Firewhirl: January 2006 Archives

Russian Office Building Fire Video

Here is a video of an office building fire (9 stories), from Firehouse.com via Roanoke Firefighters.

WARNING: The video contains graphic scenes.

This video has good footage of an aerial ladder being put to use, master streams, EMS crews, and other apparatus.

Here is an excerpt from the Firehouse.com article:

Prosecutors have charged two more people in connection with an office-building blaze last week that killed nine people in the Russian Pacific port of Vladivostok.

Metal gates blocking stairwells in the nine-story building trapped workers on the upper floors during last Monday's blaze. Several of the victims jumped or fell to their deaths trying to escape the smoke and flames.

Prosecutor Alexander Anikin said in comments broadcast on NTV that an employee of the state-owned Sberbank had been charged with failing to oversee fire safety at the part of the building that the bank occupied.

Hot, Warm, and Cold Responses

Firehouse has a good article about some jurisdictions that don't respond to all 911 calls with lights and sirens.

In St. Louis, Salt Lake City and Anne Arundel County, Maryland, those fire trucks and ambulances blending in with normal traffic just may be headed to an incident.

While flashing lights and screaming sirens are the norm in most jurisdictions, some officials are taking a long, hard look at response methods, as the number of crashes involving emergency vehicles continues to rise.

...

Units are instructed to respond one of three ways, hot, warm or cold. And, dispatchers have a pre-determined list of response criteria. Williams said on a warm response, only the first due piece runs with lights and siren. The others come in cold.

Calls that still generate a hot response include working fires, patients with respiratory or cardiac problems and serious trauma. "Everything can be upgraded to an urgent call once an officer arrives or additional information is obtained. We're not putting lives in jeopardy," Simpson said.

This makes good sense. Not all calls that we have here my hometown need a hot response. I know it would reduce the possibility of car wrecks during the response.

Poll Results - January 31, 2006

No surprises on last week's poll:

Don't forget to vote in this week's poll (over on the sidebar).

1909 Firefighter Duties

Over at the blog called Firefighter, there are some interesting posts about firefighting back in the early 1900s. Here is an excerpt from a post about 1909 firefighter duties.

A fireman started at the large salary of $75 a month, working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the meal hours ran in three periods, as follows, dived up in shifts from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. for breakfast, and so on until supper time. You could take three one hour meals, or two one and a half ones, or one three hour meal. Anyway if you had a family you only saw them three hours a day. Hardly enough for your wife and children to know you.

Tough hours! The rest of the article has a lot of detail about how they maintained the horses and equipment.

New Links

Here are some new links that I've added to the sidebar:

My Dark Little Corner of Cyberspace - a firefighter's blog about his life, firefighting, and EMS. Detailed posts - good stuff.

World Fire Departments.com - a resource site for firefighters with links to fire departments all over the world. They also have links to museums, news, picture galleries, and more.

Apparatus Safety

Read this article from Fire Chief about the Apparatus Specification and Vehicle Maintenance Symposium recently held in Orlando, FL.

Here are some highlights:

NFPA 1901 Safety Task Force Committee Chairman Robert Tutterow's presentation on specifying safety in apparatus recommended that departments:

Remove SCBAs from cabs,
Hold officers and operators accountable, and
Prohibit the use of personal vehicles for response.

...

Texas trial lawyer Jim Juneau gave the most riveting presentation of the conference. He pointedly told attendees what to do when something is wrong with an apparatus: "If you're not in charge of the apparatus, bitch! If you are in charge of the apparatus, listen!" He noted that regular preventive maintenance checks are "absolutely essential."

...

Juneau then took on tanker rollovers. From 1977 to 1999, there were 73 tanker deaths; 78% or 54 were rollovers resulting in firefighter fatalities. "Riding in a tanker may be among a firefighter's most dangerous duties," he said. "There is a movement to remove lights and sirens from tankers."

All interesting points. Here are my thoughts:

Remove SCBAs from cabs:
Is this really a big problem? I've tried to stay up-to-date on death and injury reports and I haven't heard much about this. As a firefighter in a department that doesn't have SCBAs in the cab now, I wish we had a truck with this feature. Its a pain in the keester and much slower to don SCBA at the scene.

Prohibit the use of personal vehicles for response:
This would be impractical in rural areas. Many times we have firefighters close to the incident and it would be a mistake to require them to respond to the fire hall first and then drive to the incident in a department vehicle. Some of our responses are over 20 miles away.

Tender safety:
I'm not sure removing lights and sirens from tenders is the right answer.

OK, after saying all of that, it may sound like I'm against safety. I'm all for safety! Safety first. However, let's not reduce our effectiveness without studying the issue in depth.

SUV Versus House

Check out the pictures of an SUV that took on a house over at 43 Firefighter. My favorite is the third picture from the top.

Black Spruce Description

I was reading an article about Alaska wildfires and its effects on the boreal forest (from Sitnews.us), when I came across a description of the flammability of black spruce:

The resilient black spruce is the most flammable tree in the boreal forest; one fire official called it "gasoline on a stick."

Apparently, they burn pretty hot - hehehe.

The rest of the article is actually pretty interesting too.

Another Mine Fire

The rash of mine fires continued this weekend with a mine fire in Canada (from the Washington Post).

ESTERHAZY, Saskatchewan -- Rescuers retrieved 67 western Canadian potash miners who had been trapped underground by a fire, but several more miners were still in subterranean emergency chambers Monday waiting for help.

Seventy-two miners were trapped early Sunday when a fire started in polyethylene piping more than a half-mile underground.

When toxic smoke began to fill the tunnels, the miners retreated to so-called refuge stations _ spacious chambers that can be sealed off and are equipped with supplies of oxygen, food and water.

At least this one has a happy ending. The remaining miners will be brought to the surface later today.

Fighting a fire underground would be tricky to say the least. I don't know a thing about it but I'm guessing that there is all kinds of specialized equipment that is necessary. Air supply must be a huge factor.

Here is the NIOSH page on mine fires for a little background reading.

Firefighter with SCBA at Night

Photo by FF FF John Kurtin courtesy of Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company.

Fire Department: Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company
Location: Leesburg, VA
Incident: Gas leak at adult detention center
Date: January 20, 2006

This picture comes to us via Becoming a Firefighter. Here are the details from the Leesburg VFC website.

Near Miss: Roof Collapse Just After Evacuation

Here is this week's Near Miss report:

We made our way through the structure looking for the fire. After crawling approximately 25 feet, we determined that we were behind the service counter. We knew this because we had done a company inspection of this occupancy only two weeks before. We began hearing ceiling tiles and kitchen items falling from overhead.

Read the whole report to get the full picture and to find out what happened next.

This report highlights the need to maintain good situational awareness during an interior attack. With sight hindered due to smoke, taste and smell eliminated due to the SCBA, and touch inhibited by turnout gear, hearing becomes very important.

At an incident do you rely on your hearing to help you evaluate the situation?
After an incident, do you replay what you heard and identify what made those noises?

Grant Awards - AFG, SAFER, and FP&S

More grant awards have been announced - Round 22 for the AFG program, Round 7 for the SAFER program, and Round 1 for the FP&S program. I hope you are on one of those lists!

The Last Alarm

Mike at Firefighter Blog has reprinted a poem by an 11 year old daughter of a FDNY firefighter that was killed last year.

Here is the article from The Daily News covering the memorial service for the two firefighters killed in the Black Sunday fire.

Her voice cracking ever so slightly, an 11-year-old girl brought a firehouse full of big men to tears yesterday with a heart-wrenching poem about the day her father went to work to ride his red truck and never came home.

Lt. Curtis Meyran's daughter Angela proved she was every bit as brave as her dad as she faced a crowd of hundreds at a ceremony marking the first anniversary of the Black Sunday inferno that killed two firefighters and injured four others.

Here is the poem:

The Last Alarm

My father was a firefighter
He rode in a big red truck
And when he'd go to work each night
He'd say, "Mom, wish me luck"
And Dad would not come home again till sometimes the next day
A fireman's life is easy
He eats and sleeps and plays
And sometimes he [doesn't] fight fires for days and days and days
When I first heard these comments, I was too young to understand
Because I knew when the people had trouble, Dad was there to lend a hand
And my father went to work one day and he kissed us all goodbye
Little did we know that next morning we'd all cry
My father gave his life that next day when the fire got too hot
And we wondered why he'd risk his life for someone he didn't know
But now I realize the greatest gift a man can give is to lay down his life down upon the line so that someone else might live
So as we go on from day to day and we pray to God above, say a prayer for your brothers. They may save your loved ones.

Angela Meyran

All Female Firefighting Crew

ABC News has a feature about an all female firefighting crew in the San Diego Fire Department.

Jan. 24, 2006 — Two decades ago, Melissa Cleary found herself at the scene of a car accident. When the firefighters responded, Cleary was shocked to see a woman jump out of the truck.

"It was the first time it actually occurred to me that maybe I could be a firefighter," Cleary said.

Cleary was so affected, she tracked the female firefighter down and followed her into the profession. Today, Cleary, 47, is the engineer on Engine 22, San Diego's all-female fire crew.

