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Video: 5 Alarm Fire in San Fancisco Western Addition. 60 People Displaced with Half of SF Firefighters Working

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A 5 alarm fire engulfed two buildings in San Francisco’s Western Addition. The buildings were residential apartments and displaced over 60 residents.

150 firefighters were on the call equaling about half of San Francisco’s firefighting force.

News links:

MercuryNews.com:

Heavy winds helped spread the fire until firefighters contained it by 2:26 p.m. Firefighters were initially pushed back by the intensity of the fire but managed to prevent it from spreading to other buildings in the neighborhood. A total of four buildings were damaged. Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White said the fire began in the back of a three-unit Victorian building at 1502 Golden Gate and swiftly blew through the roof.

… The fire quickly spread to a 25-unit apartment building at 1015 Pierce.

MN8 Foxfire Illuminating and Reflective Tetrahedrons 40% off here while it lasts!

Posted by on December 22, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fires, Major Incidents, News, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

San Francisco Firefighter Dies After Flashover: LODD Video, Audio, and Links

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June 2, 2011 is a tragic day for San Francisco Firefighters. Lt. Vincent Perez was killed battling a blaze in the Diamond Heights area of San Francisco. Firefighter Anthony Valerio is fighting for his life in critical condition.

Firefighters were called to the fire at 133 Berkeley Way at about 10:45 a.m.

San Francisco Lt. Vincent Perez

Lt. Perez, 48, was a 21 year veteran of the fire service. Rest in Peace.

This is the first LODD in San Francisco since 2003.

Lt. Vincent Perez, 48, died trying to extinguish a fire at a four-story home in Diamond Heights. Anthony Valerio, 53, is in critical condition at San Francisco General Hospital’s intensive care unit with severe burns. Read more: http://www.sfgate.com

“Our hearts are heavy as we are reminded of the sacrifices firefighters and their families make each day to keep our City safe,” [Mayor]Lee said. “Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the two injured firefighters and their families for a safe and speedy recovery.” Read more: http://www.sacbee.com

San Francisco Firefighter Anthony Valerio remains in critical condition.

Links:


Posted by on June 3, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fires, Line of Duty, Major Incidents, Mayday, News, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Fire Critic is Back With Fires, Fires, and more Fires!

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Here is several fires via youtube from the past several days as I have been running the Black Diamond Boots Fire & EMS Blog of the Year Contest.

Norco Fire Company (PA)
Here is an interesting tactic…using a platform to put out a fire in the chimney structure of a house. I don’t have the full story here, but a ground ladder, pike pole, and an 1 3/4″ line would probably be my pick if we rolled up on this. Then again, I work on an engine company.Norco Fire Company web site here

San Francisco
Three fires kept San Francisco busy in the Castro area. Fire Officials say an Arsonist set three fires between 4:30 and 5:30 am in a two block radius. The fires included two 2 alarm fires. Two videos below and news here, here, here, and here.

House Fire in Waipukurau New Zealand
News on the fire here

2 Videos from a house fire in Minneapolis

A vacant house at 2031 Queen Ave. N. in Minneapolis was destroyed by fire on February 2, 2011, at about 10 PM. Two males were seen running from the house and getting into a late model truck, according to a high ranking police source. Neighbors on the scene said squatters had periodically occupied the house. An equally vacant house in close proximity was saved only by the quick and skillful work of Minneapolis firefighters.

Posted by on February 3, 2011 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fires, News, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Video: Multiple Rescues at Two Alarm San Francisco Fire

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Check out the video below of multiple rescues caught on film at a 2 alarm fire in San Francisco.

More coverage:

Michael Macor / The Chronicle San Francisco fire Lt. Anne Tam helps a couple of tenants recover some of their belongings from inside the fire-damaged building at 920 Montgomery St., above. Left: Firefighters Rock Plychik (left) and Pat Steele remove debris from the burned building.

Posted by on January 5, 2011 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighting Operations, Fires, News, Rescues, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , ,

Video: Building Fire in San Francisco

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Here is a clip of a fire in San Francisco. Not sure what is going on here exactly. I am somewhat amazed at how they are able to get 2 aerials set to the roof, supply line laid, and what sounds like ventilation begun, however the fire is not put out yet.

I have heard how the truckies in San Fran are some of the best in the World. They set ladders like nobody’s business. Maybe that is all that is going on here is that they are that quick with setting the aerial it seems as though the suppression is slow.

Then again, maybe there is a hell of a lot more fire than what it appears at the front of the building. Or potential life safety issues created a need for manpower to focus on rescue.

Check the comments for some details from The Happy Medic. He is a San Francisco FF/PM.

Another thing I thought was interesting was at how many people were sitting their capturing the job on their smartphones.

