Commentary; Posted: 1/3/07
Cooperation and care built Scandia Fire & Rescue
Steve Yehle
Guest Columnist
The city of Scandia is moving forward with our recently elected mayor and city council. The mayor and council is a group with experience, a mix of incumbents and new leaders.
The fire chief, assistant chiefs, captains and firefighters look forward to working with the new council and city administrator.
Past and present Scandia Fire and Rescue Department members and past and present town board members have provided the leadership and foresight necessary for our fire and rescue department to be well positioned to serve the residents of Scandia today and into the future.
In addition, the fire and department has greatly benefited from the Scandia and Marine Lions Club and Scandia resident's generous donations. I would like to take this opportunity to make the public aware of the investments that have been made to accomplish this goal.
The fire and rescue department moved into the new fire station in the fall of 2000. The building has 11,400 square feet with a well capable of filling water tankers at a rate of 500 gallons per minute. The fire station has a large training room, seven bays for fire apparatus and rescue vehicles, offices, a dispatch room and a place for firefighters to rest during overnight emergencies.
Fire engine 5176 was put into service in 2001. Fire engine 5176 is a class A pumper with a rehab cab for five firefighters wearing full personal protective equipment, a deck gun for large structure fires, sufficient pumps and equipment to support several interior and exterior fire attack teams.
Water tanker truck 5178 was put into service in 2003. Water tanker truck 5178 carries 2200 gallons of water to the fire scene. The department now arrives at a structure fire carrying 6700 gallons of water on board.
Eighteen firefighters achieved state Firefighter II Certification in 2003. Our firefighters are educated, well trained, able to do their jobs safely and have the resources required to provide quality emergency medical care and prompt and effective fire response.
As a result of the Scandia and Marine Lions Club donations and Scandia resident's donations, a rescue ATV, rescue sled with a trailer was put into service in 2004. In 2005, an enclosed trailer that carries our water rescue dive team equipment, low angle rescue equipment and serves as a temporary incident command post was put into service.
During the last five years the town board increased funding for the Scandia Fire and Rescue Relief Association. Township contributions consistently met funding requests and are at funding levels equal to peer Fire and Rescue Relief Associations.
The fire department is currently replacing its self-contained breathing apparatus, SCBAs, or to some "respirators." Phase I was completed in 2006 and Phase II will be completed in the first quarter of 2007. The new SCBAs are lighter, contain more air, easier to use, and each firefighter will have their own face mask.
The fire department has Insurance Services Office, Inc, or an ISO rating of 7. The ISO rating is based on the fire department organization in the area; the water supply in the area; and how fire alarms are received and handled for the community.
Each section is weighted in the finial summary. Water supplies make up 40 percent of the available credit. Fire department operations account for 50 percent of the credit.
Receiving and handling fire alarms accounts for 10 percent of the available credit. Scandia homeowners pay lower insurance rates, on average 33 percent lower, because the fire and rescue department has an ISO rating of 7.
There will be new issues and obstacles the fire department and the city council will have to overcome.
How do we attract new firefighters and emergency medical technicians?
How do we retain the firefighters we have for as long as possible?
What new responsibilities and training requirements will the fire service have as a result of Homeland Security?
The mayor and city council is a group with experience, a mix of incumbents and new leaders.
The fire chief, assistant chiefs, captains and firefighters look forward to working with the new city council and city administrator. We are confident we will work together as effectively in the future as we have in the past.
The writer lives in Scandia and is an assistant fire chief in Scandia.
Forest Lake Times
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Forest Lake, MN 55025
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