WPFD is also on Facebook. We recently used this facebook account to deliver timely community information during our Christmas Winter Storm. Using this public facebook page allowed us to push out timely reports on dangerous road conditions and utility outages.  Our reporting is eyewitness and on-site reports from various sources that don’t usually make it to the TV news or as delayed like commercial utility websites.  As a part of our community response, we are continually in communication across our large fire district area.  Being aware or road and utility conditions is a part of how we are able to respond in emergency conditions. We are happy to share this public information in the the community interest for those of you that also need to know road accessibility and when utility contractors were working in the general areas for the major power restoration effort.  Join us now so that you can be in the loop for general information and major storm incident conditions, should they occur again. Join up and share with your friends and neighbors in our area so that we can continue to build an informed network that is helpful and timely.

West Pulaski Fire Department is on Facebook.  Choose this link to see our community page and become a FAN today with a “Like”  at Facebook.com

www.facebook.com/pages/West-Pulaski-Fire-Department-Little-Rock-Arkansas-wwwwpfirerescueorg/122021361203839

Our prayers go out to the West Webster Fire District volunteer firefighters that lost their lives or were injured in a senseless act of cruelty. These brave souls were attacked while serving their community. Please remember these volunteers and their families that are dealing with great loss at a time that is normally joyful and peaceful. Rest in peace brother firefighters.

Firefighters Lost

Lt. Michael Chiapperini, 43, had been named Firefighter of the Year just two weeks ago, and he led the fire department’s Explorer program for young people interested in becoming firefighters. He had recently taken vacation time to help recovery efforts after Hurricane Sandy, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported. He also was the public information officer for the Webster Police Department. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son, who also worked with the fire department.

Tomasz Kaczowka, 19, was a 911 dispatcher for Monroe County. He also was a member of the Explorers group that Chiapperini advised, had worked at a fast-food restaurant and had been a member of the fire department for about a year. One of three brothers, he was studying at Monroe County Community College. On his Facebook page, he said he could speak Polish and German.

Firefighters Injured

Volunteer Firefighters Theodore Scardino and Joseph Hofsetter, also a full-time firefighter with the Rochester Fire Department, were injured. Both injured firefighters sustained significant injuries.

http://www.firefighternation.com/article/news-2/shooting-new-york-house-fire

Its time again for a vehicle upgrade to our Station #4 area that serves Little Italy on the north side of Lake Maumelle. Their current water hauler was refurbished almost 10 years ago with an old semi-tractor trailer chassis that already had a million miles on it.  Seriously, the current truck has a million miles on it, literally. So adding a newer and low mileage vehicle (this one has less than 10,000 miles on it) to the fleet for water carrying capability has been high on the list. WPFD acquired this very low mileage 90’s model Freightliner truck chassis from the Arkansas Forestry Commission through the governments surplus property program that benefits fire departments around the country. WPFD sent the military grade hauler down to the Tucker Bus Shop for refurbishing.  This is where a good low-mileage vehicle gets the age brushed away with some thorough cleaning, painting, repair, and enhancements to begin its next chapter as a fire ready water tender (that is fire speak for water tanker). A new water tank was constructed to carry approximately 2,500 gallons of water. Black chassis paint was applied. Body paint was added in fire red with accents in metallic silver.  This heavy duty truck will now get the treatment of emergency warning lights, auxiliary power additions, radios, sirens, identification markings and reflective safety striping. WPFD does just about all of that stuff in house with our talented crew of volunteers that have done this stuff several times before. It is great to see a fine truck like this added to our fleet for low dollars and high value when it comes to maintenance and getting the job done. It will haul needed water to fire scenes that don’t have fire hydrants, which in the country, is many places in our fire district. We will post some additional pictures soon, but look for this truck to come online for active duty in the coming weeks once upgrades are completed.

West Pulaski Fire Department has spent the past several years working to improve the current fire protection classification assigned by the Insurance Services Office. This fire protection ‘rating’ can affect the insurance rates for property owners that buy insurance from companies that utilize the ISO classification. Strong improvements we have made to our response vehicles, equipment, search training, and best utilization of water resources in our area have definitely helped us IMPROVE the overall fire protection classification of our fire district. Fire pumpers, tools and improved water tankers have really helped ensure we have needed equipment to manage fire suppression. We are also pleased to have gained ISO points during the recent evaluation to help improve our fire protection rating. Recently expanded water districts have also improved available water supply for firefighting by bringing fire hydrants to areas that were almost entirely dependent on water from tanker vehicles. This new rating came very close to the next lower score, which we will continue to strive to obtain. WPFD is always working to improve our capabilities and gain credit for the water upgrades made to our service area. Even though we have made great strides to improve our capabilities, the Insurance Services Office that does the fire classification ratings for the insurance industry, has also made their standards for fire suppression capabilities more difficult. The means the ISO evaluation reinforced the importance placed on a property location and its proximity to its nearest fire station AND to an adequate water source, whether it is a pressurized hydrant or a dry hydrant that can siphon from a nearby pond. Because of the increased ISO standards, some residents will notice your rating will change from a Class 9 to a Class 10 if you are further than 5 road miles from a fire station, regardless of a close water supply. WPFD will now be associated with a Fire Protection Class 5/6. This split rating is dependent on the location of your property and criteria that applies based on Insurance Service Office requirements.

• Class 5 – For property owners that live within 5 road miles of a WPFD fire station AND are located within 1,000 feet of a fire hydrant (pressurized or non-pressurized/dry hydrant)
• Class 6 – For property owners that live within 5 road miles of a WPFD fire station AND are located greater than 1,000 feet of a fire hydrant (pressurized or non-pressurized/dry hydrant)
• Class 10– For property owners that live greater than 5 road miles of a WPFD fire station the ISO assigns a fire protection class of 10.

WPFD encourages you to contact your insurance provider or the Insurance Services Office about how this rating change affects you. To learn more about the ISO PPC program, visit their website at http://www.iso.com/faq/ISO-FAQ/The-Public-Protection-Classification-PPC-Program.html