OUR MISSION: TO LIMIT THE LOSS OF LIFE AND PROPERTY THROUGH PLANNING, PREVENTION AND RESPONSE Park Ridge Technical Rescue Team (TRT) team leader, Bill Petersen, helped coordinate the MABAS Division III drill that took place in Evanston on May 10, 2011. The training scenario was a response to workers trapped in an L shaped trench. All Departments from MABAS Division III participated. Volume XI Issue V www.parkridgefd.org
Highlight of the Month Mayor Schmidt presented Chief Zywanski with a proclamation to commemorate EMS week, May 15-21, 2011. The following is a complimentary email received by Chief Zywanski for an incident that occurred during May. Chief, Last Friday, May 13, 2011, the Mount Prospect and Des Plaines Fire Departments responded to a serious commuter-train-versus-truck vehicle accident at the intersection of Northwest Highway and Mount Prospect Rd literally on the border of the two communities. The scene involved a DOA truck driver, a fuel spill, derailment of a portion of the train, fire under/around the train, and dozens of train occupants (many injured) exiting the train cars. A unified command post was established, with representatives of both municipalities police and fire departments all working together to manage the complex incident. This collaboration served to make the response a most successful one. Due to the large number of patients from the train, Des Plaines Ambulance Box Alarm #4-1 was activated for ambulances only, eventually escalating to a fifth alarm. Your agency responded, and helped to bring the situation under control rapidly and 1
effectively. We thank you for the speed with which your agency responded, and appreciate the professionalism displayed by your personnel. This incident once again demonstrates the value of our mutual aid partnerships. Thank you for being a partner as we collectively respond to the emergency needs of the greater community. As always, we stand ready to assist you as needed. Again, thanks to you and to your personnel. Please pass-on our personal thanks to those that assisted that morning. John Malcolm, Fire Chief Mount Prospect Fire Department Alan Wax, Fire Chief Des Plaines Fire Department The Fire Department worked cooperatively with District 207 utilizing an intern, Stevan Georgevich from Maine South High School. Stevan assisted the department with various administrative tasks that helped save staff hours. This was the first opportunity we had to utilize an intern at the Fire Department. It was a very positive experience for both the department as well as the student. 2
Lt. Plach visited Carpenter School for career day. He received numerous notes from students. Attached are a few from students and staff. 3
On May 23, 2011, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey confirmed the Park Ridge Fire Department would receive a piece of steel from the former World Trade Center. We are at the beginning stages of this project and feel this will be an amazing opportunity for a memorial, to honor all those that have died for and serve our country. Personnel News FF/PM Frank Villari was awarded the State of Illinois Firefighter of the Year. There will be a ceremony held in Springfield on June 25, 2011 to honor him. Below is a letter from Senator Kotowski congratulating FF/PM Villari. 4
Response Statistics Fire Administration CODE MONTHLY REPONSES 2010 MONTHLY REPONSES 2011 MONTHLY PERCENT 2010 MONTHLY PERCENT 2011 1 ambulance 231 227 69% 64% 2 single vehicle 33 42 10% 12% 3 full fire 29 38 9% 11% 13 mutual & auto aid 40 48 12% 14% TOTAL RESPONSES 333 355 100% 100% 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 Code 1 Code 2 Code 3 Code 13 Total 2009 2010 2011 4600 4100 3600 3100 2600 2100 1600 1100 600 100 CURRENT MONTH TOTAL ALARMS YTD Incident Response Deputy Chief Sorensen May 4 The Park Ridge Fire Department responded to a natural gas leak caused by a vehicle striking an outside gas meter behind Savvy Salon and Spa, at 519 W. Talcott Road. The vehicle was pulling into a parking space behind the business when it struck a staircase next to the gas meter. The buildings were evacuated and nearby Courtland Avenue and the alleys surrounding the building were cordoned off. The building was continually 5
