Hoarder Storage Fire

GLENDALE, Ariz. Courtesy of My Fox Pheonix - Firefighters rushed out to an apartment fire in Glendale and found a unit stuffed with belongings. This occurred near 43rd Avenue and Bethany Home Road. Firefighters said the inside of one unit was just packed with stuff. Apparently, a hoarder was storing belongings there -- but wasn't living there. The unit had a lot of damage to it, but crews were able to keep it from spreading. No one was hurt. From

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/18612810/hoarders-storage-unit-catches-on-fire

Max the Long Haired Miracle!

Good afternoon from the jumpseat.  How many times in your career have you truly saved someone’s life?  Every day in our world we stand ready to go the extra mile for our fellow-man, but what if the extra mile is for man’s best friend?  Now before the safety guru’s start yelling, let’s put this into context.  Our number one priority is to safe human life, but sometimes we can save one of our little friends.  Should we risk our lives to save someone’s pet? That is up to everyone reading this blog and I would vote NO.  But what about the times when you are advancing on the fire and find a salvageable pet?  I would like to share the story of Max, the long haired miracle.

On a slow Sunday morning in the firehouse those familiar sounds rang out, “stations and units respond for the reported structure fire?”  We all know the reaction when those words come across the speakers and we all responded as usual.  This particular morning was my medic unit rotation which usually means that we arrive first because of less turnout time.  This response remain constant as we arrived just before the first due engine.  Being assigned to the medic unit on a working fire often is like being invited to the senior prom just to watch.

Upon our arrival we quickly found that all occupants were out with except Max the dog.  His location was on the upstairs bed that was too high for him to jump from.  We conveyed this to the first arriving rescue company as they entered the structure to make sure all occupants were out and to aid the truck company in ventilation.  Then out of nowhere here they come out of the house like the blazing hero’s they truly are, Max in hand. Max was given to the medic crew and we went to work.  We had recently been given masks to apply oxygen to our little friends.  We suctioned his airway, cleared the soot from his nose, and tried our best to help max.  He was breathing hard and unresponsive.  After about 5 minutes he started to come around and a neighbor transported him to a local animal hospital with our oxygen tank and mask.

We later learned that max had made a complete recovery and the home owner was appreciative that we had quickly put the fire out, but even more that we had saved Max.  This would have not been possible without a lot of committed responders that came together to save Max and more importantly without having the oxygen masks that had been “anonymously” donated to the fire department.

This is where the story gets like a Hollywood movie.  I had forgotten about Max’s rescue until I was returning from presenting my Hoarder Fires program.  On my return flight I sat down next to a professional looking woman and we spent the flight talking until I told her  Max’s story, then she just about started to cry.  You see someone had anonymously donated those oxygen masks to the fire department and that person was HER.  She had seen a story on the news about losing a pet in a fire and wrote the check anonymously.  We finished the flight, I sent her the pics, and we parted way’s following a huge thank you on Max’s behalf.

It’s funny sometimes how small our world truly is and this story could not have been a bigger example of just that.  Who would have thought that a few firefighters, a medic crew, and a complete stranger could come together to save someone’s life, it just so happened that this time it was a dog named Max. We all need to remember the risk versus reward training when it comes to saving anything, especially when fighting a structural fire. But we also can remember to help those who can’t help themselves.  Who knows the next life that you save might be your best friend.

God bless the donator, firefighters, medic crew, and the doctors who save the life of man’s best friend.

Bunker up, Buckle in, it's where we all begin!

Do you have a Backup Plan?

Good morning from the Jumpseat……The sun is shining down on another great day, happy to be a firefighter in America.  This day is starting interesting for me to say the least.  We purchased new IPhone 4S last week and in the process lost 3 pages of notes from it.  So, for the last week I have searched for ways to recover my lost work.  Then this morning I found it, BAM!  During this process my mind kept wondering, what is our back up plan if we had an emergency during a structural firefight?

How often have you grabbed your SCBA, hose, flashlight, and headed into the pits of Hell ready to combat the dragon? Can you ever remember a time when you thought to yourself “what if I had a SCBA emergency right now”. If you’re like me it doesn’t happen very often because we have a job to do!  Do you have a backup plan and how many ways can you prepare before the alarm sounds? Let’s look at a couple of quick tips.

Tip 1 is to be familiar with EVERY piece of PPE that you have, from your hood to you face piece it all should be familiar to you even in the most extreme conditions.  If you’re not familiar with it before you have an emergency how do you expect to manage it when it does happen? You should take time practicing equipment malfunctions  before the call comes in.  Practice your hood on wrong, radio strap on wrong side, pack straps not let out all the way, and practice them slowly then add in game speed as you become faster.

Tip 2: Don't mask up until it's time.  I have seen many firefighters putting on their face piece before they even get off the truck.  How are you going to get an exact view of the structure as you arrive to find exits, entries, fire, and smoke conditions? Just because we ride in the jumpseat don’t mean that we can’t size up the building and be #jumpseatready.  It is our jobs to remain a reliable worker when things are at their worst.   You should practice managing emergencies in the comfort of your station before you’re faced with a life or death situation!

In closing I would like to remind you that you always need a backup plan.  It’s hard to imagine taking a lesson in firefighting from my phone, but hey, it is 2012.  I will remember to back up my data from now on and it’s your job to have a backup plan on your next fire!

Thanks for the stop in the jumpseat…..train hard….stay safe…

Bunker up, Buckle in, it’s where we ALL begin!!!

Views on Firehouse.com

Good afternoon from the Jumpseat.  Look for some new and exciting Jumpseat views opportunities coming soon from firehouse.com.  I would like to send a HUGE thank you to Peter Matthews and the entire Firehouse family.  Before I am allowed to announce the new material please take some time to visit some previously posted views from the jumpseat materials:

http://www.firehouse.com/article/10466624/ems-runs-saving-a-firefighters-life

http://www.firehouse.com/podcast/10458913/training-tactics-talk-searching-in-the-modern-environment

http://www.firehouse.com/article/10470150/safety-when-to-back-the-truck-up

Once again a HUGE thanks you for all the loyal readers of "Views from the Jumpset".

If you have any subjects that you would like to hear the Jumpseat view on send a email to Ryan33@suddenlink.net

Stay tuned viewers................

Swift Water Ops Class

Here is a preview of a project that I am working on for Firehouse.com.  Keep you eyes peeled for upcoming article and more action pics from Spec Rescue's Swift Water Operations/Technician Class...