March 12, 2012 Volume 3 Issue 3 Firehouse News HR-Balance is Within Reach Is Your Life Out-of-Balance? If you've determined that you need to make some changes in the balance of your life, the following guidelines can help you get on the right track. Set Realistic Expectations. You may not be able to have everything you want, at least not all at one time. Establish realistic expectations and ease up on yourself when possible. Instead of vowing to keep your house or apartment spotless, simply try to keep it neat and orderly. Prioritize. Determine what tasks you need to accomplish, then rank them according to importance. Keep in mind your own needs, as well as those of loved ones. If you must work on a Saturday, for example, you might plan a recreational activity with your family or friends for Sunday. Set Realistic Goals. Be flexible and realistic in planning your schedule. Focus on things you know you can accomplish. At the same time, learn to expect the unexpected. Have a plan for dealing with those surprise visits from relatives and unannounced meetings at work. By taking steps like these, you'll be better prepared to handle life's curve balls. Modify Responsibilities. Sharing responsibilities is a good strategy to try at home. Start by determining what tasks need to be accomplished in your household. Next, decide who is most skilled at the various tasks, who likes or dislikes particular tasks, and the availability of everyone in the household. Distribute tasks fairly, making sure that responsibility is shared for unpopular chores. If others in the household are unwilling to participate or you live alone, determine what is reasonable for you to accomplish and stick to doing just that. Be Efficient. Develop ways to work smarter at home and at work. Combining or consolidating tasks may be more effective than trying to squeeze as many tasks as possible into the least amount of time. Encourage others in your household to save time as well. Involve others, including children, in the planning and decision-making processes. Get input from others on how goals can be reached, and offer them the opportunity to participate in achieving these goals. Think Positively. Try to recognize that changes in your routine may be difficult at first. Don't blame yourself or others for limitations. Solving problems, not blaming others, produces positive change. Most importantly, have a sense of humor. While everyone feels sad, angry or frustrated sometimes, laughing can really help ease difficult situations. Resources Are Available Additional information, self-help tools and other resources are available online at www.MagellanHealth.com. Solving problems, not blaming others, produces positive change.
Transcript
March 12, 2012
Volume 3 Issue 3
Firehouse News HR-Balance is Within Reach
Is Your Life Out-of-Balance?
If you've determined that you need to make some changes in the balance of your life, the following guidelines can help you get on the right track. Set Realistic Expectations. You may not be able to have everything you want, at least not all at one time. Establish realistic expectations and ease up on yourself when possible. Instead of vowing to keep your house or apartment spotless, simply try to keep it neat and orderly.
Prioritize. Determine what tasks you need to accomplish, then rank them according to importance. Keep in mind your own needs, as well as those of loved ones. If you must work on a Saturday, for
example, you might plan a recreational activity with your family or friends for Sunday. Set Realistic Goals. Be flexible and realistic in planning your schedule. Focus on things you know you can accomplish. At the same time, learn to expect the unexpected. Have a plan for dealing with those surprise visits from relatives and unannounced meetings at work. By taking steps like these, you'll be better prepared to handle life's curve balls. Modify Responsibilities. Sharing responsibilities is a good strategy to try at home. Start by determining what tasks need to be accomplished in your household. Next, decide who is most skilled at the various tasks, who likes or dislikes particular tasks, and the availability of everyone in the household. Distribute tasks fairly, making sure
that responsibility is shared for unpopular chores. If others in the household are unwilling to participate or you live alone, determine what is reasonable for you to accomplish and stick to doing just that. Be Efficient. Develop ways to work smarter at home and at work. Combining or consolidating tasks may be more effective than trying to squeeze as many tasks as possible into the least amount of time. Encourage others in your household to save time as well. Involve others, including children, in the planning and decision-making processes. Get input from others on how goals can be reached, and offer them the opportunity to participate in achieving these goals. Think Positively. Try to recognize that changes in your
routine may be difficult at first. Don't blame yourself or others for limitations. Solving problems, not blaming others, produces positive
change. Most importantly, have a sense of humor. While everyone feels sad, angry or frustrated sometimes, laughing can really help ease difficult situations. Resources Are Available Additional information, self-help tools and other resources are available online at www.MagellanHealth.com.
Solving problems, not blaming others,
produces positive change.
REHAB RAMBLINGS-R. KNAPP
H ow much do you know about our EST and the Rehab Bus? Let’s find out…
Rehab Quick Quiz (Answers at the bottom of this page)
What proportion of “Gatorade” should be provided by the Rehab team to thirsty Firefighters when they come out of a burning building?
