THE FIREHOUSE SCENEis a publication of the

Harlem-Roscoe Fire Protection District

January 2019 Fire Chief Don Shoevlin Editor Sheryl Drost

nfpa.org/education ©NFPA 2018

NATIONAL FIREPROTECTION ASSOCIATIONThe leading information and knowledge resourceon fire, electrical and related hazards

Safety in PlacesSafety in Placesof Public Assemblyof Public Assembly

Before You enter • take a good look. Does the building appear to be in a

condition that makes you feel comfortable? Is the main entrance wide and does it open outward to allow easy exit? Is the outside area clear of materials stored against the building or blocking exits?

• Have a communication plan. Identify a relative or friend to contact in case of emergency and you are separated from family or friends.

• Plan a meeting place. Pick a meeting place outside to meet family or friends with whom you are attending the function.

If there is an emergency, be sure to meet them there.

WHen You enter • take a good look. Locate exits immediately When you enter a building you should look for all

available exits. Some exits may be in front and some in back of you. Be prepared to use your closest exit. You may not be able to use the main exit.

• Check for clear exit paths. Make sure aisles are wide enough and not obstructed by chairs or furniture. Check to make sure your exit door is not blocked or chained.

If there are not at least two exits or exit paths are blocked, report the violation to management and leave

the building if it is not immediately addressed. Call the local fire marshal to register a complaint.

• Do you feel safe? Does the building appear to be overcrowded? Are there fire sources such as candles burning, cigarettes or cigars burning, pyrotechnics, or other heat sources that may make you feel unsafe? Are there safety systems in place such as alternative exits, sprinklers, and smoke alarms? Ask the management for clarification on your concerns. If you do not feel safe in

the building, leave immediately.

React immediately. If analarm sounds, you see smoke or fire, or some other unusualdisturbance immediately exit the building in an orderly fashion.

Get out, stay out! Once you have escaped, stay out. Under no circumstances should you ever go back into a burning building. Let trained firefighters conduct rescue operations.

During anEmergency

Every day, millions of people wake up, go to work or school, and take part in social events. But every so often the unexpected happens: an earthquake, a fire, a chemical spill, an act of terrorism or some other disaster. Routines change drastically, and people are suddenly aware of how fragile their lives and routines can be. Each disaster can have lasting effects — people may be seriously injured or killed, and devastating and costly property damage can occur. People entering any public assembly building need to be prepared in case of an emergency.

FACTA fire at The Station nightclub in W. Warwick, RI, on February 20, 2003, claimed 100 lives and is the fourth-deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history. Since that fire, NFPA has enacted tough new code provisions for fire sprinklers and crowd management in nightclub-type venues. Those provisions mark sweeping changes to the codes and standards governing safety in assembly occupancies.

From The Chief’s DeskBy Fire Chief Don Shoevlin

Another year in the history books! And what a year it was. I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday season with the opportunity to spend time amongst family and friends. I personally was given the opportunity on Christmas Day to start off with Tammy and I providing breakfast for those working at HRFD, then sitting back and enjoying all four of my children and eight grandchildren open presents and enjoy spending time with each other. The true meaning of Christmas is family and seeing a smile on a child’s face.

We should be fully entrenched in the winter season, but I believe Mother Nature has other ideas. A heavy wet snow in November, but since it has been almost early spring weather. Even as I stand at my computer writing this, there is a downpour out my window. I am sure we will not escape out of this season without some more snow and definitely cold weather. Remember however, each day that passes we are that much closer to spring.

We finished 2018 responding to 3078 calls. That is one more than 2017. Call response broke out as; Ambulance calls 2339, Fire/Rescue calls 739. We continue to operate and respond with part time professional personnel because of the dedication and commitment of our officers, firefighters, and support staff.

Our “Keep the Wreath Red” campaign was a success thanks to all of you. We did not have any fires caused by holiday decorations; therefore all of our wreaths remained red. We had another great Holiday Reindeer Family Drive. Thank you to Tammy, Jen, Colleen and Terry for all your hard work and to all that help put smiles on some children and parent’s faces.

As we say goodbye to another year, we will miss those who have retired from HRFD or passed on. All of them were dedicated, committed to the department and community. They have had a positive effect on all

of us and have touched many in the community over the years. I wish all of them and their families’ good health and happiness in their future. Retired Chief Oscar Presley’s work ethic and vision that will forever be etched into the fabric of the Harlem Roscoe Fire Protection District. Chief, the fire district and our community owes you are deepest appreciation. Rest in peace our faithful brother, we will take it from here.

I look to 2019 to see our request for service to continue increasing. It will be a year of challenges, growth and opportunity which we will welcome with open arms and hearts. We have seen new business activity in the northern region of our district, housing in the center of our district, along with some commercial/industrial activity in the southern part of our district. I assure you I remain true to my word that we will remain proactive to our commitment to provide excellence, integrity, and caring in our performance of our emergency fire, medical and rescue services. We remain steadfast to our commitment statement of “A Progressive Fire Department Providing a Professional level of Service” Last, but definitely not least, thank you, our residents for another year of your continued and generous support. It is greatly appreciated. Please contact me with any questions you may have either by phone or stopping by. My door is always open. Wishing everyone good health, happiness, and success in the coming year and always.

Stay safe and warm!

Keep the Wreath Red

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Minimum Ice Thickness Guidelines for New Clear Ice Only

Ice Safety Tips• Double the thickness guidelines for white or snow-covered ice.• Carry two large nails to use as ice picks if you fall through. • Avoid pressure ridges and areas with current.• Warn children about the dangers of thin ice.• Don’t drive on the ice at night.• Avoid alcoholic beverages.

