Rescue Me Soundtrack
The premier of the third season of Rescue Me was on TV last night. I watched it for a few minutes, but wasn't able to watch the whole thing. From what I saw, it looked pretty good. Check out the website.
Nettwerk Records sent the Rescue Me Soundtrack to me a couple of weeks ago. I previewed a few of the songs and it has some interesting songs from The Von Bondies, Ray LaMontagne, The Subways, and lots of others.
Most Don't Wear Wildland PPE
Most of the poll respondents either wear structural PPE or no PPE on wildland fires. Hmmm. Are there any particular reasons for this? Please leave a comment if you have an opinion on this.
Emergency Room Part II
Just a quick update - my shift in the emergency room went just fine. Whew!
It was busy from 8 PM until about 4 AM. Then things slowed down a bit, but there were still a number of patients to look after. I learned a ton and the ER staff was great.
The next big step is the test in the middle of June. Study, study, study!
Memorial Day
This should have been posted before the weekend, but I'd rather be late than never. This from HistoryChannel.com via FireFighter Blog:
By the late 1800s, many communities across the country had begun to celebrate Memorial Day and, after World War I, observances also began to honor those who had died in all of America's wars. In 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday to be celebrated the last Monday in May. (Veterans Day, a day set aside to honor all veterans, living and dead, is celebrated each year on November 11.)
We attended our local Memorial Day ceremony at the auditorium. Then we had a picnic lunch at the park and later in the afternoon, we took the kids out to fly their kites. I finished up with nine holes of golf. What a great day - made possible by the sacrifice of the men and women in our armed forces.
Paulison Confirmed as Head of FEMA
Good news for the fire service (from FOXNews.com).
WASHINGTON — The Senate confirmed R. David Paulison as FEMA's chief on Friday, hours after a senator ended his stall on the nomination over problems with the agency's flood insurance program.Paulison's confirmation was part of an unanimous consent agreement as the Senate headed out of town on a one-week recess for Memorial Day.
Hopefully, this will help the fire service and FEMA overall.
Air Tanker Plan Next Year
Back in December of 2002, air tanker crashes prompted a report that said the current air tanker system was unsustainable. Almost four years later, we are still waiting for a new plan. We'll have to wait until next spring for the new plan (from RockyMountainNews.com).
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Forest Service expects by next spring to have a long-term plan for modernizing the nation's depleted fleet of heavy air tankers, a top federal official assured two Colorado congressmen Thursday....
"Their plan is to fully review the options and in about 10 months, next winter, they plan to release their findings and their plan for the future," Udall said. "That not only would answer the questions of, do we move to a federal fleet rather than a private fleet, but what sorts of aircraft should be in the mix."
Under the current system, private companies own the air tankers and operate them under contract to the federal government. Some have suggested that the federal government take over ownership of the air-tanker fleet.
"There's a legitimate debate about whether the air tanker fleet should be owned and maintained by the federal government," Udall said. "I haven't made up my mind."
First, I'm not sure why it has taken such a ridiculously long time to come up with a new plan.
Second, I don't think the federal government should own these aircraft. Contractors do a great job.
Emergency Room
Well, I'm about 80% done with my EMT Basic course and I'm heading to Sioux Falls to spend 10 hours in the emergency room at Sioux Valley hospital. I'll be working the 8 PM to 6 AM shift on a Friday night. Hmmm.
I'm looking forward to it, but hopefully I don't make a fool of myself or screw something up.
Everyone have a good weekend!
Going to Work
Photo by Patrick Kellam.
Fire Department: Ft. Oglethorpe, Catoosa County, or Walker County Fire Rescue
Location: Ringold, GA
Incident: Barn and house fire
Date: Unknown (photo posted on May 24, 2006)
This shot is from a Firehouse.com photostory, where there are additional photos of this incident and a description.
As soon as I saw this photo, I knew it was a good one. There is just something about being on the nozzle and "Going to Work".
Smoke Turns Out to be Insect Swarm
This would be something to see (from The Hamilton Spectator via FireFightingNews.com):
Lovesick bugs looking for mates sent Hamilton firefighters scrambling to battle a reported high-rise apartment fire recently.When two pumpers, ladder, rescue vehicle and a district chief rolled up in front of the building on Delawana Drive a week ago, they found the "smoke at the top floor" was a cloud of millions of insects swarming over one corner of the roof.
Fire safety officer John Verbeek says this could be a first for the fire department.
"I've never heard of a building fire call where it turned out to be a mass of insects."
Whoa - that is a lot of bugs. I hope they had their insect repellent handy.
Tractor Fire
On Wednesday, May 24, at approximately 1500 hours, the Miller Fire Department was paged to a tractor fire. The location was 22 miles from Miller. I didn't hold out much hope for the tractor. We responded with two engines, two brush trucks, and a suburban.
The South Hand Fire Department was also paged. They responded with an engine and a brush truck.
The first unit to arrive was our brush truck F7. The tractor had a small amount of smoke showing, but no major damage. The brush truck was able to extinguish the fire without any trouble. Surprisingly, the tractor wasn't damaged too badly. A few repairs and it should be ready to go.
