October 2018
Published by the Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal
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Fire Prevention Month
is upon us
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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 these efforts to a new topic this fall, Governor Kate Brown has declared October as Fire Prevention Month with a theme mirroring the national campaign “Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere.”
Given that recent destructive Oregon fires are still fresh in the minds of our residents, this month is a perfect chance to heighten awareness and action regarding home fire safety.
As I traveled throughout the state this summer from fire to fire, I was fortunate to witness the appreciation that Oregon’s residents have for the fire service. Fliers, pictures, and posters thanking you for your efforts, such as this poster from Dufur (shown below), testify to the great trust and appreciation our communities have for your service.
As I look towards Fire Prevention Month, I am reminded that the safety tips and information that we will provide this October are further means of honoring and fulfilling that trust placed in Oregon’s fire service.
Fire safety takes commitment from fire service agency leaders and public educators, like the Oregon Life Safety Team (OLST). The OLST implements statewide fire prevention and safety education, and recently began to focus on a Community Risk Reduction (CRR) project to reduce residential cooking fires.
CRR identifies and prioritizes risks, and fire agencies and community partners can help prevent and reduce the risks this project will identify (cooking fires and causes) through educational efforts. Over the past five years, cooking has consistently been the leading known cause of residential structure fires in Oregon, causing an average of 19% of Oregon’s total residential structural fires.
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 FPM
webpage
and make use of our free educational resources when conducting your fire prevention activities.
As emergency responders, you have demonstrated a commitment and dedication to fire prevention and safety, from focusing on behavior change, to incident response, mutual aid, and backfill assistance. Time after time, Oregon’s fire service has demonstrated an admirable level of professionalism, competence, and dedication to the protection of Oregon residents, property, and the environment.
Thanks for all you do.
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Oregon State Fire Marshal Jim Walker
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Chief Deputy Ruiz-Temple appointed to IAFCs EMC
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Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal Chief Deputy Mariana Ruiz-Temple has been selected to serve on the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Emergency Management Committee (EMC) where she hopes to strengthen national relationships and continue to grow the Oregon mutual aid system. Ruiz-Temple notes that her role in the EMC will provide opportunities for information sharing and collaboration; knowledge, she says, that she can adapt to Oregon’s unique fire and life safety issues.
In her previous position as Assistant Chief Deputy of the Emergency Response Branch, Ruiz-Temple oversaw the Community Right-to-Know program, three State Incident Management Teams (IMTs), thirteen Regional Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Teams, and Local Emergency Planning Committees. In addition, she was responsible for the Agency Operations Center (AOC) and the mobilization of structural resources for wildfires and other All-Hazard Incidents throughout the state.
As Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal, she has focused on partnerships, collaboration, and cultivating relationships with Oregon fire service and other response agencies throughout the state. She has been a leader in the Oregon Fire Service as she has promoted the state’s mutual aid system and preparedness throughout the system.
Oregon State Police Superintendent Travis Hampton states “I’m very pleased to see Chief Deputy Ruiz-Temple become a member of the IAFC emergency management committee. She is a highly regarded ambassador from Oregon’s public safety community, possessing the coveted traits of technical expertise, an affable personality and leadership aptitude. Mariana is a cherished member of the Oregon State Police executive leadership team and I’m honored to have the agency represented on the IAFC committee, so our national public safety colleagues can benefit from her experience and wisdom.”
Ruiz-Temple is a member of the Oregon Fire Chiefs Association and the Governor’s Fire Service Policy Council. She has also served on the board of Pacific Northwest Coordinating Group Steering Committee, International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Inter-state Mutual Aid Project, National Hazmat Fusion Center Executive Board, and the National Association of SARA Title III Public Officials.
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) represents the leadership of firefighters and emergency responders worldwide; their members are the world's leading experts in firefighting, emergency medical services, terrorism response, hazardous materials spills, natural disasters, search and rescue, and public safety policy. IAFC members play a vital role in the association’s governance, policy, and programs through the work of the committee.
The IAFC's Emergency Management Committee is responsible for addressing issues of mutual aid and providing state-to-state coordination and oversight to the IMAS project. The EMC was officially approved by the Board of Directors in May 2006 and is supported by DHS's National Integration Center (NIC).
