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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1981 08-19 Coordination is the key to success of state's largest voluntter fire department in Maplewood REVIEW Page 12A Wed., Aug. 19, 1981 THE REVIEW •Coordination is the key largest volunteer fire i,v-D__---=-7 N .–______ Reprinted through the courtesy of "Fire Class 5 fire rating. of 350 units and 200 small business places. Engineer Magazine" and the writer "Our approach produces for the city Major exposures include the 400 acre 3M Lowell Ludford. and its citizens an annual fire service administrative and research complex savings of approximately $1,260,000," with 25 major multi-story buildings, in- Minnesota's largest active volunteer according to Richard Schaller, Public eluding a 16 floor high rise and 15,000 municipal fire fighting force—165 men— Safety Director. Also a fire captain with employees; a 25 acre shopping center serves the"L"shaped city of Maplewood 28 years service, Schaller noted that 10 with more than 100 stores; a dozen with an unusual organization for its size full-time city or county police officers are smaller shopping centers, 13 schools; 20 and responsibility. volunteer fire fighters. multi-level, multi-building apartment The force consists of three independent "Part of our success comes from the complexes; 10 medical facilities; three volunteer departments that operate from emphasis we place on coordination bet- nursing homes, two large motels; the five stations, providing fire and medical ween the three fire departments and county workhouse, county fairgrounds support services with their own equip- police department, rather than in- and county arena. ment and high cost equipment purchased tegration of these services," he explains. The St.Paul Fire Department also is a by the city— a first tier suburb on the "We work hard at coordination between first responder to St. Paul and Ramsey eastern and northern edge of St. Paul. the three fire departments and police County property in Maplewood, and Coordination is provided by a joint fire department, rather than integration of provides additional first response (under chief's council and by the city through a these services," he explains. "We work private contract) to fire alarms at the 3M Director of Public Safety,a Fire Marshal hard at coordination and cooperation, complex. and paid police department that operates giving prompt and alert attention to any Maplewood also has a 1.5 million gallon a paramedic response program. situations that may arise." propane gas storage facility, a 95,000 The system works well enough to give Covering nearly 20 square miles, gallon LP terminal and eight warehouses, Maplewood,with a total valuation of more Maplewood has 6,500 single family including one "that would take an 8,500 than$282 million and 28,000 residents, a dwellings, four trailer parks with a totalgallon per minute flow to contain if it ®summula — �.�, OM. fire." Portions of four interstate freeways, three state highways and four different railroads go through Maplewood. "We've handled a variety of fire emergencies including commercial transportation accidents, an airplane crash and a$1.5 million high rise fire in the middle of the night," reports Maplewood Fire Marshal Al Schadt, who also is president of the Minnesota State Fire Department Association (covering 574 member departments with 17,000 paid and volunteer fire fighters) and Ramsey County `firefighter of the year' for 1981. Three Departments i The three separate volunteer fire departments have annual contracts with the city that are paid quarterly. They maintain regular communication with the Icity through their independent joint chiefs council that meets monthly with either Public Safety Director Schaller or Fire IMarshal Schadt in attendance. The council includes chief officer represen- tatives of the three contracting depart- I ments. The East County Line Department, organized in 1944 and currently headed Iby Fire Chief Robert Bade, has two stations and covers seven square miles in eastern and southern Maplewood with 62 Ifirefighters. It operates three pumpers, one complete rescue squad, the iiMaplewood owned Snorkel, a tank truck, one grass fire unit, a utility van with cascade air and salvage equipment, two advanced life support ambulances and one basic life support ambulance. to success of state 's ___ department • Maplewood In addition, the East County Line $496000. firefighters also must pass recertification department provides contract fire and Medical Services examinations. BLS ambulance service for the south half The volunteer fire departments "It's gratifying to see the quality of of neighboring Oakdale, and for the ad- cooperate effectively with the city's paid training our recruits receive," Chiefs jacent mobile home community of police force to give Maplewood first class Schaller and Schadt point out. "When Landfall. emergency medical service for an they come out of fire school, they know The Gladstone Department, also average of 1,200 patients per year. more than many of the firefighters organized in 1944 and directed by Fire Maplewood police lieutenant Dennis who've been on the force 10 and 12 years." Chief Jerry Kasmirski, has two stations Cusick, who also is District Chief of Each department has four monthly and covers nine square miles in the Gladstone fire station Number Two,is one drills, one of which is medical. In ad- central and northern part of the city with of 10 police paramedics and directs the dition, there are regular business 63 firefighters. It operates four pumpers, paramedic program that is funded by the meetings and special drills. the Maplewood owned 85 foot aerial city as the result of an enabling Approximately 20 firefighters are sent to platform, a complete rescue squad in- referendum. Each