→ Volume 7 - October 2023
Victowille
FIRE DEPARTMENT NEWSLETTER
Petrille
PARAMEDIC
FIREFIGHTFERS HOIN
NE 710
IAFF
[O]FE/PM Andrew Raygoza AFL-CIO
In October, the Victorville Professional
Firefighters, Local 3710, collaborated with
Victorville City Leadership and Fire These speeches added a special touch to Admin to host a memorable Family Night the event, providing valuable insights and motivation for our new recruits and
for our eight new recruits. This event
served as a testament to our their families.
commitment to a family approach within
the Victorville Fire Department (VFD). As we move forward, we are eager to continue this tradition with future hiring
The evening was not only marked by the groups, ensuring that every member warmth of our VFD family but also feels a genuine sense of belonging within featured inspiring speeches from key our close-knit community. figures. City Manager Keith Metzler,
Deputy Chief of Operations Robert Our dedication to a family atmosphere remains at the forefront of our
Clemmer and Union President Marcus
Lynch each took the stage to share their department. This commitment is crucial, perspectives and words of as our new recruits navigate the encouragement. challenges of the fire service, from
adapting to the demanding schedules to
meeting the physical and emotional
demands of the job. We believe a strong
support network exemplified by events
like Family Night, play a pivotal role in
their integration into the VFD family.
-Captain Marcus Lynch
DEPARTMENT INCIDENT RESPONSE STATISTICS
STATISTICS OCTOBER 2023
TOTAL
2,234
EMS/
RESCUE 1,799 80.5%
FIRE
263 11.8%
MISC.
172 7.7%
Definition of a Response
A response indicates the total number of VFD apparatus that were dispatched to any given incident. Some incidents, depending on the nature and complexity, may require more than one unit to be dispatched to the same 9-1-1 call. These statistics indicate the number of responses a VFD piece of apparatus was dispatched and had wheels rolling to the incident.
VICTORVI
EMS Division
FIRE DEP
+ David Vega
EMS Specialist
2 A MESSAGE TO
FIRE STAFF
From your Fire Chief
William "Willie" Racowschi
Hello VFD,
As we head, rapidly it seems, into the Holiday Now for those of you who work on the Floor, Season, I am thankful for many things in my and are the ones delivering service to the life. One of them is this opportunity I am living
community. I find you to be a group of
through of currently working with you. And firefighters who are very dedicated to providing speaking about people who help make my job high quality service to the City of Victorville. I here easier, I need to thank the staff here at
also find you to be an extremely brave group
City Hall. I want to say "THANK YOU" to who ply their craft in a (at times) very Deputy Chief Clemmer, EMS Manager Steve
challenging environment. This is based on my
Casarez, Fire Admin Manager Karem Ostrom, observation of the type and quantity of calls you Management Tech Chrystal Lane, EMS
respond to, day in and day out. Thank you all
Specialist David Vega, EMS Admin Tech
for what you do, and how you do it, every day!
Mallory Blas (McPherson), Permit Techs
Stephanie Landa and Martha Carias, Plan One of my goals here in Admin is to provide Checker Tom Cervantes, Fire Inspectors
Floor personnel with the support and tools you
Rudy Alcarez and Uriel Sanchez, Office need to be successful and go home safely after Assistant Yesenia Salazar, and Admin
every shift. Another goal is to provide Admin
Secretary Hannah Odom. Thank you for all
and the Floor personnel opportunities for
you do to keep the Department moving
connections.
forward!!
continued on next page..
I appreciate you all very much!
3 A MESSAGE TO
FIRE STAFF
Cont'd: From your Fire Chief William "Willie" Racowschi The "Admin 101" sessions, involving the entire office staff, were one of those connection- making processes. I also believe the presentations provided some clarity on the process and workflow here at City Hall to support your efforts on the Floor. I know the office personnel enjoyed the interactions and it was helpful putting faces, names, and locations together. The "Jeopardy Game" was also a brilliant touch!
Victorville If your patient gets
transported where do you get
your restock from
Fire Department Administration 101
I am going to be out and about over the next few weeks before Christmas, as I want to come by and say hello. I have also re-adjusted my schedule to maximize my time with the VFD.
Beginning December, I will be in the office three days every other week, allowing me to extend my stay until sometime in middle to end of May.
Please hug the ones you love and who share you with the City of Victorville. I remind myself of this fact every day, but especially so during the Holidays. Take the time to appreciate your family and loved ones. It is because of them we do our jobs well. Appreciate your co- workers, aka our work family. They are the ones out there with you. Watch each other's "180" and be safe out there!
Happy Holidays!
Respectfully and Proudly,
Willie
4 ADMINISTRATION
Admin 101 Presentation
Sessions kicked off with "B" shift on October
31st. featuring a successful presentation that
allowed Fire Admin staff to inform the floor
crew about the budget process and cycle.
Admin will be finishing off presentations with
"A" and "C" shift in November
OCTOBER
EVENTS
• 10/4 - FS312 Station tour with Vista Norte Public Charter School • 10/6 - Static Display at Zion Lutheran Church for Fire Safety Week
RVILLE
MATEL • 10/6 - Tower 5 Family Night to welcome all new recruits • 10/7 - COV Annual Fall Festival
• 10/20 - FS311 Del Rey Elementary School Trunk or Treat • 10/23 - FS314 Mountain View Montessori - Station Tour • 10/25 - FS315 Hollyvale Trunk or Treat
• 10/27 - COV Annual Hallow-Boo Drive thru
• (Big thank you to BC Washington, Capt. Sutton, FFPM
Fredendall for all your help)
Barbie • 10/28 - Department of Child Support Services Trunk or Treat • 10/29 - Burning Bush Trunk or Treat
• 10/31 - Knolls West assisted living Trunk of Treat for Senior Citizens & Admin 101 Presentation "C" Shift
NOVEMBER
• 11/7 - Victor Valley Christian Pre-school School visit • 11/7 - FS312 Challenger Elementary Station tour - Kindergarten 19 lam
• 11/8 - Admin 101 Presentations "B" Shift
Genough.
