After a series of
structure fires and one fatality left homeowners devastated, concerned citizens
organized together and formed the first volunteer fire department outside the
city of
OCCUPANCY: The area is primarily residential with a
variety of light commercial business. The small businesses are primarily
private bush airfields, welding shops, auto, truck, and general repair shops,
restaurants, craft shops, one large grocery store, and three elementary
schools, two of them public. Zoning is
unrestricted. There is a significant
urban/wildland interface problem with brush and grassland fires during the
summer months. NSVFD also provides
contract fire prevention and suppression services to two public elementary
schools located outside the fire service area in areas with no other fire
protection services.
TARGET HAZARDS: Major significant concerns are the elementary
schools, numerous multistory apartment buildings (up to 72 units), the
Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline, one pipeline metering station critical to the local
oil refineries and electrical power generation station, the only major divided
highway between the city of Fairbanks and a major Air Force base, local major
equipment supply yards, Urban / Wildland Interface areas with subdivisions
built within densely wooded Black Spruce forests, and threats to two major
military bases adjacent to the district.
Placarded and non-placarded hazardous materials and military transport
of munitions pass through the service area via the
PERSONNEL: Approximately 80 personnel including a staff
of eight full-time and one part time paid with the balance volunteers, make up
the department’s total staffing. Personnel include the Fire Chief, Deputy Chief
(Operation Division), three Assistant Chiefs; (Training Division, Fire
Investigations, and EMS/Health & Safety), Fire Data Specialist, Data Entry
Technician II, 20 Support Division personnel, both administrative and
operational; three Battalion Chiefs, three Captains, three Lieutenants, nine
apparatus drivers /pump operators, thirty firefighters, and six Firefighter
Explorers.
The Firefighter
Explorers Program was started in 1984 as an avenue for young men and women between
the ages of 15 and 18 to provide an opportunity to experience the emergency
services, along with the subsequent rewards and hardships. This is an extension of the department’s
philosophy to promote opportunities for entry into career positions. It has proven to be very successful as a
large number of young people have joined and found the fire service to be their
calling. All Firefighter Explorers carry
out a support role on the training ground and around the fire station, and are
prevented from entering dangerous or “hot” zones and traumatic incident scenes.
FIRE STATIONS: North Star’s facilities consist of one headquarters
station with four satellite stations.
Station One is manned 24/7 by paid staff. Stations 3, 4, and 5 are manned by fire
department resident volunteer firefighters or have apparatus that respond with
drivers that initially respond from home.
Station 2 is an inactive station however is still valuable as heated,
secure storage for reserve apparatus and off-season equipment. All fire stations have built in fire-wells
providing up to 200 GPM for water supply.
BATTALION THREE: The supervising Operations officer of the day is “Battalion Three”, to identify the geographic area of the fire service area from other fire departments. There are three battalion shifts with assigned volunteer personnel of one Battalion Chief, one Captain, up to three Lieutenants, three Engineers, and fifteen Firefighters. Battalion shifts are assigned to a rotating three-day schedule during the work week, and every third weekend. All first-line apparatus respond with an Engineer/Driver/Pump Operator and available firefighters. All other personnel carry their turnouts and other protective gear in privately owned vehicles and are dispatched via radios or voice and alphanumeric pagers directly to the scene.
REGULAR RUNNING CARD
ASSIGNMENTS: Battalion personnel on shift provide initial response to structure
fires, emergency medical calls, vehicle fires, dumpster fires, Wildland fires,
etc., with the first out engine from the nearest station, supporting apparatus from
Stations One and/or Five, and Battalion Three with a Command Unit. Any reported
structure fire or larger Wildland fire is a full response assignment by
requesting a Second Alarm, bringing all available engines and tenders, available
personnel, and any geographically assigned Automatic Mutual Aid companies.
COMMUNICATIONS: For approx. 30 years NSVFD utilized a
conventional VHF radio system, with a repeater on the main fire channel and
simplex on tactical. In 2006, NSVFD
initiated the use of a digital, trunked, radio system. This system, called Alaska Land Mobile Radio,
uses a digitally controlled system with the objective of enhanced
communications capability with all regional and state-wide emergency service
agencies. All apparatus are equipped
with these radios, which can function in both trunked and conventional mode,
and are also programmed with all three State of
SUPPORT SERVICES DIVISION: In 1996 the department’s Support Division was implemented. Original scope was to assist in the department’s emergency scene personnel accountability program. Program advancements were made quickly and development of the After- the-Fire Program (assistance to firefighters), Membership Disaster Services, and administrative support branches soon followed.
