At 6:00 AM we get toned out for a "fire in the trailer court." Usually I don't respond to firecalls after 5:00 AM unless it's an actual fire, since I have to wake up at 7:30 for work, it's not worth the lack of sleep to put batteries in some old lady's Carbon Monoxide detector. I was sleeping in shorts and a tshirt, and in a mad rush I ran out of the house wearing that, plus shoes and a jacket. Little did I know it was only 11 degrees out. I'm shaking and speeding my way down to the firehouse. Of course, it ended up being nothing. The caller smelt smoke, which was diesel smoke from a truck next door. I want to smack people like that in the face so hard. It's early in the AM, we're flying like maniacs in our cars, there could be anything from drunks to business men on the roads or walking to cars. One day someone's gonna get killed on the way to a bullshit call because the caller said "fire" when in reality it was burnt popcorn.
Bottom line - I feel fire prevention should advise people how to call in a fire when we do fire prevention week every year. It's always geared towards the children, but it seems the adults need some counceling as well.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Monday, February 4, 2008
DUI MVA
I was sound asleep when we got paged out for an accident involving a possible "ejection." I've never heard them say that word over the pager before so I knew it would be something good. We had a decent small crew and got to Route 80 pretty quick. Hackensack was already finishing up their extrication which indicated they had been on seen already before we got toned out.
Upon closer inspection it was a silver Jeep Commander and the windshield was forced out to a point, indicating someone definitely slammed their head or body up against it with enough force for it to separate from the dashboard at the base where they meet. We stood around waiting for some work but I mentioned we should step back and give Hackensack some space.
The only time I did anything was when the Hackensack guys pulled out the hydrollic spreaders just to pop the hood, when I stepped up and got my hand under it and was able to feel and release the hatch. Sometimes people are quick to pull out the destructive tools without trying easier, obvious methods first - something Lance taught me a long time ago, god rest his soul. He was good at taking young guys under his wing and showing them how to keep their cool and not overlook obvoius things on the fire scene.
The rear of the truck had blood on it and a pool of blood on the ground and the side rear door had been removed or extrication purposes. As far as I know, there was only one victim who was dead, and I watched as they carried his limp body away on a board. That's the second fatality I've seen in an MVA in a year.
Upon closer inspection it was a silver Jeep Commander and the windshield was forced out to a point, indicating someone definitely slammed their head or body up against it with enough force for it to separate from the dashboard at the base where they meet. We stood around waiting for some work but I mentioned we should step back and give Hackensack some space.
The only time I did anything was when the Hackensack guys pulled out the hydrollic spreaders just to pop the hood, when I stepped up and got my hand under it and was able to feel and release the hatch. Sometimes people are quick to pull out the destructive tools without trying easier, obvious methods first - something Lance taught me a long time ago, god rest his soul. He was good at taking young guys under his wing and showing them how to keep their cool and not overlook obvoius things on the fire scene.
The rear of the truck had blood on it and a pool of blood on the ground and the side rear door had been removed or extrication purposes. As far as I know, there was only one victim who was dead, and I watched as they carried his limp body away on a board. That's the second fatality I've seen in an MVA in a year.