Photo courtesy of Hand County Emergency Management.
It shows our 1st assistant chief and treasurer, along with a South Hand firefighter inspecting the tractor to make sure the fire is out.
All units were back in service at the Miller fire hall by 1630 hours.
2006 International Firefighter Safety Stand Down
Roanoke Firefighters has a good post about the Safety Stand Down coming up on June 21.
What is your department planning for this important event?
Chicago FD Entrance Exam
From WBBM780.com:
CHICAGO (WBBM Newsradio 780) -- The Chicago Fire Department gives an entrance exam Thursday and Friday for new firefighter hopefuls. 25,000 people have signed up to take the exam, being given at McCormick Place.This is Chicago's first firefighters entrance exam in more than a decade
Holy crow! Isn't that an incredible number of people to test? I wonder how many will pass the test?
Near Miss: Mobile Home Fire Goes Bad
After a couple of weeks without posting about a near miss, it's time to get back into the swing of things. This week's near miss involves a mobile home fire, a burned hose line, and positive pressure ventilation. All of these factors stack up to make a bad situation. Here is an excerpt:
There was zero visibility. The engine crew had knocked down most of the fire in the front area and went to the back area to extinguish the rest. The engine crew called for a fan for positive pressure ventilation. One firefighter from the truck crew went to place and start the fan. The engine crew went past the remaining truck firefighter to finish extinguishment in the rear. The fan was started. After only a moment the fire flared up in the front area. It took only seconds and the entire mobile home was burning. The crews were bottlenecked in the hallway with no egress to the rear. The truck crew asked for the hoseline since they were becoming engulfed in the flames coming from the front. The incident commander called for us to abandon the building. The hoseline burned in two before the truck crew could use it.
Follow the link to read the whole report and get all of the details. It doesn't say in the report, but I wonder if the fan was placed in the right spot.
Coffee Break Questions:
- What are your procedures for using positive pressure ventilation?
- How quickly is a backup hand line and rapid intervention team put in place on your structure fires?
- Do your firefighters ask follow-up questions of bystanders when they claim that people are trapped in the building?
Fire-Safe Cigarettes has a Blog
The Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes has a blog in addition to their website.
Drop by and read up on their latest news.
Planes Used On Istanbul Airport Fire
Check out this photo of an air tanker dropping water on the big airport fire yesterday in Istanbul, Turkey.
Photo courtesy of the AP.
Here are some details from the Washington Post.
ISTANBUL, Turkey -- A quick-spreading fire burned down most of the cargo section of Istanbul's Ataturk International Airport on Wednesday, forcing 2,000 workers to flee the thick black smoke that closed one runway to traffic and disrupted flights....
Firefighting planes filled with water from the nearby Marmara Sea made more than 70 sorties to douse the flames, flying low and at an angle to avoid a nearby Turkish Airlines building. Dozens of fire trucks also responded, and the blaze was brought under control after more than four hours.
That is the first time I've heard of air tankers being used on a structure fire.
Finnish Fireman Works to Help Kabul Firefighters
A firefighter in Finland is trying to help firefighters in Kabul, Afghanistan (from Helsingin Sanomat).
Paul Eskelinen , 34, from Espoo, is a stubborn man. Just so you know.He works as a fireman and ambulance driver at the Espoonlahti emergency centre. In addition he is organising help for his colleagues in Afghanistan, although he runs into resistance from all sides.
...
A city of five million inhabitants should have at least ten fire stations, Eskelinen estimates. Now they have just four. They have seven functioning fire engines, and they are all 20-30 years old. "They do not even fit in the narrow streets." The fire hydrant system was destroyed in the civil war. The fire engine has to return to the station to refill, which can take as long as an hour. Due to the lack of fire engines, the firefighters travel on the roofs of the vehicles. "If the driver brakes too fast, men fall off and get hurt."
This really shows that the Afghan fire service is in dire need of assistance. If you know of programs that already exist to address this need, please let me know.
Poll Shows Officers Are Trained
Last week's poll shows that for the most part, the respondent's officers are properly trained. The results turned out better than I thought they would.
MFD at the Car Races
On Friday night, May 19, the Miller Fire Department was on hand to provide fire suppression at the Miller Speedway. No big wrecks, no fires, just lots of good racing!
First Response Coalition
I've added a link to the First Response Coalition to the sidebar. Here is some info:
The FRC is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization whose mission is to educate the public on the needs of our first responders and to ensure that decision makers attach a high priority to public safety issues such as funding, research, training, equipment, standards development, spectrum allocation and management. In addition, the FRC supports greater coordination at all levels of government to achieve seamless interoperability, which will allow emergency personnel to coordinate an effective response to local, regional, and national emergencies.
Stop by their site and read what they are all about. They've even got a blog!
NIOSH Reports
NIOSH has released reports detailing the findings related to three line of duty deaths. Follow the links to read the reports. If nothing else, read the summary which is at the top of the report and is less than a page long.
