Office of the State Fire Marshal July 2019 WWW.SFM.ILLINOIS.GOV/ 1 Page 2 Marshal’s Minute Page 11 OSFM Training Page 3 Visit from Governor’s Office Page 12 Grilling Safety Page 4 -5 OSFM Employee Spotlight Page 13 Take the Pool Pledge Page 6 Join Us at the Fair Page 14 Kids Korner Page 7 Join Us at the Du Quoin Fair Page 8 New Arson Investigators Page 9-10 OSFM Milestone Anniversaries
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Office of the State Fire Marshal July 2019
WWW.SFM.ILLINOIS.GOV/ 1
Page 2 Marshal’s Minute Page 11 OSFM Training
Page 3 Visit from Governor’s Office Page 12 Grilling Safety
Page 4 -5 OSFM Employee Spotlight Page 13 Take the Pool Pledge
Page 6 Join Us at the Fair Page 14 Kids Korner
Page 7 Join Us at the Du Quoin Fair
Page 8 New Arson Investigators
Page 9-10 OSFM Milestone Anniversaries
Office of the State Fire Marshal July 2019
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Marshal’s Minute-State Fire Marshal Matt Perez
Pools are a favorite destination for many Illinoisans to cool off
during the hot summer months. It’s important to follow all posted
rules and to pay attention to your children. Drowning is the
leading cause of unintentional death for children ages 1-4
according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). In 2018,
between Memorial Day and Labor Day, at least 148 children
younger than 15 fatally drowned in swimming pools or spas,
according to the USA Swimming Foundation across the United
States. In Illinois during that same period, six children under the
age of 15 drown.
A national public education campaign run by the Consumer
Products Safety Commission (CPSC) called Pool Safety was
launched in 2010. This campaign was mandated by the Virginia
Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act and helps provide safety information that parents,
caregivers and pool owners should take into consideration to ensure safety in and around pools
and spas. This act was named after Virginia Graeme Baker, a seven-year-old girl who drowned
after she was trapped under water by a powerful suction from a hot tub drain. Here are some
simple steps to keep children safe in and around the water:
• Install a four-sided fence with a self-closing, self-latching gate around all pools and spas. Always check to make sure the gate is locked or closed when leaving the pool or spa!
• Keep the pool and deck clear of floats, balls and toys after you leave the pool.
• Always swim with a buddy.
• Designate an adult Water Watcher to supervise children at all times! Stay off your phone, put your book down, and pay attention to whoever is in or around the water!
• Never leave a child unattended in or near water.
• Learn how to swim and teach your child how to swim
• Learn how to perform CPR on children and adults
• Teach children to stay away from pool drains, pipes and other openings to avoid entrapments
• Ensure any pool or spa you use has drain covers that comply with federal safety standards. If you do not know, ask your pool service provider about safer drain covers.
Reviewing these steps can help to remind you about the dangers that pools and spas pose if not
used correctly! It only takes a few seconds for tragedy to strike!
Office of the State Fire Marshal July 2019
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Visit from Governor’s Office
Deputy Governor Christian Mitchell and
Bria Scudder visited OSFM on July 10th!
Deputy Governor Mitchell talked with
staff and department managers about
OSFM operations and programs being
offered. Mitchell oversees OSFM,
Department of Natural Resources,
Department of Corrections, IDOT, IEMA,
Military Affairs, ISP, Capitol
Development Board, Procurement Policy
Board and Tollway Highway Authority.
Mitchell confirmed the Governors
commitment to public safety agencies!
Deputy Governor Christian Mitchell & Fire Marshal Matt Perez
Left to Right…Bria Scudder, Deputy Governor Mitchell, Fire Marshal
Perez, Deputy Director Armstead, Chief of Operations Simpson and
CFO/CAO Wickenhauser
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OSFM Employee Spotlight
Bobby Joe Brown
Hello everyone, my name is Bobby Joe Brown, Special Agent,
K-9 Handler with the Division of Arson Investigation. I was
born and raised in Beardstown, Illinois, graduating in 1986
from Beardstown High School. I have been married to my
wonderful wife Heidi for 19 years. I have two step-children
and two awesome grandchildren. My favorite hobbies are
Crappie fishing and going to the drag races. My favorite food
has got to be Italian, does not matter what it includes if it’s
pasta, I’m in! Along with my fire service training I went to
PTI training and worked as a Deputy Sheriff in Cass County.
It all started for me in 1991 as a paid-on-call firefighter! I
became a volunteer firefighter in my hometown of
Beardstown, Illinois. After serving four years as a paid-on-call
firefighter I was hired by the fire department in 1995 and
required to attend paramedic school and work on the ambulance. After completing my training as
a Paramedic, I worked as a Firefighter/Paramedic and promoted to Captain. I continued my
firefighter training in 2001, taking the fire investigation mods at the Illinois Fire Service Institute
in Champaign. The bug bit me big time and I knew then I wanted to be an Arson Investigator and
possibly work for the Fire Marshal’s office someday. I continued my journey with the fire
service becoming the Fire Chief for the City of Beardstown in 2004 and served in that role until
2008. I left the fire department in 2008 to pursue my dream of being a fire arson investigator
fulltime. I went to work for a private fire investigation company working as a fire investigator
for three years before being laid off due to downsizing of the company. That was a difficult time
for me, what did I do wrong I thought, leaving the fire department and now laid off. My career
took a small turn and I applied and was hired by Ameren Illinois and went through a three-year
apprentice training program and became a Journeyman Natural Gas Trouble man. I did
everything from construction of new gas mains and service lines, to responding to emergencies
such as hit gas lines, to gas leak calls. It was a great job, but the entire five-and-a-half years I
worked for Ameren I kept feeling the heart strings calling me back to fire investigations. Every
time I would see a fire truck responding or I would get called out to a structure fire to verify the
natural gas was shut off properly, I realized being a fire investigator was all I really wanted to do.
