Tuesday, April 1, 2008  Thanks to Chief David Traiforos of Franklin Park, IL for sharing these pictures! What a great use of aerial devices in Boston!  

Tuesday, March 25, 2008  ...  

Monday, March 24, 2008  ...  

Sunday, March 23, 2008  Our Engine responded to a confirmed house fire in our Automatic Aid District. We donned our PPE prior to getting in the cab. We wore our Seat Belts for the entire ride, and waited until arrival to don our SCBA�s. Though we had to respond across town, our driver did not use excessive speed. We were assigned to deploy the second line and check for extension. Though our four person crew split up (2 on the line, 2 with TIC and tools) to perform these tasks, we were in communication with each other and always knew wear the other half was located. Upon completion of these tasks, we exited the building as a crew. The Captain performed a PAR for our crew and reported to the I.C. After changing out our SCBA tanks, we helped perform overhaul and put away the tools and equipment that were not being used. We then returned to the station, wearing our Seat Belts. Once Again, EVRYONE WENT HOME It is important for everyone to remember, Staying Safe doesn�t just involve a big decision such as interior vs. exterior, or when to evacuate. Being well trained and prepared, knowing and FOLLOWING your SOP�s and safety procedures, working in teams, good communication, and accountability and having a PRO-ACTIVE attitude are all the little things that will make sure EVERYONE GOES HOME  

Thursday, February 28, 2008  Though I don't have any photo's of the incident, I felt that this story might be important. My FD recently responded mutual aid to a condo fire in a near by town. Our assignment was to perform overhaul in the basement. The major fire had already been knocked down. It was a old building, balloon frame, common basement/attic, you get the idea. As we advanced down the exterior stairs, and moved toward the area where the fire was, we found ourselves crawling through a tight maze of partial walls, and getting hung up on wire from the now melted dryer vent hoses. After going a few more feet, one of the Chiefs told us through the basement window to "be careful where you go, some of the trusses holding up the floor already collapsed". I thought to myself, why are we in here? Before I could get the words out of my mouth, the Captain of one of the mutual aid companies that was with us looked at us and said "EVERYONE OUT, BACK OUT GUYS." On the way out, all of us got hung up on more of the melted dryer hose and needed help getting free. After receiving some criticism from the guys outside, he said, "there's no reason to be in there, there's no life hazard, I'm making sure everyone goes home". AMEN Brother. It's about time we start thinking like that. Thumbs up to that Captain for making sure we all went home.  

Sunday, February 3, 2008  On January 27, 2008 at approximately 3:00 a.m., Maple Ridge Engine-1 was responding to a report of a motor vehicle accident with trapped occupants. While on route to the accident, Engine 1 encountered glare black ice on Dewdney Trunk Road; this resulted in the Engine going sideways down the road and eventually spinning around backwards and striking the curb near the intersection of 210th Street and Dewdney Trunk Road. At this point the truck rolled onto the driver’s side shearing off a large hydro transmission pole at the base. The pole carrying 60,000 kva transmission lines then fell down onto the truck. This resulted in a blinding series of arcing for the firefighters and a large power outage in Maple Ridge, and parts of the neighbouring community of Pitt Meadows. The Captain on the Engine had the presence of mind to tell his firefighters to remain where they were and to not exit the truck; he also radioed Dispatch to call for assistance and updated the Rescue Truck, which was responding just blocks behind them, to caution them of the road conditions and tell them what happened. When the Officer of the Rescue Truck arrived on scene he resisted the temptation to rush in and assist the trapped firefighters, instead he set up a perimeter to protect the public and informed BC Hydro of the situation. The fact that all four firefighters in the fire truck were not injured and reported for duty shift the next evening is nothing short of a miracle and a testament to the professionalism and training of all the firefighters involved. Maple Ridge Fire Department has a very strict training policy in regards to seatbelt use, which in the end saved these firefighters from serious injury. I am a very proud of the actions of all the firefighters involved in this incident, and without question relieved that no one was injured. However, it is extremely unfortunate that the damage to Engine one is so extensive that it is not likely to be repaired, fortunately this truck is over 20 years old and was scheduled to be replaced with a new truck that arrived last week. The moral to this story is that seat belts save lives; also it can happen to you. The driver of the Engine is one of our most experienced driver’s. Prior to him joining the department as a fulltime firefighter his fulltime job was as a professional truck driver and one of his steady routes was driving semi-trucks up the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler everyday in all kinds of winter conditions. In the end it was adherence to guidelines, good training and a culture of “safety comes first” that resulted in these firefighters going home to have breakfast with their families the next morning.  