F2005-12 Career Fire Fighter/EMT Dies in Ambulance Crash - Florida
F2005-30 Fire Fighter Suffers Sudden Cardiac Death During Physical Fitness Training - New Jersey
Muck Fire
Muck Fire - this is a term I was unfamiliar with. Here is the definition from the Florida Division of Forestry (pdf):
A fire burning in or below the duff layer in soil containing decaying organic matter, such as peat. Muck fires usually occur in dry marshes or swamps during a drought. Muck fires are problematic because they may burn for days or weeks, creating a smoke hazard and creating a safety problem for fire fighters with undergrounds pockets of fire that can collapse under the weight of humans or machinery.
Here is a link to a USA Today story regarding muck fires.
Muck fires, such as this one near Veronica Estates, can haunt rural residents and firefighters for months. They can top 500 degrees, smolder as deep as the muck goes, burn for weeks and rekindle forest fires long after residents think the threat is gone.
Interesting stuff. It sounds like muck fires are a real booger to extinguish. Lots of digging, probably with heavy equipment.
We don't have muck fires in South Dakota. No swamps that would provide deep organic material. Do you have muck fires, or other special types of fires, in your area? Leave a comment and let us know.
Display of Old Fire Engines in Helsinki
Check out the pictures of the old fire engines from Helsinki, Finland (from People's Daily Online). I like the snappy outfits!
Photo courtesy of People's Daily Online.
Note the speaking trumpet around the neck of the fellow on the right. It is slightly curved. All of the trumpets I've seen are straight.
There are more pictures, just follow the link.
2006 SAFER Program Guidance
The guidance document for the 2006 SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) program has been published. The application process is scheduled to start around May 30.
Fewer Paramedics Is Better?
A study from Ohio State University seems to indicate that fewer paramedics in a city results in a higher survival rate for cardiac patients (from USA Today via FireFightingNews.com).
"Our data seem to show that cities with the fewest number of paramedics for a given population are more likely to have higher survival rates," says Michael Sayre of the emergency-medicine department at Ohio State University in Columbus. "Having a smaller number of paramedics who are very highly trained is probably a better strategy for delivering good patient outcomes."
Huh? That makes no sense to me. However, the article then states:
Researchers believe the individual paramedics in such cities deal with a higher volume of critical cases, keeping sharp such tricky skills as intubation, the insertion of a tube into the trachea to open an airway."There are a number of procedures required regularly to stay expert," says Corey Slovis, Nashville's EMS medical director. The study's lesson is "we've got to demand expertise from our experts," he says.
Hmmm...could be. Although this leads me to think that fewer paramedics isn't necessarily the answer. It tells me that the paramedics that a city has need to regularly practice and use critical care skills. I agree with the last paragraph from the article:
"Nobody knows what is the right number of paramedics per 100,000 population, and what is the best way to deploy the paramedics you already have in order to save the most lives," says Marc Eckstein, medical director for the Los Angeles Fire Department. "The need for research to answer these questions has never been greater."
World Trade Center
A movie called World Trade Center has just been released (hat tip to Roanoke Firefighters).
It is a story about two Port Authority police officers, the last two men rescued from the rubble of the World Trade Center. It is an Oliver Stone film (I'm not a big fan), but the trailer looks good. I know I'll go to this one.
Here is the official movie website.
Silsby Engine and Fire Hydrants
Lots of good posts over at Fire Service History. I especially enjoyed the post on Silsby Steam Engines and the post on Fire Hydrants. There are some excellent pictures in both.
Check 'em out.
Freaked Out
Freaked Out
Firefighters in Christchurch were freaked out by Freaking out
a deaf woman who unknowingly called
them to her home early one morning.
Courtesy of Scottie's Cartoon Gallery.
National EMS Week
I'm a little behind again, but this week is National EMS Week.
Dallas, TX — The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) today announced the 33rd annual Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week will be celebrated throughout the nation May 14-20, 2006. The event brings together local communities and medical personnel to publicize safety and honor the dedication of those who provide the day-to-day lifesaving services of the medical “front line.”National EMS Week will feature hundreds of grassroots activities coast-to-coast that will be planned around this year’s theme, “EMS: Serving on Health Care’s Front Line,” which underscores the commitment and dedication of the 750,000 EMS providers who serve their communities.
Check out the official website.
Firefighter Launcher?
Here is an interesting invention that could be used to launch firefighters to the top of a five story building (from Invention - a NewScientist blog).
The old circus trick of firing a person from a cannon is being considered by the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) as a way to get special forces, police officers and fire fighters onto the roofs of tall buildings in a hurry.
I'm not sure this would be safe in any situation. Does it include wind direction and speed in its calculations? Coming down on top of the building poses another set of problems. Would there be a big air bag or some type of padding to land on? How would you keep the firefighter from getting injured upon landing? Could the firefighter be launched in their gear or would the gear have to be launched separately?
Climbing the aerial seems a lot easier and safer to me.
