PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE Postal Customer PAID Lebanon, OR PERMIT NO. 59 ECRWSS Lebanon Fire District APRIL 2015 LEBANON FIRE DISTRICT 1050 W. Oak Street Lebanon, OR 97355 541.451.1901 COME SEE WHAT HAPPENS AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. PLAN TO JOIN US AT OUR ANNUAL OPEN HOUSE visit our website at www.lebanonfire.org LFD FIRE CHIEF RETIRES Fire Chief Daniel Woodson will be retiring in May, after 35 years in the fire service. Chief Woodson has been very familiar with the fire service since childhood. His father was a volunteer Assistant Chief in a small town in Missouri. When the fire phone rang at their home, his dad would get him and his brother up to go with him to the fire, and there began the love of the fire service. Chief Woodson served on active duty with the US Air Force as a cadet at the U.S. Air Force Academy (“An experience I would not give anything for and one I would never want to go back to”) and finished his military service in the reserves in Florida and Texas. Chief Woodson was a volunteer firefighter in Middletown, Missouri, New Franklin, Missouri and Crestview , Florida. He was hired as a Firefighter EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) with Chillicothe, Missouri fire department in 1981. He served with them for over 2 years and got his Paramedic certification. In 1984 Chief Woodson applied and was hired by Corpus Christi Fire Department in Texas as a Firefighter/Paramedic. He worked for CCFD for 22 years moving up through the ranks. While there he was also a member of the Corpus Christi Police department SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) team for 13 years and worked as a deputy sheriff with Live Oak County for 5 years after leaving SWAT. He completed his Associates Degree in Fire Science through Del Mar College while in Corpus. In 2004 he completed his Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration through Upper Iowa University’s external degree program. CONTENTS: PG.2: • In Search of A Multitude of Volunteers • In an Emergency, Can We Find You? • Smoke Alarms In 2005 he applied and was hired by Lebanon Fire District as their Assistant Chief and was promoted to Fire Chief in 2007. Chief said, “I told Karen the other day that we would discuss Chief Woodson how close I have been to being killed and how many times that has happened after I retire.” Chief Woodson has been awarded various lifesaving and community service awards during his career and has passed on his knowledge to others through instructing classes. Chief Woodson assisted with an extensive hiring process for his replacement. That process, with both internal and external candidates, allowed the District to obtain a well-qualified Assistant Chief that will replace Chief Woodson when he retires. Assistant Chief Gordon Sletmoe comes to LFD from Medford, where he was interim Fire Chief. Chief Woodson stated “I have enjoyed my 35+ years in the fire and EMS service and I’ve appreciated the opportunity to serve the people in the various communities where I’ve worked.” He looks forward to retirement and traveling with his wife Karen. They will winter in Texas where their four girls live with their families and play with their 12 grandchildren. ANNUAL OPEN HOUSE MAY 9TH PG.3: • LFD News • News from the LFD Training Division PG.4: • FireMed Membership Application • FAQ’s Lebanon Fire District will host it’s annual Open House on Saturday May 9th at Station 31, 1050 W. Oak Street, from 11:00am-3:00pm. With activities and demonstrations, the day promises to be informative for all ages. We will have a car seat check station, fire truck rides, an obstacle course, a dunk tank, and much more. Join us for a free hot dog and check out your local fire department! Volunteer Firefighters practice firefighting techniques at a training burn. IN SEARCH OF A MULTITUDE OF VOLUNTEERS! Did you Know that it takes a lot of firefighters on scene to safely combat a fire? Two people on the inside of a structure on a hose and nozzle, two people outside the structure on a hose and nozzle , one person in charge (Incident Commander), a Rapid Intervention Crew (RIC) comprised of two or more people, and preferably a separate person for an Incident Safety Officer (ISO) although the Incident Commander can fill this position. The Lebanon Fire District is a Combination Paid/Volunteer Department and we rely on our Volunteers to help fill these positions. That’s why we are always looking for volunteers who are willing to help, not just with fires but community events, public education, and EMS. Come join today! If you’re interested in receiving an application, or have questions about volunteering, visit our website at www.lebanonfire.org, or call the district office at (541) 451-1901. IN AN EMERGENCY, CAN WE FIND YOU? With a fire district that encompasses 134 square miles, it is easy to understand that a majority of the addresses we serve and protect are outside the city limits of Lebanon. Many of the addresses within our district have required the caller to give 911 dispatchers detailed information on how to find their residence in order for responders to provide timely assistance. That is why, for over 20 years, the Lebanon Fire District has had an addressing program where we installed a post, with numbers, at the beginning of a driveway or access road to a structure. When we started this program the goal was to cover every rural address and except for a few isolated areas, we were successful. The past several years has