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Asian Tribune is published by World Institute For Asian Studies|Powered by WIAS Vol. 12 No. 2792
By Tukoji R. Pandit - Syndicate Features
The poster boy of the Hindutva forces, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, has challenged the Centre to file a sedition case against him for demanding that Gujarat be allowed to keep all its tax collections—income tax, customs duty, excise levies etc--for at least a year. Such a loaded statement from him is the kind of political gimmick that thrills his admirers in and out of the state. It further consolidates his position within the Bharatiya Janata Party as a combative, 'natural' heir to the Lauh Purush, L.K.Advani.
By Philip Fernando in LA for Asian Tribune
Thousands from the six counties of Southern California gathered in Los Angeles to pay their last respects and celebrate the life of Father Flavian Wilathgamuwa (89). For the large Sri Lankan community who knew him, he was their chaplain, friend and cheer leader. He never failed to be their guide in moment of need. There were old boys of St. Sebastian's Moratuwa, St. Benedict's, Kotahena, St. Bede's Badulla and de La Salle Mutuwal who cherished his friendship for over four decades. The President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa stated in a message that Sri Lanka had lost a true patriot. This was echoed by everyone at the funeral service and memorial ceremony held at San Gabriel Mission in Southern California.
A thorough exchange of views on the current state of and prospects for Russian-Sri Lankan relations took place during consultations between Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Alexei Borodavkin and Sri Lanka Foreign Secretary Dr. Palitha Kohona. Both sides noted with satisfaction that the high level of bilateral political dialogue and the positive dynamics of mutually advantageous cooperation in a whole array of growth areas.
By Quintus Perera - Asian Tribune
Bill Gates, Chairman Microsoft Corporation during a 20 minute interview I had with him in Indonesia has assured that he would visit Sri Lanka next year, said Prof Tissa Vitharana, Minister of Science and Technology, addressing the launch of INFOTEL the biggest Information Communication Technology (ICT) event in Sri Lanka that is scheduled to be held on 30th October at the BMICH. The launch and a press conference to reveal the details of INFOTEL was held at Trans Asia Hotel last week where Prof Vitarana was the Chief Guest. He said that Bill Gates was invited to inaugurate Infotel, but he has said that he would be unable
Asian Tribune - SL Bureau
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickremanayake said the Sri Lankan government would not hold any discussions with the LTTE until they lay down their arms. He said Tiger organization is facing its biggest defeats now. The Prime Minister at a meeting with the new New Zealand ambassador to Sri Lanka Rupert Hall Biro at the Prime Minister's office on Thursday said that the LTTE must lay down their arms before arriving at the negotiating table.
By Abukar Arman
Naturally, the Somali people are anxiously trying to find some sort of inspiration and are galvanized by the optimistic appeal of this latest one. However, this is hardly unique. Like a person lost in a desert for a long period finds hope and motivation to survive upon seeing a desert mirage, Somalis found temporary comfort to ease their desperate psyche in every one of the aforementioned peace conferences. That said, objective assessment of what was signed in Djibouti by the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) would require focus on the most critical issues of contention.
By Ruwan Weerakoon in Colombo
Sri Lanka Army shot and killed Thangkan Amman, (38 Yrs.) yesterday morning at Manal Chenai, located in Muthur, in the Trincomalee district. Thangkan Amman alias Sounderarajan is an intelligence operative of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Thangkan provide Intelligence to LTTE Military wing. He was involved in the gathering of intelligence regarding Sri Lanka Navy camp in Trincomalee, movement of Navy ships and boats. He was actively involved when Sri Lanka Air Force planes attacked Muttur, Kaddaprichchan and Mavilaru in 2006.
Government of Sri Lanka decided to recruit six hundred Security officers who had military training in the government forces. These officials will assist security of commuters who use state transport services. This measure aims at preventing terrorist attacks targeting civilians and school children. According to a spokesman of the local transport ministry nearly 190 security officers have been recruited to the Sri Lanka Transport Board.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) signed on Tuesday, June 17, 2008 a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the international relief organization AmeriCares to fund the completion of a Water Distribution Network for the Ulla community in Ampara District. The completed project will serve an estimated 2,400 inhabitants in the Arugam Bay area by distributing clean and safe drinking water directly to the people.
By Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal
Talk of impeachment of Pakistan's president Pervez Musharraf has been in the air for quite some time now causing uncertainty and contributing to the stability of the nation. Democracy talk is Ok, but it seems PMLN supremo Nawaz Sharif depends too much on the lawyers to help him oust President Pervez Musharraf and he thinks if the currently available chance is missed, he might not get another opportunity to make his sweet dream come true: to remove Musharraf form Presidency and, if that comes to him, to assume the post himself. It seems Sharif is trying to use his political strength to coerce the PPP-led government in order to settle score with his arch enemy who now occupies presidency. PMLN has already withdrawn its ministers from the government protest against the delay in restoring the judges.
Daya Gamage – US National Correspondent Asian Tribune
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is providing an additional $3 million to the UN World Food Program to support its logistical operations in Burma, which have dispatched more than 2,649 metric tons of humanitarian assistance to those in need in the wake of Cyclone Nargis. The total USAID contribution to WFP for logistical support in Burma is $4 million to date.
Sri Lanka - Colombo
India - New Delhi
Stockholm / Arlanda


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U.S. Representative Scott Peters, Congressman for California's 52nd District, in conjunction with the Port of San Diego, San Diego and Imperial District Export Council, and theU.S. Commercial Service San Diego, hosted a free export seminar for San Diego small businesses.
Congressman Peters kicked off the event, which was held at the Port of San Diego's B Street Cruise Ship Terminal, with opening remarks about the importance of trade in our region. Bob Nelson, Chairman of the Board of Port Commissioners also welcomed the attendees before a series of panel discussions commenced.
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LOS ALAMOS FIRE DEPARTMENT 2013 ANNUAL REPORT Positive Attitude Readiness Involvement Discipline Excellence We, the Los Alamos County Fire Department, are committed to the safety and welfare of everyone in our diverse community. We promise exceptional services in the preservation of life, the environment, and property. Los Alamos County Fire Department 999 Central Ave, Suite 200, Los Alamos, NM 87544 Phone: (505) 662-8301; Fax: (505) 662-8302 "1 Department, 1 Direction, True North" County of Los Alamos FIRE DEPARTMENT 2013 ANNUAL REPORT Message from the Fire Chief 2013 was a banner year of accomplishments for Los Alamos Fire Department. We were named one of the Top Workplaces in New Mexico by the Albuquerque Journal for 2013. This was quite an honor for us as it was generated by feedback from our employees. The Journal surveyed employee groups from all across our state and the positive feedback from our employee group were impressive enough to land us a spot near the top. LAFD has worked very hard over the course of the last few years to improve our working relationship with DOE/NNSA and LANL. This work done by our staff and our DOE and LANL partners has resulted in the signing of an unprecedented 10-year Cooperative Agreement. This agreement will help to insure the residents of Los Alamos County and the Los Alamos National Laboratory are adequately protected in the event of fire or other emergency. Troy Hughes Fire Chief This positive working relationship with DOE/NNSA and LANL is also facilitating the forward movement of our vehicle replacement program. We obtained a new ladder truck in 2013 and 11 new staff vehicles. These new units are replacing units that were bought following the Cerro Grande fire. We expect to receive another ladder truck, a specialized hazardous materials response truck, and the remainder of our staff unit replacements in 2014. Building community partnerships has been a focus of LAFD administration. We continue to reap the benefits of our partnership with the University of New Mexico at Los Alamos. Many LAFD employees are enhancing their learning by participating in either the fire science or paramedic programs currently offered at the UMNLA campus. Labor relations are yet another area in which we have greatly improved upon. We continue to meet monthly with our labor leaders to resolve minor issues before they become larger issues. We have partnered with our labor leadership to sponsor local fund raising efforts. We offer a firehouse dinner for up to eight people on both the YMCA and Rotary auctions. These donated dinners raised more than $1500 dollars for 2013. No tax dollars are used to support this effort as I personally donate the funds to buy the groceries and IAFF 3279 Vice-President Daniel Archuleta and his crew do the cooking. LAFD was saddened by the passing of the 19 firefighters in 2013 that were part of the Granite Mountain Hotshots. In response, we led a community effort to raise funds for the families of these fallen heroes. Together, we raised more than $27,000 to help support these devastated families. LAFD firefighters also ran very successful fund raising campaigns for the St. Baldrick's fund for childhood cancer, MDA Fill-the-Boot campaign, and went pink in October for breast cancer awareness. The upcoming year will be one in which much of the work to renew our current accreditation will be done. Our accreditation hearing will occur in 2015, but our collection of data and preparation for the hearing will occupy a great amount of our time in 2014. This difficult accreditation process is good for LAFD in that it forces us to look closely at what we do and prove through data we are truly an excellent provider of emergency response services to our county residents. In closing, I would like to say thank you to the residents of Los Alamos County for supporting LAFD. Without your support, we could not achieve the great results we have come to expect. 