MSFCA E-Newsletter | August 2017 Page 1

MSFCA E-Newsletter A publication of the MN Fire Chief Magazine | August 2017

Record amount of reimbursementsby Steve Flaherty, MBFTE Executive Director

As I submit this article, there is just under one month to go before the reimbursement request deadline of August 1 is upon us, and already the Minnesota fire service has exceeded last year’s record amount of training reimbursement requests. In fact, last fiscal year (2016), 644 fire departments submitted just over $3.35 million in training ex-penses. In this fiscal year (2017), there have already been 570 departments submitting more than $3.4 million in reimbursement requests. The expectation is that 2017 will end with another record amount of departments who will be sending in their requests in an effort to take advantage of the more than $4.1 million budgeted by the MBFTE board.

One of the interesting side notes at the end of this year’s reimbursement program will be the number of fire departments who have submitted their re-quest for reimbursement for the very first time. To date, there are 10 new departments that we can now count as participants in the reimbursement pro-gram, which brings the total number of Minnesota fire departments that have not participated in one of

the nine rounds down to 27 (or 3.4 percent). I hope we will see a few more of these departments submit something before the deadline.

Many fire departments took advantage of the record amount of funding this year to update their training libraries, subscribe to online training programs, or bring some of their firefighters up to a higher level of credentialing. Whatever the case may have been for your department, the fact remains that the Min-nesota fire service, as a whole, has made itself that much better and more prepared by using the train-ing resources available to them over the last year – and the last decade!

As always, if you have questions, comments, or concerns regarding the MBFTE, please feel free to contact me or anyone of our board members.Steve Flaherty, Executive Director

MSFCA E-Newsletter | August 2017 Page 2

From the President . . .President George Esbensen

In this issue...

Advertiser indexEmergency Apparatus Maintenance .1Emergency Response Solutions ........ 3Explore Alexandria........................... 8Fire Safety USA ................................. 5General Safety ................................... 6Minnesota Twins ............................12MSFCA Campaign Ad ..................... 4

Record amount of reimbursements............ 1by Steve Flaherty, MBFTE Exec. Director

From the President ...........................................2by George Esbensen, MSFCA President

NFPA 1911 and tire replacement on emergency apparatus ........................................3by Tom Jenson, Code Specialist, SFMD

Spotlight on education .................................4by Amanda Swenson, Fire & Life Safety Educator, State Fire Marshal Division

Partnerships are intergral to the success of certification program........................................5by David Schliek, Chairman, Minnesota Fire Service Certification Board

Wildfire Academy draws more than 700 firefighters ............................................................6by Marty Christensen, Public Information Officer

Fall conference:The next two years = setting the future .......7Nyle & Theresa Zikmund, Agents for the MSCA

Our iceberg is melting .................................. 8by Kathi Osmonson, Youth Firesetting Prevention and Intervention Specialist

Highlights from 2017 NFPA conference and Expo, Boston, MA .............................................9by Tom Jenson, Code Specialist, SFMD

Tracy Fire Department receives water tender through DNR Rural Fire Program ...10submitted by the DNR

MSFCA Sponsors ............................................11

Office: 952-949-8336 • Cell: 763-242-1819email: gesbensen@edenprairie.org

Welcome to the warmth of summer. At this time of year things are heating up in the weather area and also in the area of getting everything in ship shape for the upcoming MSFCA Fall Conference and the Awards & Rec-ognition Dinner which takes place at the Fall Conference. The MSFCA is a member and committee driven organization made up of over 2,000 mem-bers. Each and every day our members and the organizations they repre-sent are on the frontlines of the Minnesota Fire Service doing great things. More often than not these fire service leaders are doing their great work without seeking or getting any recognition for their stellar efforts.The MSFCA Awards and Recognition Dinner is a time to honor those among us who are doing great things and deserve our collective recognition for missions well done. To this end the MSFCA has a number of awards and we are seeking nominations for these awards.

The awards are: Fire Officer of the Year – Population under 10,000Fire Officer of the Year – Population over 10,000Public Fire Education AwardsMagazine AwardsFire Service Leadership AwardLegislative AwardsFriend of the MSFCAMSFCA Membership AwardsComplete descriptions of these awards can be found on the MSFCA web-site, simply follow this link: http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.msfca.org/re-source/resmgr/about/Policy_and_Procedures_Manual.pdf

The descriptions of each specific award begin on page 138 of the Policies and Procedures Manual. My sincere hope is that numerous members are nominated and recognized by the MSFCA for all of their hard work and dedication to the causes that are near and dear to the fire service in Minnesota.

