On Saturday night the department held its annual awards banquet at Holiday Acres resort in Rhinelander.  The banquet was attended by the members, their families and several guests and is a way to honor all the volunteers for their dedication and hard work throughout the year. 

The following members received awards.

Mark Theiler - Chiefs Award

Dan Littleton - Firefighter of the Year

Jim Wehrman - First Responder of the Year

Lifesaving Awards went to Brian Hollands, Mark Theiler, Eric Vaughan and Michelle Fenske for their role in saving a person in cardiac arrest.

Years of service pins went to Earl Braun - 30 years, Brian Hollands - 20 Years, Anita Brooks - 5 years and Eric Vaughan - 5 years.

Units from our department responded to a structure fire in the Township of Newbold.  Tanker 1 and Tanker 2 responded to assist with water supply.  Rescue 1 responded to assist with a manpower request.  Our department assisted for 6 hours in battling the stubborn fire.  The home was a complete loss. 

Members of our department assisted the Rhinelander Fire Department with their Northern Vintage Snowmobile Race. 

The images you are looking at are not actual pictures, but heat signatures taken with a thermal imaging camera.  Every object gives off a different heat signature, with the whites, yellows and reds showing the fire.  You can notice the temperature displayed on the screen with the reading taking place where the crosshair is.  In one image the temperature is 1283 degrees F.

Members of our department participated in a training burn in Pine Lake.  The burn conducted by Nicolet College is a chance for our new firefighters to practice in a live fire situation.

Our department was awarded an Assistance to Firefighters Grant by the Department of Homeland Security.  This grant worth $38,778.00 will be used to purchase new fire hose and nozzles.  The acquisition of this equipment will replace some equipment over 30 years old. 

Our department had the opportunity to train with the Oneida County Hazardous Materials Team on Wednesday evening.  The Haz Mat Team came out to our station to conduct a decontamination drill and after an explanation of the process, our members had a chance to give it a try.  Members donned protective gear including splash suit, boots, gloves and splash shield. 

Thanks to Nicolet College for the informative training and also Haz Mat Chief Clarence Puza and his crew for letting us participate.

Our department responded to a reported chicken coop on fire on Lake Thompson Road.    Do to several adjacent sheds, assistance was requested from the Pine Lake Fire Department.  Several chickens were lost in the blaze.

It’s not exactly Lambeau Field, but it could be one heck of a party.
 
In what will be its fifth year, the Green Bay Packers Tailgate Tour will visit Rhinelander in May 2010. The event, scheduled tentatively May 11th from 6 to 8:30 p.m. will feature speeches by the players and a question and answer period. 
 
Packer President Mark Murphy and three players to be named later will visit the area as part of their four-city tour around Wisconsin. Last year’s tour included safety Nick Collins, linebacker Brady Poppinga and wide receiver Jordy Nelson.
 
The event will be held at the Rhinelander Ice Arena with only 700 tickets being sold for $25.00 apiece. Included in the ticket price will be food, autographs, a souvenir and door prizes.
 
The event will benefit Kindness for Kids and Pelican Fire & Rescue. Kindness for kids, established in 1994, is an all-volunteer charitable organization with the sole purpose of helping less fortunate children in the area. Pelican Fire & Rescue will use funds raised to purchase new firefighting equipment.
 
More information about the Packers Tailgate party will be made official in March, which is likely when tickets will go on sale. Updates will be posted at www.pelicanfire.com as they become available.
 
Businesses interested in becoming an official sponsor of the 2010 Tailgate Tour can contact the department at info@pelicanfire.com.

An early morning blaze in the Town of Pine Lake left a house destroyed.  The occupants of the home barely escaped through a window with their lives.  They were treated at St. Mary's Hospital for injuries sustained in the fire.

Crews from Pine Lake, Pelican and Sugar Camp battled the fire with temperatures hovering around -15F.  Also assisting with firefighter rehab was the Little Rice Fire Department Emergency Services Unit.

Several snowmobiles were hit head-on by a car on Highway 8 near Haymeadow Road.  A preliminary investigation determined there were six snowmobiles traveling East on the Westbound Shoulder of the road.  Three of the snowmobiles collided with the car on the highway. 

A total of five people were transported to St Marys Hospital where the operator of one snowmobile was pronounced dead.  Two people were airlifted to trauma centers for treatment of their injuries.

One vehicle left the roadway on South Shore Drive Saturday night and rolled over in the woods.  The lone occupant of the vehicle was not injured, even though the car was heavily damaged.  Crews were on scene for two hours while the towing company worked to remove the vehicle from the woods.

Our department has several new firefighters going through the Entry Level Firefighter class at Nicolet College.  The students spent Saturday doing practicals to strengthen what they learned so far.  Congratulations to them all for their hard work and dedication.

On Saturday Santa arrived at the fire station by firetruck to visit with all the children who came out to see him.  He had treat bags for each child and listened to their wish lists for Christmas.  There were drawings with prizes being given away including a 6 foot stocking filled with toys.  We look foward to Santa visiting us at Pelican again next year.

Both Engine 2 and Rescue 1 received new lightbars recently.  We installed Whelen Freedon LED lightbars on both units.  The new lightbars are brighter and only use a fraction of the power needed for the old ones.