Ice is Never 100% Safe!

5" 8-12" 12-15"

mndnr.gov/icesafety

4"

Holiday Reindeer Family Drive

By Deputy Chief John BergeronPhotos - McKenna Donovan& Everett Peterson

Welcome to 2019. The Harlem-Roscoe Fire Department would like once again to thank the community for their continued support throughout the year.

Now that the holidays are over, we once again finished up on another successful food/toy drive. Every year in mid-November, we gear up and begin collecting nonperishable food at all three of our fire stations. We then reach out to the schools that are in our district to receive names of those that may need assistance during the holiday season. Once we receive those from the schools, we begin with a day of shopping in early December to purchase clothes, toys, books, baby items, etc. After everything is purchased/donated, they are all wrapped by a group of volunteers at the fire station.

A BIG Thank You to Harlem Township for graciously donating their left over gifts from their annual toy drive, it is truly appreciated. This year we also reached out to local Dentist offices for donations of toothpaste, toothbrushes and dental floss. And as no surprise, they all came through. The local churches also came through with either a monetary donation or donations of nonperishable food items.

A week out from delivery, we sort food bins with whatever items we were able to collect during the food drive. We then make a shopping list of what will be needed for a Christmas Day dinner, and go shopping for those items. This year we were fortunate enough to have hams and milk donated by local businesses, and several businesses that gave monetary donations, which is used to purchase the gifts/food. Again Thank You. A week or so out from Christmas, we meet at the fire station and deliver all the food and gifts to the families that we received. This year we were fortunate enough to be able to assist 20 families and make their Christmas a little brighter. Thank You to all the volunteers that make this happen every year. We look forward to the 2019 drive, as it is something all of us look forward to doing; giving back to the community we serve. If you would like to donate, please call us at 815-623-7867.

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While the crew of engine 701 was out delivering Christmas joy to a family, they discovered the family did not have a Christmas tree. So what does the crew do? They make some calls, get a tree, lights and some ornaments, return to the home, and put it up for the family. Great show of how our firefighters do what they do because we care for people. Not only during the holidays but all year every year. Excellent job gentleman. Fire Chief Shoevlin

• January is named after the Roman god Janus, who was always shown as having two heads. He looked back to the last year and forward to the new one.

• The Anglo-Saxons called January “Wulfmonath” as it was the month hungry wolves came scavenging at people’s doors.

• It’s National Soup Month in the U.S.

• The only Shakespeare plays that mention January are Much Ado About Nothing and Winter’s Tale.

• More couples separate or divorce in January than in any other month.

• January 1st is both the furthest away and closest day to December 31st.

• A wet January, a wet spring.

• If grass does grow in January, it will grow for the rest of the year barely.

• (St. Paul’s Day – Jan. 25th). If Saint Paul’s Day be fair and clear, it will bring a happy year; But if by chance it should rain, it will make there all kinds of grain. And if the clouds make dark the sky, then animals and birds this year shall die; if blustery winds do blow aloft, then wars shall trouble the realm oft.

• January is considered the coldest month in the Northern hemisphere. Not in the southern, though, where Australians are currently wearing bikinis and taking their family photos on the beach.

New Year’s Blues: 6 Ways to Make it Through Januaryby ADRIAN GRANZELLA LARSSENhttps://www.themuse.com/advice/new-years-blues-6-ways-to-make-it-through-january I hate the month of January, and I know I’m not alone. The holidays (and vacation days) are over, it’s dark and freezing outside, and I’m generally in the midst of three or four miserable resolutions aimed at getting back to my pre-December pant size. It pretty much feels like a case of the Mondays—for 31 days straight.

But a few years ago, I had a realization: Like it or not, January is one twelfth of my year (and my life, for that matter)—and I should probably figure out some way to deal with the winter blues besides stomping and grunting. Here are six tricks I’ve found to help me make it through each year.

1. Plan a TripMy favorite way to beat the blues is to get out of town. So, sometime in January, plan something that you’re really excited about. Preferably, take a trip somewhere sunny that’ll get you out of the cold and dreariness, but even just a weekend road trip or an overnight stay with your friends will do. And if you can’t get away until later in the year, that’s OK—research shows that just the act of planning and anticipating your vacation will give you a boost in happiness.

2. Have Resolution-Friendly FunJanuary is the time when people want to save money, eat better, exercise more, and work harder. Which translates to: No one wants to go out. But don’t let those pesky resolutions hold you back from having fun—just use them as an excuse to get creative. Challenge yourself and your friends to plan lots of budget- and diet-friendly events: a Top Chef-style healthy cooking competition, a blind tasting of $5 wines, a Wii bowling championship, or a dance-off in someone’s living room. Cheap, guilt-free fun.

3. Get a HobbyMany of us make big, ambitious resolutions like “this will be the year I finish my book” or “I’m finally going to learn how to sew!” But, it’s much less daunting (not to mention more fun) if you ditch the resolution idea, and make whatever it is you want to do a “January hobby” instead. Even if you never knit, pick up a paintbrush, or cook Indian food again after the 31st, who cares? It’ll get you through January. And if it sticks, great—you’ll have picked up an awesome new hobby.

