January 2018
Published by the Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal
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had originally planned on focusing this month’s column on our agency’s strategic priorities for 2018; however, that changed as I was dusting off my fire boots and washing the smoke out of my clothes in late December.
This is not an uncommon experience for me during the summer months, but it struck me as quite surreal to be going through this process in the last month of the year. It made me refocus on the remarkable response of our Oregon fire service and their commitment to “neighbors helping neighbors” as strike teams from all over climbed into their 75 rigs to take on the 20-hour drive to a fire situation that most of them had never experienced (see the following article for the details of this deployment).
I (and most other folks) thought that the “fire season” was over in October, so my November article focused on how our state’s response to assist California in October was solid proof of how Oregon’s response system proved its mettle.
Now, here in January, I feel compelled to recognize the 283 firefighters from around our great state that responded to the Thomas Fire in southern California.
I want to stress the significance of what our firefighters faced and the contributions they made. In October, the Central LNU was labeled the most destructive fire in California history and in December, the Thomas Fire was named the largest fire in recorded California history.
We were privileged to be asked twice for our support and to work hand in hand with our neighboring firefighters in dealing with these catastrophic incidents.
Being deployed during a month when many families are planning and hosting holiday activities made this deployment all the more difficult and all the more significant.
I am humbled and privileged to have spent my time in California along with Chief Les Hallman, supporting the men and women who represented their fire departments, Oregon, and the OSFM in protecting, in this case, the citizens of California.
I am not here for me,
I am here for we and we are here for them.
-attributed as the training motto for
the Anchorage Alaska Fire Departmen
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Don't forget, January 27th is Fire Service Appreciation Day in Oregon.
Thanks for all you do!
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Oregon State Fire Marshal Jim Walker
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n the late morning hours of Tuesday, December 5
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, the OSFM received a call from the California Office of Emergency Services providing a notice of a potential request for resources from Oregon to respond to a number of fires burning in southern California. An advisory was sent to the Oregon fire defense board chiefs, along with a request that they enter their availability into the Agency Operations Center’s Resource Availability form. Availability started flowing in and by the time the official request for 10 strike teams was made at approximately 1730 that night, there was enough intel to quickly fill that order. Based solely on the information provided by fire defense board chiefs during the process, the OSFM offered five additional strike teams to California. All 15 strike teams were on the road within 24 hours of the initial request for aid.
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Oregon mobilized 75 engines and 18 command rigs for a total of 283 personnel. Resources worked on the Creek Fire and the Lilac Fire for a few days, before they were all assigned to the Thomas Fire. The Thomas Fire broke out December 4
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near Thomas Aquinas College in Ojai. Fanned by strong Santa Ana winds, the fire quickly spread into the city of Ventura. At the time of this article (December 31), the Thomas Fire was declared as the largest fire in California’s history at 280,000 acres, and had destroyed more than 1,000 structures.
Deployed strike teams spent nearly the full 14 days out of state before demobilization began en mass on Tuesday, December 19
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. While at the Thomas Fire, firefighters saw erratic fire behavior due to topography and extreme winds. Oregon resources have been continuously praised by California officials for their efficiency and knowledge of the jobs they were asked to do. While not accustomed to long deployments during December, the members of the Oregon fire service stepped up as usual and didn’t hesitate to provide aid to their brothers and sisters in need. The OSFM is proud to be a part of the process and in awe of the willingness of the Oregon fire service to do what needs to be done, putting service before self in all areas.
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Non-retail fueling law
now in effect
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he Oregon legislature passed HB 2482 during the 2017 regular session and it was signed into law by Governor Kate Brown on June 6, 2017. The intent of HB 2482 is to provide more accessibility to gasoline for motorists in the more rural areas of the state. The law became effective on January 1, 2018. This bill is a continuation of HB 3011 passed by the legislature in 2015.