2|Page County of Los Alamos FIRE DEPARTMENT 2013 ANNUAL REPORT LAFD Programmatic Structure Operations Fire Suppression Technical Rescue Security/Safeguards Labor Relations Station/Facilities Maintenance LANL Training Administration Budget & Grants Procurement & Travel Safety Training Recruitment Accident/Injury AWA Program Physical Fitness Program Promotion Haz Mat Drill/Exercise Coordination Payroll & Human Resources Pre Incident Planning Wildland Hydrant Testing Academy Health & Safety Program Certification & Development Accreditation Strategic Plan Fire & Life Safety Management Respiratory Protection Aircraft Rescue Firefighting Communications Property/Asset Management Code Enforcement Fire Investigation Cooperative Agreement Labor / Management Relations Security Access Security Clearances Administrative Services Fleet Management Public Education Emergency Medical Services Patient care EMS Education / Licensure Public Outreach 3|Page County of Los Alamos FIRE DEPARTMENT 2013 ANNUAL REPORT Administration As the Deputy Chief of Administration, Deputy Chief Justin Grider oversees the EMS, Fire & Life Safety Management, Training Divisions in addition to Administrative Services. Justin Grider Deputy Chief/Administration Administrative Services Norma Jean Valdez Accreditation Manager Management Analyst Krista Gilmore Senior Accountant Office of Management & Budget Safeguards/Security Accreditation Asset Management Budget Fleet The LAFD is a three-time internationally accredited agency through the Commission for Fire Accreditation International; a process of selfassessment and the development of standards of cover for the communities we serve. The benefits of accreditation provide for practical, day-to-day organizational improvement, and include the promotion of excellence; fostering pride; and a mechanism for evaluating the services we provide to our community. 4|Page County of Los Alamos FIRE DEPARTMENT Indirect Costs Building Maintenance Reclassification/ Distribution Indirect Costs - Indirect Costs General Cooperative Insurance Agreement 2013 ANNUAL REPORT FY 2014 BUDGET Capital Outlay > $5,000 Materials And Supplies Other Purchased Services Outside Prof/Cont/Prop Services Personnel Services Employee Benefits Highlights and Accomplishments LAFD and NNSA/DOE have finalized the Vehicle Replacement Plan. The department has recently received 11 vehicles; 7 utility vehicles to replace those assigned to Administrative Chief Officers, one for use by administrative services staff and the other for use by the EMS Training Coordinator. Specifications for the purchase of two ladder trucks to replace Truck 1 and Truck 10 were submitted. Truck 1 arrived mid December and the procurement process has been initiated for Truck 10. The arrival of a new hazmat vehicle is anticipated to occur in the fall of 2014 as the procurement process began in late 2013. Specifications for the replacement of all mini-tenders are being developed with bids to be received in 2014. The department applied for and was awarded a Fire Protection Grant in FY13 in the amount of $79,913 that was used to purchase portable radios. The department purchased and implemented an asset management program for the purpose of tracking countyowned and federally owned equipment. The name of the program reflects the purpose of the program and has been named B.A.C.O.N. (Being Accountable and Compliant for Operational Needs). For the purposes of efficiency, Fire Administration offices relocated to 999 Central Avenue, Suite 200. The offices are now located directly south of the County Municipal Building. An expansion and upgrade project for Fire Station 6 was completed in 2013. The project included the expansion of the bay area to accommodate the vehicles that respond to the airport – a four-axle CFR unit and brush truck. In addition, the workout area was upgraded to accommodate the fitness equipment with a focus on increasing the wellness activity of department personnel. A remodel of a portion of the basement at Fire Station 4 was completed. The section where the clothing gear is 5|Page FIRE DEPARTMENT County of Los Alamos stored was refurbished with modular storage units to increase space and improve upon the protection of uniform integrity. The LAFD Chief and Deputy Chiefs participate in several fire industry peer groups to share information, discuss risk hazards, strategies, training opportunities, equipment experiences, new technologies and practices. Recently, as part of the New Mexico Metro Chiefs Collaborative, the discussion of all fire service units to follow one command structure was pushed, as this would enhance interagency operability. In addition, the Fire Chief and the Deputy Fire Chiefs participate in the nation-wide Task Force of DOE facility fire officials. The purpose of this Task Force is to discuss and build consistency in fire protection services between sites. The Fire Chief, Deputy Chiefs, Division Chiefs, members of the Los Alamos Police Department, Bandelier National Monument Rangers, LANL Protection Force Officers, LANL Security Managers, DOE Field Office staff, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations agents are members of the Los Alamos Public Safety Association (LAPSA), a group whose mission is to network in a non-crisis environment, build relationships and discuss response strategies of mutual concern. LAFD Chief Hughes served as President of this Association for 2013. Deputy Chief Grider will serve as Vice President for 2014. The department is also involved with the Interagency Wildfire Management Team (IWMT), with Deputy Chief Grider serving as the chair. The purpose of this team is to build relationships with the various fire and emergency agencies in the surrounding area. Members include LANL Emergency Management, Bandelier, Valles Calderas and US Forest Service. Members of the general public also attend meetings to raise concerns regarding potential wildland fire situations, discuss what each organization is doing in their respective jurisdictions, strategize and share resources. 2013 ANNUAL REPORT developed to give back to the community. A major activity was the recent 4th of July fireworks display when the department worked in cooperation with the Kiwanis Club and the LANL Weapons Testing partnership for hazard assessment prior to approval of the display. Other ways the department gives back to the community include: LAFD vs. LAPD Softball games Random acts of kindness – UNITY Team Support the troops - On Fridays, LAFD personnel wear a red shirt in support of our military and in remembrance of 9/11/01. Breast cancer awareness – During the month of October of each year, LAFD partners with IAFF Local 3279 to help support breast cancer awareness efforts by wearing pink tee shirts. Movember – During the month of November, members grow their moustaches out to raise money for cancer research and support prostate cancer awareness. March of Dimes Jail and Bail Program – The organization raises money to aid in fighting birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. LAFD members have agreed to "get arrested" and raise bail money through pledges to the March of Dimes. Muscular Dystrophy Fill the Boot Campaign – During September, the Local 3279, with support from LAFD collects money to support the MDA, a non-profit health organization sponsoring research and seeking causes of and effective treatments for neuromuscular diseases. St. Baldrick's – During the month of March, members will raise money for childhood cancer by soliciting donations to have their heads shaved in solidarity with and to raise awareness for children's cancer. The members of LAFD pride themselves on the external relationships and community partnerships that have been 6|Page County of Los Alamos FIRE DEPARTMENT Safeguards and Security To provide consistency throughout Los Alamos Fire Department, Modification 11 of the CA identified security and safeguard requirements. As a result, these responsibilities were assigned to the Labor Relations Manager. The focus since that modification has been to: Sharyl Hofer Safeguards/Security and Labor Identify Relations Manager outstanding security training requirements of personnel Develop a method to address annual security requirements Identify a point of contact for any security related issues The Initial Information Security Briefing is required of all LAFD personnel. In the future, this requirement will be completed during the Recruit Academy. The Annual Security Refresher and Annual Information Security Refresher are courses that are an annual mandatory requirement. If these are not completed, LANL access may be denied. In order to address this departmentwide, LAFD identified September as the "Security Blitz". During the month, all LAFD personnel were required to complete the two mandatory annual LANL courses as well as to renew their LANL badge for the next year. This was completed by 98.6% of the personnel with the remaining completed upon return from leave. The communication of Security Tidbits was initiated in May of 2013. These are monthly, or as appropriate, emails to all LAFD personnel regarding various security topics. The topics are determined by either recent incidents and/or points from the trainings. A Discrimination/Harassment Training for Supervisors and Managers was conducted for all 40 personnel in December. This training was more firespecific and is in addition to the required training per County Policy. • • 2013 ANNUAL REPORT 20 five-year Q clearance reinvestigations were initiated; Five security incidents/ notifications occurred. Labor Relations Services The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) requires quarterly Labor Management Committee (LMC) meetings. The purpose of the LMC is not to alter the CBA but to provide for clarification and implementation and address issues that arise outside of the CBA. The LMC discusses and develops solutions to any items that are discussed. With the intent of building and strengthening strong labor management relations, the committee attempts to meet monthly. During 2013, 11 regular meetings were held with 3 special meetings. The LMC has developed promotional plans, revised job descriptions, and reviewed Fire Chief's Directives as well as clarified numerous questions from the field. One arbitration was held with the arbitrator ruling in favor of Los Alamos County. One arbitration and one prohibited practices complaint (PPC) were resolved without an arbitration or hearing. There are no pending labor related legal issues at this time. Service/Action Plan for 2014 In addition to the September Security Blitz and continued Security Tidbits, additional trainings will be conducted in the following areas: • Online trainings to include: o Workplace Violence Awareness Briefing "Last Angry Word" o IPP 732.0 Substance Abuse Policy and Procedures o Preventing Sexual Harassment • Station Trainings in the spring addressing applicable security LANL policies and DOE orders, LAC Drug Policy and testing procedures; computer usage; discrimination/harassment/workplace violence, and property accountability. Additional Security and Safeguards Data: • Nine Q clearances were granted; 7|Page FIRE DEPARTMENT County of Los Alamos 2013 ANNUAL REPORT Emergency Medical Services Ben Stone EMS Division Chief Donna McHenry EMS Training Coordinator 8|Page County of Los Alamos FIRE DEPARTMENT Emergency Medical Services The mission of the LAFD EMS Division is to provide the highest level of care achievable to the community. The EMS Division addresses the concerns of our internal and external customers in order to achieve the best outcomes in patient survival and quality of life. The vision of the LAFD EMS Division is to achieve and maintain the highest level of patient care in the state of New Mexico and to be the recognized leader in the progressive field of EMS. The Division is committed to the pursuit of excellence through the process of training, education and providing our team with the tools they need to provide the highest level of care to the customers. Pharmaceuticals: One of the highest operational expenses in the EMS Division is the cost of medications. The requirement to have controlled substances on hand is also a liability risk. To reduce costs and risks, the department purchased a medication vending machine that is accessed via biometric scanner and employee ID number. The machine allows providers to have access to medications anytime. Because of this, par levels in the ambulances can be reduced. The machine will also alert the division when par levels fall and when expiration dates are approaching; thus reducing the risk of being out of required medications. The tracking system will help monitor drug usage and expenses. This will also reduce waste of medications while ensuring that the department stays in compliance with the NM Board of Pharmacy and the Drug Enforcement Agency standards for security medication and controlled substances. The dispensing machine requires a thumb print security access verification which will identify the individual member and their licensure level, allowing them to only receive medications according to their scope of practice. 