Wednesday, April 11, 2018
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Elmhurst welcomes fire engine with 'rite of passage'
A tradition acted out Tuesday in Elmhurst is as old as the days when horse-drawn pumpers were a primary tool for fighting fires.
With origins in the late 1800s, a ceremony called a "Wet Down" got an update as firefighters, community leaders and a priest welcomed the department's new Engine 1.
The Rev. Jason Stone, pastor of Mary Queen of Heaven Catholic Church in Elmhurst, prayed for God's blessing on the $586,000 vehicle as it sat on the driveway in front of Station 1 on York Street. He sprinkled the engine with holy water, symbolic of cleansing and life, then stepped aside to let the true wetting begin.
Each firefighter on shift flipped a lever on a hose from the old Engine 1, which is being retired, and sprayed the new one right on its big "ELMHURST" letters.
Fire Chief Thomas Freeman said the ritual allows firefighters to seek protection.
"It's to make us safer and protect us from the dangers of this job," Freeman said. "It's more than just
a ceremony. It should have deep-seated meaning for all of us."
Old-fashioned firefighters would wet down a new pumper-pulling horse before pushing it into its stable at the station, and they would bring priests to bless the animal and the people who would drive it, Freeman said.
The mechanical version of a horse deserves the same protections in a business heavily reliant on tradition, Deputy Chief Bill Anaszewicz said.
"It's kind of like a rite of passage for that new vehicle," he said.
Once the new Engine 1, a 2018 Pierce with a 750-gallon water tank, a 450 horsepower engine and 2,800 feet of hose storage, was wet with spray from its predecessor, Stone led the crowd of about 35 people in prayer again.
"Pour fourth your blessing on this fire engine," said Stone, who worked as an emergency medical technician and 911 dispatcher for 10 years before becoming a priest.
He then added some words for the personnel who operate it.
"Walk with them through the fire," he prayed, "and give your wholehearted blessing to every man and woman of this department as they do the job to which they've been called."
The new Engine 1 replaces two vehicles in Elmhurst, where officials have been planning for its arrival since 2015. Along with the old Engine 1 from 2001, the new vehicle replaces Squad 1, a rescue vehicle from 1995, so it is outfitted with battery-operated extrication equipment.
Engine 1 arrived a month ago, allowing firefighters to begin training on it before putting it into service with Tuesday's Wet Down ritual.
"The tradition is what makes us strong and what makes us who we are today," Freeman said. "The great Elmhurst Fire Department."
Sunday, April 8, 2018
Firefighter Killed In Freak Station Accident
SALISBURY – A Massachusetts firefighter who was badly hurt when a fire department vehicle he was working on slipped from a jack and landed on him has died.
Salisbury fire Lt. Timothy Oliveria suffered internal injuries and broken ribs in the accident on Friday and had been hospitalized in critical condition.
Deputy Chief Steven LeSage says Oliveria died Sunday afternoon. He says Oliveria was a “much beloved 27-year member of the Salisbury Fire Department.”
Oliveria was a fire department mechanic. State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan says he was carrying out his duties when the accident happened. Coan calls him a “dedicated firefighter.”
The cause of the accident is under investigation.
Funeral arrangements haven’t been finalized.
9 Funny Tales From Firefighters That Will Leave You In Stitches
Firefighters are some of the bravest people out there. They put their lives at risk every day on the job to keep the rest of us safe and sound.
But firemen and firewomen still have those days at work that make them scratch their heads and wonder what the heck people were thinking when they called 911.
Some of the calls firefighters respond to are enough to make you laugh out loud. I’m not sure which must stress them out the most, these ridiculous, funny calls, or the serious ones when citizens are in real danger. One thing is for sure: There is never a dull moment in the life of a firefighter.
These nine stories from real firefighters will give you a bit of insight into what these brave souls go through.
Do you know any firefighters? Do you think they have any crazy stories like these?
1.
“A call at night around 11:30pm [sic], 3 kilometers away for a lady who said her house was on fire. When rolled we had a full rescue van full plus 3 men in each other truck and 10 in our crew van. When we got there she said her dog was trapped under its dog house and told us that the only reason she said her house was on fire was because she didn’t think we would come!!” – MAN27
“A call at night around 11:30pm [sic], 3 kilometers away for a lady who said her house was on fire. When rolled we had a full rescue van full plus 3 men in each other truck and 10 in our crew van. When we got there she said her dog was trapped under its dog house and told us that the only reason she said her house was on fire was because she didn’t think we would come!!” – MAN27
2.
