For the Record 10/19

Nomination Period Open for Annual EVT Award

Firehouse, in partnership with the Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FDSOA), is encouraging chief officers to submit their nominations for the 2019 Emergency Vehicle Technician (EVT) of the Year award.

The job of an EVT is technical, complicated and dangerous as they work to keep vehicles on the road to respond to the next emergency. Walk through the apparatus maintenance shop today and you’ll find an assortment of digital equipment, electronic diagnostics gear and computers alongside traditional mechanical tools that EVTs use on emergency vehicles.

In 1988, the Emergency Vehicle Technician Certification program was introduced to elevate the standards of emergency vehicle maintenance and the personnel performing the work. To nationally recognize the EVTs’ dedication, the Emergency Vehicle Technician of the Year Award was created in 2003 to raise awareness of the vital role these individuals play in fire and emergency services.

"Over the past 15 years, we have heard many stories of EVTs studying and earning EVT and Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certifications on their personal time," EVT of the Year Coordinator Janet Wilmoth said. "Continued training and education through local EVT associations, national conferences and manufacturers’ programs is critical to EVTs and the evolving technology in fire and emergency apparatus today."

The selection criteria are focused on leadership, professional development, integrity and a commitment to the safe operation of emergency vehicles for responders and the community. The nomination letter should emphasize a nominee’s implementation of safe procedures, advanced education in the field and service above and beyond.

Anyone can nominate an EVT that meets the following criteria:

Be a member in good standing of a state or local EVT association as of Jan. 1, 2019.
Have at least five years full-time employment in the maintenance of emergency vehicles.
Be working toward or passed any of the Emergency Vehicle Technician Certification Commission tests.
Be working toward or passed any of the Automotive Service Excellence tests.
Foster professionalism through participation in a local, state or provincial maintenance/emergency vehicle technician association.
Adhere to the education of safety practices and procedures in his/her profession.

Nomination procedures

A letter nominating the EVT and explaining why he or she is nominated for this award, as well as any supporting information, should be e-mailed to [email protected] by Nov. 8, 2019. Please include the nominee’s email and mailing address.

A nominee previously submitted can be entered again.

The nominee will be advised that they have been nominated for an award and will be asked to provide the following information: name; department; phone number; email address and permit of the use of their photo and name for promotion purposes.

A select panel of judges will review all nominations and jointly select the winners. The winner will be notified by Dec. 16. All nominees will be notified by e-mail of the results.

The 2019 EVT of the Year Award is sponsored by Spartan Motors and will be presented at the FDSOA's Apparatus Specification & Maintenance Symposium, Jan. 13–15, 2020 in Scottsdale, AZ.

VFIS Launches Website for Emergency Responders

In celebration of VFIS’ 50^th anniversary, the company has launched ResponderHelp.com, an emergency responder’s one-stop free resource. ResponderHelp.com was developed and administered by VFIS but offers content sourced from a broad variety of leading industry specialists.

ResponderHelp.com currently houses 2,000+ free resources for emergency service organizations, including standard operating guidelines, technical bulletins, training materials, articles, checklists and videos. While most of the website’s resources will be free to everyone, select materials will either be available for free to VFIS clients or available for purchase to non-clients.

Responders can browse topics based on what’s new, what’s trending or what’s on their mind. The top-level content categories were selected based on what experts believe to be the biggest issues that responders will face over the next 25 years, including:

Community Risk Reduction
Emergency Medical Services
Facilities
Fire Rescue Operations
Governance
Human Resources, Organization and Administration
Safety Vehicle Operations
Safety and Health
Training

The resources on ResponderHelp.com will provide answers and insight, and there will also be the opportunity to create a free account and ask subject matter experts additional questions, as well as to read questions that have been asked by other users. Those who register will also have the ability to build personal resource libraries, which could be useful for leaders/trainers who are building training and educational programs for their members.

To provide the most comprehensive resource library, ResponderHelp.com offers content from not only VFIS, but the United States Fire Administration, Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen’s Association/Emergency Responder Safety Institute, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, IAFC Volunteer and Combination Officers Section, Drexel University and selected National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer applied research papers.

“We are honored to be in a position where we can give back to an industry that welcomed us with open arms and allowed us to serve alongside them over the years,” said Troy Markel, president of VFIS. “In return, we wanted to create a truly state-of-the-art resource that would assist them in their efforts to serve their communities. Our mission to serve as true partners to emergency responders has remained consistent and true over the last 50 years and will continue for 50 more and beyond.”

For more information, visit vfis.com.

Caption: Blair Tyndall, right, VFIS Risk Control, demonstrates ResponderHelp.com at FRI.

Line-of-Duty Deaths

4 U.S. firefighters recently died in the line of duty. Two deaths were health-related and two involved motor vehicle accidents. This edition of Firehouse is dedicated to these firefighters.

FIRE CHIEF/PUBLIC SAFETY DIRECTOR JAMES E. SOMMERS, 40, of the Suwannee Fire Rescue Department in Live Oak, FL, died on Aug. 6. Sommers was returning home on his motorcycle from a Suwannee County Commission meeting, where he was representing the Suwannee Fire Rescue Department, when he was struck by a vehicle. He was immediately transported to the Lake City Medical Center where he died from the injuries he sustained in the accident.

FIREFIGHTER NORMAN EDWARD KLENOW, 78, of the East Tawas, MI, Fire Department, died on Aug. 10. Klenow responded to a motor vehicle accident and while providing traffic control at the scene, he complained of not feeling well and was assisted into an apparatus. After returning to the fire station, he went home. A short time later, he was found in cardiac arrest. Klenow was immediately transported to the hospital where he passed away.

ASSISTANT CHIEF WALTER WAGAMAN, 46, of the Buchanan Valley Volunteer Fire Department in Orrtanna, PA, died on Aug. 14. Wagaman was responding to an emergency as a passenger in an apparatus when he was ejected from it. He was treated by emergency personnel at the scene and was immediately flown to the York Trauma Center. Twelve days later, he passed away from the injuries he sustained from the accident.

LT. BRIAN J. SULLIVAN, 54, of the FDNY, died on Aug. 10. Sullivan worked a 24-hour shift in which he responded to seven emergency calls. During his shift, Sullivan complained to others of having pain and discomfort but continued to respond to calls. When he returned home after his tour of duty, he suffered a heart attack and was immediately transported to the Orange County Regional Medical Center where he passed away.