In summary, House Bill 2482 does four things:
- Defines eastern Oregon counties,
- Requires, under certain conditions, a person be available to dispense class one flammable liquids (gasoline) at retail stations where self-serve is allowed,
- Expands the hours of self-serve at retail stations in low population counties in eastern Oregon and,
- Allows retail sales of class one flammable liquids (gasoline) at non-retail fueling facilities located in low population counties in eastern Oregon.
Eastern Oregon counties are defined as areas of the state that lie east of a line beginning at the intersection of the northern boundary of the state and the western boundary of Hood River County, and from there proceeding southerly along the western boundary of Hood River, Wasco, Jefferson, Deschutes, and Klamath counties to the southern boundary of the state. Low population counties are those with a population of 40,000 or less.
Based on the provisions in the bill, no later than 90 days prior to beginning retail sales, operators of non-retail fueling facilities (cardlock) located in low population eastern Oregon counties must notify the OSFM of their intent to allow retail sales of class one flammable liquids (gasoline) at their non-retail facilities. Furthermore, retail customers dispensing gasoline at these facilities are not subject to any of the requirements of the cardlock program.
Retail service stations in low population, eastern Oregon counties may allow self-serve of class one flammable liquids (gasoline) twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. However, if there is a retail space that provides goods or services other than those for maintaining, repairing, or cleaning a motor vehicle, someone must be available to dispense between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
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New online hazardous substance reporting begins
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he OSFM Community Right to Know Program’s new online hazardous substance reporting tool called the Oregon Community Right to Know Hazardous Substance Manager (CHS Manager) is now live. It replaces the Hazardous Substance Information System (HSIS) process.
A live training webinar covering CHS Manager’s planning and response functions will be conducted by the vendor, IDSi International, on January 23, 2018, at 9:00 am. CR2K will provide login information by email to those currently receiving HSIS information prior to the training.
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Sample screenshot of the schools and daycare
facilities located within one mile of
Intel in Hillsboro.
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CHS Manager provides a highly efficient means for facilities to not only report their hazardous substances, but to upload safety data sheets, facility maps, and emergency plans. This information is immediately accessible by 911 services, first responders, and health officials in the event of a hazardous substance emergency. It also increases the availability of information for emergency planners and the public.
As a result of this transition, CR2K will no longer be issuing the HSIS software through online downloads and CD distributions. Instead, emergency planners, hazmat teams, and first responders will be able to log into CHS Manager online to view hazardous substance information and conduct advanced searches using an abundance of available search criteria.
An added benefit for LEPCs and fire departments is the option to receive instant email notifications when a facility within their jurisdiction files a new report, adds or removes a hazardous substance, or makes changes to substance storage information. They will also be able to see facilities that store hazardous substances on a map in relation to schools, hospitals, and childcare and nursing facilities. “Vulnerability zones” can also be created to show these “at risk institutions” and census data within a selected radius.
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Boundary revisions for deputy state fire marshal districts
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evisions to the boundaries of DSFM service districts have been finalized and are now in effect. The purpose of the revisions is to balance workload and coverage areas to more effectively serve fire agency partners, and meet the goals of the OSFM Fire & Life Safety Services and the OSFM mission.
The changes are based on many factors including travel distance, road time, and increased workload (e.g. inspections, re-inspections, fire investigations).
The district map and chart below provide specifics of the approved changes. The OSFM notified the Oregon Fire Chiefs Association, all Oregon fire chiefs, and other statewide interested stakeholders in mid-December.
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by Deputy State Fire Marshal David Mills
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New Q&A for Emergency Responder Radio Coverage (ERRC)
Emergency responders use portable radios to communicate with other emergency responders, the incident commander, and the public safety communications center. The provisions of the Oregon Fire Code, Section 510 are centered on improving the reliability of portable radios used by emergency responders inside buildings.
This new FAQ format provides Q&As on proper application and authority, and addresses many technical issues pertaining to the installation and approval of emergency responder radio coverage systems. The new TA is to be paired with the August 2017 revised Joint Policy
Bulletin No. 0002
that addressed key authority questions.
We hope this new TA provides both fire and building officials with answers to questions surrounding approved radio coverage for emergency responders in buildings.
