Thursday, December 29, 2011  At approximately 00:30 hours on Tuesday, September 20th, We responded to assist with a fire at a (3 story apartment complex). Lieutenant  lead his crew to the fourth floor where they located a male who had become lost and disoriented in the thick smoke. The LT and fire fighter  lead the man to the stairwell, while fire fighter  continued to search for a female who was said to be in one of the apartments on that floor. While leading the man to safety, the man became unconscious and collapsed, pinning The Lt in the stairwell. The fire fighter worked to free the LT and they were able to drag the man down to an exit. Having located the female while they were removing the male, fire fighter notified command and requested help to remove the woman to safety. Hearing the call for help, they returned to the fourth floor, along with Captain. The Captain had been part of the initial attack crew and was out of air. Together, the four fire fighters carried the unconscious woman from the fourth floor to awaiting medics at the rear entrance of the building


Lack of strong command, freelancing, and accountability played a part with the Captain returning into the building without ample air supply. Lack of company officer experience with the Lieutenant leaving his one of his guys alone to continue a search without notifying command. Lack of RIT and or manpower for a large scale incident. 

Tuesday, December 27, 2011  Nixa Fire Close Call At the staff level we preach train like you play. We all know it can feel a little silly during a training session. You are hot and sweaty in full gear all blacked out yelling fire department announcing your presence. For some of our younger members you may not know the purpose of this practice. Let me give you a real life story of training paying off. Recently C-Shift responded to a report of a flu fire in a ranch style home. Units arrived on scene and reported smoke and flames coming from the roof line around the flu. Normal tactics were employed of sending a crew to the roof. This was around 1730 hours on a weekday. The house was secure with no lights on and no cars in the driveway. The IC pounded on all doors both front and rear and got no answers. Neighbors checked the garage and found a vehicle. They stated that if a vehicle was there the people would be home. Now we had an attic fire with a rescue situation. Again the front door was pounded on with no response. Engine 2s crew was assigned to primary search. They had to force entry. The crew entered and announced themselves repeatedly by calling out fire department! They began their search in the bedroom areas. As the crew addressed the entry into the master bedroom they encountered a man holding a loaded weapon ready to take out the intruder.From the perspective of the homeowner; His wife just had surgery and he was very sick from a cold. They both had taken medication to help them sleep. He began hearing noises, but because of the medication could not process what was taking place or completely wake up. He recognized a pounding on the door and then heard a window crash. In fear of his life and property loaded his hand gun and prepared to defend his family. He stated that the only thing that really registered was hearing the loud yell of Fire Department. He said once he heard that he knew everything would be OK! It was at that same point that the crew entered the bedroom and observed him holding the handgun. This represents how all the factors of a situation were perfect for things to wrong and a tragedy happen. Our training and level of professionalism prevented a Chief Officer knocking on the door of a firefighters family and making a notification with the Chaplain.

Don't EVER take for granted the simple things you are asked to do in training. Trust that those with more experience, education and training are there to prevent bad things from happening.
 

Thursday, November 3, 2011  Firefighters from four counties responded to a fire at a home in Berks County overnight, but they couldn't get to the flames because officials say a suicidal man who lived there was putting them at risk. The fire broke out a little after midnight in the 400 block of Oysterdale Road in Pike Township. Officials said the man called police to say that he set fire to his home and was going to kill himself. When firefighters arrived, officials said they were told to stay away from the house because the man had come out with a gun and was firing shots in the air. Officials said the flames were also causing ammunition inside the home to go off. By the time police had secured the scene, the house and a shed had burned to the ground. Police said a body was found inside the house and the coroner was called, but there is no word yet on whether the body is that of the man who set the fire. The man's wife and daughter were home at the time, but officials said they are both safe.
 

Thursday, October 20, 2011  This comes from the fire in Westford yesterday. Our initial attack was through the front door following flashover of the living room, my partner and I hit the fire in the living room and adjoining kitchen before we pushed the fire back upstairs and that is where the main seat was and where all activities were conducted until completely suppressed. During overhaul, this tank was found in the corner of the living room where we had made our initial entry. No way we could have or would have seen it, but, it is a good reminder of what can be in these places. When found the tank valve was open and the tank was empty.