44 EMT-P EMT Licensure Levels 39 EMT-B 57 EMT-I 2013 ANNUAL REPORT Education: Nine EMT Basic firefighters attended an Advanced EMT class and are in the process of completing their course. This will increase the number of Advanced EMTs to 67 or 51% of the department's total response team. LAFD worked with UNM-LA to develop a paramedic training program that will allow participants to complete their paramedic training in Los Alamos. The first class began in August. Sending department providers to class locally has resulted in a cost savings for the education. Nine Advanced EMT/Firefighters are currently enrolled in the paramedic school at UNM-LA. When they graduate in May, they will increase the total number of paramedics to 44 or 33% of the department's total response team. The EMS Training Coordinator taught an AHA Instructor course for BLS, ACLS and PALS. Participating organizations included LAMC, St. Vincent Hospital and four LAFD Firefighters. This will allow the department to increase the instructor pool and served to enhance our relationship with the local hospitals. UNM-LA offered an EMS Instructor Coordinator Class and seven LAFD providers attended. This will increase our EMS training instructor cadre and reduce the need to hire instructors from the outside. The EMS Division together with the Medical Director developed a ST elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) bypass protocol and offered STEMI training to all paramedics. This is important because LAMC does not have a cardiac catheterization lab and patients experiencing this type of heart attack require surgical intervention within 90 minutes of arriving at a hospital to have the best chance of survival. Community Outreach LA County AHA Heartsaver CPR with AED: LAFD collaborated with LA County Risk Management to develop a public access defibrillation program. Four Heartsaver CPR with AED classes were offered to employees of LA County. This will increase the chances of cardiac arrest survival in LA County. Emergency Medical Dispatch Certification: The EMS Training Coordinator is a certified EMD instructor and taught an EMD Certification Course for LAPD dispatchers. Certified Emergency Medical Dispatchers 9|Page FIRE DEPARTMENT County of Los Alamos are trained to offer help to 911 callers with medical emergencies. This allows citizens to have the benefit of assisting themselves or loved ones and perhaps saving lives, even before responders arrive. Project Heartstart: The EMS Training Coordinator organized a New Mexico Project Heartstart Community CPR event at Fuller Lodge and again at the Los Alamos Health Fair. Nearly 50 community members were taught hands only CPR and AED. Vial of Life: The EMS Division participated in the Los Alamos Health Fair by offering Vial of Life kits to visitors. The Vial of Life project allows community members to keep a list of their medications, health history and emergency contacts in a location easily accessed by EMS providers in the event of an emergency. Over 150 kits were distributed. As part of the department's commitment to external relationships and community partnerships, the EMS Training Coordinator has represented LAFD as a speaker at several EMS Education conferences this year. Response Data: There were 1240 Rescue and EMS Calls in 2013. The national standard for EMS response is 8 minutes. The average response time for EMS calls is just over 7 minutes which exceeds the national standard. Every 15 Minutes: The LAFD partnered with the Chaplains, LAPD and Los Alamos High School students to bring the Every 15 Minutes Program to all students prior to graduation and prom. After months of planning, the two day event was a huge success and school administrators reported that there were no alcohol related incidents this year. Operation Hilltopper: This was a county-wide disaster drill planned and executed by representatives from EMA, LAFD, LAMC, LAPS, LAPD, FEMA and other agencies. 2013 ANNUAL REPORT The drill allowed participants to assess lessons learned and to identify areas for improvement in the event of a wide scale disaster in Los Alamos. The EMS Division recognized the need for clarification of duties in an MCI for our providers and as a result, created MCI binders with task assignments that will be distributed to all response vehicles. The department has updated the medical protocols to include the new scope of practice mirrored after the State of New Mexico standard of patient care. The new medic units are being equipped with automatic ventilators. The electronic ePCR platform has been updated to increase efficiency, capturing pertinent information required for the ambulance billing as well as for internal and external reporting to help support funding. This new platform will aid in crew efficiency with regards to EMS report writing. The department has purchased eight Lifepak-15 Cardiac monitors to replace the Zoll Cardiac monitors which are out of warranty and no longer in their useful life. With the new technology of the new cardiac monitors the department is working to obtain 12 lead transmission capabilities to receiving facilities. Facility Transports Aspen Ridge Lodge 13 Espanola Medical Center Heart Hospital Of NM Los Alamos Airport LAHS Los Alamos Medical Center Los Alamos Urgent Care Lovelace Hospital NM Behavioral Health Presbyterian Hospital Santa Fe Care Sombrillo Nursing Facility St. Vincent Hospital, Christus University of New Mexico Hospital No Facility 3 1 10 2 838 1 1 1 14 1 34 89 20 225 Total Transports 1253 10 | P a g e FIRE DEPARTMENT County of Los Alamos 2013 ANNUAL REPORT Operations Under the direction of Deputy Chief Glenn Trehern, the Operations Division is currently staffed with 130 combat fire personnel on three 48/96 shifts responding out of five fire stations. All personnel are trained to within the NFPA standards for fire suppression, wildland firefighting, urban interface firefighting, technical rescue and hazardous materials and radiological emergencies. Glenn Trehern Deputy Chief/Operations Vivian Medina Management Analyst Thompson Ridge Fire – June 2013 11 | P a g e FIRE DEPARTMENT Operations County of Los Alamos The focus of the Operations Division is to provide our customers with safe and efficient nuclear grade industrial fire suppression, fire prevention, advanced emergency medical services, rescue services, and hazardous material response services in the preservation of life, the environment and property. Highlights & Accomplishments Development of an improved process for entering/ tracking fire station maintenance work orders via LANL Facilities Service Requests (FSR) and Los Alamos County Facilities System to improve efficiency and safety of LAFD facilities. 2013 ANNUAL REPORT Los Alamos County has increased the utilization of the Tuition Assistance benefit to allow for LAFD members to earn an Associates of Applied Science degree in Fire Science which, through the efforts of Captain Joseph Candelaria, is available through UNM/LA. This year the LAFD Haz-Mat Team (Herrmann, Lundquist, Eads, Bialy) placed third overall at the New Mexico Haz-Mat Challenge. This was the highest score ever for an LAFD team. Captain Kelly Grace-Meyer continues to work on HazMat team coordination to qualify it as a Type I response capable team. She has worked on the budget, purchased equipment, developed specs for a new vehicle, and worked to train the team through quarterly offerings and conferences. She and DE J.Wayne Sanchez attended the International Hazardous Materials Response Teams Conference in Baltimore, and James Thwaits attended the Hot-Zone Haz-Mat Conference in Houston. Thompson Ridge Fire – June 2013 12 | P a g e FIRE DEPARTMENT Operational Services/Programs Steven Dawald Battalion Chief – A Shift County of Los Alamos Justin Cassel Battalion Chief – B Shift Fire Suppression The LAFD is an Insurance Services Office (ISO) Class 1 Fire Department and currently operates a response fleet consisting of twelve structural suppression vehicles, ten wildland/urban interface suppression vehicles, three rescue vehicles, six ambulances, one crash/fire/rescue vehicle and one mobile operations center vehicle to protect LANL and the community of Los Alamos. Authorized shift staffing is currently 130 combat fire personnel trained to within the NFPA standards for fire suppression, wildland firefighting, urban interface firefighting, technical rescue and hazardous materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and radiological emergency response. The combat fire personnel respond out of five fire stations strategically placed throughout the County with one additional station used primarily for training with a training tower, practical learning center, confined space simulator and various training props. Wildland Sitting on the eastern flank of the Jemez Mountains, LAC has one of the largest wildland urban interfaces in New Mexico. All combat firefighters are crosstrained for wildland firefighnting. In 2013, the LAFD were involved in several wildfires, including the Thompson Ridge fire. Photos on previous page. 2013 ANNUAL REPORT Adam Muller Battalion Chief – C Shift Rescue/Technical Rescue LAFD is well equipped to provide emergency rescue services and specialized equipment to incidents requiring technical rescue capability. LAFD currently has a Technical Rescue Team who is trained in such disciplines as High Angle Rescue, Confined Space, Trench Rescue, Extrication, Building Collapse and Elevator Rescue. In 2013, the department purchased two Polaris Ranger UTVs to provide access to the many trails and wooded areas of Los Alamos County. Hazardous Materials The Hazmat team currently has 34 members trained to the Hazmat Technician level and 1 member trained to the Specialist level for a total of 35 personnel. Plans are in the process