I received a copy of the following article today from the Pennsylvania Fire and Emergency Services Institute. While the article was written 8 years ago it is still very applicable today.

Aug 1, 2002
BY JOHN M. BUCKMAN

The future of the fire service depends on presenting one unified front that communicates a shared vision of what the fire service should look like. In recent days, weeks, and months, we have seen actions by our own that have threatened community fire protection.

There is a debate between career and volunteer firefighters about who provides the highest level and quality of fire protection-related services. That debate will go on forever and is really not up to the firefighter to answer.

I believe the level and quality of fire protection are determined locally. The responsibility for informing a community about the level and quality is the duty of the fire chief, community leaders, citizens, and elected officials.

There are communities where the volunteer fire department has not kept pace with community development. If this failure is a result of an uninformed community, the fault lies with the chief and may open the chief and the department up to valid criticism. If the chief has informed the community of the need for more personnel, equipment, and apparatus and the community has failed to respond, then that determines the level of services for the community.

It is the obligation of the chief to inform and educate the elected officials and the community; but, in my opinion, you must give the people what they want and what they are willing to pay for. If the chief has done a good job of informing and educating the community, then there will not be a threat from an outside agency or organization to take over or replace the volunteer fire department. The community must determine the level of fire protection and related services it needs. It is up to the chief to convince a community's leadership of the potential risks in the community and the expected effects of ignoring those risks. By establishing the relationship between the community and the fire department, the challenge of dealing with the everyday emergencies that arise to the expectations of that community will be met, eliminating the thought that the fire department will go out of business.

I believe the volunteer fire service must look to the future and ensure that the level and quality of service being provided today exceed those of five or 10 years ago. Volunteer fire departments need to examine alternative methods of providing service. They must think beyond the front door of the fire station to solve fire protection needs. Involve the community in the challenges facing the volunteer fire service today.

Volunteer fire departments need to change if they are going to keep up with a changing community. There are many departments that believe they should continue doing the same thing that they have always done and yet expect a different result. Buckets were used at one time to extinguish fires, but we know today to expect to use buckets would be ludicrous. Doing the same things that were done in the past will not get different results.

NOTE: Kevin Dusenbury has asked that any Department that plans to take apparatus to the Memorial Service on Friday, please plan to be at the Alliance Church by 9:15 am.

We have received word this morning of the passing of one of the icons of Potter County. Former Austin Fire Chief and Coudersport Paramedic James "CHUB" Plant passed away last night of an apparent heart attack. Chub has been involved in the emergency services field since the early 1970’s having served as a Potter County Fire Coordinator, Deputy Coroner and County LEPC Member.  He also served as both Fire & Ambulance Chief with Austin for many years and was a Paramedic with Coudersport Regional ALS. At this time we do not have any further details. Further information will be posted as soon as it is available.

Our sincerest condolences go out to his family and friends.

Jim L. “Chub” Plant
“PopPop Chub”

Ulysses, PA---Jim L. “Chub” Plant, 66, of Ulysses, formerly of Austin, died Sunday, July 18, 2010 at Ives Run Campground, Tioga County, PA, after suffering an apparent heart attack.

Born May 21, 1944 in Emeigh, PA, he was a son of the Rev. John J. and Elner E. Henderson Plant. On July 25, 1964 in Austin, he married Judy A. Walker, who survives.

Chub was a graduate of Sonestown High School, Sonestown, PA. For several years, Mr. Plant was employed by PennDOT in Austin. He later was employed as a construction worker under Local 824 of the Laborers’ International Union of North America.

In 1996 he graduated from the EmergyCare Paramedic Program in Erie. This was his greatest accomplishment to become a paramedic. He felt he had reached the top and was so proud to wear the medic patch. He was employed by Charles Cole Memorial Hospital in Coudersport as a paramedic from 1996 until 2004 and then was employed by the Coudersport Regional Advanced Life Support.

Mr. Plant was a member of the Austin United Methodist Church. He had previously served as the mayor of Austin, the Borough Police officer in Austin, and had also served as a Potter County Deputy Coroner.

Chub was very devoted to the fire and EMS services for over 45 years, having served as a past fire chief and ambulance chief in Austin, and where he was named fireman of the year. He gave selflessly of his time in helping fire and EMS departments having served as an EMS instructor and fire school instructor.

Chub touched the lives of more people than any of us will ever know.