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January 27 is Fire Service Appreciation Day
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n 2007, the Oregon Legislature passed House Joint Resolution 25 designating every January 27
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as Fire Service Appreciation Day in Oregon.
As part of the resolution, the Legislative Assembly and the OSFM encourage partnerships between residents and the Oregon fire service to use this day to honor the service of past and present members of the Oregon fire service.
If your agency has photos and descriptions of events your community holds, the OSFM encourages you to send them to Gated Wye editor, Rich Hoover at
richard.hoover@state.or.us
so that we may highlight the events in future issues.
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Registration open for the
2018 Oregon Fire Prevention Workshop
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The workshop will provide structural and wildland fire prevention educational sessions, networking opportunities, and more. The sessions include:
- Keynote: You’ll Rarely Meet the Life You Save! – Jeff Johnson, CEO Western Fire Chiefs Association
- Fire Prevention Cooperative Partnerships – Central Oregon Fire Prevention Cooperative
- Growing Pains: Fire Safety in the Budding Marijuana Industry
- Language that Motivates and Generates Wildfire Risk Reduction Results
- Building Engaging Presentations
- Insight: A Tool for Accountability for Teens Who Misuse Fire
- Wildfire Matters: A Multi-Faceted Approach to Wildfire Preparedness
- Bringing Your Fire Education Programs Out of the Dark Ages
- Risk Reduction in Places of Worship
- Firewise on the Frontier: The Journey Continues
- Fire Science and Our Safety Messages: Are We Keeping Up?
- Overview of the new OSU Fire Science Curriculum - Fire Prevention Module
- American Red Cross Home Fire Campaign: Saving Lives Through Education and Action
- Citizen Fire Academy Programs: A Dynamic Approach to Community Outreach for Wildfire Preparedness
- Intterra Situation Analyst and Interactive Public Web View
- Collaboration in Prevention: The Making of the Southern Oregon Firewise Expo
- Community Partners: Building an Effective Youth Fire Intervention Program
- Data-driven Approaches to Encourage Prevention Action
Date/time:
February 13, 2018 at 1 p.m. – February 15, 2018 at 12:00 noon
Cost:
$50 early bird ($75 late registration – after January 12, 2018)
Location:
Ashland Hills Hotel & Suites
Lodging:
Available at Ashland Hills Hotel & Suites at the government rate (currently $93). We are promoting lodging in fire-sprinklered rooms that the hotel has blocked out for this event. For reservations call 541-482-8310 or 855-482-8310 (Group name: OR Fire Prevention Workshop), or visit ashlandhillshotel.com (Group ID number: 120279). Please book your room by January 12, 2018 to guarantee the rate and a fire-sprinklered room.
Oregon Fire Prevention Workshop Committee Co-chairs
Tom Fields, Fire Prevention Coordinator
Oregon Department of Forestry
503-945-7440
Stephanie Stafford, Fire Prevention Coordinator
Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal
503-934-8219
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Smoke Alarm Installation Program training
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he Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal Smoke Alarm Installation Program (SAIP) provides smoke alarms to Oregon fire agencies to install in residences that are unprotected.
Due to changes with the program, training is required for all agencies who choose to participate. If you would like to participate in the program and you
have not completed training in 2017
, please see the below information and links for available training dates.
The OSFM is offering free one-hour webinar trainings on the SAIP.
Topics include:
- Project planning and ideas
- Smoke alarms and installation
- Safety materials
- Program eligibility, changes, and requirements
Upcoming webinars:
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Oregon Fire Sprinkler Coalition upcoming meetings
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Casey Kump
Deputy State Fire Marshal – La Grande
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Casey grew up in Elko, NV in a caring family of six. In his youth he was highly influenced by his father (a highly respected high school football coach) and his grandfather (a WWII veteran). Casey’s first job was working at his uncle’s radiator shop, but after high school Casey was on the move, living in Sacramento, CA, Reno, NV, Harve, MT, Detroit, MI, Prineville, OR, and finally La Grande, OR.
