As the Oregon Fire Mutual Aid System (OFMAS) prepares for the 2020 wildland fire year, the impacts of COVID-19 have caused disruptions to traditional timelines and opportunities for training, outreach, and preparedness projects at all levels. Office of State Fire Marshal (OSFM) staff have been working on a plan to assist the structural fire service in adopting and maintaining a readiness posture. 

The 2020 Mobilization Readiness Review Guide provides a timeline and checklist for individual agencies and Fire Defense Boards to prepare for wildfire response in the COVID-19 environment. In early May, OSFM will distribute a survey to all Fire Defense Board Chiefs to assess the readiness of the system moving into the 2020 fire year. Our hope is that all agencies and regions have walked through these checklists prior to that date. 

OSFM is working with our interagency partners to create a Wildfire Response Guide to provide a framework for incident management during the pandemic. This framework will include considerations for providing for the safety of responders — looking at how responders are fed, housed, and provided for logistically. Responder safety remains the number one priority. The guide will address necessary non-standard personal protection equipment (PPE), symptom screening, and physical distancing. OSFM has been working with federal agencies, the Oregon Department of Forestry, and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources to ensure we are as aligned and as prepared as possible. We can say for certain that a 2020 mobilization will not look like years past.

The Task Force Leader Symposium scheduled for mid-May was cancelled. That training event was intended to be the unveiling of an updated 2020 Task Force Leader Guidebook. The new guidebook consolidates different documents into one place, including the Structure Protection Guide, information about cache sprinkler kits, OSFM paperwork, and the standard communications plan.

Fortunately, the symposium this year was serving mainly as a refresher, without much new guidance for resources responding to a mobilization this year. Presentations from past symposiums have been made available online .

As we move forward into the COVID-19 environment, OSFM is acutely aware of the need to adjust the way we have traditionally done business at all levels, including large fire response. We appreciate the fire service’s patience and grace as things move forward behind the scenes. Working with our partner agencies will be paramount in our success this summer.

If you have any questions or needs relative to mobilization, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the OSFM Mobilization Coordinator Mariah Rawlins: [email protected] .

Due to the impacts of COVID-19, the State Fire Defense Board was unable to meet.

Despite being unable to meet, the group virtually and unanimously approved the use of the 2019 Oregon Fire Service Mobilization Plan for the 2020 season. The language adopted in 2019 requires an adjustment be made to the volunteer rate schedule in the spring of 2021.

Thank you to all of Oregon’s Fire Defense Board Chiefs and to our committee’s long-standing Chair Les Hallman for your leadership.

The 2019/2020 Mob Plan can be found online.

The Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal’s Bigfoot: Believe in Fire Safety campaign is returning for the 2020 wildfire season, asking Oregonians to protect their communities by preventing wildfires. 

In response to the challenges of recent wildfire seasons, the OSFM enlisted Pacific Northwest icon Bigfoot, friend in fire prevention, to inspire the public to take action and reduce risks of human-caused wildfires.

The campaign first launched in spring 2019. From the start, Bigfoot served as an iconic messenger to encourage Oregonians and visitors to protect our communities and homes from human-caused wildfires.

OSFM’s Fire Prevention Coordinator Stephanie Stafford made the connection that wildfires occur where Bigfoot ”lives,” which created the opportunity to promote awareness around fire prevention in the wildland urban interface (WUI). Data show the most costly fires in recent years nationally all occurred on WUI lands.

Wildfire threats to Oregon’s communities have led to longer and costlier fire seasons for state and local agencies. The wildfire problem also has captured the attention of Oregonians. Statewide they see the effects of fires on forests, as well as on homes in the wildland urban interface.

In the past two years, data collected in Oregon for the National Fire Incident Reporting System, show there were 14,971 outdoor fires with 554,196 acres burned. Most of these outdoor fires were caused by unintentional human ignition rather than natural sources such as lightning.