Fire Safe Cigarette Poll
It was a close one this week. I'm a little surprised that so many respondents don't think fire safe cigarettes will cut down on fire fatalities.
Thanks to everyone that votes in the polls. Don't forget to vote in the new poll on the sidebar at the right.
Forest Fire Damages Chichen Itza Building
We watch the Discovery Channel quite a bit, and I've seen a couple of programs about Chichen Itza. It seems that a fire has damaged some buildings there (from FireFightingNews.com).
Forest fire in Mexico has charred 5,800 hectares in the state of Yucatan on Mexico's Caribbean coast, damaging the ancient cities of Chichen Itza and Oxtankah, the country's National History and Anthropology Institute (INAH) said on Sunday. The INAH chief, Federica Sodi Miranda, said that the agency had already begun work to establish the fire's impact on the ancient buildings. She said that in Chichen Itza, which is 180 km west of tourist resort Cancun, fires had damaged a fourth century building which had not been completely excavated, where INAH anthropologists and archeologists had been working.Fires also hit Oxtancah, the fourth century Mayan market city, around 9 km from Chichen Itza, damaging a building in the northern area.
For a little background info, here is a link to Chichen Itza at Wikipedia.
Car Wrecks at the Races
The Miller Fire Department provided fire support at the Miller Speedway on Friday, May 12. I was on the crew this time so I got to watch the races this week.
Two major wrecks this week. The first happened when a car spun out on turn two and smacked into the guard rail that protects the pit area. The guardrail is made of railroad ties. The driver was OK, but the car wasn't. They were done racing for the night.
The second occurred right in front of the grandstand. The car turned sideways and rolled. It then hit the concrete wall. Not good. Luckily, the driver was OK, but I'm betting he was very sore the next day. They will have their work cut out for them in getting that car ready to race again.
No fires at either of the wrecks, but it got out blood pumping as we drove across the infield to respond.
I know it would be better if we had more pictures to accompany these reports, so I'll try to do a better job of getting some pictures.
Firefighter License Plates
Roanoke Firefighters has a funny post about a firefighter's license plate - don't miss it. It made me laugh.
There is also a link to a project that the IAFF Local 1132 website has. It is a collection of firefighter license plates.
National CERT Conference
The National CERT Conference is currently underway in Los Angeles (via LAFD News & Information). Here is a little trivia for you:
CERT, the Community Emergency Response Team program, helps communities be better prepared for, respond to and cope with disasters. CERT was conceived by the Los Angeles Fire Department in 1985 and is now in use worldwide.
Check out the conference website and the CERT home page.
I think that Community Emergency Response Teams are an excellent idea and should be implemented in every community in the U.S. In large disaster scenarios these folks could prove invaluable.
Leesburg Fire Video
Over at Becoming a Firefighter (VA), a video of the Leesburg Fire Department has been posted. It contains video clips and pictures of incidents they have responded to. Cool stuff!
Reporter Takes Physical Agility Test
A reporter took the Davenport Fire Department's physical agility test and then he wrote about his experience (from Quad-Cities Online).
DAVENPORT -- It's really a sandbag, but it's supposed to be a body. I have to drag it, all 150 pounds of it, by two straps over 100 feet to succeed. I grab it and get going.I'm not fresh. The ladder, the hydrant, and ax have already had their way with me. My hands are numb. My arms ache; my legs too. I'm wheezing, sweat-soaked. I want to puke.
It's just the length of the Davenport Central Fire Station's parking lot, but I might as well be dragging a Volkswagen to China. I'm vaguely aware of people shouting encouragement and the lieutenant following nearby, keeping time. Time. I started the test less than eight minutes ago, but I feel like I've never been doing anything else.
This is a good article that gives an outside perspective on a typical test.
Wing Eating Relay for Charity
Here is a fundraiser that I would love to get involved in (from the Greenwich Time).
Using a technique that gave them their lead in a Buffalo-wing-eating contest, firefighters splattered the two dozen wings from their bucket onto the middle of their table at Sundown Saloon.Thrusting the wings into their mouths, the fast eaters seemed oblivious to the Buffalo sauce that smeared onto their faces. When they were done, another table of firefighters began racing to the bottom of their bucket of 24 wings.
The firefighters were competing in a relay eating race against the police in a charity event to benefit the New York Police & Fire Widows' & Children's Benefit Fund.
Sounds like fun and I like wings. Mmmm.
Contest Winner
OK, there weren't many entrants in the "Busier than a..." contest. However, the guys that did respond had excellent entries. It was tough to decide which I liked better. The entrants are fellow fire bloggers. Be sure to stop by and check out their sites:
Roanoke Firefighters
43 Firefighter
And now, the winner...drum roll please...
Rhett from Roanoke Firefighters with "Busier than a one legged man in a butt kicking contest".
Thanks for participating guys!
Near Miss: Fall from Ladder
This week's near miss isn't really a near miss. The firefighter involved sustained a nasty injury to his hip. However, the injury could have been much worse.
