1st Responder News California March April Edition

The California Edition PUBLISHING SINCE 1993

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MARCH/APRIL, 2015

CRAIG ALLYN ROSE/WWW.EMERGENCYPHOTO.ZENFOLIO.COM

On February 14th, 2015, at 6:57 a.m., the San José Fire Department received a report of a structure fire in a light industrial section of the city at 1041 Commercial Street in Station 5’s first due response area.

- See full story on pages 2

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March/April, 2015

1st Responder Newspaper - CA

Vehicle rollover accidents in Santa Barbara On March 2, 2015, the Santa Barbara City Fire Department responded to two rollover traffic accidents in Santa Barbara.

The first accident occurred at the intersection of Gutierrez and Garden Street.

The second occurred on the 101 Freeway at Milpas Street.

The first accident occurred at 7:17 a.m. and involved two vehicles, which caused one vehicle to roll onto it’s top coming to rest against a building at the southwest corner of the intersection.

The subject from this vehicle self-extricated and did not request medical assistance.

The second vehicle sustained major front-end damage. Two patients from this vehicle were transported to Cottage Hospital.

JUMP TO FILE #031915113

Fire crews were initially tasked with patient care. They then turned their attention to vehicle stabilization, leaking fluids and general debris clean-up.

This accident is being investigated by the Santa Barbara Police Department.

The second accident occurred at approximately 1:10 p.m. and involved a solo vehicle that rolled over and ended up on it’s top off the right shoulder. The patient in this vehicle denied any injury.

This accident is currently being investigated by CHP. - C. MAILES

SANTA BARBARA CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT

Autism and first responders: Seeing Beyond the Smoke CRAIG ALLYN ROSE/WWW.EMERGENCYPHOTO.ZENFOLIO.COM

Major commercial structure fire destroys San José businesses On February 14th, 2015, at 6:57 a.m., the San José Fire Department received a report of a structure fire in a light industrial section of the city at 1041 Commercial Street in Station 5’s first due response area.

The crew of Engine 5 quickly struck a second alarm as they were confronted with heavy smoke and fire showing from a commercial metal structure. As additional companies arrived on scene multiple lines and elevated master streams were deployed as defensive operations commenced.

While the bulk of the fire was knocked down by 9:30 a.m., crews remained on scene throughout the day and overnight to monitor and extinguish flareups. Of the two

JUMP TO FILE #032615100

businesses destroyed, one was an auto upholstery shop housing a large amount of difficult to extinguish material within the building.

Eventually heavy equipment was brought to the scene to break up large, smoldering piles of upholstery material, allowing firefighters to reach and extinguish hot spots.

Six people, residing in a recreational vehicle on the property, were displaced by the blaze and assisted by the American Red Cross.

There were no injuries to civilians or firefighters.

Assigned to the fire were Battalion 1, Battalion 2, Battalion 29,

Battalion 10, Med 30, 4A2, 4A7, 4A8, 4B97, Engine 5, Engine 16, Engine 2, Engine 19, Engine 619, Engine 23, Engine 29, Engine 3, Engine 1, Engine 7, Engine 8, Truck 1, Truck 2, Truck 29, Truck 30, USAR 34A, USAR 34B, HIT 29A, HIT29B, Foam 29, Squad 26, Squad 30, Squad 18 Mutual aid companies were Santa Clara County Battalion 83, 2B2, Hazmat 72, Breathing Support 72, Engine 72; City of Milpitas Fire: Battalion 86; City of Santa Clara Fire: Truck 98, Engine 95; City of Mountain View Fire: Battalion 51; City of Palo Alto Fire: A63; and Fire Associates of Santa Clara Valley: Fire Support Unit 2.

- C. MAILES

The Institute on Disabilities at Temple University, in collaboration with Willow Grove Fire Company, Upper Moreland Police Department and Horsham Fire Company, has produced and just released the video, Autism and First Responders: Seeing Beyond the Smoke to help increase awareness of the unique issues presented by people with autism, and to inform fire fighters, police officers and other first responders on how to recognize signs of children and young adults with autism.

Parents, family members, educators and others who support people with autism will also find valuable information in the video.

The 20-minute video features a house fire scenario with suggestions on how to recognize and manage challenges that people with autism may present, along with interviews with Chief Brian Focht, Firefighters Tom Winterberg, Marc Medori, family members and children with autism.

Funded by PA Developmental Disabilities Council, the video is available on the Institute’s You Tube channel. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =mnua3jeek30.

Beverly Frantz, PhD, the video’s producer and project director of the Institute’s criminal

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justice initiative, says that the video is meant to enhance the already honed skills of the first responder community.

“We present information and resources for first responders that might help define behaviors that they encounter and offer some methods to improve success when an event involves a person with autism.”

The Institute on Disabilities at Temple University is Pennsylvania’s University Center for Excellence, one of 67 across the country.

Through training, information dissemination and assistance, the Institute strives to achieve a society where all people are valued and respected and where all people have the knowledge, opportunity and power to improve their lives and the lives of others.

For more information about the video or the criminal justice initiative at the Institute, contact: Chief Brian Focht email: chiefwgfc@aol.com or Dr. Beverly Frantz; email: bfrantz@temple.edu - BRIAN FOCHT

March/April, 2015

1st Responder Newspaper - CA

PAGE 3

The Problem With Being the Hero EMS ISSUES Chelle Cordero

PROVIDED

Fire destroys garages, vehicles, damages home in San José On Monday, March 2, 2014, at 10:29 a.m., units of the San José Fire Department responded to reports of a structure fire at 229 North 9th Street in downtown San José.

While en route, the officer of Engine 8 reported a large column of smoke showing from the area.

Upon arrival the crew of Engine 8 confirmed a working fire in

JUMP TO FILE #032615101

two detached garages extending to the back porch of a residential structure.

With heavy fire showing and spreading rapidly to adjacent exposures, a second-alarm was struck summoning additional re-

sources to the scene.

A precautionary third-alarm was called as firefighters began to gain the upper hand on the blaze.

Several vehicles, along with the two garage buildings were destroyed by the fire.

There were no reports of injuries to any civilians.

- CRAIG ALLYN ROSE

IN SERVICE If you have photos you would like to see in our In Service feature, please upload them on our website www.1stresponderNews.com or email them to heather@1stresponderNews.com.

The problem with always being the one to take care of others is WHO takes care of you?

People, who call 911, are usually at their worst, in crisis, in pain, scared, helpless and desperate. You are supposed to help.

At the end of the day, it’s hard not to bring some aspect of the job home with you.

How can you turn off the crying, the fear or, worse, the losses?

One of the many complicated and heartwrenching calls EMS gets called to is the suicide or suicide attempt.

In 2010, the CDC reported more than 38-thousand Americans killed themselves, one million attempted suicide and more than eight-million seriously think about doing it.

Adding to the horror of these statistics, in 2010 suicide was the third-leading cause of death for ages 10 through 24.

It’s hard to remain stoic when you just responded to the remains of a young adult, who told themselves that life wasn’t worth living.

Emergency responders already deal with high-stress situations; they also see the pain of loss in the survivors’ faces. Family and friends still expect you to perform a miracle — maybe you expect that of yourself, too.

EMTs, paramedics and other ambulance crew members will carry the sights, sounds and stories of each call with them, even when they don’t realize how deeply they’ve been affected.

The highs they felt after resuscitating a suicide attempt will crash when they show up to the same victim, who has now completed the act.

Every word of compassion that they used on previous calls is seemingly now void of meaning or purpose. The wails of survivors remain in a responder’s

dreams.

There is no escape; the emergency responder is a human being with emotions.

Every 911 call for suicide, in process or completed, also implies potential personal dangers for responders and includes everything from irrational behavior to methods such as CO poisoning, other gases, guns, fire, and more.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, Goals and Objectives in 2001 which includes techniques for training emergency responders, medical personnel, and caregivers to deal with suicide victims and survivors.

Targeting key personnel, who deal with the public everyday and especially in times of need; this program was built with the intention of recognizing the key signs of suicide, how to speak with potential victims and vital resources for the emotional and physical support that is necessary.

Even so, sometimes potential victims elude detection.

Some of the signs experts do say to watch for when responding to emergency calls for help are: a previous history of suicide attempts; drug or alcohol abuse; dependency on pain killers; depression; expressed feelings of worthlessness; availability of suicide means; and admitted desire and/or plans to die.

Any person, who threatens or has attempted suicide, should be transported; if a coherent patient refuses to go, call medical control and follow your local protocols.