"This really comes down to protecting communities and preventing wildfires," says State Fire Marshal Jim Walker, of the Bigfoot campaign. “Wildfire prevention begins with all of us. Together we can make a positive impact. Since most wildfires are started by people, please do your part to prevent them.”

The OSFM will be working with its more than 300 Oregon Fire Service partners to help share Bigfoot-themed education and branding materials that encourage Oregonians to “believe in fire safety,” around their homes and when recreating around their communities and in the outdoors.

The Oregon fire service plays an important role in providing critical first response for initial suppression of many wildfires that begin in their jurisdictions and can often spread to public lands.

In 2019, fire agencies helped Bigfoot reach residents statewide, and the OSFM will be providing Bigfoot materials for agencies to share and motivate their residents to prevent wildfires.

Bigfoot’s message for 2020 to “believe in fire safety” can be shared with the hashtag #BelieveInFireSafety.

To learn more about wildfire prevention and preparedness, or to find your favorite Bigfoot image and spread the word,  visit the OSFM website .

May is Wildfire Awareness Month. Federal, state, and local fire agencies and organizations, along with Keep Oregon Green, know the month is a great time to encourage the public to create defensible space around homes this spring and prevent the start of careless, unwanted wildfires.

When it comes to preventing wildfires, there’s a lot at stake – lives, personal property, and the many benefits provided by Oregon’s forests and rangelands. During the 2019 season, 250,000 acres in the Northwest were consumed by wildfire, with almost 80,000 acres burned in Oregon.

People were responsible for starting 1,192 fires that burned around 22,000 acres. The Oregon Department of Forestry's gross large-fire costs were more than $100 million, and many neighborhoods were forced to evacuate. According to the ODF, each year, more than two-thirds of Oregon’s wildfires are started by people. Many are a result of escaped debris burning and campfires left unattended.

Before heading outdoors, contact the agency or landowner who manages the lands at your destination for an update on current fire restrictions or bans. Any visitor to Oregon’s natural areas should review these restrictions before building campfires, burning debris, or using equipment that could ignite dry vegetation.

To support awareness messaging prior to fire season, there will be a coordinated communications strategy among state and federal agencies, and nonprofit partners. Check your Facebook and Twitter accounts for these daily posts, and please share them with your followers. Collaboration amplifies messages at a time when resources are being impacted by COVID-19 in Oregon.

In addition, each week, a news release will be shared statewide focusing on the fire prevention topics below.

May 4: Defensible space

May 11: Top three causes of wildfires (human-caused)

May 18: Recreational campfires/bonfires ahead of Memorial Day

May 25: Wildfire’s smoke impacts and smoke mitigation

Keep Oregon Green also hosts a toolkit for Wildfire Awareness Month and prevention resources in general: https://keeporegongreen.org/toolkit/ (password: SmokeyBear).

Where do you work/how long have you been in your position? I cover District 4, for Linn and Benton counties and work out of the Oregon State Police’s Albany office. I have been a Deputy State Fire Marshal (DSFM) since June 2015.

Tell us about your background before you became a Deputy State Fire Marshal (DSFM). Before joining the OSFM, I was part of a large family of firefighters from Las Vegas, Nevada. I worked as a wildland firefighter with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in 1991. After several wildland fire seasons, I became a structural firefighter, working for the Clark County Fire Department through 2015. This is the largest department in Nevada, spanning 293 square miles. I gained all of my certifications as a fire and explosives investigator, fire inspector, and fire plans examiner there. These certifications included forensic knowledge of evidence collection, digital photography, courtroom testimony, and the law. 

What makes you most proud of being a DSFM? Being a DSFM is, by far, the best place for a former structural firefighter. I continue to do the work I enjoy, collaborate with our local fire service partners, and engage the public. I am a people person, and being able to help communities and fire departments with face-to-face conversation is very gratifying. From a firefighter and paramedic standpoint, I get to preemptively educate and warn people and businesses about possible dangers and concerns instead of responding to preventable incidents.