There is a video too.

Australian Bushfires Force Evacuations

Australian bushfires are heating up (from Radio New Zealand):

Four major bushfires in the Australian state of Victoria have forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents.

Eleven communities which are directly in the path of a massive bushfire in the west of the state have now been placed on high alert.

The blaze in the Grampians National Park has burnt through 120,000 hectares of bush and farmland, and destroyed 24 homes.

It is expected to intensify as soaring temperatures combine with high winds. Many residents have already evacuated and those remaining have been warned to maintain a constant vigil.

I don't have time to do the exact conversion on the acreage, but it is somewhere over 250,000 acres!

Into the Firestorm - Going South

The second episode of the "Into the Firestorm" series was on Tuesday night and I was able to watch it. This episode continued to feature the Redmond Smoke Jumpers and Prineville Hotshots. It also featured two other crews, the Mill Creek Hotshots and a helitack crew out of southern California. Apparently, the Mill Creek Hotshots have disbanded since the filming of this series. I'll have to watch the video to catch which helitack crew was featured and then I'll post an update.

I liked this episode a little better than the first. It had some pretty interesting fire behavior shots from a fire in California. This intense fire behavior was out of the ordinary because it was at night, when fires usually calm down a bit.

There was good footage of retardant drops by air tankers and bucket drops by helicopters.

One point that I found pretty accurate was the portrayal of problems that can arise on wildland fires. The smoke jumpers' equipment got hung up in the trees, so they had to do a little tree climbing before they could really fight much fire. The Prineville Hotshots humped a bunch of hose, pumps, and nozzles into a fire only to discover that helicopter bucket drops had all but put the fire out. They were left with the boring stuff - mop-up.

My rating on this episode: 4 out of 5.

Out of Office Today

I'll be out of the office today - heading to Sioux Falls to the auto auction. If I get back at a decent time and I'm not bushed, I'll put some posts up tonight.

In the meantime, check out some of the blogs and links listed at the bottom of the sidebar.

Firefighters in Politics - Hmmmm

Ha! You've got to read this post from Mike the Mad Biologist. He has a strategy for the Democrats to take back Congress.

I've figured out how the Democrats can take back the Congress: the Firefighting Dems. That's right: the Democrats should try to run as many firefighters as they can in the 2006 elections.

Read the rest of his post to find out his reasons.

Here is my favorite paragragh from the post:

Now, some of you might disagree with me. Let me say this: if you are against the Firefighting Dems, you not only hate firefighters, but you clearly hate America and have no idea what integrity or honor mean. It's liberal, hippie, draft-dodging, unshaven, girlie-man pussies like you who are responsible for Democratic defeats, not a Democratic political strategist class that couldn't pour piss out of a boot if the instructions were written on the damn heel.

Mike, you would fit right in down at the fire hall with the rest of the crew if that is how you normally express yourself :-)

Into the Firestorm - The Burnout

Last night I watched the first episode of a TV series that a buddy of mine taped. The series is called "Into the Firestorm" from the Discovery Channel. "Into the Firestorm" is a series of four episodes featuring wildland firefighting in the U.S. that will show on the Discovery Channel until February 8.

The first episode is called "The Burnout". So how was it? Here is my quick review:

Overall, it was pretty good. It featured the Redmond Smoke Jumpers out of Redmond, OR, and the Prineville Hotshots out of Prineville, OR.

The show featured some good video of wildland fire and fire behavior - nothing really that spectacular, but if you know what you are looking at, it was good. I kept making mental notes to use parts of the tape to teach S130/S190.

There was also some great footage when the camera crews placed cameras in dangerous locations and filmed remotely. An example, placing a camera where a snag would fall when cut. The snag just missed the camera - barely.

The show focuses mainly on the Prineville Hotshots conducting burnout operations over a two day period using drip torches and flare guns.

My rating of this episode: 4 out of 5.

If you missed this first episode, you can catch it again on Feb. 6, at 11 AM ET/PT.

Here is the series website - check it out. Don't miss the next episode tonight, Jan. 24, at 10 PM ET/PT.

Poll Results - January 24, 2006

Here are the poll results for last week. It looks like Firewhirl readers are a pretty safe crew.

Paramedic Fired For Blog Pictures

This from the TimesHerald.com (via FireFightingNews.com):

PLYMOUTH - A paramedic at Plymouth Community Ambulance was fired this week for a series of pictures she posted on her online journal known as a blog.

In one picture, several Mexican men who had only moments before escaped a burning row home on West Elm Street are referred to as "Mexican jumping beans." The men escaped through windows. They were left homeless, and a man not depicted in the photos was found dead.

In one instance, "ivwoman" posted photos of an elderly woman's filthy bed. After paramedics placed her in the ambulance, "ivwoman's" partner is wafting his nose at what is apparently the scent of bodily functions.

Another image depicts a man with some sort of head wound.

Read the whole article to get all of the details.

This highlights an issue that many "emergency" bloggers may face. What types of photos and what kind of descriptions are appropriate to post on a personal blog, especially if the blogger is an emergency responder?

In the case above, the paramedic was treating these people and apparently violated her patients' privacy. Due to her status as an emergency responder, she is required to keep some information regarding the incident private. This is different than a bystander at the incident who is under no such obligation.

For those emergency bloggers out there - take heed.

Fire Pictures During Snowfall

Tim at 43 Firefighter has some pictures of an incident - a fire at a Burger King during a pretty heavy snowfall. Check 'em out.

UPDATE: Tim's pictures are also featured at FireFightingNews.com as a photostory!

Amazing Numbers on Australian Fire

Here are some amazing numbers from a wildland fire in Australia (from theage.com.au).

DSE spokeswoman Rachaele May said an estimated 50,000 sheep died, 30,000 bales of hay and 300km of fencing were destroyed in the Grampians blaze in which almost 100,000 hectares had been razed.

300 km = 186 miles.
100,000 hectares = 247,105 acres.

Here is another number that surprised me:

Firefighters plan to backburn 8000 hectares in the Halls Gap area before Thursday.

That is almost 20,000 acres or about 31 square miles - just for burning out! I guess when the Aussies burn out they get serious about it.

Red Tag, Green Tag

I was reading through an article about some wildland firefighters that are expecting an early fire season (from KOLD.com). The end of the article really caught my eye:

Captain Rodeffer of Northwest Fire says he sees the day coming when crews issue red tags or green tags to homes.

A red tag would mean there are too many hazards, so in case of a wildfire, firefighters wouldn't be able to defend the home and would leave it to burn.

While that day may be a bit far off, wildfire season is just about here already.

I've heard some talk of this type of thing, but nothing serious, just coffee table talk. This is already done during major wildland/urban interface fires while the incident is in progress. There aren't red and green tags, but the structures are "triaged" and the buildings that can't be protected are ignored while the firefighters move on to others that can be protected.

Doing structural triage before an incident happens is a good idea, but how do you identify the structures that should be protected and those that shouldn't. Hanging tags off of the houses won't work. Perhaps if they were affixed to the inside of a window facing the street or driveway, it would work.

This brings up a question though. How would you keep a homeowner that has received a red tag from placing a green tag in their window?

What are your thoughts on this issue? Will pre-incident structural triage work?

Firefighters Lose Jobs Due to Internet Incident

Six Milwaukee firefighters were fired (from Firehouse.com).

Six Milwaukee firefighters were fired Friday for their alleged roles in an incident in which a firefighter, while on duty, performed a lewd act in front of a computer camera while colleagues at a different firehouse watched.

Read the whole story for the details on the incident.

These firefighters have the opportunity to appeal their firing, however, I don't think they'll get their jobs back. People have lost their jobs over a lot less.

This just shows that you better keep it clean while on the internet at the fire hall, even if you are using your personal computer - which was the case with one of the computers in the Milwaukee incident.

Steelers Heading to the Super Bowl

Well, I haven't posted much personal stuff on this blog - mostly because I want to it to pertain to firefighting (and I don't know that anyone wants to read much about my personal life). However, I can't resist the urge to post about the drubbing the Steelers gave to the Broncos yesterday.

I've been a Steeler fan since 4th grade, which is a rare thing in the middle of South Dakota. Most folks are either Vikings fans (east of the Missouri river) or Broncos fans (west of the Missouri river).

Here is the game recap (from ESPN).

Choctaw Nation Donates to Fire Departments

Check this out from the Durant Daily Democrat:

“The Tribal Council and I understand that rural fire departments are responding to numerous wildfires, depleting their budgets rapidly,” said Chief Gregory E. Pyle. “The Choctaw Nation has been offering free fuel and supplies at the Tribal Travel Plazas for the fire departments, but now we are extending our assistance to include a monetary grant to the volunteer fire departments who are working in our area.”

...

“The Choctaw Nation is blessed to be financially able to give back to our communities,” said Assistant Chief Mike Bailey. “Providing a financial boost to the budgets of the many volunteer fire departments in our area is the right thing to do.”

Kudos to the Choctaw Nation! Hopefully, other agencies in Oklahoma and Texas follow their example.