Establish a compassionate and honest rapport during transport, don’t belittle their feelings, monitor the patient for vitals or behavioral changes, and document all findings on your patient care reports.

If it’s suspected that the patient ingested possible toxins, bag and transport containers to the hospital for identification and diagnosis.

At all times from response to the scene, transport with the patient and release to the hospital be aware of your surroundings and assure a safe scene for yourself and your crew.

Additional columns from Chelle Cordero can be found at CALIFORNIA CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT

California City Engine 190

www.1rbn.com

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March/April, 2015

1ST Responder Newspaper - CA

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CORPORATE INFORMATION 1st Responder News (ISSN 1525-1683) - Vol. 1 No. 2 - California edition is published bi-monthly, 6 times a year for $15 per year by Belsito Communications, Inc., 1 Ardmore St., New Windsor, NY 12553. Periodicals Postage Paid at Newburgh, NY and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to 1st Responder News, 1 Ardmore St., New Windsor, NY 12553. No financial responsibility is assumed by this newspaper to publish a display, classified, or legal ad or for typographical errors except of reprinting that part of the ad which was omitted or in error. Omissions or erA division of: rors must be brought to the attention of the newspaper during the same month of publication.

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Working fire in attic and on roof Just after 1 a.m. on February 26th, the Roseville Fire Department responded to a fire investigation call at the 1900 block of Douglas Blvd. When crews arrived on scene, they found a working structure fire in the attic and roof of the building. Firefighters battled the blaze for several hours. The fire was extinguished, but there was severe damage to the building. The cause of the fire is under investigation. No injuries were reported as a result of the fire. Crews were onscene for several hours.

Heavy rescue call for Ventura County The VCFD, Simi Valley Police, and an AMR ambulance responded to a heavy rescue call in Simi Valley on Sunday, March 15th. On arrival, they found a Prius through the back wall of a garage. The driver was still behind the wheel. Firefighters were able to extricate her through the hatchback of the vehicle. Building and Safety was called in to determine the extent of structural damage to the home. The driver was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.

FDNY War Years Volume 2 VIDEO REVIEW Video reviews by John Malecky

FDNY War Years, Vol.2 Fire Line Video Productions Available from: FSP Books & Videos 188 Central Street, #4 Hudson, MA 01749-1330 1-800-522-8528 e-mail: support@frie-policeems.com www.fire-police-ems.com Price: $29.95 (DVD only) This video is 60 minutes long and comprises fires from the 1970’s including the blackout in 1977, which left most of New York City without power with the exception of the Rockaways and another part of Queens.

The footage of the blackout fires was taken by Sheldon Levy of Action Movie News of New York City. He captured several fires including a fire in Brooklyn including a fifth alarm in a four story brick building which eventually became full involved.

Other Brooklyn fires were captured and briefly narrated.

Loiterers were rounded up after a fire during the blackout

and the video shows the police making arrests.

As you can imagine, the flames are the best you can see because of the darkness. Only one fire was actually in the daytime on this DVD during the power failure.

A crayon factory fire provided plenty of action again in Brooklyn as well as a school fire in Staten Island and a vacant piano factory in Manhattan. The back of the jacket of the DVD states that the school fire is in the Bronx, but Levy says it is Staten Island and there are Staten Island companies present as you view it.

In the piano factory fire, several mail trucks were parked alongside the building and get wiped out by a collapse. There is also a house boat fire, which gets completely destroyed. The Fireboat Harvey is delayed by an unattended bridge that had to be opened. Later when the boat gets through, there is brief footage of the boat operating with its monitors.

The last fire was in 1975 at a bathhouse in Manhattan, which resulted in a number of fatalities and injuries.

If you’ve been around awhile, you probably remember at least some of these, but for those who didn’t, this DVD fills you in quite well!

REDLANDS FIRE DEPARTMENT

Vehicle rolls over multiple times At approximately 8:30 a.m. on Monday, March 9, 2015, Redlands firefighters responded to a report of a rollover traffic accident on westbound Interstate 10 at California St. Witnesses said the vehicle had rolled at least three times before coming to rest on the right shoulder of the road. When firefighters arrived, they found the driver unconscious and trapped inside the vehicle. The driver was being cared for by bystanders, one of which was a trauma nurse, and an AMR paramedic unit. It took firefighters about ten minutes to extricate the driver from the vehicle. The driver was promptly transported to the trauma center at Loma Linda University Medical Center for evaluation and treatment.

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March/April, 2015

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1st Responder Newspaper - CA

In memory of those who gave all 1st Responder Newspaper honors and remembers emergency responders lost in the line of duty South Carolina: John Burns, 50 Rank: Lieutenant Incident Date: December 3, 2014 Death Date: December 3, 2014 Fire Department: Myrtle Beach Fire Department Initial Summary: Lieutenant Burns was discovered by other firefighters unresponsive in his bed at the fire station early in the morning where he was pronounced deceased from a nature and cause of fatal injury still to be determined. In addition to other duties, Lieutenant Burns had responded to one or more emergency alarms earlier during his shift.

Pennsylvania: Joyce Craig-Lewis, 36 Rank: Firefighter Incident Date: December 9, 2014 Death Date: December 9, 2014 Fire Department: Philadelphia Fire Department Initial Summary: At approximately 0249hrs, Firefighter Craig-Lewis was one of several firefighters that were first to respond to a residential fire in the West Oak Lane section of Philadelphia. Upon arrival at 0253hrs, the firefighters advanced a hose into the basement of the house to fight the fire.

As reinforcement arrived, a change in tactics was ordered and the first group of firefighters started to withdraw from the basement. During this time, Firefighter Craig-Lewis became trapped. She was rescued by fellow firefighters and, with no vital signs, was transported to Albert Einstein Medical Center where she was pronounced dead at approximately 0400hrs. Investigation into the incident and cause of death continues. Firefighter Craig-Lewis is Philadelphia's first female firefighter to die while on duty.

Tennessee: Gus Losleben, 69 Rank: Firefighter Incident Date: December 9, 2014 Death Date: December 9, 2014 Fire Department: Hardin County Fire Department Initial Summary: Firefighter Losleben died from injuries received when the fire department tanker he was operating in response to a working structure fire collided head-on with a loaded logging truck. The driver of the logging truck was also killed in the accident, the cause which remains under investigation by authorities.

North Carolina: Ricky Wooten Doub, 61 Rank: Fire chief Incident Date: December 16, 2014 Death Date: December 16, 2014 Fire Department: Forbush Volunteer Fire Department Initial Summary: Fire Chief Doub responded to an EMS and a fire call during the day on December 16 and was later found deceased at home by his wife around 1700hrs that evening. A nature and cause of fatal injury for Chief Doub is still to be determined.

New York: Joseph “Junior” Sanford Jr., 43 Rank: Firefighter Incident Date: December 19, 2014 Death Date: December 23, 2014 Fire Department: Inwood Fire Department Initial Summary: Firefighter Sanford succumbed to injuries sustained several days after being rescued from the basement of a burning residence in Woodmere, New York, revived by fellow responders and transported to the hospital. Sanford, a former assistant fire chief with the Inwood Fire Department, was reported to have been one of the first firefighters on the scene when he became separated from others and fell through the first floor of the home into the basement. Investigation into the fatal fire incident continues by authorities.

New Jersey: James Woods, 44 Rank: Firefighter Incident Date: December 25, 2014 Death Date: December 26, 2014 Fire Department: Jersey City Fire Department Initial Summary: Firefighter Woods passed away from a nature and cause of fatal injury still to be determined within 24 hours of responding to an emergency response call.

Missouri: Christopher A. Tindall, 42 Rank: Firefighter Incident Date: January 7, 2015 Death Date: January 8, 2015 Fire Department: South Metropolitan Fire Protection District Initial Summary: Several hours after responding to an emergency incident, Battalion Chief Tindall passed away from a nature and cause of fatal injury still to be reported.

California: Franck W. Tremaine, 58 Rank: Captain Incident Date: January 9, 2015 Death Date: January 10, 2015 Fire Department: Jackson Fire Department Initial Summary: Several hours after responding to a motor vehicle accident, Captain Tremaine passed away at home in his sleep from a nature and cause of fatal injury still to be reported.

Kansas: Ronnie W. Peek, 49 Rank: Captain Incident Date: January 22, 2015 Death Date: January 22, 2015 Fire Department: Garden City Fire Department Initial Summary: Firefighter Peek fell ill while participating in fire department mandated air management training. He was subsequently transported to the hospital where he suffered a heart attack and passed away.