I picked up the charged line and opened it slowly, expecting some substantial reaction force on a 1 3/4" line that was operating at 120 psi. Unknown to me the 2nd line had been charged by the pump operator and the pump pressure had been increased to 140 psi in anticipation of the 2nd line being opened once it was advanced to the attic. My second and biggest mistake occurred at this time. I failed to "lock in" to the ladder with one leg. As I slowly opened the nozzle the force went from something I could manage, to in a split second lifting me right off the ladder. I did not have any sensation of slipping or losing control of the line, just one second I was opening the line and the next second I was in the air.
Read the whole report for all of the details.
Do your firefighters know how to properly lock in when working on a ladder?
Have they practiced locking in with full bunker gear and SCBA while managing a hose line?
Does your department have SOGs that stipulate tying the hose line to the ladder before opening the nozzle?
Arson Awareness Week
This week is Arson Awareness Week (May 7 - 13). This from the USFA website:
Arson and other uncontrolled wildland fires pose a serious threat to lives, property, and natural resources in our rural and suburban communities. Conditions are particularly hazardous in the wildland-urban interface, where structures and other human developments meet or intermingle with forests and grasslands.The damage associated with wildland arson, acreage and dollar losses is more than all other causes associated with wildland fires. The increased risk of wildland fires, associated with the rapid development of structures in the wildland-urban interface, makes it all that more important to develop arson prevention and preparedness programs.
Preventing, mitigating and preparing for wildland arson are important steps in protecting lives, minimizing property loss and providing for firefighter safety.
Lots of info at the USFA website and here is a link to the official media kit. Help spread the word to firefighters and the public if you get a chance. It will make a difference.
Rollover at Apartment Fire
Here is an interesting story about a rollover that occurred at an apartment fire (from My Dark Little Corner of Cyberspace).
The 2nd in engine got there and the 2 senior firemen and the captain went to the door to go in with the probie already on the nozzle who was waiting. As soon as they opened the door and made entry, the smoke conditions changed rapidly, from light grey to dark black. This indicates the fire is taking off and conditions are deterororating inside. About a minute later, one of the front windows was broken out (we later found out by accident) and things really went south. The fire got a huge gulp of fresh air, and rolled over.
Follow the link to read the whole thing.
Busier Than A...
Not much for posts today. Too much stuff to get done. To make up for that, I thought I would try a little contest. Whoever finishes the phrase "Busier than a..." with the best ending will be the winner. Go ahead, give it your best shot. The winner will be picked on Friday.
More posts tomorrow.
UPDATE: Apparently, I was too busy to check the title of this post before I hit "Save". When I read it this afternoon, I saw that it didn't make sense. Hopefully it does now.
What Should Be Done With FEMA?
Well, the vote is pretty evenly split between scrapping FEMA and making FEMA a cabinet level agency again. However, it is pretty clear that according to our voters, FEMA should not be part of the Department of Homeland Security.
Moving FEMA to the DHS has had a serious effect on the USFA and the AFG program. I'm with the voters on this one. Almost anything would be better than leaving FEMA in the DHS.
Friday Night Races
The Miller Fire Department provided fire protection at the Miller Speedway on Friday evening, 05/05/2006. Our firefighters are starting to lose a little interest in attending so we only had four firefighters show up. They took a brush truck and an engine. There were no fires so the guys got to enjoy a great evening of racing.
Florida Fire Forces 1,000 to Evacuate
About 1,000 Florida residents have been evacuated from their homes due to a brush fire (from FOXNEWS.com).
MIAMI — Smoldering brush fires kept about 1,000 people from their homes early Monday, and the heavy smoke shut down parts of Interstate 95 between Daytona Beach and the Cape Canaveral area.At least one home was destroyed and about 1,000 acres scorched by the fires that began Friday and flared up through the weekend, officials said.
I've never been involved with an evacuation of that size, but moving 1,000 people can't be easy.
Follow Up on Toronto Fire
Photo: John Hanley
Remember the fire pictures from the house fire in Toronto, Canada, where the firefighters were escaping from a second story window onto a dormer? This incident is going to be featured on the cover of Firehouse magazine. Here is an article from Firehouse.com with more details of the incident along with pictures and video.
Without warning, heavy fire conditions appeared on the first floor and the front hallway quickly became fully involved. Fire raced up the stairs and cut off the crew's only method of egress. They had very little time to escape the fast-moving flames, so they entered a front bedroom, broke out the window and began, one by one, to climb out onto a small snow- and ice-covered dormer roof.
After looking at all of the pictures this next statement really puts things into perspective:
The whole sequence of events occurred in less than two minutes.
Whoa - that is fast and the firefighters did a good job of getting out and avoiding serious injuries or fatalities.
I'm looking forward to seeing the article in the magazine.
The photographer, John Hanley, has a website of his fire photos called Toronto Fire Pics. Good pictures - check it out.
Pictures of Chinese Wildland Firefighters
Here is an article from CRIENGLISH.com about a forest fire in China that was extinguished recently. What caught my attention was the pictures of the firefighters.