monitored for unsafe gas levels inside, as were the areas downwind from the scene. In addition, Fire Department personnel visited houses on Courtland Avenue to speak to residents and check gas readings inside the homes. NICOR arrived on scene and plugged the leak after several attempts. The building was checked one last time for gas levels and once confirmed safe, residents were allowed to return. May 5 May 11 May 23 On May 5, 2011, at approximately 11:12 p.m., six ambulances were called to the scene after seven people were injured in a motor vehicle crash that occurred at Oakton Street and Dee Road. Patients were treated and then transported to Lutheran General Hospital and St. Francis Hospital (both level 1 trauma centers), and to Resurrection Hospital in Chicago. The scene was subsequently turned over to the Park Ridge Police Department for investigation. Assisting Park Ridge with ambulances at this incident were the Des Plaines, Niles and Rosemont Fire Departments as well as the North Maine Fire Protection District. An ambulance from Wheeling was summoned to standby at Park Ridge Station #36 in case of subsequent calls in Park Ridge. Engine 35 responded to a fire in a large, single family home in Harwood Heights. The Engine Company assisted the Norwood Park Fire Protection District with the investigation of fire extension, salvage, overhaul and repacking of hose. On Monday, May 23, 2011, at approximately 8:52 p.m., four ambulances were called to the scene after five people were injured in a motor vehicle crash that occurred at Oakton Street and Northwest Highway. Patients were treated at the scene and then transported to Lutheran General Hospital and to Resurrection Hospital in Chicago. The scene was subsequently turned over to the Park Ridge Police Department for investigation. Assisting Park Ridge with ambulances at this incident were the Niles Fire Department and the North Maine Fire Protection District. FIRE INVESTIGATION Lieutenant Derek Decker May 4 Both Station 36 and 35 s equipment along with the Rosemont and Norwood Park Fire Departments responded to the 900 block of Garden for a reported fire inside a house. Investigation found the remains of a fire involving construction debris in a fireplace that had gotten out of control. Contractors on the scene extinguished the fire. No monetary damage resulted; the house was under construction. Investigators determined the fire originated in the fireplace after contractors improperly disposed of their debris and tried burning it. The fire is being classified as accidental. 6
May 26 Both Station 36 and 35 s equipment along with the Des Plaines Department responded to the 1900 block of DeCook Avenue for a reported fire inside a house. First arriving companies found the singlefamily house was charged with smoke, but the homeowner told companies he had extinguished the fire in the basement crawl space with a dry chemical extinguisher. The fire was confirmed to be out and no extension was found. The estimated damage to the property and contents is $3,000. Smoke detectors in the house were not working at the time due to a power failure in the area. The occupants were fortunate to discover the early morning fire after smelling smoke. The investigation concluded that a sump pump battery back-up system had failed igniting the equipment and surrounding structural materials. The fire was classified as accidental. Certification Investigation Photographs Fire/Arson Investigator John Ortlund was recertified through the Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal as both a Fire and Arson Investigator. Lt. Ortlund met the State s requirements for recertification by acquiring more than 80 hours of continuing education and gaining practical hands-on experience conducting fire investigations. Lt. Ortlund is the third member of the Department s nine-member team to earn recertification. (Photo 1) Photo 1 shows the remnants of a fire resulting from the failure of a battery backup system for a sump pump. Electrical failure is a common cause for fires. 7
"House saved" in the 7400 block of West Argyle, Harwood Heights. All occupants escaped unharmed as well. Training Battalion Chief Scott Sankey Daily Quick Drills Each shift day the Training Division assigns a quick drill to be discussed at the morning roll call. The quick drills for May included responding to the scene, know your initial attack, gasoline spill response, door control, and intersection safety actions. Word of the Week New for the month of May is the Word of the Week Program. Each week, a shift member at each station is 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 words for May were absorption, damper, party wall, and cold smoke. Weekly Skills Training Each week