Last but not least, please take time to vote in the MSFCA election for pres-ident and vice president. There are also bylaw provisions to be considered. Elections matter because leadership matters!

4817 Viking Blvd. NE • East Bethel, MN 55092 • Toll Free: 855-505-0911• Phone: 651-464-1010 Cell: 612-840-4010 • Fax: 651-464-1011 • www.ers-mn.com

EMERGENCY RESPONSE SOLUTIONS

Click here to complete the entry form. One entry is good all summer. Winners will be notified via email.• Contest Period 2 August 14 - August 20 • Contest Period 3 August 28 - September 3

• Grand Prize Giveaway: September 11 - September 17

MSA is giving away 80 G1 iTIC Upgrade Kits this

summer!Sixty firefighters will each

win a G1 iTIC and one lucky grand prize winner will get 20 to outfit their

department.

by Tom Jenson, Code Speciailist, State Fire Marshal Division

NFPA 1911 and tire replacement on emergency apparatus

It was brought to our attention that Section 8.3.6 of the 2017 edition of NFPA 1911, Standard for the Inspec-tion, Maintenance, Testing and Retirement of In-Service Emergency Vehicles, has requirements (or recommenda-tions) to replace tires on emergency apparatus at sev-en-year intervals or more frequently based on tread wear. This first appeared in the 2007 edition of NFPA 1911 and has remained unchanged.

We inquired reasons behind this requirement with NF-PA’s technical committee on this standard. The following is from one of the committee members. The member also provided several websites that can be provided if needed.

Although neither National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor DOT have formally adopted regulations which set a specific truck tire ser-vice life requirement (primarily due to strong lobbying efforts from the US Rubber Manufacturers’ Association, which opposes such regulations due to increased litiga-tion exposure), a 6- to 10-year service life requirement for commercial truck tires are currently in place in both Europe and Japan, and the need for such regulation has been frequently made a subject of discussion in the US regulatory agencies’ rule-making processes. Some states

(e.g. New York, New Jersey, California and Hawaii) have jumped into the breach with their own tire-age require-ments.  

Most tire engineers and technical experts recognize that the chemical compounds essential to tire bonding and structural integrity clearly degrade over time, and that other factors (e.g. heat, moisture penetration, storage conditions, sunlight exposure, etc.) can accelerate the degradation process. Most tire and vehicle manufacturers recommend tire replacement in the 6- to 10-year time frame, regardless of mileage or wear condition. There’s plenty of science to support these recommendations.

Whether or not your department chooses to follow NFPA or other standards for your SOP or SOGs, this is a recognized standard regarding the inspection, main-tenance, testing and retirement of in-service emergency vehicles. Many of you have older apparatus with origi-nal tires with good treads that you have not considered replacing. We would recommend discussing this with your fleet maintenance personnel. Tires are an important component to arriving safely on the emergency scene and returning crews to their quarters.

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by Amanda Swenson, Fire & Life Safety Educator, State Fire Marshal Division

Spotlight on education

A survey of home owners in Maryland and California living in homes with residential sprinklers showed 94 percent reported that the sprinklers provided them with a sense of safety. Along with making homeowners feel safer, home sprinklers were reported to add value to the homes of 68 percent of respondents. These facts came from a presen-tation by Sam Bowles of Newport Partners presenting on the perceptions of residential sprinklers at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Conference and Expo recently in Boston. This presentation was one of the options for participants during the conference’s Spotlight on Public Education.

If you haven’t heard of the Spotlight on Public Education, that’s because it’s new. Each June, fire, building and electrical safety experts gather from around the world for the NFPA Conference and Expo to highlight research, trends and tech-niques to prevent loss of life and property. The 2017 NFPA Conference and Expo featured a new event called Spotlight on Public Education. Those working in public education can learn, discover and connect through expert education ses-

sions, networking and opportunities to visit the exhibit floor.

The education sessions included topics such as Motiva-tion Behavior and Attitude Change, Cultural Competence, Understanding Your Audience, and Clutter Suppression. Attendees also were invited to attend the general session, which in 2017 included a presentation by Erin Baumgartner from MIT’s Sensible City Laboratory, and Tom Koulopou-los, founder of Delphi Group. Each presenter highlighted the use of data and technology and how it is changing the world we live in. Educators also networked with colleagues from around the county and world to discuss the knowledge they gained from the conference and ideas to bring home. For all of these amazing opportunities, the cost was just a small fraction of the regular registration fee.

