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Promotional Opportunities in Illinois

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Fire Chief Calls In False Alarm

GARY CHAPMAN IS NOW THE FORMER Fire Chief of the Blackhawk Fire Protection District in Milan, Illinois.  He stepped down from office after admitting to the police that he had deliberately called in a false alarm in order to muster a troop to help clean out a building that the FD was going to use for a haunted house.

WQAD image

WQAD-TV Ch. 8 reported:

It happened at 5:30 p.m. on May 6th. An audio tape reveals that before the brush fire call went out for all volunteer firefighters to report for duty, Chief Chapman alerted a Milan dispatcher that the call would not be for a real fire, but an attempt to get some manpower out to the site at 1220 W. 2nd Avenue.

The tape shows that shortly after the call went out, the frustrated dispatcher received two calls from an ambulance driver and a fireman, wondering about the fire and where they should go.

Police launched an investigation into the false fire alarm, under the disorderly conduct statute.

The full story is told in WQAD's video report:

 

Blackhawk FPD station  (Google Street View)

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Posted by on May 23, 2013 • Filed under: current events, dispatch, Fire Dispatch, Fire Rescue Topics, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

A Night of Heros

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"A Night of Epic Proportions"

-from The New York City Firefighter Brotherhood

Yesterday afternoon I was eating jambalaya and red beans in a New Orleans dive. The television was in full hurricane mode.

The owner, bartender, cook and regular survived Katrina. Two patrons were from Florida and mentioned that they survived four consecutive hurricanes a couple of years ago. They all asked, where was the media then?

A City So Nice They Named It Twice

The iconic March 29, 1976, magazine cover from The New Yorker symbolizes the assertion that national news is NYC focused. Studios, headquarters staff and production employees are based in the city.

Maybe too much NYC-focused hype.  Then Sandy made landfall …

A Catastrophe Unfolding in Digital Bursts

FDNY Incidents posted tweet and Facebook updates that left me slack-jawed. 

Gregg Favre, a GWU Emergency Services alumn, made a great observation:

I have a bachelors and masters degree in Emergency Management. I teach the practice at the University-level.

I wrote the St. Louis Fire Department's 500-page SOGs on the topic. I feel like I am pretty knowledgable on the subject and grounded in my expectations.

All that said, I am amazed at what is going on in NYC/NJ/NE. This is going to get worse before it gets better. To all my New York friends and co-workers, please be safe.

Swimming to the fire

Before the Breezy Point conflagration in Queens, Favre was focusing on "The Beach House" -  Engine 268 and Ladder 137 in Far Rockaway.

Tonight, the FDNY removed the majority of its units from the Rockaway neighborhood because of extreme danger. They left Engine 268 and Ladder 137 as the lone units.

Favre paraphrased the following radio exchange, I think that The New York City Firefighter Brotherhood Foundation captured a more complete version:

Queens Boro Commander Chief Maynes directly to the officer of Eng Co 268

"The structures are not your concern. Your concern is the residents of Rockaway and your firefighters. Do you understand my order 268"?

Officer of 268 " I understand the orders of Chief Maynes".

That order was made about the same time Engine 268 encountered this situation, as posted by The New York City Firefighter Brotherhood Foundation:
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268 Engine operating alone at this time at a Rockaway 10-75.
 
They are unable to make entry into the block and the officer in charge of 268 Engine has decided not to commit members. The fire is in an attached private dwelling and is extending to exposures.
 
Queens dispatch has just advised 268 Engine that they are unable to send them any assistance. The fire is located at Beach 114 St & The Boardwalk.

Followed by this report:

 Members of Eng Co 268 have confirmed people trapped in a 10-75. The officer of 268 has just advised Queens that they are removing their bunker gear and are holding onto handlines in an attempt the make rescues.  

This is at the scene of 2 fuly involved private dwellings. 268 members will attempt to swim to the scene and start rescues.

There are hundreds of other events that required courage, creativity and bravery from the last 36 hours.  

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward  

related: September 6, 2010:  Updated: 70th Anniversary of London Blitz

Posted by on October 30, 2012 • Filed under: Command & Leadership, Emergency Communications, EMS Topics, Fire Dispatch, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighting Operations, Major Incidents, Mass Casualty Incident, News, Rescues, Special Operations, Urban Commander, weather • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

London Fire Brigade rescues seven from apartment fire

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Press release from the London Fire Brigade

The London Fire Brigade has said this morning that firefighters in south London have saved the lives of seven people after a fire broke out at a block of flats.

The blaze broke out in a four storey block of flats on Campshill Road in Lewisham, SE13, which is in south east London.

Firefighters rescued five women, one child, and one baby, and the Brigade’s control officers gave life saving advice over the phone to those inside the flats.

Station Manager Ziggy Hurrion is based at the Brigade’s headquarters in Southwark, he was at the scene and said:

“Seven lives were saved in the early hours of this morning due to the quick thinking actions of our staff.

“Both our control officers, who handled the 999 calls from those inside the flats, and the brave actions of our firefighters, ensured that five women and two children were safely rescued from the blaze. They were all heroes this morning.