to train more technicians to the specialist level. The department conducted recruitment in June/July of 2013 and trained additional personnel to the Hazmat Technician level by the end of year 2013. Funds have been allocated for FY 2014 to purchase the equipment required to meet the capabilities of a FEMA Type I Hazardous Materials Response Team. The plan is to start purchasing this equipment on July 1 and to have the team capable to respond at the level of a FEMA Type I Hazmat team by the end of the 2014 calendar year. 13 | P a g e FIRE DEPARTMENT County of Los Alamos 2013 ANNUAL REPORT Training All combat personnel are trained to the national, state, or department qualifications and/or certifications within NFPA guidelines, commensurate with their respective position within the organization. Francisco Martinez Training Division Chief 14 | P a g e FIRE DEPARTMENT Training County of Los Alamos 2013 ANNUAL REPORT planning and hydrant inspection and testing resided with the Training Division. Fire Academy LAFD has a structured method of training to the rank of firefighter. During the LAFD Academy, new-hire personnel are referred to as "Recruits". The 22-week fire training academy includes a 5-week EMS program. Recruits receive formal classroom training up to the Fire Fighter II level. After one year of probation, an exam is administered and successful completion will allow advancement to FF I. A FF I is mentored by senior firefighters while on probation. New Hires The focus of the Training Division is to provide oversight and management for the development, delivery, evaluation, and improvement of all education and certification to ensure the safety, preparedness, effectiveness and career development of LAFD personnel. The LAFD Training Division facilitates various trainings through several different formats. First, this division coordinates the LAFD Recruit Academy which is 22 weeks in length. Structural firefighting, emergency medical response, wildland firefighting, technical rope rescue, hazardous materials response, and other disciplines are instructed to new recruits. The Division also facilitates training for all operations personnel, tours of LANL facilities, exercise participation with LANL and Los Alamos County, outside training opportunities such as the State and National Fire Academies. The Training Division also makes sure that all Operations personnel meet monthly training hours requirements set forth by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and Insurance Service Organization (ISO). This training is mandated by local, state, and federal regulations and NFPA best practices. In addition, the LAFD Training Division submits an annual training plan to LANL to maintain compliance set forth in the Cooperative Agreement between Los Alamos County and DOE/NNSA. Additional responsibilities of the Training Division include promotional testing and maintenance of personnel training records. For the majority of 2013, responsibilities of pre-incident The Training Division welcomed Kenneth Anderson, Nicholas Bever, Eric Gallegos, Dustin Rogers, Daniel Sanchez, Ryan Weir, and Justin Wright of Academy 25 to the crews in March 2013. The Training staff included Captain Jeff Wetteland, Captain Micah Brittelle and Firefighter Tom Roelfs. Training included in the LAFD recruit academy: Essentials of Fire Fighting 560+ hours Hazardous-Materials 40 hours IS 100, & 200 16 hours Wildland Firefighting 40 hours TRT training 24 hours Vehicle Extrication 24 hours USTAR 32 hours EMT-Basic 200+ hours Physical Fitness 3 or more sessions per week LANL Emergency Responder Radiological Training 42 hours HR Training 32 hours Glove Box and Unique Materials training 8 hours Continuing Education/Professional Development LAFD has partnered with multiple New Mexico Universities to offer degree programs to LAFD personnel. Degrees included are in Emergency Management, Fire Science, Wildland Fire Science and Emergency Medical Services. LAFD continues to strive to improve in all respects. Not only has LAFD assumed the responsibility to certify all EMS responders to the national level, we have also taken the steps provide other certifications to the national level. 15 | P a g e FIRE DEPARTMENT County of Los Alamos The NIMS courses that LAFD has committed to certify personnel in based on their rank are listed below: IS-100.a Introduction to Incident Command System (ICS) IS-200.a ICS for Single Resources in Initial Action Incidents ICS-300 Intermediate ICS for Expanding Incidents ICS-400 Advanced Incident Command System IS-700.a NIMS an Introduction IS-701.a NIMS Multiagency Coordination System (MACS) IS-702.a NIMS Public Information Systems IS-703.a NIMS Resource Management IS-704 NIMS Communication and Information Mgmt. IS-800.b National Response Framework, an Introduction IS-804 Emergency Support Function (ESF) #4 – Firefighting New Training LAFD is working on implementing the Blue Card Incident Command training program to all our members. Having a strong, visible Incident Command for all incidents is critical for our success, safety, and exceptional customer service. This program is an Incident Command certification program for Type IV and V incidents that will require all our sworn members to meet a standardized level of proficiency through initial training and continuous education. The goal is to have all personnel complete the 50 hour online prerequisite class, and 24 hour initial Blue Card Sim Lab. Instructors are required to complete a 16 hour Train-the-Trainer Sim Lab. LAFD currently has 6 instructors who are certified to instruct Blue Card. They include: DC Grider, BC Dawald, BC Martinez, BC Grano, BC Muller, and Capt Brittelle. 2013 ANNUAL REPORT Promotions Benjamin Stone Promoted to Battalion Chief Aaron McNiff promoted to Fire Captain Manuel Pacheco promoted to Fire Captain Tony Garcia Promoted to Driver Engineer Colorado Cordova promoted to Driver Engineer Gregg Hecathorn Promoted to Driver Engineer Retirements Driver Engineer Don Edward Hunter retired in 2013 after 22 years of service to the LAFD. Military Veteran GI Bill Program LAFD has become an approved on-the-job and apprenticeship training program employer. This program assists Veterans and their dependents by allowing them to learn a trade or skill through participation in a structured, supervised apprenticeship or OJT program rather than by solely attending classes. The Veteran enters into a training agreement with their employer for a specified period of time and at the end of the training period receives job certification or journeyman status. Education benefits supplement an entry-level salary. 16 | P a g e FIRE DEPARTMENT County of Los Alamos High Angle Rescue Training In 2013 LAFD participated in an Artificial High Directional Workshop (AHDW) taught by Reed Thorne of Ropes that Rescue, which is a high skill level train-the-trainer instruction on the use of any "artificial high directional" device (illustrated below). The course was a seventy hour training created to assist the rope rescue instructor with information relative to the use of manufactured high directional techniques. The course was a hands-on workshop based on the use and correct implementation of artificial high "directionals" for industry and wilderness settings. The course challenged participants in their familiarization and skill level with the Arizona Vortex tool (which was invented by Reed Thorne) and also allowed the opportunity to become familiar with new tools in the rope rescue industry. 2013 ANNUAL REPORT support and understand the other's organizational goals and objectives during an elevator emergency. This course consisted of hands-on operations utilizing real elevators in the classroom setting. The initial Train-the-Trainer course was 32 hours. Elevator emergency training for field crews consisted of an initial four hour operations training course that incorporated Phase I and Phase II elevator emergency recall. The Technician level training consisted of an additional eight hours of elevator shaft rescue techniques Additional 2013 Training Highlights FDSOA Pro Board Certified Incident Safety Officer Course. LAFD hosted Instructor I and Fire Officer I IFSAC certification trainings. NIMS ICS-300 and 400 Trainings Revised the LAFD 80-hour New Drivers Training Course to be in-line with the NM Firefighters' Training Academy Driver Operator IFSAC program Training Division- Monthly Training packet maintained electronic based trainings (initiated in 2012). Continuous evaluation of the training documentation program and implementation of a better quality processes continues to remain a high priority. Elevator Emergency Rescue Training LAFD had the opportunity to send seven TRT members to elevator emergency training in Norman, Oklahoma. This course was a joint effort between LAFD and the Los Alamos National Laboratory's Elevator Maintenance Group. A custom course has been designed for LANL and LAFD. This joint training was useful in assisting with building the required relationship and to allow for both groups to Training Hours Training Hours are categorized utilizing the ISO model. Hours are monitored and retrieved utilizing Firehouse as our home-of- records database. The list below includes the number of training hours that were offered per ISO category and does not include the numerous hours of EMS Training or the hours offered during the Fire Training Academy. Company Training- 556 hours Drivers Training – 98 hours Fire Officer Training- 420 hours Haz-Mat Training- 237 hours Multi-company Drills- 78 hours Night Drills- 30 hours 17 | P a g e FIRE DEPARTMENT County of Los Alamos LANL Training 2013 was a busy and productive year for LANL training. The department participated in 34 LANL Exercises including various tabletop, functional, and field play exercises throughout LANL. These exercises encomPaul Grano LANL Training Division Chief passed numerous components including: Incident Command, EMS, Fire, CBRNE, Haz-Mat, Technical Rescue, etc. Prior to each exercise, LAFD participates in numerous planning meetings to assist in exercise development and scheduling. After each exercise, LAFD participates in "Hot Washes" and exercise critiques to reinforce positive performance and identify and implement ways to improve the response. In addition to exercise participation, LAFD continues to participate in LANL facility tours and LANL related training. LAFD continues to collaborate with the VISIBLE team which will bring realistic, virtual reality training to personnel. The DHART facility is complete and work is being done for a PF-4 module. Pre-Incident Planning (PIP): This program continues to play a strong role in LAFD operations and has many successes as well as some adaptive challenges. This program has numerous facets and trying to get them all to work together efficiently and in a timely manner continues to be a challenging endeavor. The department is currently evaluating this program and is actively looking for ways to improve in this area through a revision to policy, training, software/technology upgrades. 