Although there is not yet information on Spotlight on Edu-cation for 2018, mark your calendars for NFPA Conference and Expo, which will be June 11-14, 2018 at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.

MSFCA E-Newsletter | August 2017 Page 5

Partnerships are integral to the success of the certification programby David Schliek, Chairman - MN Fire Service Certification Board

In early June, the Minnesota Fire Service Certifica-tion Board (MFSCB) participated at the vendor show during the Minnesota State Fire Department Associa-tion’s (MSFDA) annual conference in Brainerd. I thank the MSFDA and Brainerd Fire for the opportunity to be part of this annual event. The weather was great and the entire event looked be a huge success for both organizations.

Participation on the part of the MFSCB provides an opportunity for outreach to attendees. This year was no exception. Several conference participants stopped and inquired about testing opportunities, different levels of certification, training officer and instructor question, as well as program operational questions.

The MFSCB sees these opportunities as ways of build-ing long-term partnerships. Not only with the indi-vidual conference participants, but also the MFSDA and the Brainerd Fire Department. Each one of these groups’ individual firefighters, statewide organizations

or the local fire department is integral to the success of Minnesota’s certification program.

On the flip side of that coin is the continued commit-ment of the MSFCB to support our constituent orga-nizations. The MFSCB believes strongly that support of organizations that comprise Minnesota’s fire service is of the utmost importance! Important, in that sup-port helps each individual organization flourish, and grow. Individual organizational success can only help in developing a strategy that delivers a consistent and appropriate vision to the fire service they serve.

The MFSCB looks forward to continuing this type of interaction. I encourage that this conversation(s) continue. Albeit at conferences, regional meetings, emails, or phone calls. The MFSCB extends continued best wishes for success to all of our partners and stands ready to be an ongoing resource for you.

MSFCA E-Newsletter | August 2017 Page 6

Wildfire Academy draws more than 700 firefightersStudents from nine states registered for 17th annual training eventby Marty Christensen, Public Information Officer

One of the largest of its kind in the U.S., the 2017 Wildfire Academy, June 5-9 at Itasca Community College in Grand Rapids, drew more than 700 stu-dents from nine states. The 17th annual training event is gaining national recognition for its diverse course offerings and top notch instructors. Minnesota DNR is a key contributor to the academy with 100 instructors from various partner agencies teaching 34 different courses.

“Wildland firefighters continually train to sharpen their skills and maintain expertise,” said Todd Man-ley, DNR wildfire training coordinator. “The academy offers essential skills, training and certification to increase this knowledge base – from basic firefighter, to a water pump or chainsaw class, to helicopter oper-ations,” said Manley, who has an incident management team (IMT) helping to oversee academy operations.

The team uses an incident command system (ICS) model that was adopted 35 years ago for wildfire operations. Nationally recognized, ICS has a common operating picture, so when teams or crews go out-of-state, there are established roles, responsibilities and procedures.

“We use ICS for a planned event, such as the Wildfire Academy, but the model can also expand to coordinate large-scale, all-risk emergencies,” said Mike Aultman, incident commander for the academy and a 38-year DNR forester.

The Minnesota Incident Command System (MNICS) is hosting the Wildfire Academy. MNICS is an interagency group of state and federal partners that cooperatively manages wildfire and all risk incidents allowing for effective use of facility, personnel and equip-ment. Minnesota DNR is one of five MNICS partners that share wildfire suppression re-

sources, including aircraft and helicopters, and is based out of the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center in Grand Rapids. There are about 80 staff members located there from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Minnesota DNR, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife, National Park Service and Minnesota Homeland Security and Emer-gency Management.

“Our interagency partnerships are very important,” said Paul Lundgren, state wildfire section manager for the DNR Division of Forestry. “The Wildfire Acade-my is another example of our successful collaboration among state and federal partners. We work together toward a common purpose while leveraging resources to avoid duplication of effort and expense,” he said.

For more wildfire information, visit https://goo.gl/m7jd4m

Learn more about MNICS at www.mnics.org and see the list of 2017 Wildfire Academy courses at https://goo.gl/t9lmi9

MSFCA E-Newsletter | August 2017 Page 7

Nyle & Theresa Zikmund, Agents of the MSFCA

Fall conferences: The next two years = setting the future

It has been 4 years since we held our Fall Conference in Rochester and more than 30 since we last visited St. Paul. After our visit to Rochester this October, we do not return again until 2023, 2024 or possibly later. The same situation applies for St. Paul, our conference site for 2019 in that we do not return until 2023 or 2024. Between St. Paul and 2023 we return to St. Cloud twice and Duluth twice.