Chief Walker states, “Mariana’s expertise on mutual aid will add value to the IAFC Emergency Management Committee. We are proud that she was selected, and we look forward to the knowledge she will bring back to Oregon to enhance our emergency management capability".
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OSFM's Agency Operations Center
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So far this summer, the OSFM’s Agency Operations Center (AOC) has been open for 40 days and has mobilized 65 task forces and six strike teams to one California and ten Oregon fires. In addition, the AOC frequently coordinated the mobilization of critical support assets, including deployment of the Mobile Command Vehicle, tools to create a defensible space around threatened structures, and trailers loaded with incident communication equipment.
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Oregon’s Fire Defense Board Chiefs are a key partner in the AOC’s effort to mobilize resources. This summer, many Fire Defense Board Chiefs updated the AOC weekly with their county’s resource availability (even daily, in some cases). These frequent updates helped the AOC determine where to find resources quickly, to meet the specific request of the conflagration (Type 1 Strike Team vs. Task Force of Type III and Type VI), and to arrive when needed (day ops vs. night ops). On a few conflagrations, the regular updating of the availability “dashboard” allowed the initial resource order to sometimes be filled only minutes after the Governor’s official approval.
Our staff would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to Oregon’s Fire Defense Board Chiefs and their crews for communicating so effectively with our AOC, submitting frequent resource updates, advising on changes to contact information, and for answering their cell phones at all hours of the day in support of the OSFM mission
To Protect Citizens, Their Property, and the Environment from Fire and Hazardous Materials.
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2018 Fire season mobilization recap
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The first day of summer brought the first conflagration of 2018, when OSFM’s Green Team and five structural task forces responded to the Graham Fire near Lake Billy Chinook. After three days, all resources returned to their home stations.
The next conflagration was declared July 17, for the Substation Fire burning near Moro, Oregon.
Just days later, another conflagration was declared for the Garner Complex in southwestern Oregon. In rapid succession, OSFM mobilized resources to California to aid in response to the Mendocino Complex; back to the gorge for the South Valley Fire; north from Garner and Taylor to the Sugarpine and Miles Fires; to the Memaloose 2 Fire in Mosier.
There was no respite until the evening of August 12, when OSFM’s Agency Operations Center tracked the last resource safely home. Then on August 17, a conflagration was declared for the Stubblefield Fire near Condon, and on August 22, resources returned to Jackson County to assist in managing the Ramsey Canyon Fire.
All resources were home for nearly a week before the Hugo Fire threatened homes in Josephine County, and the Red Team and four task forces mobilized to assist over Labor Day.
OSFM teams and the Oregon Fire Service as a whole remain ready to respond to requests from neighboring states or others in need at any time of year. Below is some preliminary data as it relates to OSFM’s Oregon responses during the 2018 season.
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Community Right to Know online reporting
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The Community Right to Know program (CR2K) just marked the completion of the first submission period for online hazardous substance reporting. Beginning January 1, 2018, Oregon facilities were able to utilize CHS Manager, CR2K’s new web-based reporting program, and had until September 1, 2018 to submit their reports.
To date, approximately 80% of the facilities have updated their information and reports continue to come in. CR2K staff are conducting compliance activities and working with facilities to ensure up-to-date information is collected.
Once a facility has submitted a report, CHS Manager – which is short for “Community Right to Know Hazardous Substance Manager” – the information is immediately available to first responders, emergency managers, and health officials. This includes a complete list of reported hazardous substances, safety data sheets, and facility contact information. Facility maps and emergency plans may also be viewed by planners and responders if the facility has uploaded them.
CHS Manager also provides tools for emergency planners to identify where schools, hospitals, assisted living facilities, and daycare facilities are in relation to reporting facilities. Primary and secondary “vulnerability zones” can also be mapped that shows how many and what types of these “at risk” facilities are within those zones.
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Functionality also includes interaction with Computer-Aided Management of Emergency Operations (CAMEO) for plume modeling.
If you would like to speak with a CR2K staff member about CHS Manager, please call (503) 934-8239.
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by OSFM Code Deputy David Mills
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Merriam-Webster defines a
sprinkler system
as
: a system for protecting a building against fire by means of overhead pipes which convey an extinguishing fluid (such as water) to heat-activated outlets.
