October 2019 Published by the Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal

Take Time to Practice During Fire Prevention Month For most of us, having a safe and secure place to call home is essential to our well-being and allows us to achieve our greatest potential. While most of us feel safest in our homes, it is also where we are at the greatest risk from fires. In Oregon, home fires last year took 30 lives, and the Oregon fire service statewide responded to 2,560 home fires. Nationally we know that seven people a day will lose their lives to home fires.  We focus efforts during Fire Prevention Month this October on informing Oregonians about actions they can take to promote safety and save lives. Our fire service partners, who are entrusted with dedicated service to the communities they serve, will play a critical role in this statewide effort to promote awareness messages as fire-safety public educators.  I am often reminded of those who have experienced home fires and have positively demonstrated that individuals and families can escape safely by planning ahead. Every family and every Oregonian can take basic planning steps to ensure they can safely escape a home fire.  Many community members don’t know that during a typical home fire, a person may have a few minutes to escape safely from the time the smoke alarm sounds.   Start your community members with basic steps. Engage your community in the call to action that everyone should plan for a home fire.  Ensure your home has working smoke alarms and remember to check them monthly. Make an escape map, showing every window and door and share it with everyone in the household.  Know two ways out of every room, if possible.  Have an outside meeting place a safe distance from the home where everyone should meet. Practice your home fire drill at least twice a year, during the night and day. When the smoke alarm sounds, get out and stay out; never go back inside for others or pets.  Once outside, then call 9-1-1. On behalf of the Office of State Fire Marshal, thank you for organizing safety fairs, open houses, and school visits to share these life-saving tips. Please remember to visit our website to order the free educational resources that can be used for your fire prevention outreach.

Oregon State Fire Marshal Jim Walker

A Solemn Remembrance for Oregon's Fallen Firefighters

The Office of State Fire Marshal joined its Oregon fire service family on Sept. 19 at the 14th anniversary of the Oregon Fallen Firefighters Memorial ceremony. The event, held at the memorial on the grounds of the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training in Salem, was attended by nearly 200 members of the fire service, police, military, and friends and loved ones of those who gave their lives in service of others. Deputy State Fire Marshal Kristina Deschaine was among four dignitaries who honored the fallen by participating in the reading of the names of all 169 Oregon firefighters who died in the line of duty. You will never be forgotten.

Meet Deputy State Fire Marshal Kristina Deschaine

Deputy State Fire Marshal Kristina Deschaine reads names of fallen Oregon firefighters at the Oregon Fallen Firefighters Memorial ceremony on Sept. 19.

Where do you work/how long have you been in your position?  I have worked as a Deputy State Fire Marshal for 18 years, and am currently based in District 5, in Springfield. Tell us about your background before you became a Deputy State Fire Marshal (DSFM). I was an Air Force firefighter for nine years. I worked part time as an inspector for the Office of State Fire Marshal for 18 months before getting a DSFM job. What makes you most proud of being a DSFM? I am proud to be a part of the team of fire marshals who work hard to make our state a more fire-safe place. What is the most rewarding part of your job? I enjoy fire inspections. Sometimes they are complicated. I need to understand the processes that are happening in the building. I also enjoying conducting research on buildings I inspect and educating business owners or managers on the fire code. All of that learning is good fun.   What would you like the public to know about your job? The public should know that we are here to be problem solvers. If we get involved in projects early there is more time to problem solve and come up with solutions or alternatives.   Looking back on 2018, what was your most successful activity in your assigned district that had the most impact in protecting the lives of Oregonians or preventing fires in Oregon? One of my biggest projects was inspecting all of the hotels and motels in Lane County. I completed every inspection in 2018.

2019 and the Conflagrations That Weren’t

Lyons Fire Chief Bob Johnston (far left) briefs Oregon Department of Forestry executives about the Santiam Park Fire. ODF Incident Commander Blake Ellis watches from the side. Unified Command included Lyons Fire, ODF, and the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.

