Shed Fire

We almost made it through the entire Thanksgiving weekend without a call, but Saturday evening changed that! We were dispatched to a structure fire, fully involved around 6 pm. A few minutes later as I was putting on my bunker gear and headed into the back seat of the Engine, our pagers toned again. This was to ANOTHER fire in a garage. So, E-1 went to the second call and E-2 went to the first. E-1 stopped at the address for the 2nd fire and the homeowners were outside. They told us they had it put it out with a garden hose already and that we should go on to the big structure fire. We told them we'd swing back by after the structure fire.



By the time we rolled up to the structure fire, E-2 already had a inch and a half down, so we joined them with the trash line off the front of E-1. It turns out it was a metal garage enclosed on 3 sides. Unfortunately for us, it backed up to a Natural Gas business, complete with tanks and all. Fortunately, the two days of soaking rains prior to this fire wet the tall grass and trees down all around the burning structure, so we didn't have to worry too much about it spreading to the nearby houses or propane dealer. Several guys packed up to go inside the structure since we didn't really know what all was burning inside the building. Better safe than sorry afterwards!



We ended up rolling both Engines, the Tanker, the Rescue truck (for re-hab) and several POV's to this fire. Engine 1 cleared the scene first and headed over to the second fire we had been dispatched to originally. We spoke with the home owner and used the thermal imagining camera to scan the attic and garage area and be sure there were no hot spots hidden. After chatting with the homeowner and the family a bit we cleared the scene there and headed back to the station to put all the vehicles back in service.



Most people don't realize the time it takes to put a vehicle back in service after a fire, wreck or EMS call. We re-fuel the trucks then head to the station. Once there, we restock any supplies that are used, re-fill generators, wash the trucks and ancillary equipment and dry everything. Hoses are sprayed down if they are really muddy (like after this fire) and then re-rolled or re-folded to go back on the trucks. The trucks are washed by hand and then chamois-ed dry before putting them back in the bays. (Unless it's raining, then we wash them outside and dry them off inside...DUH!) Someone has to call dispatch and get all the response times for the report and write the report details while all the other activities are taking place.



Bunker gear, or turn out gear as it is sometimes called, must be washed, as well, then air dried. We are all responsible for washing our own gear and keeping it in service ready shape. Sure, I sit here and type that last statement knowing my own gear is still black and muddy from the metal building fire!! Cowgirl up and get er done!



Depending on how involved the call, it can take an hour or more to return the trucks to service. Sometimes the longest job is re-filling the SCBA tanks. We can only fill two at a time and it needs to be done gradually. If we're on a fire that uses 8 or 10 tanks, you can see why this could be a time consuming process. Fortunately, we are all good at picking a task and going to it. Once your task is done, you go see if anyone else needs help finishing up what they're doing. We try to all leave the station together and not leave anyone behind to work alone.



It is not unheard of for us to still be in the process of putting the vehicle back in service and be dispatched to another call. This has happened to me personally several times - especially with EMS calls or during severe weather - like and ice storm, bad thunderstorms or tornadic activity.

Uh..Officer could you call me an ambulance..?

Never a dull moment..we were paged out yesterday morning around 4 am - as in before the roosters get up - 4 am. One of our police officers pulled over a vehicle for speeding. Apparently, they were on their way to the hospital at that high rate of speed because the passenger wasn't feeling well. I always wonder if they feel poorly, drive too fast and THEN get pulled over or do they start feeling bad as soon as they see the officer's lights in their rear view mirror? What a conundrum!

Anyway, I went home after the call and didn't fall asleep until 20 mins before my alarm went off..made for a very long day...which let to a long night for drill night. At drill last night we covered infectious diseases and blood born pathogens in detail. We talked about TB, Hepatitis, HIV, The not-so-common cold virus, RSV, etc.

There's been a lot of emphasis lately on staph infections and how to avoid exposure or prevent contamination. At the end of the day, the best thing you can do to keep yourself healthy is wash your hands with soap and water frequently. Also, try to disinfect common surfaces in your home...counters, light switches, door handles - esp. the fridge and microwave. I've gotten to where I just buy the Clorox brand wipes and disinfect everything when I close the kitchen for the night!

In EMS we are taught to use universal precautions - that is, treat everyone as if they have an infectious disease and use appropriate BSI measures - Body Substance Isolation. I've practiced this since becoming certified 5 years ago and never have to second guess myself after a call is over.

The rest of the drill was spent on R.I.T. training - Rapid Intervention Team. As a volunteer group this is not mandated, but it's something we're working towards and I think it's a great idea. It's always better to have the training and not need it, then to be in an emergent situation where you need it and don't have it to use.

The Rookie Blogger

I guess we all have to start somewhere, so welcome to the beginning! My friend J. who also has a blog, inspired me on this quest. I lead a pretty interesting life as a single mom to two teenage boys, but most of my excitement comes from being a volunteer firefighter/EMT.

I promise - for J.'s sake - not to make my posts too graphic but I can't promise I won't get on my soapbox. I see the results of fast driving, drinking and driving, road rage and not wearing seat belts first hand. I have spent many hours treating innocent bystanders in accidents that could have been prevented, so it's only natural that I should have something to say about it! Of course, J. and M. will tell you that I am seldom at a loss for words!

The first pictures I've posted are from when our (then) new Engine 2 was demolished by a crane, almost one year ago. We had a pretty bad accident on the Sunday morning after Thanksgiving last year on the Interstate. A Semi carrying refrigerated foods crossed the median, hit a cement divider and busted apart.

The driver was trapped in the cab for a short time and had to be cut out using the jaws of life. The driver was treated and released at our local trauma center. It made a huge mess on the highway and a front end loader was brought in to pick up all the food items strewn all over the highway. I had a heck of a time getting the strawberry yogurt off the hydraulic cables of the jaws and cutter.

Later on, they brought a crane in to remove and replace the damaged cement barriers. That crane tipped over and landed on our Engine 2 right across the top where the hose is kept, creating a big V in the entire frame. The Engine has since been replaced, but since we're creeping up on Thanksgiving again, the story has bubbled back to the surface. This accident and the ensuing events created a traffic nightmare for people trying to get home after the holiday. The southbound side of the highway was closed until after 8pm Sunday night and all the side roads were much busier than usual due to the detour volume.

Here's wishing everyone safe travels on the roads this holiday season! Please remember to buckle up, travel at the speed limit and drive sober! Thanks!