The 464th meeting of the Massachusetts Institute of Fire Department Instructors was held at the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy in Stow on Wednesday, March 26th.

Mr. Peter Lamb, new Director of the Academy welcomed the group of 28 members.  Chuck LaBlanc & David Houghton from MFA spoke about Fire Ground Rehab and presented the new Incident Rehab Unit (former MBTA bus).

The Incident Rehab Unit and team will respond to a request from the  incident commander at any incident to provide a wide range of support and coordination for rehab purposes.

The Unit is available to Fire Departments throughout the Commonwealth at no charge to the local municipality.  Funding is  totally provided from the Fire Marshal’s budget.

President Michael McLeieer opened the business meeting.

The Secretary’s report:  No report as of press time.

The Treasurer’s Report:
Checking Balance 1/1/2003   = $1,221.08
Checking Balance 3/26/2003 = $2,158.94
Checking Balance 4/1/2003   = $2,252.69

BILLS PAID
April Newsletter  $105.00 Mike
Web Page           $  39.75  Mike 5 months
TOTAL              $144.75

50/50 Raffle = $90.00                                                   MIFDI Clothing collected $364.00
Winner = Paul Bary, Walpole Fire -  $45.00                                        Purchased  $322.00
                                                         -777.00                                                     $  42.00
                                                              Owed to Treasurer for mailing               $  22.00
_______________________________________________Current Profit        $  20.00
Total Members         = 144                                          Income Membership
Dues Paid thru 2004 = 03                                            December $ 387.50
Dues Paid thru 2003 = 96                                            January     $1,100.00
Dues Paid thru 2002 = 27                                            February  $  650.00
                                                                                   Total        $2,137.50
Dues Paid thru 2001 = 17                         Active 15 X $25.00 = $375.00
                                                                Retired 2 X 12.50    = $  25.00
                                                                Total in arrears         = $400.00
This total in arrears would bring all members current to 12/31/2002
The total is actual, not estimated.

Mailings:
E-Mail - 39,
Home - 83,  Work - 22; Total Mailed = 105

5 New Members Since Last Meeting: See Page 11.

Treasury Balance as of 04/01/2003  =  $2,252.69

Respectfully submitted 04/01/2003
David M. Jardin
MIFDI Treasurer
Deputy Fire Chief - Stoughton

Thank you to the membership for your support.

• FDIC conference & hotel reservations have been made for Michael McLeieer.  MIFDI still received the early bird registration discount.  Michael thanked Deputy Rick Gomes for contacting Tim O’Neil with Greenwood Fire Apparatus for making the hotel reservations.
• A motion was made & supported and the membership unanimously approved  to carry the remaining few delinquent members until the April meeting.

• Congratulations to Peter Lamb for his appointment as the new MFA Director.
• A motion was made & supported and the membership unanimously approved to sell the new MIFDI pens for $5.00 which will also include an indoor & outdoor MIFDI window decal.  The price will include postage.

The Bi-Law Committee - consists of Norm Aubert, C. Randall Sherman, Mort Shurtluff, Chris Kelly, Brian Ash, and John Cummings.  Nothing to Report.

Public Relations Committee  - consists of Mr. Ira Hoffman and Michael McLeieer.  Nothing to report.

MFTC UPDATE:   Steve Persson

• Mr. Peter Lamb was appointed as the new Academy Director
• There is a waiting list of 600 individuals for upcoming recruit classes.
• The academy will only be holding one (1) recruit class this summer.
• There is still a hiring freeze at the Academy.

DIRECTIONS:
North Attleboro is 40 miles south of Boston, and 20 miles north of Providence.

From Rte.128 and Rte.495: Take Rte.95 South to Exit 5. Turn right at the end of the exit and take your very first right onto John Dietsh Blvd. Follow Dietsh Blvd. until you come to a 4-way stop. Head straight across the intersection onto Vallancourt Drive. Greenwood Fire Apparatus will be at the end on your left. There is ample parking on the right side of the building.

SCHEDULE:
0900 Coffee and pastry - 0945 Board of directors
1000 Presentation / Business Meeting - 1200 Lunch (available on-site)

I just returned from FDIC held last week (March 31st – April 5th) in Indianapolis and would like to again thank the membership for allowing me to attend on behalf of MIFDI.

The Opening Ceremony was held on Wednesday, April 2nd at 0800 hours and began with the Procession & Presentation of Colors by the Pike Township Fire Department Honor Guard (Emerald Society Bagpipers), followed by the National Anthem sung by The Voices of the Indianapolis Fire Department.  The 2002 Firefighter Line-of-Duty Deaths Roll Call was read and names displayed on the numerous screens located throughout the ballroom.

Bill Manning, Editor in Chief of Fire Engineering Magazine delivered a presentation that we “needed to change from “first responder” to “first dfender”…  “The terrorism alert is sounded.  You are on the homefront.  You are facing future response battles … deadly battles … as first defenders, on the
homefront, on the front lines of response …  “No firefighter, be it in New York, or Kalamazoo or Boise or Miami or Indianapolis or Los Angeles … should be asked or required to engage in a response to a terrorist incident without the tools and protection that afford the highest possible chance of your returning home to your families … “The time for the first defender is now”.

His presentation followed with a standing ovation of the more than 25,000 firefighters who attended.

It was good to see so many people continuing to attend FDIC in these times when budget cuts have taken a toll on our ability to continue to training our brothers and sisters with the latest tools available.

One of the most significant changes that I saw this year vs. in previous years was the number of Indianapolis Police Officers who were visible throughout the week both inside and outside of the Indianapolis Convention Center & RCA Dome.  Due to the unrest in this country & abroad, it was very common to see these officers with machine guns strapped to their shoulders.  It is sure a sign of the times to keep our brothers and sisters safe.

