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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 21, 2017)
vernonia rural fire protection district september21 2017 15 Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District Your Address Signs For those of you who live with- in VRFPD’s district, please make sure that your address signs that are placed out in front of your homes are facing towards Vernonia. First responders need to be able to see those addresses as they are driving down the road. It is not helpful to have the address sign facing perpendicular to the roadway, because first responders will have to slow significantly while checking for your address. Please keep grass, trees, and shrubs cleared away from the signs so that they can be easily seen. In ad- dition, please keep trees and shrubs cleared on both sides of your driveway, no matter how long your driveway is. The ambulance and fire trucks need to be able to pull up your driveway with- out incurring damage to the rigs from brush along the sides or low overhang- ing limbs. Remember that especially in the winter time, low hanging limbs will be even closer to the ground if they are burdened with snow. Thank you in advance for your continued cooperation and understand- ing. What is The Emergency Conflagration Act? The Office of State Fire Marshal assists and supports the Oregon fire service during major emergency operations through the Conflagration Act (ORS 476.510). The Conflagration Act was developed in 1940 as a civil defense measure and can be invoked only by the governor. The act allows the State Fire Marshal to mobilize firefighters and equipment from around the state. The Conflagration Act is only used for fires that involve or threaten life and structures. When there is a wildland fire, the Oregon Department of Forestry, along with local fire departments in the immediate area, respond to fight the wildland fire. The State is divided into Fire Defense Districts. The Local Chief of that Fire Defense District works with Deputy State Fire Marshal and Fire Defense Board Chief to request assistance from the State Fire Marshal. At that point, the State Fire Marshal requests that the Governor implements the Conflagration Act, which enables the Office of State Fire Marshal to request equipment and firefighters from around the State of Oregon. The Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal’s three Incident Management Teams (IMTs) provide comprehensive incident command to manage ongoing emergency operations. IMTs provide incident management expertise in logistics, finance, planning, public information, operations, safety, and community issues. The teams respond with resourc- es mobilized by the Governor for a con- flagration or other emergency that has overwhelmed the control and resources of local emergency responders (ORS 476.510). IMTs enhance effective co- ordination among responding agencies during fires, floods, earthquakes, struc- tural collapse, tsunamis, the spilling of hazardous materials, and other natural or human-caused incidents. The IMT will develop a plan of action to aggressively and safely mitigate the incident to which it has been assigned, either through Unified Command or a single incident command structure. Resources assigned to the incident will operate with the guidance of an Incident Action Plan (IAP) within an organized chain of command and formal safety plan. The IAP will address the objectives, strategies, and tactics as dictated by the risks and opportunities associated with the incident. The IMT intends to commit resources to the incident only after re- sources have been briefed on the devel- oping strategy and tactics, resource-spe- cific objectives, weather, fuel types, and safety considerations. Within the second operational period, the IMT intends to develop a formal IAP for delivery via an Operational Period Briefing. The IMT expects that all personnel shall receive a briefing by their immediate supervi- sor prior to being deployed within the hazard area. This briefing shall detail re- source assignments, assigned objectives, chain of command, and safety consider- ations. The IMT may place firefighters at a greater level of risk to save lives, save property, or reduce environmental impact. The IMT will not place fire- fighters at risk if the incident does not have implications related to life safety, protection of property, or environmental impacts. To meet the IMT intentions, a formal series of planning meetings and briefings will occur. The IMT expects all members critical to the development of the IAP to promptly attend those meetings to provide mission critical information. From 1996 to 2016, there have been 70 Conflagrations in the State of Oregon. Short Summary: • Conflagrations declared: 70 • Most in one year: 11 in 2002 Calls responded to August 1-31 Fire Emergency Medical Service Hazardous Condition Service Call Good Intent Severe Weather & Natural Disaster Special Incident No Emergency Found False Alarm Total 1 39 4 3 10 0 0 0 0 57 • Most in one week: 5 in 1996 and 5 in 2002 • Most in one day: 3 in 1996 One example, from 2015, would be the “Grizzly Bear Complex” fire. • Conflagration date: 8/20/2015 • Communities threatened: Flora (Wallowa County) • Umatilla National Forest at WA border • Structures threatened: (405) residences and (98) other structures • Structures saved: (400) residences and (78) other structures • Structures lost: (25) • OSFM-mobilized Task Forces: Marion, Yamhill, Clatsop, Columbia, and Union County • Conflagration mobilization cost: $736,540.44 • FMAG reimbursement: pending • Cause: Lighting You’ll notice that in the Grizzly Bear Complex fire example, the Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) mobilized a Task Force that was made up from fire departments in Marion, Yamhill, Clatsop, Columbia, and Union Counties. Each department bringing the equipment (fire truck) and personnel to staff the equipment. Currently there is a Conflagra- tion fighting the Eagle Creek and Indian Creek fires. VRFPD (Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District) sent one fire- fighter and a Tender along with another firefighter from Washington County to help fight these fires. All of the fire departments that join the Conflagration are reimbursed for all of the expenses that are incurred. The fire departments that send equipment and personnel must have Workman’s Comp Insurance on all of the personnel involved. You can go to http:// w w w. o r e g o n . g o v / o s p / S F M / d o c s / ConflagrationHistory.pdf to view each of the 70 Conflagrations since 1996 in the State of Oregon. Information for this article was obtained from: http://www.oregon.gov/osp/SFM/ pages/eru_imteams.aspx CAN YOU FILL THESE BOOTS? VOLUNTEERS WANTED Call Dean Smith for more information on free training (503)429-8252