involved our volunteers performing maintenance on existing address posts with an occasional installation of a new address here and there. We are making some updates to our address program. The new signs, shown below, afford us the flexibility to utilize a multitude of mounting options besides the standard post. They can be attached to an existing post, fence, or gate. We will now provide the reflective address sign, attachment hardware, and a mounting post if needed, to all interested property owners inside the Lebanon Fire District. The owner has the option of installing it themselves or we can install it for them. SMOKE ALARMS Working smoke alarms more than double your chances of surviving a fire. Most fire deaths are caused by smoke, not flames. Do you have the right smoke alarm in place? No matter how good your alarm is, without power it is useless. If you haven’t already upgraded to smoke alarms that contain a 10-year long life battery, be sure to do so. Over the years there have been many fires where, for a variety of reasons, batteries have been removed from the smoke alarm and people have been needlessly injured or killed because the alarm failed to operate. To order a new or replacement sign please call the district office at (541) 451-1901, or visit our website at www.lebanonfire.org and click on the “Address Sign Request Form” link. Smoke alarms more than 10 years old should be removed and replaced with new alarms. All new, battery only powered, ionization smoke alarms sold in Oregon must be sold with a 10-year long life battery. They shall also contain a “hush” button that will silence the alarm for a short period of time in the event of a false alarm. There is no need to remove the battery, except to replace it. The “yearly” battery change can become a thing of the past. Please remember to check, clean and test your smoke alarm at least once a month to verify it has power and is operating correctly. REMEMBER – A smoke alarm that doesn’t work, DOESN’T WORK! If you need a smoke detector, you can purchase one at most hardware or retail stores for around $10-$20. 2 LFD NEWS A few highlights over the past year at LFD. • May 2014 – LFD congratulates two • September 2014 – Russell Duerr was chiefs as they retire; Assistant Chief Tim Frost and Division Chief of Training Dave Anderlik both retired in May. Chief Frost began his career with LFD before moving on to serve as Fire Chief in Brownsville, Baker City, and Sublimity. He returned to Chief Frost LFD in 2008. Chief Anderlik began with LFD in 1988, where he moved up the ranks from Firefighter to Training Chief, and served our citizens for over 25 years. Best wishes, Chief Frost and Chief Anderlik! hired full-time as an Engineer/Medic. Russell started as a volunteer with LFD in 2008, and then became a Student Intern in August, 2012. He has also worked in the capacity of a temporary Firefighter, when needed. Russell has been a great addition to the team of emergency care providers here at LFD. Congratulations, Russell! • May 2014 – Chief Gordon Sletmoe joined LFD as our new Assistant Fire Chief, Chief Anderlik replacing Assistant Chief Frost. Chief Sletmoe comes to us from Medford Fire where he served as acting Fire Chief. Gordon has over 30 years of diverse fire and EMS background. Gordon’s leadership and vision have made him an excellent addition to the management of LFD. Congratulations, Chief Sletmoe! Chief Sletmoe • September 2014 – Lieutenant John Tacy was promoted to Division Chief of Training & Safety. Lt. Tacy was named Interim Division Chief of Training in July, after Chief Anderlik’s retirement. John has implemented a new online training program, and ushered in a new age of training for the members of LFD. Congratulations, Chief Tacy! E/M Russell Duerr • January 2015 – Engineer/Medic Marshall Brookfield was promoted to Lieutenant. Marshall has served as an Interim Lieutenant since July 2014. He began his career in the fire service as an Intern Firefighter with Clark County FD#12 in 1999. After serving in the Lieutenant Brookfield United States Marine Corp as an Aircraft Rescue Firefighter, he joined LFD in April 2007. He now fills the Lieutenant position on C-shift, vacated by former Lieutenant John Tacy. Marshall brings experience and strong leadership and will do well in his new position. Congratulations, Marshall! • November 2014 – LFD gains two new Student Interns; Jamin Hooley and Nicholas Unruh. Jamin is currently taking classes toward becoming a Paramedic at Chemeketa Community College and is an Intern on C-Shift. Nicholas is a student at Linn Benton Community College and is an Intern on A-Shift. Welcome, Jamin and Nicholas! • New Volunteers – LFD welcomes five new volunteers. Michael Chief Tacy Firefighters practice interior fire attack utilizing the burn room. Fitzwater, Crystal Pender, Nolan Morikawa, Ben Terry, and Robert Crowe. Michael and Crystal both joined LFD in October. Michael is a voluneer at Station 35 and Crystal joins “B” Company at Station 31. Nolan, Ben, and Robert joined the department in March of this year. Nolan joins Station 34, Robert joins Station 32, and Ben joins “B” Company at Station 31. We welcome our new volunteers and look forward to many years ahead. Firefighters practice advancing a line on a two-story structure, utilizing the training tower. NEWS FROM THE LFD TRAINING DIVISION The Lebanon Fire District is working hard to make sure that the personnel that deliver your service are highly trained. Over the last six months LFD personnel have utilized our training