Sunday, October 16, 2011  Crews were dispatched to a reported "Barn fire" at 1214 Mountain Road in Penn Township last night at 7:24 pm. A passing motorist on the Pennsylvania turnpike saw fire blowing from the roof and reported it. Command 2-8 arrived and gave a size up on a metal chicken house that was sized at 80' x 250' with fire blowing from the roof and side of "Charlie side". Command was established. First in Engine stretched a line through the delta side to control and extinguish the fire. Second & Third arriving Engines sent their manpower to Charlie side to assist with line management and to properly vent the roof to find the seat of the fire better due to the large amount of smoke inside. After the fire was extinguished and overhaul was begun to check for extension crews swapped and another crew managed the line from the inside. The extensive overhaul and amount of water being applied on top of the "thin metal ceiling" finally gave way and a collapse of the ceiling resulted coming down on the crews inside. "Evacuate the building" was issued by Operations & Command when they learned of the conditions inside. All firefighters inside were able to evacuate without any injuries. The ceiling collapse ran from side Delta to Bravo side and measured at approx 20' x 70'. The cause of the fire is under investigation at this time. The chicken house had not been used and was considered vacant with power confirmed to be off to the structure.

LESSONS LEARNED:
Watch your water application methods inside to control hot spots.... always take note of the structural materials and know the strengths & weakness of these materials. Make sure a seasoned firefighter is matched with a "newbie" because water sometimes is also an enemy inside a structure.
 

Wednesday, October 12, 2011  Early this morning while working a 3 Alarm commercial structure fire and doing Aerial Operations there was a Near Miss Incident on the fireground. As with any call The Truck laid in and positioned Side A of the Structure with heavy fire conditions evident. Command requested master streams be put in place and an exterior attack to be made. With multiple electrical lines running down the front of the building (Pole to Pole). The power company was immediately notified and arrived on scene to cut and secure power. The word was given that power was to secured. The stick went up as well as a ground ladder to apply water thru a window. A crew of 3 was operating on the ground ladder 1 at the top with a nozzle and 2 at the base. With no warning a high tension wire broke and fell which ended up being live. Thanks to a nearby tree the live wire landed in a small Y in the tree stopping it from landing on the firefighters operating near the ground ladder.

LESSONS LEARNED:
Point of this submission is to always expect the unexpected and apparently Never trust the work of your local energy Company. This could of easily been a deadly and or a serious injury is that tree was not there. The firefighter on the ladder deployed from the ladder doing a rail slide text book. allowing him and all firefighters to clear the area immediately. Thanks to a ladder drill on a regular basis allow this firefighter to put the training to use and get of the ladder quickly and efficiently.
 

Monday, August 29, 2011  Three firefighters were working an exterior line on a masonary poarch in a defensive operation when a collapse sent the poarch into the basement and a brick wall fell on top of oneo the three. Two self extricated but the third was pinned and the falling wall took his mask off. RIT team dug him out but it took 18 minutes to get him out. He is recovering in the hospital with a lot of bruises and smoke inhalation.

Defensive operations can still get you!!!! Wear PPE at all times and stay on your toes even if you are on the outside. There was no warning when the poarch gave way.
 

Sunday, August 14, 2011  As a Federal Firefighter fot the Brecksville VA Hospital Fire Department My partner and I were involved in a hazmat/fire on May 22, 1988. The area was withing the conjoining garage that housed our station and grounds equipment. We notice a slight haze and flame and entered the area without SCBA. As soon as we tasted a battery acid taste we ledt the area very quickly. Unfortunatly the damage was done and we were both were in the hospital for 2 weeks. My partner and I recovered and returned to work with no other issues. In May of 2003 I was disgnosed with NHL cancer. According to my doctor this cancer is the result of the hazmat issue.


Always wear your SCBA at every fire. Never take any situation for granted.
 

