On Tuesday Members from the Hamburg, Shoemakersville, and Virginville Fire Departments gathered for a group training session. In all 45 members attending a class that was presented by Sal DePrisco, on Solar Panel Emergency for the Fire Service Responder. This gave a chance to show members what to look for when responding to incidents involving Solar Panels. Sal Provided a great presentation that everyone enjoyed. This class will provide responders int he community with the tools needed to deal with such emergencies.

Sal DePrisco
Vice President
Sensible Technical Solutions
NABCEP Certified PV Technical Sales Professional
Integrating Roofing, Solar & Energy Efficiency Systems

This past weekend, 6 members from the dept spent the day with 25 other canidates from across Berks County who gathered to complete a 100 question written test friday night, and the all day skills test on Saturday. Following the days events at 5:30 pm all members herd the good news that they passesed the hands on skills test. The group will have to wait and.see the test results which will arrive in a few weeks. All the hard work paid off following the training this group has completed over the last year. Great Job to all who made it this far. FF D. Hartman, B. Thren, T. Hartman, S. Hartman, S. O'Neil, T. Schappel.

In a effort to better educate our members , staff from the union house completed Aha First Aid and Cpr certifiction. Members sat threw up dates, and reviewed basic first aid skills during this time. This training will be a assest when assisting our qrs staff during medical runs. Members passeed the hands on skills following the lecture.by Deputy Chief Emes who was the instructor for the course. this course was needed for a few of our members who will be taking firefighter II certification.

Members gathered for Tuesday Night Drill, Drivers are still receiving training on the Rescue Engine. Crews had the chance to get some more hose testing done on Rescue Engine 61.  Crews also staffed Rescue 61, Engine 61-3 and Engine 61 for any calls during the testing.

This past Sunday after 166 hours 7 members culminated Mod.4 of Essentials with their structural burn. A total of 6 burns where completed as the groups rotated through truck, engine, and RIT duties. A big thank you to Instructors Jeff Reinert and Carl Seltzer for their time and knowledge they have given to these members!

7 members of the company have finally complete Mod.4 of the Essentials Program  after many months of training and hard work. Great job to everyone on your accomplishment. After completing their structural burn on Sunday the group will begin preparing for FF1 certification in Fall.

7 members of the department are finishing up Mod.3 of the essentials program. The past 2 Sundays members where at the trainning site completing the hands-on portions of this mod. Lots of ladder work was completed by all. Preparation for the final exam continues for this Tuesday. With a short break they will begin mod. 4 in May. Good luck to all!!

Tonight Crews gathered to complete the required consumption drill for all interior qualified personnel. Members have been working very hard to complete this challenge. Following the drill members gathered to receive foam training on Rescue Engine 61 in the Field House Parking Lot. Good Job to everyone who completed the consumption test and to the drivers who received this training.

This morning Crews from the 61 House and members from the Township of Spring FD, and Wyomissing FD gathered for the ICS 400 Course which was being hosted at the station. Members worked to complete several command situations and have been learning new tactics throughout the instruction of the course. Thank you to Steve Cashman for being the lead on the course.

Tonight crews gathered to practice how to deploy salvage tarps during overhaul operations.  Crews practiced how to make a water damn, make a water shoot using a tarp to move water, how to cover furniture during overhaul operations. This drill served as a review for everyone who is taking the Essentials Program and for the rest of the members. Crew also staffed the station and responded to one call while they were reviewing these skills.

Co 61 congratulates Shane and Destiny Heckman and Cody Zimmerman on passing there Pa State EMT Hands On skill and written test. All three members have been working very hard over the last few months on obtaining there certification as state EMTs and assisting with our QRS Program at the department. Congratulations. 

Thursday, December 2 2010 Billy G. will be hosted by Hamburg Fire Company as he presents the seminar, "Not Everyone Goes Home". This will begin at 1900 at Tilden Elementary School.  All companies are welcome to attend. Please RSVP to station 61 at 610-562-9195 or bethsoc8@comcast.net  with number of individuals attending by Friday November 26, 2010

Hope to see everyone there!

2010 FIREFIGHTERS & FIRE OFFICERS
SURVIVAL PROGRAM
not…. EVERYONE Goes Home!

Presented By: Chief Billy Goldfeder, E.F.O., Deputy Chief of the Loveland-Symmes FD, Associate/Contributing Editor for FIRE ENGINEERING, FIRE RESCUE, FIREHOUSE, FIREHOUSE.COM, monthly columnist: Firehouse Magazine's "CLOSE CALLS" and co-host of www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com

Chief Billy Goldfeder will present to the attendees, through video, audio and "WAKE UP" lecture, an in-depth review of specific and very recent and timely fireground events and most specifically, the LESSONS LEARNED so that these incidents (and those involved) don't ever become forgotten. This very personal, high energy DIRECT AND FRANK class (updated regularly to assure timeliness) that is professionally and respectfully presented, provides the attendees an excellent opportunity to apply the LESSONS LEARNED to their own departments…and themselves, when returning home...potentially avoiding "history tragically repeating itself.

The goal of this class is to have them leave more knowledgeable, educated and informed but most importantly THINKING HARD about their role and their department's responsibility in FIRE and RESCUE operations....to themselves and their families. These "LESSONS LEARNED" and related CASE STUDIES will help insure that similar problems are not repeated again-at YOUR DEPARTMENT.