Kansas: Clifford “Cliff” Sanders, 55 Rank: Firefighter Incident Date: January 28, 2015 Death Date: January 29, 2015 Fire Department: Caney Volunteer Fire Department Initial Summary: Firefighter Sanders became ill and collapsed at the firehouse while responding to a grass fire call.

Sanders was treated immediately at the station by fellow responders and transported to Jane Phillips Hospital in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and then on to St. Johns Hospital in Tulsa where he died January 29th from a stroke.

Wisconsin: Leslie "Les" W. Fryman, 58 Rank: Firefighter Incident Date: January 14, 2015 Death Date: January 21, 2015 Fire Department: Rosendale Volunteer Fire Department Initial Summary: Firefighter Fryman was a passenger in a tanker/tender responding to a mutual aid structure fire when he went unresponsive. Fellow responders treated Fryman and transported him to a local hospital. Firefighter Fryman was subsequently transferred to another hospital where he succumbed to his injury seven days later. The nature and cause of fatal injury is still to be officially reported.

Iowa: Mike "Coop" Cooper, 61 Rank: Assistant Fire Chief Incident Date: January 30, 2015 Death Date: January 31, 2015 Fire Department: Centerville Fire Department Initial Summary: Assistant Fire Chief Cooper died at home from a nature and cause of fatal injury still to be determined several hours after being released from the scene of a large structure fire in a commercial occupancy.

New York: Charlie V. Wallace, 74 Rank: Firefighter Incident Date: January 10, 2015 Death Date: February 3, 2015 Fire Department: Montgomery Volunteer Fire Department Initial Summary: Firefighter Wallace died from injuries sustained when he was struck by a vehicle on January 10th while directing traffic in front of the fire station as apparatus were leaving for a response call.

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March/April, 2015

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March/April, 2015

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Firefighter safety, is everyone getting the message? Part II STAYING SAFE Chief Henry Campbell

KENT CULLOM

KENT CULLOM

KENT CULLOM

Airplane piloted by Harrison Ford crashes on golf course Santa Monica, CA. On Thursday, March 5th, an old airplane piloted by actor Harrison Ford lost power upon take-off from the Santa Monica Airport and crashed on the Penmar Golf Course adjacent to the airport.

Harrison Ford suffered moderate injures and no one on the ground was injured.

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The response was as follows.

From the Santa Monica Fire Department were Deputy Chief 1 Tom Clemo; Deputy Chief 2 Carl Bjerke; Battalion 1 McElvaney; Engines 3, 4, and 5; Truck and Rescue

1; HazMat 4; and Air Rescue 5.

From the Los Angeles Fire Department, the response was Division Chief Butler, Battalion 4 Bowman; Task Force 63; Engines 43, 62, and 67; Heavy Rescue 56, USAR 88, and Rescue Ambulances 62 and 63.

- KENT CULLOM

When you think of firefighter safety what comes to mind? What comes to my mind, and should to yours, is that you want to return from each call in the same condition you were in when you responded, career or volunteer firefighter. Your family expects it and your fellow firefighters and department expect it.

We have seen many and various slogans for safety over the years and the one I like best is “Safety Is No Accident”.

It can be interpreted two ways, first as not having or being injured due to an accident. The second interpretation meaning you have to work at staying safe, it just doesn’t happen by chance (accident).

The major issue is getting all fire and EMS personnel involved in working and practicing safe work habits.

Simple personal tasks that are ignored on a regular basis increase the annual death and injury toll in the fire service.

Buckling into a seat belt prior to responding takes just seconds, yet many firefighters continually fail to do so, often resulting in death and injury if the apparatus is involved in a crash or rollover.

Some departments are now issuing some form of discipline to personnel who fail to buckle up.

How about emergency apparatus drivers, who fail to operate their vehicles in a safe manner and to consider and comply with all traffic regulations and department SOG’s when responding?

Don’t let the adrenaline rush cause you to take foolish chances.

Getting the crew and apparatus safely to the scene of the incident is an important responsibility of the driver and officer. Adding a minute or more to the response time in order to arrive safely far outweighs excessive speed and the possibility of being involved in a crash.

Apparatus and personal vehicles responding to and returning from alarms contribute to between 20 and 25% of the annual death toll.

On February 5 of this year, a fire chief from a small town in Illinois was killed when he was

run over by an apparatus backing up.

The Illinois State Police reported the fire department was attempting to close a road for a helicopter to land in a medical emergency. I don’t know what the circumstances were surrounding the accident, but there are safety rules that govern safely backing apparatus in order to prevent such tragedies from occurring.

How will this tragedy impact the family, community, fire department and the apparatus driver? In a small department in a small community it may have a lasting effect.

Cigarette smoking, obesity, and lack of physical agility and conditioning contribute approximately 50% of the annual firefighter death toll through stroke and cardiac arrest.

If there is one item that contributes to so many medical conditions it is cigarette smoking, and for many, difficult to stop.

Failure to use seat belts, lack of control when driving fire apparatus or private vehicles, which result in motor vehicle rollover and/or crashes, along with stroke and cardiac arrest are the main causes of firefighter deaths.

It is these major areas that add 60-70% of the annual firefighter death toll, and it is within these areas that we must improve our safety and education.

Firefighting and emergency scene activities are dynamic, leading to a variety of issues that can result in death or injury, some of which we have no control over.

We do have control over the aforementioned and therefore all personnel should strive to reduce carelessness, recklessness, and bad habits while encouraging all members to do the same.

By stopping unsafe behavior, you will be successful in improving the level of safety within your department then you have accomplished much; a safer work environment for you and your fellow firefighters.

Don’t be shy about speaking up to those fellow firefighters about their disregard for firefighter safety, point out the proper and safe way to perform a task.

Let them know how it impacts them and all their brother/sister firefighters in the department. You just might save a life, maybe theirs, and maybe even yours!

Till next time, Stay Safe and God Bless!

Additional columns

by Chief Campbell can be found on our website at www.1rbn.com

1st Responder Newspaper - CA

March/April, 2015

Page 9

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March/April, 2015

1st Responder Newspaper - CA

BOB LONG

REDLANDS FIRE DEPARTMENT

Pilot of biplane extricated after crash Redlands Firefighter/Paramedics extricated the pilot of a small biplane after he crashed into the Santa Ana River Wash in the eastern portion of Redlands shortly after noon Tuesday.

Redlands Fire and Police departments responded to the call of a plane crash in the wash just west of Florida Street at 12:12 p.m.

Tuesday, March 3.

Firefighters were able to extricate the pilot, who was conscious and talking. He was transported to Loma Linda University Medical Center by San Bernardino County Air Rescue 6 medical helicopter with non-life-threatening injuries.

JUMP TO FILE #031915122

Other agencies responding included units of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, including its air support helicopter 40-King, San Bernardino County Fire Department and American Medical Response.

The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration were also notified.

- reDLanDS FIre DePartMent

VENTURA COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT

Heather Sumagaysay, Ventura County Fire Department Public Information Marketing Officer

VCFD announces selection of Public Information Marketing Officer TOD SUDMEIER

Car fire extinguished

by Redlands at approximately 6:53 p.m. on February 8, 2015, two redlands fire engines responded to a vehicle fire on San timoteo Canyon road near refuse road. upon arrival, the crews found the vehicle well involved. It took firefighters about seven minutes to extinguish the fire. the driver reported some mechanical problems with the vehicle, and he pulled off the road immediately before the fire was discovered. there were no injuries to firefighters or civilians on this incident.

Camarillo, CA. Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen has selected Heather Sumagaysay as the new Public Information Marketing Officer for the Ventura County Fire Department.

“Heather is a valuable addition to our team,” said Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen.

“With a strong background in local government, communications and media relations, Heather’s skillset and enthusiasm will launch our department into the next phase of sharing information with the public and media.”

Sumagaysay joins the VCFD with nine years of public information, marketing and social media experience in the public sector.

Most recently, she served as a

JUMP TO FILE #022615104

publicist for the City of Beverly Hills overseeing projects, programs and signature events.

Prior to that, she spent seven years in public information and communications for the City of Santa Clarita. As the Public Information Officer, Sumagaysay will keep residents, area governments and media informed, updated and aware throughout the year and during fire emergencies.

She will also be responsible for long-term strategic planning in the areas of public information and marketing for the department.

“I’m thrilled to join the team

and serve the public in this new role,” said Sumagaysay.

“Ventura County Fire Department has built a reputation as a leader in fire service. I’m excited to enhance our communications efforts as well as explore new ways to share stories about our talented people and great fire prevention and education programs.”

Heather holds a Master’s degree in Strategic Public Relations from George Washington University and a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from San Diego State University.