• 11/8 - FS312 Challenger Elementary Station tour -Kindergarten • 11/14 - FS3122 Caring Circuit Institution Station Tour • 11/16 - VVC Outreach Day for High School Students
• 11/18 - Childcare Resource Center - Static Display
• 11/18 - Victor Valley Mission Thanksgiving Banquet - Static Display 5 • 11/21 - Admin 101 Presentations "A" Shift
EMS
EMS MANAGER STEVE CASAREZ
FF Kaylee Moreno, FF Mauricio
Our newly hired firefighter/paramedics Grande and EMS Specialist David participated in our EMS onboarding training Vega participated in the HandTevy this month. This training consisted of 3.5 Instructor Course this month, with days of policy and protocol review, equipment the goal of acquiring knowledge orientation, pathophysiology (study of about the HandTevy system. They will implement this training department
disease and injuries), cardiology, 12 lead
wide.
EKG, trauma care, adult and pediatric
resuscitation tactics, and difficult airway
management. This onboarding allows our SCIENCE STEVE'S MONTHLY new hires to review and practice current FUN FACT:
evidence-based patient care principles and
Ventricular Fibrillation (VF) is a
understand the City of Victorville's patient common lethal cardiac rhythm. VF management expectations. After the EMS is when the lower heart chambers onboarding, the new hires will spend a few (ventricles) quiver instead of shifts with our paramedic preceptors, running contract, leading to collapse EMS calls and acclimating to our call volume requiring immediate CPR and and patient acuity levels. Once completed, defibrillation (shock). According to the American Heart Association, VF
our new hires will start their fire training.
is the most severe abnormal heart
rhythm causing cardiac arrest in
the community.
In a Prehospital Emergency Care
Journal, Hubble et al. (2021)
completed a retrospective study
EMS
assessing the ability of end-tidal carbon dioxide (eTCO2) to predict successful defibrillation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). The study included 324 OHCA patients. They reported the optimal threshold for predictors of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) for eTCO2 levels before defibrillation was between 27 and 32 mmHg. A study by Chicote et al. (2019) suggested predictors of ROSC with VF to be between 25 and 31 mmHg (p <0.05) with the first initial shock.
The amplitude spectrum area (AMSA) and using eTCO2 as a predictor for ROSC and OHCA survivability have also been studied. AMSA is the degree of VF, either coarse or fine VF. This technology also allows the capability to filter through chest compressions and view the underlying rhythm in real-time, which our ZOLL monitors permit. According to Frigerio et al. (2021) a high AMSA (coarse VF) and an elevated eTCO2 predicted shock success and ROSC and their predictive power increases when combined.
LINKS
Value of capnography to predict defibrillation success in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: https://www.resuscitationjournal.com/article/S0300-9572(19)30047- 4/fulltext
End-tidal carbon dioxide and ventricular fibrillation amplitude spectral area for shock out-of-hospital cardiac arrest:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33181229
Predictive Utility of End-tidal Carbon Dioxide on defibrillation success in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32986490
7 PREVENTION
Current Fire Watch List
Avid Hotel
Dd's Discounts
SCLA Homeless Shelter
Comfort Suites
99 cent Store
ComAv
Dalton & Associates
Subway
October Total Inspections: 221
OCTOBER 15TH - NOVEMBER 4TH MONTHLY INSPECTION CHART
306
10 5
20 ANNUAL INSPECTIONS
Yearly compliance and regulation
inspection to verify a business is up to code.
34 NEW CONSTRUCTION
Final Fire, Rough/Hydro, Prewire,
Welding
CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY
businesses under new owner or location
change (combined with annual)
FIRE COMPLAINT INVESTIGATION
Inspectors go out to find issue with
alarm or sprinklers and any violations.
SPECIAL EVENT PERMITS
Any event that will have a tent, bounce
house, vendors, food vendors. 237
(major/minor events)
FIRE PREVENTION WEEK
LOWES
SPECIAL
EVENT
Fire Inspector Uriel Sanchez conducted
an outreach event at Lowe's in the City
of Victorville, reaching out to both kids
and parents. During the event, he
explained the fire extinguisher PASS
method to the parents, emphasizing its
importance for fire safety. Meanwhile,
Our staff distributed Victorville Fire hats
and stickers to the kids, creating an
engaging and interactive environment.
This outreach not only promoted safety
awareness but also raised a sense of
PICTURED ABOVE
community involvement and support. CAPTAIN DAVID GROAT &
INSPECTOR URIEL SANCHEZ
BONFIRE HALLOW-BOO LOWES
Silverado High School City Hall Bear Valley Road
Special Event Special Event Special Event
EVILLE FIRE
Inspector Rudy Alcara
Having a Fire Inspector along with an engine crew present at a high school bonfire is crucial for ensuring the safety and well-being of all participants. The fire inspector plays a pivotal role in assessing and mitigating potential fire hazards, thereby minimizing the risk of accidents or injuries. Their expertise allows them to evaluate the location, size of the bonfire and adhere to safety regulations, guaranteeing that the event complies with local fire codes. We always want to create an environment where everyone can enjoy the festivities with confidence and peace of mind!
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