EVERYONE GOES HOME? Some firefighters do and some don’t…this seminar will help you understand WHY...and why it is so important to think about: Who is in YOUR wallet?

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:

Chief Billy Goldfeder, EFO, a firefighter since 1973, serves as Deputy Fire Chief of the Loveland-Symmes FD in S.W. Ohio. LSFD is an ISO Class 2, full service ALS department providing a full range of traditional and non-traditional emergency & community services. A Chief Officer since 1982, he has served as a Fire Chief in Ohio, Virginia and Florida. Chief Goldfeder also served as a Public Protection representative covering southern New York, for I.S.O. as well as a Company Officer, starting with the Manhasset-Lakeville F.D., in Long Island, N.Y.

A 1993 graduate of the National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer Program, he is the former Chair of the International Association of Fire Chiefs VCOS Comm. In 2001, Chief Goldfeder was honored with an appointment of Hon. Battalion Chief of F.D.N.Y. and is a member of the Board of Directors of the September 11th Families Association, the Board of Directors of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and provides expert review assistance to the CDC NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program.

Goldfeder is the recipient of numerous operational and administrative awards and recognitions including most recently the Loveland-Symmes FD Departmental Award of Excellence in 2003, the Int’l Assoc. of Fire Service Instructors Fire Instructor of The Year Award for 2004, the Dana Hannon Fire Training Award for 2004, the Int’l Assoc. of Fire Chiefs Presidential Award for 2005, the 2007 (IFSTA) Int’l Fire Service Training Assoc’s Everett E. Hudiburg Memorial Award for Firefighter Training Excellence, the 2007 Nassau County (N.Y.) Frances X. Pendl Fire Service Humanitarian Award, the 2008 Firefighter Cancer Support Network Dallas Jones Memorial Award and in 2008, the Billy Goldfeder Fire Service Organizational Safety Award was named and created through the IAFC and is co-sponsored by VFIS.

Chief Goldfeder completed a 6 year term as a Commissioner on the Commission of Fire Accreditation International and he serves as an Associate/Contributing Editor for FIRE ENGINEERING, FIRE RESCUE, FIREHOUSE Magazines (including several regional fire publications) as well as a news editorial columnist for Firehouse.Com. He has spoken on, as well as published, numerous articles on subjects such as fire service risk management, leading combination FD's, fire command and tactics, firefighter/fireground safety, apparatus design/deployment and fireground staffing. His monthly column "Close Calls" appears in FIREHOUSE Magazine and his podcast radio show “Through The Smoke” is hosted on Firehouse.com.

Chief Goldfeder has served on several NFPA and IAFC Committees, is the Chair of the Int’l Assoc. of Fire Chiefs Safety, Health and Survival Section and also serves on the National Firefighter Near-Miss Reporting Task Force Board (IAFC). He is and has been an Instructor at all national fire service training conferences including Fire-Rescue international, Firehouse Expo, Firehouse World, F.D.S.O.A. and the Fire Department Instructors Conference (F.D.I.C.), where he has instructed for the past 28 years as well as serving as a member of the FDIC Advisory Board for the past 18 years. He has and does provide consulting services for municipal and private corporations with a clear focus on firefighter safety and survival.

Chief Goldfeder, along with Captain Gordon Graham, police/fire service risk management expert, and attorney hosts and sponsors the website: www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com , a 100% non-commercial, independent and free site with only 1 focus: Firefighter Safety, Survival and Getting Everyone Home.

CO.61 took advantage of some early warm weather to begin the yearly hose testing process. E61-2's hose was tested and reloaded by the members. Only 5 more trucks to go!

Company 61 has been working very hard in the new year to keep on top of training, community service, and keeping our equipment in good working order. A few weeks before the new year company 61 hosted some Tiger Scouts who needed to fulfill a requirement in their learning. The two boys that came to the firehouse were shown the fire apparatus, an air pack, and various other pieces of equipment including an attack line. Next, the boys were shown how a firefighter gets his air pack on while sitting in the truck on the way to the call. The two boys were very appreciative of the visit and thankful that we made it possible for them to come. Company 61 is always looking for ways to help the community, whether it be by showing young kids around the firehouse, or hanging up Christmas decorations around town. WE DO IT ALL! We are very thankful for the support we have received from the community throughout 2009, and thankful for the respect we have been shown by many citizens, we look forward to a great 2010, and plan to keep you all safe! If you are interested in volunteering as a firefighter, fire police, or simply with anything we need help with, you can stop by every Tuesday night at 6:30 for training nights, just knock on the door and say "you're here to help!" We are always looking for volunteers and we'd love to have you!

If you believe there is an event that the fire company would be a good participant in, or if we could help out with your event, you can contact either Chief Troy Hatt, or any of the Assistant Chiefs.

ANYONE WHO FAILED THE EXAM MUST CONTACT MATT HATRAK AT BUCKS.

HIS EMAIL IS                              hatrakm@bucks.edu

I CONTACTED HIM YESTERDAY ABOUT A RETEST, AND HE TOLD ME IF THERE WERE MORE THAN 5 PEOPLE FROM HAMBURG THAT NEEDED IT WE COULD SET IT UP TO HAVE IT AT STATION.
 
HE NEEDS EVERYONES CONTACT INFORMATION SO WE CAN DO THE RETEST.
 
PLEASE CONTACT HIM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE...