WALKER COUNTY FIREFIGHTER’S ASSOCIATION Issue # 8 1

Walker County Firefighter’s Association

Summer 2014

SUPPORTING ALL FIREFIGHTERS IN WALKER COUNTY, PAID AND VOLUNTEER IN THIS ISSUE

The Walker County Firefighters Association

was created to support the firefighters

whether paid, part-time, or volunteer in

Walker County.

The WCFFA was established in 1985 to

provide public outreach, networking,

support, and training. Please feel free to

invite all Walker County Firefighters to join

the WCFFA, as well as all of the EMS

personnel, auxiliary members, the

community, and all who support the

firefighters in Walker County.

This group has no association with any one

fire department in Walker County. It was

formed to represent area emergency

responders. All are welcome.

TRAINING UPDATES

Its time to sign up for Summer Fire School, check out the available courses online at Teex Annual Schools The WCFFA is looking for students for an online Basic Wildland FF course. We need 20 students to sign up for the course. For more information, contact your training officer or email jimmyw17@peoplepc.com “If its raining, we need to be training”.

Summertime is here! Page 2

Summertime means fun in the outdoors, but be prepared for the risks associated with outdoor activities. Sadly, summer is also known as the “Drowning Season”. Take steps now to avoid tragedies in and around water.

Over ½ of all drownings occur in swimming pools

Every day, about ten people die from

unintentional drowning. Of these, two

are children aged 14 or younger.

Click Here for more information

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drowning is a leading cause of death worldwide, and the highest rates are among children. In the U.S., drowning is the leading cause of “injury death” among children ages 1 to 4..

Walker County Emergency Personnel Appreciation Dinner The 13th Annual Walker County Emergency Personnel Appreciation Dinner will be held on Saturday, August 9th at the Walker County Storm Shelter.

Scholarships Available

Scholarships are available to Walker County Emergency Personnel and their children. The deadline to apply is April 15th, 2014. See page 3 for more info.

The Drought is over, or is it? Page 4 Recent rains have brought much needed relief to Southeast Texas. In addition, our overall weather pattern may be shifting as a return of El Nino is forecast in the near future. Check out page 5 for information on how to protect your home from wildfires. Page 6 – Featured Fire Department Pine Prairie Volunteer Fire Department Page 7 - WCFFA in Action Page 8 – New Waverly 4th of July Page 9 – Thomas Lake VFD 4th of July

News and Events

WALKER COUNTY FIREFIGHTER’S ASSOCIATION

Unintentional Drowning:

Get the Facts

Every day, about ten people die from unintentional drowning. Of these, two are children aged 14 or younger. Drowning ranks fifth among the leading causes of unintentional injury death in the United States.

How big is the problem

•From 2005-2009, there were an average of 3,533 fatal unintentional drownings (non-boating related) annually in the United States — about ten deaths per day. An additional 347 people died each year from drowning in boating-related incidents. •About one in five people who die from drowning are children 14 and younger. For every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency department care for non-fatal submersion injuries. •More than 50% of drowning victims treated in emergency departments (EDs) require hospitalization or transfer for further care (compared with a hospitalization rate of about 6% for all unintentional injuries). These nonfatal drowning injuries can cause severe brain damage that may result in long-term disabilities such as memory problems, learning disabilities, and permanent loss of basic functioning (e.g., permanent vegetative state)

•Males: Nearly 80% of people who die from drowning are male.

•Children: Children ages 1 to 4 have the highest drowning rates. In 2009, among children 1 to 4 years old who died from an unintentional injury, more than 30% died from drowning. Among children ages 1 to 4, most drownings occur in home swimming pools. Drowning is responsible for more deaths among children 1-4 than any other cause except congenital anomalies (birth defects). Among those 1-14, fatal drowning remains the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death behind motor vehicle crashes.

What factors influence drowning risk?

Lack of Swimming Ability: Many adults and children report that they can’t swim.

Research has shown

that participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning among children aged 1 to 4 years.