Sunday, February 3, 2008  Marathon Emergency Services Marathon, ON At approximately 1136 hours, the Marathon Emergency Services department received an alarm to respond to a motor vehicle collision involving a transport truck, 30 km east of Marathon, on Hwy # 17, along the north shore of Lake Superior. The weather was horrid, blowing wet snow resulted in white out conditions with zero visibility. Rescue # 2 responded first, with Pump # 1 to follow shortly after. Pump # 1 is a 2005 Pierce custom cab and chassis with capacity to carry 6 firefighters, including driver and officer. The crew of 4 on board Pump # 1 was proceeding to the emergency, when the dispatcher advised that the location of the accident was not east of Marathon, but west of Marathon. Rescue # 2 turned around proceeding westbound on Hwy # 17 to attend to the emergency. Pump # 1 was just approaching the Hwy # 17 turn off, then proceeded westbound to attend the scene. The road conditions west of the Marathon turn off were dismal at best. Roads were slushy, the blowing snow made visibility nearly impossible. The driver of Pump # 1 was driving at a speed of 65km, in a posted 90km zone, with lights and siren. Approximately 20 km into the response, Pump # 1 was approaching a left, downhill curve, when suddenly the front wheels of the pumper started to cause the truck to slide. The driver attempted to regain control, pumping the brakes gently, turning the steering wheel to a hard left, to bring it back onto the roadway. Pump # 1 hit the wooden guard rail posts, snapping them like toothpicks, then commenced to roll through and over the shoulder of the roadway. Continuing in a forward motion, but at the same time, rolling over to the right side, the truck had no ground left beneath it and continued its rollover down and off a cliff, rolling at least 4 times, before it came to rest on its wheels in a swamp, some 20 meters below the road. The driver distinctly remembers counting the rolls by seeing trees, snow, trees, snow and so on. The first thought, the others on board. Deputy Fire Chief, Dennis Guignard, who was in the rear passenger compartment, quickly assessed the condition of the others on board. All were injured; several with lacerations to their heads and faces, and all were suffering from chest or rib pain. The deputy, with determination and the rush of adrenalin, crawled his way up to the roadway, which was probably over 250 feet in total, to seek assistance. Because of the rollover, Pump # 1 radio communications was knocked out, so there was no way to contact anyone about the accident. The other members all got out of the pumper on their own, and tended to each other as best as they could. The pumper was so damaged, equipment strewn about the debris field, and the fact that it was snowing so hard that all the entangled equipment made it impossible to locate the first aid kit. As D/C Guignard finally made his way back to the roadway, the first thing that he found, was a portable radio thrown clear from the trucks first roll and thankfully it still worked. He contacted Rescue # 2, barely able to get his message out that they required help immediately, but fortunately Rescue # 2 heard his call for help. Dispatcher Jan Latham then contacted another area department to attend the original call for response, and advised that Rescue # 2 was turning around to assist the crew of Pump # 1. …..2 This story is not as much to advise the reader of the details of the accident, but more for the message that SEAT BELTS SAVE LIVES, BUT ONLY IF YOU WEAR THEM! Clearly by the condition of Pump # 1, during and following the crash to the point of coming to rest, had the crew not been wearing their seatbelts, the results would have had a very different and tragic outcome. All on board are certainly convinced of that. Pump # 1 is a total write off, but the good news of this is that all members on board, after going through the painful process of healing their cuts bruises and one who has a dislocated finger, are recovering well both physically and emotionally. As are their spouses and family members. Each of them emphatically state that had they not been wearing their seatbelts, they know that in all likelihood they may not be here to tell their stories. Established departmental SOP’s and SOG’s on the use of seatbelts and the ongoing education of department members in their use ensured that all were buckled in before leaving the hall. Combined with the roll cage built into the custom cab all added to the happy ending to the story.  

