On August 17, 2020, Firefighter David Closs, Sr., 67, and other firefighters from the Avis Fire Company #1, responded to a residential structure fire. Firefighter Closs was working scene safety a short distance away from the actual structure fire when he suffered a medical emergency and was immediately taken to the local hospital. He passed away on August 23, 2020 from an apparent heart attack.
Our condolences to the Closs Family & Friends, Avis Fire Company #1, and to all affected by Firefighter David Closs, Sr.'s passing.
On Tuesday, August 25, 2020, Firefighter/First Responder Brian Stephen Smith, 56, and other fire department personnel, responded to a call of a water rescue on the beach. Firefighter/First Responder Smith went into the water to rescue a man and a juvenile and got swept up by the current. He was rescued from the water and immediately taken to the Weems Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
Our condolences to the Smith Family & Friends, St. George Island Volunteer Fire Department, and to all affected by Firefighter/First Responder Brian Stephen Smith's passing.
WACO (CBSDFW.COM) - A fertilizer plant explosion in the town of West, north of Waco, has injured hundreds and as many as 70 people are feared dead. However, no official numbers have been released.
Meanwhile, the residents of the town of 2,700 are being asked to evacuate due to ammonia fumes after the explosion of West Fertilizer. The plant is located at 1471 Jerry Mashek Drive, just off Interstate-35. School buses and ambulances are being used to evacuate residents from the area.
"It was a like a nuclear bomb went off," the mayor, Tommy Muska, told reporters. "Big old mushroom cloud. There are a lot of people that got hurt. There are a lot of people that will not be here tomorrow."
CNN reported two emergency workers killed, a death toll which authorities feared will rise sharply. More than 150 people were treated for injuries at the local hospital as well as at Waco, 18 miles away, and Dallas, 80 miles away.
Units from 30 fire departments brought the blaze at the West Fertilizer Company plant under control by midnight. Fears that a second fertiliser tank might explode receded but authorities continued to evacuate residents amid concern about toxic fumes.
David Argueta, vice-president of operations at Waco's Hillcrest Baptist medical centre, said staff had treated lacerations and orthopaedic-type injuries. "We are being told that we have seen most of the patients, and it's now turned into a search-and-rescue operation on scene."
A spokesman for the Texas department of public safety, DL Wilson, told a press conference the blast had probably caused hundreds of wounded and some deaths. "We do have confirmed fatalities. The number is not current yet. It could go up by the minute. We're in there searching the area right now and making sure that it's safe."
Terrified passengers were forced to swim to safety on Saturday, after a brand-new Boeing 737 carrying more than 100 people to the resort island of Bali missed the runway at Bali's Denpasar Airport, Indonesian and crashed into the sea.
The Lion Air passenger jet airliner missed the runway altogether as it came in to land in good weather conditions at around 3.45pm local time (0745 GMT), on Saturday, April 13, 2013, a transport ministry official is reported as stating.
Officials confirmed all 108 people on board survived the crash, no fatalities. About 45 were treated for injuries. "The aircraft was in landing position when suddenly I saw it getting closer to the sea, and finally it hit the water," said Dewi, an Indonesian woman who sustained head wounds in the crash. "All of the passengers were screaming in panic, afraid they would drown. I left behind my belongings and went to an emergency door. I got out of the plane and swam before rescuers jumped in to help me." An air crash investigation is now under way. Accident investigators have yet to establish the cause of Saturday's incident. "It probably failed to reach the runway and fell into the sea," said Lion Air spokesman Edward Sirat. Harry Bakti Gumay, director-general of aviation at Indonesia's transport ministry, said the plane overshot the runway and fell into the sea from a height of about 50m.
(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)
The Tupolev-204 is a twin-engine medium-range jet with a capacity of 210 passengers. The Russian Red Wings Airlines flight was arriving to Vnukovo International Airport from the Czech Republic when it crashed through a fence, Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations said. It is thought the plane was on its second attempt at landing when the crash happened, at around 4.35pm local time (12.35GMT).
A Russian airliner split into pieces after it slid off the runway and crashed onto a highway outside Moscow on Saturday, killing at least four of the 8 crew members and with no passenger on board. The Tupolev-204 aircraft broke into pieces and caught fire after crashing, leaving smoking chunks of fuselage on the icy road.
