Wolfskin Volunteer Fire Department
Oglethorpe County, Northeast Georgia
Peace in Wolfskin

wolfskinvfd@yahoo.com


Mark Your Wolfskin VFD Calendar!
Send additions, corrections, etc. to wayne@sparkleberrysprings.com.
Please note that as of the beginning of 2015, Wayne's descriptions of training are accurate, but not official. For the official reports along with attendance please contact the new
Assistant Chief and Training Officer, Charleen Foott (foott@att.net).


May 2015

May 5: (Tue 7:00pm): First Tuesday Oglethorpe Firefighters Association meeting (Farm Bureau Office in Crawford).

May 7: (Thu 6:30pm): First Thursday Business Meeting.

May 14: (Thu 6:30pm): Second Thursday Training Meeting. Discussed response responsibilities and tactics, esp in terms of going directly to scene or station, eventually decided should go to station first except: two others have indicated they're headed there; and take a look at scene but only if on way or out of way by less than 1 minutes round trip. No more than 1 minute to check out scene. Also exemption for repeated false alarms from same residence over short period of time. Strongly suggested using number of fire depts called as indicator of potential seriousness.

May 16-17: (Sat/Sun): Firefighter Weekend. Charleen and Glenn left 5:30am on Saturday and returned 6:03pm on Sunday evening. Each took a 16-hour course. CF: Training Operations in Small Departments: This course is designed to provide students with some basic tools and skills to coordinate training in a small fire/EMS organization. A training function in a smaller department typically may include conducting training drills and coordinating training with a nearby larger city or state training function. Exam: Passed. GG: Principles and Practice of Command: This course will present principles and foundations for maintaining a command presence during emergency incidents. In addition, sie ujp, tactics, strategies, and effective communications will be discussed. No exam.

May 21: (Thu 6:30pm): Third Thursday Training Meeting. Thermal Imager was charged while pumper was run for 1 hour. Practiced using booster hose, PTO, and pump.

May 28: (Thu 6:30pm): Fourth Thursday Training Meeting. Chainsaw training: TM and MP went over prepping chainsaw with gas mix and oil, chain blade tightness, starting and safety measures, and fundamentals of cutting up medium diameter trees. (Phyllis arrived and took photos for newsletter, 30 minutes.)


June 2015

Jun 2: (Tue 7:00pm): First Tuesday Oglethorpe Firefighters Association meeting (Farm Bureau Office in Crawford).

NOTE: Jun 3: (Wed 6:30pm): Business Meeting. Changed to Wed night Jun 3 because of unexpected difficulties with attendance on Thu Jun 4 by several members. Sorry! This happens very infrequently.

Jun 6: (Sat 9:00am): County wide training - Search and Rescue. 1096 Elberton Road. See OCFFA Description for details and contact info.

NOTE: Jun 11: (Thu 6:30pm): NOTE: Postponed to 6:30pm Friday Jun 12. Second Thursday Training Meeting. We'll be looking over SalemVFD's brush truck. Sorry about the late notification.

Jun 18: (Thu 6:30pm): Third Thursday Training Meeting.

Jun 25: (Thu 6:30pm): Fourth Thursday Training Meeting.


July 2015

Jul 2: (Thu 6:30pm): First Thursday Business Meeting.


Friday, April 24, 2009

Fire Alarm Call

Thanks to David, Phyllis, Brian, Glenn, Wayne (pumper), Ed

Dispatch at 10:20pm Thursday night for unknown fire alarm on Bridges Way, which is our only major high density subdivision off Double Bridges Road. I had Central notified en route and the pumper just leaving the station 10:30pm when the 10-22 came 10:31pm so all is good. Phyllis, Brian, and David went directly to the address. Arnoldville FD and Crawford FD also responded.

False alarm. Nonetheless, very good response. Everyone had checked in by 11pm, and that's great.

Notes: if you're playing around with your security system and the fire alarm goes off, call Central (911) to cancel. Unless you want a visit from three fire departments within ten to fifteen minutes.

We've had more fire calls in 2009 so far than in all of 2008.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Vehicle Accident Call

Saturday evening brought a 6pm call for a two-vehicle accident on Hway 78 (Athens Road between Old Edwards and Wolfskin), initially to Arnoldsville. At 6:20pm, Wolfskin was paged out for apparatus support.

Thanks to Ed, Glenn, David, Wayne (pumper) for response.

We were there for the usual reasons, Just In Case, but also for possible cleanup need. The idea seems to have been to wash off the road but there was leakage of transmission fluid/coolant mix and they used dry absorbant instead. Good on Oglethorpe County for choosing an appropriate cleanup method. It didn't take long, and I think we were back in 45 minutes.

Good response, well-done. Thanks, all. Only mistake was me running over the chock, but Ed caught that I was just trying to make him feel better.

Thursday, April 09, 2009

Early Thu Apr 9: Structure Fire Call

Thanks to David, Glenn, Wayne for response. Tanker driver: Wayne

Original dispatch was to Arnoldsville FD around midnight Thursday morning for a structure fire at Meyer Farm Road (just this side of Hargrove Lake Road, 10-15 miles from Wolfskin FD). Devils Pond FD and Beaverdam FD were also called, then Crawford FD and Winterville FD. Sounds like around 7 pumpers and tankers involved, as well as EMS and LE. The road was very well blocked.

The WFD tanker was dispatched at 0021, I was enroute by 0029 with Glenn on way to lock up and follow. I believe I arrived at 0045, David already there. We provided a tank of water (2500 gal) nursing to DPFD tanker.

Structure, a residence, had been reported as fully involved shortly after we were called. There may have been a smoke inhalation injury but otherwise no one was hurt. Refilled the trusty tanker and were back at station at 0253.

Beaverdam's Ray did a fantastic job as IC this morning, convening a short meeting of firefighters toward the end to tell us what would happen now, and moving up and down the row of engines keeping us all informed. Bill Moody was sharp as a tack, relaying to Central that we had arrived, and also when we had been released. Oglethorpe Central dispatcher also did a great job, including thanking folks as they arrived back at station.

I was unsuccessful in reaching anyone by phone, but since it was out of district, only tanker water was needed, and so many FDs were present, I figured it would be mostly just standing around for a couple of hours after getting things going. Which it was. Otherwise I would have been more persistent.

Note: our county roads are quiet and nice to travel on between midnight and 4AM.

Thursday, April 02, 2009

Late Wed Apr 1: Good Will Call

During mid evening, Central requested we respond to a residence, close to the fire station, who reported that their carbon monoxide alarm had sounded. Ed, Glenn, Phyllis, Jim, and David each responded in their POVs. The owners said that the alarm went of after a gas heater was turned on. The owners had turned off the heater before Wolfskin arrived and Jim scanned the area with his own monitor and confirmed the absence of carbon monoxide. Ed made sure the unit and its gas supply were both turned off and told the owners to have the gas heater checked by a repair person.

Note: carbon monoxide is a highly flammable, tasteless, odorless, invisible, and lethal gas produced by incomplete combustion. Install carbon monoxide detectors near fireplaces and where propane or natural gas is burned. Although it has the same density as air, the gas will rise along with the other warm combustion gases; place the monitor above the the flames but more importantly where you can easily get to it to test it, change its batteries and to turn it off.