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October 2017
Published by the Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal
Fire Prevention Month
is upon us
O n the heels of a record setting fire season for Oregon, structural fire protection agencies are home and engaging with their local communities once again. 

As we focus efforts to a new topic this fall, Governor Kate Brown has declared October as Fire Prevention Month with a theme mirroring the national campaign “Every Second Counts: Plan 2 Ways Out.”

Given that recent destructive Oregon wildfires are still fresh in the minds of our residents, this month is a perfect chance to heighten awareness and action regarding home fire safety.

At the many fires throughout the state this summer, I was witness to the public trust that Oregon’s residents have in their fire service community. Fliers, pictures, and posters thanking you for your efforts will be ingrained in my mind as we look to providing residents with safety tips and information this Fire Prevention Month. 

The Oregon Life Safety Team has developed a variety of new resources, including social media memes and Facebook banners, fliers, coasters, and stickers which are available for order in limited quantities on our order form website . You can also check out our FPM webpage for more information, and our webpage on home fire escape planning here .

Fire safety takes a community investment and I wish to congratulate the Oregon Life Safety Team (OLST) on their 15 th anniversary this year. This team is instrumental in representing the ideas, solutions, and direction for Fire Prevention Month each year. The team is comprised of Oregon fire service associations, regional fire service representatives, other private, state and federal partners, and works to coordinate and implement consistent statewide fire prevention and life safety education. 

The team was originally inspired by the publication, Life Safety 2000, A Model Plan for the State of Oregon , which was published by a steering committee of Oregon’s Chief officers and leaders to reduce the risk to Oregon residents from fire and related emergences. This team continues its strong work today developing short, to-the-point public awareness messages to affect behavior change and create ‘top of mind’ awareness to reduce the risk of fire, fire injury, and death.

I know this month is when many Oregon fire agencies will be hosting safety fairs, open houses, school visits, and more, and I hope you will visit our weblinks and make use of our free educational resources when conducting your fire prevention activities. 

As this fire season has shown us, fire prevention and safety encompasses the entire spectrum of education and awareness with a focus on behavior change, incident response, mutual aid, and backfill assistance. Time and time again, as emergency responders, you have demonstrated the best professionalism and competence the Oregon fire service has to offer.

Thanks for all you do.
Oregon State Fire Marshal Jim Walker
An unprecedented response to 2017 mobilizations
T his wildfire season has been extremely busy for the OSFM and Oregon fire service agencies handling events surrounding the solar eclipse and three mobilizations that came in rapid succession: the Nena Springs Fire, the Milli Fire, and the Chetco Bar Fire. The pace didn’t ease up as we moved into September.
 
Throughout the fire season, Oregon fire agencies and our staff manning the Agency Operations Center were pushed to the limit as they stretched their already thin resources on deployments that were lasting longer than usual.

The Eagle Creek Fire began in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Saturday, September 2 nd .

The OSFM had already sent a record number of task forces (21) to the Chetco Bar Fire near Brookings when the Eagle Creek Fire exploded in less than 24 hours, forcing the evacuation of residences near I-84 and the town of Cascade Locks.

Working with Governor Brown and her Public Safety Advisor Heidi Moawad, a conflagration was declared on September 3, 2017. The declaration was a smooth process due to the Governor’s office’s flexibility and commitment to protecting Oregonians.
 
The fire continued to grow, and ultimately forced the evacuation of 1,822 people and threatened 5,230 structures, including a significant number of historical buildings such as the iconic Multnomah Lodge.
 
Eagle Creek was an extremely difficult fire whose conditions demanded the OSFM deploy 30 task forces and strike teams, a new record for our office and the Oregon fire service. Many task forces were required to perform immediate point protection on threatened structures and for the most part they were vastly successful, (four residences were lost). The historic Multnomah Lodge was also spared, even with flames coming within 40 yards of the building.
 
About September 12 th , due to the heroic work by all personnel, aircraft, and other resources involved, and aided by somewhat favorable weather patterns, the incident management team was able to begin reducing the structural protection footprint. At its peak, there were more than 1,000 people assigned to the fire.
 
Time and time again, Oregon fire agencies stepped up and provided resources to ensure the OSFM had everything they needed to respond to all of the statewide mobilizations.
 
“What I observed throughout all of these fires was the professionalism, dedication, and commitment of the resources doing whatever was needed to protect the citizens and communities,” said State Fire Marshal Jim Walker. “From the heroic saving of Multnomah Lodge, to the exhaustive efforts of triaging and prepping homes in case the fires continued to move into the communities.”
 
