November 2018 Published by the Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal

Responding to help your neighbors A s calendars turn from October to November, cooler weather may give many Oregonians the idea that the long and challenging fire season of 2018 is over, but until substantial rains come don't let your guard down. Though it may seem counter-intuitive because of the cooler weather and the anticipation of rain, October was still an active month for Oregon wildfires as dry vegetation, long duration incidents, and seasonal winds continued to threaten communities.   Although our focus is wildland fires that impact our communities, OSFM teams are all-hazard, and Oregon had the privilege to send two Incident Management Teams teams to Florida to assist with the Hurricane Michael response. Incident Commander Les Hallman and the Green Team were mobilized to Gulf County, Florida. Sadly, Gulf County had over 1,000 homes destroyed. The Green Team coordinated the re-establishment of infrastructures such as power, water, and transportation. Incident Commander Ted Kunze, along with the combined OSFM and Oregon Department of Forestry IMT, reported to Bay County in the Florida Panhandle. The unified IMT provided leadership to the county for emergency management response by deploying resources for search and rescue. The team then shifted into recovery mode by helping residents obtain transitional housing and getting kids back into schools. As many of you remember, the Klondike Fire started on July 15 th , originally threatening homes in Selma and Cave Junction. Then on October 14 th , unusually warm temperatures, low humidity, and gusty winds picked up embers from within the Klondike West Fire perimeter and carried them up to 6 miles away, creating 2,000 acres of increased growth. As the fire headed towards the community of Agness on October 15 th , the 11 th conflagration of the year was declared.   I am very humbled to be a part of the Oregon Fire Service. Your dedication to not only responding to help your neighbors in Oregon, but to California and Florida as well, shows the compassion and care that you bring as an Oregon first responder.  With the holidays quickly approaching, spend extra time with your family, friends, and co-workers, because without their support, we wouldn’t have been as successful in 2018. Take care and thanks for all you do!

Oregon State Fire Marshal Jim Walker

Thanksgiving fire safety

T he Thanksgiving holiday is upon us and Oregon families will be coming together for a time of celebration. The hours spent in the kitchen preparing turkey, mashed potatoes, pies, and all the other fixings, however, comes with an increased risk for household fires. The Oregon State Fire Marshal would like to remind Oregonians of the importance of taking safety precautions to ensure a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday. In recent years, it has become trendy to deep-fry turkeys instead of cooking them in the oven. Deep-frying a turkey, which involves submerging an entire bird in hot cooking oil, is so dangerous that the NFPA specifically discourages this cooking technique. Hot cooking oil can be spilled if a unit is tipped over or overfilled when a turkey is inserted. A small amount of cooking oil coming into contact with a burner can cause a large fire, and without thermostat controls, deep fryers may also overheat the oil to the point of combustion. If you choose to deep fry a turkey, make sure pets and children are kept away from the cooking area. "We don't actually recommend frying turkeys, but if you're going to, there are a number of safety tips we strongly urge our residents to follow to keep from having a tragedy on your holiday," states Chief Walker.

The OSFM offers these safety tips for those who choose to do so: Never use a deep fryer on a wooden deck, under a patio cover, in a garage, or in an enclosed space. Fryers should only be used outdoors on a sturdy, level surface isolated from anything that could burn. Keep children and pets out of the 3-foot radius around your fryer to protect against burn injuries. The pot, lid, and handles of a turkey fryer can be incredibly hot. To protect hands and arms against burns, wear long, well-insulated cooking gloves. Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes from oil splatter. Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby and never use water to extinguish a grease fire. Make sure the turkey is completely thawed and thoroughly dried before it is placed in a fryer. The water from a frozen turkey will not mix with the oil in the fryer and can be an explosion hazard. The National Turkey Foundation recommends that you add 24 hours of thaw time in the refrigerator for every five pounds of turkey weight. Thawing in the refrigerator is the safest option, and turkeys should never be defrosted on the countertop.

Jim Walker receives OFDDA President’s Award

Oregon State Fire Marshal Jim Walker was awarded the 2018 Oregon Fire District Directors Association President’s Award at their conference last week. The President’s Award is given at the sole discretion of the OFDDA President and is highly coveted. It is given only to those individuals who have gone above and beyond in their support of the OFDDA and the fire service. OFDDA President Don Thompson praised Chief Walker for "being a long time friend and supporter of the Oregon Fire District Directors Association and for implementing and overseeing programs that protect Oregon’s citizens, their property, and the environment from fire and hazardous materials. He walks the halls of the Capitol and testifies before the legislature on the status of conflagrations, the importance of training our firefighters, advocates for adequate funding to protect the lives and property of the people he serves." Congratulations Chief Walker on an award well deserved! We are lucky to have you representing Oregonians, the OSFM staff, and the Oregon fire service.