The decision to return to Rochester and St. Paul will largely be in the hands of our members as the num-ber one criteria will be your attendance. Historically, Rochester has proven to be our most difficult venue for attendance and we have no recent history with St. Paul.

All four of our current venues offer something unique; Duluth has the best setting, St. Cloud is the most accessible, Rochester has a brand new and very im-pressive convention center, and St. Paul is the only site large enough to accommodate all of our needs in one contiguous space.

Likewise, all four venues have their drawbacks: Duluth – we are outgrowing the convention center, St. Cloud – lack of atmosphere, Rochester – vendor space is very restricted, and St. Paul – downtown parking and higher costs.

On balance, all four then are arguably equal but that is for you to determine and there is not better measure-ment than your participation.

We have not been down to the Rochester venue three times in preparation for this year’s event and will state again, the new center is very impressive. Numerous new restaurants have opened and skyways now con-nect all the major hotels and convention center. Given our outstanding educational offerings being provided again this year and arguably the best caterer of the four sites; there is little to no reason to not attend. Similarly, given the 30 years since we have been to St.

Paul, the changes there include an entire new facility along with additional hotels and restaurants. Hotel prices are actually the same as Duluth and most of Rochester and at this point, registration fees appear to be stable; thus, no reason to keep from wandering into the big city – it’s been 30 years!

Upon conclusion of these two we will be able to make as assessment and determine the future. Along with 2023 and 2024 we will probably book out all the way to 2030. Incredibly enough, those sites are booking out into 2023 and 2024!

Spring School – The Future is also in Your HandsLike our Fall Conference, attendance is the driver for the Spring School and as everyone knows, we have outgrown the Alexandria – Arrowwood facility. How-ever, rather than abandon, we will be “duplicating” thus keeping the time tested wonder of the Arrow-wood.

Our pilot in March of 2018 in Duluth was chosen based on the combination of the facilities, availability, geography (of those who were not coming to Alex), and family accommodations. However, it matters little what we think as compared to what you think, thus – the future of the Duluth Spring School also rests firmly in the those same hands – our members.

Given that we not only have the same quality line-up of instructors but an expanded list and combined with the facilities and accommodations, there is little doubt of that event being just as successful and if so, we can start dreaming of a third venue somewhere else!

Z2

For conference information visit

msfca.org

MSFCA E-Newsletter | August 2017 Page 8

ExploreAlex.com

Our iceberg is meltingby Kathi Osmonson, Youth Firesetting Prevention and Intervention Specialist

This children’s fable is about a waddle of penguins (yes, that is what a group of penguins is called) who eventu-ally realize that their iceberg is melting. A middle-level penguin, Fred, begins to notice that something is very wrong. A piece of the iceberg, where they had lived for thousands of years, has disappeared. Fred finds evidence that the iceberg is melting in such a way that it could break apart during the coming winter, which would be deadly for the waddle. Being a middle penguin, Fred builds relationships with the leaders and, with them, motivates the rest of the waddle to move to another ice-berg before they lose their lives. Is our iceberg melting? Can we prevent our current hot topics of firefighter cancer and PTSD by preventing the fires and emergencies that cause them? The Tucson, Ar-izona fire department realized that the iceberg of how they did business was melting. “The way we have always done it” was not working for fire and injury prevention. The melting iceberg concept inspired their program

of “Community Resiliency and Risk Reduction.” The newly appointed Community Risk Reduction Manager and the Deputy Chief started out with a steering com-mittee, gathering information from diverse stakehold-ers. They recruited members from Head Start to local homeowners’ associations to high-risk social service organizations, interviewing them about the risks they experience in their parts of the community. By address-ing these risks, building relationships, and providing training and ride-along opportunities for leaders of the various parts of the community, they motivated these leaders to share risk reduction messages in their part of the community. The fire department’s efforts have effec-tively reduced fires and emergency calls. To learn more about the Tucson Fire Department’s community risk re-duction success, you can visit their website. This topic was one of many fabulous presentations at this year’s National Professional Development Summit in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

MSFCA E-Newsletter | August 2017 Page 9

Highlights from 2017 NFPA Conference & Expo, Boston, MA

As the code specialist at the State Fire Marshal Divi-sion (SFMD), I was able to attend this year’s annual NFPA Conference and Expo held in Boston in June. Here is a recap of a few of the education sessions I attended that may be of interest to fire code officials.

