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Mission Statement

The objectives of this Division shall be to further enhance the education of all Fire Service Administrative Support by conducting workshops and seminars; to increase the proficiency of Fire Administrative Support by establishing a network sharing of information systems through various channels of communication; and to faciliate a statewide standardization wherever possible in all phases and aspects of the Fire Administrative Support field for the benefit of the Fire Service.

Recent Fire Administrative Support News

Posted: Oct 20, 2020
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Greetings all~

At the yearly business meeting of the WFAS, usually a part of the annual conference, 2020 elections were held. Two Regional Representative terms were up this year along with that of the Secretary and Chair. Cathy Blakeway, Tumwater Fire, will continue to serve as a Regional Rep and Tasiya Deering, Moses Lake Fire, was reelected to the position of Secretary. Kristen Cole chose not to run again for the Regional Rep position she has held but has opted to remain on the board as the Hospitality/Activity committee chair. Slita Bradley, Benton County Fire District 4, was chosen to fill that Regional Rep position. Caity Karapostoles, Clallam County Fire District 3, was elected to serve for the next two years as Chairman when Mykel Montgomery stepped down. Mykel will stay on the board as Past Chair, allowing her to help deliver the 2021 WFAS Conference in Chelan postponed from October 2020. A huge shout out to everyone for stepping up to run for positions on the board and to volunteer on the various committees, along with everyone who continues to serve as board/committee members. It takes all of us to create and maintain the valuable network that is the WFAS! And along those lines, the Vice Chair position is open if you or someone you know is interested, please let me know as soon as possible. In keeping with our policies and procedures, the vacancy will be filled by a majority vote of the Executive Board at our next meeting. The person chosen will serve until the next election at the 2021 WFAS Conference,

In lieu of this year’s conference and workshops, a number of webinars are being planned for our group. Check the website and the group’s Facebook page for more information as it comes available.

Please feel free to contact me or any of the other board/committee members, if there is anything we can help you with. I welcome comments, concerns and suggestions!

Take care and stay safe.

As always,

Caity K

WFAS Chair

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Posted: Apr 21, 2020
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Wednesday April 22nd

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Posted: Jun 27, 2018
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 A recording of the hour long webinar How to Apply for a Local Records Grant is now available at Washington State Archives’ website at:

 https://www.sos.wa.gov/archives/RecordsManagement/Local-Records-Grant-Program.aspx

 

The Online Grant Application form will be available on July 2, 2018.

If anyone has questions or would like assistance in planning and preparing their application, please email recordsmanagement@sos.wa.gov.

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Posted: Apr 25, 2018
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On behalf of your Washington Fire Administrative Support (WFAS) Board and Committee Members, we would like to acknowledge your hard work, dedication and commitment to the fire service and the work that you do. We all play an integral part in the departments we work for and the communities we serve, but perhaps don’t always get the acknowledgement that goes along with it. I hope everyone feels valued for their efforts and feels the support of your network of peers within the WFAS Section. Enjoy your day and I am so excited to see 96 of you in Walla Walla at our annual conference next week!

 

Ashley Becker, WFAS Section Chair

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Posted: Apr 2, 2018
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In accordance with the Washington Fire Chiefs' Bylaws, and the WFC Fire Administrative Support current Protocols, the recommended updated version of the protocols has been posted 30 days before conference

If you would like to see a version noting all of the changes, that document is shown as well. Feel free to share any concerns or comments regarding this updated document with us at: wfc@washingtonfirechiefs.org 

The updated protocols will be voted on by members at the WFAS conference in Walla Walla, Washington on Monday, May 7th.

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Posted: Feb 21, 2018
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Nominations need to be submitted to the WFC office by Friday, April 20, 2018 to kathleen@washingtonfirechiefs.org.

  • Nominee can be nominated by any WFC member, belonging to any WFC Section – please include: nominees name, position title, years of service;
  • The nominee must be a current member of the WFAS;
  • Nomination should list the nominee’s administrative accomplishments and contributions during the previous year as well as their leadership abilities, demonstration of professional performance and personal character.  A short story should be submitted to enhance the nominee’s accomplishments.
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Posted: Aug 8, 2017
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We currently have an opening on the WFAS Executive Board for an Eastern Representative, partial term, to serve through May 2018 (until the conference in which an election will take place for a two-year term).

 

Please submit a Statement of Interest to abecker@centralpiercefire.org, no later than Tuesday, August 15, for consideration at our upcoming Board Meeting in Walla Walla.

 

Feel free to reference the WFAS Board Campaign on the website for more information on Board involvement or reach out to a Board Member.

 

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Posted: Apr 26, 2017
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On behalf of the WFAS Board, we would like to thank you for your endless dedication to the fire service and your commitment to learn and grow.

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Posted: Apr 6, 2017
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In accordance with the Washington Fire Chiefs' Bylaws, and the WFC Fire Administrative Support current Protocols, the recommended updated version of the protocols has been posted 30 days before conference

If you would like to see a version noting all of the changes, please contact us. Feel free to share any concerns or comments regarding this updated document with us at: wfc@washingtonfirechiefs.org 

The updated protocols will be voted on by members at the WFAS conference in Olympia, Washington.

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Posted: Jan 31, 2017
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Nominations need to be submitted to the WFC office by Friday, April 28th of this year, 2017.

  • Nominee can be nominated by any WFC member, belonging to any WFC Section – please include: nominees name, position title, years of service;
  • The nominee must be a current member of the WFAS;
  • Nomination should list the nominee’s administrative accomplishments and contributions during the previous year as well as their leadership abilities, demonstration of professional performance and personal character.  A short story should be submitted to enhance the nominee’s accomplishments.