paramedic goes the state fire school each year for staff eluding boat and motor for water rescue through a basic 680 hour training program and command training. and two ALS ambulances. administered by the St. Paul Ramsey A central radio communication system The Parkside Department,organized in Medical Center. that includes run cards and automatic fire 1958, has one station and covers nearly Two paramedic police officers are alarm signals is used to dispatch the three four square miles of western Maplewood assigned to each shift and patrol together fire departments, the Maplewood police, with 40 volunteers. Major equipment in a station wagon which is equipped with plus fire departments from the three includes two pumpers, one complete all the necessary life saving equipment neighboring suburbs of North St. Paul, rescue squad, a grass fire unit and one and medications.The paramedic officers Oakdale and Woodbury. The system also ALS ambulance. This department is assume all responsibilities and answer all includes two-way radio communication under the supervision of Chief Thor assigned requests for police service when with St. Paul, Ramsey County, adjacent Bodsgaard. not involved in medical runs. Alerted by Washington County and the central radio pagers, off duty paramedics living security station at the large 3M in the city respond to requests for medical headquarters complex. "We've handled a variety of emergencies when the volume exceeds "We have developed an integrated fire- the effective capacity of the on duty police-medical response plan that is fire emergencies including paramedics. coordinated by the central dispatcher," an airplane crash and a $1.5 When a serious medical emergency Chief Schaller says. million high rise fire in the occurs, Emergency Medical Training "For example, a traffic accident in- (EMT) trained volunteer firefighters also volving injuries and a fire will bring at the middle of the night." respond from the closest station in an same time a pumper and an ALS am- Al Schadt advanced life support ambulance. They bulance from the nearest fire station, two assist the police paramedics at the scene paramedics and the district police car. Maplewood Fire Marshal and provide transportation to the hospital The senior fire-rescue officer will be in of the patient's choice. command.Backup fire protection will be provided immediately, if necessary, by the next closest fire station." Maplewood has its own 81 hour EMT Independence of the three fire depart- training program, approved by the ments is illustrated by the fact that Minnesota Health Department and Fire Prevention Parkside maintains the traditional red conducted by the police paramedics. The city's current emphasis is on fire color for its fire vehicles, while the other Approximately 80 volunteer firefighters prevention, explains Fire Marshal two departments use a combination of the are EMT trained. A monthly Emergency Schadt,who is aided by Jim Embertson,a newer yellow and white colors on their Medical Services meeting attended by full time assistant fire marshal, and a equipment. , two representatives of each fire station, seven person city building inspection The three departments provide back-up Lt. Cusick and the paramedics is held to department. support for each other and respond review and plan operations. Since the office of fire marshal was together for serious fire emergencies. The cooperative relationship that has established in 1966,Schadt says 80 percent They also respond outside the city on call developed between the police paramedics of the city's new commercial construction from any of the 22 other suburban and the firefighters in providing high has included the installation of sprinkler members of the Capital City Mutual Aid level emergency medical service for systems. He adds that Maplewood also is Association that covers three counties. Maplewood has become a model for other in compliance with state statutes that Fire command is provided by the communities around the nation," Lt. require all non-single family dwellings to Department Fire Chief, Deputy Chief or Cusick says. have smoke alarms. District Chief,who frequently coordinate "The fact that Cusick also is a district "The biggest problem we have how," at the scene with Fire Marshal Schadt, a fire chief has helped a great deal,"points Schadt explains, "is bringing existing veteran of 32 years of fire service when he out Public Safety Director Schaller. ' public occupancy structures, such as retired March 1 as an active member of Training and Communication rental halls that are not covered by the the Gladstone fire department. Schadt, All recruits accepted by the three fire code,up to recommended standards. 52,continues as full time Maplewood fire volunteer departments must pass a They lack early detection devices, alarm marshal. physical exam and attend a six month systems and sprinklers.Installation costs In 1980, the three departments vocational-technical school course in have been a drawback, but the recent responded to a total of 737 calls and 625 basic firefighting technique that is based hotel and public building fires around the requests for medical assistance. Total on National Fire Prevention Association nation may help us overcome the money estimated fire loss for the year was Standard 1001. The EMT trained hurdle." Nearly 600 fire inspections of all types were conducted throughout the city in — 1980 by the fire marshal's office, which also uses its arson investigation capability to assist the state fire marshal in Maplewood. The public education phase of fire prevention is centered on the elementary schools, where special awareness programs were conducted in the first through fifth grades by the fire marshal's office last year in cooperation with members of the three volunteer fire departments.