At 0700 April 25th 2012, BCFD A-Shift arrived for their shift with a new piece of in service apparatus to greet them. This one will allow them to finish a job that they have begun to do so well for years. That job is treating the sick and injured residents of the community. For the first time in the history of the department, dating back to 1952, BCFD will provide fire basedALS transport services. The program began out of necessity as well as the desire of the departments nearly 75 members to provide a better service to their patients. BCFD has provided advanced life support care since 1996. Until today that care was provided by paramedics responding in SUV's or fire engines with care initiated and then waiting for an outside private service to arrive and transport the patient. The fire department was able to obtain the ambulance through a no cost equipment trade to the City of Franklin Fire Department. Franklin received a Ford expedition that they will use for a command vehicle in the deal. With hours of work from DC Mike Herron, BCFD maintenance staff, and never ending input and commitment from all members the dream became a reality. In the first shift Medic 201 has already made one serious advanced life support response surely impacting on patients life for the better. BCFD will work with surrounding agencies to provide each other with back up ambulances during busy periods. BCFD will charge patients for the transport services only. Chief Ramey says " The goal is to provide this service to our residents without additional costs for those that do not use it. In short time it should be self sufficient with billing revenue paying salaries for the crews and maintenance of the unit." Citizens will still notice an engine responding with the ambulance at times for additional manpower. If you have questions please contact questions@bcfd.net

FIREFIGHTER HIRING NOTICE Bargersville Community Fire Protection District (the “District”), a rapidly growing community in Johnson County, is seeking applications for the position of Firefighter. The District provides non-transport paramedic, rescue, fire suppression, fire prevention and public education service to a population of approximately 20,000. All applicants must be United States citizens, twenty-one years of age by date of hire, have a high school diploma or equivalent and a valid Indiana driver’s license. Applicants must have no prior felony convictions. Applicants must also be able to effectively and accurately communicate and understand the English language. Applicants must meet all statutory requirements for membership in the 1977 Police Officers’ and Firefighters’ Pension and Disability Fund. Applicants must meet the additional specific requirements set by the District as explained in the application packet for each position. In addition to the general requirements set forth above, it is required that applicants for the position of Firefighter meet the following specific requirements at the time of applications: ! Indiana Certified EMT or NREMT ! Indiana First Class Firefighter or NFPA Firefighter II ! Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) Card issued within 12 months of due date (CPAT Cards must be submitted no later than June 11, 2012) Salary: First year $38,000 plus benefits. Application packets must be obtained in person at the offices of Deppe Fredbeck & Boll, 9 East Court, Franklin, Indiana 46131 from April 10, 2012 to April 26, 2012 between the hours of 9:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. Applicants must bring photo identification to obtain an application. No applications will be distributed prior to or after the above dates. Completed applications are to be returned to the offices of Deppe, Fredbeck & Boll no later than April 27, 2012 at 12:00 noon. A non-refundable application fee of $20.00 (cash or check only; if by check, payable to: Deppe Fredbeck & Boll Trust Account) will be due at the time the application packet is completed. The District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

March in Indiana is known to bring storms with the possibility of Tornados. Tornados come from rotating clouds found in thunderstorms. Some warning signs of tornados an approaching storm with dark, often greenish sky, a large and dark low lying cloud. Other signs are a loud roar, similar to a freight train. If you see approaching storms or any of the danger signs, be prepared to take shelter immediately. Tornadoes generally occur near the trailing edge of a thunderstorm. It is not uncommon to see clear, sunlit skies behind a tornado. The average forward speed of a tornado is 30 mph, but may vary from stationary to 70 mph. The following is a list of where to take shelter during a severe storm and and/or tornado. 1. Seek shelter under a sturdy table in the basement 2. If no basement is available, go to a first floor, small interior room or a room on the opposite side from a tornado. Stay away from windows. 3. In schools, churches, and shopping centers, go to designated shelters away from outside walls, glass, and large rooms (malls, auditoriums). Get under a table or counter or in a restroom or small storeroom. DO NOT GO TO YOUR PARKED CAR 4. In motels, lie down in the lowest-level interior hallway away from glass. Dive under a bed or pull a mattress on top of you as last resort. 5. In a vehicle, drive away at a right angle to the storm movement. DO NOT GET CAUGHT IN YOUR VEHICLE. Abandon your vehicle and lie in a ditch or culvert or under a low bridge. When severe weather starts take shelter and keep yourself and your family safe.