- Ventura COunty FIre PrOteCtIOn DIStrICt

1st Responder Newspaper - CA

March/April, 2015

Page 11

PAGE 12

March/April, 2015

1st Responder Newspaper - CA

SANTA BARBARA CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT

Non-injury vehicle rollover Santa Barbara City Fire responded with two engines and a truck company to a vehicle rollover accident today, January 29th, at 12:30 p.m. Two vehicles collided at the Olive Mill southbound off-ramp with one vehicle exiting the roadway and flipping onto its side. All occupants were safely out of the vehicles upon the arrival of first responders. Accidents happen and seatbelts save lives, “Buckle Up”, these people are glad they did!

CHIEF MCCAFFREY

Mounting the signs

Eagle project to replace address signs Colby McCaffrey and the Beckwourth Fire District worked together with Troop 60 on Colby’s Eagle Scout project.

Colby led the members of Troup 60 in the marketing, making and placement of reflective address signs.

Advertisements were distributed door to door by the scouts asking homeowners, and renters alike, if they would like to be a part of the Eagle Scout project.

The project was aimed at placing highly reflective address signs

dress.

The third stage was for the scouts to once again assemble and mount the signs throughout the district.

Over 100 signs were eventually made and distributed.

The members of Troop 60 supplied all the manpower and the Beckwourth Fire District supplied all the needed signs.

The entire project was completed at no cost to the homeowner.

JUMP TO FILE #021715106

at the end of the homeowner’s driveway to assist fire department, ambulance and law enforcement personnel in quickly identifying the home of someone in need of emergency services.

After the flyers were either hand delivered or mailed back to the fire department, the scouts met for the second phase and personally assembled the signs for each ad-

- CHIEF MCCAFFREY

“Big Fires require Big Water”

Engine crews operating in the urban interface require large amounts of water in short order for the protection of life and property.

VENTURA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT

2015 Scott Firefighter Stair Climb The Columbia Center in downtown Seattle is the second tallest building west of the Mississippi. On Sunday, March 8, six VCFD firefighters participated in the 2015 Scott Firefighter Stair Climb. Firefighters from over 300 departments competed, racing up 69 flights of stairs in full structural firefighting gear. The VCFD team finished 28th out of 190 teams.

Firefighter Jeff Golden placed highest on the team at 63rd out of 1711 finishers. The event raised over $1.97 million dollars for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The VCFD team climbed in memory of Christina Golden, the wife of Jeff Golden, who passed away suddenly last year.

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Car port fire in La Mesa La Mesa, CA. At 9:21 p.m. on Saturday night, March 14th, Heartland Fire & Rescue crews from La Mesa, with assistance from San Diego Fire, were dispatched to reports of a car fire in the 7900 block of La Mesa Blvd.

The call was quickly upgraded to a residential structure fire upon dispatch receiving multiple cars of a fire.

Fire crews arrived within two minutes to discover a fully involved pickup truck under a carport, with electrical wires down in the adjacent area.

Firefighters quickly attacked the fire from the exterior while simultaneously having fire crews check the residences directly behind the carport.

JUMP TO FILE #031615107

No occupants were home at the time of the fire, however, there was one smoke inhalation patient transported to the hospital.

Fire crews were able to contain the fire to the carport within 12 minutes, with minimal damage to any of the residences.

There were no firefighter injuries reported. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Damage to the structure and contents is estimated at approximately $100,000.

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paGe 14

March/April, 2015

1st Responder Newspaper - CA

Two die from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning At about 10:00 a.m. on January 22, 2015, a female adult drove an unconscious male subject to San Bernardino County Fire Station 8, located at 33269 Hwy. 247 in Lucerne Valley. Firefighters immediately started evaluating the 23-year-old male. The subject had no pulse and was unresponsive. Firefighters immediately started CPR and rendered advance cardiac life support and transported the subject to St. Mary’s Medical Center in Apple Valley, where he was later pronounced dead.

Moments later, San Bernardino County Fire Dispatch Center received a 911 call stating there was another subject on the 37400 block of Laramie St. unresponsive. Firefighters responded

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to the residence, where they found a 28-year-old male unresponsive laying on the garage floor near a generator. The subject was pronounced dead at the scene.

Using a carbon monoxide detector, firefighters received a positive alert of an extremely high amount of carbon monoxide (CO) inside the garage and home.

Upon firefighter arrival, the garage door had been opened and they still received a high CO reading, alluding to the fact the CO amounts in the garage and home were much higher prior to their arrival.

San Bernardino County Fire Investigators and Sheriff Deputies are conducting a joint death investigation. Investigators determined the carbon monoxide came from a running generator found in the garage that was being used to generate power to the meter. There was no ventilation in the garage.

The San Bernardino County Coroner was requested and responded to the scene. Although it is believed both deaths were caused due to carbon monoxide poison, the Coroner’s Office will determine the exact cause of death.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless gas created when fuels (such as gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil, and methane) are burned. If appliances that burn fuel are maintained and used properly, the amount of CO produced is usually not hazardous.

San Bernardino County Fire encourages residents to purchase and install carbon monoxide detectors following the manufacturer’s instructions. Carbon monoxide detectors do not replace the need for smoke alarms!

Generators produce high levels of CO in their exhaust. Carbon monoxide around a generator and its exhaust tube can build up within minutes, even outdoors.

Always run your generator in a well-ventilated area, and only if you can vent its exhaust safely.

Carbon monoxide can linger for hours, even after the generator is shut off. If you own a portable generator, you should buy a carbon monoxide detector now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Don’t put yourself or your family at risk!

Just like your car, generators emit carbon monoxide gas - the same stuff that kills people who leave their car running in the garage. Even with the garage door open, there still isn’t enough ventilation to keep the fumes outside.

- traCey martineZ

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PETER HARTMANN

Catamaran boat fire attacked At 9:30 p.m. on January 28, 2015, Santa Barbara City Fire and Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol responded to a fully involved 34 foot catamaran fire at Marina 2.

A harbor patrol officer manned and responded to the fire on Boat 3. A second harbor patrol officer stood by the dock waiting for Engine 6 personnel to board the second patrol boat, in this case Boat 2. This is a standard procedure to any boat fire in the harbor.

Additionally, Engines 1, 2, and

JUMP TO FILE #031915116

5 with Truck 1 and a battalion chief responded.

Fortunately, the catamaran was end tied (at the end of Marina 2), so there were no other boats or exposures around the vessel.

Boat fires have the potential to spread to other boats very quickly as most are made with fiberglass and wood products.

Engine 6's crew used a handline off Harbor Patrol Boat 2 to extinguish the fire.

The main center hull was fully involved with fire, yet the outer pontoons kept the catamaran afloat.

There were no injuries or occupants on the catamaran.

Investigators have yet to determine the cause.

- Santa BarBara City Fire Department

1st Responder Newspaper - CA

March/April, 2015

PAGE 15

GOT DROP? JOSEPH AMADOR

Structure fire in Linda Vista On January 25, 2015 at 12 p.m., firefighters were dispatche d to 6618 Appert Ct. in Linda Vista. Crews arrived to find a two story home with smoke coming from the interior of the structure. All occupants evacuated the structure and fire crews extinguished the blaze in about 20 minutes. The fire was contained to the rear portion of the first story, but damage was extensive throughout the home due to heat, smoke and water. Also, four occupants (three adults and one child) were transported to local hospitals with smoke inhalation. SDGE to handle with displacement of residents. No firefighter injuries were reported. The cause is accidental in nature. Estimated damages are at $200,000.

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Burn victim in California City At 4:55 p.m. on March 6th, the California City Fire Department and Hall Ambulance responded to a medical aid call for a victim of a burn. Upon arrival, paramedics made contact with a nine year old child, who suffered second degree burns to the face and eye from cooking in the kitchen unattended. Mercy Air 14 was requested to launch to Cal City Airport for rapid transport of the patient to a burn facility hospital.

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PAGE 16

March/April, 2015

1st Responder Newspaper - CA

Santa Barbara City firefighters honor fallen Firefighter Daniel Corrigan

MICHAEL ELIASON

SANTA BARBARA CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT

Santa Barbara, CA. It is with profound sadness that the Santa Barbara City Fire Department announces the untimely passing of Firefighter Daniel Corrigan.

Daniel was found in his private vehicle at Fire Station 8 at the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport on Wednesday, March 4th at approximately 3:00 p.m.

Firefighter Corrigan had come to the station to conduct some business when he was apparently stricken with an unknown medical emergency.