Fighting Fires in East Manatee, Florida

Here is an interesting article about a wildland firefighter in Florida and how things have changed over the years (from HeraldToday.com).

EAST MANATEE - Andy Lee's office is in the middle of a shady, wooded area. But the grass and trees he sees remind him of fuel - fuel for the fires he fights.

A forest ranger with the Florida Department of Forestry for the past quarter-century, Lee has fought forest fires and overseen controlled and proscribed burns throughout the Southeast. Through the years he's grown attached to an open-cab bulldozer he's used since 1987.

"There's no air conditioner, but you can feel the fire and smell the smoke," Lee says. "I've taken in enough smoke over the years that it probably doesn't matter if I inhale."

Hehehe, sounds like a firefighter that has been at it for awhile too. Read the whole thing to find out how fire departments have changed the role of forestry firefighters over the years.

Winter Grass Fire Special

Check out our Winter Grass Fire Special on skid units over at Northern Plains Fire.

Firefighter Caught in Flames on Ladder

You'll definitely want to check out this video and slide show from cbs2chicago.com (via Firehouse.com). It shows a Chicago firefighter descending a ladder when the flames engulf the ladder. From the report on the video, the firefighter received minor burns and was not transported to the hospital.

Backlit Aerial in Smoke

Photo by FF Kevin D. White.

Fire Department: Reading Fire Department
Location: Reading, MA
Incident: Commercial structure fire
Date: January 16, 2006

Here is the link to the story on FireFightingNews.com.

This is really a nice shot. Check the silhouette of the basket and firefighters projected onto the smoke.

AFG Round 21 and AFG 2006 Workshops

Check here to see if your department was awarded a grant in Round 21 of the AFG program.

Regional workshops will be held for the 2006 AFG program starting at the end of January. Check here for more info and a schedule of workshops.

Real Life Dudley Do-Right

An off-duty firefighter and other witnesses rescued a woman from an approaching train (from NBC4.TV via FireFightingNews.com).

LOS ANGELES -- A young woman whose car ended up on railroad tracks after a collision with another car was rescued by an off-duty firefighter and other witnesses moments before a freight train slammed into the sedan, police said.

Amanda Pratt, 20, of Whittier, was westbound on Kimberly Avenue at about 8:30 a.m. when her 1999 Ford Escort collided with a 1991 Toyota Corolla northbound on Acacia Avenue, said Fullerton police Sgt. Linda King.

The preliminary investigation indicated that Pratt might have failed to stop at a stop sign, King said.

The woman's Escort was struck on the driver door side and careened onto the tracks as a 70-car BNSF train traveling from Los Angeles to Barstow approached, King said.

The train was about 1,000 feet away as the scenario unfolded, she said. The conductor was able to slow the train but could not stop before it hit the Escort on the right fender, King said.

Off-duty Fullerton firefighter Pete Gray said the train was bearing down on the car when the woman was rescued. Pratt's door was jammed from the car crash, the firefighter said.

Good job, Firefighter Gray!

9/11 Remembrance Flag

Rhett at Roanoke Firefighters has a post about the 9/11 Remembrance Flag. This from the official website:

One of the most important facets of the 9/11 remembrance flag is that it is meant to symbolize the good things that happened even in the light of such a tragic event. It symbolizes the fact that the lives lost, were not in vain. No one can deny that we all learned a little something that day, or that we felt a little more willing to pause in our busy lives to let someone else know we cared about them. Imagine what it would be like, if people were that way, everyday. The events of 9/11 showed us that there was that much caring in each and every person, and we should forever embrace that, and strive toward the world where kindness to each other is not due to a tragic event, but rather is an everyday fact of life.

Taxes

Sorry for the delay in posting today. I had to go in and visit with my accountant about taxes - ugh.

I'll have some posts up by this afternoon.

Fire at the Pentagon

There was a kitchen fire at the Pentagon this morning (from FOXNews.com).

WASHINGTON — A fire broke out in a third-floor kitchen stove at the Pentagon Thursday morning and spread to ductwork that passed through the fourth and fifth floors to the roof, authorities said.

The blaze was quelled, said Arlington County Fire Department spokesman Tom Polera, but the process of cleaning up and checking the damaged area for hot spots was continuing, complicated by asbestos surrounding the ductwork.

This is such a big building, I'm sure that are lots of incidents that we never hear about. This one must have been a big enough deal to make the news.

It would be interesting to be on the fire department that covers high profile buildings like the Pentagon, the Capitol building, or the White House.

01/19/2006: False Alarm at Nursing Home

At approximately 0715, we were paged to a fire alarm at the nursing home. Of course, I had just stepped into the shower - Sheesh! I had forgotten how hard it is to put clothes on when you are wet.

I did manage to get dressed, out to my vehicle, and about two blocks down the street before our response was canceled. It was a false alarm.

Near Miss: Turnout Coat Ignites

This week's Near Miss Report involves live burn training:

I was a rookie firefighter at the time of the event. My class was participating in a live burn exercise at an acquired structure. Two instructors were going to demonstrate the effectiveness of a 2 1/2 gallon water extinguisher. A dilapidated, small outbuilding had been set on fire for the demonstration. The instructors approached the fire, spraying water from the extinguisher. They kept moving toward the fire spraying the fire, but not making much headway. About 5-10 feet from the fire, the turnout coat of the instructor working the extinguisher began smoking, then ignited. The instructors retreated quickly with the lead instructor whose coat caught fire quickly shucking the coat. No injuries were sustained.

The report mentions that the turnout coat of the instructor was heavily impregnated with smoke particles from previous live burns. I would guess that the coat was probably very dirty too. This really shows how important it is to keep your gear clean.

How clean do you keep your gear?
Do you remember the last time you washed it?
How clean is the gear of your fellow firefighters?
How does the state of your fellow firefighters gear impact you?

Postponed Department of the Week

Just letting you know that I haven't had the time to get the Department of the Week lined up for this week.

I'll have one ready next week. Sorry for the delay.

Are You Always a Firefighter?

What happens when you are off duty in another jurisdiction and you come across a fire? Do you help out the firefighters at the scene? Do you just go on your way?

Most of us would jump right in and help out if the responders at the scene needed us. However, that might not be the wisest decision. Here is an article from Firehouse.com that explores this issue.

CRANSTON -- When is a firefighter not a firefighter?

Steven Burgess thought he was a firefighter the night The Station nightclub burned to the ground. He went as a concertgoer, out on a date.

But as the fire consumed the club, the Cranston firefighter joined West Warwick's Fire Department, fire hose in hand, as they fought the blaze -- standing close enough that the heat burned his clothes and singed his eyebrows off.

The City of Cranston saw it differently. While he acted heroically and deserved praise, the city said, Burgess was no firefighter that night; he was a private citizen doing what he could to help.

This is a must read article. Also, check this post over at Roanoke Firefighters.

This is a tough issue. If you think about the safety practices that have been instituted in the fire service, Burgess probably should not have been used for firefighting because he did not have the proper PPE. Perhaps they could have used him to assist with crowd control, communications, or something that did not require him to be directly involved with firefighting efforts.

Researchers Develop Vein Finder

Here is something cool if you are a medic (from Georgia Research Tech News via FireFightingNews.com).

When medics are treating trauma patients, every second counts. Yet bruises, burns, and other physical conditions often make it difficult to locate veins and administer lifesaving drugs or solutions.

In response, a team of Georgia Institute of Technology researchers is developing an inexpensive, handheld device that uses Doppler ultrasound technology to find veins quickly.

...

As medics move the device along a patient’s arm or leg, the transducer emits a thin acoustical beam, about the size of pencil lead, into the reflector. Then the reflector directs the ultrasonic waves into the patient’s skin at a slight angle. The device can determine the direction of blood flow to distinguish arteries (which carry blood away from the heart) from veins (which carry blood to the heart). Once the device detects a vein, an alarm is triggered, and medics insert the needle.

I'm not a medic, but this sounds like it will save time and effort. It will be interesting to see how much these devices cost once they are on the market. As with most technology, I'm betting they will be expensive to start with, but be much more affordable within a year or two.

Fire Station Destroyed in Fire

It really sucks when you read these stories (from WBOC.com via FireFightingNews.com).

BLOXOM , Va.- It was a sick twist of fate for Bloxom volunteer firefighters. While they were out battling one fire, another fire destroyed their empty firehouse. It happened shortly after midnight.

Firefighters with the Bloxom Volunteer Fire Company left their Station 6 headquarters just a little after midnight on Wednesday to respond to a call 10 minutes down the road. But an hour later they had to rush back to extinguish a roaring blaze that destroyed the building and everything inside.

They lost everything except what they had at the first incident. This includes two ambulances; one of them purchased just a couple of weeks before the fire.

We wish the Bloxom Volunteer Fire Company a speedy recovery as their replace their equipment and rebuilt a station.

Train Collision in Alabama

FOXNews.com reports that there was a train collision in Alabama:

LINCOLN, Ala. — About 500 residents evacuated their homes after a train carrying sodium cyanide rear-ended a second train and caught fire, authorities said. No injuries were reported.