4. Do Winter ActivitiesI think of ice skating and sipping peppermint mochas in cozy coffee shops as pre-Christmas activities. But, the truth is, there’s nothing that says they have to be, and no one really has time for them before the holidays anyway. So, make January the time you celebrate winter. Make a list of all of the things you actually like about the season—snowball fights, skiing, sitting by the fire, watching people slip on the ice in the park, whatever—and go do them!

5. Make an AlbumOne weekend day, when it’s too windy, icy, or otherwise disgusting to go outside, spend the day compiling all of your photos from the past year and making them into a photo book on Shutterfly. You’ll remember all the fun you had in 2011 (yes, even in January) and look forward to all the good stuff that the coming year has in store.

6. Make Sure You’re Not SADIf you feel like your misery is more than just a passing hatred of January, talk to your doctor—sometimes there are actual medical reasons for the winter blues. Seasonal Affective Disorder or “seasonal depression” is a very real mood disorder (caused by the hormonal shifts in your brain that occur when the seasons change), and it’s diagnosed more frequently in women than men. The lack of sunlight can also cause a Vitamin D deficiency, which has been linked with depression and fatigue.

So, make sure you’re healthy, make your getaway plans, and have some fun. I promise, there’s an end in sight. Only 29 days away.

How To Deal With The Loss of a Friend.By Chaplain Everett Peterson

Friendships are some of the most meaningful and life-changing relationships you have. That’s why it can be very hard to cope when a friend dies. This person may have been your primary confidante, your partner-in-crime, or the one who stuck by you during your parent’s divorce. If your friend was young, the aftermath of their death can be even more shocking and confusing. Deal with your friend’s death by finding ways to cope with your emotions, keeping their memory alive, and learning how to carry on without them.Coping with the LossAttend the memorial to say “goodbye.” Participating in ceremonies like funerals, wakes, or shivas help the living say their goodbyes to the deceased. If your friend has a memorial service, try to attend. You might also bring along flowers to place on the casket, or check with the family to see if you can leave a memento in the casket.• Sit near their family and/or other friends.

Being near others who loved this person will help you grieve.

• Grieve in the way that works for you. This may include crying, shouting, getting lost in your work, or sitting silently. Don’t hold yourself up to any comparisons about what grief should look like—just feel your feelings, however they come.

• For example, you shouldn’t look to deeply in how you grieve versus how others do. If you don’t cry, that doesn’t mean you didn’t care about the person.

• Keep in mind that the intense emotions (or lack of intense emotions) you feel is temporary. Grief—no matter how bad it feels—doesn’t last forever.

• Let others help you. You might want to withdraw from others because you don’t think they can understand. They may be affected by your friend’s death, too, or they may just want to comfort you. Accept help when others offer to keep you company, talk to you, or bring you food or snacks.

• Channel your feelings into creative pursuits. Negative emotions may feel awful, but you can actually use this energy to create something new. Focus your grief towards creative activities like writing, painting, or dancing. You’ll find

that making art can be therapeutic.• When you can’t sleep, eat, or talk, turn

to your journal or an empty canvas and release the emotions inside you.

• Take it easy. Don’t be too hard or set the bar too high for yourself. Be gentle with yourself and do plenty of self-care. You might set a simple goal each day to eat breakfast or shower and get dressed. Such feats will help you feel better about yourself, while still being manageable.

• Try to incorporate self-care into each day. Pray, do yoga, meditate, perform a self-massage, read a book, or listen to calming music.

Remembering Your Friend• Say their name. A lot of times when

someone dies, others may have a hard time talking about them without getting upset. However, this makes those who do want to share stories feel isolated.

• Request a keepsake from their family. Holding on to an item that was important to your friendship can help you cope with your grief and feel closer to your friend. Reach out to their family in the weeks after the death. Ask if they will allow you to take a special item as a keepsake of your friendship. For example, you might take the book you lent them that they never returned, or the t-shirt they wore on the day you met. The best keepsakes will have symbolic value for the friendship.

• Recall fond memories. A great way to remember someone who has died is reliving the good times you shared with them. Spend some time thinking about special occasions you had with the person: birthdays, milestones, and even just days hanging out at home.

• Find others who were close to your friend, such as a boyfriend/girlfriend, sibling, or other friends. Talk to these people about them when you want to relive the memorie\

• Another great way to your friend’s memory alive is by recreating the memories you shared with the person. Just because they are gone doesn’t mean you can’t continue to have lunch at the pizza parlor on Fridays or watch your favorite TV show. It might be hard at first.

• Make a scrapbook of your friend’s life. Include photos of your friend at different points in life. Also, include pictures of the two of you together. Write little captions or stories next to the pictures. Look at it when you are feeling down,

and share it with other friends• Do something cool in your friend’s

honor. Find ways to honor your friend by keeping their legacy alive.

Trying to Move OnStick to your routine. At some point, you will feel able to return to your daily life. Things won’t go back to normal, but you can cope with the adjustment by creating a schedule. Having structure can almost feel like a warm blanket when the world has otherwise spun out of our control. So, develop a routine that works for you and stick to it. Think about the things you typically do in a day and write them down in a planner. Allot enough time for different events and activities, like eating lunch or commuting to work or school. Try to keep a stable sleep schedule by waking and lying down at the same times each day.

Redefine yourself. The time after a death often leads people to think about the meaning of life. Your friend’s death may have made you more aware of things within yourself you’d like to change. Take some time to decide what kind of person you want to be moving forward. For instance, maybe you didn’t feel like you spent enough time with family. If so, start making that a priority. Or, perhaps your friend’s life was cut short and you are more inspired to live your own life more fully.Spend time with supportive loved ones. In the weeks and months after your friend’s death, it pays to surround yourself with positive and supportive people. This might be another close friend, a sibling, a parent, a teacher, or a spiritual advisor. You might talk about your grief or simply ask the person to support you in some way. For example, you might say, “I was preparing to apply to college when Jenny died. Can you help me get back on track with my applications?”