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Over the years, Casey has had a number of significant mentors, including his distant uncle and his high school auto shop teacher who provided his initiative to work in the automotive industry in Detroit and becoming an ASE master technician for more than 20 years. Casey also spent time teaching at Crook County High School where he was influenced by Ivan Polson.
Casey also gives credit for his continued development to several members of Crook County Fire & Rescue, including Mike Wright, who taught him what dedication means with his 40 plus years as a volunteer, and Chief Matt Smith who taught Casey many things but foremost was that good decisions come with experience and homework.
In 2003, Casey started with CCF&R as a volunteer and became a full-time paid firefighter in 2005. He continued with CCF&R moving up through the ranks becoming Deputy Chief/Fire Marshal. He left CCF&R in 2017 when he was hired by the OSFM.
Casey and his wife have two girls, 18 and 14. His only “hobbies” he says at this point are “…keeping my clunker cars running and attending my daughters’ sporting events.”
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Marina Done
Administrative Specialist 2
Fire & Life Safety Services
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Marina was born in Slavyansk, Ukraine and moved to the United States (Oklahoma) at age three due to the communist government. After six months in Oklahoma, her father & mother decided to make a move, pulled out a map, and looked for the greenest areas in the United States. They chose Oregon.
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Marina graduated from Willamette Educational Ministries at 17 and attended Chemeketa Community College and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Her areas of interest and studies included dental hygiene, psychology, sociology, religions, and addictions/counseling.
During college, Marina worked as an ESL teacher and preschool teacher. She also traveled to Ukraine several times and volunteered at orphanages & drug rehab centers founded by her father. After finishing college at UAF she returned to Oregon and began her search for work in public service.
Marina was hired by the Oregon Department of Human Services in November 2009 as a Human Service Specialist 1. She moved her way up to Human Service Specialist 3(OHA) and later became a Case Manager. After seven years with DHS, she decided to make a big change and was hired as a dispatcher for Oregon State Police. After eight months as a dispatcher, she learned a lot about how hard OSP strives for public safety and what a great agency it is. “I then decided to join the Office of State Fire Marshal in the Fire and Life Safety Services branch,” said Marina.
Her interests outside of work include travel, cooking, baking, hiking, camping, adventuring in the woods, eating good food, and most importantly spending time with her husband Gavin (who moved from England 4 1/2 years ago), her 3 children Benjamin (10), Ethan (10), Bella (4), and their dog “Chase.”
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Shari Barrett
Administrative Specialist 2
Fire & Life Safety Services
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Shari Barrett has been with the Fire and Life Safety Services (F&LSS) branch as administrative support since August 2016. Shari has been in the health and safety field since 1988 and a health and safety specialist since 2003. Shari’s past positions have culminated to a perfect fit for this multi-faceted branch of OSFM.
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When Shari’s husband retired from the US Army, she accepted a temporary job in 1993- which lasted 17 years. Shari began on the production floor at Oberto Sausage (formerly Smoke Craft) in Albany moving up through various positions, with the last seven years as a safety coordinator. Always looking for a challenge and to find the missing piece to the puzzle, Shari was able to reduce the lost time accidents from 47 to four in four short years and then to zero lost time accidents by using a team approach to identify and correct potential safety hazards.
Shari began working with the Oregon Board of Chiropractic Examiners and then the Board of Tax Practitioners as a licensing specialist after Oberto closed. With a downsize pending at the Tax Board, she applied for her current position at the OSFM.
As administrative support, and always customer service focused, Shari ‘takes care of her people’ as direct support for the OSFM Codes and Technical Services, Healthcare units, and on special projects. Shari sees the big picture without losing focus on the details, and always looks for ways to improve the process and the procedure.
Since 2010, Shari has also been involved with the Linn County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) sponsored by Linn County Sheriff’s office. She is the finance/admin officer and one of the trainers of the 75 volunteer and 300 trained responders. Shari is also a member of the Portland area Cascadia Moulage team for disaster simulations.
Whether as a dental assistant, CNA, machine operator, safety coordinator, or licensing specialist – each have contributed to the skills Shari now uses on a daily basis at OSFM.