Here is a quick look at the data for each mobilization:
 
Nena Springs Fire
108 structures threatened, 0 lost
50 people evacuated
10 task forces from 43 fire agencies
61 homes triaged
 
Milli Fire
2,354 structures threatened, 0 lost
600 people evacuated
11 task forces and 1 strike team from 58 fire agencies
 
Chetco Bar Fire
12,286 structures threatened, 26 were lost during the first operational period (6 residences and 20 outbuildings)
5,169 people evacuated
21 task forces and strike teams from 75 Oregon fire agencies, 16 Washington fire agencies, 19 California fire agencies, and one North Carolina fire agency
1,239 homes triaged
588 homes prepped
174 sprinkler kits installed
 
Eagle Creek Fire
5,230 structures threatened, four residences lost during the first operational period
1,822 people evacuated
30 task forces and strike teams from 83 Oregon fire agencies and six Washington fire agencies
817 homes triaged
 
All of this could not have been accomplished without the great support and commitment of the OSFM’s wildland partners’ incredible joint effort benefitting these Oregon communities.
 
“I can’t say thank you enough to all of the fire agencies throughout the state and from other states for the response and support in protecting Oregon citizens and property,” said Walker. “What I witnessed this year leaves me with no doubt and great confidence that Oregon has some of the best task forces and incident management teams in the country.”
OSFM's 100 years of service :
Highlights from 2000 to 2009
T his is the tenth of 12 monthly articles highlighting interesting facts and significant events from each decade of OSFM's 100 years of service and an OSFM deputy state fire marshal region.

  2000
  • OSFM Overhead Teams established (Incident Management Teams).

   2003
  • The Governor's Fire Service Policy Council is created.

2004
  • It's Up to You!, fire awareness curriculum for middle schools is released.

   2005
  • State Fire Marshal is made the statewide State Emergency Response Commission through House Bill 2101.

2007
  • Oregon Legislature passes law requiring only fire-safer cigarettes be sold in Oregon.
  • The OSFM Emergency Response Unit is established following the Vernonia floods.
  • What Can You Do? fire awareness curriculum for elementary schools is released.

2008
  • Woodburn Bank Bombing, December 12th. An explosive device that had been moved by an OSP bomb squad technician into the West Coast Bank branch in Woodburn, Oregon exploded, killing OSP Senior Trooper William Hakim and Woodburn Police Captain Tom Tennant, and injuring Woodburn Police Chief Scott Russell. Bruce Turnidge and his son Joshua Turnidge were convicted of aggravated murder for the bombing and sentenced to death.
Spotlight on:
OSFM deputy district 12
Counties: Crook, Grant, Harney, and Wheeler.
  • Deputy State Fire Marshal: Dave Fields, a 20-year veteran with the OSFM
  • Population: 36,625
  • Fire Agencies: 17
  • Approximately 92% volunteer firefighters
  • CR2K facilities: 274
  • Extremely hazardous substance facilities: 18
  • Annual calls (5 year avg): 2,422
  • Annual reported fires (5 year avg): 154
  • Annual Hazmat calls (5 year avg): 9
  • Annual dollar loss (5 year avg): $1,724,097
  • This region has a strong fire prevention program, inlcuding Prairie City's 40-plus years of providing prevention outreach to elementary school students. The Spring Fire Prevention Program in Grant County combines the efforts of a number of local fire, ODF, OSFM, USFS, and other agencies.
Did you know :
  • Established in 1882, the Prineville Volunteer Fire Company was the first fire department established in Central Oregon. Each new firefighter was charged a $1.50 initiation fee and monthly dues of $0.25. Prineville’s first piece of firefighting equipment was purchased in 1882 for $180. It was a six-man Rumsey hand pumper. To get the pumper to Prineville, it was shipped around Cape Horn to Portland, then taken by barge up the Columbia River to The Dalles. From The Dalles, it was delivered to Prineville by a horse drawn freight wagon. The water for the pumper was channeled by wooden flumes from Ochoco Creek. The flumes ran through town and at each block there was an opening to place hand suction hoses when fighting fires.

  • Kinzua, Oregon is a ghost town located east of Fossil. Kinzua was formerly a company town built and maintained by the Kinzua Pine Mills Company in 1928. The town boasted 125 homes, a post office, a golf course, a lake full of trout, a library, grocery and department stores, a fully equipped and staffed first-aid station, a tavern, a restaurant, a barber shop, and a railroad line connecting the town to nearby Condon. Kinzua's facilities, along with its location in the pristine Oregon wilderness, made it a travel destination for hobbyists and travelers from around the world. At its peak (around 1950), the company town grew to a population of around 700 residents, making it the largest town in Wheeler County. The mill closed in 1976 and an arson fire ripped through the town in 1978. In 1982, the remaining buildings were removed and the site was planted with 400,000 Ponderosa Pine, effectively burying the former logging town beneath the forest.
Spotlight: Hazmat Team 13 Salem
H azmat Team 13 became a state team in 2004 and is based out of Salem Fire Department’s station #10. 

