Fire Commission Chairman Nick Padway swore in newly promoted Heavy Equipment Operator Troy Schoessow and Firefighters Kenneth Llamas, Trevor Potkay, Michael Demcak and Steven Tippel on Wednesday September 5. Firefighters Llamas, Potkay, Demcak and Tippel will go through on-boarding the rest of this week and will begin participation in the Joint Fire/EMS Training Academy next week. Firefighter recruits from Wauwatosa, West Allis and St. Francis Fire Department will join the North Shore recruits in the training academy.

The Department along with the Wauwatosa and West Allis Fire Departments are implementing changes to the Joint Fire/EMS Training Academy Schedule to address recent experiences that recruits had with Rhabdomyolysis and knee injuries.

Rhabdomyolysis is a significant degradation of muscle fiber throughout the body. The Renal System eventually becomes overwhelmed and the kidneys reduce their functionality. Rhabdomyolysis is identified by increased muscle pain, trouble with range of motion and dark red/brown urine. All three Departments that participate in the Joint Fire/EMS Training Academy met with Dr. Kyle Ebersole from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and his staff several times to identify ways to reduce the chances that recruits are affected by Rhabdomyolysis and how to improve the training academy routine. In the Fall 2018 Class, recruits will be required to go through a educational program on the disease, its risk factors, signs and symptoms and ways to reduce the risk of experiencing it. Processes are being put in place for the recruits to monitor their daily fluid intake, heart rate and weight and for increased intake of a supplement called Cytocarb and proteins. 

The physical training course is being reduced to one day per week and has been redesigned to incorporate custom station based training. Additional rehabilitation sessions are being built into the day and new rehab fans, misters and chairs will be made available for the recruits.

Firefighters, department members and their families helped raise $21,450 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association Labor Day Weekend at five locations throughout the North Shore. According to the MDA, the North Shore Fire/Rescue Group is currently the top fundraiser in the State for the Firefighter Fill the Boot Campaign. Great work all and thank you to the community members that were so generous!

Governing Magazine features an article about the changing fire/EMS service in their September Edition. See the article here.

• Milwaukee County Fire Departments were notified they will be awarded a $200,000 grant for incident management training from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
• A fire caused nearly $400,000 damage to a home on N Newhall St. in Whitefish Bay on September 4. The fire is thought to have been caused by a lightning strike to the home. One firefighter was transported to a local hospital with heat exhaustion.