He loved his dogs Bubba, Annie, and Jessi. He very much enjoyed traveling, camping, boating, and fishing. Chub loved to cook for his family. He loved spending time with his grandchildren. They were the light of his life.

Also surviving are two daughters, Lisa A. (Joe) Karpinski of Coudersport and Amy S. (Wayne) Shreve of Erie; five grandchildren, Kari L. Karpinski, Kaitlyn M. Karpinski, Geoffrey R. Shreve, Kelsey N. Karpinski, and Jennifer L. Shreve; four brothers, Dennis J. “Jack” (Sue) Plant of Millerstown, Donald A. (Jane) Plant of Greeley, Colorado, John J. “Max” (Nancy) Plant of Moultrie, Georgia, Paul D. (Leslie) Plant of Emporium; a sister-in-law, Thelma Plant of Port Royal, PA; his longtime companion, Michele A. Mather of Ulysses and her son Matthew R. Mather of Virginia Beach, VA; and many nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews.

In addition to his parents, Mr. Plant was predeceased by two brothers, John I. Plant and the Rev. Robert J. Plant; and two nephews, Brian Plant and Robert J. Plant, Jr.

In keeping with Chub’s wishes, there will be no public visitation. Friends are invited to share memories on Friday, July 23, 2010 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Coudersport Alliance Church, Coudersport, where a celebration of Chub’s life will be held at 11 a.m. with Pastor Samuel M. Crossley, Care Minister of the Coudersport Alliance Church, officiating.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to an S.P.C.A. of the donor’s choice; an ambulance association of the donor’s choice; or a fire department of the donor’s choice.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Virgil L. Howard Funeral Home, Shinglehouse, PA.

Jay Township Volunteer Fire Company
P.O. Box 146
3161 Cleveland Street
Byrnedale, PA 15827

Training Announcement

Structure Burn Session
Prerequisites: ELIF
Students Will Need: TOG, SCBA & Spare Cylinder

September 25 & 26, 2010
Class Starts at 08:00 each day!

Please RSVP by 9-15-2010 to Chief John Schneider @ 814-787-5164
Or
Training Officer Brandon Kowalski @ 814-787-4885

Coudersport Volunteer Ambulance Asso. (CVAA) is hosting an EMT-Basic class through Bucks County Community College with the classes to be held on Tuesdays, Thursdays and some Saturdays at the Coudersport Ambulance Hall. Classes are scheduled from 6:00-10:00pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with Saturday classes to run from 8:00-4:00pm.

The cost of the course is $150 which includes the required book and class materials.

A pre-registration will be held on Thursday July 29, 2010 from 6:00pm-7:30pm. A minimum of fifteen students must be obtained for the course to be held. The first official class night and formal registration will occur on Thursday August 5, 2010.

For more information, please contact Coudersport Ambulance at 274-7411. If you cannot attend the pre-registration you may stop by the ambulance hall during business hours Monday July 26 through Thursday July 29 to pre-register.

WNEP-TV

A volunteer firefighter is among two people killed in two separate crashes on Route 15 in Lycoming County.

State police say the crashes happened within a half mile of each other in the area of Powys Curve, about two miles south of Trout Run.

Troopers tell Newswatch 16 that the first crash happened shortly before 4 p.m. Wednesday. They say a car headed north on Route 15 crossed the center line and hit a van coming south. The driver of the car died. The driver of the van was taken to the hospital.

The second wreck involved a volunteer firefighter headed to the scene of that crash. Troopers say he was thrown out of his pickup truck and killed. An officer with the Trout Run Volunteer Fire Company confirms that the man who died was a member of the company.

According to PennDOT, Route 15 south in Lycoming County was expected to reopen around 10 p.m.

UPDATE from "The Secret List";

As you know, yesterday afternoon a Firefighter from the Trout Run Fire Company (in PA) was killed in the Line of Duty. Firefighter Richard Springman, 20,  was responding in his personal vehicle to a very serious 2 car crash on Route 15, when he crashed. Firefighter Springman was ejected from his vehicle and died in the Line of Duty from injuries sustained in the accident.

Details are that he hit a guardrail and after hitting it, FF Springman over steered, causing his truck to travel sideways across both southbound lanes and up onto another  guardrail. After sliding on the guardrail, the truck rolled over before landing upright in the middle of the southbound lanes, about 300 yards north of the crash he was responding to. FF Springman, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the truck, landing about 15 feet from his vehicle.