This new concept of
bringing in members of the community that are not solely based on emergency
services to complete the mission of the department has opened yet another path
for our department operations to grow.
Computer Specialist, Prevention Educators, Equipment Maintenance and
Repair, and Administrative Assistance are all part of the new program.
APPARATUS: The department operates a total of nine
combination pumper/tenders, including one in reserve status, one heavy rescue
pumper/tender, one First Responder EMS vehicle, five other light support
vehicles; and a variety of off road rescue vehicles for both land and water
rescues.
Engine 31: 2003 KME Pumper / Tender. Delivered in May 2003, this custom cab
pumper/tender has a 6 person cab, 1250 GPM Hale pump with Detroit ‘D’ Deck Pressure
Governor System (PGS), 2000-gallon water tank with quantity indicators on all four
sides, ‘Zircon’ Class A foam system, 6 KW hydraulic generator, 2 ea. 1500 watt
and 1 ea. 1000 watt “Focus” brand area lights, ‘Detroit Locker’ rear
differentials w/ Automatic Tire Chains, 3 crosslays including one 2-1/2 inch
preconnected to a 500 GPM TFT Blitzfire unmanned ground monitor, a fixed 1000
GPM deck gun, two rear preconnects, one 35 foot extension and two 14 foot fixed
ground ladders, Thermal Imaging Camera, 1000 feet of 5 inch and 1000 feet of
3-inch supply hoses, and full compartmentation.
The 470 horsepower Detroit Series 60 motor is the most powerful in the fleet
and combined with the Allison automatic transmission and PGS this apparatus is
very easy and safe to drive and operate.
Engine 32: 2005 International 7600 / KME Pumper / Tender. Delivered in November 2005, this commercial
cab pumper/tender has an extended 2 person cab, 1250 GPM Waterous pump with ‘FRC’
PGS, 2000-gallon water tank with quantity indicators on all four sides and in
the cab, two 10 inch electric side dumps, one on each side controlled from the
cab only, ‘Foam-Pro’ Class A foam system w/ 30 gallon tank, 5 KW gasoline
powered generator controlled from the cab and/or the pump panel, 3 each 750
watt “Focus” brand area lights, a full complement of Hurst hydraulic rescue
tools, ‘Detroit Locker’ rear differentials w/ Automatic Tire Chains, four
preconnected lines with 3 crosslays including one 2-1/2 inch connected to a 500
GPM TFT Blitzfire unmanned ground monitor, fixed &/or portable 1000 GPM
deck gun, 1000 feet of 5 inch and 1000 feet of 3-inch supply hoses, 24 foot and
14 foot ground ladders, and full compartmentation. This apparatus serves as second out for fires
in its assigned district and first out for medical and MVA/Rescue calls. It is now the most modern in the fleet and is
designed to be easy and safe to drive and to operate. The motor is a 410 hp Cummins with an Allison
automatic transmission.
Engines 33, 34 and
310: These are all Commercial Cab Pumper/Tenders
with 1,000 GPM Waterous pumps, 2,000-gallon water tanks, and are 6-wheel
drive. These engines are first out for
fires in their assigned districts, have been impressive performers for the
department for well over 20 years, and are impressive looking as well. Four pre-connected hose lines with one line preconnected to a 500 GPM TFT
Blitzfire unmanned ground monitor, portable 1000 GPM ground monitor, Class A
foam system with 30 gallon tank, 1000 feet of 5 inch and 1000 feet of 3-inch
supply hoses, 4 KW gasoline powered generator, tower and ground lighting, 35
foot and 14 foot ground ladders, and full compartmentation. Manufactured by Pierce on Ford LN-9000
commercial truck chassis, Engines 310 was purchased in 1979, and Engines 33 and
34 were purchased in 1982.