Office Fire Service Office Administrators (OFSOA)

“Sharing a Standard of Excellence” www.ofsoa.com

The Oregon Fire Service Office Administrators (OFSOA) is a networking and educational organization for administrative personnel serving Oregon Fire Service agencies – from Fire Chiefs and Administrative Assistants to Entry-Level Clerk positions 1. This organization is approximately 26 years old, evolving from informal networking to the formation of a state-wide organization in July of 1991. With a membership of approximately 170 office administrators, 68 of them convened in October for the Fall OFSOA Conference located in Bend, Oregon. There were several subjects that garnered quite a bit of discussion, such as topics of pay equity, conflagration pay, records management, a state surplus overview, dealing with difficult co-workers and the public, de-escalation tactics, teamwork essentials, etc. There was also a Warm Springs diversity overview as well as a couple of presentations that included a mock EMS transport and car fire training demonstration by Sunriver Fire and Rescue and DPSST. There were networking events that occurred as well, such as the Murder Mystery Dinner, which encouraged working together, and the Awards Banquet, which featured an inspiring speech and a couple songs from Nancy Stevens, one of the creators of Oregon Adaptive Sports – an organization that helps provide recreational opportunities for individuals with disabilities. The office administrators in attendance were given ideas and tools that could be taken back to their home stations and implemented.  Membership to this organization is easy and all one would need to do to begin to participate is to go to the website listed above for further information. The state is divided into five regions, and a knowledgeable representative is elected for each. Members of the board are quick to follow up to inquiries and questions and this organization is open to all fire service office administrators, women and men, that wish to be involved. The OFSOA also offers the Accreditation Program, which is an optional self-improvement program. Though structured, this is an ongoing, flexible program that gives value and direction to training 1. The next event, the Spring Workshop, will be hosted by Albany Fire on April 18 th and 19 th, 2019. 1 Information acquired from the OFSOA New Member Orientation Binder and the OFSOA website

Tank Car training prop

The BNSF Railway graciously donated a retired tank car to the Office of State Fire Marshal (OSFM) recently for use as a training prop. With assistance from Union Pacific (UP) Railroad, the tank car was transported from Portland to Hermiston. The tank car was placed with Umatilla County Fire District #1 at their training station, which is also the home of the Regional HazMat Emergency Response Team 10 Hermiston. This invaluable prop will allow both the HazMat Team 10 Hermiston and local fire departments a hands-on tool to practice firefighting, leak mitigation, and spill release techniques to better prepare them for a potential HazMat by rail incident. This is the 3 rd tank car prop donated by BNSF and UP to OSFM over the past 2 years, and locations now include Salem, Eugene, and Hermiston. With training props like this and continued partnerships with fire departments across Oregon, we can provide first responders the framework for safe, efficient, and effective responses to HazMat rail incidents.

Register for these upcoming training opportunities coordinated by the OSFM: NFPA Hazmat Incident Commander: Hermiston: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nfpa-hazmat-incident-commander-tickets-51713882615  Eugene:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nfpa-hazmat-incident-commander-tickets-51419948450

Code Corner

by OSFM Code Deputy David Mills

Kerosene and Propane Unvented Portable Heaters

Each year in nearly every county and community in the country, at least one house fire occurs that is caused by a gas-fired space heater igniting nearby combustibles. Accidents involving candles and lanterns used in both outdoor and indoor settings are not at all uncommon also. In nearly all of these incidents, the exercise of common sense and the practice of keeping ignition sources and fuel packages well separated could have prevented property damage or loss of life.

Here is some statistical data obtained from the State Fire Marshal’s Analytics & Intelligence Unit. Heating Equipment Fire Data Points ( Portable Heater Fire Info Bolded ) This data pull included structure fires (11- and 12- series incidents: buildings, manufactured homes, and campers used as residences) with the following heat equipment sources: catalytic heaters, oil heaters, heaters excluding catalytic/oil, portable appliances designed to produce heat, other, and heating stoves between 2013 & 2017. The data pull did not include furnace-related fires. Heating has been one of the top five reported causes of residential structure fires in Oregon over the past five years. Heating fires in Oregon most commonly occur during the months of November, December, January, February, and March. 64% of Oregon’s heating equipment fires occurred during one of these months. There were 923 total structure fires reported in Oregon within the past 5 years that involved heating equipment, averaging 185 heating equipment related structure fires in Oregon per year. 43% (397) involved a stove used for heating 34% (310 fires) involved portable heaters 23% (216) involved other heating equipment