Talk to a grief counselor. If you can’t seem to resume your place in the world after your friend’s death, you may need professional help. Some people experience complicated grief. You may blame yourself for the death, stop going to school or work, neglect your appearance, and even have thoughts of suicide. A grief counselor can help you come to terms with the death and learn how to better cope with your emotions. Also, if you are depressed, they may refer you to a psychiatrist who can prescribe antidepressant medications.

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Volunteer FirefightingBy Captain John Donovan

Regardless of whether you are choosing to get into a career as a firefighter or joining the ranks

of the 800,000 American volunteer firefighters, the fire service is an awesome place to be. Many people just see firefighting from the aspect of responding to fires on big, shiny fire engines, rescuing people from burning buildings, extricating patients from vehicles, or what they see watching those over exaggerated TV fire shows.

The truth is that while those things happen occasionally, the job for both career and volunteer personnel is more about the preparation for those events than the responding to them. Firefighters have a responsibility to not just fight fires, but to take care of the tools, equipment, apparatus, and the stations. Whether the funding comes from the municipality or strictly by donation, we are responsible for those things the community has entrusted us with to do our job. We have a responsibility to take care of them like they were our own.

In volunteer departments, often there will be in addition to the duty days, assigned training days, maintaining the apparatus and stations, and even fundraising. Between all these moments there usually is a lot of bonding with the team, since our lives are literally in our teammates’ hands, theirs are likewise in ours, and there must be a certain amount of trust developed, in that you know what you are doing and that you have each other’s’ backs.

If you like to serve your community is a way unlike any other, the fire service is an ideal place to do so. We not only run to fires, but to any other type of emergency that the public needs to be taken care of. When people run out of options, they always seem to call the fire department. In the 18 years I have been doing this, we have been called for a wide array of problems. Vehicle lockouts, broken water lines, cats in trees, lift assists, changing batteries in a smoke detector, this is in addition to the structure fires, vehicle extrications, medical calls, and other emergency calls. If there is a problem and nobody can quite figure out what to do, people just call the fire department.

The flip side is that you spend holidays and weekends away from your family, and if you have been up running calls all night, the next morning isn’t anything to celebrate. A lot of volunteer firefighters have a regular

full time job in addition to their responsibilities with the fire department. I have seen horrible things ranging from tragic vehicle accidents, to drug overdoses, people of the community reduced to tears over the loss of their home from fire. You are dealing with people that are having probably the worst day of their lives. No matter what the situation you have to maintain the “neutral operating face,”

not take it personally, be compassionate, and do the job.

I began my career as a volunteer in 2001 at the young age of 37 (young, yeah right) and am still enjoying every day I am here and I can’t imagine doing anything else. You get a great feeling inside from helping people when they need it most. But it isn’t for everybody; you have to put the team before yourself. Someone who is in it for the “T-Shirt” won’t fit in well with a team that is built on “all for one and one for all.” If you are interested in any part of what I had to say in this article, stop down and fill out an application. We can never have enough people to support the ever growing community that you live in.

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Accidents Photos by HRFD Officers and Photographers

12/30/18 Main St. & Elevator Rd, 12/29/18 Metric Dr. & Rockton Rd.

12/22/18 Belvidere Rd. 01/01/19 Prairie HIll Rd and Pleasant Valley Rd.

12/29/18 Metric Dr. & Rockton Rd.

12/03/18 Belvidere Rd. 12/20/18 Gentian Dr.

The Firehouse Scene The Firehouse Scene is a monthly newsletter produced by the Harlem-Roscoe Fire Prot. Dist. #1

Fire Chief - Don ShoevlinEditor & Layout - Sheryl Drost

The Firehouse Scene is available at Station One - 10544 Main Street in Roscoe and on the department’s website after the second Sunday each month: You can now sign up on the home page of our website to receive the newsletter by email.

www.harlemroscoefire.comE-mail submissions to Sheryl: hrfdsdrost@gmail.com

Birthdays!

January 20195th Matt Bush David Leslie6th Kevin Butler13th Bill Gindhart17th John Presley Killian Schroeder18th Jay Hampton ‘50th’20th Kim Fleming22nd Everett Peterson25th Jerry Lund ‘70th’31st Mark Soppe

February 201913th Brandon Sherbon15th Scott Jensen22nd Butch Taylor23rd Alissa Neubauer

Jay Hampton ‘50th’ Jerry Lund ‘70th’ January 18th January 25th

Photos Harold Danger.

A Badge Pinning Ceremony was performed on Dec. 20 at Station One. Travis Johnson and Aaron Miller were sworn as Firefighters and Scott Jensen was promoted to Engineer. All three took the Firefighter’s Oath administered by Trustee President Bart Munger. Congratulations to all!!

L-r Travis Johnson, Aaron Miller, and Scott Jensen.

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02/16/18 Rockton Rd.

03/06/18 Baldwin Dr.

02/26/18 McMichael Rd.

^05/25/18 Swanson Rd.

< 03/10/18 251 & Swanson Rd.

> 11/14/18 Atwood Rd.

04/13/18 Gray Hawk Dr..

11/25/18 Grace Dr.

10/16/18Chandan Blvd.

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02/16/18 Rockton Rd.