Fellow on-duty firefighters found Firefighter Corrigan and immediately summoned assistance.

It was soon evident that Daniel was deceased and Santa Barbara City Police and County Sheriffs were called to the scene.

There was no evidence of foul play. Autopsy results are pending.

Daniel was raised in Hayward California and graduated from California Polytechnic University Pomona, with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He pursued his lifelong dream of becoming a firefighter, and was hired by the Fresno Fire Department in 2007.

He was subsequently hired by the Santa Barbara City Fire Department in April of 2013.

Firefighter Corrigan’s accomplishments and expertise in his field are too vast to list here.

Daniel had a bright future ahead of him in a profession he loved.

Daniel Corrigan was 35 years

JUMP TO FILE #031915111

old. He and his fiancĂŠe, Sarah Starr, were the parents of a one and a half year old son, Jack. A second child is expected later this Spring.

Daniel is survived by his parents, Anne and John Corrigan, and two sisters, Rosanne Benning and Debora Carlson. His father John is retired from the Alameda County Fire Department. Daniel was extremely devoted to Sarah, and a dedicated father, friend and colleague.

He was talented, intelligent, kind and possessed a tremendous sense of humor. His passing will be felt deeply by all, who knew him.

On Friday, March 13, 2015, firefighters gathered at the Red Lion Double Tree Hotel to honor and celebrate the life of Santa Barbara City Firefighter Daniel Corrigan.

Daniel had been with the City for two years and previously was a firefighter for the City of Fresno.

The Photos were graciously provided by Photographer Michael Eliason. The weather was beautiful and the service was a fitting send off. Firefighters and police officers from all over California attended.

- Santa Barbara City Fire Department

MICHAEL ELIASON

VEHICLE NEWS If you have photos you would like to see in our Vehicle News feature, please upload them on our website www.1stResponderNews.com or email them to Heather@1stResponderNews.com.

KEN SNYDER

The Alpine Fire Protection District Engine 17 is a 2015 KME Severe Service XMFD 1500/500/20

1st Responder Newspaper - CA

March/April, 2015

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March/April, 2015

1ST Responder Newspaper - CA

SANTA BARBARA CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT

The Chain of Survival in Santa Barbara On February 25 during a medical training class, Santa Barbara City emergency responders welcomed a visit from cardiac arrest survivor Peter Shepard, the result of what the American Heart Association calls "The Chain of Survival.” The Chain was performed successfully and resulted in a perfect outcome!

The event began when Mr. Peter Shepard started feeling ill and called 911. Dispatcher Christine Neuhauser answered the phone and started the (emergency medical dispatch) process, dispatching a SBFD engine with Captain Brad

JUMP TO FILE #031915114

Waters on board.

While on scene, the crew witnessed Mr. Shepard's condition deteriorate into a full cardiac arrest.

They immediately began treatment and were soon joined by a paramedic team from AMR. During this process, CPR and defibrillation was used to convert his heart rhythm and manage his tissue perfusion. He was transported Code 3 (lights and sirens) to Cottage Hospital, where Dr. Jason Prystowksy

MD assessed and continued treatment with a lot of help from many professionals at the hospital. Four challenging days later, Mr. Shepard was released to go home.

Today, before a grateful room of emergency responders, Mr. Shepard shared his experience and thanked us for saving his life.

When Captain Waters spoke, he told the group that this was one of the most rewarding calls of his career. Thank you to everyone in the "Chain of Survival" and we wish Peter Shepard the best.

Structure fire in North Park

- Santa Barbara City FD

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JOSEPH AMADOR/SDFD

On January 22, 2015 at 10:30 a.m., firefighters were dispatched for a dryer fire at 3520 Herman Avenue #4 in NOrth Park. The occupant smelled smoke and upon noticing flames from her laundry closet, evacuated the unit and called 911.

Engine District 14 Council District 3 fire crews arrived to find smoke from the second floor of a two story condominium.

After an aggressive fire attack, firefighters kept the blaze from spreading beyond the hall area. Extinguishment was made in about ten minutes. There was minor smoke damage to adjoining bedrooms. There were no injuries, but three victims were displaced (one adult, two children). The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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Firefighters save puppies in Victorville house fire At approximately 1 a.m. on March 14, San Bernardino County Fire received reports of a structure fire at the above location. County Fire responded with four paramedic engine companies, one paramedic truck company and one battalion chief totaling 16 personnel. The first arriving engine reported heavy smoke and flames showing and firefighters were met at the street by the occupant of the home stating, “My babies are inside.” Firefighters were able to clarify that the “babies” trapped inside were actually five puppies. County Fire initiated an aggressive well-coordinated interior attack, which included a primary search of the residence for any potential human

JUMP TO FILE #031615102

victims.

Firefighters were able to safely rescue four of the five puppies and remove them from harm.

Unfortunately, one puppy did not survive.

The fire was brought under control in approximately 15 minutes and the cause is currently under investigation by the office of the fire marshal. There were no injuries to civilians or firefighters.

Smoke detectors were not present in the home.

Didymus McHugh

Emergency services, especially firefighting is a family business. We are a Brotherhood, which is used for both sexes.

Throughout history, the son would follow in the father's footsteps and work alongside the father. Just look around you. How many fathers and sons are on departments together? I know that in some towns you may have an entire company that is made up of fathers, sons, uncles and cousins.

When I joined, my father was my lieutenant and we have three father and son teams just on our one fire company, and the sons all grew up together. The times that I remember the best were going into burning buildings with my dad as my partner.

When I was was serving with my dad, out of respect I would call the men mister and their last name. I was told by one of them, "if I was good enough to change your diapers, you call me uncle or you're not coming out of the next fire alive." No this was not a threat by affection of how close we become with one another and how we become so involved with our families and those in our department. I cannot believe it, when I am up at the academy and I see a family name on someone's turn out coat and I know the father or grandfather, that I served with.

Wow kids really grow up fast.

By having a family on the department, either a family by blood or a family by smoke, we learned so many lessons. We learned how to care for each other and protect one another. If someone has a challenge in a fire, we risk more to save a brother. We learned how

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The family business Chaplain’s Corner

March/April, 2015

to take care of anyone, who wears a maltese cross. We know to take care of the widows and orphans.

We are there for our fellow man in their time of need. We start scholarships to help families of departed brothers.

I needed to go to a conference and I checked with a brother from another department. A brother from another state said that he would be glad to put me up for two nights. This was arranged through a mutual friend, who knew I wore a maltese cross and helped me.

So many times you may see people walk passed someone who is hurt and injured, but we are the first people to offer help, no matter who the person is. I remember the story of how the Good Samaritan Law started, on the basis of the Samaritan helping someone who he did not know, but the group was his enemy.

The old question comes around "Am I to be my brother's keeper?" Well, you are. Look at the business you are in.

A very good friend was a carpenter, and learned from his father. It is so amazing how this man loved people. He made sure that the widows and orphans were taken care of. He helped people, who were infirmed and disabled.

He and I got so close that his dad considers me to be one of his kids.

I learned from them what truly taking care of people is all about.

They even tought me about search and rescue. Unfortunately, the son died at an early age, before he turned 35.

What a place like the fire department! Think about the phone commercial, that shows how the world would run if it were run by firefighters. Just think how the world would be if we kept up the attitude of our brothers before us and truly take care of people.

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major department, who was concerned about the people who served under him. He was so concerned about his people that he made sure that they were out of undo harm, even before the union called to inquire.

Yes, we are our brothers keeper and we are to serve our neighbor. Just remember, who is our neighbor? If we follow our property to the center of the Earth, where all the property would meet, if it was not magma, all the prop-

erty would connect. You would see that every man is our neighbor.

Stay safe my Brother, or Sister and I will see you when we come together again.

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March/April, 2015

1st Responder Newspaper - CA

1st Responder Newspaper - CA

March/April, 2015

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March/April, 2015

1st Responder Newspaper - CA

RYAN BECKERS

Fatal truck fire and collision on I-10 in Fontana On January 26, 2015 at 3 a.m., firefighters were dispatched to I-10 westbound near the Citrus off ramp for a fatal tractor trailer fire.

A refrigerated semi truck carrying frozen chickens collided with a large freeway signpost early Monday morning, leading to a fire that spread into the wash adjacent the freeway and leaving a large debris field across several lanes of traffic.

The driver of the semi died in the incident.

Several other vehicles were ultimately involved, but there were no other injuries reported and no persons were transported to the hospital.

First-arriving county fire crews from Battalion 1 in Fontana arrived shortly after 3 a.m. to find the truck cab and part of the trailer already engulfed in flames.