“Ambulance crews and police officers also did a great job at what was undoubtedly a challenging incident for all who attended.

“Nine people were taken to hospital and fortunately, at this stage, we don’t believe anyone was seriously injured. I can’t praise the actions of our staff enough as this incident could easily have ended in tragedy.”

A total of nine people were taken to hospital by ambulance.

In addition to those who were rescued,  four people jumped from the first floor of the building before firefighters arrived on the scene. The four, two men and two women, were amongst the nine people taken to hospital by ambulance. The remaining five were suffering from smoke inhalation.

A further woman and baby were treated on the scene by crews from London Ambulance Service.

Met Police officers evacuated 31 additional people from the building. It’s thought they are now being looked after by staff from Lewisham Council.

Parts of the ground, first, second and third floors of the four storey building were damaged by fire. The Brigade’s fire investigators are carrying out a thorough investigation with Met Police officers to establish how the blaze started.

The Brigade was called at 0229 and the fire was under control by 0444.

Six fire engines and around 30 firefighters attended the incident. They were from Lewisham, Forest Hill, Lee Green, Downham and Deptford fire stations.

The London Fire Brigade’s advice on how to escape from a fire includes the following:

• Close any doors which are open, and only open the doors you need to go through. This will help to stop the fire spreading so rapidly.
• Get everyone out as quickly as possible and call 999.
• Never stop to collect valuables and never go back inside. If there is still someone inside, tell firefighters when they arrive – they will be able to find the person quicker and more safely than you.  
The Brigade offers further advice on what to do if a fire breaks out on it’s website.

ENDS

Operational information about the fire

Nine people were rescued in total:

• A woman and child were rescued from the third floor of the building by firefighters using a hydraulic platform (like a cherry picker)
• A woman and child were rescued by fire crews using a ladder from the first floor
• Another woman was rescued from the second  floor via a ladder
• Two women were rescued by firefighters wearing breathing apparatus from the ground floor of the building

Four people, two men and two women, jumped from the first floor of the building.

Those requiring medical treatment:

• A total of nine people were taken to hospital
• Two women and two men were taken to hospital with fall injuries, having jumped from the first floor of the building.
• A further five were taken to hospital by ambulance and were suffering from smoke inhalation.
• A further woman and child were treated on the scene for smoke inhalation

Thirty one people were evacuated from the building by police officers.

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Robert Fisk (2012 August 15)  Lewisham fire 'heroes' rescue seven from Campshill Road flats blaze. This is Local London

(2012 August 15) Fire at flats in Lewisham: 'Heroes' rescue women and children. BBC News

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Posted by on August 15, 2012 • Filed under: Dispatch & Communications, Fire Dispatch, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighting Operations, Fires, Major Incidents, News, Rescues, Urban Commander • Tagged: , , , ,

“We have a firefighter shot” Scott Miller 1992

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Remembering a near-miss with LAFD Light Force 35

The 1992 Los Angeles riots after the Rodney King verdict forever changed the perception that firefighters and paramedics were immune to violence during civil disorders.

This eight minute compilation of news video and LAFD radio traffic shows the chaos encountered by the crews.  Crews were "losing windshields" and encountering bottles, bricks and gunfire … with no police assistance available.

At 2:30 into the video is the alert by Light Force 35 that they have a firefighter shot … followed by other companies reporting gunfire.

 

Jordan was riding directly behind Miller as Truck Company 35 navigated through the smoke and mayhem of Western Avenue. He saw the handgun, then the flash. "Geez, they're shooting at us," Jordan recalled thinking.

Craning his neck, Jordan saw Miller slumped on the wheel. The captain pulled an emergency brake and the 55-foot-long vehicle lumbered to a stop.

Blood was squirting from Miller's neck. Jordan, a wiry firefighter who had worked at some of the city's busiest stations, had seen his share of gunshot wounds. This one wasn't good. "I thought he was going to die," he said. Another firefighter pressed his hand against Miller's neck to stem the bleeding as the crew loaded him into the back of the truck.

Jordan jumped behind the wheel and took off for Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Robert L. Lopez (May 04, 2009) 'Miracle' firefighter shot during '92 LA riots back on job. Los Angeles Times

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Near exsanguination results in stroke

Laying on the engine cover of the open cab Seagrave tiller truck, Miller, 33,had lost so much blood through his ripped carotid artery that he suffered a stroke.

Scott Harris (April 29, 1993) The Right Choice for Capt. Scott Miller : This 34-year-old Granada Hills family man, this grown-up boy-next-door . . . seems to understand what is expected of him. It has become a matter of duty. Los Angeles Times.

Los Angeles Times also did a video on Miller in 2009:

20th Anniversary Observation:

John North (April 27. 2012) LA riots anniversary: firefighters recall dangers   KABC-TV, Channel 7.

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Posted by on April 29, 2012 • Filed under: Fire Dispatch, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighting Operations, Major Incidents, Patient Management, Urban Commander, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,