What is the most rewarding part of your job? One of the most important functions of my position is to ensure that places where emergency fire crews could respond are safe enough for them to be successful in their life-saving mission. I have great satisfaction knowing the input I give, the fires I investigate, and the time I spend helps protect those who live, work, play, or pass through this great state.

What would you like the public to know about your job? Our knowledge, experience, training, and required certifications are superior when compared with any other state’s deputy fire marshals. Our jobs are different and unique for every fire district we work with. The fire chiefs, in particular, make my job enjoyable, exciting, and often challenging.

Looking back on 2019, what was your most successful activity in your assigned district that had the most impact in protecting the lives of Oregonians or preventing fires in Oregon? I am faced with several activities that make me feel successful at what I do. None were accomplished by me alone. In 2019, working with several fire departments and law enforcement agencies, I was a successful team member in gaining the convictions of three arsonists. This accomplishment is what fire investigator dreams are made of. Protecting our citizens from physical and financial harm is success to me.

The Office of State Fire Marshal (OSFM) has invested in a GIS program to develop mapping and analysis products that aid in decision-making through the presentation of data, analysis, predictive modeling, and incident outcomes.

Part of this program involves maintaining accurate GIS data for mapping and analysis. The OSFM maintains many statewide mapping layers including those that identify the locations of fire stations, fire district boundaries, hazmat team boundaries, and more. These layers are available to partners to help address issues in preparedness and emergency planning.

The OSFM seeks feedback from the Oregon fire service, to ensure the accuracy of the Fire Stations GIS layer.

Please review your agency’s response area on the OSFM Oregon Fire Stations webmap. If you identify any fire stations with incorrect locations, inaccurate information (address, facility type, personnel type, etc.), or are missing, please contact Melanie Wadsworth at [email protected] or fill out the form link at the top of the the webmap.

Fire stations locations and related information can be explored by using the tools on the webmap. For example, the “query filter” tool helps to locate all fire stations within a specified agency. The tabular data can then be exported to a spreadsheet with the “export to CSV file” option.

The tabular data is also available in a popup by clicking on a location.

For questions about the Fire Stations webmap or the GIS program at OSFM, contact Melanie Wadsworth, GIS Analyst:  [email protected].

The Office of State Fire Marshal’s 2019 Annual Report is now available on the agency’s website.

The report highlights the OSFM’s accomplishments for 2019, particularly its partnerships and collaborations in Oregon during the year. From the introduction of our Bigfoot "believe in fire safety" campaign to the Oregon Fire Mutual Aid System’s quick responses to our agency's ongoing role ensuring compliance with the reporting of hazardous materials statewide, it was a busy and productive year.

In addition to providing fire and hazmat data, the report highlights the work of the OSFM’s five divisions: Fire & Life Safety, Emergency Response Services, Fire & Life Safety Education, Regulatory Services, and Leadership.

The OSFM and its professional staff remain committed to Oregonians as a premier public safety agency, protecting residents, their property, and the environment from fire and hazardous materials.

By OSFM Code Deputy David Mills 

Safety Cans and Motor Vehicle Fueling

The dispensing requirements for motor vehicle fuels into approved portable safety cans (fuel containers) is outlined in the 2019 Oregon Fire Code (OFC), Section 2304.4, within Chapter 23 entitled Motor Fuel-Dispensing Stations and Repair Garages.

2304.4 Dispensing into portable containers. The dispensing of flammable or combustible liquids into portable approved containers shall comply with Sections 2304.4.1 through 2304.4.3.

2304.4.1 Approved containers required. Class I, II and IIIA liquids shall not be dispensed into a portable container unless such container does not exceed a 6-gallon (22.7 L) capacity, is listed or of approved material and construction, and has a tight closure with a screwed or spring-loaded cover so designed that the contents can be dispensed without spilling. Liquids shall not be dispensed into portable or cargo tanks.