Posted by on October 17, 2010 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighting Operations, Fires, News, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Your Unofficial Guide to “The Project”

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If you haven’t heard, The Happy Medic and Medic 999 are embarking on an educational on-the-job meet up. Justin Schorr, whose name I knew before it was cool to know his name, will be having Mark Glencorse over for eight days in San Francisco. The San Francisco Fire Department being the place of Justin (The Happy Medic) Schorr’s employment. Following those eight days, Mark will go swim home and  Justin will head to England a couple of days later to have tea and crumpets and a ride along with Mark. The North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust being the place of Mark’s employment.

USA-UK-BADGE-300x189Follow down to the bottom of the post for important terms, how to follow, and where to follow regarding the project!

This whole “Project” came about after a “courting” period between the two bloggers. They often discussed clinical applications of pre-hospital emergency care. Justin being a Firefighter/Paramedic on an engine and Mark a Medic in a car for the North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

Through comments on each others blogs, email, and phone calls they hatched The Project. Originally, the BBC was going to follow along and film The Project but they pulled the plug in negotiations with Mark’s employer.

Now, Ted Setla (@Setla)is working on filming of The Project (at least State-side).Link

The Project is a unique endeavor planned and executed by the two. The promoting,discussing, and marketing has been a free for all by many top names in the EMS industry! The Project has been dissected, boasted, envied, and examined by many through twitter, facebook, and blogs.

Justin and Mark promise blogging, tweeting, videos, emails, carrier pigeons, smoke signals, and messages in bottles to get their project out to the masses as it happens!

Many industry professionals (EMS, Medics, PIO’s, Social Marketers, Fire, etc.) are watching and maybe even holding their breathe a little to see what will become of this.

On the heels of a very successful twitter/blogging/video social media marketed EMS Expo, many are wondering what is next…We will just have to wait and see.

If you would like to follow along, keep an eye on the links below throughout the next 3 weeks and beyond!

Important terms

  • Justin Schorr = The Happy Medic, Happy Medic, HM. Located in San Francisco.
  • HMHQ = Happy Medic HeadQuarters aka Justin’s house.
  • Mark Glencorse = 999 Medic, Medic 999, That English Guy. Located in NewCastle. (I always wanted to live in a brewery!)
  • The hashtags for The Project on Twitter are #911999 (the project) and #CoEMS (chronicles of EMS)

Follow along with The Happy Medic and Medic 999

In the news and about The Project

Follow the Chronicles of EMS

Can someone please translate this into English for Mark?

Justin…enjoy the boo-doo siren and blue lights! I hope your tall lanky A@# fits in that little car!

Posted by on November 7, 2009 • Filed under: Must Read, News • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

Fire truck slams into building, no one injured

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Careful at the tiller brother…

Guys, this shit happens. No one was hurt from I understand. We learn, we move on. I hate to see a tiller truck get wrecked though. It seems like they are a dying apparatus type. Except for San Fran maybe. I know there are plenty out there, but so many departments are replacing them and an engine with a POS quint. Stay true San Fran… Wooden Ladders and Tiller Trucks forever!!!

SAN FRANCISCO — A fire truck that was swinging around a corner with its lights and siren on slammed into a 24-story building Monday, scraping off the building’s marble paneling and destroying several windows but injuring no one.

At around 5:30 p.m., the fire crew, responding to a building alarm, turned right from Montgomery Street onto narrow Commercial Street, said Deputy Fire Chief Pat Gardner.

continue reading: Fire truck slams into building, no one injured | San Francisco Examiner.

Posted by on September 29, 2009 • Filed under: News • Tagged: , , , ,

San Francisco Fleet Purchasing Issues

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There is more to the story that I wrote about last night (link).

In this last budget cycle, the FD asked for $14 million to purchase rigs for the fleet…they got $300k. You and I both know that $300k doesn’t go very far in purchasing apparatus.

You can watch a news story on it from last night below:

http://www.ktvu.com/index.html
check the right hand column and scroll down to the engine pulling out.

Unfortunately, I don’t know everything about San Fran, however they had a perfect storm of incidents recently.

…more than 1/2 our dept was deployed when we had 2 greater alarm fires at the same time a few weeks back.  HALF.

4 alarm brought 12 engines
3 alarm brought 9 engines, plus RIC teams, 23 of 41 companies deployed at once.

From an anonymous email.

The Fire Critic remembers the fires and covered them when they happened. Read about them here: Two Big Fires in San Francisco.

I understand that there are other issues with purchasing apparatus. Apparently part of the problem lies with some finicky customization:

Problem is we require specific specs for our engines which only a few manufacturers handle.  Two of which are out of business, so when it goes to bid there are no bids coming in.

For example, all our threads are 3″, not 2 1/2″, we require 1250gpm dual stage 500 gpm, scba mounted outside, not in seats and some other rinky stuff.

If I were an apparatus manufacturer, I would have one ear on the phone with development on ensuring we could make a truck with San Fran specs and another ear on the phone with San Fran’s Chief!