With much of the cold weather remaining we would like to remind everyone to be safe this year as they use space heaters in their homes and out buildings. Sadly, every year house fires are caused by space heaters. By following some simple do’s and don’ts we can greatly reduce the risk of this happening in our own homes. Do’s: • Use a space heater that has been tested to the latest safety standards and has been certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory. These heaters have the most up-to-date safety features. Older space heaters may not meet newer safety standards. Always follow the manufacturer’s directions for proper use. • Place the heater on a level, hard, nonflammable surface, such as a ceramic tile floor. • Keep the heater at least three feet away from bedding, drapes, furniture, and other flammable materials. • Keep children and pets away from space heaters. • Turn the heater off if you leave the area. Don’ts: • Never leave a space heater on when you go to sleep. • Don’t place a space heater close to any sleeping person. • Never use gasoline in a kerosene space heater, as even small amounts of gasoline mixed with kerosene can increase the risk of fire. • Don’t use portable propane space heaters indoors or in any confined space unless they are specifically designed for indoor use. Be sure to have working smoke detectors on every level of your house. Place them outside of bedrooms, in the kitchen, living room and in garage. Check and test the smoke detector monthly and change the batteries at least once a year. Lets all stay safe as we keep our homes warm this winter.

Bargersville Community Fire Department was dispatched this morning to a working residence fire with entrapment at 3070 McIntosh Drive.  The run came in at 925am and dispatch advised that the caller on the line stated that she was trapped on the second floor and unable to breath.  They also advised that she was trapped in a bedroom close to a window.  Bargersville Fire arrived on scene to heavy black smoke coming from the rear of the residence and began attempting to rescue the victim from the second floor.  The police department was also on scene and saw the woman hanging out of a window on the rear of the residence.  Police officers from Bargersville Police and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office were able to coach her out of the window onto a landing on the second floor of the residence.  A Century Link employee who was working in the area had brought a ladder to the rear of the residence and Bargersville firefighters were able to climb his ladder and rescue the woman off of the roof.  She then advised that there were numerous cats still inside.  The woman was quickly taken to the ambulance and transported to a local hospital.  Fire crews entered the structure and were met with thick black smoke and high heat and located the fire in the first floor of the residence.  The fire crews were then able to extinguish the fire in under ten minutes and removed 8 cats from the residence.  4 cats were given oxygen once pulled from the structure and then transported to local veterinary offices in the area where they are still being treated.  The remaining 4 cats were not able to be saved.  The woman who was transported at last check was off of oxygen and doing well.   Fire crews from Bargersville Community Fire Department and White River Township completely extinguished the fire in 19 minutes.

 

If you have any questions please call

Battalion Chief Eric Funkhouser @ 317-281-2359

 

On December 10th, at the Trafalgar FFA center BCFD hosted a year end celebration. The evening began with an invocation by Ret. Rev. Roger Gifford, and the presentation of colors by the Honor Guard. A moment of silence was observed for the Line of Duty Deaths of 2011.
    Chief Jason Ramey hosted the dinner that was followed by an awards ceremony. Awards were given to FF Michael Pruitt and FF Eric Wiseman for earning certifications in all 7 tactile disciplines. Firefighter reconigtions were given to Lieth Campbell and Bradley Kidwell, Kidwell also recieved an EMS reconigition for completing certifications during 2011.
    Years of Service awards were given to Roger Gifford 30yrs, Michael Pruitt 25yrs, Michael Morris 20yrs, Tony Napier 15yrs, Kevin Killenger 15yrs, Christopher Meyers 15yrs, Justin Walls 5yrs, and Joesph Campbell 5yrs. Battilion Chief Rodney Hayes was recogized for retirment after 34 years in the fire service.
    The Honor Guard was recognized for their dedication to the organization with a new accommodation pen. Designed by Commander Christopher Phillips, this pen is to be worn by past and present Honor Guard members. Promotions were given to Battalion Chief Eric Funkhouser, Captains David Porter and Joseph Shields. Also Lieutenants Cynthia Bortz and Karl Crist.   
  Matthew Brumett received the "Chief's Award" which is given in recognition of those who selflessly give to BCFD. Firefighter Christopher Meyers earned the "Community Service Award" for his efforts and dedication to Boy Scouts of America Eagle Scout Program.  Battalion Chief Michael Morris was the recipient of the "Officer of the Year" which is awarded by the crews for outstanding leadership. Firefighter Michael MacFarlane was named "Firefighter of the Year" due to his exemplarily service to the department. 
  Special thanks to White River Township and Trafalgar Fire Departments in their on station coverage, so that on duty crews could attend. Local businesses in their donations to the silent auction benefitting the Christmas Angels. Which earned $425.00 to give to the organization.
  The evening ended with a year end review video that highlighted the daily events of the department. Thank you to all firefighters and their families that work daily to maintain BCFD strive for excellence.


