PAGE 34
February, 2018
1ST Responder Newspaper - NY
Chili F.D. Responds to Four Fires Within 48 Hours to End 2017 Chili, NY - The Chili Fire Department in the southwest corner of Monroe County (near Rochester) finished 2017 with four working fires, all occurring within 48 hours. The first fire was reported via a telephone alarm for a shed on fire. The JUMP TO FILE# shed was discov- 010418106 ered to be fully involved with an exposure problem. The channel was secured due to a 200-pound propane tank inside the shed. The call originated on 12/26/2017 at 12:36 P.M. at 29 Ballantyne Road. The occupant of the property was near the ignition source and sustained burns to his face and was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital. The second fire occurred at 2852 Chili Avenue at 7:50 P.M. on 12/26/2017. This fire reported was a single-dwelling fire with the possibility of people trapped, but it quickly escalated to heavy smoke and flames. Units on scene had water supply issues, including a passing motorist not paying attention who clipped a supply line, emptying the hosebed of one of the engines. Multiple mutual aid was requested to the scene. The road was closed for four hours while crews extinguished the fire and picked up. One civilian was treated for chest pain while a couple of firefighters had slip and fall injuries but were not transported by EMS. The third fire occurred at 1602 Park Hill Court, a multi-unit apartment complex with light construction. Moderate winds drove the fire into the next building. In all, 22 people were left homeless. This alarm was struck at 2:56 A.M. on 12/27/2017, also reported with people trapped. One person jumped from a window to escape the blaze. Streets were closed due to supply lines crossing the road. A staging area was established for multiple engines and aerials that went to work. A transit bus was brought in for firefighter rehab. In all, five aerial devices went to work to quell the three-alarm fire. The last fire occurred on Ballantyne Road in a single-family occupancy. This alarm was struck at 5:08 A.M. on 12/28/2017 by a passerby who reported fire from the basement at 85 Ballantyne Road. It was an occupied singlefamily dwelling as well which required more mutual aid to the scene. The ambient temperature was just 4-degrees and firefighter rehab was again put into operation using a transit bus. All of these fires occurred during sub-freezing temperatures. The Chili Fire Department is one of the largest all-volunteer agencies in Monroe County with 110 active members. During these fires, countless members from around the area were called in to assist either at the scene or cover
calls with fill-ins. The following day, an engine from the Brighton Fire Department filled in overnight so members could get some quality sleep. All of these men and women hold fulltime jobs outside of the firehouse and had to return to work between some of the fires. Chili Fire Department Chief Pat Donovan said that "the use of mutual aid was instrumental in containing the fires in both equipment and manpower". He added that no equipment failed or was damaged as the result of these incidents. Gates Deputy Chief Derek Hardy said, "it's extremely uncommon for any suburban department to get that many fires in that short of a time". Gates was also called to the third-alarm fire at the Parklands. Hardy said they had a "real heavy fire load on arrival". The Gates Fire Chief, Jim Harrington, added that "in frigid conditions, water turns to ice, hoses become brittle and stiff, and the protective gear becomes coated in ice". Chili Chief Donovan echoed those remarks, commenting that the focus was on the firefighters with fatigue. The mutual aid system was created in Monroe County and has since spread across the country. It is used on a daily basis in most of New York State. With this many fires in a town of 30,000 residents, people started asking if the fires were related. The Chili Fire Department issued a statement that although the fires were not completely investigated by the Monroe County Fire Bureau, they were certain that they were not connected in any way. - JOHN SPAULDING
COLIN WILLIS
BOB MCCORMICK
BOB MCCORMICK
Cronomer Valley F.D. Delivers Santa
Newburgh, NY - On December 17, 2017 Cronomer Valley F.D. had Santa Claus riding on a fire engine to check up on all the boys and girls throughout their fire district. They stopped at houses and were greeted by excited children and their parents.