The majority of the incidents HM13 responds to involve local, state, and federal buildings. As Salem is the state capitol and has five correctional institutions in the city, HM13 responds to a large number of “white powder” calls that range from anything such as weight lifting chalk to antacids and aspirin.
 
The most notable incident for HM13 was the accumulation of several white power incidents directed at the jail or the governor's office over a two-year period, usually via mail. The same individual was sending these letters and was eventually caught after two years. Then came the task of calculating the costs incurred over the two-plus years of responses as part of the charges that could be brought against the individual. 
 
Over the years, HM13 has received several awards mostly related to assisting on committees and individuals' long years of service.
 
HM13/Salem Fire has eight hazmat technicians on duty per shift. Three of those individuals are housed at Fire Station 10 and the rest are scattered throughout the city. The team also has a chemist from the Salem Public Works Department who has been on the team since the begining. The chemist assists HM13 in all technical facets of hazmat responses.
 
Current team members include:
 
A-Shift:
Captains Brian Hollis and Rich Lee
Engineers Kelly Buckley, Jeff Nuttman and Ryan Ross
Firefighters Cody Welling, Nic Bradley and Bryan Lee
 
B-Shift:
Captains Trever Elmer, Nate Ohrt and Jeff Zaluskey
Engineers Brandon Silence, Rob Mengucci, and Tim Clark
Firefighters Cole Clarke and Mike Stewart
 
C-Shift:
Captains Greg Sanberg, John Justice and Jason Armstrong
Engineers Paul Richardson, Andy Lake and Jerry Hochderffer
Firefighters Luke Rathburn and Clint Wagoner
 
Staff:
Battalion Chief Reed Godfrey
Chemist Bill Fear
 
HM13 covers a very large area from the central part of the Oregon Coast to Central Oregon, covering everything from large cities to rural areas. With this geographical area, the biggest impact is response times. Although HM13 is a career team staffed 24/7/365, depending on the area requesting their assistance, the drive time could be 3-4 hours in normal conditions. With the mountain passes between Salem and the coast, and Salem and Central Oregon, adverse weather can greatly affect response times. Great partnerships with ODOT and OSP allow HM13 to respond quickly and safely.
 
HM13 trains for up to eight hours each day Monday through Friday the second week of every month. The goal is to offer each task in the task books at least twice in a biennium to make sure all hazmat technicians are as close to 100% compliant as possible. HM13 also participates in, and hosts, other classes throughout the state.
 
There is a very mixed potential for hazardous materials incidents in the response area for HM13, ranging from very large cold storage facilities to federal, state, and local offices. Hazmat incidents involving air, rail, and major roadways running in all directions also contributes to potential hazmat incidents. 
 
One of the more significant incidents HM13 has mitigated was the Woodburn Bank Bombing that killed an OSP trooper and a Woodburn Police captain. This incident was a multiday operation, in a severe snow and ice storm, supporting multiple agencies, many of which had never worked with HM13 before. However, as expected, all agencies came together and worked flawlessly for the duration of the incident. 
 
For hazmat outreach, contact Battalion Chief Reed Godfrey, egodfrey@cityofsalem.net , 503-932-5637.
OSFM Hazmat Rail Program offering free training
Liaison Officer (LOFR)
Two offerings: October 9 & 10 or October 26 & 27. This course is designed to provide state, tribal, and local-level emergency management and response personnel with a robust understanding of the duties, responsibilities, and capabilities of an effective Liaison Officer or Agency Representative interacting with Unified Command on a major incident. Courses will be offered in the Portland/Vancouver metro area and in Redmond to permit agency field staff to attend. Register for either course here.
ICS 402
Incident Command and Hazmat Awareness for Executives and Senior Officials November 1st. The purpose of this course is to provide an orientation of the Incident Command System (ICS) for Executives and Senior Officials, (including elected officials, city/county managers, agency administrators, etc.), along with understanding Incident Command System (ICS) principles and the Executive/Senior Official role in supporting incident management. Additional content will be provided to orient Executives and Senior Officials to the risks and hazards of Hazmat incidents. Register here .