03/06/18 Baldwin Dr.

02/26/18 McMichael Rd.

^05/25/18 Swanson Rd.

< 03/10/18 251 & Swanson Rd.

> 11/14/18 Atwood Rd.

04/13/18 Gray Hawk Dr..

11/25/18 Grace Dr.

10/16/18Chandan Blvd.

The Firehouse Scene -Page 8 The Firehouse Scene - Page 5

Accidents Photos by HRFD Officers and Photographers

12/30/18 Main St. & Elevator Rd, 12/29/18 Metric Dr. & Rockton Rd.

12/22/18 Belvidere Rd. 01/01/19 Prairie HIll Rd and Pleasant Valley Rd.

12/29/18 Metric Dr. & Rockton Rd.

12/03/18 Belvidere Rd. 12/20/18 Gentian Dr.

The Firehouse Scene The Firehouse Scene is a monthly newsletter produced by the Harlem-Roscoe Fire Prot. Dist. #1

Fire Chief - Don ShoevlinEditor & Layout - Sheryl Drost

The Firehouse Scene is available at Station One - 10544 Main Street in Roscoe and on the department’s website after the second Sunday each month: You can now sign up on the home page of our website to receive the newsletter by email.

www.harlemroscoefire.comE-mail submissions to Sheryl: hrfdsdrost@gmail.com

Birthdays!

January 20195th Matt Bush David Leslie6th Kevin Butler13th Bill Gindhart17th John Presley Killian Schroeder18th Jay Hampton ‘50th’20th Kim Fleming22nd Everett Peterson25th Jerry Lund ‘70th’31st Mark Soppe

February 201913th Brandon Sherbon15th Scott Jensen22nd Butch Taylor23rd Alissa Neubauer

Jay Hampton ‘50th’ Jerry Lund ‘70th’ January 18th January 25th

Photos Harold Danger.

A Badge Pinning Ceremony was performed on Dec. 20 at Station One. Travis Johnson and Aaron Miller were sworn as Firefighters and Scott Jensen was promoted to Engineer. All three took the Firefighter’s Oath administered by Trustee President Bart Munger. Congratulations to all!!

L-r Travis Johnson, Aaron Miller, and Scott Jensen.

How To Deal With The Loss of a Friend.By Chaplain Everett Peterson

Friendships are some of the most meaningful and life-changing relationships you have. That’s why it can be very hard to cope when a friend dies. This person may have been your primary confidante, your partner-in-crime, or the one who stuck by you during your parent’s divorce. If your friend was young, the aftermath of their death can be even more shocking and confusing. Deal with your friend’s death by finding ways to cope with your emotions, keeping their memory alive, and learning how to carry on without them.Coping with the LossAttend the memorial to say “goodbye.” Participating in ceremonies like funerals, wakes, or shivas help the living say their goodbyes to the deceased. If your friend has a memorial service, try to attend. You might also bring along flowers to place on the casket, or check with the family to see if you can leave a memento in the casket.• Sit near their family and/or other friends.

Being near others who loved this person will help you grieve.

• Grieve in the way that works for you. This may include crying, shouting, getting lost in your work, or sitting silently. Don’t hold yourself up to any comparisons about what grief should look like—just feel your feelings, however they come.

• For example, you shouldn’t look to deeply in how you grieve versus how others do. If you don’t cry, that doesn’t mean you didn’t care about the person.

• Keep in mind that the intense emotions (or lack of intense emotions) you feel is temporary. Grief—no matter how bad it feels—doesn’t last forever.

• Let others help you. You might want to withdraw from others because you don’t think they can understand. They may be affected by your friend’s death, too, or they may just want to comfort you. Accept help when others offer to keep you company, talk to you, or bring you food or snacks.

• Channel your feelings into creative pursuits. Negative emotions may feel awful, but you can actually use this energy to create something new. Focus your grief towards creative activities like writing, painting, or dancing. You’ll find

that making art can be therapeutic.• When you can’t sleep, eat, or talk, turn

to your journal or an empty canvas and release the emotions inside you.

• Take it easy. Don’t be too hard or set the bar too high for yourself. Be gentle with yourself and do plenty of self-care. You might set a simple goal each day to eat breakfast or shower and get dressed. Such feats will help you feel better about yourself, while still being manageable.

• Try to incorporate self-care into each day. Pray, do yoga, meditate, perform a self-massage, read a book, or listen to calming music.

Remembering Your Friend• Say their name. A lot of times when

someone dies, others may have a hard time talking about them without getting upset. However, this makes those who do want to share stories feel isolated.

• Request a keepsake from their family. Holding on to an item that was important to your friendship can help you cope with your grief and feel closer to your friend. Reach out to their family in the weeks after the death. Ask if they will allow you to take a special item as a keepsake of your friendship. For example, you might take the book you lent them that they never returned, or the t-shirt they wore on the day you met. The best keepsakes will have symbolic value for the friendship.

• Recall fond memories. A great way to remember someone who has died is reliving the good times you shared with them. Spend some time thinking about special occasions you had with the person: birthdays, milestones, and even just days hanging out at home.

• Find others who were close to your friend, such as a boyfriend/girlfriend, sibling, or other friends. Talk to these people about them when you want to relive the memorie\

• Another great way to your friend’s memory alive is by recreating the memories you shared with the person. Just because they are gone doesn’t mean you can’t continue to have lunch at the pizza parlor on Fridays or watch your favorite TV show. It might be hard at first.