Exclusive footage of the Tu-204 crash above. The exclusive footage shows the initial accident of the Tu-204 at Vnukovo airport. Footage filmed by witness whose car caught the plane rolled out to Kiev highway. The crash took place during high winds and a snowstorm, but the cause of the accident is not yet clear. Preliminary reports say the jet rolled out from the runway into Kievskoye Highway, fell into pieces and caught fire. Russian investigators said preliminary findings pointed to pilot error as the cause of the crash. The plane's nose, including the cockpit area, appeared to have been sheared off.
Investigators are examining flight recorders and other evidence to try to determine the cause of a plane crash in Moscow that left four people dead. Vladimir Markin, a spokesman for Russia's main investigative agency, was quoted by Russian news agencies today as saying the data recorders were being examined, along with fuel samples.
In addition, he said flight documents for the plane have been taken from the airline for examination. The four survivors were reported in critical or serious condition in Moscow hospitals.
(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)
National Fire Fighter Health Week (Aug 16-20) kicked off yesterday for a week long initiative to educate the community of fire and emergency services, as well as the public concerning issues of heath and wellness that affect first responders. This annual initiative was first started in 2007 by The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC). This week long event was created to "create awareness around important health issues in the emergency services and encourage first responders to take action.
2010's theme is, "Only you can Keep It Strong are you up to the Challenge?"
This theme asks first responders to take personal responsibility for their health and wellness to take the necessary steps to keep their heart, mind, and body strong. Each day this week is dedicated to a different health issue of particular concern to emergency services service personnel.
Yesterday's health concern that was highlighted was "Head Strong - Behavioral Health" awareness.
For information about each of these support in health topics, and steps that fire and emergency services first responders can take to protect themselves as well as their love ones head over to The National Volunteer Fire Council website:
What you'll find on the NVFC's web page is a link for each day this week that takes you to some very good insight as well as what you can do for the day. The five focus topics this year are behavioral health, personal protective equipment (PPE), heart-health, cancer, nutrition, and fitness. Most importantly though, it gives you very good references and important resources to refer too.
Today's focus subject is "Respond Strong - Put It On" Today'stopic focuses not only on the safety reasons for wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), but the important health reasons for doing so as well. Here's a FDNNTV.com video. . .
Just like having the right tool on the fire ground to use to combat a fire or provide valuable emergency medical service, having the right, current, and updated information to keep us all in the emergency service/first responders healthy is just as important.
SCENE SAFETY - SCENE SAFETY - SCENE SAFETY
(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; this is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)
Training and being prepared to do what is at hand is important for any critical job. Knowing before hand, or at least having the general knowledge of what is expected of you on any fire ground scene is equally important.
In the Fire Protection Service, if you’re a paid or a volunteer fire fighter, getting and having the required training is of core importance for each one of us. Passing along pertinent training information can only enhance one's ability to perform as best they can when called upon.
We all know as Fire Fighters, EMS and Police that we get “SAFETY” drilled into our heads during all our training classes. There should be no compromise to safety.
In Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) there are many hazards at the crash of an aircraft and the surrounding crash site. On all the responses on ARFF incidents I ensured that I’m safe on my approach into the scene and watch how the fire ground may develop as well as keeping my eyes open to watch my fellow fire fighter’s back. By doing so I knew the fire fighters I’m responding with will be watching my back.
As small aircraft and helicopters have become more complex, technology has provided systems that have enhanced operational safety. In the event of an accident, many of these systems have presented additional hazards to first responders or any potential rescuer at an aircraft accident scene.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in cooperation with General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), various manufacturers and first responder professional organizations, has developed training for safety at an aircraft accident scene with the following training modules:
The primary purpose and goal at any ARFF emergency is to save lives, just like for any Fire Fighting or EMS situation or response. ARFF emergencies have very unique and specialize situations that could entail a combination of a house fire, motor vehicle fire, haz-mat, and medical emergency at one aircraft crash site. Safety is and always will be paramount on any emergency response.
ARFF fire fighters are trained to establish what is called a rescue path to the aircraft once at a crash site, and prepared to battle large volumes of acrid smoke, rapid heat build up, fight fire, lots of fire depending on the amount of fuel is being carried on the aircraft, and perform rescue. The ARFF fire fighter receives training includes structural firefighting tactics, aircraft familiarization, confined-space training, aircraft rescue, vehicle familiarization and aircraft egress.
I feel the above FAA’s training modules are a great training resource for those emergency responders that may be called upon from local community fire departments, medical squads, and law enforcement agencies. Incorporating these FAA Training Modules into a fire department’s or other agency’s training program can only increase the First Responders awareness of the many dangerous hazards that could be present at a aircraft crash site.
Lets Be Safe Out There!
(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; this is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)