Wikipedia defines a fire sprinkler system as an active fire protection method, consisting of a water supply system, providing adequate pressure and flowrate to a water distribution piping system, onto which fire sprinklers are connected. Fire sprinkler systems are extensively used worldwide, with over 40 million sprinkler heads fitted each year. In buildings completely protected by fire sprinkler systems, over 96% of fires were controlled by fire sprinklers alone.
[1]
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With this in mind, we often accept that a fire sprinkler system is the only line of defense against a fire. Passive combustible and non-combustible construction that resists fire and smoke also provides protection and provides fire containment through compartmentation or division.
Both active and passive forms of fire protection must work in concert to provide the greatest levels of safety to life and property from fire and other hazards and to provide safety to fire fighters and emergency responders during emergency operations.
Even with this data and the latest products on the market, a system is only as effective as the inspection, testing, and maintenance (ITM) program that is used to keep it running once a building is occupied. With the emphasis on fire sprinklers, the minimum requirements for periodic inspection, testing and maintenance of water-based fire protection systems is the 2011 ed. of NFPA 25,
Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems.
Several important terms are used in the standard.
Minimum requirements are the basis for the rules that this standard sets forth. However, nothing prohibits the user from exceeding them.
Periodic establishes that the requirements are performed on a set frequency. Those frequencies are defined in Section 3.7.1 of the standard.
The inspections and tests required by NFPA 25 are developed around the common theme of ensuring operational readiness. Most of those inspection and testing requirements can be found in Chapters 5 through 13. Those chapters dictate specific inspections or tests that must be completed to be in compliance with the standard. For example, 5.2.1.1.2 states:
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Any sprinkler that shows signs of any of the following shall be replaced:
- (2) Corrosion detrimental to sprinkler performance
- (4) Loss of fluid in the glass bulb heat-responsive element
- (5) Loading detrimental to sprinkler performance
- (6) Paint other than that applied by the sprinkler manufacturer
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However, the standard does not require verification that the installation is in accordance with NFPA 13,
Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems.
A requirement to verify compliance with an installation standard is not considered in an NFPA 25 inspection. Verification of the design is challenging since installation standards regularly change with the advancement in sprinkler or other water-based fire suppression technology. Even when the age of the system is known, jurisdictions often do not adopt the most current edition of installation standards, so research would have to be done to determine which edition applies. In addition, state amendments or variances are sometimes in effect, further complicating the issue.
NFPA 25 seeks to balance the cost of inspections and testing with what produces the highest return in system reliability. In determining these requirements, fire loss data, component/system reliability data, and other information are analyzed to determine if the cost associated with the inspection or test, as well as the frequency, is justified.
Sprinkler systems have an excellent success record. In those instances when they do fail, the majority of failures can be attributed to closure of control valves or lack of proper maintenance. History has shown that the performance reliability of a water-based fire protection system under fire-related conditions increases where comprehensive inspection, testing, and maintenance procedures are enforced. Diligence during an inspection is important. The inspection, testing, and maintenance of some items in the standard might not be practical or possible, depending on existing conditions. The deputy/inspector should use good judgment when making inspections.
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News from the Analytics & Intelligence Unit
by Fire Data Research Analyst Kayla Brookshire
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ImageTrend Elite Transition Update
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In light of the quickly approaching end-of-year deadline, below is an update on the transition from Oregon Fire Bridge to Elite.
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So far,
85 agencies
have completed their Elite transition! This represents just over half of the agencies that were previously using the state Fire Bridge system, leaving
81 agencies
that still need to complete their transition by reaching out to the Analytics & Intelligence team via
phone: 503-934-8250
or
email: osfmdata@state.or.us
.
We would like to thank all of the agencies that have reached out to get started on their transition to Elite. We’re excited about the functionality that the upgraded system will bring to our users, including a streamlined, more user-friendly interface for entering fire calls. Our new Elite users who have already made the transition have shared overwhelmingly positive feedback about the upgraded system, which has been an encouraging reward to our transition efforts.
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(Example of Elite NFIRS run form)
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Candice Clark, our Fire Data Specialist, is working tirelessly to ensure that the Elite transition process is painless for our users, and providing daily support and training to our agencies that are in the process of migrating from Oregon Fire Bridge to Elite.
