West Pulaski Volunteer Fire Department announces it will be holding its annual “All-You-Can-Eat Chicken & Catfish Dinner” this year on Saturday, October 2, 2010.

We hope you and your family will come be our guests for some fantastic food, look over our tools and firefighting vehicles, and meet the firefighters that work hard all year long to train and respond to the emergency needs of our community!

Look for announcements and our fire department newsletter that will be delivered in the community on the last week of September.

If you are interested in purchasing dinner tickets in advance, send us an email to WPFD@sbcglobal.net or call us at 501-821-9320 with the number of tickets you need! Advance purchase tickets help you bypass the ticket purchase line and speeds you like a fire-truck to the serving line! Tickets are $10 for Adults, $6 for Children (5-12 Years), and Kids 4 and under EAT FREE!

Each year, we hand-deliver our professionally printed fire department newsletter, fundraiser dinner announcement, and advertisements from our local business supporters to the homes of residents in our fire district. This includes over 3,200 houses and approximately 9,000+ residents!  At this time, we are asking for your business to help us offset some of the cost of the dinner and advertising.  We hope we can do a little advertising for your business as you support your local fire department. We will be distributing our announcement flyers on the week before the dinner (approx Sept 23-26^th).

Please consider purchasing an advertisement with us this year. Information about sizes and costs are listed below:

• Each advertising page is 8.5 Inches x 11 Inches and is divided into 12 equal sections (blocks).
• You can buy one or more ad blocks to advertise your business or simply show your support for our department.
• Business card = $50     Double-Block =$100     1/3 Page = $200    1/2 Page = $300    Full Page = $600
• We can accept your business card, your artwork, or you can have us customize your ad message.
• Please let us know by August 15 if you will be able to advertise with us this year.
• Please contact Lt. Jason Rogers with any questions at 501-519-2745 or via email to jmrogers411@aol.com.

• You can send your advertising information / graphics via email to jmrogers411@aol.com
• You can mail advertising graphics and payments to:

o        West Pulaski Fire Department

2810 Whispering Pines Road

Little Rock, Arkansas 72210

• Payments can be made by check that  is payable to “West Pulaski Fire Department”. Please note on check “2010 FISHFRY”.
• WPFD is a registered 501©3 Non-Profit Organization where your donation to our fire department is considered tax-deductible.

Thank you so much for your time and support!

An early morning close call occurred at 4am on July 5th when a firework rocket launched near the intersection of Kanis and Ferndale Cutoff landed on the roof of the Ferndale Grocery Store. The rocket lodged at the roof and an adjacent wall where it ignited wood and vinyl siding burning a 4 foot by 4 foot section of wall.  This early morning slow fire was spotted when a local caller saw a small stream of smoke on the roof and dialed 911. WPFD was dispatched and extiguished the fire quickly before major damage could occur to the structure.  The fire could have grown to a terribly large structure fire compounded by all of the fuel stored at that location.  The impact to the owners and the community for the loss of a local business could have been quite devastating. Please use caution and care with fireworks around your property and those of your neighbors!

Remember to exercise caution when burning outdoors this summer. High temperatures, low humidity, and windy conditions can turn small controlled fire into a quickly destructive force. Before you burn a pile of leaves or brush, remember that weather conditions can change fast in our state. If you ever loose control of your fire….DIAL 911 IMMEDIATELY!

Cautions:

1. Keep your burn piles small and near a water source to extinguish should wind or weather change.

2. Don’t burn near any structure, vehicle or flammable areas that can catch fire quickly from nearby sparks.

3. Never burn ANY wood building materials, chemicals, rubber, or plastics. State regulations have very large monetary fines for burning anything other than natural materials like leaves, sticks, trees, grass, etc.

4. Use caution when shooting fireworks during dry and/or windy conditions. Never shoot near buildings, cars or wooded/grassy areas.

5. Never burn anything outside during a burn ban (look for news announcements and local signs on roadways)

Recommendations:

1. Build your leaf and wood refuse piles to burn only when weather conditions are right for outdoor burning.

2. Cover your pile with a tarp or rain-proof covering to keep dry until heavy rain increases air humidity and wets the surrounding ground. Burn your dry pile with the safety of wet conditions to maintain control.

3. Never use gasoline or explosive fuels to start your fire. A dry burn pile and kindling /fireplace type of fire-starter should be enough to start most burn piles safely without risk of injury or life altering burns.

4. Check your local weather before you burn and then visit these links from the Arkansas Forestry Commission to see if burning conditions are safe:

Arkansas Wildfire Danger Map www.arkfireinfo.org/index.php?do:showWildfires

Arkansas Burn Ban Map www.forestry.state.ar.us/map/bbmap_png.php3

A survey from the American Animal Hospital Association estimates that approximately 40,000 animals die each year due to lack of first aid because fire responders usually don’t have the special tools that can deliver life-saving oxygen for smoke inhalation for pets.

Fire departments around the country are recognizing the need to acquire specialty oxygen masks that are designed for cats, dogs and other pets caught in house fires.  Animal advocates, community groups and pet-products suppliers are beginning to fill the need to equip local fire departments all over the United States.

The cone-shaped plastic masks needed for pets with long snouts come in three distinct sizes that will fit snugly and  can help resuscitate animals suffering from smoke inhalation and respiratory stress that a fire situation can cause.

A set of masks (small, medium and large) for each responding fire truck can cost about $75 per set. WPFD would love to acquire 8 kits (one for each Fire Pumper and Rescue vehicle at each of our 4 station areas).

• LEARN MORE :  For more info, you can visit    www.petmask.com to see the recommended equipment your local fire department is working to acquire.

• DONATE NOW: Order a set of pet masks and have them delivered to your local fire department  by choosing this link   www.petmask.com/donate.html and remember to specify your gift is for West Pulaski Fire Department or your own local department (if you live outside of our area) to ensure every pet gets the best care possible!

