WWFT Asst. Chief Bolinger Going To Battery Fire Class
Posted
David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
How do you put out a fire involving lithium-ion batteries?
The Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory Board on Tuesday approved three travel requests for firefighters, including one for Assistant Chief Aaron Bolinger to go to a Fort Wayne class on June 13 regarding risk-based response to battery emergencies.
“That’s becoming the thing in the fire service: What to do with them when they burn. Nobody really has a plan, and they’re trying to figure something out. So the state actually is hosting three of these classes - north, central and south,” Bolinger said. “I know for the Fort Wayne class, they had 30 spots open and had 63 people sign up. So, it’s a concern for everyone.”
Mayor Joe Thallemer asked if this was at charging stations where the battery fires were occurring.
“No. Just scooters and cell phones and your electric cars. It’s all over the place, not necessarily at charging stations, just when they’re being used. When a car is involved in an accident,” Bolinger answered.
Thallemer asked what was the answer and was it to just let the batteries burn.
“Honestly, right now, some of the things I’m reading, if it crashes out in the country and catches fire, let it burn. If it’s sitting right here in front of City Hall, we have to do something with it. A lot, a lot, a lot of water is what it takes because of the way the batteries break down and then start the next cell on fire because that’s what they are - just individual cells in a big pack and you have to keep it from lighting up the next cell,” Bolinger said.
There’s a few other possibilities, but that’s why he’s going to the class - to try to figure out what the Warsaw-Wayne Fire Department will do in those situations.
“We have a lot of lakes,” City Councilman Mike Klondaris said.
Thallemer said he would like a report back after Bolinger goes to the class, and Wayne Township Trustee Jeanie Stackhouse agreed.
“It’s really so we can develop a best practice on what to do with them,” Bolinger said. “We’re very blessed that we don’t have the issues like some bigger cities where you have these lithium scooters bursting into flames in high-rise apartments or anything like that. But it’s the future and we’ve got to learn to deal with it.”
The board approved all the travel requests.
CARES (Community Assistance, Resources, Emergency Services) Director and EMS Chief Chris Fancil gave the board his monthly update on the CARES program.
Referring to the June CARES flyer put together by CARES Coordinator Mikaela Bixler, Fancil said, “You can kind of see we’re still going down the same road we’ve been going down. A lot of community resource navigations. The sheriff’s office did a referral. We actually even did a referral for North Webster just because they had used every resource they could to deal with a situation where a lady was suffering from some mental illness issues. So Mikaela went out to see what she could do to help, and then that ended up being a Bowen Center/CARES collaboration to try to help that situation get resolved.”
He said they had 12 new callers and 23 follow-ups in May.
CARES will be hosting the National Alliance on Mental Illness “In Our Own Voice” at Warsaw City Hall Council Chambers, 102 S. Buffalo St., Warsaw, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, June 8.
“Really excited about that. The whole idea of that is to try to break down the stigma of mental health issues. We’re going to have some virtual speakers talking about their journey through the mental health process and what that looks like, how it’s affected them and how they’re trying to get their way out of that situation. The goal of that eventually would be to put together some local support groups that could help some folks,” Fancil said.
By July 1, he reported they’re hoping to have the CARES resource website up and running.
Thallemer said, “That’s been a significant effort on the CARES program’s part, as well as the rest of the community. I know Fellowship Missions was involved in that. Who else?”
Fancil responded they’ve tried to involved the schools a little bit, they’ve been out to see the K21 Health Foundation a few times and they’ve sent out multiple requests for information so it all can be put together.
“It’s pretty exciting really. As I said when we started that, we found everybody had a list and all the lists were only partially complete and most of them had a lot of not-in-business-anymore resources,” Fancil said. “The key to this is, if somebody is brave enough to ask for help, we want that resource to be there. So that’s why we’re putting this together. That’s the key.”
He said they think it will be a really successful program.
Board member Brandon Schmitt asked about the 12 new callers and who were they calling in to. Fancil said they were calling in to the CARES phone at 574-453-7901 or email at cares@warsaw.in.gov. They’re also getting more referrals from the community as well, he said.
In her monthly report for Lutheran EMS, Alicia Mediano said in April they were notified that their Mobile Integrated Health Program with their car seat safety program was nominated for an award by the Indiana EMS Association. In May, she said they found out that was awarded. Not only was that awarded, but a staff member also was awarded the Dispatcher of the Year Award. That person works for Lutheran part-time as an EMT as well.
“Just very good representation of the care that this community is given from Lutheran EMS throughout the year. To see that being honored from the Indiana EMS Association was really powerful for us as well,” Mediano stated.