The collision Wednesday evening in north Alabama sent flames and a plume of black smoke into the air that could be seen 40 miles away in Birmingham, officials said. The blaze continued late into the night.

Luckily, no injuries or deaths have been reported.

Here is the sodium cyanide page in the Emergency Response Guide.

Columbus Smoke Alarm Study

A study coming out of Columbus, OH, has some interesting conclusions regarding smoke detectors (from Firehouse.com).

Although it may run counter to conventional wisdom, Columbus residents are far more likely to be injured in fires when smoke alarms blare than when they don't, a Dispatch analysis of the past four years found.

In addition, being alerted by a smoke alarm didn't increase residents' chances of escaping death during blazes, the fire data show.

I'm not sure I buy this. The results of this study run contrary to everything that I've ever heard or been taught about smoke detectors. I'm not sure that others are placing a lot of confidence in this study either. This is from the same article:

Despite the findings, fire-safety experts say every residence should be equipped with alarms. "Smoke detectors save lives," Columbus Fire Battalion Chief Douglas Smith said.

I searched on the internet for this study but didn't find it. If you know where it is, please let me know. I also looked for other studies that would provide more information, but haven't taken the time to hash through them yet.

Supreme Court Rules on 9/11 Radio Case

From CNN.com:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Families of New York firefighters killed at the World Trade Center on September 11 failed Tuesday to persuade the Supreme Court to allow them to go forward with a lawsuit against New York City and Motorola for supplying the rescuers with faulty radios.

The high court let stand a decision by a lower appellate court. The lower court dismissed a lawsuit blaming the city and Motorola for supplying firefighters with handheld communications devices that prevented them from hearing evacuation orders while they were in the north tower trying to rescue people.

A three-judge panel of the 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals said the families had waived their right to sue when they accepted money from the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund.

Even though communications played a critical part of the firefighter deaths that day, the court has made the right decision here. The lawsuit may have been able to move forward if the plaintiffs had not waived their right to sue.

The communciations issue has been hit again and again since 9/11. I'm not sure what the status is across the country, but I would be willing to bet that there are still serious communication issues in our big cities. It is a difficult and complex issue that will take time to solve.

Hurricanes Affect NIFC Suppression Fund

Last year's hurricanes will have an impact on the upcoming fire season (from KCBITV.com).

BOISE - The Bush Administration has had high praise for the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise for its recent response to Hurricane Katrina.

But the cost of that support could have a significant impact on how wildfires are fought this year.

Hurricane relief has cost a big chunk of change -- $103 million -- from the approximate $700 million emergency fund the Forest Service will be using for wildlife suppression this season.

"The money's gone," said NIFC spokeswoman Rose Davis. "What we need to do now is manage what money we have as wisely as we can."

If the fires in the southern plains are an indicator, this fire season could be nasty.

Funny Firefighting Laws

Here is a post about some wacky firefighting laws that are still on the books in various states (from My Journal! yes it is smarty pants!). Here are some of my favorites:

In Chicago Illinois, It is illegal to eat in a place that is on fire.

...

In Fort Madison Iowa, The fire department is required to practice firefighting for 15 minutes before attending a fire.

...

In Pennsylvania, All fire hydrants must be checked 1 hour before all fires.

This is too funny. I'll have to do a little research to see if there is anything like this still in effect in SD.

Q&A with American LaFrance President

Fire Chief magazine has an online Q&A with John Stevenson, president of American LaFrance regarding their future. Check it out.

Poll Results - January 17, 2006

It looks like most folks that responded think that "Move Over" laws are needed. In states with lots of traffic issues, this could be difficult to implement, let alone enforce.

What Will Happen to Ringgold, TX?

If you remember from the news headlines, a New Years Day grass fire hit Ringgold, TX, and destroyed most of the small town. The Houston Chronicle has a story about what the future may hold for Ringgold (via Firehouse.com).

The wildfire, which moved as a swirling wall 30 to 40 feet tall, began about five miles west of Ringgold. A sparking power line is the suspected cause.

Pushed by 40-mph winds, it headed east across thigh-high fields of bluestem and other grazing grasses and straight into town. There, it took less than an hour to destroy 58 homes, 57 barns and storage sheds and six businesses along U.S. Highway 82, Badgett said.

As front-end loaders piled charred bricks, bicycles, the remains of a decorative wagon wheel and other ash-gray debris into Texas Department of Transportation trucks, residents wondered what will become of their long-fading town and who, if anyone, will rebuild.

"A lot of them won't be back. This is going to be a smaller place," Stillwell said.

I live straight north of Ringgold about 700 miles as the crow flies. Small town, rural setting, on the prairie. Ringgold probably isn't much different than my hometown. It's sad to hear that this town will be a "smaller place".

I'd like to wish all the best to the remaining residents of Ringgold.

Do You Remember

Excellent story over at a blog called Firefighter:

SOME WERE DRIVING THEIR BIG SHINING RED FIRE ENGINES, OTHERS WERE MARCHING IN THEIR UNIFORMS OR FIRE CLOTHES AND STILL OTHERS WERE DRESSED AS FIRE CLOWNS AND WERE MAKING ALL THE CHILDREN LAUGH.

YOU WAVED AT THEM HOPING THAT MAYBE ONE WOULD SEE YOU AND WAVE BACK, AT JUST YOU.

THEN ONE DID, HE SMILED , LOOKING RIGHT AT YOU AND WAVED, JUST TO YOU.

Read the whole thing.

Chief Barclay McKeough Memorial Museum

If you visit Myrtle Beach, SC, be sure to check out the Chief Barclay McKeough Memorial Museum (from MyrtleBeachOnline.com).

Fire-grenade bottles were tossed at the base of a blaze in an attempt to put it out long before there were fire extinguishers. Fire officials barked out commands to firefighters through speaking bugles at fire scenes instead of the portable radios of today.

Through the years, technology has made the profession of battling fires considerably safer. Some of the vintage tools and equipment on display at a modest fire museum inside a Myrtle Beach fire station offer a glimpse of a bygone era when meticulously kept hand-written fire logs were the norm of the day for some departments.

...

Named for the retired New York firefighter who served as a volunteer with Myrtle Beach for about two decades beginning in the early 1970s, the keepsakes have a decidedly New York flavor.

There are, however, a clutch of timeworn helmets and hand tools - such as an antique spanner wrench once used to open hydrants and fire hose nozzles - that capture some of the history of firefighting at the beach.

Sounds like a good way to pass a few hours while on a vacation or trip. Click on the link and scroll all the way to the bottom for the address of the museum and the hours they are open.

New Links

Here are some new links that I've added to the sidebar:

Firefighter - a great blog with lots of historical information, stories and memories. Lots of good pictures too.

Congressional Fire Services Institute (CSFI) - dedicated to educating members of congress about fire and life safety issues. Stay up to speed on what is happening on Capitol Hill regarding fire and EMS issues.

Texas Test Procedures Under Spotlight

More news on the case of Houston firefighter Beda Kent and the test procedures that forced here to take her promotional test 12 hours after giving birth (from the Houston Chronicle via Firehouse.com).

The law that forced Houston firefighter Beda Kent to decide between taking a career-advancing exam 12 hours after giving birth or postponing promotion to captain for two to three years could be revised by the Texas Legislature next year, local lawmakers said Friday.

...

State Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, pledged to address the issue "and possibly include some general medical condition waiver language so that people with medical conditions are not put in a position of having to forego the test. I will work with my Senate colleagues to make sure that the Texas law does not unfairly discriminate."

...

In the meantime, the International Association of Fire Fighters plans to address the issue at its national conference on diversity Jan. 26-29 in San Antonio.

This is good news and shows that the lawmakers and firefighters recognize an unfair situation.

This story deals specifically with the state of Texas. Do you know the procedures and laws that apply to this situation in your state? Could this same thing happen to firefighters on your department? Please let me know if this is the case.

I'll keep my eye on this and let you know when new info comes out.

NIOSH Report on 2005 Roof Collapse

NIOSH has released its report of a 2005 roof collapse that killed a Texas firefighter. Here is the summary:

On February 19, 2005, a 39-year-old career fire Captain (the victim) died after being trapped by the partial collapse of the roof of a vacant one-story wood frame dwelling. The house was abandoned and known by residents in the area to be a “crack house” at the time of the incident. The victim was the captain on the first-arriving engine crew which was assigned to perform a “fast attack” – to take a hoseline into the house, locate the seat of the fire, and begin extinguishment. The one-story wooden ranch-style house was built in the 1950s and additional rooms had been added at the rear in at least two phases following the initial construction. Crews arriving on scene could see fire venting through the roof at the rear of the house. The victim and a fire fighter advanced the initial attack line through the front entrance and made their way toward the rear of the house. Visibility was good in the front of the house but conditions quickly changed as they advanced toward the rear. The fast attack crew had just begun to direct water onto the burning ceiling in the kitchen and den areas when the roof at the rear of the structure (over the building additions) collapsed, trapping the captain under burning debris. The collapse pushed fire toward the front of the house which quickly ignited carbon and dust particles suspended in the air along with combustible gases, sending a fireball rolling toward the front of the structure. Prior to the time of the collapse, two other crews had entered through the front entrance. The rapidly deteriorating conditions following the collapse quickly engulfed the other crews with fire and five fire fighters received burns requiring medical attention.