the Lieutenants and Acting Lieutenants are assigned a skill to review with their personnel. The skills that were covered in May included set-up and operations of smoke ejectors and positive pressure ventilation fans, changing an SCBA on a downed firefighter, assembling and reviewing rapid intervention team equipment, and deploying a skid load and reverse lead-out per NFPA 1410. Blue Card Incident Command All department Lieutenants continued working towards completion of the 50-hour Blue Card Incident Command online training program. MABAS Division III Special Teams Members of the Fire Investigation, HAZMAT, URRT (Dive), and TRT teams participated in Division III training drills. 8
Outside Training FF/PM Kurt Skinner Confined Space Operations 40 hrs FF/PM Dave Malcomson Leadership IV 40 hrs Special Teams Battalion Chief Scott Sankey Hazardous Materials Team (HAZMAT) MABAS Division III was the recipient of a new gas and radiological mentoring system. The funding was provided by UASCI. This system is manufactured by RAE Systems and is capable of transmitting its findings via a wireless link to a host computer. This system is also capable of detecting four gases and radiological events and comes equipped with GPS. In May, the Park Ridge Fire Department sent two members from its team to participate in the training that was hosted by Glencoe Public Safety. Underwater and Rescue and Recovery Team (URRT) Members of the URRT dive team participated in a MABAS Division III dive drill. The North Maine Fire Department hosted the drill at Lake Belleau. The divers practiced skills in boating, search and rescue, and dive command operations Technical Rescue Team (TRT) The TRT participated in a monthly drill in Evanston on May 10, 2011. They practiced trench shoring skills and approximately 45 members of the MABAS Division III TRT were present. All departments from Division III participated, however Park Ridge members did not due to budget constraint. The drill consisted of a response to workers trapped in an "L" shaped trench. Park Ridge Technical Rescue Team (TRT) team leader, Bill Petersen, helped coordinate the drill. 9
TRT Training 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 City Garage. Below is a list of the maintenance completed for the month: F-26 1998 Command Van Nederman switch replaced Front tires replaced and alignment completed F-31 2005 Ambulance Replaced siren switches Repaired auto-eject outlet F-33 2005 Ambulance EGR valve replaced Fuel injectors replaced Oil stand pipes replaced F-35 2001 Squad Nederman switch replaced Wheelcover replaced F-41 1995 Engine Pump panel light replaced Perimeter light replaced F-42 1996 Engine Fuel line and pump for generator replaced F-43 2005 Engine Siren solenoid connection repaired Pump packings replaced NFPA 1911 test completed New generator installed F-45 2001 Aerial Platform Modem replaced New siren foot pedal installed 10
Fire Prevention Lieutenant Kevin Plach Activity Monthly Totals 2010 Monthly Totals 2011 Initial Inspections 46 56 Re-Inspections 25 67 Pre-Permit Meetings 1 1 Construction Visits 7 4 Final Inspections 4 5 Plan reviews 16 13 Sprinkler Hydros 1 1 Storage Tank Installs 0 0 Storage Tank Removals 0 0 Residential Sprinklers 0 0 Fire Flow Tests 2 6 Fire Alarm Tests 2 5 Fire Pump Tests 0 0 Key Box Insp./Installs 1 2 Hood Test 0 1 Single Family Home Inspections 1 1 Citations 0 5 Meetings 7 21 Fire Drills 2 0 Seminar/Schools 2 0 Complaints 2 3 Shift Tours 0 0 Public Education Tours 0 0 Total 119 191 Year to Date 632 704 Public Education Lieutenant Kevin Plach Car Seat Safety Checks 18 car seat safety checks were performed in May. CPR and First Aid classes 40 people attended CPR and First Aid classes in the month of May. 11
The following classes were provided: 1 Health Care Provider class 1 Heart Saver First Aid and CPR classes 1 Heart Saver AED class CPR and First Aid training was provided to: 13 people in our 2 public classes 27 employees from Park Ridge Library Park Ridge Fire Explorer Post 3536 Both meetings held in May for the Explorer Post, concentrated on the use of SCBA s and hoseline advancement and took place in the training tower at Station 36. The focus of this training was primarily used to help prepare the Explorers for their trip in June to the Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI) in Champaign. Thirteen Explorer s attended the first meeting held on May 4th, and 14 Explorers attended the second meeting held on the May 18 th. Monthly Tip 12