The truck had split the guardrail and crashed into the large diameter

FIREFIGHTER FITNESS Lori Ann Hodgkinson

The season is changing and your fitness regime should be too!

Here’s a way to not only make some changes; but a way to assess your current fitness level, establish new goals and keep your fitness program moving in the right direction. You can do it in the gym, or even better move it to the truck floor and/or outside when possible.

If you are ready to challenge yourself, here’s one way to do it.

My favorite type of challenge is a functional (job related) challenge, but you may want to choose a gym activity (distance on the treadmill/bike within a designated time frame, reps/weight lifted per minute etc.).

You can select any task (test), but I think the functional ones are more practical, more beneficial and

JUMP TO FILE #012615111

Citrus Ave. exit signpost.

Just ahead of the fire, a freeway light standard was found lying across several lanes of westbound traffic. Still further ahead, several other cars were off the roadway, having sustained minor to moderate damage themselves.

The semi was ultimately completely destroyed.

Crews attacked the fire while simultaneously attempting to rescue the driver of the truck and checking on injuries to the other parties involved.

The force of the impact to the truck had launched nearly all its contents across the road or into the wash next to the freeway, while fire spread into the grass and towards adjacent houses.

Firefighters were able to get a knockdown on the fire and stop the threat of spread in just under 20 minutes. Water was shuttled into the scene to assist with mop up and eliminate any threat of re-start.

As of the writing of this release, the exact sequence of events and cause of the fire and collisions is still under investigation by CHP and San Bernardino County Coroner.

All aspects of driver identification are also still under investigation.

A total of 16 SBCoFD firefighters, plus crews from American Medical Response, Fontana Police and CHP, responded to the incident.

Per CHP the freeway was closed to westbound traffic at Sierra Ave. for investigation. By 5:30 a.m. two lanes were re-opened.

- RYAN BECKERS

Challenge yourself! actually more fun! (Yes, I said Fun!) A good place to start is by selecting 3 (three) or 4 (four) functional tasks, i.e. dummy drag, ladder climb, equipment carry, etc. Sound familiar?

If you’ve ever done the “Combat Challenge” or “CPAT” Test, those tasks are not new to you. If this is the first you are hearing of them, research them online. You can use them as is, modify them or completely create your own. Some of the tasks require very little equipment, while others are a little more involved. Keep in mind your capabilities and be sure to select tasks appropriate for you. Remember: never sacrifice safety for speed.

Perform each task, following all safety protocols and time yourself.

Record your time for each task. Additionally, perform each task in whichever sequence you like and record your overall time for completing all of the tasks in succession.

Continue your existing exercise

program, and add the tasks two to three times per week. It’s your choice whether or not you time the tasks each time you do them. Some people absolutely will have to know how they are progressing and yet others may want to wait until the end of the four to six week training period to see the progress. At the end of four to six weeks, retest yourself and compare your times to your initial outing.

Challenging yourself will take your fitness regime to a new level. If you are more the competitive type, see if you can get other members on board. Some of you may want to not only challenge yourself; but to challenge each other as well. You can keep it individualized, form teams or even challenge a neighboring department.

Remember to have your physician’s approval before beginning any exercise program.

Good – Luck…Stay Safe… and Challenge Yourself!

SONNY SAGHERA

Residential structure fire displaces nine El Cajon, CA. At 5:17 a.m. on February 4th, Heartland Fire & Rescue crews from El Cajon were dispatched to reports of a residential structure fire in the 1000 block of East Madison Ave. in El Cajon. Fire crews arrived within five minutes to discover heavy fire and smoke coming from three sides of a single story duplex. Firefighters contained the fire within ten minutes, and stopped the fire from spreading to nearby units.

There were no occupant or firefighter injuries reported. One dog was found deceased inside the residence. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. Damage to the structure and contents is estimated at approximately $150,000.

Red Cross assisted nine residents displaced by the fire.

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March/April, 2015

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March/April, 2015

1st Responder Newspaper - CA

Firefighters battle two alarm in Hesperia Make the most of the gym…

At approximately 9 p.m. on April 3, San Bernardino County Fire received a report of a commercial fire alarm in the City of Hesperia. County Fire responded with a single engine company, as there were no reports of fire or smoke seen. JUMP TO FILE # The assigned 040615107 engine reported smoke showing from three units of a single story, multi-unit, storage facility and balanced the incident to a commercial structure response. This added three more engine companies, two truck companies and a battalion chief.

Based on the potential for rapid extension and an unknown fire load in the adjacent storage units, the call was upgraded to a second alarm which added additional resources including an engine company from the Apple Valley Fire Protection District as well as an investigator from County’s Office of the Fire Marshal.

County Fire initiated an aggressive interior attack and was able to confine the fire to one storage unit in approximately 20 minutes. The adjoining units sus-

“Train your brain– train your body” FIREFIGHTER FITNESS Lori Ann Hodgkinson

JEFF ALLEN

tained smoke and water damage, and there was an estimated property loss of $10,000. County Fire was able to save approximately $400,000 in property and belongings.

There were no injuries to civilians or firefighters and the fire is currently under investigation by the Office of the Fire Marshal.

- JEFF ALLEN

CAPTAIN JEREMY KERN

Major damage traffic collision claims at least one At 11:41 p.m. on January 26, 2015, the San Bernardino County Fire Department Communications Center received emergency calls reporting a multiple-vehicle traffic collision at 18300 block of National Trails Highway, North of the City of Victorville.

After county firefighters were already responding to the scene, additional reports updated firefighters that people were trapped and in critical condition.

Based upon the updated information, additional fire department units were dispatched to the scene.

Upon arrival, crews found two vehicles, one small compact car and one full-sized pickup truck, with major damage and at least three people trapped.

JUMP TO FILE #012815106

Firefighters began paramedic treatment and extricating the trapped victims using the Jaws of Life simultaneously.

Additional ambulances from American Medical Response (AMR) as well as medical helicopters were requested for transport of the injured.

A total of four people were injured; one child and one adult were taken by ambulance to the hospital, one adult was deceased at the scene and one adult declined treatment.

The victims were transported to Loma Linda Trauma Center by

ground ambulance as the weather made the use of helicopters impossible.

County Fire responded with two paramedic fire engines, one paramedic fire truck, one paramedic brush patrol, and one battalion chief.

AMR responded three ambulances, and the California Highway Patrol and the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department were on the scene investigating the cause of the accident and controlling traffic.

The California Highway Patrol closed the roadway during the incident and accident investigation.

- MICHAEL O'BIER

These days I am seeing more and more gyms in the fire stations I visit.

It’s no secret that physical fitness plays an important role in the fire service.

Yes, I have touched on this subject numerous times in the past, but I feel it’s a message worth repeating.

Physical fitness is an essential firefighting tool. As such, just like the apparatus and other firefighting tools in the firehouse, gym equipment requires proper training/instruction to use it both safely and effectively.

As we are all aware, training sessions (and drills) take place in the firehouse all the time.

Subsequently, it makes perfect sense to treat physical fitness training like any other training. Train your Brain –Train your Body.

Knowledge is a powerful thing, and training your body to put that academic training into action can be just as powerful and therefore vital.

So, thankfully more and more members of the fire service are getting into the gym. But is everyone comfortable with what to do once they get in there?

Once you outfit the gym, begin by seeing that all participants receive medical clearance from a licensed physician. Next have a fitness professional provide your members/personnel with the information and “hands on” training they need to make the most of your physical fitness equipment.

It is recommended that the fitness professional assess the current fitness level of each member.

This can be done by obtaining a medical history and by administering a series of simple tests to evaluate such things as weight, body fat percentage, strength, flexibility and cardiovascular endurance etc.

The information obtained in the assessment can then be used by the fitness professional to design and administer an individualized (written) exercise plan. It not only provides valid information to design an appropriate program, it also serves as baseline data with which to measure change (progress) by comparing the results to those of future assessments. This simplifies program modification.

If you choose to forgo the much recommended program design, at the very least all members should attend an orientation and be ‘qualified’ on each piece of equipment in the gym.

Such information includes, but

is not limited to, how to adjust the machine to accommodate the size of the exerciser, how to adjust the intensity level of the machine, and of course proper technique for using the machine.

From a liability standpoint, this also serves to insure that the users are aware of the manufacturer’s safety recommendations.

In addition to fitness assessment, personalized program design and orientation, there are a number of ways to give your physical fitness program some valuable support.

Here are some suggestions as to how to take your physical fitness program to the next level.