As we enter autumn of 2019, Office of State Fire Marshal staff have been reflecting on the past few months. Compared to 2017 and 2018, this past summer has been a welcome relief. To date, there has not been a single fire in the state that has threatened a community to the point that the local fire authority has asked the Governor to invoke the Conflagration Act to utilize the statewide mutual aid system.   The previous year saw 11 declared conflagrations, a record for any given season, ranging from June 21 to Oct. 14. Oregon’s structural fire service also answered the call to respond to Hurricane Michael in Florida and both the Mendocino Complex and Camp Fire in California before 2018 had ended.   The current fire year, however, has not been slow. Many wildfires started in our forestlands and near our communities were attacked aggressively by the agencies having initial attack responsibility and their mutual aid partners.  As of mid-September, there were 1,778 fires reported to the Northwest Coordination Center in the state compared to the 2,019 total in 2018.  The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), the U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management found and attacked fires consistently. Oregon’s structural fire service plays a vital and important role in the suppression of wildfires as well, which often goes unnoticed because those agencies might not have jurisdiction for initial attack. We have seen firsthand the fire service arrive on-scene and get to work on suppression alongside state and federal partners to keep fires small. We have seen the fire service go into unprotected lands and stop fires when no other agencies are responding.  The Santiam Park Fire in mid-March stands out as a shining example of Oregon’s mutual aid system in action. The fire started on ODF-protected lands and quickly jumped a river, threatening approximately 40 nearby homes and causing evacuations. Mutual aid from the structural fire service quickly responded from first Marion and then Linn counties to aid in suppression and management of the fire.   Thanks to the aggressive initial attack and strong work by all agencies, the fire was kept to 189 acres and no structures were lost. The fact that the system was prepared to respond in full force to a wildfire in March is a testament to the strength of the fire service’s processes and relationships. Wildfire-forced evacuations in March further highlight that fire responds to conditions rather than calendars.  This past summer demonstrated the importance of a healthy mutual aid system. The system relies on strong partnerships and mutual aid at all levels; from the initial agency having jurisdiction, to their local mutual aid neighbors, to expanded mutual aid partners, to state and federal agencies, and ultimately to tapping into the statewide network through conflagration, to requesting intrastate mutual aid through EMAC. Strong working relationships and pre-planning for response remain the foundation of fire suppression in Oregon and around the country.

New Mobile Communication Unit Vehicles for IMTs

Red Team Deputy Logistics Section Chief Kyle Romey inspects Thing 1 prior to delivery.

The Office of State Fire Marshal (OSFM) has added two new vehicles to our fleet. Affectionately called Thing 1 and Thing 2, the new mobile Communications Unit vehicles replace the red cargo trailers our Incident Management Team (IMT) members have been working out of since 2012.   In addition to providing substantially more space in which to work, these units will provide Communications personnel with WIFI, a radio monitoring station, permanently installed monitors and printing capability, and easier access to equipment.   The OSFM’s Communications Unit provides a valuable service during mobilizations by establishing repeater sites and communication plans, distributing and cloning Bendix King radios, and monitoring radio traffic 24/7 to serve as the point of contact between an incident-within-the-incident and the team at camp. The Communications Unit is instrumental in providing for the safety of Oregon’s first responders, and the OSFM is pleased to be in a position to make their jobs a little easier in the future.   These new vehicles were made possible thanks to the time and dedication of our fire service partners. From design and specifications, to inspection and delivery, to transitioning equipment from the trailers, every step benefited from the donated time of IMT members from the Logistics Section. Like so many projects undertaken by the OSFM, we could not have done this without your help. We look forward to deploying the Things in the future and hope you will stop by and take a look.

Data Connection

News from the Analytics & Intelligence Unit by  Fire Data Research Analyst  Russ Hoskins

From 2014 through 2017, the rate of submitted National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) reports in Oregon not meeting 100 percent validity hovered between 2 and 3 percent. In 2018, however, the rate jumped to just over 5 percent.  While those numbers may seem modest, and even acceptable, the sheer volume of reported incidents means that tens of thousands of submitted reports were not successfully validated during the period. For the last reported year, 2018, the Oregon fire service reported 385,000 incidents, of which 20,932 were not 100 percent validated.

