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Section Chair's Welcome Letter:

WFC Public Fire Educators is a section of the Washington Fire Chiefs, representing nearly 100 departments throughout the State of Washington. WPFE is dedicated to the reduction of injuries and lives lost due to fire and other hazards through prevention programs.

WPFE Goals:

  • The promotion of professional interaction with the citizens of Washington State.
  • The standardization of comprehensive educational materials and programs throughout  the State of Washington.
  • Cooperative development and planning with other fire service divisions, WFC Section and other related organization.
  • Educational opportunities for fire and life safety educators.

Members learn together and from each other. Sharing resources and ideas is the mainstay of this organization. We strive for standardization of concepts to serve our communities more effectively and we encourage creativity to personalize and enhance our audience appeal.

Educational opportunities are provided at minimal cost to ensure that public educators are prepared to develop, present, and evaluate their programs - not to mention inspired to present them! 

Four business meetings are held annually and the dates are posted to our website. The business of the section is determined at these meetings, so your participation is encouraged and welcomed. It's easy to join - simply click "Join WPFE" on the right. If you have further questions, please feel free to contact any Board Member. We will be glad to help in any way possible

WPFE is always on the lookout for innovative, creative, friendly educators who wish to help us combat fire and injury in Washington State. As our mission says, we "Ignite Awareness, Extinguish Risk."
 
Sincerely Welcome,
 
Ben Shearer, Chair

PFE Section Board

 CHAIR - Ben Shearer (Pasco Fire)

VICE-CHAIR - Erica Littlewood (South Whatcom Fire Authority).

PAST CHAIR - Melanie Taylor (Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority)  

PIO - Jamie McIntyre (Spokane Fire) 

SECRETARY - Shawneri Guzman 

(South Sno Fire)

BOARD MEMBER AT LARGE- Kelly Hawks - (Valley Regional Fire Authority)

MEETING INFORMATION

WPFE meets quarterly for business meetings. The location varies to afford departments around the state the ability to attend. The Annual Business Meeting is for the purpose of installing officers newly elected.  Currently, meetings are scheduled each year in March, May during the Washington State Chiefs conference, August, and October during the Fire Prevention Institute hosted by WASFM, unless otherwise noted.

Anyone may attend a general WPFE meeting, even if they are not a member.  We encourage everyone to join us and share their ideas with other public educators!

We are always looking for motivated educators and PIO's to share their ideas with others around the state.  Currently we are working with the Washington State Fire Marshal's Office to provide Fire and Life Safety Educator 1 with IFSAC certificate on each side of the state every other year. This years class is being hosted by The Spokane Fire Department March 31-April 3. The cost is $300 Contact Jamie McIntyre at SFD.  jmcintyre@spokanefire.org 

Impact Teen Drivers program is being offered in Kent coming up March 10 at 930 AM - 130 PM Register at info@impactteendrivers.org

If you have questions about the WPFE or CRR programs please feel free to contact me.  

Ben Shearer

shearerb@pasco-wa.gov

Recent PFE News

Users of SCOTT SAFETY SCBA Full Facepiece: AV-3000 SureSeal, AV-3000 HT, AV-2000, and other similar designs

Posted: Jul 26, 2016
Categories: Sections
Comments: 0

Dislodged Sizing Dot Inside Regulator Diaphragm

Recently one of our firefighters experienced smoke inhalation during a training incident. The exposure was caused by a dislodged sizing dot found wedged in the regulator diaphragm. This allowed outside contaminated air to enter into the mask.

The sizing dots are originally attached by adhesive during the manufacturing process. They are black or color coded by size. Figure 1 shows the sizing dots as they come from the manufacturer. Figure 2 shows a mask with missing sizing dots.

A sizing dot migrated into the regulator opening and then into the interior diaphragm. This prevented the diaphragm from closing completely. Figure 3 shows the actual component discovered with the sizing dot wedged inside.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Immediate actions:

  •  Check the mask to ensure that all four sizing dots are in place.
  •  Check the opening of the regulator with a flashlight for loose sizing dots.
  •  Perform a standard inspection, don the SCBA, and breathe air to ensure that the regulator is working correctly. This includes breathing down the air in the system while the bottle is turned off.
  •  Inspect the mask bag for debris and cleanliness
  •  Assign a certified technician to inspect the internal components of the regulator.
  •  Replace all sizing dots by contacting the SCOTT service representative.
  •  Immediately remove the unit from service if there is a performance failure.

Storage:

  •  Store the mask by itself in a designated, clean mask bag.
  •  Store SCBA regulators:
  •  Attached to a mask and inserted in a mask bag
  •  Attached to the SCBA belt mounted regulator holder
  •  Inserted into a mask bag or a clean, clear, and sealed bag

During fire ground operations:

  •  Special care should be used to keep debris from contaminating and accumulating in the mask and regulator opening.
  •  If separated from the regulator, keep the mask in the mask bag and the regulator clipped to the waist belt holder.
  •  If connected to the regulator, insert both pieces in the mask bag and clip the mask bag drawstring to the bunker coat.
  •  Visually inspect the mask for dislodged sizing dots, foreign material, and other debris.

Department policy and procedures:

  • Clean the regulator after every use according to manufacturer recommendations.
  •  Develop a mask bag exchange program during fire ground operations to reduce bag contamination.
  •  Evaluate SCBA donning procedures. Ensure that breathing down the air supply to check the seal is part of the donning procedures. Refer to the Scott manual for specifics.


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