2013 ANNUAL REPORT Respiratory Protection Program: LAFD has a comprehensive Respiratory Protection Program including fit testing, training, cylinder repair/ maintenance, and records/inventory management. The department currently has 12 Scott NXG7 Technicians who maintain and repair the SCBAs. In addition, the Technicians are involved in various areas of our comprehensive Respiratory Protection Program including: goals for the next year, improving the training program, updating the SCBA FCD, and developing a written Respiratory Protection Program document. The department is in the process of purchasing protective sleeves for the SCBA cylinders to reduce damage and save money in cylinder testing and repair. Upgrades to the posicheck and fit testing equipment will continue. In addition, the department has purchased SCBAs and one-hour cylinders dedicated to the Haz-Mat team to ensure appropriate respiratory protection on HazMat incidents. Communications: The department's Comm Team consists of three personnel who in conjunction with the LANL Radio Shop maintain and repair communication equipment. Additional training is being considered for two firefighters to receive certification as Communications Technicians. These firefighters/Technicians would have the knowledge and certification to be designated as Incident Communications Officers for large incidents rather than LAFD having to rely on personnel from outside agencies to serve in this role. In addition, upgrades are being evaluated for the Mobile Operational Command vehicle to enhance the capabilities to a full Mobile Incident Command/Communications center. 18 | P a g e FIRE DEPARTMENT County of Los Alamos 2013 ANNUAL REPORT Technical Rescue Led by Captain Micah Brittelle, LAFD's Technical Rescue Team currently consists of 48 active members who receive advanced training in high angle rescue, confined space rescue, structural collapse, and trench rescue. Captain Micah Brittelle TRT Team Leader 19 | P a g e County of Los Alamos FIRE DEPARTMENT 2013 ANNUAL REPORT Wildland Firefighting LAFD uses National Wildland Coordinating Group, NWCG and the National Fire Protection Association 921 Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations to set forth minimum training standards to which personnel will be qualified. Captain Kelly Sterna Wildland Team Leader 20 | P a g e County of Los Alamos FIRE DEPARTMENT 2013 ANNUAL REPORT Hazardous Materials Captain Kelly Grace-Meyer leads the LAFD Haz-Mat Team. All operations staff are trained to the operational level for hazardous material response; 35 personnel are trained to the technician level and 1 to the specialist level. The enhanced level allows us to augment the LANL's HazMat Team who responds to incidents at LANL and the LAC. Captain Kelly Grace-Meyer Haz-Mat Team Leader 21 | P a g e County of Los Alamos FIRE DEPARTMENT 2013 ANNUAL REPORT Fire & Life Safety Management Public Fire Education Code Enforcement Inspections Fire Investigations Brian Nickerson FLSM Division Chief 2013 Public Education Events 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Series1 Station Tours Los Alamos Community Outreach Neighboring Community Outreach 19 45 7 Fire Prevention Month Events 13 LANL Public Education Events Total Pub Ed Events 1 85 22 | P a g e FIRE DEPARTMENT Fire & Life Safety Management County of Los Alamos The goal of the FLSM Division is to prevent injury, loss of life or property through the creation, implementation and management of fire protection, prevention and public education programs. The office of the FLSM Division is diverse in nature and addresses a number of department and community programs. In addition to the two personnel in the FLSM, other LAFD personnel assist in meeting the division goals by serving on the Fire Investigation Team and Public Education/ Community Outreach Team. These members are specially trained in each discipline. Public Education/Community Outreach Program: This program touches many people, both in Los Alamos County and in the outreach areas of Northern New Mexico. Examples of activities include presentations to: various Cub Scout and Boy Scout organizations, students at local schools during Fire Prevention Month, schools throughout the year and career days. The Public Education Team utilizes the Safety Trailer for special events, including the New Mexico State Fair, and provides fire extinguisher training when requested. The division strives to customize programs to meet the needs of the community. Fire Investigation Team: With a team of certified Fire Investigators, the division is responsible to investigate fire related incidents for fire and/or explosion to determine the origin and cause of the incident. This team consists of nine personnel that are required to complete an initial training as well as a minimum of 12 hours advanced training each year. 2013 ANNUAL REPORT From the Fire Marshal's Office Working on processes for review and updating the life safety codes adopted by the County. Expanded the working relationship with CDD and the County Building Officials Provided opportunities for training Fire Investigators and Public Education members Re-Focused on increasing code compliance in facilities within the county Review of fire service management software is being done to enhance the department's ability to more accurately and efficiently capture data. Review and evaluation of the plans review and permit submittal process Participated in 85 Public Education Events/4940 Adults & 7712 Children 30 building permits issued in 2013 Collaborating with the Public Education/ Community Outreach Team to identify new marketing strategies to promote fire and life safety. Goals for 2014: Participate in at least 200 Public Education Events Visit the schools at least twice a year Enhance and expand the Juvenile Program for middle school students Expand the Community Outreach Program Complete review of Fire Management Software Complete Code update and establish process for building permits Design a Juvenile Fire-setter Program Improve data entry for inspections and plan reviews Conduct inspections for all businesses in the county 23 | P a g e County of Los Alamos FIRE DEPARTMENT Inspections by Type Tenant Improvement Plan… Sprinkler System… Sprinkler Pressure Test… Sprinkler Pressure Test… Sprinkler Inspection Rough-In Inspection Reinspection for Annual General Fire Plan Review Occupancy Load Calculation New or Remodeled… Hood System Plan Review Hood System Acceptance… Fire Pre-final (New… Fire Pump Test Fire Alarm System Test Fire Alarm System Plan… Elevator Plan Review Elevator Test Automatic Sprinkler… Annual Fire & Life Safety… Systems Acceptance Test… Inspections by Type 2013 ANNUAL REPORT 2013 Fire Prevention Week Theme 1 1 6 5 1 2 4 5 5 13 2 1 1 1 Permits Issued 6 2 1 4 9 8 8 7 54 7 7 6 1 5 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 4 4 4 3 Public Education/Community Outreach Contacts 2 2 2 1 1 1 Tenant Improvements Sprinkler System Permit Hood System Permit General Fire Plan Review Fireworks Display Fire Alarm System Review Elevator Permit Automatic Sprinkler Plan Review 7712 Children 4940 Adults Permits Issued 0 24 | P a g e FIRE DEPARTMENT County of Los Alamos 2013 ANNUAL REPORT Firefighter Health and Safety Under the direction of Division Chief/Safety Officer LAFD uses National Wildland Coordinating Group, Richard Garcia, the primary goal of the Health and Safety Division is to protect the health and safety of department NWCG, and National Fire Protection Association 921, members through effective management, education, Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations to set forth training, and safety programs. Develop and evaluate minimum training standards which personnel will be illness, and policiesto and procedures that prevent injuries, improve the health and livelihood of our members. qualified. THINK SAFETY! Richard Garcia Safety Division Chief 25 | P a g e FIRE DEPARTMENT Safety County of Los Alamos 2013 ANNUAL REPORT The LAFD is committed to the health, wellness and safety of all members of the department. In addition to the core values, the personnel subscribe to the following philosophies: Fire Station Exercise Facilities: Each fire station has a fitness center equipped with aerobic and weight equipment. A bulletin board is posted to share fitness and nutrition information. The LANL Wellness Center is available for LAFD personnel to use. Crew Resource Management – A Team Effort: Every member of the LAFD emergency response crew is a valuable asset in communicating safety to other members. We strive to develop an environment that encourages members to "speak up" for safety and to build an effective safety-conscious team. Fitness Coordinators: LAFD recertified 14 Fitness Coordinators through ARA Human Factors. The fitness coordinators administer our annual Criterion Task Test (CTT), which is the department's physical agility test. Crew Integrity: Work in teams. Always remain in visual, verbal, or direct contact with your partners. Provide regular updates to the IC about your location and air supply. Scene Safety: Create a safe zone large enough to accommodate emergency vehicles and responders SAFELY! Make sure all responders are identifiable and in high visibility vest. Use appropriate safety cones at emergency traffic scenes. Work safely with other emergency responders from other local, state or federal agencies. Maintain situational awareness of surroundings. Firefighter Fitness: Each firefighter is required to participate in a Micro fit assessment. The purpose of the Micro fit assessment is to recognize areas of the firefighters' physical fitness that need improvement, to reduce the risk of injury, delay or eliminate the onset of Coronary Artery Disease, and to contribute to the successful completion of the Combat Task Test (CTT). The Micro fit assessment measures the firefighter's muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, body composition, and aerobic capacity. The Micro fit assessment is conducted during the first quarter of the calendar year. This will give the firefighter approximately six months to improve areas of insufficiency before the annual CTT conducted in September. Alternative Work Assignment (AWA): The AWA program is initiated and managed under the direction of Los Alamos County Administrative Policy 1147 Workers Compensation guidelines for Occupational Injuries or Illnesses and Early Return to work Guidelines for Non-Occupational Injuries or Illness. All AWA's are temporary assignments and are determined on a case-by-case basis by the Fire Chief and are generally limited to 90 days. Six Firefighters participated in the AWA program in 2013. Safety & Health Committee: Monthly meeting for all three shifts to ensure program effectiveness with safety apparel, equipment, fitness and ensure effective responses to firefighter safety concerns. Injury Profile: 13 on the job injuries; none were related to emergency response nor at any emergency scene. Remodeling of Clothing Room: To better monitor and manage the distribution of uniforms and safety equipment, the clothing room was remodeled with new lockers which also provided more space for additional safety supplies. 