Engines 35, 36,
37: These are all Commercial Cab Pumper/Tenders
with 1,000 GPM Waterous pumps, 2,000-gallon water tanks, and standard 6x4 drive
train. Three preconnected hose lines, 1000
feet of 5 inch and 1000 feet of 3-inch supply hoses, 24 foot and 14 foot ground
ladders, trauma medical kit w/ oxygen, splints, KED, etc.. These engines are second out for fires and
first out to MVA’s and life threatening medical calls in their assigned
districts. Manufactured in 1985 by LTI
on Ford LN-9000 commercial truck chassis.
Engine 38: Reserve Engine. This Commercial Cab Pumper/Tender has 1,250
GPM Hale pump, 2000-gallon water tank and standard drive train, and is kept in
reserve status in warm storage. Also
serves as primary response unit to major Wildland fires during the summer when
requested by State of Alaska Division of Forestry. Manufactured in 1985 by FMC on GMC commercial
truck chassis.
Engine 311: Reserve Engine. This medium duty commercial cab engine was donated
to the department by Alyeska Pipeline Service Company. Equipped with 500 GPM Darley pump, 500 gallon
water tank, Class A foam system, and Compressed Air Foam System (CAFS), two
preconnected hoselines, up to 600 feet of 3 inch supply hose, a built in 500
GPM deck gun capable of flowing foam, and full compartmentation. This vehicle is owned by the Volunteers of
North Star Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., and is primarily assigned to
respond on larger Wildland fires when requested by State of Alaska Division of
Forestry. Manufactured in 1987 by Darley
on a GMC commercial truck chassis.
Rescue 31: 1994 KME Pumper / Tender. This custom cab combination pumper/tender has
a 6 person cab w/ integrated
Six heavy engines
are on Ford LN-9000 chassis and one is a GMC, all with
In 2008 the average
age of the entire heavy apparatus fleet is over 19.5 years old.
SPECIALIZED
APPARATUS:
Squad 31 – First
Responder EMS unit w/ EMT-B (BLS) specific medical equipment. This vehicle is a
1997 GMC 4 door 1-ton chassis with four-wheel drive, and utility box carrying
related equipment. Also carries a 4,500-watt
generator to provide auxiliary electrical power and to power 500 watt halogen
flood lights. “Night Fighter’ spot and
flood light for additional area lighting.
Brush 31 – Utility
Vehicle that sees heavy use during the winter plowing snow at all the fire
stations and during the summer Wildland season working local fires and
statewide when hired by State Forestry for major fires. Carries skid‑mount pump with 155 gallon
aluminum tank and gasoline powered pump, 600 feet 1‑1/2 inch forestry
hose, 200 feet one inch forestry hose, forestry hand tools and hose appliances,
two chainsaws, and drip torch. Winter
Equipment: The skid load unit is removed
and this unit is equipped with an 8-foot heavy duty ‘Western’ snow plow. Manufactured on a two door 1-ton 1985 GMC
four-wheel drive chassis by L.T.I.
Other Light
Vehicles: One 2003 Ford ¾ ton 4x4
pickup, Two 2000 GMC ¾ ton 4x4 pickups, and one 1997 GMC ¾ ton pickup. All have trunked and conventional-capable
mobile radios, cell phones, BLS medical gear, and have extended command
capability. Forestry gear including Wildland
skid tank/pump units are installed in select units during summer months for
Wildland firefighting.
Rescue Boats: The department has two rescue boats. The newest boat is a 2005 ‘Extreme Shallow’
21 foot aluminum hulled boat designed to run in very shallow water and is equipped
with a 200 hp inboard jet drive unit and seating for 4. This highly capable boat also has the room
and cargo capacity to carry a 4-wheeler ATV in the bow and is a powerful
addition to the fleet. The second boat
is a 1994 ‘Achilles’ sixteen-foot inflatable boat with hard floor, powered by a
15-horsepower 4-stroke Honda engine. Both
boats are equipped with ALMR / Conventional mobile radios and can be called for
surface water search and rescue operations for local area rivers, lakes, and
gravel pits. Department members staffing these units are outfitted with cold
water survival suits, rescue harnesses, and/or PFD’s as appropriate, to safely
complete their assigned tasks.
All Terrain
Vehicles: The department has five off
road capable vehicles and two rescue sleds.
Wheeled ATV’s consist of Two 2005 Polaris Ranger 6-wheelers and one 2005
Suzuki 4-wheeler. Tracked ATV’s consist
of two 2005 Polaris Long Track snow machines.