For questions, contact Chad Hawkins at 503-934-8212 or chad.hawkins@state.or.us.
Code Corner
by Deputy State Fire Marshal David Mills
"FALL"- into fire safety
A s the harvest season approaches, fall festivals will be commonplace throughout the state. We want to remind everyone of the Technical Advisory (TA) No. 15-01, Statewide Guidelines for Fairs, Trade Shows, Carnivals, or Common Venue Events Including Temporary Public Assembly Uses on Agricultural Property .

Through collaboration with the Oregon Fire Service and stakeholders, this document was designed to assist fire agencies, fair and event centers, event planners, vendors, concessionaires, and other parties in planning and conducting fairs, trade shows, carnivals, or common venue events.

The document is a great resource in addressing items such as:
  • Fire department access
  • Public safety plan and a site plan outlining ingress and egress of motor vehicles
  • Designated smoking areas and the use of open flame devices
  • Exiting, aisles and seating as well as decorative materials          
  • Portable fire extinguishers
  • Electrical and temporary generators
  • Tents, stands/booths, stages, and platforms

The goal of this TA is to provide a consistent approach for application and use of the most common fair and event fire code applications.
2018 Oregon Fire Code Adoption
The OSFM is begining the process of the 2018 Oregon Fire Code adoption .

Items under discussion will include:
  • Mobile Food Vehicles – cooking hazards

  • Integrated Fire Protection and/or Life Safety systems where two or more of these are interconnected (e.g., sprinkler, alarm systems, smoke control)

  • Education Occupancies - to include: Intruder prevention locking arrangements in grade school and higher education; Higher education laboratories and hazardous materials; CO detection requirements in classrooms

  • Large Outdoor Assembly Event – egress and fire hazard

  • Indoor Trade Shows and Exhibitions – covered and multi-level booths

  • Energy Systems – including standby and emergency power, fuel cell energy

  • Plant Processing and Extraction Facilities – extraction of oils and fats from various plants (e.g., marijuana, mint . . .)

  • High Pile Storage – clarification of commodity (storage) classifications

  • Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Systems - used for both enrichment processes and beverage dispensing, to include gas detection systems

  • On-Demand Mobile Fueling – customer requested on site dispensing/fueling of flammable/combustible liquids into vehicles

The code adoption process began with the first Oregon Fire Code Committee (OFCC) meeting to discuss this subject on Tuesday September 26, 2017. 

Following is a list of future dates:
24 October 2017, 18 November 2017, 19 December 2017, 09 January 2018,
23 January 2018, 13 February 2018, 27 February 2018, 13 March 2018,
27 March 2018, 10 April 2018, and 24 April 2018.
 
Location:  Office of State Fire Marshal at Oregon State Police Headquarters
                3565 Trelstad Avenue SE, Salem, Oregon 97317  
Note: November and December meetings will be held at DPSST.

If you have questions call 503-934-8204 or email osfm.flss@state.or.us .
Data Connection
News from the Analytics & Intelligence Unit
by OSFM Fire Data Specialist Candice Clark
Oregon Incident Reporting Advisory Committee Seeks Members
The Office of State Fire Marshal has chartered the Oregon Incident Reporting Advisory Committee. This committee will function as a collaborative effort involving our local fire service partners to improve incident response data that is collected from across the state. The purpose of the committee involves identifying issues related to incident reporting in Oregon, identifying methods or actions to improve data quality and consistency, and to develop recommendations to improve incident reporting in Oregon.
 
The committee will consist of 15 members that represent the various types of fire agencies in Oregon. The diversity represented includes rural districts and municipal departments; volunteer, combination, and career agencies; and agencies that use the state reporting system as well as those that do not. Members are selected and appointed to the committee by the OSFM. 
 
We are recruiting to fill vacant seats on this committee. With the approval of their home agency, any member of a local fire agency in Oregon whose responsibilities involve incident reporting may request an appointment to this committee. Preference will be given to individuals that have demonstrated proficiency with incident reporting. Please contact the OSFM Analytics & Intelligence Unit for more information or to request an appointment to the Oregon Incident Reporting Advisory Committee.  
  
Incident Reporting Listserve
A listserve has been created to share information related to incident reporting and the state’s reporting system. Anyone interested is welcome to subscribe to keep up with the latest changes, enhancements, tips, and other useful information related to incident reporting and the state’s reporting system. Subscriptions are free; you can subscribe by visiting: http://listsmart.osl.state.or.us/mailman/listinfo/nfirs_users.
 