facility. You may have noticed our training tower behind the Oak Street station. It’s hard to miss because of its four story height. This allows our personnel to practice firefighting techniques in a multiple story building (like some apartment buildings) that are in our community. Another building you might not have seen is the “Live Burn Room” that we have on the training grounds. There is far more to firefighting then squirting water on fire and the burn room allows the department to practice the various positions that are critical when fighting fire. Firefighting is labor intensive and it and it can take as many as 15 personnel to do simple fire attack in a safe manner. When we practice fire attack we use no less then 12. The burn room allows LFD personnel to practice firefighting in a very controlled and safe manner with little environmental impact. The Lebanon Fire District also trains in other critical functions that are required when called upon, such as Haz-mat, emergency medical services and swift water rescue. The Lebanon Fire District has delivered over 3100 hours of training in the last four months alone. This shows the amount of time and commitment your members have to deliver the very best service to you. Total Calls for 2014: 5351 Fire Calls – 129 —Of the fire calls, 47 were structural fires. Medical calls – 4249 —Of the medical calls, 142 were motor vehicle accidents Other calls (rescues, Haz-mat incidents, false alarms, etc.) - 973 3 FAQ’s About FireMed Do I have to carry medical insurance to join? Membership is available to anyone in our service area, regardless of their insurance coverage. If you do not have insurance, your FireMed benefit still covers 50% of your ambulance charges. APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP LEBANON FIREMED 1050 W. Oak St. Lebanon, OR 97355 (541) 451-6123 www.lebanonfire.org Membership Fee is $50.00 Payment Method: Check # _______________ (Payable to Lebanon FireMed) Cash _____________________ Other _____________________ Additional tax deductible contribution: $ ______ For Office Use Only Membership # Date Received: NAME & MAILING ADDRESS If I join FireMed, can I cancel my medical insurance? FireMed is not an insurance program, but a membership. FireMed membership only pertains to ambulance care and transportation provided by Lebanon Fire District. FireMed does not cover any other health care services or hospitalization. How does FireMed work with my insurance? When a member uses the ambulance service, we bill any insurance coverage providing medical benefits. The member will then be billed for 50% of any un-reimbursed balances. Phone #: ___________________________________ Street Address (if different than above): _____________________________________________________________________ FireMed membership provides you with a 50% benefit of your patient responsibility for ambulance transport. Membership is per household. (See FireMed Agreement for details) PLEASE PRINT HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS Last Name First Name Middle Date of Birth Initial Social Security Number (optional) Relationship SELF What if I decide not to join? We will still provide you with excellent emergency service, however you will be responsible for the full cost of your ambulance bill. Verify with your insurance company what benefits they pay for ambulance service, to find out if FireMed will benefit you. What if I just need a ride to the hospital? FireMed membership is for emergency medical transportation only. (See the Terms of Agreement for definition of emergency.) During our Open Enrollment period of May 1st through June 30th, your coverage will begin immediately upon receipt of your payment and completed application. Outside of Open Enrollment, there is a one week waiting period for coverage to begin. All Memberships expire each year on June 30th. If you are currently a member of FireMed, you will receive your renewal notice by mail around the end of April. If you’re not a current member and would like to join FireMed, simply complete the application and mail it with your payment of $50.00 to the Lebanon Fire District. We do not issue cards, so your cancelled check will verify your enrollment. IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, CALL 911. $50 PAYMENT MUST ACCOMPANY THIS APPLICATION If paying by check, please make payable to Lebanon FireMed. All Memberships expire June 30, of each year. Submission of this application constitutes acceptance of the FireMed terms of agreement as shown below. X___________________________________________________________ Signature ________________________________ Date LEBANON FIREMED MEMBERSHIP TERMS OF AGREEMENT By joining FireMed, Members agree to abide by the Terms of Agreement Below. Definition: Firemed is a voluntary ambulance membership program operated by the Lebanon Fire District (hereinafter referred to as LFD), in which members receive a 50% reduction in their patient responsibility balance for ambulance service provided by LFD. FireMed is not insurance. LFD will bill insurance for ambulance services that members may have and LFD is entitled to all benefits paid for ambulance services rendered, up to the total dollar amount of services incurred. Membership Benefits: FireMed membership provides emergency pre-hospital medical care and ambulance transportation. FireMed membership provides you with a 50% benefit of your patient responsibility for ambulance transport. All emergency service must originate within the boundaries of the Lebanon Fire