FF Close Calls

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Submit Your Close Call / Near Miss Navigation Home Secret List Gallery EMS CloseCalls Drills Firefighter Staffing Personal Survival Safety and survival SOGs Links Modern Fire Behavior About Us Never Forget Fire Communications Pass it On LODD STATS Yearly Totals Year Totals "In Memory Of" Click this patch   Custom Search  Contact Info  Email BillyG info@ firefighterclosecalls.com  Email Weekly Drill Suggestions to Drills@firefighter closecalls.com Click Here for The 9/11 Widows' and Victims' Families Association Click Here: Skyscraper Safety Campaign       Also check the most current issue of THE SECRET LIST for related News and Updates-(Click Here)  LADY CRITICAL AFTER APPARATUS CRASH IN FL  Saturday, January 3, 2015    An unidentified woman was critically injured Friday afternoon when her car and a fire ladder truck on the way to a call collided at a Jacksonville intersection.The accident occurred at North Main and Tallulah streets about 4:30 p.m., said Lt. G.W. Grant of the Sheriff's Office. Grant said the ladder truck was north on Main Street when it collided with the woman's Ford Focus, which came out of a side street and was headed west across Main Street. Grant said the fire truck had its lights and sirens on. The woman was taken to UF Health Jacksonville. No other injuries occurred. Grant said police are still trying to determine which vehicle had the green light and which driver may have been at fault. Grant also said he was unsure where the fire truck was headed and he did not release the name of the driver.         BOTH SIDES OF THE MODERN FIRE BEHAVIOR DEBATE FROM FIRENUGGETS.COM  Saturday, January 3, 2015   Today, we are in the midst of an exciting time in the fire service, we are sandwiched by traditional, deep-rooted strategies and tactics and the research being shared with the fire service by the FRSI (UL/NIST) group. There exist (at least) two groups of firefighters that are split on the issues being researched, and they are primarily grouped by their disagreement on two concepts; what actions create the most survivable space (the fastest) inside a structure fire, and the impact of steam on interior occupants (both sworn and civilian). That said, these groups share more commonalities than differences, but certain – critical – points are creating a healthy, much needed discussion.With the primary objective of civilian rescue at the forefront of both groups list of priorities on the fire ground, it can be said that neither group is championing strategy nor tactics that they believe would lead to anything besides the best way to save lives and protect property on the fire ground.<... [ more ]         3 CHICAGO FFs HOSPITALIZED AFTER MAYDAY  Firefighters secure a house after a fire       at 113th Place and Elizabeth Street on       Chicago's South Side. Three firefighters       were taken to the hospital for       precautionary reasons. (Chris Sweda,       Chicago Tribune)  Saturday, January 3, 2015   Three Chicago firefighters were taken to area hospitals as a precaution after a fire in a basement in a Far South Side home left them disoriented, fire officials said Friday. The fire was reported at 2:17 p.m. at the single family home on the 11300 block of South Elizabeth Street, said Deputy Fire Commissioner Mark Nielsen. Two of the firefighters were taken to Roseland Community Hospital, and one of the firefighters was taken to MetroSouth Medical Center, Nielsen said. The two firefighters at Roseland were later released. The firefighter taken to MetroSouth had run out of oxygen in his tank, Nielsen said. The firefighter remained hospitalized late Friday. After firefighters arrived at the home, they discovered the blaze was in the basement, according to Nielsen. A "mayday" alert was called about 2:40 p.m. after one of the firefighters ran out of oxygen and others were "turned around" and disoriented. "The basement was compartmentalized... [ more ]         TOTAL OF 5 FIREFIGHTERS KILLED, 14 INJURED IN CHINA COLLAPSE  Saturday, January 3, 2015   Flames ripped through the building, which housed eight floors of residential apartments and three floors of warehouse space in the north-eastern city of Harbin, yesterday afternoon.The fire raged for more than 10 hours as fire crews battled against the flames, which eventually caused a major collapse. Five firefighters were on the second floor at the time and were buried in the rubble.   AT LEAST 2 FIREFIGHTERS KILLED IN FIRE COLLAPSE - CHINA  Friday, January 2, 2015    We regret to pass on that at least two firefighters died today when a fire-damaged 11 story warehouse/residential collapsed in Harbin in northern Heilongjiang province. The fire started today around noon and was thought to be under control hours later. IT APPEARS that during some overhaul, as the firefighters moved in to clear paper and plastics inside., the warehouse collapsed soon after. They were on the 2nd floor when the 3rd collapsed, according to initial reports. Two firefighters were killed in the Line of Duty and another 11 were injured (several critically) in a warehouse collapse in Harbin city of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province-and at least one firefighter remains buried at the collapse at this time-rescue and firefighting attempts continue. The warehouse is part of a 11-story residential building. The first to third floor are used as warehouses and the rest eight floors are residential areas. We'll post upda... [ more ]        YouTube Video    FIREFIGHTERS OK WHEN ARMED DRUNK SLAMS INTO THEM AS THEY RESPOND TO A FIRE  Friday, January 2, 2015   A drunk driver carrying a stolen gun crashed into a fire truck in San Bernardino on New Year's Eve, damaging the truck. The driver slammed into a San Bernardino Fire Department truck that was headed to a structure fire at 9th and E streets Wednesday night, A gun stolen from Las Vegas was found in the car, No firefighters were injured in the crash.          