Photo: Xinhua
Interesting camouflage pattern on their clothing. I wonder what the little boxes on their helmets are? The nozzle looks familiar too.
There are a couple of other pictures from the article - one of a couple of firefighters with what looks like a leaf blower, and another of two trucks.
LAFD Successfully Handles Hospital Fire
A fire in a hospital, nursing home, or elderly housing unit would be a real challenge. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a fire in a hospital yesterday and they did a great job (from LAFD News & Information).
Ascending to the fourth floor via the stairways, Firefighters encountered a considerable amount of heavy smoke banked down below waist in the hallway leading to the fire room.
Using handlines, Firefighters aggressively attacked the fire confining it to the one room and preventing fire spread to other portion of the floor. The fire was extinguished in approximately twenty minutes.
Due to pre-existing medical condition of many patients in the Medical Center, most were immediately evacuated to a treatment area on the first floor by Firefighters for assessment and as a safety precaution. Others were sheltered in place until the incident was completely under control and then assessed.
No injuries and limited structural damages. Read the whole thing and follow the links to see video. The list of responding units is pretty impressive too.
Mini-Marathon in Firefighting Gear
Have you ever walked 13 miles at one time? Have you done it wearing full firefighting PPE including SCBA? A firefighter from Bloomington, IN, is planning on doing just that (from wane.com).
INDIANAPOLIS A Bloomington firefighter plans to briskly walk the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon on Saturday in full firefighting gear.Captain Steve Coover says he'll raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association by racing while wearing his helmet, jacket, pants, oxygen tank and breathing mask.
He is going to need a big supply of air tanks. Best of luck, Captain Coover. Hopefully, the day will be cool and your fundraiser is a success.
Near Miss: Saw Blade Flys Off
This week's near miss report deals with the daily maintenance check of a circular saw.
I was doing a morning check out on the aerial tower on which I was riding the T3 position. I went to start the (name deleted) diamond blade saw. I had been warned a few months ago by my captain that I should not just start the saws with out first checking the blades or chains, depending on the saw. So I did a visual check on the blade of the diamond tip and quickly tried to turn the holding bolt of the diamond tip to see if it was loose. It did not seem loose so I proceeded with the starting of the saw. About ten seconds into starting the saw, the blade appeared to be wobbling. I immediately hit the "off" switch. As the motor turned off the blade continued to rotate, the holding bolt came out, the blade flew off the saw, rolled about twenty feet and embedded itself about half an inch deep into a bay door.
Oooo, that could have been bad. Here are some discussion questions:
Does your department check power equipment on a regular basis?
In the case of a saw, do you ensure the blade is on tight? Do you use a wrench to check this?
When power equipment is in use, do your members maintain a safety zone around the operator?
Bar Coded Triage Tag
Interesting idea (from Firehouse.com):
The Ortiz brothers took the triage tag, a basic product already in use by many emergency responders around the country to designate urgency of care, and took it one step further.From their experience in the field, they found that keeping track of a large number of people with different levels of injury was a nightmare. By placing bar codes on the tags, the brothers envisioned an information technology system that could help paramedics and doctors track patients from the scene of the accident to the hospital room.
This would be an excellent tool for use in regular hospital settings too.
As usual, when a new technology emerges, the cost of the equipment is going to be an issue at first. I don't see this being used in rural areas or in small departments either. It won't be used very often and the cost of the equipment would be prohibitive.
Smoke Alarm Recall
Some smoke alarms have been recalled (from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission via FireFightingNews.com).
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
Name of Product: First Alert® ONELINK™ Battery-Powered Smoke and Combination Smoke/Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarms
Units: About 145,890 (About 52,400 were sold to consumers)
Manufacturer: BRK Brands Inc., a subsidiary of First Alert Inc., of Aurora, Ill.
Hazard: These alarms can drain the power from batteries rapidly, causing premature low battery power. Consumers will be alerted to the low battery power and the need to replace the battery by a chirping of the unit. If the batteries on the smoke/CO alarm are not replaced before the battery power terminates, the alarm will not detect smoke in the event of a possible fire and the presence of carbon monoxide.
You can get a replacement if you have one of these smoke alarms. Check the First Alert website for details.
Poor Decision Regarding Snake Removal
I'm not sure what to say about this incident (from ABC News).
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. May 3, 2006 (AP)— After being told by her apartment complex management that it was not their responsibility to remove a snake for her porch, a woman set the reptile on fire and caused $1,000 damage to vinyl siding.
This woman is lucky the apartment complex didn't burn down. What was she thinking?
A True Scotsman
A True Scotsman
The Scottish Entry For the TFA
At The Last Firefighters Games
Decided To Wear His National Dress (Kilt)
While Competing.
Courtesy of Scottie's Cartoon Gallery.
New Links
Here are some new links that I've added to the sidebar. Stop by these sites and check out what they've got.
Fire Service History - This is a great blog that has posts regarding the history of the fire service. Don't miss their most recent post about Seagrave apparatus.