26 | P a g e FIRE DEPARTMENT BEFORE County of Los Alamos 2013 ANNUAL REPORT CLOTHING/UNIFORM STORAGE REMODEL PROJECT AFTER 27 | P a g e FIRE DEPARTMENT County of Los Alamos 2013 ANNUAL REPORT Los Alamos Fire Department Teams: Administrative Support/Self Directed Work Team: Marisha Griego, SOS/EMS Division; Ana Martinez, SOS/Training Division; Bernadine Martinez, SOS/Operations and Safety Divisions; Louisa Martinez, Technology Specialist/Operations Division; Marisol Padilla, SOS/Administration Division; Yvette Vigil, SOS/Fire & Life Safety Management Division. Technical Rescue Team: Joseph Baca, Christopher Bartlett, Micah Brittelle, Joseph Candelaria, Matt Cionek, Gerard Coriz, Daniel DeVall, Ramon Garcia, Michael Gill, Kelly Grace-Meyer, Timothy Johnson, Aaron McNiff, Raul Manzanares, John Napier, Manuel Pacheco, James Pepe, Steve Saiz, Tracy Stidham, James Thwaits, Jeffrey Wetteland, Daniel Archuleta, Jason Block, Joshua Cooper, Colorado Cordova, Ray Gandara, Rick Gonzales, Keith Henry, Scott Hofmann, D. Ed Hunter, Adrian Martinez, Daniel McBride, Christopher Mooney, Joseph Romero, Jeff Saiz, Jerry Adair, David Baca, Michael Cayton, Andrew Coriz, Charles Cummings, Daniel Gandara, Daniel Garcia, Tony Garcia, Eric Gonzales, Sean Henry, Manfred Herrmann, Matthew Munoz, William Nackers, Joseph Peltier, Allen Quintana, Matthew Rodriguez, Robert Sanchez. Hazardous Materials Team: Kelly Grace-Meyer, Christopher Bartlett, Micah Brittelle, John Napier, Tracy Stidham, James Thwaits, Todd Forsythe, Gregg Hecathorne, Michael Lewis, Michael Montoya, Wayne Sanchez, Travis Williams, Ryan Baca, John Bialy, Adrian Carabajal, Andrew Coriz, Charles Cummings, Joseph DeFranco, Jaden Eads, Jarrod Elpin, Zane Frentheway, Daniel Gandara, Tony Garcia, Bryan Harris, Manfred Herrmann, Kevin Kamplain, Joy Lopez, William Lundquist, Andres Madueno, Adam Martinez, Michael Montoya, Colin O'Connell, Ruben Padilla, Joseph Peltier, Allen Quintana, Luke Washburn Fire Investigation Team: Jason Lopez, Tracy Stidham, Michael Lewis, Wesley Walker, Matthew Williams, Gregg Hecathorn, Rick Gonzales, Van Leimer, John Kelley Public Education/Community Outreach Team: Daniel Archuleta, Joseph Baca, Adrian Carabajal, Rick Gonzales, Shane Grano, John Kelley, John Snyder, Emmy Sweers, Matthew Williams. Communications Team: James Thwaits, Todd Forsythe, Joseph DeFranco, Ryan Baca Respiratory Protection Team: Kelly Sterna, Timothy Johnson, Heath Sandoval, Bert Quintana, Tony Garcia, Adrian Martinez, Jason Lopez, James Thwaits, Colorado Cordova, Steve Saiz, Jeff Saiz, Michael Lewis, Adam Muller, Francisco Martinez. 28 | P a g e County of Los Alamos FIRE DEPARTMENT 2013 ANNUAL REPORT Response Types Calls by Type 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 1981 2066 2079 1856 1850 $321,901 $167,050 $277,152 $226,100 $226,100 Fire 28 55 62 45 38 Overpressure Rupture/Explosion (Shot Activity) 97 96 99 81 Responses Estimated Loss Rescue & EMS 114 1392 1273 1301 1240 1240 Hazardous Condition 50 71 57 65 50 Service Call 114 147 180 116 123 Good Intent Call 45 58 40 41 43 False Alarm 234 326 328 230 261 Severe Weather 3 5 8 2 11 Special Incident Type 18 17 11 18 2 576 600 Responses by Station 500 400 388 384 314 300 185 200 100 0 3 Station 1 Station 2 Station 3 Station 4 Station 5 Station 6 29 | P a g e FIRE DEPARTMENT County of Los Alamos 2013 ANNUAL REPORT LAFD won the 2013 Fourth of July Cook Off Great Job, Chiefs Hughes & Grider Bacon wrapped grilled jalapeño poppers stuffed with chicken and pepper jack cheese. Random Acts of Kindness As a random act of kindness, last winter crews traveled the neighborhoods in Los Alamos and White Rock and helped shovel snow for community members who were unable to do it themselves. Credits: Staff photos taken by Eagle Wings Productions Thompson Ridge Fire photos courtesy of Captain Daniel DeVall. 30 | P a g e
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text:
Monday, December 31, 2012
If anyone like the bunnies ask, I was online this morning. I was online, and certainly wasn't loitering in the floor, possibly causing the human to stumble, turn her ankle, and nearly end up falling on top of a batch of rabbits. Now the human is sitting propped in bed, ice on ankle, and the bunnies are looking suspiciously at the floor, and anyone who might have been on the floor at the time of this ankle injury. Well, if they want to look at me, I was happily online at the time, and had nothing to do with it! And at least the human's injury kept the polar bears and bunnies home today, and safely away from any shopping trips to buy annoying things for me.
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 11:00 PM No comments:
Labels: bunnies, human, injury, Sir Pinky the Cat
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Shopping Tomorrow
The bunnies are going to hop out tomorrow, in search of various items to feed me. I wonder if I should be looking for a hiding place tonight? The problem is, with my tummy fur missing, and the heater acting up, the places that I can use as shelter are limited. Right now I'm limited to my cage, since it has a blanket, and my box house, that is also blanketed. Both will make it very easy for the bunnies to find me when they want to start stuffing me with horrible foods.
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 11:28 PM No comments:
Labels: bunnies, mushrooms, Sir Pinky the Cat
Saturday, December 29, 2012
It's snowing! Oh, horrors, it is snowing! I will see the weatherman persecuted for this! The snow is flying fast and furious, and I am very concerned. The polar bears arranged to have my tummy fur stolen when it was just a bit nippy. I will be lucky to dodge being completely shaved with snow flying. Does anyone have any suggestions for how to protect myself from fur theft?
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 10:51 PM No comments:
Labels: fur, polar bears, Sir Pinky the Cat, snow
Friday, December 28, 2012
Does anyone know the potential evil of the mushroom? The bunnies have gathered two votes from medical professionals in favor of stuffing me with them. Okay, it's better than one of the bunnies' other plans to stuff me with carrot juice, but I'm still not sure mushrooms are a good idea. What are mushrooms anyway? They look suspiciously vegetable like to me, but I didn't find them listed on a vegetable warning page.
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 7:43 PM No comments:
Labels: bunnies, mushrooms, Sir Pinky the Cat
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Tummy Fur Theft
I'm back, and I absolutely must find a lawyer to sue that vet for stealing my fur right away. I know he took it, and sold it to the polar bears to be stuffed into a quilt. My polar bear sisters are always talking about how warm looking my fur is. They probably called while the humans' backs were turned, and offered the vet cash for a large hunk of tummy fur. That's my best fur and I was robbed of it. I know I saw someone at the vet's office with a soda from that company who supplies the bears with cash. If that isn't proof they're in league with the polar bears, I don't know what is!
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 10:41 PM No comments:
Labels: polar bears, Sir Pinky the Cat, soda, the vet
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Still the Bunnies
It's still the bunnies. Our brother is feeling much grumpier today and is digging through the phone book now looking for an attorney to sue the vet for robbing him of a sizable hunk of tummy fur. While he's doing that we thought we would post and update you. We've done some looking and chatting with others, and we have many wonderful ideas for possible cures for him. The human is feeling much better after we lounged on the bed last night telling her all of our ideas. We think tomorrow we'll hop out to start gathering cure materials. And isn't it just such a coincidence that all of the materials we need are located near the food co-op, which our brother calls that den of seed encouragement?
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 10:26 PM No comments:
Labels: bunnies, Sir Pinky the Cat, the vet
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Our Brother's Problem
It's the bunnies. Our brother attacked the tree last night. He claims he was trying to save us all from Betsy Bear, but we aren't so sure of that. He got an upset tummy and got lagged to the vet today as a result. Unfortunately, the vet has now diagnosed him with a tumor. Our human has been in hysterics, and fur everywhere is being threatened by tears. Anyway, Sir Pinky is currently high for the moment on medication, so we are posting. And we are also looking for cures for him. Did you know that carrot juice is considered good for his problem? Isn't he just so lucky that he happens to live in a house full of rabbits!
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 11:11 PM No comments:
Labels: bunnies, carrots, human, Sir Pinky the Cat, tears
Our Brother's Problem
It's the bunnies. Our brother attacked the tree last night. He claims he was trying to save us all from Betsy Bear, but we aren't so sure of that. He got an upset tummy and got lagged to the vet today as a result. Unfortunately, the vet has now diagnosed him with a tumor. Our human has been in hysterics, and fur everywhere is being threatened by tears. Anyway, Sir Pinky is currently high for the moment on medication, so we are posting. And we are also looking for cures for him. Did you know that carrot juice is considered good for his problem? Isn't he just so lucky that he happens to live in a house full of rabbits!
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 11:09 PM No comments:
Labels: bunnies, carrots, human, Sir Pinky the Cat, tears
Monday, December 24, 2012
Lock your Chimneys!
Lock your chimneys! Lock them right away! Hurry before it is too late! Every household is in danger tonight! The new reindeer, who arrived last week, was giving some flying demonstrations to my other reindeer siblings, and the next thing you know, Betsy had a horrible idea in her head. She captured all of the reindeer, all five of them, and has them hitched up to a sleigh! She's going to take to the air at any moment to go on a crime spree to end all crime sprees! She has a rope to slide down the chimneys, and sacks to hold every cookie, pie cake and present she can get her paws on! We're doomed! Doomed, I tell you, doomed! Lock your chimneys now while you still have time!
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 10:47 PM No comments:
Labels: Betsy Bear, Christmas, reindeer, Sir Pinky the Cat
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Church Report
The humans actually let the squirrel ride in the front seat on the way to church this morning. Now everyone knows that there is a giant squirrel living here. How embarrassing! I was hoping to limit the number of people who knew about the squirrel, and now the humans might as well have taken out a billboard. And worse, the church did drop off those sacks, and now the squirrel is happily munching on some nut filled candy bars. They fed him too! If they're going to feed the squirrel, where is my sack of treats?
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 11:11 PM No comments:
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Disaster Looms
Disaster looms tomorrow. Not only is that squirrel lurking, plotting to drag me to church, but now he came in to give me the happy news that for Christmas, the church is distributing large sacks of nuts to squirrels! He's expecting a sack tomorrow! Nothing good can result from that squirrel being gifted with nuts. It's sure to make him grow more, which will lead to a sure disaster! What is the church thinking, catering to squirrels this way? Really, are those bushy tailed troublemakers such wonderful parishioners?