 

On November 22, 2011 at the Blue Ribbon Pavillion Fire Chief Jason Ramey and Bargersville Police Officer Jason Griggs competed in "911SlugFest." 911SlugFest is a charity boxing tournament that benefits the "Make a Wish Foundation." Held every year 911Slugfest features local police versus fire personnel boxing. Both Ramey and Griggs won with unanimous decisions. Chief Ramey competed in the "Heavy Weight" division against Brownsburg Officer Jacque Bass . Griggs fought firefighter John Wetter from Eli Lily Fire. Overall the police team "beat" the firefighters 6-5.   Chief Ramey stated "Great time last night for a great charity. Thanks to everyone who came out and supported me and the event." Also earning a win was Officer Brian Goldfarb of the Franklin Police Department. 

   Bargersville firefighters conducted live fire training near 400W and 100S November 14-16. Each day crews experienced fire behavior along with company level attack and RIT evolutions. Crews worked for the past two months cleaning and preparing the house for a safe learning enviroment.     
    Franklin, White River Township, and Trafalgar Fire departments asisst BCFD by mutual aid response and tanker use.
 The department uses live fire training to allow firefighters hands on experience in a controlled environment. The crews are split into groups of 4-5, each group has an assignment. The assignments consist of attack, RIT, ignition, and back-up. Safety officers are placed inside and outside of the structure to maintain control of the training. JCSO communication department assisted with radio communications and Rural/Metro Ambulance provided on site care.
  Chief Jason A. Ramey stated "I would like to say thank you to everyone who made it in to help with the live fire training last week. We were once again able to have 3 days of very beneficial, pertinent, and safe training. The end result is also a clean area for the owner to rebuild. Thanks again for all of your help and participation.
 Bargersville staff would like to thank all firefighters, officers, and mutual deparments in thier efforts of continuing education at BCFD.

Firefighters Jordan Shaffer and Joseph Slaughter recently traveled to Illinois to attend Honor Guard training. Honor guard 101 is an intensive week long course for firefighters and police officers. Recognized nationally as one of the best, Elmhurst Fire Department Training Academy in Elmhurst Ill, just outside Chicago holds class twice a year. Previously Chief Ramey and BC Morris attended the class when the BCFD honor guard was first formed Honor Guard Training 101 is a 40 hour course, taught in one consecutive week. Besides the traditional drill and ceremony procedures used for years by the military, students are also trained in profession specific duties such as line of duty funeral procedures and parade etiquette. Students had the opportunity to display their accuracy and excellence as they participate in mock funeral ceremonies, completed a standard competition course, and passed review on the final day. Both Slaughter and Shaffer learned basic and advanced marching, color guard protocol and execution, rifle and parade tool manual of arms. Shaffer enjoyed meeting firefighters from all over the United States including Alaska and Arkansas. Slaughter and Shaffer will help deploy these tactic with the 12 other Honor Guard members. BCFD Honor guard has participated in the Bargersville Fall Festival, Center Grove Homecoming, Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial in Indianapolis, and marched in the Johnson County 4H parade this year. BCFD would like to extend thanks to both firefighters for their dedication to the Honor Guard program.

On September 16th the Bargersville Community Fire Department is going to have a competition. Organize your teams of 8 for the test of strength of an Engine Pull. Registration will start at 1400 on the 16th at station 201 on 89 South Baldwin, with the competitions starting at 1600. There is no cost to sign up and the winners of the competition will get a trophy and bragging rights! May the best team win!

This September will mark the ten year anniversary of 9/11; we will remember those lost, honor our first responders, and renew our commitment to prepare and plan for emergencies. I am pleased to announce that BCFD is joining the Ready Campaign, founded after 9/11 to increase preparedness throughout all communities in the U.S., and taking an active role in helping Bargersville prepare for emergencies. What does it mean to be prepared? It means households have an emergency supply kit so they can be self-reliant for at least three days in case of emergency, and they have a plan for how they will respond and reconnect after an emergency. For information on creating a supply kit and writing a plan visit Ready.gov. Being prepared means staying informed, knowing how to get information and alerts from local state, tribal, and territorial emergency management agencies, and understanding the specific risks in your community and preparing against them. Meet with community resources such as Citizen Corps (www.citizencorps.gov/) and first responders to coordinate planning in your community. Please visit Ready.gov for information about preparedness kits and come to the Bargersville Fall Festival and visit BCFD Station 201 for information and demonstrations on preparedness.