WICHITA FF SUFFERS HEART ATTACK AT FIRE SCENE  Friday, January 2, 2015    The wife of a Wichita Fire Department firefighter is thanking the community for their well wishes and thoughts after her husband fell through a floor while battling a blaze New Year’s Day and suffered a heart attack.Paul Wiebe, 54, is recovering after surgery Thursday, Wichita Fire Marshal Brad Crisp said. Wiebe and other firefighters responded to a house fire about 11 a.m. Thursday at 11200 W. Neville. Wiebe, who has worked for the department for 17 years, fell partially through the floor of the split-level home, Crisp said. When he got outside, he was suffering chest pains. Firefighters treated him at the scene, and EMS took him to Via Christi Hospital St. Francis, where he underwent a heart catheter procedure. He was in serious condition. “The procedure was successful, and he is resting,” Crisp said. The fire caused significant damage to the home, Crisp said. The department estimated $100,000 in structural damage and $50,000... [ more ]         MEDIC UNIT STRUCK ON THE INTERSTATE IN MI  Friday, January 2, 2015   On 1-1-2015 @04:11 Rescue #4 was struck on the right rear corner by a 4 door sedan traveling at a high rate of speed. Occupant of the vehicle is suspected to be under the influence. The vehicles were on I-94 an interstate highway waiting for a tow company to roll a vehicle from a previous accident. The Firefighters had just got out of the rescue to assist the tow driver. 2 lanes of traffic were closed down with a 500 foot buffer with flares and PD vehicles and officers assisting with traffic. All emergency lights were active on all vehicles on scene. All firefighters were compliant with DOT vest and turnout gear. Driver of the vehicle was entrapped after the accident and required extrication and was air transported to local trauma center. 1. Vehicles have not had chevrons applied yet. 2. Limit time on scene - The tow company from the previous accident only sent one tow truck he towed the first vehicle and then returned to tow the second. Had proper request been made to the t... [ more ]   MAN ARRESTED FOR PULLING PELLET GUN ON RI FIREFIGHTERS  Friday, January 2, 2015    Police arrested a man who yelled at a firefighters and then pulled a gun on them in Warwick Wednesday night.The Cranston firefighters were in an ambulance and stopped at a red light when the incident happened around 10:30 p.m., according to WJAR.com. Officials said a car pulled up next to the ambulance when the man yelled to the firefighters and then took out the gun. Police charged the 23-year-old man with felony assault with a device similar to a handgun. Others in the car were not charged.         FF SHOCKED AT FIRE IN LINCOLN, NE  Friday, January 2, 2015    A firefighter has been injured while battling a basement blaze at a Lincoln house.Firetrucks were dispatched around 6:30 p.m. Thursday to a house about a mile south of the state Capitol. A family had gathered to share some pizza, but the smell of smoke interrupted the New Year's Day meal. Two brothers found heavy smoke and flames in the basement. Someone called 911, and the family members fled to safety. Battalion Chief Jeanne Pashalek says the firefighter was to be hospitalized overnight for evaluation after apparently being shocked by a low-voltage source, such as an extension cord. http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/story/0c15609f270c4cd5b51287534da03fb9/NE--Firefighter-Injured/         FIRE APPARATUS ROLLS IN MISSOURI  KTVI Pic  Friday, January 2, 2015   Several firefighter were injured early Friday morning after a fire truck overturned near St. Clair, Missouri. The accident happened around 7:30a.m. in the 1200 block of Old Cove Road. Injuries to the members are reported to be minor. More to follow.         NV SUPREME COURT CLEARS THE WAY FOR FF LAYOFFS  Friday, January 2, 2015   The city of Reno has prevailed in its legal battle to lay off 32 firefighters, but city Manager Andrew Clinger says the jobs are safe for now.In an opinion issued on Wednesday, the Nevada Supreme Court reversed District Judge Lidia Stiglich's injunction preventing Reno from going through with the layoffs, finding that the fire union has no right to arbitrate the layoffs under its collective bargaining agreement. Despite the legal victory, however, Clinger said the city will not pursue the layoffs this year after finding additional funding to keep them employed until June 30. "I know because of the Supreme Court decision there is some anxiety among some of our firefighters, but I want the message to be clear: We are not laying anyone off in the current fiscal year," Clinger said. "I can't guarantee what the future fiscal year is going to look like." The city will begin its budgeting process for the fiscal year beginning July 1 in February. ... [ more ]         CA FIRE MEDIC SQUAD HIT BY DRUNK CARRYING STOLEN GUN  Thursday, January 1, 2015   An alleged drunk driver carrying a stolen gun crashed into a fire truck in San Bernardino on New Year's Eve, damaging the truck, authorities said.The driver slammed into a San Bernardino Fire Department truck that was headed to a structure fire at 9th and E streets Wednesday night, according to a tweet from Lt. Travis Walker, a district commander for the San Bernardino Police Department. A gun stolen from Las Vegas was found in the car, he said. No firefighters were injured in the crash, according to Walker, who posted a picture showing a wheel on the truck seemingly jarred loose. "The firefighters were shaken up a bit, but they're ok," Walker tweeted. A San Bernardino police spokesman was unable to provide more information about the case. A fire spokesman didn't return a call for comment.