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FIRE ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SECTION UPCOMING EVENTS

Upcoming Events

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FIRE ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT BOARD & COMMITTEES

Thermal Imaging Basics

Thermal Imaging

Firefighters spend a lot of time training. This training is important to keep their skills honed for when they are called on during emergency situations and can include pump and aerial operations, donning and doffing of turnout gear, hose extending and pulling drills, ceiling breach exercises, forcible entry drills, and victim search techniques with victim drags and carries.

 

Most departments would consider these important for training, but how much time do fire departments devote to specific training with their thermal imagers (TIs)?

TI training shouldn’t just be observing fire behavior and how it looks on the TI’s display screen. It should also include ensuring that the TI is ready for use, image interpretation is understood by the firefighters, and the TI is deployed in all actual firefighting tasks. Some of the basics can be overlooked or taken for granted in training evolutions, but fire departments that ignore them risk that the TI is used ineffectively during emergency operations.

Deploying the TI

Deploying the TI from an apparatus and attaching it to the personal protective equipment sounds like a very simple task, but when adrenaline is flowing and the action is furious, it can be mismanaged, costing precious time. Firefighters should practice removing the TI from their apparatus or directly from their apparatus charger, if they have one, while wearing the gear they would have on when departing the apparatus. Then, they can practice attaching the TI to their gear or self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). When attaching the TI to the gear, firefighters should find a place that keeps the TI within easy reach but does not interfere with performing basic tasks. Because one of the biggest obstacles to effective TI use is getting the tool to where it is needed, this deployment and attachment process should be a component of every department’s training procedure.

Operating the TI with Gloved Hands

Operating a TI with a gloved hand sounds easy but can be challenging during an emergency operation. Firefighters too often do this in nonemergency situations without wearing gloves and fail to realize the increased difficulty of using a TI in emergency operations. All TIs have buttons that need to be manipulated during different stages of emergency operations. Firefighters need to become familiar with where the power button is located and practice finding it with a gloved hand in the dark and while wearing an SCBA face piece. This helps firefighters learn to capably do this in a sight-denied situation when the unit has been inadvertently powered off or a battery needs to be changed. This training should be extended for all buttons on the TI so firefighters have a good familiarity with the buttons, their locations, and their functions.

Replacing the TI’s Battery

Replacing the battery on a TI can be a challenging task depending on the TI, the size of the battery, and where the spare battery is carried. This task is often practiced in a boardroom type setting with no gloves or gear, but firefighters should do this task with gloved hands in the dark while wearing a face piece to simulate completing this task in the dark or smoky conditions.

Live Training Burns

Firefighters often get the opportunity to participate in training burns. In these situations, firefighters usually use a TI to observe fire behavior and bypass the search assistance and other capabilities that a TI can provide. During training burns, firefighters can better understand the real benefits of a TI so they are able to capitalize on them when a real event occurs. Below is a sampling or scenarios that firefighters can practice during training burns.

 

 A TI is used to check for exterior heat locations—i.e., roof, windows, walls, and basement areas. (Photos courtesy of Bullard.)

 

 

 A TI is used to show a flow path, growing high heat conditions, and thermal layering.

 

Size-Up

Firefighters should examine a structure during exterior size-up to locate areas of involvement. If a TI is equipped with special functions and color modes that facilitate a more comprehensive understanding of fire conditions, firefighters should use them at this time.

Fire Attack

Crews should use the TI during all fire operations to find and extinguish the fire, taking note of changes in the TI’s image, such as changing colors that denote high heat and thermal layering. These can help with understanding the level of heat and fire progression.

Search

Search teams can practice with a TI in training burns by placing a victim near a heat source to simulate a difficult rescue in fire conditions (with safety considerations in mind). This will force firefighters using the TI to interpret how the image of a victim looks in high heat situations. It’s important for firefighters to learn to look for human form and body parts that may be partially obscured rather than for specific colors or shades of gray. People usually look light gray on a TI in normal conditions but can show up as darker shades when viewed in comparison with high heat sources. While this may seem at times pointless, practicing this is essential to effective searches during real fire events.

 

 

 A victim is removed during a search exercise.

 

Overhaul

Depending on the type of training event, firefighters may have the opportunity to conduct overhaul. If this situation exists, they should examine residual heat sources in the structure to check for extension. With the TI, firefighters can watch how pulling down sections of ceiling or removing portions of walls alters heat signatures. Some TIs have special modes that provide helpful color overlays or other capabilities to assist in isolating hot spots.

 

 

 A TI is used during overhaul in a special mode that indicates the warmest areas of concern.

 

. . .

TI training can produce an endless number of scenarios. Firefighters can practice many of these without access to a training facility. A little creativity in the firehouse can go a long way to ensuring a fully prepared fire department.


Manfred Kihn is a 19-year veteran of the fire service, having served as an ambulance officer, emergency services specialist, firefighter, captain, and fire chief. He has been a member of Bullard’s Emergency Responder team since 2005 and is the company’s fire training specialist for thermal imaging technology. He is certified through the Law Enforcement Thermographers’ Association (LETA) as a thermal imaging instructor and is a recipient of the Ontario Medal for Firefighters Bravery. If you have questions about thermal imaging, you can e-mail him at manfred_kihn@bullard.com.

 

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Posted: Mar 20, 2023,
Categories: Fire Mechanics,
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