FirefighterCloseCalls.com - A website dedicated to highlighting close calls and what to do to improve firefighter safety. This says it the best from their website:
"WE are family with a focused goal... no one gets left behind, and no one is ever forgotten."Ya like that quote? Great! Now get off your ass and get some training going for you and your crew... EVERY DAY IS A TRAINING DAY. No More Whiney Assed Excuses!
Big Fire in Brooklyn
Firefighters in Brooklyn were busy yesterday with a very large structure fire (from WABC-TV).
More than 400 firefighters converged on yesterday's fiery scene at a former rope factory.The 10 alarm fire eventually engulfed 15 buildings, making it the largest in New York City in a decade, excluding "9/11".
Photo courtesy of WABC-TV.
The story notes that the site covers 21 acres!
Lots of pictures - just follow the link.
New Highway Safety Campaign - Shoot the Deer
This over at 43 Firefighter made me chuckle:
Station 43 was dispatched to a reported car vs. pole on Bunny Lane near Effort Neola Road. Driver was not injured. Appears this accident was caused by either a 14 point buck, a moose or something in between which caused the car to leave the roadway. The driver received a ride from from the Pennsylvania State Police. The driver also requested that we shoot all deer that we see so this doesn't happen to anyone else.
Hehehe, after a couple of beers the "shoot the deer" idea would probably seem like a good one, but apparently in this case, the state police didn't think so.
View the pictures of the incident here.
Brush Truck Must Go!
This truck must go! REDUCED - $35,995 or best offer.
Call us now at 800-505-3044.
Check out the specs on this truck.
More pictures here.
Impact of AFG Program
It looks like the AFG program has had a sizable impact on the respondents to our weekly poll. I know it has certainly helped out the fire departments in my area.
Don't forget to vote in this week's poll about what should happen to FEMA.
Big First Day for Escondido Firefighter
This guy had a big first day as a firefighter (from the San Diego Union-Tribune via Firehouse.com).
ESCONDIDO – Not many people can say they've rescued someone from a burning building. Even fewer can say they did it on their first day on the job.Yesterday morning, Dominick Polito, a firefighter/paramedic with the Escondido Fire Department, did just that.
He pulled to safety a baby and a woman from the second story of an apartment building on fire.
...
When firefighters arrived, they saw the woman leaning out a window, holding her baby out to get it away from the smoke. “It appeared she was getting ready to jump,” Rea said.
Firefighters extended a ladder to the upstairs apartment to help her out.
Polito climbed up the steps and rescued the two, first the baby, then the mother, Rea said. Firefighters extinguished the blaze in 20 minutes.
Kudos to Firefighter Polito!
The Foam Test
The photos from this article are amazing (from the ArmyTimes.com).
An April 14 report in the Black Hills Bandit, Ellsworth’s base newspaper, suggests the slideshow, and its depiction of a fire-suppression system gone seemingly haywire, has spread like, well, rapidly expanding fire-snuffing foam throughout the Air Force, her sister services and the national media. (Oh yeah, we’ve got a copy. Check it out.Ellsworth officials want it known that the incident, actually a planned test of new equipment last August, was conducted properly — and that it yielded a desired a result: They now know it takes just two minutes, not six, for the system to do what’s needed.
Don't miss the photos. Just follow the link above.
This foam test was conducted at Ellsworth Air Force Base in western South Dakota. I grew up about 70 miles from there.
Chicago Firefighter Wins Big
Check this out (from The Chicago Tribune):
CHICAGO -- Chicago firefighter Thorpe Schoenle was back at work last week, after millions had watched him win $464,000 on the game show "Deal or No Deal."The prize was the biggest awarded on the show to date, and Schoenle credited his luck to keeping cool and playing the odds.
"The reason I wanted to be on the show is you don't have to be a genius to win a lot of money," said Schoenle, who trains emergency medical technicians at the Chicago Fire Academy.
Way to go Firefighter Schoenle!
Hay Bale Fire
On Saturday, 04/29, at around 1330 hours, the MFD was paged to a hay wagon on fire in St. Lawrence, a town about 2 miles away from Miller. We responded with two brush trucks, one engine, and about eight firefighters.
Apparently, a tire on the hay wagon was rubbing on the hay wagon frame. The heat ignited the hay bales in the wagon - eight large, round bales. The hay was fully involved when we arrived. The owner had disconnected their pickup from the wagon and left the wagon on a narrow road.
We had the owner pull the wagon into their corral and then tip over the wagon so that we could spread the hay bales out. You would think that hay bales would burn up quickly, but they are so compacted that they will burn for several hours unless you pull them apart so that the air and heat can get to the interior of the bale.
Usually, with a hay bale fire, there are so many bales, that we end up digging a hole and burying the hay bales instead of burning them up. Burning them up would just take too long and require a ton of effort.
In this case, we only had eight bales, so we thought we would go ahead and burn them up. We had the owner use his tractor to spread the bales out and we used pitchforks to pull apart the bales. Everything was going great until...it started to rain! Not just a sprinkle either, but it rained hard for 10 minutes. So much for burning up the hay bales.