The term “listed,” in Section 2304.4.1, refers to safety cans that have been tested to be in compliance with Underwriters Laboratory (UL) 30, Standard for Metal Safety Cans, and the term “or of approved material and construction ” refers to other recognized standards such as UL 1313, Standard for Nonmetallic Safety Cans for Petroleum Products. Approved containers must be easily identified as fuel containers and constructed of materials that will maintain structural stability and resist spills. UL 30, UL 1313 and ASTM F852 or ASTM F976 (the recognized standards for construction of portable gas containers) all limit container capacities to approximately six gallons (22.7 liters), and thus it makes sense for the OFC to reflect this limitation.

2304.4.2 Nozzle operation. A hose nozzle valve used for dispensing Class I liquids into a portable container shall be in compliance with Section 2306.7.6 and be manually held open during the dispensing operation.

A “listed” automatic-closing-type nozzle must be used for dispensing fuel into portable containers. The hold-open device must not be used because the automatic-closing feature may not function properly since it is designed to operate in the neck of an automobile fuel receiver. The fuel tank vent in an automobile terminates in the receiver neck and the blow-back of fuel coming from the vent is what normally triggers the automatic shutoff feature.

2304.4.3 Location of containers being filled. Portable containers shall not be filled while located inside the trunk, passenger compartment or truck bed of a vehicle.

Regarding the location when being filled, portable fuel containers riding on carpets, mats or pickup truck bed liners can build up a charge of static electricity that could discharge to the dispenser hose nozzle if not properly grounded. In order to dissipate the static charge, the container must be removed from the vehicle and placed on the ground before fueling begins. The nozzle must be in contact with the container before discharging the fuel.

(Photo credit: Nicolas Britto, licensed under CC BY 3.0) 

The Office of State Fire Marshal HazMat by Rail Program is the central point of contact for training, preparedness, and response planning with a specific focus on oil or hazardous material spills or releases that occur during rail transport.

In this capacity, the OSFM has received an update from BNSF regarding the use of electronic hazardous material shipping papers.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has authorized BNSF to use an electronic hazardous material (hazmat) document instead of paper documents. As part of a social distancing effort, electronic reporting will also improve the accuracy of the hazardous materials list available to emergency responders during a hazmat incident.

The electronic hazardous material document is only available for incidents involving BNSF trains; no other carrier is digitizing these records. The main BNSF line runs through central Oregon adjacent to the Deschutes River. However, like most rail lines, BNSF trains also ride on its competitor’s lines throughout Oregon.

Go here for more information.

BNSF also is providing free webinars on rail hazmat incident response and safety. Each is approximately 90 minutes, and held at the following times:

Please use this link to register. 

For more information on this or other HazMat by Rail Program issues, please contact Fraser Wick: [email protected] ; 503-934-8283. 

Fire service organizations nationwide with membership on the front lines in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic will soon be able to apply for a share of $100 million in funding to purchase personal protective equipment and supplies.

The funding is part of the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act through the FEMA Assistance for Firefighters Grant Program (AFGP).

FEMA began accepting applications for the Fiscal Year 2020 Assistance to Firefighters Grant-COVID-19 Supplemental Program (AFG-S) on April 28.

The deadline for applications is May 15.

AFG-S provides direct financial assistance to eligible fire departments, non-affiliated emergency medical service organizations, and state fire training academies. Those who would like to start planning their application before the application period can access the Notice of Funding Opportunity and technical assistance tools on the FEMA website .

The online AFG-S Grant Program application is available through the AFGP FEMA Grants Outcomes (GO) application portal.

The Metro Advanced Wildland School (MAWS), planned for June 5 and 6 in Molalla, has been cancelled for 2020. The decision was reached in response to state social distancing guidelines and state orders requiring the shutting down of numerous gatherings, in order to stem the spread of COVID-19 in Oregon.

The Office of State Fire Marshal (OSFM) has supported and helped plan and staff the training event the past four years. MAWS offers valuable training for the Oregon Fire Mutual Aid System.

MAWS has been rescheduled for June 4 and 5, 2021. For additional questions, contact Molalla Fire District No. 73: tel.: 503-829-2200; or email OSFM Mobilization Coordinator Mariah Rawlins: [email protected].