Here is the first recommendation from NIOSH:

Ensure that the Incident Commander continuously evaluates the risk versus gain when determining whether the fire suppression operation will be offensive or defensive.

Should the department have initiated an interior attack on this structure when it was 'abandoned and known by residents in the area to be a “crack house”'? Well, the residents knew the house was abandoned, but the firefighters probably didn't. It was early morning, 0600, so it was reasonable to think that people may have been in the house sleeping. The report doesn't state if any neighbors were out and about to inform the firefighters that the house was abandoned. Without this crucial information, it makes it more difficult to gauge risk verses gain.

Oklahoma Homes Lost to More Grassfires

New grassfires in Oklahoma have destroyed at least 20 homes according to FOXNews.com.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Wind-driven grass fires that destroyed at least two dozen homes and forced hundreds of evacuations continued to burn Friday in southern Oklahoma, which remained extremely dry despite snowfall earlier in the week.

The worst fires raged in Carter County near Ratliff City, after burning through at least 20 homes overnight, and west of Marlow in Stephens County, said Michelle Finch, fire information officer for the Oklahoma Forestry Department.

Even with lots of resources, including heavy air tankers, these fires are very difficult to stop.

Firefighter Pulls Hose

Photo by Brian Kersey courtesy of AP.

Fire Department: Chicago Fire Department
Location: Chicago, IL
Incident: Pilgrim Baptist Church fire
Date: January 6, 2006

Here is the link to the Firehouse.com PhotoStory.

This picture really caught my eye because it shows one firefighter just doing his job - hauling a charged hoseline across the fireground. How many times have each of us done the same thing?

Vonage Turns on 911 Service

Did you know that up to now, Vonage did not provide 911 service on its Voice Over Internet Protocol phone service? Well, they have just turned it on (from Firehouse.com).

Vonage Holdings Inc., of Holmdel, N.J., said today it has turned on emergency 911 service in more than 1,900 areas nationwide for users of its Voice Over Internet Protocol phone service.

Vonage and other providers of Internet phone calling have come under fire because their services do not necessarily link up with a user's local emergency 911 call center. Numerous tragedies have been linked with VoIP phone users' inability to dial 911.

If you are looking into a VOIP phone, make sure the phone company provides 911 service. The FCC has required them to provide it, but...

While most VoIP companies appear to have started toward meeting the FCC requirement - there are dozens in the United States alone - many said the timeframe was unrealistic and have yet to meet it.

AFG Round 20

Don't forget to check the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program to see if your department was awarded a grant in Round 20.

More Info on Test-Taking Firefighter Mom

Here is a bunch more info regarding the firefighter that delivered her baby and then took a promotion exam (from the Houston Chronicle via FireFightingNews.com).

Here is my original post on this issue.

It looks like state and federal laws play into this situation.

A University of Houston Law Center professor said Thursday that the Texas law requiring all firefighters to take a career-advancing test simultaneously — except those who are active military — may violate Title VII federal anti-discrimination regulations.

"Not that they were intentionally discriminating against her because she's a woman, (but) unless there was a business necessity for that, it is illegal under federal law," said Laura Oren, who teaches courses on women and the law, and conflicts between laws.

"If they're willing to make an exception for military," she said, "but not willing to make an exception for women who just delivered babies 12 hours ago ... it's a business practice which has an unequal impact on a protected group of people."

Later in the article it discusses the fact that firefighters that are injured before taking a test are in the same situation as Kent. Force themselves out of the hospital to take the test, or stay in the hospital and wait from two to three years to take the test.

Whether it is someone that just gave birth or an injured firefighter in the hospital, the law sucks. Just use some common sense and develop an alternative for these special cases.

The Houston Fire Department did try to find some alternatives but were unsuccessful. The one thing they could have done was let Kent take the test at the hospital with a proctor in attendance. They chose not to allow that which required that Kent travel to the test site just hours after giving birth.

This is a goofed up deal. Read the whole article.

Fire Videos

Rhett over at Roanoke Firefighters has found some nice fire videos on Google. Check out his post and then follow his links to the videos.

01/11/2006: Cattle Truck Tipped Over

At 9:30, the MFD was paged to an incident where a cattle truck had tipped over. We responded with our rescue unit, an engine, and two support suburbans. Other agencies responding included the Miller Police Department, Hand County Sheriff, SD Highway Patrol, SD Carrier Enforcement, Hand County Ambulance, Hand County Emergency Management, Miller Street Department, and SD Dept. of Transportation.

The driver was uninjured and was able to get out of the truck on his own by kicking out the windshield. The truck carried 73 head of cattle. Only one cow was killed which is amazing. Two cows escaped and were caught about 30 minutes later.

Luckily, it was sale day at the sale barn here in Miller, so there were lots of trailers in town which were used to haul the cattle away after the accident.

Two wreckers were used to set the truck upright and the truck was able to drive off of the highway under its own power.

Total time on the incident scene was about 2.5 hours.

Here is a picture of the cleanup - yes, that stuff on the road is exactly what you think it is. Seventy-three cows can leave a lot of that stuff behind when they get that scared :-)

Pictures courtesy of Hand County Emergency Management.

Chock Block Projectile

This week's Near Miss report features a non-emergency event involving chock blocks:

We broke for lunch and the firefighter resumed his under carriage maintenance. At this time, the engineer decided to back up the engine from the front apron. The fireman under the center engine experienced a loud bang at his head area and the creeper almost came out from under him leaving him half on and half off. Evidently, the engineer failed to remove the chock block from the rear duals. The front tire of the engine went up on the chock block pinching it sideways at an angle, shooting it across the engine room floor.

Read the rest of the report to find out what happened.

Using chock blocks is a must in the fire service. However, with the use of chock blocks, we must develop the habit to always place chock blocks, and always remove them when moving the apparatus.

What are your department SOGs regarding chock blocks? Are your SOPs always followed? Whose responsibility is it to place and remove the chock blocks?

Gum Branch Fire & Emergency Services

The Department of the Week features a department from Georgia. It is the Gum Branch Fire & Emergency Services.

Quick Notes:

Gum Branch Fire & Emergency Services
Location: Hinesville, GA
Type: Volunteer
Stations: 1
Apparatus: 4
Members: 20 active, a few inactive
Area: 69 square miles
Population Served: unknown (e-mail me if you know)

Their patch is round and features a large "15" in the center:

They really have a nice website. It is well organized and has some great info. It features pictures, their history, their SOGs, application information, etc. Stop by and let them know you visited.

Mouse House Fire Just a Rumor

Well, it looks like a story that circulated around the internet, including here at Firewhirl, was just a rumor (from TheNewMexicoChannel.com).

FORT SUMNER, N.M. -- A small -town rumor that sparked world -wide interest about a mouse burning down a house has been found to be untrue.

After 81-year-old Chano Mares's house burned down Saturday in Fort Sumner, news services picked up the quirky story.

...

The mouse story, however, has been doused by Mares.

"It's really humorous more than anything that a mouse burned down the house," he told KOAT-TV in Albuquerque. The mouse was dead when it hit the burning leaves.

Mares said he trapped and killed the critter and tossed it on the fire.

The flames, he said, probably reached his house because they were driven by high winds.

...

Mares lost everything -- and has no insurance -- but the mouse story still makes him smile.

"I started laughing, and I'll be laughing from now on," he said. "It's silly."

In the past, I've been hard on media outlets that pass on rumors. Well, now I have to eat a little crow, because I'm guilty of that very thing.

Please accept my apology for passing on incorrect information. However, like Mr. Mares, the rumor makes me laugh when I think about it.

Vermont Tackles Volunteer Firefighter Issue

Vermont lawmakers find themselves in a pickle regarding a bill that is intended to protect volunteer firefighters (from The Boston Globe).

MONTPELIER, Vt. --A bill to protect volunteer firefighters who suffer heart attacks in the line of duty also could jeopardize the fragile network of volunteers who staff the scores of rural fire houses around the state, lawmakers were told Wednesday.

There are few requirements for someone to qualify for a position with a volunteer fire department, other than a willingness to serve. But if state law is changed as proposed, some warn that volunteers might have to face more stringent requirements regarding their health, physical abilities and age.

Read the whole article to get all of the details.

I can see where this would be a problem in South Dakota too. Should volunteer firefighters be in good shape to belong to a fire department? Absolutely. However, if that is required, there would be a lot fewer firefighters in our department. I would bet that would hold true for most volunteer fire departments.

A small community can't afford to lose a large number of its volunteer firefighters. There just aren't enough people in the community that are physically fit and willing to volunteer.

I'm not sure what the answer is. Perhaps fitness requirements could be phased in over several years allowing volunteer fire departments time to get their firefighters in good shape or recruit new members.