It is commonly known that validating a report to the NFIRS standard simply means to provide the mandatory information required by the U.S. Fire Administration based on the incident type. Validation ensures that all required data elements and associated fire forms are properly completed. What happens if NFIRS reports are not validated to 100 percent accuracy?  NFIRS fire incidents submitted to the Office of State Fire Marshal, through the ImageTrend application, are only forwarded to the national database if the incident has 100 percent validation accuracy. This ensures that only those incidents meeting mandatory requirements are uploaded to the national level.  Is NFIRS reporting even required? Is it mandatory to validate reports to 100% accuracy? NFIRS reporting is required in accordance with ORS 476.210-220, and every effort should be made to achieve 100% validity. Anytime a public safety agency requests additional funding, equipment, or personnel from governmental funding entities, that public safety agency will surely be required to justify the request with supporting statistical data based upon a national standard. Validating NFIRS reports allows Oregon fire agencies to inform a broader understanding of our state and local fire problem. Accurate fire incident records allow agencies to quantify their services to their communities, document the responses and resources used, and provide detailed information to assist all fire agencies in providing critical education, prevention, and suppression support.

Code Corner

By OSFM Code Deputy David Mills  Fire & Life Safety Guidelines For Temporary Haunted Houses

As the fall season approaches, it is that time of year when ghosts and goblins are out in full force, lured to the adventure of the scary haunted house.  In Oregon, the 2014 Oregon Fire Code, Appendix K, provides fire safety guidelines for these temporary haunted structures. Many local fire jurisdictions may also have supplemental and additional requirements for public safety. Calls for service at these venues can be challenging due to the number of people and the intended nature of the facilities’ layout. Positive fire prevention actions prior to an event can improve a department’s ability to provide fire and EMS services to patrons at these events.  In addition to the guidelines of Appendix K, here are some additional key items to consider: Is the nearest fire station aware of the occupancy, location, and event? Is there a pre-fire plan in place? How many square feet is the occupancy? What are the hours of the event? Is the building address clearly identified and easy to find? Does the building have a fire detection or suppression system? When is one required?  What types of props and special effects will be used? What is the calculated occupant load, including workers and patrons? Are the workers clear on the evacuation procedures and are they trained and prepared? What is the combustibility or flammability of corridor linings, props, and costumes? These are but a few of the items you may want to consider in the course of managing your local haunted houses. As always, the goal is to have a safe, as well as “spooktacular,” experience.  (Photo credit: "Haunted House Dark Ride" by Corey Coyle is licensed under CC BY 3.0)

Competency Recognition Program and 2019 Oregon Fire Code Update

The Office of State Fire Marshal is hosting an informational meeting in Salem on Oct. 15, to highlight changes to the OSFM Competency Recognition Program for the Oregon fire service and the adoption of the 2019 Oregon Fire Code. The event is free and open to all interested parties. The update to the state’s fire code follows 36 months of work with more than 150 members of the Oregon Fire Code Committee. The 2019 Oregon Fire Code is based on the 2018 edition of the International Fire Code, with Oregon amendments.   Where: Hall of Heroes, Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training, 4190 Aumsville Hwy. SE, Salem, OR 97317 When: Oct. 15, 2019, beginning at 1 p.m. Who: Fire chiefs, fire marshals, code officials, and all interested parties No conference call in line will be available.   The meeting will cover the following topics: An overview of updates to the competency recognition curriculum and online delivery method, Discussion of the newly developed Fire Code Advisory Board (CAB), Summary of significant changes within the 2019 Oregon Fire Code including: emergency planning and preparedness, processing and extraction, upcoming mid-cycle amendments to the Oregon Fire Code, and Opportunities to ask OSFM subject matter experts questions on code changes and the competency recognition program. For more information and questions, call the OSFM at 503-934-8256 or email shari.barrett@osp.oregon.gov.

Training Focuses on Behavioral Health Issues

There are still spaces available for a free, two-hour training focusing behavioral health topics for the Oregon fire service, scheduled for Oct. 22 in Salem. After Oregon's structural fire response to the California wildfires, the Office of State Fire Marshal received funding to host the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance's program: An Internal Size-Up. This FF/EMT behavioral health workshop educates attendees on the awareness of stress, anxiety, PTSD, addictions, depression, anger, suicide, and retirement. The event is free of charge to members of the Oregon fire service, and will have seating for up to 60 students. Register online.   The workshop runs from 9 to 11 a.m. on Oct. 22, at the Department of Public of Safety Standards and Training, in Salem. The mission of the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance is to collaborate, develop, and implement behavioral health awareness, prevention, intervention, and post-crisis strategies to provide firefighters with an easily accessible and confidential source of information. Visit the alliance’s website to learn more.

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