Newsletter - Add a fitness section to your newsletter. If you don’t already have a newsletter, put together some fitness facts and distribute it monthly.

Website - Devote a section on your website to fitness. If possible make it interactive so that personnel have a place to go and exchange information.

Meetings, Classes and Drills Occasionally, why not begin scheduled meetings with a group warmup and stretch or at the very least a short presentation on physical fitness and its importance in the fire service? It can be as simple as providing a single fact/statistic or tip.

You already have a group assembled; make it an opportunity to get information out or a message across.

Bulletin Board – Post fitness tips, exercise suggestions or interesting statistics to keep fitness in the forefront of the minds of your members/personnel. You can use humor/cartoons or go the more serious route with firefighter death and injury reports.

Workshops – Schedule a workshop provided by a fitness professional where members can gain Fitness and Wellness knowledge as well as practical experience.

Weekly Group Workouts – Schedule weekly workouts – even if it is just an outdoor walk with or without gear.

Nutritional Counseling – Proper nutrition is a key component to any ffitness/wellness program. Schedule a session with a registered dietician to provide important usable information to help your members/personnel understand and adopt good dietary habits.

Smoking Cessation – Quitting smoking is one of the single most important steps an individual can take to avoid premature death due to cardiovascular disease. Since heart attacks are the leading cause of premature death in the fire service, why not offer a smoking cessation program? ”Train Your Brain – Train Your Body” – Stay Safe!

1st Responder Newspaper - CA

March/April, 2015

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March/April, 2015

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PASADENA FIRE DEPARTMENT

Pasadena mourns firefighter The Pasadena Fire Department family recently mourned the passing of retired Firefighter Ernie Torres. Your PFD family appreciates your service and friendship.

SBCFD

San Bernardino County firefighters battle three Adelanto structure fires in four days Early this morning, February 24th, the San Bernardino County Fire Department Communications Center received multiple reports of a fire in a residential building in the area of Adelanto Road/Lee Avenue in the City of Adelanto.

When firefighters arrived within eight minutes, they discovered the fire was well-established inside a structure in the 11800 block of Lee Avenue.

Firefighters began an aggressive coordinated attack with a rapid primary search of the building to ensure no occupants remained inside.

San Bernardino County Fire utilized three paramedic engines, one paramedic truck, one paramedic squad and one battalion

JUMP TO FILE #022515101

chief to control and extinguish the fire.

This structure fire is the third fire in the area over the past four days.

The first fire was on February 21 in the 11700 block of Brockman Avenue and the second fire on February 22 in the 11700 block of Lee Avenue.

These fires are currently under investigation by San Bernardino County fire investigators to determine cause and possible relation.

- ERIC SPIES

CRAIG ALLYN ROSE/WWW.EMERGENCYPHOTO.ZENFOLIO.COM

San José Fire Museum celebrates new home After more than 160 years of service to the citizens of San José, the San José Fire Department’s rich history has officially found a new home in the long dormant Old Fire Station 1 on North Market Street in Downtown San José.

The morning of Thursday, February 26, 2015 marked one of the most important events in the museum’s history as Lee and Diane

JUMP TO FILE #032615102

Brandenburg, through the Brandenburg Family Foundation, donated $1 million to the San José Fire Museum to secure the purchase of the Art Deco structure that will eventually house one of the nation’s finest collections of antique fire apparatus

and equipment.

With supporters looking on, museum president John McMillan thanked those in attendance for their support and efforts to relocate the museum from a warehouse inside the city’s Central Service Yard on Phelan Avenue to the Old Fire Station 1, closed since the year 2000.

- CRAIG ALLYN ROSE

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March/April, 2015

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March/April, 2015

1st Responder Newspaper - CA

Structure fire in Lemon Grove Lemon Grov, CA. At 11:49 a.m. on March 9, Heartland Fire & Rescue crews from El Cajon, with assistance from San Diego Fire, were dispatched to reports of a residential structure fire in the 3200 block of New Jersey Ave in Lemon Grove.

Fire crews arrived within two minutes to discover a fully involved, detached garage fire in the backyard of the residence.

Firefighters quickly attacked the fire, preventing it from spreading to the adjacent houses on both sides of the garage.

JUMP TO FILE #031015113

Fire crews assisted a wheelchair occupant, home in the main residence at the time of the fire, to a safe location.

There were no occupant or firefighter injuries reported.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the San Diego Sheriff’s Bomb and Arson Department.

- SONNY SAGHERA

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San Bernardino County CUPA brands new logo While the Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) staff were engaged in creating the new OFM unit patch, which is proudly displayed on the right shoulder of the Class C uniform, the Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA) staff was also hard at work designing a new logo to brand the CUPA. After many different proposals, management approved a logo specific to San Bernardino County CUPA Program.

This is the first time the CUPA has used a separate logo from the approved fire department logo since joining the fire family in early 1997.

The mission of the CUPA is to protect human health and the environment by coordinating, consolidating, and consistently implementing hazardous materials laws and regulations.

A team of twenty-three (23) inspectors are responsible for inspecting facilities that handle, store, generate, and/or dispense hazardous materials and wastes for approximately 6,700 facilities in San Bernardino County, with the exception of the incorporated city of Victorville.

This team verifies compliance related activities through routine inspections and complaint investigations.

Regulated facilities range from dry cleaners, automotive repair shops, refrigerated warehouses, to chemical manufactures

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JUMP TO FILE #031315119

and everything else in between.

CUPA inspectors will be wearing red, white, blue, or grey polo shirts that incorporate the new CUPA logo embroidered on the left chest, with their name and rank embroidered on their right chest.

The new logo incorporates the familiar NFPA 704 red, yellow,

white, and blue diamond on point in the center of the logo.

No San Bernardino County logo would be complete without the inclusion of the highly recognizable arrowhead, proudly displayed in the white diamond on point, with the letters OFM located in the center of the arrowhead. And the acronym CUPA is spelled out in the ring surrounding the logo.

- TRACEY MARTINEZ

Early morning fire destroys home ®

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"Loyal to Our Duty"

Firefighters responded to an early morning residential structure fire in a small, one bedroom home in the rural San Bernardino County area of Landers.

Upon arrival, the home was well involved in fire prompting crews to use a defensive attack mode due to the threat to the vegetation in the area.

The threat to igniting the vegetation in the area was increased due to the extremely high winds at the time.

Firefighters made quick work of protecting the fire exposure to the brush and knocking down the fire in about 15 minutes.

JUMP TO FILE #021215103

The crews continued to work on overhauling the fire in the approximate 800 square foot structure.

One resident in the area was taken into custody by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, unrelated to the fire.

In all, 15 San Bernardino County Fire personnel responded to the fire with the assistance of an additional three firefighters on an engine from Cal Fire.

Personnel remained on the scene for approximately two hours while

the work was completed and an investigation was conducted.

The fire is still currently under investigation however it appears to have been accidental in nature, according to the investigator.

San Bernardino County Fire encourages residents to maintain a defensible space by clearing vegetation and debris near your property.

In addition to protecting your home from an approaching fire, it could help prevent a fire from your property entering into a wild land environment and causing much more destruction.

- DEAN DICKOVER

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PATCH OF THE MONTH If you have photos you would like to see in our “Patch of the month “feature please upload them on our website, www.1stResponderNews.com or email them to Heather@1stResponderNews.com

TRACEY MARTINEZ

On January 1st, the Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) unveiled its new unit patch identifying the three divisions within the OFM. The OFM is made up of Fire Prevention (Community Safety), HazMat (CUPA) and Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) staff that provides regulatory, enforcement and service functions related to fire and life safety, as well as support of our fire suppression units in the form of emergency response and fire investigations. Our mission is to protect the public, our firefighters and business owners and the environment from hazards associated with building construction, fire code enforcement, hazardous materials handling and the disposal of hazardous waste in a safe and responsible manner.

The OFM provides additional closely related services through Hazardous Materials emergency response, fire investigations and law enforcement activities that directly support our firefighters.

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MUTUAL AID GoRdoN WReN

CITY OF ROSEVILLE PUBLIC SAFETY

CITY OF ROSEVILLE PUBLIC SAFETY

Every fifteen minutes On March 24, hundreds of students experienced, through the Every Fifteen Minutes program, the irrevocable consequences of drunk driving through a program put on by the City of Roseville Public Safety. May they never experience this in real life. Toward zero deaths, every one counts.

PATCH OF THE MONTH If you have photos you would like to see in our “Patch of the month “feature please upload them on our website, www.1stResponderNews.com or email them to Heather@1stResponderNews.com.

