Introduction
Great weather and the beginning of regular shift schedules for new full time personnel started the month out well.  Training and familiarization with vehicles, equipment and routine occupied the vast majority of staff time.  Extreme fire danger prevented many community members from obtaining burn permits.  Numerous phone calls related to the new burn permit procedure were handled by department staff.

Personnel

• Robert Hupp, a paramedic from North Flight began orientation with the department during the first week of May.  Robert will be performing paramedic duties on Rachel Schaap’s shift on a permanent basis.  This will permit the Chief to move to a daily schedule that will afford him more availability to department and community members plus township officials and county/regional issues. 
• Active firefighters each received annual physical exams provided by BioCare, an agency with whom the department has contracted for this service for several years.   This company has offered an evaluation of each firefighter’s health as a risk management means for the department.  Interestingly, many of the tests previously included by BioCare in the physical exam have been eliminated (chest x-ray and hearing test in particular). These eliminated tests are significant for evaluating firefighter fitness.  In addition, the cost to the department increased significantly.  Other options for the health evaluation of department members will be reviewed for 2008.
• One EMT position opening was posted through North Flight, with an application deadline of May 31st.  Four applications were received.  These individuals will be interviewed in early June. 

 
Training

• Four formal training sessions were held in May.  The first was a review of patient moving and lifting techniques.  This session also included a review of ambulance cot operations and practice of extrication and packaging techniques for a simulated victim in an awkward position. 
• The second session was a review of rescue operations and rope utilization for low angle rescue.  This annual review affords an opportunity to refresh skills related to specialized rescues, primarily in the National Park and on the dunes.  A short field trip was taken to review the site and discuss operations at Pyramid Point and a brief in-service pertaining to the new GPS radio units was provided.  All staff are encouraged to practice with the new GPS units to become familiar with their operation.  This session was attended by three rangers from the National Park, one from North Manitou Island and two from the Platte River Unit. 
• The third session provided a review of special programs (AED, Combitube, and Basic medication administration) and was offered to benefit summer National Park Service staff that will have basic medication kits on North and South Manitou Islands.  As was the case last summer, the local Medical Control Authority permits park service staff to participate in basic medication administration due to their remote location and commitment to training and utilization of local protocols.  Additional discussion took place with regard to the resuscitation of patients in remote locations where a delayed response or prolonged resuscitation time might occur.  Mechanisms to contact Munson Medical Center for direction were discussed. 
• The final training session for the month provided members the opportunity to review techniques and procedures related to everyday firefighter competencies.  It is planned that standard competencies that are required for firefighter proficiency will be reviewed during training sessions throughout the year.  It is the intent that those that wish to provide firefighting services to the department be able to demonstrate these competencies when called upon.  The areas reviewed included portable/mobile radio use; ropes and knots; positive pressure ventilation fans; electric smoke ejectors; generator use; and starting, operating, and maintenance of chain and ventilation saws. 

Apparatus

• The flatbed truck (old portable hydrant) placed out for bid through a posting in the Leelanau Enterprise was sold by the Township for $5,781.00.   Many, many, people came to look at the vehicle.   Staff efforts to assist people that called about the vehicle and wished to come into the station to look at the truck were appreciated. 
• Quint 331 was taken to Halt Fire by Bryan Ferguson and Eric Dubord, during the third week in May for warranty repairs to the ladder’s hydraulic system.    Smoother ladder movement and responsiveness were the result of these repairs.  The truck was out of service for approximately 30 hours including both roundtrip drive time and repairs.  While at Halt, the need to replace the “boots” that cover the ball joints on the front end of the truck was identified.  These parts have been ordered.  The repairs will be performed by two Halt mechanics at our station sometime in June.  It is estimated that these repairs will take two full days:  All work is covered by the Pierce warranty. 
• Paint has been touched-up on several of the trucks where very small areas have been accidentally chipped or scratched.  
• Andrew Anthony has constructed a tray that fits into the rear cabinet of the Polaris.  This tray is on rollers and affords us easier access to equipment that is in the front of this very deep area. 

Facilities

• The process to repair and perform maintenance on the crack between the curb and apparatus bay floor was begun in April and completed early this month.  Beginning with a thorough cleaning, Eric Dubord and Bryan Ferguson filled the damaged areas of the curb and Pete Stern completed caulking the crack between the curb and the floor. 
• The protective posts at the sides of each bay door as well as the curb were refreshed with yellow paint.
• The electronic door locks that control the doors in the station required attention this month.  The front doors had been opening sometime before 8am and were locking at 4pm rather than 5pm each day.  It was believed that this was related to the early daylight savings time change.  The front door locking schedule has been corrected and the front doors will now be open Monday through Friday 8am until 5pm.   In addition, the passage doors located between the kitchen and crew quarters and the back hallway and crew quarters have been adjusted to unlock between the hours of 5pm and 8am so that a code in not required to gain access in the evenings and early mornings.  Concurrently, the door stop on the kitchen door was removed as an additional means to ensure building security while the main entrance of the building is open. 
• The keypad lock on the training room egress door has been removed.  Not only is this door not used as an access door, therefore requiring the keypad lock, but the lock itself has needed repair for some time.  The keypad lock and handle have been replaced with a standard locking door handle since coded access into the building through that door is not necessary. The holes in the door that previously allowed the keypad lock to be secured have been patched and both the interior and exterior of the door will be painted in early June.   Once the keypad lock has been repaired, it will be placed on the back patio door to further improve the security of the building during the daytime hours. 
• Eric Dubord has begun maintenance of the fascia board around the building.  He is loosening each board, priming the ends of the boards and then securing them back to the building.  Once these areas have been primed, the boards will be repainted. 

Equipment

• The dry hydrant at the corner of Crystal Bend (County Road 675) and M-22 has been repaired.  It’s operation has been checked and it is again usable as a water supply point.  Two plastic pipes have been set next to the dry hydrant that will be reinforced and filled with concrete to afford some protection from wayward vehicles in the future. 

Programs and Additional Services

• At the end of May, a representative of the Township’s insurance carrier visited the station to do a risk management review.  Overall, we faired well due to responsible planning and preparation to provide services.  The insurance inspector did provide several recommendations that will be acted upon in the near future.
• Glen Arbor provided an ambulance and crew to participate in the Asparagus Festival parade in Empire on May 19th. 
• Local law enforcement personnel from the National Park Service used the station training room for 3 days in May for their annual training program.  This arrangement has been advantageous to departmental relationships with both individual rangers and the Park Service in general. 

Submitted by:

John A. Dodson
Chief of the Department