Two ‘Rescue-Boggan’ rescue sleds can be configured for summer or winter use
with either wheels or skis for safe transport of one patient and one medic on
each trailer. All this equipment is
carried on several trailers including one 4-place fully enclosed trailer, one
4-place open trailer, and/or one 2-place open trailer, etc.
COLOR OF
APPARATUS: “North Star Green” Lime‑Yellow
and Red & White
APPARATUS: All heavy apparatus have been standardized
to the greatest extent possible as to chassis, engine, transmission, water tank
size and pumping capacity in order to simplify training and familiarization,
and to save costs on maintenance and spare parts inventory. All equipment
stored on the apparatus has also been standardized as to type and location.
Due to the extreme
cold weather of interior
MUTUAL AID: All Fairbanks North Star Borough area fire
departments, including two municipal, two state, three federal (two military
and one BLM), and five service area fire departments are tied together under an
area wide Mutual Aid Agreement and will respond to support each other when
requested. An Automatic Mutual Aid
agreement also exists between the department and the City of
PHILOSOPHY: It is the goal of the North Star Volunteer
Fire Department to provide the highest caliber training, equipment, experience,
and knowledge to its members with the intention of those members providing a
professional level of emergency services to the citizens of the North Star Fire
Service Area. To meet this goal training
facilities have been established at the headquarters station and at other local
facilities. All members are encouraged
to attend training when it is presented away from the department, including at
the
Members of this
department have advanced to paid positions with the following departments:
University of Alaska Fire Department, Fairbanks Fire Department, North Pole
Fire Department, Ester Fire Department, Alyeska Pipeline Valdez Marine
Terminal, Anchorage Fire Department, Seward Fire Department, Capital City
(Juneau/Douglas) Fire Department, State of Alaska Division of Forestry, BLM /
Alaska Fire Service, Nikiski Fire, Kenai Fire and many others inside the state;
as well as the Seattle Fire Dept., North Las Vegas and Clark County, NV, Fulton
County, GA, Green Bay, WI, Portland, OR, Memphis, TN, San Antonio, TX, and many
other fire departments all across the United Stated States from coast to coast.
TRAINING: Primary training is conducted at Station One,
with routine training weekly on Tuesday evenings for a minimum of three
hours. A paid Assistant Chief is
assigned as Training Division Chief and coordinates dept. officers, engineers, and
experienced personnel, outside experts, etc., to conduct classes and/or
drills. A variety of instructors and
instruction is emphasized to increase the knowledge and experience of all
personnel. Training aids include the training
center and classroom at Station One, a live burn prop yard, a three-story
training tower, and a two-acre area for various live fire drills.
All new fire
fighting personnel are required to complete an IFSAC / State of
All Engineers must
initially complete 50 hours classroom instruction, covering hydraulics and pump
theory, apparatus placement and procedures, Guidelines of Operations,
communications, maintenance, field troubleshooting of pump malfunctions, emergency
vehicle operations, and up to 25 hours driving instruction per apparatus
type. Promotion from firefighter is
based upon passing scores of both written examinations and a driving test after
completing the required training.
All officers and
aspiring Engineers attend regular training with other personnel as well as
monthly training set up for the officers.
This training emphasizes command procedures, tactics and strategy,
standardizes changes in policy or procedures, and includes role-playing with a
variety of scenarios based on N.F.P.A. standards.
Due to the high
incidence of Wildland fires and the considerable potential for a large,
devastating fire, emphasis is placed on wildfire tactics and strategy, as well
as equipment preparation and familiarization in late winter and early spring.
Several positive
results of this ongoing program have been:
State Forestry command personnel trust the judgment of department
officers when they request heli-tack crews and/or retardant drops, members are
annually 'Red Card' qualified making them available for call out for major
fires on the State Forestry payroll, and the establishing of regional task
forces with department personnel on the state payroll, when state fire fighting
personnel are depleted, with department officers in command positions.
HEALTH &
SAFETY/FITNESS: Despite a high level of
activity, both at the fire stations and on calls, a very involved Safety
Officer and the efforts of Fire Ground Officers, have kept injuries to a
minimum; primarily sprains, small lacerations, first-degree burns, etc.
All fire ground
personnel receive initial and regularly scheduled NFPA / OSHA compliant
physical exams. In addition, the Health
& Safety Officer is responsible for coordinating the Department Physical
Fitness Program. This program requires
annual physical screening for current members.