Posted by on September 9, 2009 • Filed under: News • Tagged: ,

S.F. unable to help fight wildfire near L.A.

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150,000 acres burn in Los Angeles and San Fransisco is unable to help? Read below.

For the first time in memory, San Francisco had to say “no” last week when the state put out a call for help to fight that huge fire north of Los Angeles.

The reason: The city is so short on backup fire engines that it couldn’t risk sending any out of town.

“Historically, whenever we call, San Francisco sends a full strike team of five engines, 22 firefighters and a battalion chief,” said California Emergency Management Agency spokesman Jay Alan.

Read the entire story:  S.F. unable to help fight wildfire near L.A..

The article goes on to say that money isn’t the issue. The issue is they don’t have the engines to send. Apparently, San Fran currently has 41 on the street, 6 in reserve, and 5 not working at all.

But that isn’t it. San Fran has $2.3 million sitting in a corner collecting dust while all the bean counters in the FD fight it out with the pencil pushers in the purchasing department. I would imagine that $2.3 million would purchase around 5 engines but I am not exactly sure what they buy out there.

San Fran did send 1 four man crew to the fire on a State owned fire engine.

San Francisco Fire Engine Tours

Are we going to have to bring this engine out of retirement?

Personally, I think there is more to the story. It isn’t like everyone has a fire engine out there working the fire. In addition, the crews working there don’t run the rigs 24/7. I am sure that manpower would have been well received just the same. Those 22 firefighters and 1 battalion chief could have loaded up in a bus and headed out to help for sure. They could have supplemented the crews already working and made 5 man engines or something….I am sure they would have come up with something!

Plus, if money isn’t the issue then why in the hell are the San Francisco Firefighters having to fight every known type of budget cut imaginable. The Firefighters have been very successful in keeping firehouses open, staffing levels the same, and dodging brownouts. However, you know as well as I do that they will not get time to rest before someone else comes up with some cockamamie way of shouldering the budget shortfalls through FD cuts. Keep fighting the good fight brothers!

Oh…and somebody order some damn engines already!

Posted by on September 8, 2009 • Filed under: News • Tagged: , , ,

Two Big Fires in San Francisco

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San Francisco firefighters found themselves battling two mutli-alarm fires today. One involving four apartment buildings in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood and another involving several warehouses in the Bayview District. The Bayview fire went to four alarms while the Haight-Ashbury fire went to three alarms.

Needless to say, SF firefighters were very busy.

Photo from http://www.nbcbayarea.com by Bryan Carmody

Photo from http://www.nbcbayarea.com by Bryan Carmody

You can read more about the fires here, here, and here.

Posted by on August 30, 2009 • Filed under: News • Tagged: , , ,

4-Alarm Fire Rages At South San Francisco Food Factory

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columbusfoodfire

From CBS5.com

Firefighters continued to battle a four-alarm structure fire at the Columbus Food manufacturing plant in South San Francisco Thursday morning.

The fire was first was reported at a warehouse at 465 Cabot Road just after 2 a.m., the dispatcher said. Crews from the numerous mutual aid fire departments responded, including Foster City, Daly City, South San Francisco, San Mateo and Burlingame.

Posted by on July 23, 2009 • Filed under: News • Tagged: , ,

Rolling Brownouts, Firehouse Roulette, Firehouse Closures, Layoffs…

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Call it what you will, but I call it poor management.

The three highest priorities in any jurisdiction should be:

  • Public Safety
  • Education
  • Refuse Collection

Those are in no particular order. Those are the necessities. PERIOD. Over the last 5 or so years..maybe longer, firefighters and EMT’s have seen their budgets cut, hacked, and brought down to an all time low.

I don’t care where you are or who you work for, your City/County/Locality should not be cutting the operational funds of any fire and/or EMS department without completely cutting other programs. When I say “CUTTING”, I mean completely gone like they never existed before. Things like economic development, risk management, transportation, technology, fleet management, social services, homeless assistance, general services, planning, neighborhood services, parks and recreation. These departments should be decreased to a skeleton crew and or merged with another department. Other programs should have been deleted way before we got to this point.

Below are stories about Station Closures, Brownouts, Layoffs, and such from the past month to today. Today is important because it is the first day of many jurisdictions fiscal years.

And yet some firefighters have agreed to make up for budget shortfalls out of their own pocket! And to think that there are some assholes out there who just don’t get it. The Administrations, Fire Chiefs, City Councils, County Supervisors, Aldermen,etc. will never understand that we mean business and we are in the business to save lives! We don’t stand up for what we believe in just to hear ourselves talk. Check out these ALL-AMERICANS.

These are just some  examples of closures, brownouts, and layoffs as well as some departments who have given up even more to prove the point that we CANNOT afford anymore cuts for our safety and that of our citizens. Feel free to chime in if you have another City, Link, Story related!

Posted by on July 2, 2009 • Filed under: News • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,