Shari grew up in and around Albany. She currently resides in Lebanon with Paul, her husband of over 36 years. In their down time they enjoy working around their home and spending time with their four grandsons.
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Departures from the Fire and Life Safety Services branch
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DSFM Ted Megert
Having more than 55 years of dedicated service, the last 21 with the Office of State Fire Marshal, Deputy State Fire Marshal Ted Megert has retired as of January 1, 2018.
Deputy Megert worked out of the Milwaukie field office serving Portland and surrounding communities in Clackamas, Hood River, Multnomah, Washington, and the northern portion of Wasco counties since his appointment as a DSFM in September 1995. His service area had a population of more than 1.7 million and included 26 fire agencies.
Deputy Megert earned his NFPA Inspector III in 2006, his ICC Plans Examiner in 2007, and competency recognition for his Fire Marshal with Fire Plans Examiner in 2008.
In the last 15 years, Deputy Megert's district has responded to 55 conflagrations.
We sincerely thank Deputy Megert for his commitment and service to the Fire and Life Safety Services branch, the OSFM, and the citizens of Oregon.
DSFM Scott Goff
Scott Goff has resigned as deputy state fire marshal effective January 1, 2018 to accept the fire marshal position with Umatilla County Fire District #1.
Deputy Goff began working in the Pendleton unit for the OSFM on September 5, 2000. His district included Gilliam, Morrow, Sherman and Umatilla counties with a population of more than 91,734 and included 23 fire agencies.
Deputy Goff earned his ICC Inspector II in 2005, his NFPA Inspector III in 2007, his competency recognition as Fire Marshal in 2008, and recognition as Fire Marshal with Fire Plans Examiner in 2011.
Deputy Goff completed over 13,000 inspections (annual average 735) as a DSFM and has completed over 168 fire investigations since 2010.
“I have enjoyed my time with the State Fire Marshal’s Office, and look forward to continuing to work with the office in the future. I want to thank those who have been a part of my success here at the OSFM over the last 17 1/3 years,” said Goff.
The OSFM sincerely thanks Scott for his service and wishes him every success in the new chapter of his career.
Assistant Chief Deputy Michael Trabue
Michael Trabue has resigned from his position as the OSFM Fire and Life Safety Services Branch Manager to accept a position as Division Chief/Assistant Fire Marshal at the Hillsboro Fire Department effective January 5, 2018.
Under Trabue’s leadership, the Fire and Life Safety Services branch has focused on improving internal and external process, procedures, efficiencies, and communications, along with the quality of services and effectiveness of those services.
Trabue's two-year tenure has seen many improvements to the branch including:
- Re-evaluating deputy field safety and the purchase of new APR masks and air monitors that provide the recommended respiratory protection of currently known hazards.
- Reorganization of OSFM Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Health Care program (CMS) by completing a top-to-bottom review of their CMS contracted services and the methods of providing the service, and updating or changing procedures to meet the needs of customers. With the introduction of three compliance specialists, as well as the re-establishment of life safety code plan reviews for DHS/OHA facilities, the program has met all benchmarks identified in the final recommendation report issued by the Governor's appointed SB 886 (2015 Regular Session) workgroup.
- Reinstitution of State Property Inspections, including over 400 buildings inspected since July 2017. Emphasis has been on working with each facility to make improvements with a tone of cooperation. The process being used with inspections and follow ups has increased fire, safety, and staff morale.
“We have developed a stronger partnership with the OFCA and OFMA on publishing Joint Policy Bulletins in an effort to raise practical (nontechnical) and technical awareness to clarify challenging fire and life safety code issues statewide," said Trabue. "Staff in our Fire & Life Safety Services branch developed closer ties and working relationships with the Department of Human Services and the Oregon Health Authority to improve the coordination, consistency, and timely licensing and life safety code review of healthcare facilities. Our goals were aggressive, but we like to challenge ourselves."
We look forward to continued collaboration with Trabue in his role as OFMA president and with OFMA’s leadership for their cooperation and participation on Joint Policy Boards, which have resulted in collaborative joint policy bulletins, technical bulletins, and successful legislative efforts.