• Make a scrapbook of your friend’s life. Include photos of your friend at different points in life. Also, include pictures of the two of you together. Write little captions or stories next to the pictures. Look at it when you are feeling down,

and share it with other friends• Do something cool in your friend’s

honor. Find ways to honor your friend by keeping their legacy alive.

Trying to Move OnStick to your routine. At some point, you will feel able to return to your daily life. Things won’t go back to normal, but you can cope with the adjustment by creating a schedule. Having structure can almost feel like a warm blanket when the world has otherwise spun out of our control. So, develop a routine that works for you and stick to it. Think about the things you typically do in a day and write them down in a planner. Allot enough time for different events and activities, like eating lunch or commuting to work or school. Try to keep a stable sleep schedule by waking and lying down at the same times each day.

Redefine yourself. The time after a death often leads people to think about the meaning of life. Your friend’s death may have made you more aware of things within yourself you’d like to change. Take some time to decide what kind of person you want to be moving forward. For instance, maybe you didn’t feel like you spent enough time with family. If so, start making that a priority. Or, perhaps your friend’s life was cut short and you are more inspired to live your own life more fully.Spend time with supportive loved ones. In the weeks and months after your friend’s death, it pays to surround yourself with positive and supportive people. This might be another close friend, a sibling, a parent, a teacher, or a spiritual advisor. You might talk about your grief or simply ask the person to support you in some way. For example, you might say, “I was preparing to apply to college when Jenny died. Can you help me get back on track with my applications?”

Talk to a grief counselor. If you can’t seem to resume your place in the world after your friend’s death, you may need professional help. Some people experience complicated grief. You may blame yourself for the death, stop going to school or work, neglect your appearance, and even have thoughts of suicide. A grief counselor can help you come to terms with the death and learn how to better cope with your emotions. Also, if you are depressed, they may refer you to a psychiatrist who can prescribe antidepressant medications.

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Volunteer FirefightingBy Captain John Donovan

Regardless of whether you are choosing to get into a career as a firefighter or joining the ranks

of the 800,000 American volunteer firefighters, the fire service is an awesome place to be. Many people just see firefighting from the aspect of responding to fires on big, shiny fire engines, rescuing people from burning buildings, extricating patients from vehicles, or what they see watching those over exaggerated TV fire shows.

The truth is that while those things happen occasionally, the job for both career and volunteer personnel is more about the preparation for those events than the responding to them. Firefighters have a responsibility to not just fight fires, but to take care of the tools, equipment, apparatus, and the stations. Whether the funding comes from the municipality or strictly by donation, we are responsible for those things the community has entrusted us with to do our job. We have a responsibility to take care of them like they were our own.

In volunteer departments, often there will be in addition to the duty days, assigned training days, maintaining the apparatus and stations, and even fundraising. Between all these moments there usually is a lot of bonding with the team, since our lives are literally in our teammates’ hands, theirs are likewise in ours, and there must be a certain amount of trust developed, in that you know what you are doing and that you have each other’s’ backs.

If you like to serve your community is a way unlike any other, the fire service is an ideal place to do so. We not only run to fires, but to any other type of emergency that the public needs to be taken care of. When people run out of options, they always seem to call the fire department. In the 18 years I have been doing this, we have been called for a wide array of problems. Vehicle lockouts, broken water lines, cats in trees, lift assists, changing batteries in a smoke detector, this is in addition to the structure fires, vehicle extrications, medical calls, and other emergency calls. If there is a problem and nobody can quite figure out what to do, people just call the fire department.

The flip side is that you spend holidays and weekends away from your family, and if you have been up running calls all night, the next morning isn’t anything to celebrate. A lot of volunteer firefighters have a regular

full time job in addition to their responsibilities with the fire department. I have seen horrible things ranging from tragic vehicle accidents, to drug overdoses, people of the community reduced to tears over the loss of their home from fire. You are dealing with people that are having probably the worst day of their lives. No matter what the situation you have to maintain the “neutral operating face,”

not take it personally, be compassionate, and do the job.

I began my career as a volunteer in 2001 at the young age of 37 (young, yeah right) and am still enjoying every day I am here and I can’t imagine doing anything else. You get a great feeling inside from helping people when they need it most. But it isn’t for everybody; you have to put the team before yourself. Someone who is in it for the “T-Shirt” won’t fit in well with a team that is built on “all for one and one for all.” If you are interested in any part of what I had to say in this article, stop down and fill out an application. We can never have enough people to support the ever growing community that you live in.

Holiday Reindeer Family Drive

By Deputy Chief John BergeronPhotos - McKenna Donovan& Everett Peterson

Welcome to 2019. The Harlem-Roscoe Fire Department would like once again to thank the community for their continued support throughout the year.

Now that the holidays are over, we once again finished up on another successful food/toy drive. Every year in mid-November, we gear up and begin collecting nonperishable food at all three of our fire stations. We then reach out to the schools that are in our district to receive names of those that may need assistance during the holiday season. Once we receive those from the schools, we begin with a day of shopping in early December to purchase clothes, toys, books, baby items, etc. After everything is purchased/donated, they are all wrapped by a group of volunteers at the fire station.

A BIG Thank You to Harlem Township for graciously donating their left over gifts from their annual toy drive, it is truly appreciated. This year we also reached out to local Dentist offices for donations of toothpaste, toothbrushes and dental floss. And as no surprise, they all came through. The local churches also came through with either a monetary donation or donations of nonperishable food items.