The total dollar loss for Oregon structure fires involving heating equipment over the past five years was over $24 million, averaging $4.9 million loss per year. Portable heaters made up 45% of the total dollar loss of the fires involving heating equipment. The total dollar loss from Oregon structure fires involving portable heaters over the past five years was over $11 million, averaging over $2.2 million loss per year. There were 38 civilian injuries, 18 civilian deaths, and 12 total fire service injuries resulting from Oregon structure fires involving heating equipment over the past five years. There were 15 civilian injuries, 16 civilian deaths, and 4 total fire service injuries resulting from Oregon structure fires involving portable heaters over the past five years. Most of Oregon’s structure fires involving heating equipment began in the kitchen (20%), living room (12%), or bedroom (12%). Most portable heater fires begin in the bedroom of the home (25%). The second most prevalent area of origin for portable heater fires is in the living room (12%). The third most common area of origin for portable heater fires is in the bathroom (8%). Oregon Fire Code As outlined in the 2014 Oregon Fire Code (OFC) Section 603.4, “Portable unvented fuel-fired heating equipment shall be prohibited in occupancies in Groups A, E, I, R-1, R-2, R-3 and R-4.” Portable unvented fuel-fired heating equipment refers to portable space heaters, such as LP-gas (propane) fired or kerosene-fueled appliances. This section does not apply to permanently installed appliances. Portable space-heating appliances are often moved around at will by the occupants and might be placed too close to combustibles or where they are susceptible to being hit, tipped over, etc. Because of potential misuse, such appliances are considered an unacceptable risk in the listed, higher life hazard occupancies noted above. However, there are two exceptions to this provision. Exception 1, “Listed and approved unvented fuel-fired heaters, including portable outdoor gas-fired heating appliances, in one- and two-family dwellings.” This exception is based on the assumption that, in one- and two-family dwellings, the occupants will (ought to) take greater care in the use of such appliances. Exception 2, “Portable outdoor gas-fired heating appliances shall be allowed in accordance with Section 603.4.2.” This is based on the provisions of OFC Section 603.4.2 and its subsections, which provide strict regulation of portable outdoor gas-fired heating appliances in all occupancies. Another provision of the fire code is in Section 603.4.1, “ Unvented fuel-fired heating equipment shall not be located in, or obtain combustion air from, any of the following rooms or spaces: sleeping rooms, bathrooms, toilet rooms or storage closets. ” The intent of this section is to prevent fuel-fired appliances from being installed in rooms and spaces where the combustion process could pose a threat to occupants. Potential threats include depleted oxygen levels; elevated levels of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides, carbon monoxide, and other combustion gases; ignition of combustibles; and elevated levels of flammable gases. In small rooms, such as bedrooms and bathrooms, the doors are typically closed when the room is occupied, which could allow combustion gases to build up to life-threatening levels. In bedrooms, sleeping occupants would not be alert to or aware of impending danger.

When unvented fuel-fired heaters are utilized and especially when not properly maintained, can produce levels of carbon monoxide that could be deadly. Maintaining your heating equipment and having working carbon monoxide alarms in your home is very important. Remember, carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, toxic gas that kills by depriving the body of oxygen. Fuel heaters that are not working properly can be a deadly source of carbon monoxide. For safety, many heaters are equipped with oxygen-depletion sensors that automatically shut off the heater if oxygen levels in the room fall too low. If your heater does not have this safety feature, we would advise you to replace the heater. Most manufacturers and the Consumer Products Safety Commission recommend opening a window at least one inch to allow fresh air into the house whenever you operate a kerosene or propane heater indoors. Carbon monoxide alarms that meet the UL standard 2034, when used properly, will provide early detection and warning and may prevent unintentional carbon monoxide related deaths. Every home should have a carbon monoxide alarm if you use a kerosene or propane heater.

Data Connection

News from the Analytics & Intelligence Unit by Fire Data Research Analyst Kayla Brookshire

ImageTrend Elite Transition Update

It’s the season for the time-honored tradition of grant applications for the fire service! In honor of the 2018 grant season, the focus of the Data Connection article this month is a ‘How To’ guide for retrieving your grant data in the new Oregon Elite system. If you’re a current Elite user interested in pulling grant data for analysis using Excel, this guide is for you! Just a reminder, the deadline to transition to Oregon Elite is 12/31/2018. If your agency is one of the 73 agencies below currently using Oregon Fire Bridge, and you have not yet reached out to transition to Elite, please give us a call at 503-934-8250 or send us an email at osfm.data@state.or.us to begin the process.

We have created two template reports: 1) Grant Data and 2) EMS Calls with ALS or BLS. This guide is for the report named Grant Data, designed to extract the most commonly requested data points necessary to complete your grant application forms: Incident type Injuries Deaths Acres Burned Mutual Aid Begin by navigating to the Elite home page ( https://imagetrendelite.com/Elite/Organizationoregon /) using either of the recommended browsers, Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Once you have logged in to the Oregon Elite system, choose the Tools button drop-down from the top toolbar, shown in the red box on the screenshot image below:

After the Tools drop-down menu appears, click the link for Report Writer on the left side of the page. The Report Writer page will load, and on the left side, there will be a search bar. This search bar can be used to look up a report by using a keyword. In this search bar, just type the keyword grant, and the matching reports will load in the folders below (no need to hit the enter key, the reports will appear automatically after typing your keyword). Click on the report name Grant Report . This report will be located underneath the Admin folder of your shared reports.

