Know Your First Due

By: Captain Scott Buchholz
       Fire Station 12 A-Shift

As firefighters and company officers, knowing where you are going and understanding the intricacies of the first due (primary) response area are of high importance.

Fire Station 12 A-shift (and most other companies) learn their first due area by getting out and physically exploring the area. An important part of knowing where you are going is learning streets/roads in the first due and to help with that a map drill is conducted at the start of every shift (as shown in the picture below).

1st Battalion Paramedic Awarded EMS Provider of the Month for October

By Battalion Chief Mark Davis

Congratulations to Lieutenant Paramedic (LTP) Robert Furst (A-Shift Float) for being chosen by MCFRS's EMS Division as EMS Provider of the Month for October 2014. Lieutenant Furst was the primary care provider on a critically ill and combative patient. His work, along with his crew's efforts provided a successful outcome. In the photos below you will notice that in addition to a certificate, the EMS Provider of the Month also receives a beautiful challenge coin.

In addition to his normal duties as a Float Lieutenant on the A-Shift in the 1st Battalion, LTP Furst also serves as a back-up EMS Duty Officer and as a guest lecturer at the County's training academy. 

Excellent work LTP Robert Furst!

A Happy Ending

By Master Firefighter Franco Martinez

A funny thing happened on the way to picking up dinner for Silver Spring Fire Station 16 this past Saturday. 

As we were grabbing the dinner ingredients a Mom with her child come up to Firefighter Jon Merrell and I and said (pointing at Jon) "I know you, you delivered my baby in the back of the ambulance" and then proceeded with a big hug and verbal thanks to Jon.

As you can see, 11 months later a beautiful bouncing baby girl is doing just fine.  Needless to say this made our day!

Photo Courtesy of Master Firefighter Franco Martinez

The 1st Battalion Challenge Coin

By: Battalion Chief Mark Davis

The 1st Battalion, 1st Edition, challenge coin is now available. All proceeds are being split 50/50 between The Don't Panic Foundation and The Wounded Warrior Project.

Many thanks to FF Eaton Criado (Sta 12-A) for creating the design for this coin and for continuing to build 1st Battalion PRIDE!

Inspiring The Next Generation While Keeping The Community Safe

Master Firefighter Damian Langston walks some
children around Paramedic Engine 724

By: Lieutenant Robert Furst

Every Saturday afternoon, firefighters and EMTs in the 1st Battalion canvas the community to hand out informational materials and check residences for working smoke alarms. Occasionally, this leads to one of the most enjoyable moments of our work days: showing children the fire truck.

Children marvel over the size of the apparatus along with the shiny and clean condition of the equipment. To be frank with you, most of the personnel of The 1st were the same way when we were kids, and we like to reminisce about those times. It is our hope that we can brighten the day of the children and maybe lead some of them down the path to becoming the next generation of 1st Battalion Firefighters.

Probationary Firefighters Of The 1st Battalion

By: Battalion Chief Mark Davis

 

The 1st Battalion has seen its share of Probationary Firefighters over the years - many have gone on to become outstanding officers, Master Firefighters, and paramedics. Presently, there are SEVEN Probationary Firefighters assigned to the ...1st Battalion's A-Shift...and we took a moment the other day to get them all together for a group photo at Station 12.

It has been many years since we have had so many rookies on one shift in the 1st Battalion. When a new recruit firefighter graduates from recruit school - they must serve one year as a Probationary Firefighter (PFF). During that year they are assigned a preceptor who helps guide and mentor them through numerous practical skill and written assignments.

At the end of their probationary year, the PFF's must pass a comprehensive written and practical skill exam. When successful - they are granted "Merit System Status" and full employment.

The 1st Battalion is considered a "premier" probationary assignment because of the level of fire and EMS activity in the battalion and because of the comradarie of the men and women assigned there.

(L to R) Front Row: PFF Jeffrey Broyles (16A), PFP Aaron Branch (1A), PFF Matthew Machala (2A) - all three are graduates of Recruit Class 35. Back Row: PFF Jeffrey Henckel (15A), PFF Robert Travers (24A), PFF Paul Welsh (19A), and PFF Alex Akman (12A) - all four are graduates of Recruit Class 36.

Many thanks to Captain Couse (12A) for organizing and taking the photo.

I Called for an Ambulance. Why is There a Fire Engine Outside?

By Lieutenant Robert Furst

Currently, in The 1st Battalion, there are six fire engines staffed 24 hours a day 7 days a week with four firefighters one of whom is a paramedic. These fire engines are housed at Downtown Silver Spring (1), Hillandale (12), Burtonsville (15), Four Corners (16), Montgomery Hills (19), and Colesville (24). Officially, they are named ALS First Response Apparatus (AFRA). On the radio, they are called Paramedic Engines.

As seen in this picture, the fire engines are equipped with a full complement of Advanced Life Support (ALS) equipment. This includes a cardiac monitor with 12-Lead capability with the ability to transmit said ECGs to the receiving hospitals. Also carried is a complete set of emergency medications and equipment with which to start IVs and place advanced airways in patients. For patients with trouble breathing, all of the paramedic engines carry a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) device. The AFRA carries everything a medic unit carries and complies with the minimum requirements for ALS units in the State of Maryland.

These four person paramedic engines serve multiple purposes. They can respond as the first paramedics to arrive on the scene while awaiting a medic unit, thus providing emergency medical aid minutes sooner (every second does count), or they can respond to satisfy the assembly of one or two paramedics and a transport unit on the scene of a medical emergency. If the paramedic is required to upgrade the ambulance, and help render aid to the patient enroute to the hospital, the fire engine will remain in service with a staffing of three firefighters.

The four person staffing is also instrumental in significantly reducing the amount of time to place an attack line (fire hose) operational to start to extinguish a fire sooner. This was proven in a National Instituteof Standards and Technology (NIST) study and in the recent battalion drills.