If you are familiar with Report Writer from Oregon Fire Bridge, this feature is still available in the upgraded Elite system! Please contact the Analytics & Intelligence team to request recreation of any reports that you previously used in the Oregon Fire Bridge System.
Kayla Brookshire, Fire Data Research Analyst, will be assisting with replication of reports or requests to create new reports in the Elite system.
As a reminder, our goal is to have all Oregon fire agencies migrated to the Elite system by
January 1, 2019
. If your fire agency is currently using Oregon Fire Bridge and has not yet begun the transition process, please reach out to the Analytics & Intelligence Unit for assistance. We appreciate your cooperation in assisting us with meeting our deadline.
For both our current and new Elite users, feel free to reach out by phone or e-mail with any questions or to request guidance on tasks within the upgraded system. We want to thank you in advance for your patience during this exceptionally busy time as we work diligently to respond to your inquiries.
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Deputy Craig Andresen
Hood River, Gilliam, Morrow, Sherman, N Wasco and Umatilla Counties.
I am excited to be the new District 11 Deputy State Fire Marshal serving out of the Pendleton office. I have been in the Oregon fire service for the previous 13 years, working at Kingsley Field Fire Department and Klamath County Fire District 1, both in Klamath Falls.
Prior to living in Oregon, I spent seven years in Kentucky where I began my career as an explorer in high school. I have had the opportunity to work about every job in the fire service and have really enjoyed my time in prevention and looking forward to many more.
I have been married to my wonderful wife, Becky, for 13 years and we have three sons that keep us busy. We enjoy spending time together as a family doing a variety of activities. We are all looking forward to this next chapter in our lives and appreciate the opportunity to experience a new part of the state.
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Chuck McKay
Community Right to Know
Compliance Specialist
Born in North Carolina, my family moved to Eugene in 1974, and I grew up in the Willamette Valley. I played sports (football, swim team, track) and graduated locally at Sprague High School. I moved to Keizer in 1991 and started a family. I have four children; Jacqueline, Christopher, Danielle, and David that have grown up in Keizer and live within a couple miles of me. About eight weeks ago my first grandchild was born, Bodhi, and he has captured all our hearts.
I started in construction in the late 1980s and have worked all over Oregon until 2005 when I was hired by Marion County Public Works as an equipment operator. I began my work in compliance in 2011 when the weigh master for the county retired. I trained in as a commercial motor vehicle inspector, and became the weigh master for Marion County. During my time as weigh master, I had the pleasure to work collaboratively with many outstanding individuals, including troopers, deputies, and city officers. I valued my time and the relationships I have built with such dynamic partners in the community and I hold each of them in high regard. In early 2018, I saw an opportunity open up at the Office of State Fire Marshal for a compliance specialist, and I jumped at the chance for growth and development in this area.
I hunt, fish, hike, and generally enjoy the outdoors. I hunt deer and elk here in Oregon, and try to get to a new state each year to either hunt or fish and experience new places. My Dad and I make an annual trip to Vancouver Island for salmon, and usually a late year trip to Idaho for Whitetail deer. This is my type of travel and my favorite way to experience new places. All that said, I truly believe we live in our own little slice of Heaven here in Oregon.
On a more personal note, I am engaged to my high school sweetheart, I am very active in our local church, and I am a Scout Master with the Boy Scouts helping out our local troop since 1999. I earned my Eagle Scout in 1986, and enjoy giving back to a program that deeply impacted my life.
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Oregon Fire Sprinkler Coalition
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T
he Oregon Fire Sprinkler Coalition is a group of volunteers dedicated to promoting home fire sprinklers by:
- Acting as a resource for information about home fire sprinklers.
- Educating stakeholder groups.
- Collaborating with fire service organizations to address and overcome barriers to residential fire sprinkler requirements.
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UPCOMING MEETING
October 10, 2018
Bend Fire Training Cente
r
63377 Jaminson St.
Classroom #2
10 a.m. Meeting Plus Free Training 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
PIO & Educator – Sprinkler Messaging Training
Messaging Training https:/piosprinklers.eventbrite.com
Contact:
Coalition Chair Chase Browning
Deputy Fire Marshal, Medford Fire-Rescue
541-601-8045
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See what's happening on our social sites:
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