Featured — Page 3

Oct 13 2014

Inaugural Emergency Services Event

On Saturday, October 11th, Flourtown Fire Company organized the inaugural Springfield Township Emergency Services Event. The event was scheduled to promote fire safety week and fire prevention month, which annually is in October.

Members of Flourtown Fire Company, Oreland Fire Company, Wyndmoor Hose Company, Springfield Ambulance, and the Springfield Township Police participated in the event.

While the weather didn’t exactly cooperate, the turnout from the community was outstanding! Children were able to meet and talk to our first responders, and learn how to keep themselves and their family safe!

All who attended enjoyed live demonstrations, light refreshments food, a smoke house for kids to practice their escape plan, as well as various other hands on activities.

Thanks to all who braved the weather and came out to enjoy this event, and a special thanks to the Flourtown Fire Company’s Fire Prevention Committee Chairman, Jon Walker for organizing such a special event.

Oct 02 2014

FFCO Receives Provident Award for Recruitment and Retention

Flourtown Fire Company was recently recognized for our efforts in the recruitment and retention of new members by the Pennsylvania State Firemen’s Association. The mentoring program was formally adopted by the fire company in 2008, as a result of the efforts of Captain Chris Manning, who has spent countless hours developing, refining, and leading the program to make it a success.

Below, are some highlights of the program that illustrate why it has been so successful in Flourtown Fire Company’s recruitment and retention of new members.

Purpose of the Mentoring Program

The Flourtown Fire Company believes that through quality training, the availability of leading edge equipment and the guidance and support of a senior member, new members will be able to make great achievements in their career as a firefighter. With this philosophy the mentoring program is designed to give new members every advantage and opportunity to become a successful member of the Flourtown Fire Company.

The program is administered by the Mentor Program Coordinator, Fire Chief and Training Officer with the assistance of a Mentoring Committee intended to assist in program review and development.

Mentoring Program Highlights

The Mentoring Program is designed to be as detailed as possible for the mentors and the new members so that a truly structured program can be presented with consistency for all involved. Elements of the program include:

Program integrity
Fire ground related safety
SOG familiarization
Required training for new members
Performance reviews
Administrative Orientation
NFFF Everyone Goes Home Firefighter Life Safety Resource Kit
Apparatus Familiarization
Response Area Orientation
Fire Operations Orientation
Equipment Familiarization
County Emergency Operations Center and 911 Dispatch Familiarization Tour

Program Success by the Numbers

The Mentoring Program has had a total of 32 personnel that have either completed the program or that are currently enrolled. Of the 32 personnel a total of 24 have been retained leaving five personnel that left due to commitments to education, military service or family. Those five members are considered excused dismissals, while three personnel could not meet expectations of the program and were removed.

Nine firefighters started the program as junior firefighters and are now regular members.

Five of the members that were mentees in the program have moved on to become mentors.

One member that began as a mentee now holds an elected administrative position in the company.

The following information shows how the retention of mentees have been able to replace members lost due to attrition as well as bolstering membership by eight working force fire personnel since 2008:

In 2008 the working force roster had a total of 46 members listed which included Fire Officers (5), Driver/Operators (14), Fire Police (7) and Firefighters (20).
In 2014 after six years of maturing the mentoring program the working force roster currently has 54 members which includes Fire Officers (6), Driver/Operators (15), Fire Police (4) and Firefighters (29).

Sep 06 2014

Inaugural Emergency Services Event to Replace Open House for Fire Prevention Week

This year all the Emergency Services in Springfield Township are coming together to host a combined event to celebrate Fire Prevention Week.

Saturday, October 11, 2014

11 AM – 2 PM

Flourtown Shopping Center

1842 Bethlehem Pike, Flourtown, PA 19031

MORE INFORMATION

Come out in support of Fire Prevention Week to the Flourtown Shopping Center! Come out and talk to first responders and find out if you are doing everything you can to keep you and your family safe! Come enjoy live demonstrations, food, a smoke house for kids to practice their escape plan and hands on activities at this free event.

For questions or contact information regarding this event please contact jwalker@flourtownfire.org

Sep 06 2014

Fire Safety Poster Contest for Local School Children

As part of the 2014 Emergency Service Event (see Event post for more information) which will be replacing all the Open House events each fire company in Springfield Township conducted individually, we are asking future firefighters to draw up their best fire escape plans for their homes. Get the family involved and make sure you practice the plan so you know it works.

Printer Friendly Instructions

SHOW WHAT YOU KNOW

Create a fire escape poster of your residence
You should have at least two ways out of every room
Mark out All smoke detectors
Have a meeting location
Include your Name, School Name, Grade, Classroom and Teacher.
Drop off your entry from Monday September 15th through Monday October 6th
Posters can be dropped at Oreland, Flourtown or Wyndmoor Fire Companies any Monday night.

Entries will be placed into three categories. K-1, 2-3. 4-5. Prizes will be as follows:

1st prize $25 Toys R Us or Learning Express Gift Cert, 2nd prize – $20 Toys R Us or Learning Express, 3rd Prize – $15 Toys R Us or Learning Express Gift Cert.

Winning posters will be displayed at the Springfield Township Emergency Services Event on Saturday, October 11th from 11 AM -2:00 P.M. to celebrate Fire Safety Week.

Questions regarding this contact can be made to Jwalker@flourtownfire.org

Aug 05 2014

Swift Water Rescue Training

The frequency of water related rescues and flash flooding has been steadily increasing over the past several years.

Flourtown Fire Company firefighters honed their swift water resuce skills during a training exercise on the evening of Monday, August 4th that simulated the swift-water rescue of two victims who were overcome by such flooding.

As a reminder, Flourtown Fire Company reminds you to “Turn Around Don’t Drown (TADD)“, and to take a moment to review the following statement from the National Weather Service:

“Each year, more deaths occur due to flooding than from any other severe weather related hazard. The Centers for Disease Control report that over half of all flood-related drownings occur when a vehicle is driven into hazardous flood water. The next highest percentage of flood-related deaths is due to walking into or near flood waters.Why? The main reason is people underestimate the force and power of water. Many of the deaths occur in automobiles as they are swept downstream. Of these drownings, many are preventable, but too many people continue to drive around the barriers that warn you the road is flooded”

Photos are courtesy of, R. Wilmot Jr.