On Wednesday august 24th BCFD firefighter Tom Carroll was performing daily truck checks when he heard what sounded like an explosion from the garage directly across the alley from Station 201. Within seconds there was heavy black smoke coming from the eaves and roof vents of the garage at 58 Carlisle Street in Bargersville. Mr. Carroll quickly notified the crew and initiated the response.  Units arrived quickly, deployed attack lines to the structure, forced entry and began to extinguish the fire. Once inside the garage, firefighters found a truck on fire with fire extended to the interior of the garage.  Bargersville police entered the uninvolved house and found a resident asleep. He was safely evacuated and informed firefighters that no one else was in the home.  The overhead garage door was cut open to allow the building to ventilate and give the firefighters a safe means of egress. The fire was extinguished quickly with no injuries and damage confined to the vehicle and garage interior. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Units from Franklin and Trafalgar Fire Departments were called to assist as a precaution. 

BCFD crews have spent countless hours preparing the Morgantown Rd training house this summer. Working on clearing the home of all hazardous materials and bringing it to NFPA standards which created a safe environment to train in. Extreme temperatures early in the summer delayed live fire training, however; allowed crews time to focus on search and rescue drills.

Crews used the home early last week to train in NANCE and DENVER drills which simulate a fallen firefighter rescue. Firefighters donned gear and used only the tools in their pockets to rig systems to pull a fellow firefighter to safety. Teams also practiced hose evolutions which trained them in pulling charged lines through the living spaces of a home. Firefighters had to navigate various obstacles in several situations which allowed for problem solving techniques to be refined.

During the week of August 15-18 crews took part in live fire training learning about fire behavior and progression. During live fire demonstrations extinguishment tactics were taught by instructors in various scenarios with differing degrees of fire sizes and conditions. 

Crews were also given a unique opportunity to deploy equipment from ISI, MSA, and SCOTT during training. Burning with the different equipment began each day with a safety demonstration on features each pack includes. Then crews used the packs inside live fire training. After training each firefighter was asked to participate in a blind study so that the department can gather all information. Allowing the PPE commitee to make an informed decision on the next generation of packs purchased at BCFD.

Firefighters from outside departments were able to cross train during live fire demonstrations in an effort to reinforce mutual aid tactics. Greenwood and Franklin fire departments participated as well by covering response districts during training to allow for an uninterrupted learning environment.

Thank you to all Instructors, support staff, Rural Metro Ambulance Service, Trafalgar Volunteer Fire Department, SCBA vendors, and all firefighters who participated in this week’s live fire training. You all helped to make a very successful week of excellent training!

Michael Meyers, the son of Bargersville firefighter Chris Meyers, planned and worked a pancake breakfast recently to raise money for his Eagle Scout Project. Michael chose a gazebo sitting area at BCFD station 202 for his service project. The fundraiser was held at Center United Methodist Church in Indianapolis. The church is the home of Michaels Boy Scout troop. With Help from friends, family, and fellow scouts, Michael was able to raise $400.00 for the project. Work is scheduled to begin for the gazebo, walkway, fire pit, and sitting area on August 6th.

Firefighters from Bargersville Community Fire Department participated in live fire training on July 16th 2011. The training hosted by Nineveh Township Volunteer Fire Department was held in an acquired structure on the eastern border of Nineveh's district. Evolutions included hose deployment, fire attack, ventilation, search and rescue, and water supply. The benefits of NFPA 1403 based live fire training are many. The safety of all participants are of the utmost importance. Several safety and back up procedures are in place as crews ignite, extinguish and overhaul each training fire. Sate certified instructors serve as inside instructors and safety as well as accompany each crew throughout their evolution. "This is the closest we can get to an actual fire" BCFD probationary firefighter Jordan Schaffer said. "It really helps to build confidence and see first hand how fire develops and spreads in a house." Training fires like this are held throughout Johnson County as regularly as possible. Structures are donated to the departments by owners wanting to demolish them. The departments then obtain state EPA permits, Johnson County demolition permits, and prepare the structure based on NFPA guidelines. Training together in these controlled settings helps to prepare the agencies for real incidents in which they must work together to bring them to a safe and quick end.