1. As much as they want! 2. ½ and ½ 3. ¼ Gatorade to ¾ water 4. I prefer refreshing sparkling cider
Which of the following items is not found on the Rehab bus? 1. Satellite phone 2. O2 Bottle 3. Spare reflective traffic vests 4. First Aid Kit
What’s the name of our newest EST member? 1. Chris Ebling 2. Dawn McDow 3. Kurt Warner 4. Grace Bader
What happens when you turn off the bus when the transmission is not in neutral? 1. Nothing, it’s an automatic. 2. You can only start it from the back engine compartment. 3. Chief Jacobs gets very grumpy 4. You have to crawl under the bus and adjust the transmission linkage to the neutral
position before it will start. How often do the EST members meet and train?
1. Monthly 2. Bi-annually 3. Whenever Chief Jacobs feels it necessary 4. The day before a structure fire.
ITEMS OF INTEREST
Answer Key: 1‐c, 2‐b, 3‐a, 4‐d, 5‐a
J ames Troutman would like to mention that March is Dennis Kenny's last month as an intern with us. He has completed his one year of service and
we are grateful that he chose East County Fire & Rescue for his Internship Program. We appreciate all he has given to ECFR and hope he remains on as a volunteer. Firefighter Second Class: James Troutman has completed his Instructor 1 and required college
credits and has been promoted to second class FF. Congratulations!
O n a recent trip to Seattle, my husband and I stayed at a hotel that came highly rec-
ommended to us. We were told the customer service was outstanding and the accommoda-tions topnotch. After visiting Cedarbrook for ourselves, we completely agree.
Upon our arrival, we were met at the front door of the lobby and ushered to the waiting desk clerk. We were offered hot ap-ple cider as we were checking in. The clerk ex-plained the lay-out of the hotel and mentioned that snacks were available (at no
cost) in the lounge area in each wing of the ho-tel. Upon entering our room, we were extremely impressed with the full length windows that looked out on the grounds. Soft robes were hanging in the closet and special soaps and bath salts in the bathroom. After unpacking,
we wandered to the lounge and were awestruck by the complementary snacks that were in the refrigerator and on the snack bar. As we sat in the lounge visiting with friends, the night manager wandered by to ask how we were do-ing and to re-plenish the snacks. He en-couraged us to wander about the grounds in the morning before having our compli-mentary breakfast. I was very impressed with the customer service we received and encourage you to check it out. It is conveniently located near the Sea/Tac Air-port. Cost for one night stay $99-cost may vary.
CUSTOMER SERVICE STAND-OUT
New Ideas for the Newsletter
W e are trying out a few new ideas for the newsletter and would like to receive your input. I have included a “Customer Service Stand-Out” section below and would like to encourage
others to send me their customer service experiences. Paula has started a “Focus Person of the Month”. I have also been asked to see if there is interest in including a “want-ad” section and an area to post individual skills that you would be willing to share. Example: James Troutman is an ex-perienced carpet layer and would be willing to assist others if needed. Your feedback is encouraged!
The freezer is filled with five flavors of Haagen-Dazs ice cream. The refrigerator is full of water, yogurt, and sting cheese. The counter has jars of malted milk balls, yogurt covered raisins, fruit, and packages of potato chips.
Jim Bridger "Mountain Man" Fun Run, Walk and Challenge SATURDAY, April 2. Choose from a 5K trail run, a scenic "family crawl" or human-powered ob-stacle challenge all starting and finishing at Bridger School; some activities take participants to the top of Mount Tabor. Kids can also try an all-ages obstacle course on the school campus. A post-race celebration features food, music, photo opportunities and more. The 5K trail run starts at 9 a.m. Sat, April 2; "family crawl" and obstacle challenge 9:15 a.m.; kids obstacle course 9:30 a.m.; and post-race celebration 8:30 a.m.-noon. Funds raised benefit Bridger School. Register by March 30. Bridger School, 7910 S.E. Market St.; $10-$35;
www.pps.k12.or.us/schools/bridger or 503-916-6336
Critter Count SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Assist with amphibian and reptile field surveys during the 11th annual event. The Water Resources Education Center celebrates Earth Month and invites residents to help with the critter count, which begins with a brief training session at 9 a.m. Sat, April 9, at the center. Water Resources Education Center, 4600 S.E. Columbia Way, Van-couver; free;
Walk for Water SATURDAY, APRIL 30, 8:30 a.m. To simulate the experience of villagers in Zambia, people are asked to meet in Foothills Park, walk to a water source (the stroller-friendly loop is about one mile), fill their buckets with water, then return to the park for refreshments, music by the Lewis and Clark Marimba Ensemble and water-education exhibits. Proceeds benefit the people of Zambia through the nonprofit WaterAfrica in conjunction with World Vision. Registration requested. Visit the website for details. Foothills Park, 199 Foothills Drive, Lake Oswego; $35 adults, $10 children and students, or $70 family; $10 for T-shirt; www.thewalkforwater.com or 503-598-8483
The Source Climbing Center
HEALTH AND WELLNESS COMMITTEE
Page 4 Firehouse News
Kelby Kiedrowski
Description The premier indoor rock climbing facility in Vancouver, Washington
minimize the chance of your pc getting a virus minimize the chance of you sending a virus to someone else minimize spam in your inbox
Don’t open attachments if you don’t know who they are from
Even if you do know who it’s from don’t open it if the subject sounds suspicious. Either delete it or contact the sender before opening it.
