avolume XIII PrkRidgeFireDepartmentOURMISSION:TOLIMITTHELOSSOFLIFEANDPROPERTYTHROUGHPLANNING,PREVENTIONANDRESPONSEOn December 5, 2013, Fire Marshall Kevin Plach, Fire Inspector Rich Kufner and Senior Administrative Assistant Jennifer Steurer and Kiwi the clown (a retired police officer from Des Plaines) delivered toys to children hospitalized at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital. This year, there were so many children, ages ranging from infants to 18 years old. We had the pleasure of spending time with approximately thirty children as well as their families. The children really appreciate the small gift and some laughs to take their minds off of being in the hospital. It is really an honor to be able to help in the smallest way. December 2013 www.parkridgefd.org Volume XIII Issue XII
Response Statistics Fire Administration CODE MONTHLY REPONSES 2012 MONTHLY REPONSES 2013 MONTHLY PERCENT 2012 MONTHLY PERCENT 2013 1 EMERGENCY MEDICAL 254 235 67% 59% 2 SINGLE VEHICLE 66 67 17% 17% 3 FULL FIRE 31 47 8% 12% 13 MUTUAL & AUTO AID 30 49 8% 12% TOTAL RESPONSES 381 398 100% 100% 450 400 350 300 Current Month 250 200 150 2011 2012 2013 100 50 0 Code 1 Code 2 Code 3 Code 13 Total 1
THE PARK RIDGE FIRE DEPARTMENT Year To Date Total 4350 4300 4250 4200 4150 4100 4050 4000 3950 3900 2011 2012 2013 Responses by Unit 250 January 200 February March April 150 May June 100 July August 50 September October 0 3500 3501 3520 A35 A36 BC35 E35 E35R E36 E36R S35 T36 U35 U36 November December 2
THE PARK RIDGE FIRE DEPARTMENT Apparatus In Service Percentage by Month 100% 90% 80% January February March 70% April 60% May 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% F 26 F 31 F 32 F 33 F 35 F 41 F 42 F 43 F 45 F 47 June July August September October November December Apparatus Out of Service Percentage by Month 80% January 70% February 60% 50% March April May 40% 30% June July August 20% September 10% October November 0% F 26 F 31 F 32 F 33 F 35 F 41 F 422 F 43 F 45 F 47 December 3
Incident Response Deputy Chief Jeff Sorensen December 8 December 9 December 9 December 9 December 9 December 11 December 13 December 13 December 14 December 14 December 20 Companies responded to a fire in the basement of a home in the 600 block of South Delphia. The fire was quickly extinguished. Companies responded to a fire involving a deck to the rear of a home in the 600 block of South Courtland. The resident had partially extinguished the fire prior to the arrival of the fire department. Tower #36 responded on mutual aid to North Maine for the reported oven fire. Ambulance #36 responded on mutual aid to North Maine for a vehicle crash. Companies responded to a car versus a building, 520 Busse Highway. The driver of the vehicle was transported to Lutheran General Hospital. Engine #35 responded on a change of quarters to Schiller Park while that department operated at a working fire in a two-story house in the 4800 block of Forster Avenue. Companies responded to the motor vehicle crash at the intersection of Touhy Avenue and Northwest Highway. Ambulance #36 transported one patient to Resurrection Medical Center. Ambulance #35 responded mutual aid due to multiple, concurrent emergency medical calls in the City of Des Plaines. One patient was transported to Lutheran General Hospital. Companies responded to the motor vehicle crash at Dempster Street and Dee Road. Ambulance #36 transported one patient to Lutheran General Hospital. Battalion #35, Engine #35, Ambulance #35, Ambulance #36, and North Maine Fire Protection District Ambulance #1 responded to the motor vehicle crash with injuries, at Western Avenue and Davis Street. During this call, a concurrent emergency medical call was received elsewhere in the City of Park Ridge. That call was handled by Ambulance #72 from Des Plaines along with Engine #35, which had been released from the crash scene. Tower and Ambulance #36 responded into Des Plaines for the train vs. car at Touhy and Mannheim. There were three (3) patients total in the vehicle. Companies assisted with the removal of the patients from the vehicle which had mistakenly drove onto the railroad tracks in a northbound direction off of Touhy Avenue. The driver decided to continue on the tracks until the next intersection which would have been Frontage Road. A Metra commuter train struck the vehicle from behind and rammed it into a tree. 4
December 21 December 29 December 29 December 29 December 29 December 31 Lt Decker responded into Prospect Heights to assist at the scene of a fire as an Investigator. The fire occurred at 203 Grove Place, near Randhurst Shopping Center along the Euclid side. Tower #36 responded to a MABAS alarm on the change of quarters to Evanston Station #21 for the 2 nd alarm fire that destroyed three (3) downtown Evanston businesses. Firefighters on scene fought the fire for nearly five hours, protecting other nearby businesses. The early morning fire that began at the Pine Yard Restaurant quickly spread to a nail salon and the Taco Diablo restaurant, both in the same building in the 1000 block of Davis Street. While Tower #36 was still in Evanston, all other Park Ridge companies responded to a car vs. tree at Oakton and Prospect. Crews performed extrication utilizing hand tools, and two patients were transported to Lutheran General Hospital. Companies responded to the intersection of Devon Avenue and South Delphia Avenue for the two vehicle crash, with a car up on a lawn. Both Park Ridge ambulances responded and transported patients to Lutheran General Hospital. Ambulance #36 responded mutual aid to North Maine Fire Protection District for an emergency medical call in the 8900 block of North Western Avenue. One patient was transported to Lutheran General Hospital. Companies responded to Vine Avenue and Devon Avenue, just North of the intersection, for the four vehicle crash, with an SUV up on a lawn. Ambulance #35 transported one patient to Lutheran General Hospital. Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Paul Lisowski December 9 December 16-17 December 27 Completed NIMS course IS-240.a Leadership and Influence. Attended a two day NIMS course at the NIPSTA facility in Glenview. The course was IS-400 Advanced Incident Command, Command and General Staff for Complex Incidents. This is part of the required coursework for Emergency Management personnel required by FEMA. Completed NIMS course IS-230.d Fundamentals of Emergency Management. Submitted the annual NIMS compliance document for the city, which details the training completed by key Park Ridge personnel. This is required for Park Ridge to remain eligible for Federal grants. 5
Fire Investigation Lieutenant Derek Decker Investigation Summaries December 7 Park Ridge fire companies along with the Rosemont and Norwood Park Fire Departments responded to the 600 block of S. Delphia for a reported basement fire. A small fire involving ordinary combustibles was found and quickly extinguished with a fire extinguisher. The fire was confined to the area of origin. Monetary damage resulting was estimated at $1000. The investigation concluded that the fire was caused by ordinary combustibles being stored too close to a furnace. Radiant heat from the furnace ignited the combustibles. The fire was classified as accidental. December 8 Park Ridge equipment along with the Rosemont and Norwood Park Fire Departments responded to the 600 block of Courtland for a deck fire. Initial arriving companies determined the fire had been extinguished prior to their arrival. The fire was confined to the area of origin. The fire resulted in a $1,000 in damage. The investigation determined the homeowner disposed of fireplace ashes in a combustible container which ignited and burned a portion of the wooden deck. The fire was classified as accidental. December 11 Park Ridge companies along with the Rosemont and Norwood Park Fire Departments responded to the 100 block of West Prairie for an oven fire. Arriving companies found a small fire within the oven involving food. The fire was confined to the oven and extinguished with an extinguisher. No monetary loss resulted. The investigation determined the fire resulted due to unattended cooking. The fire was classified as accidental. December 22 Lt. Decker responded as a mutual aid fire investigator into Prospect Heights to assist in determining the origin and cause of a fire involving a single-family residential structure. Each area department has a limited number of investigators trained within their own jurisdiction. When incidents exceed internal resource capabilities, requesting assistance through the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS), specifically the Division III Fire Investigation Task Force, secures a large array of resources from the entire North and Near-Northwest suburbs. 6
Training Battalion Chief Scott Sankey Quick Drill Throughout the month the Training Division assigns various quick drills to be discussed at the morning roll call. The December quick drills covered: Single relief cut for dash displacement technique Bar joist roof construction concerns Overcoming the wall on recessed doors HAZMAT definitions review Hazardous materials go by different names Emergency Response Guidebook Guide 111 Word of the Week Throughout the month shift members at each station are assigned a word. The member researches the word as it relates to the fire service and presents his/her findings to the rest of his station during the morning roll call meeting. The word for December was: Consist Ventilation, Flow Paths & Fire Suppression Tactics for Today s Fireground Two battalion chiefs and seven lieutenants attended a seven hour seminar presented by the United Laboratories Firefighter Safety Research Institute. Outside Training FF/PM Ray Wolff Fire Prevention Principles 40 hrs December Training Hours Analysis Description Hours Driver Operator Training 143 Hazmat Awareness and Operations 4.25 Fire Investigator Drill 15 Fire Investigator Experience 1 Officer Development 63 Daily SCBA Familiarization/Checks 75.45 SCBA Skills Training 6.5 Quick Drills 51.75 Technical Rescue Team Training 3 Word of the Week 7.81 Total hours 370.76 7
Special Teams Battalion Chief Scott Sankey Hazardous Materials Team (HAZMAT) Members of the MABAS Division III Hazardous Materials Team participated in a skills test assessment for various required disciplines on December 16, 2013. Some required disciplines included: Fixing chlorine cylinder leaks Lowering a patient from a second story structure Obstacle course-performing all tasks while wearing Level A suits. Underwater and Rescue and Recovery Team (URRT) No report. Technical Rescue Team (TRT) Members of the TRT participated in a skill makeup drill held at NIPSTA. The skills that were reviewed included rope and confined space rescue. Apparatus & Equipment Battalion Chief John Hanson Due to the high amount of miles and the stresses that the vehicles are put under, it is critical that we perform routine and emergency maintenance in cooperation with the City Garage. Below is a list of the maintenance completed for the month: F-32 2005 Ambulance - Siren replaced. F-41 1995 Engine - Replaced generator glow plugs - Repaired tire valve - New front brakes installed F-43 2005 Engine - Alternator and batteries replaced - Replaced front suction master intake valve switches F-45 2001 Tower Ladder - Waterway discharge valve resealed - 8