For the date parameter, change the dropdown to Basic Incident Date Original (FD1.3): is between. In the next two text boxes, you will enter the beginning and end dates for the date range that you want your report to reference. For example, to retrieve data for the previous three years, type 1/1/2015 for the next box and 12/31/2017 for the last box.

After completing the fields above, click Generate Report in the top right again. It may take a few moments to load, but your data will appear on the next screen. Once your data has appeared, you can export your data to Excel. To export your data, click the Actions drop-down tab from the Report Writer toolbar. Choose Export > CSV.

Your data will download (this step will take some time, please note the ‘Waiting for imagetrendelite.com’ message at the bottom of your browser window). Once your data has downloaded, it will either appear at the bottom of your browser to be opened, or a pop up dialog will appear, from which you can open the .csv file in Excel. Excel can then be used to filter and/or pivot your data in order to get a breakdown of incident types by year, a breakdown of which calls corresponded to each type of mutual aid, etc. Be sure to save the analysis file as an .xlsx file type after adding calculations or additional sheets/pivot tables to preserve the Excel formatting.

The second template report, titled EMS Calls with ALS or BLS provides a list of all of the 300 series calls within the time period specified that have a primary action taken code equal to ‘32’ or ‘33’. This report is grouped by the action taken codes, and at the end of each grouping, a total count is provided on the right side of the report as scene in the screenshot image below—a total for 1) ‘32’ (BLS), 2) ‘33’ (ALS), and 3) a grand total at the bottom of the last page of the report that includes both ALS & BLS calls.

There is also an option to save a copy of any existing report in the Oregon Elite system (including the Grant Report), and with a few edits, a report can be scheduled in advance to provide the data that your agency will need at the scheduled times you wish to receive them. If you’re interested in learning more about scheduling reports, feel free to send an email to osfm.data@state.or.us to request additional information. If there is an interest, a ‘How-To’ guide can be created for scheduling reports to be shared in a future Gated Wye Data Connection article.

OSFM new employee

Kayla Brookshire Fire Data Research Analyst Analytics and Intelligence Unit Kayla joined the Analytics and Intelligence Unit in March of 2018 as a Research Analyst 2. Kayla works with Oregon Fire Bridge™ and Elite to identify trends and areas of risk in Oregon. She processes information requests, has been a key element in the updates for the OSFM 2017 Supplemental Annual Report, and has been identifying new pockets of information that can be used for Community Risk Reduction efforts in jurisdictions in Oregon. Kayla has a background in Gerontology which includes quantitative and qualitative studies related to community challenges and resources for older adults that are aging in place. Her Master’s thesis study was on older adult community satisfaction in neighborhoods within Atlanta, Georgia and identifying areas where additional public services are needed. Kayla said, “I am looking forward to learning more about the fire service, assisting the fire agencies across Oregon with analyzing and utilizing their NFIRS fire data, and working to increase access to and understanding of data through infographics, data visuals, and the report project called ‘Unpacking the Fire Problem." Kayla is a Georgia native, but enjoys traveling. After a trip to Oregon with her husband, Kayla said they “fell in love with the natural splendor of Oregon.” Shortly after this visit, they relocated and she says, “Oregon already feels like home.” She and her husband enjoy visiting the Oregon Coast with their dog, Erik, “a 70lb standard poodle who thinks he’s a lapdog.” They are excited to continue to explore their new home state.

OFMA Annual Technical Education Conference

OFMA Annual Technical Education Conference Nov. 6-7, 2018 Registration is now open for the Oregon Fire Marshals Association (OFMA) Technical Education Conference (TEC). Get ready for two informative days of expert speakers and networking opportunities while earning ICC Continuing Education Credits for every class you attend. This year's presentations will address a range of topics. Class offerings will include: Fire Inspections: Going Beyond the Business Footprint (.25 CEUs) Flexible Sprinkler Fitting Systems (.40 CEUs) I Can Be Sued for That? (.20 CEUS) NFPA 3000: Standards for an Active Shooter / Hostile Event Response (ASHER) Program (.15 CEUs) NFPA 241: Standards for Safeguarding Construction, Alteration, and Demolition Operations (.10 CEUs) Roundtable Discussions: Code Update for Oregon & Appendix N (.15 CEUs) Location: Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST), 4190 Aumsville Hwy SE, Salem, OR  Pricing: OFMA / OBOA member price of $165 for single day and $265 for the full conference. Lunch and snacks are included. Visit the  OFMA website  for more information about TEC including the  schedule ,  speakers , pricing, registration , and more.

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