Corrosion in steel piping leading to sprinkler system failure:• Systems may have been designed for 30- to 40-year life, but maintenance is key to any building system’s life expectancy, including the sprinkler system.• It is not all about microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC).• Introduction of fresh water and oxygen during annual inspections or tenant remodels can accelerate rusting.• Ultrasonic testing can measure the current thickness of piping.• It is important that building owners have an ongoing maintenance plan.

CPVC sprinkler system failures:• Main causes: - Exposure to incompatible chemicals, such as hydrocarbon chemicals. - Sloppy installations not following manufacturer’s instructions.• CPVC is a great product if properly installed and maintained.• Fire inspectors should review installation instructions with sprinkler contractors prior to installation.

• Inspectors should also review this with the general contractor.• Replacement of failing components or entire systems can be costly.

On-demand mobile fueling (bringing gasoline to your vehicle with a phone app):• This is another example of new concepts coming online and codes reacting to them.• California saw this new industry start to emerge in 2015.• There are currently three models seen in California: - Small utility trucks with tank mounted to frame and pump subject to DOT requirements. - Pickup trucks with one or more containers in bed below DOT capacity standards. - Pickup trucks carrying five-gallon plastic gas cans with hand pumps.• Current code language has allowed dispensing of Class II and III liquids.• New language will appear in the 2018 edition of the IFC and 2017 edition of NFPA 30A to address the dispensing of Class I liquids (gasoline).• Will the Department of Commerce Weights and Measures Division be involved?• The SFMD code advisory panel may have to address this prior to the adoption of the next fire code in July, 2020.

by Tom Jenson, Code Speciailist, State Fire Marshal

2017/2018 MSFCA Conferences . . .

• MSFCA Fall Conference 2017 - Rochester October 19-21 • Fire Officers School 2018 - Alexandria February 9-11 • Fire Officers School 2018 - Duluth March 16-18

MSFCA E-Newsletter | August 2017 Page 10

Tracy Fire Department receives water tender through DNR rural fire programDNR Forestry Division program helps small communitiessubmitted by the DNR

Firefighters in Tracy are a little better equipped to fight fires, thanks to the Minnesota DNR rural fire depart-ment program. The DNR rural fire program helped the small volunteer fire department acquire military surplus equipment, saving the Tracy Fire Department hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The 28-member Tracy Fire Department acquired a Freightliner chassis from the Department of Defense with the DNR’s help and transformed into a 2,200 gal-lon water tender for a total cost of just under $40,000. A comparable truck will typically have a price tag well in excess of $200,000.

“We’re really grateful for this program,” comment-ed Tracy Fire Chief Dale Johnson III. “We’re a small department that relies on fundraising to supplement the budget the city gives us. Raising a large amount of money for new equipment is a tall task. It would have been very difficult to meet our needs without it.”

The DNR rural fire department program administers several programs, including the Department of Defense program that Tracy used. The Department of Defense Firefighter Property Program gives au-thority to the DNR’s Forestry division so it can acquire excess military equipment and transfer it to fire departments and emer-gency service agencies. The Department of Defense Firefighter Property Program is one of several programs the DNR ad-ministers to assist small, rural fire depart-ments with things like purchasing excess property, matching grants and providing wildfire training.

“Our DNR rural fire program helps small fire depart

ments,” said DNR rural fire programs coordinator Tim Oland. “But what’s really important is that these fire-fighters are better equipped, and as a result, both the fire crews and community are safer.”Priority is given to fire departments that have the greatest need and participate in a community wildfire protection plan or a county all hazard mitigation plan. Additional considerations include the type of project and number of fire calls. Oland estimates that nearly $6.5 million of surplus equipment will be delivered to rural fire departments in Minnesota this year.

For more information rural fire department assistance programs, wildfire prevention and current wildfire information, visit mndnr.gov/grants/ruralfire.

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The Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association would like to thank our sponsors

Fire Service Day with the Minnesota Twins!

Sunday, August 20th at 1:10pm

VS.

Fire Service Day is back in 2017! Come on down to Target Field with your fellow service-folk, family and friends and join us for some big-

league action and fun! We hope to see you!

Special Discounted Seating is available:

Field Box: $36

Grandstand: $15

Order Online: www.twinsbaseball.com/fireservice

Order deadline is 2 weeks prior to the game date.

DUE TO VERY HIGH DEMAND, SEATING IS LIMITED AND AVAILABLE ON ONLY A FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED BASIS

Have questions or a group of 25 or more? Contact Nick Corcoran

at (612) 659-4083 or nickcorcoran@twinsbaseball.com

The game date and time are subject to change. No refunds or exchanges.