You won’t want to miss our next meeting, which will be held at Greenwood Fire Apparatus, North Attleborough, MA on Wednesday April 23rd.  The topic will be on aerial ladder construction, safety, outriggers, and tip loads followed by a tour of the facility.

Remember, this is your organization.  Please visit the MIFDI website at www.mifdi.org often and let the Officers or Board of Directors know if there is anything we can do for you.

Stay safe.

Michael

May 8 and 9, 2003, Homeland Security Conference presented by Executive Office of Public Safety & Department of Fire Services at the Westford Regency Inn & Conference Center, Westford, MA - 0800 - 1630

May 18-21, 2003, FDNY 9-11 Memorial Golf Outing, Myrtle Beach, SC.
For info contact www.fdnygolf.com

May 19-23, 2003, 25th Annual New England Arson Seminar "Preparing for Terrorism", Saint Anselm College, Manchester, N.H.
For info call 603-641-7026.

June 11-14, 2003, IAFF Emergency Medical Services Conference
Hollywood, Florida. For info contact www.IAFF.org

June 13, 2003, Massachusetts Firefighting Academy Recruit Class #158 Graduation Ceremony at the M.F.A. Fire Station @ 1:30 p.m.

June 14, 2003, MAFFA 26th Annual Fire Parade, Show, & Flea Market
Edgewater Office Park, Wakefield, Mass.

June 20-21-22, 2003, New England Fire/Rescue/EMS 2003
Eastern States Exposition, West Springfield, Mass.
For info contact www.newenglandfirechiefs.org

October 5-9, 2003, IAFF Redmond Symposium, fire service health & safety event.
San Francisco, California. For info contact www.IAFF.org

In 1995, the first hyperbaric oxygen treatment center in the Commonwealth opened at The Massachusetts Eye And Ear Infirmary and named the Norman Knight Hyperbaric Medicine Center. As president of the Hundred Club, Norman Knight's donation was inspired by the need of firefighters for treatment during smoke inhalation injuries and were among the first people to benefit from the center.

Hyperbaric oxygen treatment has long been established as the primary therapy for decompression sickness (the "bends"), and has since been proven to be effective with a variety of medical conditions including; problem wound healing, carbon monoxide poisoning, smoke inhalation, and infections.

Located on the 11th floor, the Center has expanded to keep pace with increased demand using three specially outfitted state-of-the-art hyperbaric chambers treating patients ranging from trauma victims to the acutely ill. The Center is available on a 24-hour basis and staffed by a specially trained team of physicians and nurses.

As we all know, the air we breath contains only 21% oxygen. Hyperbaric treatment provides patients with 100% oxygen at pressures greater than normal atmospheric pressure. By providing pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber, the results are two to twenty times greater than providing 100% oxygen through a facemask. The benefits provided by hyperbaric oxygen therapy are the result of the extra oxygen being carried within the blood stream. Increasing the amount of oxygen delivered to body tissues by the blood can promote growth of new capillaries, reduce swelling, and enhance the body's ability to fight infection. For a victim of smoke inhalation, the extra oxygen being carried through the blood stream can rapidly reverse the toxic effects of poisonous carbon monoxide.

Treatments will vary depending on the injury. A patient suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning may require only one treatment, while a wound healing problem may require thirty to forty treatments. The exact number of treatments will be determined by the patients response to the therapy. The therapy is generally painless and there are no changes to normal breathing patterns. The only discomfort may be a "crackling" in the ears caused by the changes in pressure similar to flying in an
airplane. Patients are able to lie comfortably during therapy and watch television or listen to music. The hyperbaric chamber is clear, allowing patients to see what is
occurring around them. Staff is always present and available to provide support.

Special thanks to Norman Knight of the Hundred Club and the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary for providing this important medical support for the firefighters of Massachusetts and the victims of smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning.

Chief John Burke - Lincoln Fire Department
Deputy Chief Robert Moran - Brookline Fire Department
Deputy Chief Jonathan Dowse - Sherborn Fire Department
Captain Paul Sullivan - Brookline Fire Department
Lieutenant Ron Cronin - Brookline Fire Department

MIFDI
Attn: David Jardin, Treasurer           If you have not already done so, it's time to renew your dues.
52 Willow Street
Stoughton, MA 02072-1027

*Dues are $25.00 per year for Active Members -

*$100.00 per year for Associate members (which includes a 1/4 page of advertising in the MIFDI Bulletin and on the MIFDI website).

*Retired members dues are $12.50 for one calendar year (January 1 through December 31).

This forum is an extension of the Guest Book on the MIFDI Web-site, and provides our members a way to ask questions and get answers about problems encountered in the Fire and EMS service. If you would like to reply to a question, pose your own question or submit an article for publication in the MIFDI bulletin, but have no internet capabilities, you may do so in writing to: Michael McLeieer, President - MIFDI, PO Box 507, Merrimac, MA 01860-0510.    Fax # (877) 327-4353.  Faxing or e-mailing of articles is preferred.  Please e-mail articles in MS Word format to michael.mcLeieer@merrimacfire.com

APRIL:                  Greenwood Fire Apparatus - North Attleboro, MA

MAY:                    Billerica Fire Department Central Station - Billerica, MA

JUNE:                    Barnstable County Fire Academy - Annual Clam Bake

JULY/AUGUST:    Enjoy the Summer!!

SEPTEMBER:       Department of Fire Services / Massachusetts Firefighting Academy - Stow, MA

OCTOBER:            MassPort / Logan Crash Fire Rescue