Hepburn Township and Trout Run Firefighters were dispatched to the 2nd scene. However, within minutes after the second crash, all Trout Run Firefighters were taken off the assignment and directed to go to their firehouse on Route 14. Other EMS and fire companies were called to assist at the scenes. Our sincere condolences to all affected by the loss of FF Springman.

Further information can be found HERE

By Vicki Terwilliger (Staff writer This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )
Published: July 6, 2010

Editor's note: This is the first in a series about fire company funding. Today's article looks at statewide efforts. Next week: How local fire departments meet the bottom line.

Like most households trying to make ends meet, volunteer fire companies operate like families. They struggle to balance the needs of those within the family, or communities they serve, with the money available to safely do so.

"When you're trying to raise that kind of money, that's a lot of chicken barbecue," said Ed Mann, Pennsylvania state fire commissioner.

Mann, first appointed by the Ridge administration, has served as the state's fire commissioner for the last 10 years. He's also a volunteer firefighter. Part of his job entails traveling across the state, helping fire companies obtain grants.

Costs

Mann said the "everyday" operation of a fire department involves paying utility and fuel bills, which can vary depending on the size of each facility.

Add to that the expense of proper protection for firefighters: A single firefighter's ensemble, or protective clothing, can cost $1,500 to $2,000; $150 to $350 for a helmet; $89 to $95 for gloves; $35 to $40 for a flash hood, and $3,500 to $4,500 for self-contained breathing apparatus. Multiply those costs by the number of volunteers, and the expense soars. Engine trucks are about $350,000 unequipped, and aerial equipment can run from $800,000 to $1 million.

In addition to the costs, many fire departments are operating with fewer members, meaning companies still need to do what they were doing before, but with fewer personnel to spread out the duties.

With Dangerously Hot Weather Gripping Much of Pennsylvania, Secretary of Health Offers Tips to Stay Safe and Prevent Heat-Related Illness

Harrisburg – With extremely hot temperatures expected to linger over Pennsylvania for much of this week, Health Secretary Everette James today urged Pennsylvanians to take steps to recognize and prevent heat-related illness.

“Those at greatest risk for developing heat-related illness are infants and young children, people over age 65, and those with heart disease, high blood pressure, breathing problems, or chronic conditions,” James said. “However, anyone who participates in outdoor activities in extremely hot weather is at risk of becoming ill.”

Heat stroke, exhaustion, and cramps are the three most common heat-related illnesses. The incidence of these conditions increases when humidity is high because sweat cannot evaporate as quickly, meaning the body cools itself at a much slower rate than usual.

The most severe heat-related illness, heat stroke, occurs when the body is unable to regulate its temperature due to overheating and, in turn, loses the ability to sweat. Someone suffering from heat stroke may experience a body temperature above 103° F; red, hot, and dry skin; rapid, strong pulse; throbbing headache; dizziness; nausea; confusion; and unconsciousness. If someone is experiencing heat stroke, attempt to cool the person off in a shady place while waiting for emergency medical assistance.

The 2010 Fall brochure for the Tri-County Fire School is now available. You can download a copy HERE.

Deadline for registration is: AUGUST 6, 2010 For Sept. 18 & 19, 2010 Classes. PLEASE NOTE: REGISTRATIONS POSTMARKED AFTER THE DUE DATE LISTED ON THE REGISTRATION FORM WILL BE CHARGED AN ADDITIONAL $10 LATE REGISTRATION FEE FOR EACH CLASS REGISTERED.

Applicants must be 14 years of age or older, unless otherwise specified,and must have a social security number. Students must be certified by the Chief Officer to attend.

Participants are limited in number. Pre-registration is necessary and should be done early. Students are requested to select two of the two-day seminars offered.

All registrations must be accompanied by a check or money order to the Tri-County Fire School, Inc., to guarantee placement in selected courses.

The check PAYABLE TO TRI-COUNTY FIRE SCHOOL, and registration should be sent to Mae Wolfe, 267 Coal Hollow Road, Kersey, PA 15846. Any student who is not a resident of Pennsylvania is required to pay an additional $40.00 non-resident fee to: Butler County Community College. No telephone registrations will be accepted.

For additional information, please phone Ken Weidow at (814) 781-3646 or Mae Wolfe at (814) 885-6386. Duplication of this brochure is permitted for registration purposes.