Lack of Barriers: Barriers, such as pool fencing, prevent young children from gaining access to the pool area without caregivers’ awareness.

A four-

sided isolation fence (separating the pool area from the house and yard) reduces a child’s risk of drowning 83% compared to three-sided property-line fencing.

Lack of Close Supervision: Drowning can happen quickly and quietly anywhere there is water (such as bathtubs, swimming pools, buckets), and even in the presence of lifeguards.

Location: People of different ages drown in different locations. For example, most children ages 1-4 drown in home swimming pools.

The percentage of

drownings in natural water settings, including lakes, rivers and oceans, increases with age.

More than

half of fatal and nonfatal drownings among those 15 years and older (57% and 57% respectively) occurred in natural water settings.

Failure to Wear Life Jackets: In 2010, the U.S. Coast Guard received reports for 4,604 boating incidents; 3,153 boaters were reported injured, and 672 died. Most (72%) boating deaths that occurred during 2010 were caused by drowning, with 88% of victims not wearing life jackets.

Alcohol Use: Among adolescents and adults, alcohol use is involved in up to 70% of deaths associated with water recreation, almost a quarter of ED visits for drowning, and about one in five reported boating deaths.

Alcohol influences balance, coordination,

and judgment, and its effects are heightened by sun exposure and heat.

Seizure Disorders: For persons with seizure disorders, drowning is the most common cause of unintentional injury death, with the bathtub as the site of highest drowning risk.

Who is most at risk?

WALKER COUNTY FIREFIGHTER’S ASSOCIATION

Walker County Emergency

Personnel Appreciation

Committee

The 2014 13th Annual Walker County Emergency Personnel Appreciation will be held on August 9th at the Walker County Storm Shelter.

Last year’s event was sponsored by First Victoria, K-Star Country 99.7, County Judge Danny Pierce, Sam Houston Memorial Funeral Home, Pct.4 Commissioner Tim Paulsel and The Huntsville Walker County Chamber of Commerce. Dinner was prepared by the Usta Kould Kookers and served by Walker County and City of Huntsville elected officials.

Scholarship recipients for 2013 were;

Shelby Beaird

Rebecca Kilgore

Randi McRae

Colson Slaven

Duncan Thornton

Scholarships are available to Walker County Public Safety Personnel and their children.

Anyone wishing to apply for a scholarship should contact: Kim Williams 936-344-8164 kimberly.williams@prosperitybankusa.com

Sherry Ingram 936-788-1035 sherryingram@kstarcountry.com

WALKER COUNTY FIREFIGHTER’S ASSOCIATION

The Drought is over! OR IS IT?

While Walker County has been blessed with periods of heavy rainfall over the past several months, moderate to severe drought

conditions continue to persist across much of Texas.

In recent months, our overall weather picture is starting to take shape as most long range forecasts now call for a return of an

El Nino weather pattern to the Pacific Ocean. The U.S. Climate prediction center recently updated the probabilities to an 80%

chance that an El Nino will form this year in the central Pacific near the equator, but what does that mean for us?

Globally, it can mean an even hotter year coming up and billions of dollars in losses for food crops, but El Niño is expected to

lead to fewer Atlantic hurricanes and more rain next winter for drought-stricken California and southern states, and even a

milder winter for the nation’s frigid northern states. For Texas, it means above average rainfall this winter with more run-off

to help refill drought-stricken reservoirs across the hardest hit portions of the state.

Although we are poised to see wetter weather in the future, sources at the National Weather Service tell us that the timing of

this El Nino’s arrival suggests that we may still experience 1-2 months of dry weather this summer before the onset of wetter

weather in October and November.

For timely updates and current information for our area, like us on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/#!/WCFFA

June 17, 2014 Texas Drought Intensity:

D0 - Abnormally Dry

D1 - Moderate Drought

D2 - Severe Drought

D3 - Extreme Drought

D4 - Exceptional

WALKER COUNTY FIREFIGHTER’S ASSOCIATION

Walker County

Firefighter’s Association

Summer 2014

FIREWISE LANDSCAPING AND CONSTRUCTION – USE THE ZONE CONCEPT

Zone 1— All Hazard Areas

This well-irrigated area encircles the structure and

all its attachments—(wood decks, fences, and

boardwalks) for at least 30 feet on all sides.