Friday, January 11, 2008  Cincinnati FD Engine 24 was dispatched to MVA on 1/2/2008. All members were seated and belted ( FAO, officer and 2 FF's ). During the response we came upon the small pickup in the left lane stopped and awaiting to make a left turn. The FAO and officer both acknowledged seeing the truck and slowed to make a cautious left of center pass. The oncoming traffic was clear. As the we passed, the truck pulled left into the side of our pumper and was drug several feet until we came to a complete stop. No injuries in either vehicle. Another company was dispatched to our original MVA. ( disregarded en route, no injuries ). Our engine took a good hit and sustained some damage, but due to the professional and safe operation by our FAO and an alert crew watching the roadway, we avoided what could have turned out a lot worse. Driver of the pickup was 17 years old, had his temps only and didn't have a licensed driver with him. He said he didnt see or hear us until he struck us.  

Saturday, November 24, 2007  The Osceola County, FL Fire Department GETS IT! They have posted the Everyone Goes Home Sticker on all their apparatus and preach the message! Also notice the chevrons!  

Saturday, November 3, 2007  See attached for report!  

Friday, October 12, 2007  Fire chief praises crew's quick reaction to Atlas blaze JASON HAGEY; The News Tribune Published: October 9th, 2007 03:04 PM The truck driver delivering propane to the Atlas Castings  

Thanks to the Officers and Members of the Saint Michael's Fire and Rescue in Colchester, Vermont. These are the bay doors in front of every piece of apparatus in their house. Reminding each of us everytime of WHAT THE GOAL IS!  

