Rescue Crash, FF Burned, Remb'r Pompey, Sally McCormack RIP (The Secret List)

Hey,

In New Jersey this afternoon, a Phillipsburg Emergency Squad ambulance struck a car while traveling the wrong way down a one-way street. The ambulance was responding to a call of an unconscious man (who later died) around 1654 Hours this afternoon when it T-boned a car at an intersection. The car occupants were transported with NLT injuries.

We do no good when we don’t arrive. However, what surprised us is that even before the police investigated this crash, the Mayor (also a member of the squad) made the public comment that the ambulance should not have been traveling the wrong way, even if it was responding to an emergency with its lights and sirens on. "You’re still supposed to adhere to all traffic laws," Mayor Wyant said. "I don’t know if the driver was confused as to whether the street was one-way or not, but still, they were not supposed to be going the wrong way down a one-way street."

The acting Squad Chief stated it was too early to tell whether the ambulance driver acted improperly. "If he was using his lights and sirens, that’s the proper precautions," he said. "But I can’t say anything for sure until I’ve seen the report." Exactly Chief.

2 witnesses said the ambulance had its lights and sirens on just before it approached the intersection, but did not slow down or stop. We are glad no one was seriously hurt and we certainly understand that emergency vehicles are allowed certain privileges in emergencies, when conditions allow it, but must not cause any problems doing it. In other words, someone once said to us" we are allowed to break the laws"….sure, you just can’t have a crash or hurt anyone doing it.

And while all the facts aren’t out yet, the fact that the Mayor made the statements he did doesn’t make it easy for the Chief to do his job.

Good "close call" reminder for any of us to review our own SOP’s and traffic laws so we have the facts, not opinion when it comes to emergency vehicle operations.

HERE is their home page: http://www.pburg94rescue.org

HERE is more: http://tinyurl.com/6ytq62e

FIREFIGHTER DOWN, BURNED IN PEORIA, ILLINOIS:

Companies responded to report of structure fire early yesterday morning in Peoria. Initial companies had heavy smoke and fire from the basement windows of a 1 1/2 story wood frame house. Neighbors reported an occupant inside. All size up indications agreed with that such as: car in garage, doors locked, no mail on front step, etc. First in Peoria E4 and T4 stretched a line through front door to attempt a rapid search. Battalion 1 arrived and sized up the scene and the conditions. He ordered crews to withdraw as they were having trouble finding the basement and conditions were not improving.

Tones were sounded and airhorns were blown. During the withdrawal, the crews of E4 and T4 experienced a partial collapse of the front room. Upon exiting a PAR was taken and FF Blaise Steffan of T4 was missing. On orders of the BC, vent/search for life was conducted and a straight stream was played into a basement window in the side of the house. While placing the stream, the Crew of E2 saw 2 hands come through that window and someone yelling help. FF Steffan had fallen through in the collapse and landed in the fire. He remained conscious and remembered the words of an old Captain: Shelter yourself from the fire , stay low, find a wall and listen for outside sounds. He felt the stream of water go over his head and followed it to the window. FF Steffan remembered falling through the fire and felt his hands burn and curl up. His radio mic cord had ripped off during the fall, rendering his portable inoperable. FF Steffan activated his pass device with his thumb and worked his way to the window with the hoseline in it. Crews pulled him to safety. His turnout gear appears to have done its job. The SCBA and hood stayed in place, no respiratory injuries! However, removal of his gloves revealed severe burns to his hands. He was taken to OSF Medical Center in Peoria and flown to Springfield Memorial Burn unit shortly after. The prognosis is good. There will minimal grafting if any to his left hand and a couple of spots on his torso .

These are VERY preliminary details with reminders for all of us including the importance of:

-Size up, conditions and life/rescue potential.

-Further size up while monitoring and operating within those conditions

-When command orders out, go out.

-Situational awareness.

-FF accountability/tracking & PAR.

-Survival and related condition ("get out alive") training.

We wish FF Steffan a rapid improvement.

REMEMBERING 2 FIREFIGHTERS KILLED IN NEW YORK-9 YEARS AGO TODAY

Today marks the 9th anniversary of a double Line of Duty Death fire in Upstate New York.

On March 7th 2002, F/F Timothy “TJ” Lynch and Lt. John “Gino” Ginochetti were both killed in a fire in Pompey, New York. Both were also Paramedics.

They were advancing into the first floor of a large wood frame residential where a fire that began in the basement extended into other floors of the structure. As they entered the home, the floor collapsed beneath them and they fell directly into the involved area of the basement.

According to locals, there have been changes in the Onondaga County Fire Service since that fire (and nationally as well) as much was learned from so much that went wrong at that fire to include insuring that:

=The Incident Commander is clearly identified as the only individual responsible for the overall coordination and direction of all activities at an incident.

=There is strict and disciplined coordination between the Incident Commander and all suppression crews on the fireground.

=There is a continual size up of the fire conditions

=An initial size-up (including 360) is done before initiating fire fighting efforts and continually evaluates the risk versus gain during operations at an incident.

=FF’s from the vent crew and the attack crew coordinate their efforts with command.

=Firefighters report conditions and hazards encountered to their officer or Incident Commander.

=Firefighters are trained to recognize the danger of operating above a fire.

HERE is the entire FIRE REPORT:

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200206.html

SALLY McCORMACK, RIP

Many of you know Mary McCormack, Executive Director of FDSOA who also works with FDIC Staff each year. Very sadly, Mary lost her daughter Sally a few days ago. Sally McCormack, 48, passed away Friday, March 4, 2011 at Milford Regional Hospital (MA) after a long battle with Calciphylaxis. Born in Framingham, Sally was the daughter of Mary (Boudreau) McCormack and the late Edward H. McCormack, Jr. "Big Ed", of course, was the very well known former Executive Director of ISFSI & FDIC.

Many of you had also had an opportunity to know Sally who worked alongside her parents for most of her life serving firefighters around the world with ISFSI and most recently FDSOA. Sally was often seen working registration and related duties at most of FDSOA’s safety & apparatus related conferences. In addition to her mother, Sally is survived by her sister Trish Rutkowski and her husband Thomas and her niece Emily Wilcox, all of Hopkinton, her brother James (Jim) McCormack (Lt of the Indianapolis FD) and his wife Becky of Indianapolis along with many aunts, uncles and cousins.

The funeral will be held Thursday, March 10, 2011 at 9:00 a.m. from the Callanan-Cronin Funeral Home

http://www.callanancronin.com . The Sally McCormack Calciphylaxis Memorial Fund will be established with UMass Memorial Medical Center of Worcester in the coming weeks. In lieu of flowers, donations to support the research and study of Calciphylaxis may be sent to the The Sally McCormack Calciphylaxis Memorial Fund, 140 Hayden Rowe St., Hopkinton, MA 01748.

Sally was a wonderful person who would go out of her way to help anyone, a true friend to her entire fire service family and a real character who will be genuinely missed. RIP Sally.

Take Care-BE CAREFUL,

BillyG

The Secret List 3-7-11 / 2218 Hours

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