For a great demonstration on how the masks are used, choose play on this great video below:

WPFD is very happy to announce the next additions to our response fleet.  After much hard work and focused investment in our capabilities, our department has recently received two new rescue vehicles that will serve our department and community well.

Identical in design and construction, the two 2010 Ford F-550 trucks were custom built for our department by Central States Fire Apparatus in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  These vehicles are now in service since completing installs of department communication and response equipment for medical, rescue, and automobile fire/extrication.

Additionally, these trucks are equipped with high-pressure foam fire suppression equipment to address automotive and other fires.  We can use this great new tool for faster fire ‘knock-down’ on wood and chemical/plastic/fuel fires using less water and reducing rekindle (restarts of fueled fire).

Of all of our vehicles in our fleet, the ‘rescue vehicles’ based at each of our 4  stations are often the most used fire apparatus based on the majority of calls we receive and the inherent versatility of the equipment it brings to an incident.  Like a large rolling tool box, you bring as many tools a rescue response might need because you never know what you need until you need it. Rescues (sometimes called a Rescue Squad) respond to any medical / trauma incident, vehicle collision, hazardous material spill,  most major fires, missing person, search/rescue, and many more. These vehicles really bring bring a wide assortment of tools to any emergency call.  Even in response to a fire incident, the rescue tools on board provide Emergency Medical Services (EMS) support for our firefighters while they perform occupant rescue and stand-by should we have one of our own injured on the job.

Some of the tools carried on most of our departments rescue vehicles include:

High Pressure Water/Foam Fire Suppression – Emergency Medical Supplies- Automatic External Defibrillator, Oxygen, Wound/Trauma Care, First Aid diagnostics, Backboards (patient stabilization)- Extrication Tools (Jaws of Life Cutter/Spreaders)- Power Generator- Scene Lighting-Traffic Control- Chainsaw and Cutting Tools- Ropes, Chains, and Cribbing- Fire Extinguishers – And many many more tools of the trade.

One of these new vehicles (New Rescue #3) will be based at Station #3 at the intersections of Hwy 10 & Ferndale Cutoff.  The other new vehicle (New Rescue#4) will based at our Little Italy station on Hwy 300 (north side of Lake Maumelle). While based at these ‘home’  stations, these vehicle will still respond to any incident in the entire fire district area when needed to provide additional support for neighboring station areas or mutual aid to nearby neighbor fire departments.

Follow the link below to see our crews ‘breaking in’ our new foam fire suppression equipment at a recent training:

http://www.wpfirerescue.org/photo-galleries/training-photos/foam-fire-suppression-training/

Like many communities, our fire department is made of the people that work for a living.  This means a majority of our volunteer force can be out of the area during ‘traditional weekday work hours  (7am-6pm).

We would especially like to hear from you if:

• Your job permits you to be available in/around your home area and available to respond during daytime hours
• You work weekends and have a few days during the week that you are available to respond
• You are retired and spend the majority of your time in the community during the day

We will provide the training and know-how. Just contact us to let us know if you are interested at 501-821-9320 with questions or visit your local WPFD station on a Tuesday night (7pm-9pm) for more information.

http://showtime.arkansasonline.com/e2/img/photos/2010/04/19/busfire_t300.jpg?8aff03de2423e912a2467e97388a07f5331c05b6

http://www.fox16.com/news/state/story/No-injuries-after-school-bus-catches-fire-burns/PnXp5twdCUCzrYlh3NpHtQ.cspx

West Pulaski Fire Department with assistance from Lake Maumelle Fire Department fought to control a large structure fire in an unoccupied home in the Ferndale area. Home owners were out of town when a fire broke out and our department was summoned to the early morning incident on Jones Road.  Difficult access to the large home on a hilltop made fighting the fire a challenge as the fire fully engulfed the structure before firefighters arrived. The intensity of the fire made it impossible to save the house.  A neighbor heard an explosion then saw flames and called 911.  Assistant Chief Greg Brewer described the difficulty, ”We’re probably 800 feet off the road back there to it. When you see it from the road burning there’s nothing you can do it’s already through the roof.” He continued, ”We’re hauling water with tankers.  We’ve hauled in about 25,000 gallons so far.  This is a loss for this family and the firefighters who so desperately wanted to save the home.”

Follow this link to the story reported by Fox 16 News:
http://www.fox16.com:80/news/story/Fire-destroys-West-Pulaski-County-home/i9_T66u1_060p6tiOAdYTw.cspx?rss=2413

WPFD is excited about a newer fire vehicle that has just completed construction at  Station #2 (Kanis Road).  A truck chassis donated by the Arkansas Forestry Commission has been re-purposed as a Fire Tanker truck that will bring thousands of gallons to our fire responses. This vehicle has been designated as our new Tanker #2.

This 1993 International chassis was originally a stakebed truck used by the military for construction material delivery and will now work for us with its  2,000 gallon water tank.   After receiving this chassis in October, it was sent to be retrofitted at the ADC fabrication  facility in Tucker, Arkansas to get it in shape for its new life as a fire truck.  Four new storage compartments were added, the entire vehicle was sandblasted, painted and then the interior was refurbished.

Firefighters at Station #2 got the truck back in early January and got right to work adding the necessary components to place it in service. Lots of wiring was added to install power controls,  emergency lighting,  sirens, air-horns,  radios, work (scene) lighting,  and tools/hardware necessary to get it roadworthy as a fire vehicle.

We are always happy to upgrade our equipment to serve our community better!

Click this link below to see additional pictures that are available at our gallery page for Tanker 2- Retrofit:

http://www.wpfirerescue.org/photo-galleries/apparatus/before-and-after/