“This is something that happens at every BIG fire. I have A LOT of trouble aiming the deck gun on our tanker at the ‘target.’ Seeing that it creates a large ‘fog’ of water, I can’t actually see where the water stream ends. So I have a reputation of ‘taking out’ several groups of firemen, with one sweep of the stream. At a recent barn fire, I knocked a hose team down twice, and soaked 20-30 firemen, and a ‘whole bunch’ of bystanders.” – Fireguy57
“This is something that happens at every BIG fire. I have A LOT of trouble aiming the deck gun on our tanker at the ‘target.’ Seeing that it creates a large ‘fog’ of water, I can’t actually see where the water stream ends. So I have a reputation of ‘taking out’ several groups of firemen, with one sweep of the stream. At a recent barn fire, I knocked a hose team down twice, and soaked 20-30 firemen, and a ‘whole bunch’ of bystanders.” – Fireguy57
3.
“At about 3:00 a.m. we were dispatched as the second in company on an occupied double-wide mobile home fire. Having just been awakened from a deep sleep, I had to pee like a race horse, but not wanting to waste a second, I jumped on the squad and off we went.
“Every bump was agonizing, and there were a lot of them!” – fireman4949
“At about 3:00 a.m. we were dispatched as the second in company on an occupied double-wide mobile home fire. Having just been awakened from a deep sleep, I had to pee like a race horse, but not wanting to waste a second, I jumped on the squad and off we went.
“Every bump was agonizing, and there were a lot of them!” – fireman4949
4.
“Volunteer Department out in the boonies. You bet we get some weird ones! Yes, we have all had the cat stuck in a tree, but have you ever had a dog’s head stuck in a hole in a tree? A very large woman stuck in the mud? Parachuters stuck in a tree? Someone stuck on a toilet? A lot of folks getting stuck these days!” – nvfd1137
“Volunteer Department out in the boonies. You bet we get some weird ones! Yes, we have all had the cat stuck in a tree, but have you ever had a dog’s head stuck in a hole in a tree? A very large woman stuck in the mud? Parachuters stuck in a tree? Someone stuck on a toilet? A lot of folks getting stuck these days!” – nvfd1137
5.
“I have been to a bird in a tree… yes they didn’t think clipping the bird’s wings was right and their 1000 dollar bird flew out the door and into a tree.” – dmassey
“I have been to a bird in a tree… yes they didn’t think clipping the bird’s wings was right and their 1000 dollar bird flew out the door and into a tree.” – dmassey
6.
“It was about 2:00 in the afternoon when the tones for Fire & EMS were dropped, with the dispatcher reporting a ‘pedestrian/motor vehicle — reported 3 year old girl hit by truck with injuries….’
“Upon arriving on the scene and starting my size up, I saw an older lady and a young girl sitting on the lawn under a tree. As I ran up to them the little girl was crying and the older lady had a paper towel pressed to her forehead….
“Asking what had happened, the older lady said to me…. ‘Her older brother threw a truck at her and hit her in the head and she was bleeding.’ Turns out it was a little matchbox truck that the 3 yr old was hit with.” – scottab96
“It was about 2:00 in the afternoon when the tones for Fire & EMS were dropped, with the dispatcher reporting a ‘pedestrian/motor vehicle — reported 3 year old girl hit by truck with injuries….’
“Upon arriving on the scene and starting my size up, I saw an older lady and a young girl sitting on the lawn under a tree. As I ran up to them the little girl was crying and the older lady had a paper towel pressed to her forehead….
“Asking what had happened, the older lady said to me…. ‘Her older brother threw a truck at her and hit her in the head and she was bleeding.’ Turns out it was a little matchbox truck that the 3 yr old was hit with.” – scottab96
7.
“The other day there were 45-60 m.p.h. winds here. A call came over the radio dispatching us to a man ‘parachuting’ who had fallen…
“Turns out, because it was so windy, the guy thought he could use the same theory as parasailing, using the wind to lift him up. He tied himself off to a tree and strapped the parachute on. Up he went. He was around 150 feet up when the wind speed dropped. He started floating down when the rope broke. Without the rope holding him stationary, the wind provided no lift and the chute folded and down he went.” – RadRob
“The other day there were 45-60 m.p.h. winds here. A call came over the radio dispatching us to a man ‘parachuting’ who had fallen…
“Turns out, because it was so windy, the guy thought he could use the same theory as parasailing, using the wind to lift him up. He tied himself off to a tree and strapped the parachute on. Up he went. He was around 150 feet up when the wind speed dropped. He started floating down when the rope broke. Without the rope holding him stationary, the wind provided no lift and the chute folded and down he went.” – RadRob
8.