Active fire fighters are also required to pass the annual physical
agility test with a six-month retest given for those who fail the first test.
DRAFTING/DRY HYDRANT
PROGRAM: A test program was started in
1984 that would take advantage of the abundant ground water available in the
service area. A dry well type hydrant was installed in the parking lot of
Station One with the intended capability of flowing 1,000 GPM. To keep this hydrant from freezing in the
winter it is charged with low-pressure air that forces the water level below
the frost line. To date this hydrant has produced, during tests, up to 900 GPM
continuous flow, both winter and summer, and a second well hydrant was
installed at Station Three in 1986. This
second ground water based drafting hydrant has produced up to 500 GPM.
Another aspect of
this program is that it intends to utilize the numerous water filled gravel
pits in the service area. In 1985 the
first drafting hydrant was installed in the ground that extends into the water
of a gravel pit, approximately 20 feet below the surface. This provides a pad
for the apparatus to operate from safely both winter and summer, and the bottom
of the casing extends below the water freeze line providing water supply all
year. These hydrants are also kept from
freezing with high volume low-pressure air.
To date there are six such hydrants installed across the fire service
area, and they provide a continuous 1,000+ GPM flow.
This program has
proven to be very successful and it is hoped it can be expanded onto more
private lands that have access maintained year ‘round. This system is utilized to avoid the very
high cost of installing municipal type hydrants (and the systems necessary to
keep them serviceable year round), still provide a reliable source of water,
and an insurance savings for the service area residents.
ISO PROTECTION CLASS
RATING – The department’s last ISO test was in 1995 and the current rating is a
split rating: ISO Protection Class (PC)
4 for all areas with regularly tested hydrants and/or a certified building fire
sprinkler system; ISO PC 8b for all residential structures that are beyond 1000
feet of hydrants and do not have a fire sprinkler system; and ISO PC 9 for all
commercial structures that are beyond 1000 feet of hydrants and do not have a
fire sprinkler system. An updated ISO
test was completed in August 2007 and the final results of this test were not
disclosed at this printing.
ADMINISTRATION
RECORDS: All department records are
computerized, including incident reporting, training records, maintenance, and
personnel records. This system is
heavily used by all department personnel, particularly administration, chief
officers and line officers. Includes budget,
incident and training activity data; fleet and equipment maintenance data;
equipment inventory, payroll, personnel records, etc. A Local Area Network (LAN) server system is
the brains of this system. All
department officers are trained to use the network system and the numerous
program applications.
SUPPORT OF OTHER
DEPARTMENTS: When the department was
first organized over 30 years ago, it received a great deal of assistance from
area departments in the form of essential equipment donated for our use. Considerable time has occurred since those
days but NSVFD has not forgotten how it got its start and today the department
continues to assist other departments in every way possible.
FUTURE PLANS: The largest obstacles the department is faced
with today and in the future are the annual increase in the runs dispatched
each year, replacing aging major fire apparatus in an extremely constrained fiscal
environment, maintaining the current fleet and facilities, pursuit of new ideas
and technologies to enhance the quality of service delivered to the service
area’s residents, and the constant research of methods and incentives to
recruit, retain and train the department’s volunteer firefighters. The nearly total lack of building code
enforcement, an independent minded populous, and a relatively transient
population has resulted in a very busy volunteer fire department responding to
well over 900 calls per year; approximately 12% of which continue to be working
structure fires and approx. 62% are
We have been very
fortunate with maintaining a pool of volunteers with very diverse skills, such
as carpenters, electricians, mechanics, plumbers, and Engineers, as well as
administrative experts, computer programmers and data technicians. They have been invaluable in the growth of
this department, and will continue to be, along with all of the members who are
willing to give of their time and energy to learn new skills.
In the near future the department will be looking into expanding our response capability into a larger off-road environment, on land and on the water; researching avenues to replace an aging fleet of heavy fire apparatus; continue to upgrade our SCBA inventory, expand and improve the training facilities, continue to seek new techniques, technologies, and sources of funding to enhance our operations, and will continue to expand and improve our working relationship with neighboring departments and other public safety organizations. We look for the support of the community and our own personnel in these very important issues, now and in the future. As always, we will maintain the highest level of service possible, in the most cost effective manner possible.