Check out this motorized lego model of a San Francisco hook and ladder truck. Published by Copper Penny, they write that there is still more work to be done on the model.
Archives for san-francisco
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:
- Firefighter Nation – San Francisco Firefighter Dies After House Fire; One Other in Critical Condition
- Statter 911 - UPDATED: SAN FRANCISCO LT. VINCENT PEREZ KILLED IN HOUSE FIRE. FF ANTHONY VALERIO IS ‘FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE’. REPORTED FLASHOVER. LISTEN TO FIREGROUND AUDIO.
- Command Safety – SAN FRANCISCO FD FLASHOVER LODD, TWO OTHERS INJURED
- Audio: Alert Page – 45 minutes of fireground audio including mayday
- Sudden Explosion Likely Caused Firefighter’s Death
- Vincent Perez Identified as Firefighter Who Died Battling Diamond Heights Blaze
- 1 Firefighter Dead, 2 Others Injured Battling SF House Fire
- One SF Firefighter Killed, Two Injured Battling House Fire
- San Francisco firefighter dies from blaze injuries
- SF firefighter killed, 2 others injured fighting Diamond Heights blaze
- SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT SUFFERS DEVASTING LOSS – LT. VINCENT A. PEREZ DIES IN SERVICE TO CITY, FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC ANTHONY M. VALERIO IN CRITICAL CONDITION
- San Francisco firefighter dies from blaze injuries
- S.F. firefighter dies, second fighting for life
- SF firefighter dies following Diamond Heights blaze
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.
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.
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.
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!
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
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.
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.
- I recently wrote about Flint, Michigan learning the hard way here.
- STATter911.com on West Coast Firehouse Roulette
- Alemeda, California lost Firehouse #5
- Alemeda – Website on the issue by firefighters
- Sacramento Fire Department Plans to Expand Firehouse Rolling Brownout Program
- Sacramento – Brownout Blues: Response Slowed on Another Fire
- Boston - Fire union protests “brown-out” at Neponset’s Engine 20
- Boston – Mayor, fire union spar over ‘brown-outs’
- FireGeezer on Boston Brownouts
- San Francisco - Fire station brown outs mulled
- San Francisco – Website on the issue by firefighters
- San Francisco – Proof of Station Closures
- Atlanta Fire Department Continues Rolling “Brownouts”
- Vallejo closes another fire station
- Muncie Firefighters Mark Final Day On Job
- Fire chief: Lawrence layoffs, firehouse closures ‘terrible’
- Is anyone home? New Prince George’s County overtime reduction plan leaves some firehouses empty. Volunteers staff others.
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.
- San Bernardino council approves firefighters’ wage cut – Council members approved the agreement unanimously. Firefighter union members already had approved it, union President Scott Moss said.
- San Diego – City firefighters agree to concessions, ratify contract
- Santa Rosa firefighters, police give up raises to avoid layoffs
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!
How’s about another Shrimp on the Barbie?
In a couple of months, two bloggers will be working together at each others jobs. One is a Firefighter and Paramedic on an Engine company in San Fransisco (The Happy Medic) and the other is a Paramedic for the North East Ambulance Service (Medic999). You might ask Northeast what? Well I assure you it is not Northeast San Fransisco. It is actually in England somewhere…I am guessing in the Northeast but I wasn’t able to pinpoint the location.
After almost a year of hounding each other with questions, they have come up with this ingenious idea that brings blogging to a new level. I have been blogging a while with other sites but never talked anyone into doing a tv show about me.
Exactly how far away are these two bloggers? Something like 5400 miles…so far that google maps cannot give you driving or walking directions.
These two bloggers have somehow curtailed the BBC into doing a television show on their journey. Medic999 will travel with BBC crews to San Fran and ride with The Happy Medic, then once Medic999 gets sick of riding the medic truck like all of the other Medics in our Country he will take The Happy Medic back to England to ride the ambulance there. Medic999 is apparently interested in how The Happy Medic can multitask on the Engine as a Firefighter and Paramedic as well.
Apparently The Happy Medic doesn’t know how good he has it being a FF/PM on the engine (“fire lorry” for those across the pond) that he really wants to see what socialized health care looks like it prior to President Obama making it reality here in the States.
Ok, so I added a little sarcasm in there for effect.
I am actually looking forward to watching this on the television (for you guys across the pond that is tele). There is even a chance of a continued series if the first one is a hit.
Read about the “project” on The Happy Medic here and Medic999 here.
Now if I can just figure out how to translate this into english for my friends across the pond…
Recent Comments