“I had a call of a lady who couldn’t breathe through her nose, thats how call came in. We get there, sure enough she’s this lil old lady sitting there with a box of tissues and lots of nasal stuff… she said she couldn’t breathe through her nose… we told her we can’t do anything but take her to hospital, she didn’t wanna go to hospital so we left.” – Adam07003
“I had a call of a lady who couldn’t breathe through her nose, thats how call came in. We get there, sure enough she’s this lil old lady sitting there with a box of tissues and lots of nasal stuff… she said she couldn’t breathe through her nose… we told her we can’t do anything but take her to hospital, she didn’t wanna go to hospital so we left.” – Adam07003
9.
“We got toned out at 3:00am for a fire alarm activation. As is usually the case, nothing was showing upon arrival. That is, except for the man running out the front door with a TV! Turns out that the alarm company erroneously reported a burglar alarm as a fire alarm. Imagine his surprise!! Luckily, police arrived the same time we did to make the collar.” – Shoreman22
Do you know anyone who has a funny story like this? Please SHARE on Facebook to find out!
“We got toned out at 3:00am for a fire alarm activation. As is usually the case, nothing was showing upon arrival. That is, except for the man running out the front door with a TV! Turns out that the alarm company erroneously reported a burglar alarm as a fire alarm. Imagine his surprise!! Luckily, police arrived the same time we did to make the collar.” – Shoreman22
Do you know anyone who has a funny story like this? Please SHARE on Facebook to find out!
Friday, April 6, 2018
Lacy Lakeview FD equips firefighters with thermal imaging cameras
Lieutenant John Haigh with the Lacy Lakeview Fire Department said five were purchased by the Lacy Lakeview Fire Association and an additional one was donated by the family of a firefighter who recently died.
"Our primary job is rescue first, fire second," Haigh said.
The imager is installed into the firefighter's mask, allowing he/she to see what kind of temperatures they are walking into as well as if there is anyone to rescue.
"This will help us detect if there is a person in that room. It'll give us a glow and let us know where that person is," Haigh said.
Tomas Cardoza has been with the fire department for five years. He said these imagers will be useful for many of the calls the fire department responds to.
"[The imager] gives us where we're able to see and visually through the smoke and see the temperatures and different things reacting," Cardoza said.
The new cameras help firefighters to see more clearly through the smoke so they know what they are walking into.
"When there's people inside and we need to know where they are at or we're in a situation where we need to know okay we need to get out of there," Cardoza said. "You know, honestly, this is probably the best thing we can get for our fire department right now."
Haigh said these new cameras are putting the department on another level.
"We had to rely on a hand held thermal imager that was most of the time on the outside of the building and it was ineffective," Haigh said. "Most of the time it will not go through steel walls, it will not go through glass. So we were ineffective using the outside thermal imagers. Now with these, we are on the state of the art of getting firefighting done."
Monday, April 2, 2018
City mourns loss of 2 firefighters killed in collapse
Emergency personnel move an injured firefighter to an ambulance after a wall collapse at the scene of a fire in York, Pa., Thursday, March 22, 2018. York officials said part of the four-story building fell on firefighters as they were looking for hot spots and investigating the cause of the fire that broke out Wednesday at the Weaver Organ and Piano factory. (John A. Pavoncello/York Dispatch via AP)
Emergency personnel move an injured firefighter to an ambulance after a wall collapse at the scene of a fire in York, Pa., Thursday, March 22, 2018. York officials said part of the four-story building fell on firefighters as they were looking for hot spots and investigating the cause of the fire that broke out Wednesday at the Weaver Organ and Piano factory. (John A. Pavoncello/York Dispatch via AP)
Decatur County mourning the loss of young firefighter
DECATUR COUNTY, Ga. (WCTV) -- Decatur County Fire & Rescue is mourning the loss of one of their own, after firefighter Adam Taylor, 30, died unexpectedly last week.
Fire rescue officials say Taylor was in a 24 hour shift at work on March 30 when he reported not feeling well and made arrangements to go home. Taylor died suddenly about 35 minutes later.
A preliminary report indicates Taylor had a heart attack, however, no official details are available until the report from the coroner’s office is released.
Taylor had been a firefighter with Decatur County Fire & Rescue since 2012. Taylor had previously served with the Sylvester Fire Department, where he got his start in 2007.