Car versus a building at 520 Busse Highway Fire Prevention Lieutenant Kevin Plach Activity Monthly Totals 2012 Monthly Totals 2013 Initial Inspections 7 14 Re-Inspections 28 55 Pre-Permit Meetings 0 0 Construction Visits 5 9 Final Inspections 2 7 Plan reviews 14 11 Sprinkler Hydros 2 3 Storage Tank Installs 0 0 Storage Tank Removals 0 0 Residential Sprinklers 0 0 Fire Flow Tests 1 0 Fire Alarm Tests 0 4 Fire Pump Tests 0 0 Key Box Insp./Installs 0 0 Hood Test 0 0 Single Family Home Inspections 0 0 Citations 0 0 Meetings 10 9 Fire Drills 0 0 Seminar/Schools 3 1 Complaints 0 1 Shift Tours 0 0 Public Education Tours 0 0 Total 72 114 Year to Date 2028 2073 9
Highlights Fire Marshal Plach and Fire Inspector Kufner helped deliver toys to the children at Lutheran General Hospital on December 5, 2013. Car Seat Safety Checks 24 car seat safety checks were performed in December CPR and First Aid classes 9 people attended CPR and First Aid classes in the month of December 2013. The following classes were provided: 1 Health Care Provider class 1 Heart Saver First Aid and CPR classes CPR and First Aid training was provided to: 4 people in our 2 public classes 5 employees from Advance Therapy in Park Ridge Park Ridge Fire Explorer Post 3536 The Explorer program has been temporarily suspended. Car versus a tree at Vine and Devon Avenues 10
THE PARK RIDGE FIRE DEPARTMENT Kiwi the Clown visiting a child at Lutheran General Hospital with Fire Department staff. Highlight of the Month Fire Administration 11
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THE PARK RIDGE FIRE DEPARTMENT Personnel News Fire Administration Welcome FF/PM recruit, Daniel Vaci, to the Park Ridge Fire Department! Pictured below is FF/PM recruit Vaci being sworn in by City Clerk Betty Henneman (left) and having his badge pinned on him by his mother, Debbie (right). 13
World Trade Center Steel Update Fire Administration A Public Art Commission meeting has been scheduled for January 7, 2014. More information will be available regarding the World Trade Center Steel after the meeting. Monthly Tip Senior Administrative Assistant Jennifer Steurer Safety Tips: Winter Fires More fires occur during the winter months than at any other time. Fortunately, taking simple precautions can prevent most fires. Follow the safety tips below to help ensure your safety: Portable Heaters Put at least three feet of empty space between the heater and everything else. Vacuum and clean the dust and lint from all heaters. If the cord gets hot, frayed or cracked, have the heater serviced. Never use extension cords with portable electric heaters. Turn off portable heaters when leaving or sleeping. An adult should always be present when anyone is using a space heater around children. Make sure your portable electric heater is UL approved and has a tip-over shut off function. Woodstove and Fireplace Safety Have a certified chimney sweep clean and inspect your fireplace. Place ashes outdoors in a covered metal container at least three feet away from anything that burns. To prevent flue fires, burn dry, well-seasoned wood. 14
Always use a fireplace screen made of sturdy metal or heat-tempered glass. If children are present, use a special child-guard screen. Generators Carbon monoxide (CO) is an invisible killer. You cannot see or smell it. A generator's exhaust contains poisonous CO, which can kill you in a matter of minutes. Follow these important generator safety tips: Never use a portable generator inside a home, garage, shed or other partially enclosed space, even if doors and windows are open. Place portable generators outside only, far away from the home. Keep the generator away from openings to the home, including doors, windows, and vents. Read the label on the generator and the owner's manual, and follow the instructions. Install CO alarms with battery backup in the home outside each sleeping area. Get to fresh air immediately if you start to feel sick, weak or dizzy. CO poisoning from exposure to generator exhaust can quickly lead to incapacitation and death. Be sure generator fuel is properly and safely stored. Always refuel the generator outdoors and away from any ignition sources. If you choose to have a generator permanently connected to your home's electrical system, make sure a licensed electrician installs it and be sure to notify your electric company. Candles Place candles in sturdy, fireproof candleholders where they cannot be knocked over. Make sure all candles are out before going to bed or leaving the house. Keep candles, matches, and lighters out of children's reach. Keep candles away from Christmas trees, evergreen clippings, decorations, presents, and wrapping paper. Smoke Alarms Install smoke alarms outside each sleeping area and in each bedroom. Test and vacuum your smoke alarms each month to make sure they are working. Smoke alarms 10 years old or older need to be replaced with new units. Home Escape Plans Know two ways out of every room. Practice your escape plan with your whole family at least twice a year. Do not attempt to go back into a burning home. http://answers.usa.gov 15