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2018 Oregon Fire Code Adoption - Next Mtg. Jan. 9th
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The OSFM is begining the process of the 2018 Oregon Fire Code adoption
.
Items under discussion will include:
- Mobile Food Vehicles – cooking hazards
- Integrated Fire Protection and/or Life Safety systems where two or more of these are interconnected (e.g., sprinkler, alarm systems, smoke control)
- Education Occupancies - to include: Intruder prevention locking arrangements in grade school and higher education; Higher education laboratories and hazardous materials; CO detection requirements in classrooms
- Large Outdoor Assembly Event – egress and fire hazard
- Indoor Trade Shows and Exhibitions – covered and multi-level booths
- Energy Systems – including standby and emergency power, fuel cell energy
- Plant Processing and Extraction Facilities – extraction of oils and fats from various plants (e.g., marijuana, mint . . .)
- High Pile Storage – clarification of commodity (storage) classifications
- Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Systems - used for both enrichment processes and beverage dispensing, to include gas detection systems
- On-Demand Mobile Fueling – customer requested on site dispensing/fueling of flammable/combustible liquids into vehicles
The code adoption process began with the first
Oregon Fire Code Committee
(OFCC) meeting to discuss this subject on Tuesday, September 26, 2017.
Following is a list of future dates:
09 January 2018, 23 January 2018, 13 February 2018, 27 February 2018,
13 March 2018, 27 March 2018, 10 April 2018, and 24 April 2018.
Location:
Office of State Fire Marshal at Oregon State Police Headquarters
3565 Trelstad Avenue SE, Salem, Oregon 97317
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Registration open for the 2018 Task Force Leader Symposium
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This training event is intended for Task Force / Strike Team Leaders and Assistants, and those planning to fill those positions during the 2018 season.
The symposium is at Eagle Crest Resort, beginning at 1000 hours on Tuesday, February 27
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and ending at 1530 on the 28
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. Lunch and dinner will be provided on Tuesday; breakfast and lunch are provided on Wednesday.
To reserve a room for the event, please contact Eagle Crest at
877-790-6271
and mention the Symposium or OSFM.
Please be aware that the per diem rates of $112 for a single and $224 for a 2-room condo are available until January 27th.
On-site lodging is limited.
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The following was submitted by
Retired OSFM Deputy State Fire Marshal Roger Severson
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Lavern Cary
On a rainy windswept morning of November 16, 2017, Lavern Cary departed from this earthly environment. Nearly 84 years old, Lavern had been struggling with Parkinson’s Dementia for the past two years.
Lavern’s influence and dedication to the fire service spans many decades. His involvement in the code development process is known and respected throughout the country. For the majority of Lavern’s career, he was the fire marshal for the Corvallis Fire Department. During that time, he and other western states representatives developed and produced the Uniform Fire Code which was adopted by twenty-seven western states. Lavern was the chairman for the committee developing that code. Until the formation of the International Codes in the early 2000s, the Uniform Fire Code had been the working code for Oregon fire and building agencies.
After retiring from the fire service, Lavern began a very successful consulting business where his skills and experience assisted many large businesses to maintain compliance with fire and building codes. Those same skills were also influential with the improvement of our codes with amendments that can still be seen in most of the codes around the country. His consulting services also extended to places outside of the United States.
Lavern brought a vast amount of experience and knowledge to the monthly meetings of the Oregon Fire Code Committee at which we were all privileged to have Lavern’s dedication and support. During my tenure as the chair of the Oregon Fire Code Committee, he made my work for the committee, and for the state of Oregon, much more successful. For that, I greatly appreciated his participation.
As a personal note, I have always enjoyed to have simply been around Lavern. He had a dry sense of humor and wit that easily brought a smile to your face. He was one of those who meant what he said and said what he meant. While you may not have always liked what was said, you could count on it being accurate and correct. I am honored to have called Lavern my friend, my mentor, and (in many ways) a big brother.
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