After several years of going through the application process with the State of Illinois applying
for jobs with the Fire Marshal’s office, I finally got hired in 2016 as an Arson Investigator I.
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OSFM Employee Spotlight cont.
The next chapter, K-9 Handler. In the spring of this year I was given the opportunity to become a
K-9 Handler. I was notified I would be going to the state of New Hampshire for training with the
Maine Specialty Dog program sponsored by State Farm Insurance. I was both very excited and a
little unsure if I made the right choice to become a K-9 Handler. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted
to become a Handler, but I was told the program was very demanding and that Paul Gallagher,
owner of Maine Specialty Dogs, had no problem sending you home after four weeks of intense
training without a dog if you didn’t meet his high expectations. To say the least it was one of the
most amazing experiences I have ever gone through. I was very fortunate to be paired with my
amazing K-9 Partner Sasha, a two-and-a-half-year-old female black lab. The training and the
friends I made while in New Hampshire will last a lifetime. Also adding to the unbelievable trip,
I was fortunate to be able to attend the training with fellow K-9 Handler Greg Vespa, who
received his third K-9 Ross although Division Director Ooms was sure that between nineteen
hours in the same vehicle together for the ride to New Hampshire and then returning with two K-
9’s for the long ride home, we would be ready to intentionally leave the other at a truck stop
somewhere in the middle of New York before the month was complete. Well it turned out Greg
and I ended the trip safely, we returned to Illinois without choking one another and I feel we now
have a great friendship. This job is everything I expected it to be and more. The experiences and
the people you meet are amazing.
Sasha Arson K-9
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Join us at the Fair!
2019 State Fair Tent Schedule
Friday, August 9th- Illinois Association of Fire Protection
Districts
Saturday, August 10th- Illinois Professional Firefighters
Association & International Association of Arson Investigators
Sunday, August 11th- Illinois Fire Chiefs Association & IFSAP
Monday, August 12th- MABAS
Tuesday, August 13th- Chicago Fire Department
Wednesday, August 14th- Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois
Thursday, August 15th- Illinois Fire Service Institute & Illinois
Society of Fire Service Instructors
Friday, August 16th- Illinois Fire Safety Alliance
Saturday, August 17th- Illinois Firefighters Association
Sunday, August 18th- Illinois Fire Inspectors Association &
Northern Illinois Alliance of Fire Protection Districts
State Fair Springfield
The Illinois State fair is
right around the corner
and again this year OSFM
will be there! Our tent
will be open daily from
10 AM through 5 PM.
OSFM will be in the
Twilight Parade, which
steps off at 5:30 PM on
Thursday, August 8th.
Organizations from across
the state will be helping to
staff the State Fair tent
again this year. Make sure
to stop by and say hello!
You can also catch OSFM
Staff in the Governor’s
tent on Main Street.
First Responders Day
Friday, August 16th
All police officers, firefighters and EMTs who show their badge at the
gate will be admitted to the Illinois State Fair for FREE. Also, look for
special offers and discounts from various food vendors while you enjoy
your day at the fair!
Office of the State Fire Marshal July 2019
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Join us at the Fair in DuQuoin!
First Responders Day
Sunday, September 1st
All police officers, firefighters and EMTs who show their badge at the
gate will be admitted to the Illinois State Fair for FREE. Also, look for
special offers and discounts from various food vendors while you enjoy
your day at the fair!
Du Quoin State Fair August 23rd-September 2nd
OSFM is off to southern Illinois
for the Du Quoin State Fair again
this year!
OSFM will be in the Twilight
Parade on Friday, August 23rd.
The parade steps off at 6PM and
will weave through the
fairgrounds.
The always exciting Firefighter
event waterball will take place
Sunday, August 25th!
Our tent will be open from 4 PM
until 9 PM during the week and
Noon to 9 PM on the weekends
and Labor Day.
Make sure to stop in and visit
with staff from OSFM and learn
more about what programs we
have to offer.
Office of the State Fire Marshal July 2019
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Welcome New Arson Investigators
OSFM welcomed four new arson investigators with a swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday, July
2nd in the auditorium. Fire Marshal Matt Perez administered the oath with Springfield staff in
attendance. In a private ceremony, each received their badges from the Fire Marshal. These new
additions bring the number of arson investigators to 17 statewide.
Terry Ooms, Division Manager
of Arson Investigation says, “I
look forward to working with
the new hires, this will greatly
benefit the state with shorter
response times and time
traveled! They all come with a
wealth of knowledge!”
They will begin training in
Marion and then shadow senior
investigators for several weeks.
The new hires will be stationed
in different parts of the state.
The mission of the Division of Arson Investigation is to provide fire investigation and law
enforcement services to the fire service, and federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
The Division is responsible for
investigating suspicious fires
and explosions. Arson
Investigators are sworn peace
officers authorized to conduct
fire and/or explosion origin
and cause investigations,
interview witnesses and/or
suspects, conduct follow-up
investigations, execute search
warrants, collect evidence,
make arrests and testify in
court. The Arson Division also
consists of 7 canine teams.
These canines can detect
minute traces of ignitable liquids often used in fires and can lead investigators to a specific