District Ambulance Service Areas. Emergency transportation will be to the nearest medically appropriate hospital as determined by medical control physicians. Non-emergency ambulance transportation from hospital to hospital is covered when medically necessary and with prior authorization by a physician. Specifically Not Covered: is non-emergent/non-medically necessary transportation where means other than ambulance should be used, including private vehicle, taxi, or wheelchair and stretcher van services. Other examples of such uncovered services may include transportation to and from doctors’ offices or clinics, transportation from nursing homes for treatment normally provided in the nursing home, transport back home from a medical facility when patient condition does not warrant an ambulance or transport from hospital to hospital for care by a patient’s primary physician. Definition of Emergency Medical Necessity: Any patient who needs oxygen, IV fluids, cardiac monitoring, and/or continuous medical observation and evaluation due to acute onset of Illness or injury requiring ambulance transport. Membership Benefits Outside of Local Service Area: Other participating reciprocal agencies may extend member benefits to areas outside the LFD ambulance service area. These benefits are limited to the terms of agreement in effect by the participating agency providing services at the time benefits are used. Members who receive ambulance service from any other participating agency are eligible for benefits offered by that agency. A current list of participating agencies is available at the Lebanon Fire District office. LFD is not responsible for the type, level, or quality of services provided by a participating agency nor is LFD financially responsible for any costs or charges incurred by a member from any other ambulance provider. LFD is not responsible for the withdrawal of participating reciprocal agencies. Participating agencies are subject to change without notice. Member Responsibilities: Members pay an annual membership fee and will assign and transfer to LFD all rights and benefits for ambulance services from all insurance policies, plans, or other benefit programs members may have, including all rights in any claim or third party recovery, up to the total dollar amount of services incurred, where ambulance services were provided by LFD. Should any person covered under this membership receive 4 any payment for ambulance services rendered by LFD, they will immediately forward such payment to LFD. Members are responsible for payment of balance due after membership benefits are applied. Members authorize the release of medical and other information by or to LFD as necessary for ambulance billing. Members agree to provide, when requested, any or all information concerning insurance policies, plans, third party recovery, or other benefit programs they may have, and will cooperate and assist as necessary in any efforts to bill and collect such ambulance reimbursements, including the completion and submission of documents or claim forms. Membership Eligibility: Residents of LFD’s ambulance service areas are eligible to join by properly completing an enrollment application available from LFD and by paying the appropriate annual membership fee. FireMed household membership includes all persons who are permanent residents of the same single-family occupancy, non-commercial residence, within the LFD ambulance service area, living together as part of a family unit, including domestic partners, but not to include mere roomers or boarders. Membership benefits include a spouse or dependent living in substitute care (e.g. nursing homes). Others not included in this definition are required to obtain their own separate membership. The first person listed on the application form is called the “Primary Member.” New qualifying household members may be added to your membership at any time by calling LFD. They will become effective the following business day. Duration: Membership coverage begins upon acceptance of a properly completed application form along with payment, during Open Enrollment (May – June). Outside of Open Enrollment, there is a one-week waiting period. To the Member’s Insurance Carrier (for members with insurance): As a FireMed member, I authorize a copy of this agreement to be used in place of the original on file at the FireMed office. I assign and authorize payment of benefits for ambulance services directly to LFD, according to the FireMed terms of agreement and as itemized on claim forms. I expect the usual and customary ambulance reimbursement on my behalf to be sent directly to LFD. Disclaimer: LFD reserves the right to add, modify, or delete any of the program terms and conditions completely or in part. All interpretations of the membership terms and conditions shall be at the sole discretion of LFD. Membership is non-transferable and nonrefundable. Persons who receive welfare, Medicaid, Department of Medical Assistance Programs, or Oregon Health Plan medical benefits need not be members in order to have full coverage for services covered under these programs. Any such membership constitutes a voluntary contribution only. Violations of the terms of agreement may result in membership revocation, forfeiture of benefits associated with membership and an obligation to pay all balances in full. A copy of the Notice of Privacy Practices is available online and at the Lebanon Fire District office at 1050 W. Oak Street.
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