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 9:33 PM No comments:
Friday, December 21, 2012
The squirrel came trotting in just a bit ago, to tell me I should start scrubbing my fur now, in anticipation of going to CHURCH on Sunday! I'm going to be drug off, and forced to listen first to a bunch of humans attempting to sing, and then to a sermon. And I'll probably end up with a new batch of siblings too, since apparently churches have decided to solve the homeless creature problem by having them move in here. Sniff, sniff, sniff! And now the squirrel is listening to church music and insisting I listen to the squirrel church anthem as well! Isn't there a law against such torture?
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 11:51 PM No comments:
Thursday, December 20, 2012
More Bad Luck
Nick the Cat's relations are around here somewhere. I haven't seen their evil black tails poking up yet, but I know they are in the area, and they should be arrested at once. I am sure they are to blame for the coming disaster. There are wind advisories out for the area, and do you know where the wind is blowing from? It is blowing from the home of the BEARS! It is a plot, I am sure of it. The bears are probably getting ready to launch little balloons now, to blow them right to my dwelling, where they will be enthusiastically welcomed! Who knows how many siblings this wind could give me? A floatilla of bears might be in the air at this moment, on their way here. Nick the Cat will pay!
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 10:57 PM No comments:
Labels: bad luck, home of the bears, Nick the Cat, siblings, Sir Pinky the Cat, wind
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Today's Bad Luck
I must check the bushes, for I am sure that one of Nick the Cat's relations is lurking nearby, due to the sudden upswing in bad luck. Really, it's too horrible to be believed. First, Cousin Don H. had the absolute, unmitigated nerve to die, and worse, to leave a nice fat obituary in the paper, just ready for the human to find and stick on that awful tree. And, even worse, when she was poking around, looking for more relation names for what I thought was the relatively safe task of package labeling, the human believes she might have stumbled onto yet another relation twist. I know I saw branches on that tree twitching. Not a good sign. It will surely start to grow next, and what if nuts start to drop from it?
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 11:58 PM No comments:
Labels: family tree, human, Nick the Cat, Sir Pinky the Cat
Tail Adjustment
I'm back and you won't believe the trouble I am facing now. One of the bunnies and two of the reindeer herd rode to the human's chiropractor appointment this afternoon, and now they have got an awful notion in their fluffy heads. They think my tail is out of alignment, and that I should see a chiropractor right away to get it adjusted! My tail is perfectly aligned, I will have them know, and don't think I am not suspicious. All of them have short, fluffy little tails. I think they are plotting to have my long, slender tail adjusted into their tail style!
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 12:04 AM No comments:
Labels: bunnies, chiropractor, reindeer, Sir Pinky the Cat
Monday, December 17, 2012
Josie Rabbit on Our Brother's Vet Visit
Hehehehehehe! Our brother was gloating over his vet visit, and the trouble he was planning to cause. Well, the joke is on him! The vet just put him on MEDICATION! He has to take two pills a day. Not only are we sure that they will be yucky and disgusting, but now because of this, he is doomed to have to travel everywhere we go. No more dodging trips to the country, and when it comes to visiting the birthplace of the bears, we're going to go ahead and book his seat! We're going to have so much fun with this! We must send the vet a thank you note right away!
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 2:49 PM No comments:
Labels: Josie Rabbit, Sir Pinky the Cat, the vet
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Vet Appointment
I am booked for a vet appointment tomorrow. Normally I am annoyed by these things, but now I am kind of looking forward to it, after the success I had last visit. I wonder who I will be able to drive into fleeing the area this time? I'm thinking I will go for the blonde receptionist, who called me grumpy one visit. Tomorrow is going to be a lot of fun!
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 10:29 PM No comments:
Labels: huffing and puffing, Sir Pinky the Cat, the vet
Saturday, December 15, 2012
More Bus Issues
The bus company continues to trouble me. Now the bunnies are studying the routes, trying to find the cheapest way to get to the birthplace of the bears, even if it means being on a bus for twenty-four hours straight. They say that will be fine. They'll have their carrots, and they will be perfectly content. Well, what about me? I refuse to share a public box with rabbits! They can't expect me to cross my paws for that long, and I know they will expect me to go on this trip with them!
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 11:49 PM No comments:
Labels: birthplace of the bears, bunnies, bus, Sir Pinky the Cat
Friday, December 14, 2012
The bunnies said it couldn't be done, but I am happy to announce that I have achieved the greatest feline success imaginable! I am happy to announce that the huffing and puffing stunt I pulled at the vet's office a few months ago did in fact manage to blow that vet away! Success! I don't know of another cat who has managed to blow a vet away. The bunnies all said that only the dogs' cousin, the wolf, could accomplish such a feat, but I showed them! Maybe I'll work on blowing away a building next. Or a bus stop!
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 7:12 PM No comments:
Labels: bunnies, huffing and puffing, Sir Pinky the Cat, the vet
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Bear Birthplace
I'm doomed. I am really doomed this time. I'm such a nice cat. What did I ever do to deserve this? The bunnies are clustered in the human's room, along with the bears, discussing a visit to the bears' birthplace. They're trying to convince her that a visit there is sure to help sell those books she's written for children starring my delinquent teddy siblings. I think the human is listening to them, I really think she is, which worries me that such a trip, and massive sibling increases are looming in my future. And what if the bears can get free tickets to travel? They will surely expect me to go on the trip in such a case. I think it is ten hours to the home of the bears. Ten hours and the only litter box will be shared with BUNNIES!
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 11:27 PM No comments:
Labels: bear books, birthplace of the bears, bunnies, bus, human, Sir Pinky the Cat
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Horrible Bus News
I am going to have to sue the bus company. That is all there is to it. You won't believe the horror they have came up with this time. Those awful, rotten people are GIVING away tickets! Free bus tickets! I think I feel ill. The bunnies are wanting to take a look online now, to plan another little trip while their travel is free. There is even talk about going to visit the birthplace of the bears! I don't want to visit the birthplace of the bears! Do you know how many siblings such a visit could net me? The bus company will pay for this!
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 7:51 PM No comments:
Labels: bunnies, bus, Sir Pinky the Cat
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Reindeer on a Bus
The reindeer was placed on a bus this evening, heading for our house. I expect she'll be here soon, although it will be my luck she will want to stop somewhere to shop first. All of my siblings and impending siblings seem to love shopping. I hope this reindeer wasn't one Santa needs, is all I can say. And if she is, I hope Santa won't hold her moving against me. It certainly wasn't my idea, and it also wasn't my idea for a bear to move along with her!
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 9:52 PM No comments:
Labels: reindeer, Santa, Sir Pinky the Cat
Monday, December 10, 2012
Rabbit Horde
The human let eleven bunnies hop out with her this afternoon, when she went to visit a lawyer. Why she needed to let the bunnies accompany her to a legal office is something I will never understand, but they have convinced her totally of the power of their feet to bring good luck, so they get a trip whenever she heads into any situation involving legal matters. They have her conned completely. Anyway, they came back chattering to themselves. Apparently they stopped at the homeless shelter looking to pick up one of my reindeer siblings' relations, only to find that they must make arrangements for her arrival via the internet, so now they are demanding I get off of here so they can by the deer a bus ticket to the house. And you know that they will insist that she doesn't travel alone so who knows how many siblings I might end up with soon!
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 11:42 PM No comments:
Labels: bunnies, human, lawyer, reindeer, Sir Pinky the Cat
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Church Report
I narrowly dodged going to Suday Sermon this morning. That squirrel was all fired up about attending, and getting his name added to the membership rolls. I was sure he was going to grab me and insist upon my attending as well, but somehow I escaped. I don't think I will get that lucky next time, though. I spotted the squirrel digging out my leash when he returned from sermon, and I don't know what else he would need it for. I don't want to go to church! I'm sure there are homeless creatures just dying to move in there! And what if I am expected to tithe? I have no desire to turn over tuna!
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 11:48 PM No comments:
Saturday, December 8, 2012
More Horrors from the Relative's Visit
I can't believe this. I finally got up the nerve to check what that relative brought for gifts, and you won't believe how horrifying the packages were. She brought a giant bowl of NUTS! NUTS! The squirrel has invaded my table and is busily munching on those right now. He's sure to grow bigger as a result, and there are shells everywhere. I just know I am going to puncture a paw on one. And even worse, she brought a QUILT! So now the polar bears are all fired up, playing with it, and trying to figure out how all of them can best snuggle in it to keep warm. Can you imagine worse presents?
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 7:28 PM No comments:
Labels: human relative, nuts, polar bears, quilts, Sir Pinky the Cat, squirrels
Friday, December 7, 2012
Relative Was Here
One of the human's relatives was just here. I wonder if I can sue for this visit. Relatives dropping in never lead to anything good for me. I'm just glad that my human was in bed at the time or she surely would have used this visit to gather details for that horrible tree of hers. At least the grandhuman doesn't do that. The visiting relation dropped off Christmas presents, though, which makes it likely the human will have to call with her thanks for the gifts soon. She'll probably ask genealogy questions then. I sense tree growth soon!
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 10:41 PM No comments:
Labels: human, human relative, Sir Pinky the Cat
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Bus Arrived
The bus arrived today with the squirrel and the dragon, along with their luggage. The dragon seems like he will be a nice sibling, but I am deeply concerned about that squirrel. He is up to something, I am sure of it. He lagged in a giant suitcase I fear is packed full of seed, and he's already talking about attending CHURCH! I just know that the squirrel will expect me to attend Sunday sermon as well, and what if there are more siblings awaiting me at the alter? Churches seem fond of forcing massive amounts of siblings upon me. What in the world will I do if this squirrel gets me into a church and then I am presented with a horde of new siblings? I knew letting him move in was an awful idea, I just knew it!