Taylor leaves behind a wife and twins.
"As many of know, Firefighter/EMT Adam Taylor passed away unexpectedly the night of March 30th, 2018, at the young age of 30. Adam began his fire service career with the Sylvester Fire Department in December of 2007. While there, Adam earned his Firefighter II and Hazardous Materials Technician certifications, and resigned as Lieutenant in 2011. After moving to Bainbridge, Adam came to be with us in April 2012. Over the course of his career, Adam proved himself to be an outstanding firefighter, one who was very knowledgeable of firefighting tactics, and could be relied on to show up to any scene ready to work. After earning his Fire Instructor 1 certification in 2016, he became an integral part of our firefighter training program. Adam was also one half of our two-man heavy rescue technician team, specializing in high-angle rescue and technical rescue. He was also an important part of our live fire training, having also earned his Structural Fire Control Instructor certification in 2016.
"Adam leaves behind his beloved wife, Kristin, and his two beautiful babies, his pride and his joy, Connor and Faith.
"The word “brotherhood” has been used to describe the fire service for many years. The tremendous outpouring of support we’ve received from our fellow firefighters throughout the state have been proof of this. Adam touched so many lives in his short time here on this earth. His smile could light up any room, and he always had one on his face. It was next to impossible to stay mad at him. Adam would do anything for his family, for his friends, and for his fellow fire brothers/sisters. He always had a heart for service, and a heart for God. The two most important things in Adam’s life were his family and his faith, and his face and eyes would just light up as he would talk about his babies and the antics they would get into. They were his miracles, and he was so thrilled to finally be a daddy
"Words could never truly capture the type of man that Adam was; you just had to know him. And if you knew him, you loved him. Our hearts are broken, but we will be strong and carry on, because that is what Adam would want. The best way for us to honor his life is to continue laughing and smiling, just as Adam did; to continue doing the best job we possibly can, just as Adam would do.
"Watch over us, brother. We will miss you dearly."
DECATUR COUNTY, Ga. (WCTV) -- Decatur County Fire & Rescue is mourning the loss of one of their own, after firefighter Adam Taylor, 30, died unexpectedly last week.
Fire rescue officials say Taylor was in a 24 hour shift at work on March 30 when he reported not feeling well and made arrangements to go home. Taylor died suddenly about 35 minutes later.
A preliminary report indicates Taylor had a heart attack, however, no official details are available until the report from the coroner’s office is released.
Taylor had been a firefighter with Decatur County Fire & Rescue since 2012. Taylor had previously served with the Sylvester Fire Department, where he got his start in 2007.
Taylor leaves behind a wife and twins.
"As many of know, Firefighter/EMT Adam Taylor passed away unexpectedly the night of March 30th, 2018, at the young age of 30. Adam began his fire service career with the Sylvester Fire Department in December of 2007. While there, Adam earned his Firefighter II and Hazardous Materials Technician certifications, and resigned as Lieutenant in 2011. After moving to Bainbridge, Adam came to be with us in April 2012. Over the course of his career, Adam proved himself to be an outstanding firefighter, one who was very knowledgeable of firefighting tactics, and could be relied on to show up to any scene ready to work. After earning his Fire Instructor 1 certification in 2016, he became an integral part of our firefighter training program. Adam was also one half of our two-man heavy rescue technician team, specializing in high-angle rescue and technical rescue. He was also an important part of our live fire training, having also earned his Structural Fire Control Instructor certification in 2016.
"Adam leaves behind his beloved wife, Kristin, and his two beautiful babies, his pride and his joy, Connor and Faith.
"The word “brotherhood” has been used to describe the fire service for many years. The tremendous outpouring of support we’ve received from our fellow firefighters throughout the state have been proof of this. Adam touched so many lives in his short time here on this earth. His smile could light up any room, and he always had one on his face. It was next to impossible to stay mad at him. Adam would do anything for his family, for his friends, and for his fellow fire brothers/sisters. He always had a heart for service, and a heart for God. The two most important things in Adam’s life were his family and his faith, and his face and eyes would just light up as he would talk about his babies and the antics they would get into. They were his miracles, and he was so thrilled to finally be a daddy
"Words could never truly capture the type of man that Adam was; you just had to know him. And if you knew him, you loved him. Our hearts are broken, but we will be strong and carry on, because that is what Adam would want. The best way for us to honor his life is to continue laughing and smiling, just as Adam did; to continue doing the best job we possibly can, just as Adam would do.
"Watch over us, brother. We will miss you dearly."
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