Office of the State Fire Marshal June 2019
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June 2019 Newsletter
In this Issue: From the Director page 2 Employee Spotlight page 3 OSFM News page 4 New IFSI Blended Course page 5 Making a Difference page 6 Kids’ Corner page 7 One the cover: Opening Ceremonies for IFSI Fire College
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From the Director State Fire Marshal Matt Perez
Summer is here and that means many Illinoisans will be outside enjoying summer activities. The Office of the State Fire Marshal wants to remind residents to be safe this summer.
As Illinois residents begin to enjoy another beautiful summer, it is important to remember these tips that will allow them to do it safely and responsibly.
• Propane and charcoal grills should only be used outdoors. The grill should be placed away from the home or deck railings, and out from under eaves and overhanging branches. Keep your grill clean by removing grease and fat build-up from the grates and trays below. Never leave your grill unattended! • Children and pets should always remain at least three-feet away
from the grilling area! • Before starting a campfire, make sure to check to see if it is permitted at the site.
Clear away any dry leaves and sticks, overhanging low branches and keep fires at least 25 feet away from any structure or anything that can burn.
• Avoid burning on windy, dry days! Keep the campfire small to make it easier to control. Watch children and pets closely while the fire is burning. Never let children or pets play or stand too close to the fire.
• Never leave a campfire unattended. It only takes a few minutes for it to spread and cause damage.
• Always have a hose, bucket of water, or shovel and dirt/sand nearby and make sure the fire is completely out before leaving the site.
A big part of summer is the 4th of July and fireworks. It is important to remember fireworks are dangerous and should only be used by those who are licensed. If fireworks are not used correctly they can cause accidental fires and injuries. On average, there are over 18,000 fires cause by fireworks per year. These fires and injuries are not only caused by commercial/consumer fireworks, but also by unregulated novelty fireworks that are sometimes purchased at local retailers.
Sparklers account for one-quarter of emergency room visits related to fireworks. A sparkler can burn at a temperature of 1,200˚ degrees Fahrenheit. To put this into perspective, glass melts at a temperature of 900˚ degrees Fahrenheit. Never allow children to use fireworks! All adults must have a permit to shoot consumer fireworks. More information about fireworks safety and fire safety can be found by visiting the Office of the State Fire Marshal website.
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Employee Spotlight-Greg Vespa (Written by Greg Vespa-Arson Investigator and introducing new K9 Ross)
From two female black labs, Gidget (RIP) and Onyx, to a male yellow lab, Rocky (RIP), to a red lab, yeah red is correct, meet Ross, my fourth K-9 partner in my thirteen years with the Arson Division. Ross hails from Ireland and made the long trip across the Atlantic to work with the State Farm Arson Dog Program, and ultimately the OSFM. Ross is just over a year and a half in age and is full of nothing but puppy. For no more than the fifty or sixty pounds of him, he has the strength of three dogs and my left arm gained another six inches in length getting used to him in school. His nickname coming to me was Ross the Boss, and that became more than evident in class, as he wasn't shy about letting any other dog in the class know that he was just that, the Boss. Ross and I spent the month of April getting to know each other in Concord, New Hampshire, each of us training together, which included a whole bunch of bonding time. Ross stays at home with me, rules the roost, and does a bit of double duty in letting me not only know what time the daughter gets home, but anytime someone is outside or someone inside moves. I can say after having Rocky and now Ross, both from Maine Specialty Dogs