Conflagration Reporting 2017
The OSFM has created a conflagration reporting web page with information that can be used if your agency sent any incident management team members, apparatus, or personnel to any of the 2017 mobilizations. To view, visit: http://www.oregon.gov/osp/SFM/Pages/ConflagRept.aspx .
 
National Fire Incident Reporting System Training
The Office of State Fire Marshal is conducting a 2-day course that will cover the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) as it applies to all Oregon fire agencies regardless of which software is used.​
 
The NFIRS course teaches students how to use standardized forms to achieve uniformity in their incident reporting. This training program is designed specifically to support local fire service organizations, and will assist them in providing data to their management, decision makers, and State uniform fire reporting system. At a local level, the NFIRS data can be used to:
  • ​Describe a community's fire problem,
  • Support budget requests,
  • Improve decision-making for allocation of resources,
  • Assist in planning for future fire protection,
  • Help identify opportunities for scheduling non-emergency activities,
  • Evaluate code enforcement programs, and
  • Identify target audiences for public fire education programs.
 
Lunch: Will be provided
Attire: Business Casual
 
Registration Deadline:  October 13, 2017​​
​**  Early registration is recommended, space is LIMITED to 35 participants.  **
 
Lodging: Will not be provided​​
 
Medford Fire & Rescue is hosting a free 2-day course:
Date:  October 19, 2017 - October​ 20, 2017​
Time: 0800-1700
Location:  Medford F&R-​​Station 4, 2208 Table Rock Rd, Medford, OR 97501​
 
For questions or more information, please contact the Analytics & Intelligence Unit at 503-934-8250 or by email at osfm.data@state.or.us.
Register now for the Oregon Fire Marshals Association Technical Education Conference
T he Oregon Fire Marshals Association will return to the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training in Salem, OR., for this year's Technical Education Conference (TEC) November 1-2, 2017.
 
The two-day conference will offer classes that examine code requirements and application for Hazardous Materials and High-Piled Combustible Storage, and roundtable discussions about tiny houses, food carts, and more. Don’t miss your chance to learn and network with colleagues.
 
The OFMA/OBOA member price is $150 for a single day and $250 for both days.
  
Visit ofma.net/tec-2017  for more information about TEC including the agenda, instructor details, pricing, registering, and more. For questions or assistance, contact Brit Campbell at brit@wfca.com . 
OSFM Structural Protection Plan Revision
T he OSFM has revised the Structural Protection Plan to include Temporary Refuge Areas (TRAs). We ask that all fire agencies and operations personnel re-familiarize themselves with the document and review the definitions of Safety Zones & TRAs added to the end.

What is a TRA?
A TRA is a preplanned area where firefighters can immediately take refuge shelter and find short-term relief in the event that emergency egress to an established Safety Zone is compromised. Examples include the lee side of a structure, inside a structure, a large lawn or parking area, or inside an apparatus.

Isn’t that a Safety Zone?
Safety Zones have to be calculated to ensure they are the appropriate size. Please visit this Safety Zone Calculations link . The top chart shows the current calculation, on page 8 in the IRPG. A new Incident Response Pocket Guide will be issued in October with the second chart as a revised calculation formula.

What does the addition of TRAs change?
Tactically speaking, nothing. IMTs and responding agencies have been operating with TRAs, they just weren’t always using the same terminology. As with much of the work related to the Structural Protection Plan, the OSFM is trying to define operations currently conducted to ensure all agencies and individuals are speaking the same language.

If you or your department have this document printed to bring to an incident, please reprint and replace with the new version.

The OSFM appreciates the Incident Management Team Safety Officers and Operations personnel for making the revision possible.

Please reach out to mariah.rawlins@state.or.us if you have any questions about this document or the changes.
Mutual aid milestone for Alfalfa FD
The following information was submitted to the Gated Wye by
Bend Battalion Chief Dave Howe.

O n August 1st, Bend Fire Department responded to a small brush fire off Dodds Road in the eastern part of our response district. We requested mutual aid from the Alfalfa Fire District, and they responded with a water tender. Although the fire was small and they didn’t have much to do, it was a significant event.

This marked the first time that the newly formed fire district has answered a mutual aid request from Bend.
 
"Because we are very supportive of their efforts, we consider that a 'red letter' event, marking the growth of the fire service in Central Oregon in response to community needs," said Bend Battalion Chief Dave Howe.
 
Eds. Note : The Alfalfa Fire District was officially formed in December 2013 and covers 63 square miles in Deschutes and Crook counties with a population of approximately 1,240. As of Spring 2017, they reported to have 15 volunteer firefighters and four medical responders, led by Fire Chief Ron Thompson.
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