Firefighter Gives Birth Then Takes Test

Officials at the Houston Fire Department have had a serious lapse in judgement (from abc13.com).

(1/11/06 - KTRK/HOUSTON) - A Houston Fire Department employee struggled to take a test on Wednesday, just 12 hours after giving birth. Beda Kent was told that if she wanted a promotion she had to take the test Wednesday morning, even though she had just delivered a baby Tuesday night.

...

Just 12 hours after giving birth to a healthy baby girl, Beda went to the George R. Brown Convention Center. While getting there might have been a struggle, she nearly aced the test. Beda's score may even be within the top five in her class.

Way to go, Beda Kent.

We may not know the whole story on this, but if the information from the article is correct, the folks at the Houston Fire Department that would not make some alternate plans for Kent should be ashamed of themselves.

They should consider themselves lucky that a lawsuit hasn't been filed against the department.

Firefighting Robots Contest

Check this post out over at Roanoke Firefighters regarding a contest involving firefighting robots.

Here is the official website of the contest.

Why do they have this contest each year? Here is the answer (from the website):

The main challenge of this contest is to build an autonomous computer-controlled robot that can find its way through an arena that represents a model house, find a lit candle that represents a fire in the house, and extinguish the fire in the shortest time. This task simulates the real-world operation of an autonomous robot performing a fire protection function in a real house. The goal of the contest is to advance robot technology and knowledge while using robotics as an educational tool.

Even though they are using a model of a house and a candle to represent the fire, the learning that takes place can be applied to real world solutions. Eventually there will be robots capable of assisting firefighters in suppressing fires.

I wonder what these robots will look like and how they will function. Will they look similar to existing bomb squad robots? Will we borrow ideas from military robots that are under development now? Will we use just one or two large robots or will we use a whole fleet of smaller robots? When will these robots be affordable for the average family to purchase to provide protection in their homes?

Computer Aided Dispatch

Here is an interesting article about computer aided dispatch being implemented in St. Charles County, Missouri (from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch via EMSResponder.com).

People in St. Charles County who have emergencies should get the help they need faster, thanks to a new radio system being installed in ambulances and firetrucks.

The system provides fire and EMS crews with text directions and map readouts, and lets the crews notify dispatchers they are on the way without using a radio.

Cool stuff, but it will be awhile before this technology is affordable for all emergency responders.

Frank Brannigan Passes Away

I just received an email update from Firehouse.com. Fire educator Frank Brannigan has passed away.

Francis L. "Frank" Brannigan, author and expert in building construction as it relates to firefighting science, passed away Tuesday morning at his home in Calverton, Maryland. He was 87.

Best known for his book, Building Construction for the Fire Service, Third Edition, Brannigan was a sought after expert who regularly wrote and spoke on the dangers of building collapse when exposed to fire. His general theme was always, "THE BUILDING IS YOUR ENEMY KNOW YOUR ENEMY. KNOW YOUR ENEMY!"

Firehouse.com has lots of info about Frank's huge contribution to firefighting. They will be featuring his accomplishments and the fire service's memories of him throughout the rest of the week.

We would like to express our condolences to the Brannigan family.

Reference Article for this Week's Poll

For this week's poll, reference this post about the lack of a "Move Over" law in California.

UPDATE: I'm not trying to influence the poll results, I just wanted to give a reference to those folks that might not be familiar with a "Move Over" law.

Poll Results - January 10, 2005

Lots of different opinions in last week's poll:

It looks like most of us think that firefighters don't wear proper PPE because they don't think it is needed. I wonder what firefighters that get hurt because of the lack of PPE would say to that?

No Big Surprises in IAFC Survey

The IAFC has released the results of an e-mail survey that they conducted:

Staffing, funding and increased demands for service are three common and resounding challenges facing fire departments across the United States, according to an e-mail survey conducted by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). More than 1,000 IAFC members responded to the November 2005 survey.

“The survey reinforces what the IAFC has been hearing anecdotally—that budget cuts, staffing concerns and increased demands for services continue to plague fire departments of all types and sizes,” said IAFC President Chief Bill Killen. “Fire chiefs are constantly challenged to find ways to do more with less.”

Check out the full survey results (pdf).

106 Firefighter Fatalities in 2005

The USFA has published the preliminary statistics for line-of-duth deaths in 2005. There were 106 deaths in 2005, which is the fewest since 2002 when there were 101.

Here is an important quote from the press release:

"The fire service of this nation has tragically lost, again, too many firefighters in 2005," said Deputy USFA Administrator Charles Dickinson. "The USFA approaches 2006, joined with the fire organizations and fire department leaders, to commit to doing what it takes to reduce these too often, preventable losses."

Let's do our part this year in preventing the deaths of our brothers and sisters.

This Firefighter's Life

Tim over at 43 Firefighter has discovered a new book that looks pretty good.

Here is the article that Tim references from the Ottowa Sun.

... Jimmy Allen bolts to the front of the kiosk to adjust the display of his book, This Firefighter's Life, that he says is the only autobiography by a firefighter in North America.

If it's not, it's surely the best: A rollicking, roisterous, raw, rough, tender, profane, poignant, romp through Jimmy's 65 years of life with rounders, bounders, saints, sinners, 39 of those years as one tough sunuvabitch firefighter's firefighter in Ottawa before he retired as a captain -- all told in his inimitable style, no-holds barred, no sacred cows, and you come away from his book understanding like never before firefighters, their job, the special people they are.

Air Tanker Pilots Train on Simulator

There is now a simulator for air tanker pilots to train on (from FlightInternational.com).

The US Forest Service (USFS) is to expand what it claims is the first simulation system catering to the operational challenges of aerial firefighting.

The Aerial Firefighting Sim­ulator has been operational since April 2005 at the USFS’s Wildland Firefighting Training and Conference Center at the McClellan Park airport/industrial complex near Sacramento, California.

Its purpose is to hone the tactics and skills required of pilots and air tactical group supervisors to attack huge wildfires, but not to fly a specific aircraft, says the USFS Pacific Southwest Region’s Fire and Aviation Management Group regional aviation safety manager Dennis Brown. “We assume that the people who will train here already know how to fly,” he says.

It won't be too long and there will be simulators for many more wildland firefighting positions such as strike team leaders, crew bosses, incident commanders, etc.

Firefighters are Awesome

I think firefighters are some of the greatest people on the planet. So does a boy in Jonestown, PA (from LDNews.com).

JONESTOWN — Bradley Ebling thinks firefighters are awesome.

“Because they drive fire engines and they save people — and they let me come down to the station whenever I want,” the Jones-town fourth-grader said as he listed the reasons why he admires the firefighters of Jonestown’s Perseverance Fire Co.

The 10-year-old knows practically everything there is to know about the fire department and isn’t afraid to ask the questions that he doesn’t know the answers to, Perseverance Chief Carl Bachman said.

Read the rest of the article to find out why the firefighters in Perseverance Fire Company have earned the admiration of Bradley Ebling.

Firefighters Remove Dead Fish?

When I first read this (from ABC News Online), I thought that the firefighters on this crew were nuts.

Firefighters have removed a tonne-and-a-half of rotting fish from a stranded fishing trawler at Lakes Entrance overnight.

The fish have been stuck in the hull of the trawler Tarpeena since Thursday night, when the ship ran aground in a build-up of sand on the Lakes Entrance bar.

Why would firefighters be involved with getting rid of dead fish? Then I read the next sentence and it started to make some sense.

The fish had produced the chemical H2S, which is toxic to humans and gives off a rotten egg-like smell.

Fifteen firefighters took nearly 12 hours to remove the fish, using big fans to ventilate the confined space.

Hydrogen Sulfide. Nasty stuff. The firefighters were called in to deal with a hazardous materials incident caused by the rotting fish. Check the online Emergency Response Guide for details on H20 (pdf).

Video of New Zealand Firefighters

Check out this news video regarding a wildland fire in New Zealand (from tvnz). Not much different than how we do things here in the U.S. I did notice a few things though: helicopters used "monsoon" buckets, the helicopters few into the night hours, and I didn't see fire shelters on the two firefighters mopping up.

It's interesting to see how firefighting agencies in other parts of the world fight fires.

01/08/2006: MVA

There have been a few incidents at the Miller Fire Department that I haven't posted (I got behind and couldn't catch up). Anyway, we'll start the year off right with our first incident of the year.

At approximately 20:15, the MFD was paged to a one car accident south of Miller 15 or 16 miles. It had rained/snowed/sleeted off and on throughout the day. As the temperature dropped the roads started to ice up.

By the time the firefighters started arriving at the fire hall, it was determined that our services were not required. The dispatcher was talking to someone at the accident scene via cell phone. The only occupant of the vehicle was out and walking around. The sheriff and ambulance responded and took care of the incident.

So I got a quick drive down to the fire hall and back.

California Without "Move Over" Law

Here is South Dakota, when an emergency vehicle is responding with lights and sirens, motorists are required to pull to the side of the road and stop. Many other states have similar laws, but not California (from Firehouse.com).