A week out from delivery, we sort food bins with whatever items we were able to collect during the food drive. We then make a shopping list of what will be needed for a Christmas Day dinner, and go shopping for those items. This year we were fortunate enough to have hams and milk donated by local businesses, and several businesses that gave monetary donations, which is used to purchase the gifts/food. Again Thank You. A week or so out from Christmas, we meet at the fire station and deliver all the food and gifts to the families that we received. This year we were fortunate enough to be able to assist 20 families and make their Christmas a little brighter. Thank You to all the volunteers that make this happen every year. We look forward to the 2019 drive, as it is something all of us look forward to doing; giving back to the community we serve. If you would like to donate, please call us at 815-623-7867.

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While the crew of enging 701 was out delivering Christmas joy to a family, they discovered the family did not have a Christmas tree. So what does the crew do? They make some calls, get a tree, lights and some ornaments, return to the home, and put it up for the family. Great show of how our firefighters do what they do because we care for people. Not only during the holidays but all year every year. Excellent job gentleman. Fire Chief Shoevlin

• January is named after the Roman god Janus, who was always shown as having two heads. He looked back to the last year and forward to the new one.

• The Anglo-Saxons called January “Wulfmonath” as it was the month hungry wolves came scavenging at people’s doors.

• It’s National Soup Month in the U.S.

• The only Shakespeare plays that mention January are Much Ado About Nothing and Winter’s Tale.

• More couples separate or divorce in January than in any other month.

• January 1st is both the furthest away and closest day to December 31st.

• A wet January, a wet spring.

• If grass does grow in January, it will grow for the rest of the year barely.

• (St. Paul’s Day – Jan. 25th). If Saint Paul’s Day be fair and clear, it will bring a happy year; But if by chance it should rain, it will make there all kinds of grain. And if the clouds make dark the sky, then animals and birds this year shall die; if blustery winds do blow aloft, then wars shall trouble the realm oft.

• January is considered the coldest month in the Northern hemisphere. Not in the southern, though, where Australians are currently wearing bikinis and taking their family photos on the beach.

New Year’s Blues: 6 Ways to Make it Through Januaryby ADRIAN GRANZELLA LARSSENhttps://www.themuse.com/advice/new-years-blues-6-ways-to-make-it-through-january I hate the month of January, and I know I’m not alone. The holidays (and vacation days) are over, it’s dark and freezing outside, and I’m generally in the midst of three or four miserable resolutions aimed at getting back to my pre-December pant size. It pretty much feels like a case of the Mondays—for 31 days straight.

But a few years ago, I had a realization: Like it or not, January is one twelfth of my year (and my life, for that matter)—and I should probably figure out some way to deal with the winter blues besides stomping and grunting. Here are six tricks I’ve found to help me make it through each year.

1. Plan a TripMy favorite way to beat the blues is to get out of town. So, sometime in January, plan something that you’re really excited about. Preferably, take a trip somewhere sunny that’ll get you out of the cold and dreariness, but even just a weekend road trip or an overnight stay with your friends will do. And if you can’t get away until later in the year, that’s OK—research shows that just the act of planning and anticipating your vacation will give you a boost in happiness.

2. Have Resolution-Friendly FunJanuary is the time when people want to save money, eat better, exercise more, and work harder. Which translates to: No one wants to go out. But don’t let those pesky resolutions hold you back from having fun—just use them as an excuse to get creative. Challenge yourself and your friends to plan lots of budget- and diet-friendly events: a Top Chef-style healthy cooking competition, a blind tasting of $5 wines, a Wii bowling championship, or a dance-off in someone’s living room. Cheap, guilt-free fun.

3. Get a HobbyMany of us make big, ambitious resolutions like “this will be the year I finish my book” or “I’m finally going to learn how to sew!” But, it’s much less daunting (not to mention more fun) if you ditch the resolution idea, and make whatever it is you want to do a “January hobby” instead. Even if you never knit, pick up a paintbrush, or cook Indian food again after the 31st, who cares? It’ll get you through January. And if it sticks, great—you’ll have picked up an awesome new hobby.

4. Do Winter ActivitiesI think of ice skating and sipping peppermint mochas in cozy coffee shops as pre-Christmas activities. But, the truth is, there’s nothing that says they have to be, and no one really has time for them before the holidays anyway. So, make January the time you celebrate winter. Make a list of all of the things you actually like about the season—snowball fights, skiing, sitting by the fire, watching people slip on the ice in the park, whatever—and go do them!

5. Make an AlbumOne weekend day, when it’s too windy, icy, or otherwise disgusting to go outside, spend the day compiling all of your photos from the past year and making them into a photo book on Shutterfly. You’ll remember all the fun you had in 2011 (yes, even in January) and look forward to all the good stuff that the coming year has in store.

6. Make Sure You’re Not SADIf you feel like your misery is more than just a passing hatred of January, talk to your doctor—sometimes there are actual medical reasons for the winter blues. Seasonal Affective Disorder or “seasonal depression” is a very real mood disorder (caused by the hormonal shifts in your brain that occur when the seasons change), and it’s diagnosed more frequently in women than men. The lack of sunlight can also cause a Vitamin D deficiency, which has been linked with depression and fatigue.

So, make sure you’re healthy, make your getaway plans, and have some fun. I promise, there’s an end in sight. Only 29 days away.

From The Chief’s DeskBy Fire Chief Don Shoevlin

Another year in the history books! And what a year it was. I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday season with the opportunity to spend time amongst family and friends. I personally was given the opportunity on Christmas Day to start off with Tammy and I providing breakfast for those working at HRFD, then sitting back and enjoying all four of my children and eight grandchildren open presents and enjoy spending time with each other. The true meaning of Christmas is family and seeing a smile on a child’s face.

