Entries from February 2008 ↓

This week’s featured video demonstrates the firefighters from Los Angeles City Fire at a major alarm in the garment district of LA.

AUBURN, Calif. — As many as 20 fire stations in the state could close, including the Cal Fire department station in Auburn, if a proposed budget cut plan is approved.Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has asked Cal Fire to cut more than $52 million in budget cuts statewide.  Cal Fire is proposing the closure of 20 fire stations statewide as well as another 11 inmate firefighting camps and one Helitack base.
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Cochella Valley’s responses are featured in this article written by The Desert Sun. They did a great job of conveying the importance of properly placed fire stations and the need for sufficient numbers:

Staffing, funding shortages blamed for slow arrivals of half of valley’s stations.

Twelve of the Coachella Valley’s 23 fire stations fail to arrive at emergencies such as fires and heart attacks within five minutes - the nationally recommended response time.

Cathedral City Station 411 registers the longest emergency response time in the valley at 6.7 minutes while Palm Desert Station 33 boasts the fastest average at four minutes.
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Calling all West Coast Firefighters!! 

“Come join the Montclair Fire Fighters Association Local 3608 and Pomona Valley Harley Davidson as we give away an ‘08 Fat Boy!! On March 15th, 2008, Pomona Valley Harley Davidson will be hosting the 8th Annual Firefighters Harley Davidson and Hot Rod Show. We will have a pancake breakfast available from 9am to 11am and BBQ in the afternoon hours. Please come join us and show your support and have a good time!!

PEABODY — A veteran firefighter struggling to breathe bailed out of a smoke-filled apartment building yesterday by escaping headfirst down a ladder.

Firefighter Steve Franzosa was working on the three-alarm blaze at 36 Keys Drive — in the sprawling Essex Place apartment complex near the Northshore Mall — when he stuck his head out a second-floor window calling for help. Several onlookers, fire officials from area departments, scrambled to move a nearby extension ladder to Franzosa’s window. WATCH VIDEO OF Firefighter Franoza’s LADDER BAIL

The firefighter left the scene on a stretcher and was transported to Lahey Clinic. He was treated and released, Lahey spokesman Scott Hartman said yesterday. The fire, which started shortly after 1 p.m., smoldered in the walls and ceiling of the 12-apartment structure and proved difficult for firefighters to stamp out, said fire Capt. Jay Dowling.

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Here is another video of a Ladder bail incident that occurred in Minneapolis last year:

Source: Salemnews.com

This fire was the Griffith Park IC on November 22, 2005. It was at 400 N. Griffith Park Drive in Burbank California. The crew was: Captain Rowley, Engineer Deagon, Firefighter Burke (who has the saw), and Firefighter Magnante. Unfortunately, a trapped elderly woman died two days later from severe smoke inhalation from this fire.

This hot shot photograph was submitted by WC911 member Red Hot Truckie with commentary via email from another website user.

Strong work by these guys for using a little muscle. Here’s the story:

Rescue workers knew their time was short when they found 20-year-old Alessandro Hernandez on the Santa Ana (5) Freeway with an SUV lying on top of him. Hernandez, a Corona resident, was one of five passengers riding in a 1998 Ford Explorer heading southbound on the 5 freeway at about 10:55 p.m. Saturday when it collided with three other vehicles near the San Gabriel (605) Freeway, said Officer Joe Zizi of the California Highway Patrol.
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San Bernardino County Fire Capt. Vance Tomaselli, who suffered a stroke last week while responding to a structure fire in this small mountain town, died late Thursday. Friends and co-workers lovingly remembered Tomaselli, 66, as the unofficial mayor of the small mountain town because of his dedication and willingness to help. Continue reading →