The rain didn't put the bales out completely, but we weren't going to be able to finish what we started. The owner agreed to keep an eye on things and we headed back to the fire hall. We were back in service by around 1530.
Tobacco Companies Respond
The president of the NFPA, James Shannon, recently sent a letter to the three major tobacco companies asking them to produce only fire-safe cigarettes. Here are the responses from Lorillard, Philip Morris, and R.J. Reynolds.
Lorillard and Philip Morris both support federal regulations that would require fire-safe cigarettes even though they don't believe any cigarette is "fire-safe". They have a point, but a cigarette with reduced cigarette ignition propensity (RCIP) doesn't exactly roll off of the tongue.
All three companies point out that a broad approach to reducing accidental cigarette-caused fires is needed. They note that this should include public education about the fire danger of cigarettes (even fire-safe cigarettes), better regulation of upholstery and furniture fabrics, and installation of smoke detectors and sprinkler systems. They are right. All of these areas should be addressed.
However, the response of R.J. Reynolds is troubling. They do not support federal or state regulations requiring fire-safe cigarettes. Their letter refers to their Position on "Fire-Safe" Cigarettes on their website. Here is an excerpt:
Just like other cigarettes, the cigarettes that are currently being sold in New York will scorch or melt any fabric or material they come in contact with, and if the fabric or material is flammable, it will burn. We do not expect these cigarettes to reduce the number of fires or fire losses caused by the careless handling of cigarettes. What we know about these cigarettes is that they are less likely to burn their full length when placed on filter paper in a controlled laboratory setting.R.J. Reynolds continues to believe that "fire-safe" cigarette regulations are not an effective means to address the problem of accidental fires attributed to the mishandling of cigarettes.
I guess R.J. Reynolds hasn't taken enough of a beating over the past decade or two. With this statement, they are dropping their guard and leaving an opening for the public to deliver another roundhouse to the jaw. Sheesh!
Here is an excerpt from the Myths vs. Realities from the Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes:
MYTH: There is no such thing as a cigarette that reduces the risk of fire.FACT: Research by the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), funded by the American Legacy Foundation, indicates several benefits of implementing the New York regulation. "Fire Safer" Cigarettes: The Effect of the New York State Cigarette Fire Safety Standard on Ignition Propensity, Smoke Toxicity and the Consumer Market " compared the physical properties of cigarettes sold in New York with cigarettes of the same brands sold in Massachusetts and California. The report found that New York cigarettes were far less likely to exhibit full length burns (only 10 percent) than those of the other states (99.8 percent). The HSPH researchers found no valid reason why cigarette manufacturers should not sell lower ignition strength cigarettes nationwide. The Harvard study confirmed the 20-year-old conclusion of the Federal Technical Study Group on Cigarette and Little Cigar Fire Safety. This group, created by the Cigarette Fire Safety Act of 1984 (Public Law 98-567), concluded that it was technically feasible to develop cigarettes with a reduced propensity to ignite upholstered furniture and mattresses. As the Harvard study makes clear, the federal study was correct, and the tobacco industry can make reduced ignition strength cigarettes if it chooses to do so or is required to do so.
Here is the key phrase: it was technically feasible to develop cigarettes with a reduced propensity to ignite upholstered furniture and mattresses.
Its common sense - something R.J. Reynolds seems in short supply of.
Races at the Miller Speedway
The Miller Fire Department provided fire suppression services again at the races at the Miller Speedway on 04/28. So far this year at the track, we haven't had to do a thing except watch the races.
Smoking Plane Story
Tincanfireman has an interesting story over at his blog about a smoking airplane. Here is an excerpt:
Looking out the window during a commercial, at first I wasn't even sure I had seen "something"; just a brief, light puff of smoke from the engine cowling of a Regional Jet (or RJ) that recently arrived. Amother commercial, so I keep looking out the window (since I don't need what Enzyte Bob is selling). About thirty seconds later, dang, another puff. The news is back on, but now I could care less about the NBA playoffs; this is Important Stuff happening right before my eyes. Still another wisp escapes from the cowling and now I'm at the station window, having a good look at the jet. I call towards the dayroom "Lou, (Lieutenant) have a look at this, wouldja?"
Read the whole thing.
Boys Arrested for Florida Fires
Florida firefighters were busy on Sunday fighting brush fires that destroyed a number of homes (from The Washington Post).
LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. -- Two boys were charged Sunday with setting weekend brush fires that have destroyed or damaged more than two dozen homes and burned more than 1,500 acres in southwest Florida, authorities said....
At least nine homes and four sheds were destroyed, and an unknown number of other homes suffered some type of damage, said Gerry LaCavera, wildfire mitigation specialist with the Florida Division of Forestry.
Another 30 vehicles, from all-terrain vehicles to cars and boats, also were lost.
The fires also destroyed two fire trucks, and killed several pets, Forrest said. "I'm aware we lost one goat and a couple dogs," he said.
Things didn't go well if two fire trucks were burned up. It would be interesting to hear what happened to cause the loss of the trucks. If I see something on it I'll post it.