We should be fully entrenched in the winter season, but I believe Mother Nature has other ideas. A heavy wet snow in November, but since it has been almost early spring weather. Even as I stand at my computer writing this, there is a downpour out my window. I am sure we will not escape out of this season without some more snow and definitely cold weather. Remember however, each day that passes we are that much closer to spring.

We finished 2018 responding to 3078 calls. That is one more than 2017. Call response broke out as; Ambulance calls 2339, Fire/Rescue calls 739. We continue to operate and respond with part time professional personnel because of the dedication and commitment of our officers, firefighters, and support staff.

Our “Keep the Wreath Red” campaign was a success thanks to all of you. We did not have any fires caused by holiday decorations; therefore all of our wreaths remained red. We had another great Holiday Reindeer Family Drive. Thank you to Tammy, Jen, Colleen and Terry for all your hard work and to all that help put smiles on some children and parent’s faces.

As we say goodbye to another year, we will miss those who have retired from HRFD or passed on. All of them were dedicated, committed to the department and community. They have had a positive effect on all

of us and have touched many in the community over the years. I wish all of them and their families’ good health and happiness in their future. Retired Chief Oscar Presley’s work ethic and vision that will forever be etched into the fabric of the Harlem Roscoe Fire Protection District. Chief, the fire district and our community owes you are deepest appreciation. Rest in peace our faithful brother, we will take it from here.

I look to 2019 to see our request for service to continue increasing. It will be a year of challenges, growth and opportunity which we will welcome with open arms and hearts. We have seen new business activity in the northern region of our district, housing in the center of our district, along with some commercial/industrial activity in the southern part of our district. I assure you I remain true to my word that we will remain proactive to our commitment to provide excellence, integrity, and caring in our performance of our emergency fire, medical and rescue services. We remain steadfast to our commitment statement of “A Progressive Fire Department Providing a Professional level of Service” Last, but definitely not least, thank you, our residents for another year of your continued and generous support. It is greatly appreciated. Please contact me with any questions you may have either by phone or stopping by. My door is always open. Wishing everyone good health, happiness, and success in the coming year and always.

Stay safe and warm!

Keep the Wreath Red

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Minimum Ice Thickness Guidelines for New Clear Ice Only

Ice Safety Tips• Double the thickness guidelines for white or snow-covered ice.• Carry two large nails to use as ice picks if you fall through. • Avoid pressure ridges and areas with current.• Warn children about the dangers of thin ice.• Don’t drive on the ice at night.• Avoid alcoholic beverages.

Ice is Never 100% Safe!

5" 8-12" 12-15"

mndnr.gov/icesafety

4"

THE FIREHOUSE SCENEis a publication of the

Harlem-Roscoe Fire Protection District

January 2019 Fire Chief Don Shoevlin Editor Sheryl Drost

nfpa.org/education ©NFPA 2018

NATIONAL FIREPROTECTION ASSOCIATIONThe leading information and knowledge resourceon fire, electrical and related hazards

Safety in PlacesSafety in Placesof Public Assemblyof Public Assembly

Before You enter • take a good look. Does the building appear to be in a

condition that makes you feel comfortable? Is the main entrance wide and does it open outward to allow easy exit? Is the outside area clear of materials stored against the building or blocking exits?

• Have a communication plan. Identify a relative or friend to contact in case of emergency and you are separated from family or friends.

• Plan a meeting place. Pick a meeting place outside to meet family or friends with whom you are attending the function.

If there is an emergency, be sure to meet them there.

WHen You enter • take a good look. Locate exits immediately When you enter a building you should look for all

available exits. Some exits may be in front and some in back of you. Be prepared to use your closest exit. You may not be able to use the main exit.

• Check for clear exit paths. Make sure aisles are wide enough and not obstructed by chairs or furniture. Check to make sure your exit door is not blocked or chained.

If there are not at least two exits or exit paths are blocked, report the violation to management and leave

the building if it is not immediately addressed. Call the local fire marshal to register a complaint.

• Do you feel safe? Does the building appear to be overcrowded? Are there fire sources such as candles burning, cigarettes or cigars burning, pyrotechnics, or other heat sources that may make you feel unsafe? Are there safety systems in place such as alternative exits, sprinklers, and smoke alarms? Ask the management for clarification on your concerns. If you do not feel safe in

the building, leave immediately.

React immediately. If analarm sounds, you see smoke or fire, or some other unusualdisturbance immediately exit the building in an orderly fashion.

Get out, stay out! Once you have escaped, stay out. Under no circumstances should you ever go back into a burning building. Let trained firefighters conduct rescue operations.

During anEmergency

Every day, millions of people wake up, go to work or school, and take part in social events. But every so often the unexpected happens: an earthquake, a fire, a chemical spill, an act of terrorism or some other disaster. Routines change drastically, and people are suddenly aware of how fragile their lives and routines can be. Each disaster can have lasting effects — people may be seriously injured or killed, and devastating and costly property damage can occur. People entering any public assembly building need to be prepared in case of an emergency.

FACTA fire at The Station nightclub in W. Warwick, RI, on February 20, 2003, claimed 100 lives and is the fourth-deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history. Since that fire, NFPA has enacted tough new code provisions for fire sprinklers and crowd management in nightclub-type venues. Those provisions mark sweeping changes to the codes and standards governing safety in assembly occupancies.