and the State Farm Arson Dog Program, I have been blessed with two of the best accelerant detection K-9s in the business and cannot be any more pleased with both the training program and both K-9s. A little about me, I grew up in a small Italian town just east of Springfield, where Grandpa, Dad, my two brothers and I all spent time on the local fire department, my Grandpa Vespa being one of two guys who took on the task of fully organizing and building the fire department in Riverton, IL into a very renowned department, known for their Rigatoni and Chicken Dinner Fundraisers throughout the county. Many of you know my Dad, Dominic, who's been with the department for over sixty years, several of those as Chief, and believe it or not, is still on the active roster and running calls. He and mom are still holding down the fort in Riverton. After graduating high school, I joined the military, and while being a member of the Riverton Fire Department, I was bitten by the Law Enforcement bug in the Air Force and Illinois Air National Guard, where I would spend the next 21 years, retiring in 2005. This allowed me to grab some college at Lincoln Land Community College and the Community College of the Air Force, and ultimately find my home in law enforcement. While working on the fire department, I was lucky enough to have a County Deputy on the department who did arson investigation and was able to work with him on some fires, leading me to find my niche. In 1994 I attended the Police Academy after some part-time Law Enforcement jobs and in 1997 I was able to get things moving in the direction of arson investigation by attending the IFSI's Arson Training Program. From there it turned into a waiting game, working full-time Law Enforcement in Grandview and Leland Grove, Illinois, being called to Active Duty after the events of 9-11, and FINALLY in 2006 landing the job at OSFM's Arson Division. I am currently married with four grown youngsters, two boys and two girls, two of which have given my wife Cheryl and I two beautiful grandchildren. I can say moving to the southwestern part of the State and working the Metro East area of Illinois has presented both interesting and "just when you thought you've seen it all" times and allowed me to see how beautiful southern Illinois is. I'd say the neatest thing about the area I'm in is its proximity to St. Louis, Missouri, which brings the most unique sports atmosphere I have ever seen. Between being so close to my favorite baseball team, you know, the ELEVEN Time World Series Champions, the St. Louis Cardinals obviously baseball is my favorite sport to now feeling the hockey bug biting, Let's Go Blues, wait we're there, Stanley Cup Champs...FINALLY!!! Thirteen years down, with a high hope the next twelve or thirteen go as fast as the first and then a whole lot of retirement time to the Salt Life!!!
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OSFM News
Please welcome our newest OSFM Employees!
Northern Regional Administrator for the Fire Prevention Division, Joe August, celebrated his upcoming retirement in the Chicago OSFM office. He has been with the OSFM since 2003 and will be greatly missed by everyone he has had the opportunity to work with over the last 15 years. Enjoy Retirement Joe! (Pictured left to right: Bernie Arends, Gwen
Saddler, Joe August, Scott Johnson, Joyce Armstead, Carlotta Passmore and Edwina Wohlgemuth)
JC Fultz-Public Information Officer
George Strode- Account Technician I
Office of the State Fire Marshal June 2019
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IFSI Basic Operations FF -Blended Training Program
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Making a Difference
OSFM Employees
Christopher Bednarek, Personnel Standards & Education Certification Specialist received a compliment from a member of the fire service via email that read, “Appreciate all your help and it’s nice to have a contact like you that I can call for a quick question!”
Brian Barna, Personnel Standards & Education Certification Specialist received a compliment from a member of the fire service via email that read, “I just had my training records audited by Brian. He was the consummate professional and represented OSFM well. He also brought up some ideas on how to streamline my records and ensure my records met OSFM standards. It was a great experience and Brian did a great job!”
Fred Schneller, Division Manager of Petroleum & Chemical Safety wrote a Compatibility Notice when the EPA began drafting their rules regarding Underground Storage Tanks to allow sales of blended 15% ethanol (E15) year-round. As it turns out, some of the language that Fred contributed ended up in final rule of their compliance advisory. A comment from one of the EPA Directors in Washington, D.C. “Fred, thanks again for providing the language from Illinois’ guidance document as we pulled this together. I think you will recognize some of the that helpful language in here. Appreciate you always being of so much assistance to OUST (Office of Underground Storage Tanks) and the rest of the UST community.” The final rule is here: https://www.epa.gov/ust/compliance-advisory-about-2015-underground-storage-tank-regulation
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Kids’ Corner Coloring Page