If motorists in nearly three dozen states see an emergency vehicle on the shoulder with lights flashing, state law requires them to slow down and move to another lane.

But there is no "Move Over" law in California and, following the recent deaths of three emergency workers, including a Highway Patrol officer, along state freeways, some safety advocates say it's time to consider a new policy.

...

Though a law won't save everyone, the idea is to give rescue workers a few extra feet of safety. Such legislation is growing in popularity -- gaining passage during the past six years in more than two dozen states.

But not in California, where a bill cleared the state Legislature last year, but Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed it. He cited concerns that forcing drivers to change lanes could pose additional risks in a state where traffic congestion levels are among the worst in the country.

The argument that changing lanes could cause other problems doesn't hold a lot of water. It is a matter of educating the public so that they respond in an appropriate manner.

Do you have an opinion on this issue? Sound off here by adding a comment.

Mouse Fire Starts House Fire

UPDATE: This story has turned out to be a rumor. See this post for details.

A mouse fire started a house fire (I feel like Dr. Seuss). This from the Clovis News Journal via FireFightingNews.com.

Homeowner Luciano Mares said he caught a mouse inside his residence and discarded the creature in a pile of garden refuse he was burning on his property near the home.

“I had some leaves burning outside, so I threw it in the fire, and the mouse was on fire and ran back at the house,” he said.

All contents of the wooden home were destroyed, according to village Fire Chief Juan Chavez. Aside from the mouse, no injuries were reported.

Oops!

Tajikistan Orphanage Fire Kills at Least 13

Posting on incidents where there are fatalities can get to be a grim activity, so I try to limit these types of posts of "out of the ordinary" types of things.

There was an orphanage fire in Tajikistan on January 8th (from ScienceDaily.com).

DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, Jan. 8 (UPI) -- A fire swept through a one-story wooden orphanage in the capital of Tajikistan early Sunday and killed 13 disabled children.

Russia's Interfax news agency reported 79 children between the ages of six and 16 were evacuated, 60 of them "with burns and carbon monoxide poisoning."

...

While a criminal investigation was immediately declared, various local media said it was quite apparent that an electrical overload caused by space heaters was the cause of the fire.

While many of the children were evacuated, it is tragic that so many lost their lives. Here is another article (from People's Daily Online) that has some pictures of the building.

So where is Tajikistan? It is a country in central Asia bordering China, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Here is a map.

I don't know much about this country, but I wonder if they have laws regarding fire safety?

UPDATE: Here are more details from the BBC.

Wildland Fires Hit Colorado, Arkansas

The spate of winter wildland fires has spread to Colorado and Arkansas (from the Washington Post).

AGUILAR, Colo., Jan. 8 -- The wildfire danger that has been menacing the parched southern plains spread to Arkansas and Colorado on Sunday, where wind-whipped blazes destroyed at least nine houses and forced hundreds of people to evacuate, authorities said.

Fires in southern Colorado destroyed five houses, burned at least 6,000 acres and forced several residents to evacuate in Huerfano and Las Animas counties, not far from the New Mexico line.

In Arkansas, a 3,000-acre wildfire destroyed four houses east of Hamburg and chased away nearby residents. The cause of the fire is under investigation. At least 43 were reported in the state Sunday.

I guess one good thing about living in a place where it snows quite a bit is that the fire danger goes way down. If it weren't for the snow, we would probably be in the same boat as the southern plains states regarding grass fires.

I hope those folks get some moisture soon.

New Links

Here are a couple of new links that have been added to the sidebar. Check 'em out.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue - a blog about what's going on at Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. They have pictures, links, and a ton of information about their anti-venom bank.

International Association of Wildland Fire (IAWF) - the home page for an organization representing professionals in the wildland fire community. They are based out of the town I grew up in - Hot Springs, SD.

Bushfire in New South Wales

This Picture of the Week is a bushfire in New South Wales, Australia.

Photo by Mick Tsikas courtesy of AAP.

Fire Department: Unknown
Location: Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia
Incident: Bushfire on New Year's Day, 2006.

I found this photo on The Epoch Times website.

AFG Round 19 Awarded

Check out the AFG awards list here to see if you received your grant in Round 19.

Glass Bulb Fire Extinguisher

Good stuff at Roanoke Firefighters today!

You should read this post about a Red Comet glass bulb fire extinguisher, complete with pictures.

Also, in the post mentioned above, there is a link to the Online Fire Extinguisher Museum. I love museums and this one is great because it is online! Lots of good info and great pictures.

Firefighting Games from FX

Rhett at Roanoke Firefighters found some internet firefighting games at FX based on the Rescue Me show. Check 'em out.

Details on Grain Bin Rescue

Here are lots of details regarding the grain bin rescue I posted about yesterday (from the Wisconsin State Journal).

Bunch said he went into the bin to unclog an auger feed that got jammed while he and two co-workers were loading a train with soybeans. Unfortunately, a gravity feed had been left open, which caused the soybeans to drain out from under him until he sank.

"When the beans went up to my knees I kind of laughed about it at first," Bunch said. But as he continued to sink, the situation soon became much scarier. By the time the soybeans were up to his chest, Bunch said, grain location manager Ben Fenwick, who was also in the bin, had already radioed down to another co- worker, Jody Schmidt, to call 911.

New Galilee FD Loses Fire Hall in Blaze

I hate to see this, but it has happened again (from Centredaily.com).

NEW GALILEE -- Ten fire companies were battling a blaze that destroyed a Beaver County fire hall and all the fire and ambulance equipment in it.

The fire was reported about 4:30 a.m. Thursday at the New Galilee Fire Department, about 35 miles northwest of Pittsburgh.

The building also houses Northwest EMS, an ambulance service. Firefighters at the scene said at least two fire vehicles and two ambulances in the building are lost.

I'm sure the New Galilee FD would appreciate any donations you could send their way.

UPDATE: More info over at Firehouse.com.

UPDATE 2: Even more info at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

When Mitchell arrived at 4:25 a.m., flames were pouring out of the garage doors.

"It got real hairy in a hurry," he said.

Oxygen tanks on the ambulances exploded, spraying metal shards across the street, assistant fire Chief Dan Jonas said. "It looked like heat lightning in the sky," Jonas said.

Firefighting Blimp?

This article is a little dated (October 1997), but it proposes an interesting idea - use a blimp for firefighting (from Technology Review).

Mike deGyurky, a program manager at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif., figures there must be a better way to handle such emergencies. His novel approach would entail deploying a giant blimp, perhaps a mile in length. With a capacity of 50,000 tons or more, such an airship could pour more than 10 million gallons of water on a forest fire. It could also be used to transport food and water (perhaps even a small iceberg) to drought-stricken regions, dump tons of dirt and sand on a nuclear reactor to smother an incipient meltdown, or even deploy a vast tarp to contain oil spills from leaky seafaring tankers.

That is a LOT of water. However, there are a bunch of questions that need to be answered.

Would the heat and smoke affect the ship? How would the ship handle above mountainous terrain? Could they get close enough to the ground to actually drop the water where it is needed? Would the release of too much water erode the loose soil and ash interior of the fire?

This is really an interesting idea but until we know the answers to the questions above (and many other questions), we won't know if it will work.

Also, the cost of building a ship of that size would be very high. Would it be cost effective?

After doing a quick search on Google, I found a couple of more articles:

From New Scientist.com:

They suggest using 300-metre-long propeller-powered airships carrying just under one million litres of water and flying high above the flames. From there, adjustable valves on the underside of the balloon--much like large shower heads--will pump out a staggering 200,000 litres an hour over a large area of the fire. They could also have a few water cannon that can be directed over particularly persistent hot spots.

In Aerospace-technology.com, they have an article about the SkyCat which is a lighter-than-air vehicle used to haul heavy loads. They have a cool picture of what a SkyCat would look like dropping water.

New Links

Here are a couple of new links that I've added to the sidebar:

A Firefighter's Camera - an online photo-journal featuring photos from a volunteer firefighter in New Castle County, Delaware. Lots of interesting pictures.

IAFF - The home of the International Association of Fire Fighters.

Near Miss: Power Line and Propane

This report features two near misses. The first deals with situational awareness and a downed power line. The second deals with a propane bottle explosion.

At this residential structure fire, there were two close calls within about one minute. While companies were setting up for fire attack, two members nearly walked into a live power line that had burned off of the house and was hanging from the pole. At the same time, a five gallon propane bottle exploded inside of the residence due to direct flame impingement. The occupant had been using it as a source of heat. The explosion blew fire and debris out all of the windows and the front door, engulfing the front porch area. Fortunately, members were not on the porch yet as they were stretching lines in front of the residence. There were no injuries from either incident.

The downed power line emphasizes the need for a good size-up by the incident commander. It also shows that all firefighters must maintain good situational awareness.

The explosion highlights the importance of always wearing the proper PPE during an incident. We may think we know what is going to happen, but there are always surprises!

If your department responded to this fire, would the firefighters make it through the incident without injury?