Saturday, August 13, 2011  On August 11,2011 a box call was struck out for a working structure fire on church street Claysburg PA. The box brought Claysburg station 70, East Freedom Fire department 40, Blue Knob station 86, Duncansville station 20, and Allgheny Twp. Station 50 for the air truck. Chief 7001 arrived on scene advising heavy smoke conditions. Engine 70-12 and engine/tanker 40-21 arrived with-in ten minuets of dispatch. 70-12 pulled a single shoulder load to the front door of the residence where the crew from 40-21 was instructed to make the first interior attack. Crew made forced entry to the structure and began a right wall search into the structure with no visible fire and heavy smoke conditions.
At the same time a crew from Engine rescue 40-31 had just arrived and pulled 2 more lines one to the rear of the C side of the structure and one for a secondary line for the inside crew. The crew on the C side of the structure made forced entry into the addition and garage area with no visible fire. Upon making force entry. Upon doing so this provided the perfect conditions to cause a flash over of the residence. The initial crew of three was advised by chief 40-01 to evacuate the structure and the evacuation tone were dropped by Blair County 911 for all personal to evacuate. The first crew consisting of pipe man Captain 40-06 Corey Eicher, Back up firefighter Kyle Mish and3rd crew Captain 40-07 William Weikert immediately dropped the hose line and began to egress to find the only known entrance a the time was involved with heavy fire conditions. Upon rapid egress from the building all members were accounted. Both Crews advised 40-01 there is PAR all members accounted for with no injuries. Crews continued with extinguishing the blaze with no further incidents. Crews assisted from Blair, Bedford and Cambria counties for RIT team. Other assisting company included Roaring Spring station 60 Cambria county Portage fire department 83, and Bedford county 42 for transfer assignment.

 

Thursday, August 4, 2011  We received a call around midnight in a block strip mall with heavy fire from the 25 foot triangular facade with fake dormers. The structure had steel truss rafters with steel decking roof. The size of the building created a situation with opposing elevated master streams. The master stream operating on the C side blew a fake dormer off the facade striking a firefighter with a glancing blow that was inside the collapse zone. The injured firefighter had shoulder bruising, and a cracked helmet. He was transported, evaluated and released.

Opposing master streams and persons operating inside the collapse zone. Confusion in defensive and overhaul operations. A RIT team was on scene but accountability was not good. Increase communications so crews aren't operating in 2 different modes.
 

Sunday, July 31, 2011  While recently operating as mutual aid at a working structure fire. Three of my departments firefighters were asked to assist with final knockdown and mop-up activities. The three made their way into the residence, full PPE and SCBA, towards the back bedroom where some residual fire was still burning. Upon reaching the bedroom, the third firefighter ran completely out of air. He notified his crew and made his way back to the entrance. On his way back, he was struggling to hold his breath and broke his facepiece seal to get a small breath of air. He safely made it to the exit but could have very easily gotten turned around and would not have even had enough air to call MAYDAY. The other two firefighters, realizing there was a problem, exited a few seconds later. No injuries occurred thankfully. Upon investigation, the firefighter never checked his cylinder pressure before donning his SCBA. The cylinder was too low in pressure to even activate the low air alarm. It was later discovered that the SCBA was put back on the truck empty from a previous training excercise and was never refilled.

LESSONS LEARNED
Always check your SCBA before entering any IDLH atmosphere. Have your partner(s) buddy check each other as well. If the environment he was in was any hotter or more smoke present, the firefighter could have been seriously injured or killed.
 

Monday, July 11, 2011  We responded to residential working fire with 5 people trapped inside. Due to staffing cuts made by city we were at minimum manning of 6. When at 6 we do not have enough members to bring the ambulance. The victims lowered their children to our police and I using a nearby ladder that was set up for the parents upon FD arrival. The intial interior attack began with 2 members inside and 1 at the door. The first floor flashed over burning the 3 members. One seriously 25% of body. He tried to get other 2 members out but they already were they went back in to find him sluggish, burned, with no radio comms due to a burned portable radio. The member couldn't find his way out via hose line due to his hands being so burned. Upon exiting the building there was no ambulance on scene to treat him or the other 2 members, let alone not enough personnel to check out the 5 victims or the ff's.

Thursday, July 7, 2011  Many towns worked at a church fire in Essex Junction Vermont. Interior crews were operating inside, running low on air they exited the building. Minutes later the roof suddenly collapsed. If anyone had been operating inside they would have been trapped and possibly killed.
 

Tuesday, June 7, 2011  Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said the incident in Littleborough, Rochdale, in September 2010 was being released as part of health and safety training for its staff and other fire and rescue services in the UK. The dramatic footage caught by a CCTV camera on a fire engine attending the scene, shows a fire fighter narrowly escaping death or serious injury as the front of a derelict terrace house collapsed almost on top of him.