to check the propane cylinder hose for leaks. A light soap and water solution applied to the hose will reveal escaping propane quickly by releasing bubbles.

• Only use proper starter fluid for charcoal grills. Remember to keep it away from heat sources and out of the reach of children and pets.

• Never add starter fluid when coals or kindling are already ignited.

"Also, make sure you dispose of ashes properly," Wallace said. "Even though ashes may feel cool to the touch, treat them as if they are hot. Soak them with water and place them in a nonflammable container. Store the container away from things that can burn."

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ODF SAYS IT HAS RESOURCES READY FOR JUST ABOUT ANYTHING THIS SEASON

Those who insist on a forecast of the wildfire season should ask for something easier, like who will win the American League pennant. But this we do know: Some sizable fires have already occurred and more are expected as warm, dry weather begins to take hold. The Oregon Department of Forestry and its partner agencies are completing final preparations for the season, however it shapes up. ODF continues to ensure that the essential elements are in place: helicopters and air tankers, fire engines, hand crews, and three specially trained teams to manage large wildfires.

Air attack
Helicopters are the vanguard of the firefighting force. These ships - large, medium, and small - provide close-in support to ground-based fire crews. With precision drops from their water buckets, experienced pilots can steer a flame front away from timber and houses. Eight helicopters will fly under contract to ODF and the fire protective associations in 2013.

Yesterday’s airliners do the heavy lifting in today’s air attack on fires. Two converted DC-7 passenger planes, the seats replaced with large tanks, deliver liquid fire retardant to slow the flames’ advance. The propeller-driven aircraft turn double-digit airspeed into a virtue as they fly low and slow over rugged terrain, cooling hotspots to buy time for ground firefighters to arrive on scene and engage the fire directly.

Seven smaller fixed-wing aircraft play a dual role of reconnaissance and air attack guidance. These single-engine planes take to the air following a thunderstorm to search for lightning-started fires. On a large blaze, they circle the scene to report changes in fire behavior to fire strategists on the ground.

Fire crews
With satellite imaging, computer modeling, and other high-tech tools available to fire managers today, the basic hand crew still plays an essential role in firefighting. In hardhats and yellow fire shirts, these ground firefighters trudge across rugged terrain building fire line the old-fashioned way, with shovels and Pulaskis.

Thirty inmate firefighting crews and nine camp/kitchen crews will come online shortly for dispatch to fires. Through a long-standing arrangement with the Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC), ODF trains and fields 10-person inmate fire crews to perform initial attack on newly reported fires. Drawn from correctional facilities throughout the state, these crews also see action on large, extended-attack fires. While the fire crews are busy on the fire line, specially trained inmate camp crews staff ODF’s mobile kitchens, cranking out six meals a day to feed two shifts of firefighters.

Fire engine crews
ODF district offices completed the annual training and hiring of fire engine crews in March. The mission of these seasonal employees is to put out newly reported fires quickly at small size. They do their job so well that most Oregonians don’t know the engine crews exist. They play a major role in helping ODF meet its policy objective to put out 97 percent of all fires at 10 acres or smaller.

Fire teams

ODF maintains three special teams on call to manage large wildfires. When the members receive the dispatch call they drive through the night from locations throughout the state, set up a tent “city” in the forest, and go to work the next morning. The military-sounding job titles – air tactical group supervisor, liaison officer, et al – hint at the nature of the team’s mission: organize and manage a firefighting operation consisting of hundreds of personnel and a baseball field-sized assemblage of heavy equipment and hardware. Once the fire has been contained, district forces take over and the team members head home to their regular jobs.

Landowner firefighters 
Oregon’s forest landowners have been key partners in Oregon’s collaborative fire protection system for more than a century. While support from all forest landowners is valuable, many of the industrial landowners maintain firefighting forces that include woods workers and heavy equipment ranging from fire engines to bulldozers, on up to helicopters. Forest landowners are intimately familiar with the land, including the location of critical wildlife habitats. The knowledge and expertise of their logging and silvicultural contractors comes into play as well when a fire breaks out.

Forecasting fire
Dry lightning is the wild card in any Oregon fire season. When thunderstorms produce numerous ground strikes but little rainfall, hundreds of new fires can spring up instantaneously. Dry lightning events are hard to forecast. But when meteorologists see strong potential, they notify fire managers, who may order “move-ups” of aircraft, fire engines and crews to areas likely to be affected. These additional resources help local forces attend to the new fires quickly before they can grow into major incidents.

Smoke cameras
Forest lookouts still serve a purpose in some forest locations. But ODF has found that “intelligent” smoke-detection cameras can take the place of human watchers in many areas at reduced cost. These automated video cameras are programmed to scan the forest for signs of smoke. When they find it, a sophisticated computer application interprets the image. If it comes up positive (not clouds or fog), the finding is then displayed as an alarm, prompting a human operator, who makes the final determination.

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