1) Plants should be carefully spaced, low-growing

and free of resins, oils and waxes that readily burn

2) Mow regularly & prune lower limbs from trees

3) Space conifer trees 30 feet between crowns.

Trim back trees that overhang the house.

4) Create a ‘fire-free’ area within five feet of the

home, using non-flammable landscaping materials and/or high-moisture-content

annuals and perennials.

5) Remove dead vegetation from under deck and within 10 feet of house.

6) Consider fire-resistant material for patio furniture, swing sets, etc.

7) Firewood stacks and propane tanks should not be located in this zone.

8) Water plants, trees and mulch regularly.

9) Consider xeriscaping if you are affected by water-use restrictions.

Zone 2 (Moderate and High Hazard Areas) Plants in this zone should be low-growing, well irrigated, and less flammable.

1) Leave 30 feet between clusters of two to three trees, or 20 feet between individual trees.

2) Encourage a mixture of deciduous and coniferous trees.

3) Create ‘fuel breaks’, like driveways & gravel walkways.

4) Prune trees up six to ten feet from the ground.

Zone 3 (High Hazard Areas)

Thin this area, although less space is required than in Zone 2.

Remove smaller conifers that are growing between taller trees. Remove heavy accumulation of woody debris.

Reduce the density of tall trees so canopies are not touching.

WALKER COUNTY FIREFIGHTER’S ASSOCIATION

T

Featured Department: Pine Prairie VFD The Pine Prairie Volunteer Fire Department was established in 1989

with the goal of serving the community with the highest level of

protection and prevention.

Mission

The mission of The Pine Prairie Volunteer Fire Department is to;

Serving With Pride

Taking Ownership

Seeking Excellence

Make A Difference

Protect Our Community At All Cost

And We All Go Home

The Department consists of (1) Chief, (1) Assistant Chief, (2)

Captains, (1) Safety Officer and approximately 16-20 commissioned

and experienced volunteers, along with several members in reserve

status and rehab.

The current apparatus consist of (1) 1500 GPM E-One Custom

Engine, (1) 2000 Gallon Deep South Tanker/Pumper, (1) 300 Gallon

Dodge 3500 Booster, (1) Utility/ Command Vehicle, (1) Reserve

Booster and (1) Reserve Tanker.

The Pine Prairie Volunteer Fire Department currently encompasses a

response area of approximately 146 square miles North of Huntsville

Texas. The response area encompasses rural agriculture land and

timber growing plantations, along with a growing residential and Oil

related industries.

The department's main call volume consists of grass/brush/forest

fires throughout the year, Structure fires, oil field responses, motor

vehicle accidents and a large number of mutual aid calls.

WALKER COUNTY FIREFIGHTER’S ASSOCIATION

Lufkin Wildfire Academy Huntsville Apartment Fire

Riverside Motor Vehicle Accident New Waverly House Fire

Pine Prairie Flooding

WALKER COUNTY FIREFIGHTER’S ASSOCIATION

New Waverly Volunteer

Fire Department

4th

of July Fundraiser Friday July 4

th, 2014

BBQ at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church at 11 am +

Auction at 1 pm

Big Raffle Prizes include:

Honda Rancher 4-Wheeler Big Screen TV

Stainless Steel Grill

Tickets are 1 for $1.00 or 6 for $5.00

Tickets are available at the New Waverly Fire Station or any

Fireman!

Fireworks Show & Raffle at Prosperity Bank

at dark.

Kids and Pets Parade (all pets must be on a leash) an hour before drawing.

For any additional information please call Station 71 at (936) 344-6911

WALKER COUNTY FIREFIGHTER’S ASSOCIATION