Disable the preview feature in Outlook (or whatever email program you use). The preview can al-low you to unwittingly execute the code in an infected email.
Beware of strange messages. Examine your list of unopened messages carefully before you open any of them. If you didn’t expect a message, don’t know the sender, the subject or attachment seem strange – too urgent – too alarming – too good to be true, or the sender and the subject don’t make sense, just delete the message, along with any attachments without opening it.
L. Durrett
ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST/IT
Page 5 Volume 3 Issue 3
T his is a new feature of the in-house news-letter. We will focus on a different mem-
ber each month drawn randomly from a hat. Be prepared, you could be next. This month James Troutman has been chosen as our ‘Focus Person of the Month’. James’ position at ECFR is as a Firefighter. He lives in Battle Ground, WA with his wife of 20 years, Ricki. James and Ricki are the proud par-ents of Taylor 18, Hunter 15 and Sara age 12. James is and avid fisherman, hunter and enjoys camping. When asked how he became interested in the fire service, James said he had time on his hands and began Volunteering with District 11.
That led to a part time position at Clark Fire and then a part time position with ECFR where he finally landed a full time career position. Here are a few other things you may not know about James. He’s not a big candy guy but would rather eat ice cream and a tray or two of chocolate cookies. He doesn’t like cantaloupe, brussel sprouts or mean people. He does like buttermilk and helping people. His favorite places to visit are the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska and Disneyland. James’ favorite book is “Of Mice and Men” and his favorite movie is “Uncle Buck”. James is very proud of his son Hunter who will be heading off to India with his grand-father on a 2 week mission trip.
Paula Knapp
FOCUS PERSON OF THE MONTH
T ax time is around the corner and now is a perfect time to plan for next. Depending on your tax return (or payment) you may want to amend your W-2. Now is the time to start a system
for maintaining your receipts to offset your stipend. Possible deductions include fuel or mileage, laundry costs, cost of hair cut, uniform clothing that is not reimbursed by the District.
Citizen’s Basic Academy, March 17th, 8 AM to 5 PM, Station 91 Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support Class March 19th & 22nd Station 91 Camas Bowling Alley Burn-To-Learn, March 24th
EST Training-March 26th OTEP—Infectious Disease March 28th East County Fire & Rescue Burn-To-Learn March 31st Annual Awards Banquet, April 6th, 6 PM Red Card Refresher, April 21st Citizen’s Advanced Academy, April 28th, 8 AM to 5 PM, Station 91 County-wide ACC Drill—Station 91—Morning on May 2nd & Afternoon on May 3rd
March Birthdays-There were no March Anniversaries
Birthdays and Anniversaries
Page 6 Volume 3 Issue 3
East County Fire & Rescue Upcoming Events
James Phillips 18th
Matt Hazlett 19th
Ben Stark 20th
Melissa Simpson 22nd
Brad Baldwin 23rd
Scott Koehler 25th
Grace Bader 27th
St. Patrick's Day March 17th
Spring Begins March 20th
April Fool's Day April 1st
Good Friday April 6th
Easter April 8th
Eastern Orthodox Easter April 15th
National Volunteer Week April 15th-21st
Holocaust Remembrance Day April 19th
Earth Day April 22nd
Administrative Professional's Day April 25th
Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work Week April 26th
![Woodburn Firehouse Cookoff[1]](https://static.documents.pub/doc/80x56/55949d441a28ab41758b46a2/woodburn-firehouse-cookoff1.jpg)