JOE RAYMUNDO

San Diego Fire-Rescue

Early on February 28th, the auditorium at the Rockland County Fire Training Center was filled with firefighters from Rockland County and surrounding counties from NY and NJ. The firefighters gave up a Saturday morning to attend a very timely seminar that gave them insight into the significant hazards and challenges created by train derailments involving Bakken crude oil.

The seminar became a reality when Rockland County Deputy Fire Coordinator Dan Moran and Hazmat Team Officer Jerry Knapp attended a New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control sponsored hazardous materials conference back in November in Cooperstown. Dan and Jerry came back very excited by one of the presentations in which they participated. They recommended that we reach out to the speaker and try to make arrangements to have him give his program locally.

The speaker was Fire Chief Tim Pellerin of the Rangeley Fire Department in Northern Maine.

On July 5th, 2013, Chief Pellerin and his department responded with other Maine departments to a mutual aid request at the Quebec town of Lac-Megantic, for a disastrous train derailment involving Bakken crude oil. At the time of dispatch, the Maine units were told to prepare for a long-term deployment and an 80-plus mile response.

Chief Pellerin indicated that they were on scene about 2 1/2 hours after dispatch. He utilized superb video and photographs throughout his presentation, starting with video taken from his chief's vehicle as they approached the incident from several miles away until they arrived on scene.

Any 1st responder could place themselves in the front seat of that vehicle as it gets closer and closer to the large column of black smoke. He then gives a chronological summary of the overall incident, along with details of the strategy, tactics and problems they encountered, emphasizing the loss of infrastructure, i.e. water, sewage system, drainage system, etc.

Chief Pellerin began his description of the incident by starting with the local fire chief, whose fire department pager was activated for a possible house fire.

While the chief was getting dressed, his wife looked out the window and called out that the entire town was on fire. The local Chief thought it was just a large building until he took a look and quickly determined that his wife was not exaggerating. Much of the business section of their town was destroyed, along with the infrastructure. In addition, 47 lives were lost. This was a major disas-

ter for any fire department, let alone a small volunteer department in rural Canada.

It turns out that this was not a typical derailment like we see so frequently, where a train hits a vehicle at a crossing and derails or jumps the tracks due to a malfunction or a problem with the rails. It appears that the prior evening, several miles away, the same train experienced a serious fire.

That fire department was dispatched for a locomotive fire.

When the fire department responded, it found a working fire in a locomotive that was running while attached to a very long train carrying over 100 of the older D.O.T. 111 tank cars, each carrying approx 30,000 gallons of Bakken crude oil. What got my attention was the fact that the fire department found the train to be totally unattended, with the locomotive running. It became apparent that to extinguish the fire, the fire department would need to shut down the locomotive engine and cut off the fuel supply. Because the train was unattended, they reached out to the railroad, who advised them on the steps to take.

They were successful in shutting down the locomotive and were able to extinguish the fire. They apparently left the scene not knowing that the train would lose its brakes and would start to roll down the tracks, creating a catastrophic series of events.

A subsequent investigation revealed that the engineer, who was questioned, had stopped the train earlier that evening, setting some but not all of the brakes and leaving the locomotive running to maintain the braking system. The crew left the train totally unattended for the night. After the fire department left the scene, Chief Pellerin indicated that the brakes could not hold the tremendous weight of the train; and it started to roll, picking up speed as it went. When the train derailed in the middle of Lac-Megantic, the investigators indicated the train was traveling approximately 63 miles per hour.

Why in the world would a company allow a train containing large amounts of hazardous materials to be left unattended for any amount of time, let alone for hours and hours? Apparently, this railroad filed for bankruptcy right after the accident, according to Chief Pellerin.

I believe that this is a common practice and widespread here in the US as well. Just last summer, I was notified by a local police chief that a freight train had been parked unattended for four days, blocking an emergency access road to a local tourist site. He indicated that the locomotive was left running for the first two days,

and at some point it was shut down. I asked the police chief what the cargo was, and he indicated containerized garbage. A few miles north of this location, I also received complaints about trains blocking a private road going into a construction site, restricting emergency responders' vehicles getting to the site. While investigating this complaint, we found out from the railroad supervisors that this newly created siding was used to park trains while the crews were rotated or went for a break/meal. They also indicated that unattended trains were left at this location for long periods of time. I would like to add that both of the local locations are extremely remote and surrounded by woods.

In this age of increased concerns and awareness related to terrorism or even vandalism, how can we allow railroads to continue with this practice? How easy are we making it for the bad guys to take advantage of these unattended mile-plus long trainloads of hazardous materials? I should add that I have not studied the report from the Canadian disaster but wonder why the train would be parked on a grade, not on a flat surface or blocked somehow.

Wouldn't it make sense to require parking trains at secure locations and at least have security guards who can keep an eye on these potentially large-scale hazmat incidents?

I just read a study where it is estimated that there will be ten or more accidents involving Bakken oil tank cars each year in the US. The report states that if a similar situation to the Canadian incident took place in an urban area, hundreds of people could potentially die; and the cost associated would be in the billions.

Our county has formed a task force and so far has developed a grid map of all areas stratling the railroad tracks, pre-identifying high-risk buildings like nursing homes, hospitals, and schools that would present challenges if evacuations were needed. They are also working on a system for delivering maximum water and foam supplies to any potential derailments in our area.

Our county has hundreds of these Bakken oil trains traversing through our county, many if not most, containing over 100 tank cars and nationally it's thousands of communities. After taking part in this training, our fire service leaders have a better appreciation for the magnitude of the problems associated with such an incident.

If you are able to attend one of his seminars, I would highly recommend that you take it.

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KENT CULLOM

Santa Monica battles early morning blaze On Monday, March 16, 2015, an early morning structure at 828 15th St in Santa Monica caused serious damage to an apartments over garages structure.

Radiant heat caused damage to an apartment building across the alley and also caused down power lines.

The response, at about 4:30 a.m., from the Santa Monica Fire Department was Battalion 1-Furrows; Fire Marshal Binder; Assis-

JUMP TO FILE #032015110

tant Fire Marshal Lomas and three fire prevention inspectors; Engines 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6; Truck and Rescue 1, HazMat 4; and Americare Ambulance 42.

The cause is under investigation and the fire caused no injuries, but did leave some residents homeless.

All of the SMFD's Engine Co's are four man ALS units and the truck/rescue company is a two piece five man company.

The HazMat unit is driver only with the team made up of Engines 3 and 4.

All three units run from Fire Station 3.

- KENT CULLOM

CITY OF ROSEVILLE PUBLIC SAFETY

Fire near laundry room in Roseville At 1:45 this afternoon, March 10, Roseville Fire responded to reports of a residential structure fire. When on scene they found a working fire on the second floor of the home near the laundry room. The first crew on-scene quickly extinguished the fire and contained the damage to part of the home. "This fire could have easily destroyed the entire home but with early detection from smoke detectors and quick extinguishment from fire crews, the house was saved," said Division Chief Kathy Finney.

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Local civilian rescues a man from a house fire in Simi Valley Camarillo, CA. A man was saved from injury on Wednesday, March 9, after a neighbor rescued him from the window of a burning condominium on the 2700 block of Stearns Street in Simi Valley.

Moments later the Ventura JUMP TO FILE # County Fire De- 031015110 partment officials arrived on scene, assessed the man, completed a search of the building and knocked down the blaze.

The Good Samaritan, who helped rescue the man, is John Magana, a painter who sits on the HOA board for the condo complex.

Mr. Magana was doing maintenance, when he smelled smoke.

He began to search for the source and located a 29-year-old male straddling the window getting ready to jump.

John ran to his garage, re-

moved a 24 foot extension ladder from his work truck and raised the ladder to the thirdstory window.

A nearby citizen ran to help him secure the ladder.

The trapped occupant descended the ladder prior to the room being engulfed in flames.

The Ventura County Fire Department was dispatched to the three-story Westmont Condos at 11:38 a.m.

Thirty-nine firefighters fought the blaze and knocked the fire down in 35 minutes at 12:13 p.m.

The 29-year-old male, who does not wish to be identified, was checked for medical issues on scene and released.

No further injuries occurred.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

One cat was rescued and three Chihuahuas perished in the fire.

CALIFORNIA CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT

Two vehicle collision for California City On March 25, 2015, the California City Fire and Police Department are currently on scene of a two vehicle non-injury collision at the intersection of CCB and Isabella Blvd.

- Ventura County Fire Department

PATCHES If you have photos you would like to see in our Patches feature, please upload them on our website www.1stResponderNews.com or email them to Heather@1stResponderNews.com.

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