Grain Bin Rescue in Wisconsin

When someone gets trapped in a grain bin, most of the time, they don't get out alive. Considering that, here is good news from Wisconsin (from Wisconsin Ag Connection via FireFightingNews.com).

A Madison man spent nearly five hours up to his neck in soybeans Wednesday after a workplace accident left him trapped in a grain bin. According to authorities, the accident happened at a grain terminal in McFarland owned by Landmark Services Cooperative.

...

Firefighters couldn't just pull him out of the bin, because they had to shore up the beans around him to prevent a soybean avalanche. Firefighters had to cut three holes in the back of the grain bin to let out some of the soybeans and relieve some of the pressure.

It's nice to hear of a successful grain bin rescue.

Media Coverage of Grass Fire Outbreak

Christine Hurt has some great questions regarding the media coverage of the grass fires in Texas (from Conglomerate via Instapundit).

I find it interesting that the media seems so uninterested in the cause of the fires. The media focuses on the high winds, low humidity, drought conditions, and high temperatures, but these are factors that lead to the rapid spread of the fire and the difficulty of containing the fire, not the factors that caused these fires. During Hurricane Katrina, questions were swirling in the media -- Why didn't people evacuate? Why weren't they forced to evacuate? Who decided to have inferior levees? Who could have prevented this? Why isn't anyone asking these questions about the Texas fires?

Hmmm, anybody have an answer? I don't, but I wish I had thought of the question.

From what I have gleaned off of the internet, I believe most of these fires were human caused - fireworks, burning refuse, discarding cigarettes. The next question for me is how can we better educate the public on the fire danger related to activities? Would stiffer penalties for starting these fires serve as a deterrent?

Sanibel Fire and Rescue District

The Department of the Week hails from Florida. It is the Sanibel Fire and Rescue District.

Quick Notes:

Sanibel Fire and Rescue District
Location: Sanibel, FL
Type: Combination
Stations: 2
Apparatus: 11
Members: 28 full-time, 12 volunteer
Area: 17 square miles
Population Served: 6,000 full-time/20,000 winter

Their patch features a nice ocean view scene:

As always, visit their website to get all of the details about this department. They have some good pictures of hurricane damage, lots of public education information, and a page on disaster preparedness. While you are there, drop them an e-mail to let them know you stopped by.

Comments and Spam

I recently had a reader send me an email reporting that they could not leave a comment on Firewhirl. He had tried to post a comment and received a message from my spam blocking software saying that his post had "questionable content". Well, what happened is that I made a mistake and had blocked all comments from the "blogspot.com" domain name. It didn't take long to fix the problem. I'm glad he sent the email otherwise I wouldn't have known there was a problem.

If you run into a similar issue, just send me an e-mail and we'll get it figured out so that you can post your comments.

Intercoms will Improve Communication

The Phoenix FD has purchased intercom units for use in their SCBA masks. They purchased enough for all of their firefighters (from azcentral.com via FireFightingNews.com).

The next time Phoenix fire Capt. Al Hoffman leads his crew into a burning building, he won't have to shout to talk to them. He won't have to resort to hand signs or repeat instructions no one can hear.

Instead, Hoffman will simply speak into his breathing mask in a normal tone of voice, and the other firefighters on his crew will hear him in their ear as clearly as if they were talking on a telephone, even if they're several feet away in smoky darkness.

This would really be cool to have, but here is the catch:

But at more than $1,000 per intercom, cost alone makes the technology a luxury that many departments can't afford.

There is no way most volunteer departments will be able to swing that much money. The good news is that the cost of new technology often comes down fairly quickly. We can hope this happens soon so that it becomes more affordable.

Small Town Fire Company Elections

Mia over at Knit and Play with Fire has been elected to a position within her fire company. She also has a great description of what a small town fire company election can be like.

Last night was the election and to say that it was exciting is being polite. Like some one said last night 'where else can you have this much fun for only $5 a year!.'

Check it out.

Is This a Dumb Question?

This is a must read article for all firefighters as we go into the new year. It addresses whether we are really serious about reducing firefighter deaths. The article is from Firehouse.com via Roanoke Firefighters.

"With all that is going on, why aren't we reducing these deaths quicker?", probably is a dumb question. When the final reports come out about how we died in 2005, it will look almost identical to 2004. Nuth'n new. And the changes are happening nationally but not always reaching the local level. It's going to take a lot more work, more time and much more of a serious commitment by everyone who "crawls down halls" and we will then start seeing more changes that matter to our future. After all, just look at what the IAFF, the IAFC, the NFFF, the NVFC, the USFA and others are all doing for us, their members, to improve firefighter survival. But if it doesn't happen on a local level, it will be a waste of time.

Are you fully committed to having everyone on your department return home safely after every call?

Brush Fire Near Mt. Everest

One summer I had the priviledge of fighting fires in Colorado at some pretty high altitudes. Nothing compared to this though (from ScienceDaily.com).

LHASA, China, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Emergency workers in Tibet were struggling to contain a brushfire near the foot of Mount Everest.

Xinhua, China's official government news agency, said that the blaze broke out on Sunday. By Monday, it had consumed 100 hectares (almost 250 acres).

This gives new meaning to high altitude firefighting.

Poll Results - January 3, 2005

Donate to Relief Funds

Firefighters on the Gulf coast continue to struggle to recover from the hurricanes in 2005. The NVFC has set up two funds to assist those who are in need. The Volunteer Firefighter Support Fund (to assist individual firefighters) and the Emergency Relief Fund (to assist volunteer departments).

Click here to read more and donate.

Grass Fire Update

Here is an article that gives up-to-date info on the grass fires in the southern plains (from the New York Times).

DALLAS, Jan. 2 - Grass fires continued to vex drought-stricken Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico on Monday, with Oklahoma City particularly hard hit.

Oklahoma City firefighters fought 35 grass fires within the city limits - one narrowly missing two shopping centers - from early Sunday to early Monday, said a Fire Department spokesman, Maj. Brian Stanaland.

Read the whole article to specifics on acres burned, number of homes destroyed, etc.

Fire Reveals Pot Farm

This made me chuckle (from KTVU.com via FireFightingNews.com).

SAN LORENZO -- Alameda County firefighters responding to a one-alarm fire at a San Lorenzo home discovered several rooms full of marijuana plants, according to fire Battalion Chief Dan O'Hara.

The fire was reported shortly after 3 p.m. at a residence on Via Pasatiempo.

O'Hara said the fire appears to have been caused by faulty electrical wiring. Apparently, he said, the residents "had done some upgrades to the main electrical panel."

"Somebody had converted the house into a pot-growing farm," O'Hara said.

Boy, its tough when you can't call an electrician to do the wiring correctly because it's for your marijuana farm. Sheesh!

Fire on New Years Eve

Bill at Code, Code World has another great fire story:

I remember the sound of the pager going off, and how it stopped time for a moment. How we all stopped, looked at one another, our wives knowing it would be another holiday evening without us, Larry and I knowing that this kind of call, with the Chief already on the radio calling for equipment was rarely good. Then an instant later Larry and I made for our vehicles, grabbing our gear on the way.

Bill is great writer and can really bring to life his experiences. Read the whole story.

Insurance Doesn't Cover Firefighter's Fall

A volunteer firefighter finds out the hard way that his department's insurance isn't up to snuff (from the Columbian News).

Jones, 27, was stringing lights on the tree next to Yacolt Town Hall when he unhooked his safety line to move to another part of the tree. He slipped and fell 30 feet, hitting several branches on the way down. He suffered a partially collapsed lung and a compression fracture in his spine.

It was the most physically painful experience of his life.

It's also been painful for Ben Peeler, a captain at the fire district who thought the insurance purchased from the Washington Board for Volunteer Fire Fighters and Reserve Officers would help defray the medical bills.

What he found out was the policy does not cover "social activities."

This is an important issue for volunteer departments, especially in small, rural towns. Does your city or department carry insurance that covers all of your activities?

Grass Fires Plague OK, TX, NM

Large grass fires are still burning Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico (from FOXNews.com).

CARBON, Texas — Weary firefighters worked through the night attempting to contain three major fires, including one 25-mile-long blaze that charred farm fields, barns and some homes in Eastland County.

...

Crews flying over other sections of northern and western Texas to assess the damage Sunday reported the tiny communities of Ringgold and Kokomo, together home to about 125 people, had essentially been wiped out by flames, Weaver said.

...

Dozens of fires blackened the Oklahoma landscape as wind gusted to 50 mph, forcing the evacuations of two neighborhoods in northeastern Oklahoma City. Several homes caught fire.

...

Just across the Texas state line in New Mexico, two dozen elderly residents were moved out of a nursing home in Hobbs on Sunday, and a casino and community college in the town of 29,000 were evacuated as firefighters battled grass fires that only began settling down as night fell and the winds eased.

I can't remember grass fires in the U.S. being this intense and wide-spread for so many days in a row.

When I moved from the Black Hills to the prairie in eastern SD, I gained a new appreciation for the difficulties in fighting grass fires. When the wind drives these fires, they can move extremely fast and burn very hot. Hopefully, the fire crews can get a handle on these fires soon.