Friday, September 14, 2007  THE AMBULANCE SAFETY AWARENESS PROGRAM AT BALDWIN EMS They say necessity is the mother of invention. And every change or burst of creativity begins with the identification of a problem and the opportunity to do something to fix it. A conference held in southwestern Pennsylvania in October 2005 sparked the creation of one of the most talked about ambulance safety initiatives in the state. Two years later, the fruit of one team’s work—Baldwin EMS Medic 515—was unveiled at the Pennsylvania EMS Update Conference in April 2007. “Medic 515 is the future of emergency medical services in Pennsylvania,” says Pennsylvania Bureau of EMS Director Joseph W. Schmider. “The vehicle is loaded with more than 40 additional safety features than the standard ambulance. We will be testing the new equipment to see how we can improve ambulance safety in communities across the commonwealth.” A 2007 Ford F-450 Life Line Type I ambulance, Medic 515 represents a mosaic of safety innovations that resulted from “outside the box” EMS thinking and “inside the box” daily patient care. EMTs and paramedics who work in ambulances every day conceptualized most of the safety modifications. The new designs had to be practical so the crew would embrace and actually use them. Additionally, the design had to be functional so day-to-day EMS operations wouldn’t suffer. The Safety Spark Baldwin EMS Chief William Plunkett and I were among the providers who attended the EMS safety conference in 2005. The conference was sponsored by two of the commonwealth’s EMS offices—the Emergency Medical Service Institute and EMMCO West Regional EMS Council. After listening to staggering national statistics of needless and, in many cases preventable, EMS injuries and deaths, we left the conference convinced of the overall lack of safety awareness education in EMS and the ambulance design areas that contributed to many injuries and deaths. As a result, we were motivated to evaluate and contribute to the improvement of safety awareness and ambulance design. With Plunkett’s support, the Baldwin EMS staff embarked on a mission to improve overall ambulance safety in Pennsylvania. Ambulance design modifications, as well as new training and education modules, became the pillars for the development of the multi-tiered Baldwin EMS Ambulance Safety Awareness Program (ASAP). This program involves continuing education (CE) programs on provider safety and ambulance design training in hopes that all EMS personnel recognize the need to establish a safer work environment and to encourage a more safety-minded culture. Along with such safety innovations as a newly designed ambulance prototype, ASAP incorporated two CE programs. ASAP integrates driver safety awareness with DriveCam monitoring devices, enhanced seatbelt and restraint systems, improved audible and visual safety alerts, and an improved patient treatment area design that creates a safer ambulance work environment. Also included is an education program specifically tailored to teach highway traffic safety techniques and review fundamental safety measures to employ when working on a roadway, which should be second nature to all public safety personnel. Baldwin EMS began its 18-month initiative to design a new ambulance from bumper to bumper by evaluating existing vehicles in service throughout southwestern Pennsylvania and identifying areas that could potentially pose a danger to ambulance crews. Findings included such risk areas as: • A general lack of padding in the patient compartment interior; • Seatbelts that weren’t properly anchored or didn’t allow the wearer to provide adequate patient care while belted; • Equipment that wasn’t easily accessible to the EMS provider without standing and reaching across patients; and • Equipment that wasn’t properly secured or could have become a dangerous projectile in the event of a collision. Baldwin EMS officials recognized the complexity of identifying the potential risks and implementing ambulance design changes to address each risk, so they made a decision to unite a larger group of interested parties to move ASAP forward. The new project team included representatives of the Department of Health’s Bureau of EMS, the Emergency Medical Service Institute (EMSI), Life Line Emergency Vehicle (the vehicle’s manufacturer), Pfund Superior Sales (which facilitated development and delivery of the vehicle) and Baldwin EMS. Life Line also worked directly with a number of specialty vendors that provided components for the new ambulance, which require top-grade materials tailored to the design of the new vehicle. This partnership approach converged talents, interests and perspectives of the participants with the common goal of designing an ambulance to increase the level of safety available to EMS providers without disrupting the functionality of providing patient care. The inclusion of the Department of Health and regional EMS councils in the development phase was unique and ultimately essential to the overall success of the project. Their involvement, in addition to providing partial funding of the engineering redesign costs, demonstrated resounding support for this safety initiative, says Michael Huff, deputy secretary for Health Planning and Assessment. “The Pennsylvania Department of Health was proud to play a part in the design of this state of the art ambulance that will directly impact the safety and efficiency of emergency care in Pennsylvania,” he says. The Cost of Safety Unfortunately, safer ambulance designs aren’t a bargain, due to the increased costs associated with engineering and manufacturing modifications. Some EMTs, paramedics and EMS agency directors have expressed concerns that without supplemental funding, such as that provided for Medic 515, their service won’t be able to purchase a similarly built and equipped ambulance. However, the design team for Medic 515 is hopeful that, as the purchasers of new ambulances demand safer designs, manufacturers will begin to build many of the safety modifications as standard features, making enhanced vehicles more affordable. Even if ambulance manufacturers incorporate only one or two of these safer design modifications, it will be one step closer to providing the safest environment possible for our crews. • By PAUL SHIRING, EMT-P • September 2007 JEMS Vol. 32 No. 9 • 2007 Sept  

Sunday, September 9, 2007  Our small volunteer department is proud to boast success for our yearly MDA Fill the Boot Drive. Although personnel turnout for the event is usually minimal our little town really steps up with donations, some people even drive by more than one time to give again and again. We are in South Texas and we usually do the drive twice a year from 7am to afternoon in May and August. Temperatures can reach over 100 degrees on the blacktop, so we always have plenty of water and shade and encourage lots of breaks. But I am especially proud to share these pictures, although we did not stand out in full bunker gear everyone wore some sort of reflective and highly visible cover to enhance our visibility in the street and avoid injury. Not visible in the pictures are traffic cones and signs over a hundred feet before the intersection to warn drivers to slow down and approach with caution. We are proud to report no injuries in the several years we have been doing this and thousands of dollars raised for MDA! Hope this encourages others to “do it right” and consider safety in all aspects of the job.  

Sunday, August 5, 2007  Today the Engine and the Squad with 9 men worked out at the High School. Crew’s ran hills and laps with full gear and SCBA. The tight knit crew has been working out together for a while now so we added something a little more intense......