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 9:57 PM No comments:
Labels: church, dragons, Sir Pinky the Cat, squirrels
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Still No Squirrel
The squirrel isn't here yet, and I am becoming alarmed. He is at a seed store, I just know it, stuffing his suitcase full of seed! Do you know how many pumpkin seed are in a pound? And how aggressive pumpkin are? And that squirrel is allowed fifty pounds in his suitcase. Sure, brushes to keep his tail bushy will take up some of that, but still, he will be able to pack frightening amounts of seed in there. And then what if he uses his carry-on luggage to transport seed too? We're doomed!
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 11:50 PM No comments:
Labels: Sir Pinky the Cat, squirrels
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Relative Horrors
I happened to check the human's email today, while looking for updates on where that squirrel is. I thought it best to keep an eye on his travels so I would know which states I should issue warnings to my fellow felines to avoid until his bus departs. Anyway, I didn't find a bus schedule update, but something much worse. The human was discussing archive visits with a cousin! I sense trouble looming. Discussing archive visits can only lead to more visits being planned, which can only lead to more bus travel. And I just know that sooner or later, those bunnies will come hopping in with a bus ticket in MY NAME! And then I will be forced to ride cramped up next to a horde of bunnies, and I will have to share a litter box with them too! Do you know what sort of litter bunnies prefer? CORN litter! Even in the box they want vegetables!
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 10:21 PM No comments:
Monday, December 3, 2012
Pool Report
I can't believe this. This afternoon, the humans were once more attempting to do some work with that awful pool, with the assistance of the bunnies. I was hiding inside, hoping not to be noticed in case this work meant a pool party and zoo break might be looming in the future. I was all snuggled up in my condo, with ears tucked in under my tail. That must have muffled the hopping noises, is all I can figure, because I surely didn't hear the bunnies. It was only when I popped out to my box that I found what they had done. They snatched the mat I had right outside my box door, a not welcome mat to try to keep visiting friends of my siblings like the pandas and practically every other rabbit in the state out. They took my mat, and it is now outside, being used as a filter cover for the swimming pool! Can that get me charged as an accessory to any pool related crimes or escapes?
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 11:50 PM No comments:
Labels: bunnies, Sir Pinky the Cat, swimming pool
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Squirrel and the Bus
Well, the number of the bus the squirrel and the dragon are riding arrived in the human's email today, along with instructions on tracking their travel route. I thought about doing that, to see what the squirrel is up to, but I'm honestly a bit afraid to know. What if I look and it shows online that the bus the squirrel is on has made a stop at a seed store? You know, he's allowed fifty pounds of luggage on the bus. He could be filling that weight limit with massive amounts of seed, even as we speak!
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 7:54 PM No comments:
Labels: bus, Sir Pinky the Cat, squirrels
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Still No Squirrel
There is still no sign of the squirrel. Okay, yesterday I thought his taking his time to arrive was a good thing, but upon further reflection, I am getting nervous about this delay. What if the reason it is taking the squirrel so long to get here is because his bus stopped off at a seed store so he could gather gifts for his future bunny friends? He could be picking up massive quantities of seed at this very moment! The bunnies do not need more seed! I demand that bus get a move on! If I must put up with a giant squirrel, they better hurry and get him here! I think I can take his presence better than the worry about what he could be shopping for while I'm not looking.
Posted by Sir Pinky the Cat at 10:11 PM No comments:
Labels: Sir Pinky the Cat, squirrels
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To replace a custom system written on top of a vendor platform to a system without lock-in, avoid the silos and build structures that reflect your business values.
First, define a subsystem that is self contained. Develop that system and deploy to production as soon as the new subsystem can replace functionality in the old system. Continue to move subsystems to the new platform and eventually, the old system can be shut down. This strategy is called strangling or starvation.
To use a standard platform may, but not necessarily, end up in a system driven by the standard of the platform rather than the value adding services of a company. When I've used Polopoly, the system was a defined in subsystems by the Polopoly framework rather than by the business. The code base was tangled with cross references and dependencies that hampered one business unit from another. Let the organisation of the IT-system be a mirror of the business organisation. This yields a system with less accidental complexity.
If the client has an application that is hard to maintain due to accidental complexity it is good idea to define separate subsystems that in themselves add business value. To coordinate the subsystems, a variety of techniques of well high quality are available, such as Enterprise Service Bus, Point-to-Point, RMI, SOAP and WSDL or RESTful services. Technology is irrelevant, it is added business value that matters, adapt to change and understanding that applications are developed by people. That matters.
Team structure and architecture A system owner, architect or developer will often get a system that is a reflection of the organisation structure of the development. If all developers are part of the same team, the code will quickly become a coherent complex of parts. If the structure is divided in teams and each team is responsible for one or two business services, the IT-system quickly becomes subsystems that have specific business value. The benefits of this structure is that architectural and privatization becomes easier. What happens is that the subsystems can be prioritised based on business value.
Amazon. For Amazon it is important to be able to scale. Both in the number of developers, testers, business analysts, systems, data demand and data bandwidth and that those scalability decisions is defined from the business value. The Amazon answer is that each team is cross-functional, with business analysts, developers, testers and maintenance in one team. The call this "two pizza teams" - that's the number of people that can share two pizzas. http://highscalability.com/amazon-architecture
The technologies that can be used are a number, my favourite is the strategy described by Jim Webber and Martin Fowler in the presentation "Does my Bus [Enterprise Service Bus] look big in this?" http://www.infoq.com/presentations/soa-without-esb - a funny and interesting 45 minute presentation, lot's of fun! The gist of it is that, define your integrations not on a framework or library or platform defined by the middle-ware vendors but rather by a set of techniques that have been around for a long time. Skip forward to minute 30 of that presentation were Martin Fowler describes traditional SOA compared to guerrilla SOA. Same set of promises of orchestration, contracts, information model definitions yet without the complexity and vendor lock-in.
Chose integration strategy based on simple standard technologies that have been around for a long time. Use specific tools that are good at one or two things and combine them together. Incidentally, this is what Unix so good.


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5 Best ski boots for wide feet (2019)If you are someone that has wide feet and struggles to find ski boots that are comfortable, here is a rundown on the 5 best wide lasted ski boots.
Now these boots have been chosen as they combine wide last widths, while still providing great performance. There are other wide boots available in the beginner to intermediate category but these are the best wide boots for you to grow with and progress your skiing. There are also the same models available in women's boots.
If you are someone that has wide feet and struggles to find ski boots that are comfortable, here is a rundown on the 5 best wide lasted ski boots.
Now these boots have been chosen as they combine wide last widths, while still providing great performance. There are other wide boots available in the beginner to intermediate category but these are the best wide boots for you to grow with and progress your skiing. There are also the same models available in women's boots.
The first thing you want to make sure is that you actually do have a wide foot. It will be helpful for you to know your foot length, width, instep height and shape. Watch these two videos to be entirely clear on your feets dimensions and how they relate to the size of a ski boot.
Measure your feet for ski boots
Then we can look at which boots will be best to suit your wide feet.
1. Atomic Hawx Magna
One of the best options for wide feet out there is the Hawx Magna. A generous fit in volume, this boot has a fantastic anatomical last shape and liner specially designed for wide feet. Even though only listed at 102mm last, the beauty of this boot is that it features Atomic's Memory Fit. This allows the boot to expand further in width after heating the plastic for 5 mins at 117 degrees. A great combination of performance and adaptability.
The B.F.C is exactly like its Acronym. Built For Comfort! With a nice 103mm last and broad open toebox coimbined with their CushFit liner provides an instantly comfortable feel. With a moldable TPU shell, you can also expand this boot further when necessary and the softer plastic over the instep helps in getting in and out of the boot with ease. The low cuff height on this boot is also a win for those with bigger calfs.
3. Head Advant Edge
A serious contender in this wide fit category the Advant Edge from Head. It is another solid skiing, well fitting customisable ski boot. Featuring Form Fit technology, this boot can also be heat molded to gain more space if required. It begins with a high volume 2100cc /102mm last and can expand easily. Stacked with features this is a well thought out, great option to try on.
4. Rossignol Track 130
This boot from Rossignol comes out of the gate with a broad 104 last. It is a boot that has a great volume and shape for wider feet. Without too many extra frills, it is a straight up wider boot with all solid features and construction. The sensor matrix shell saves a bit of weight and the solid flex rating ensures great performance for the heavier skier or aggressive wider foot skier. Walk mode also helps in getting through the car park!
5. Salomon X-Pro
So these boots start with a mid fitting type last, the great thing for wide feet is the outstanding ability to mold to fit wider feet with the Custom Shell plastic (Kaprolene). Starting at a 100mm last with 10 mins of heating this boots expands out up to a 106mm last. I have seen great results with getting this boot to fit extremely wide feet and has a generous instep height aswell. Great for anyone with a narrower heel but wider forefoot only.
(BONUS)-Atomic LF (livefit)
As an extra option is the Atomic Live fit. And this is a boot that can instantly adapt to your extra wide feet. Truly a fantastic choice for a comfort boot. This boot has been scaled back this year and why it has been bumped from the list. It now tops out at a 100 flex option as the top of this line.(previously had a 130 flex) Which is still great for the intermediate skier, yet may leave more aggressive or heavier skiers searching for more.
The biggest trait of this boot is the live fit zones on either side of the forefoot. This allows the wider forefoot to fit in the boot without being compressed. The first and fifth metatarsal will expand into this rubberised live fit zone.
With a last of 104 plus live fit and a square toe box, this is an amazing boot for wide feet. Also there is a flat shim in the base that can be easily removed for an extra 2mm of height.
With all these boots in mind, it is best to check your feet within the ski boots shells to make sure the size of length and width will work for you.
Even with these wider boots, some people will still require their boots to be stretched in order to fit their extremely wide feet.
*This post has been updated to stay relevant for the current year of ski boot releases. (11/30/2016)