Results - Topic: Firefighting Technology & Operations

2-Alarm Fire Destroys Cupertino (CA) Home

On Monday, May 23, 2011 just after 8:30 AM, units of the Santa Clara County (CA) Fire Department responded to reports of a garage fire in the 800 block of Rose Blossom Drive in the city of Cupertino. Upon their arrival firefighters were confronted with heavy smoke and fire showing from a one-story single family dwelling.

A 9/11 Memorial for Kennedale TX

The City of Kennedale Texas is collaborating with Chamber of Commerce member FWT, LLC in the construction of its 9/11 Memorial to commemorate those who lost their lives during the World Trade Center events, and the subsequent search and rescue operations. When it became known the Port Authority of New York was accepting applications from communities across the United States for recovered portions of the WTC for use in memorials, Mayor Bryan Lankhorst and others within the city, contacted the...

Books

Communications & Coordination: What has public safety learned from the Oakland Hills Fire?

On Saturday, October 19, 1991, the Oakland (CA) Fire Department responded to a small wildland fire that had broken out in a box canyon near the eastern bore of the Caldecott Tunnel. Initially comprising about seven acres, firefighters gained control of the blaze and, leaving their hose lines in place, checked the area for hot spots throughout the evening and into the next day. Little could they have known at the time that this small fire would progress in the next 72 hours into a...

Day Of Infamy: FDNY In The Bravest Tradition

After the initial plane struck the first tower, a third alarm was transmitted. When the second plane struck the other tower, two 5th alarm assignments, one for each building, were transmitted, plus an additional 2nd Alarm assignment for Brooklyn companies to respond into Manhattan. FDNY companies from all five boroughs were responding. Urgent requests for additional help were radioed to Manhattan fire alarm dispatchers, just as numerous reports of trapped civilians and were flooding the...

Digital Trunked System Knocks Down Largest Fire in a Decade

November 7, 2008 marked the largest fire in a decade in Champaign, Illinois, and the first major test of our countywide 800 MHz digital trunked system. Not only did everything work well, everyone was interoperable - fire, EMS and police - during an incident that required a lot of communication and coordination

Free Fire/EMS Response to Civil Unrest Program for Election Year

Fire departments are getting more involved in and affected by civil unrest events. We can expect more of these as we move through an election year, and all agencies should be preparing for them. The Firefighters Support Foundation's (FSF) training program, Fire/EMS Response to Civil Unrest, is a free downloadable training resource for individuals, agencies, and trainers on this subject.

From the Archives: Safety & Security at Skywalker Ranch

Darth Vader, Indiana Jones, Lando Calrissian, Yoda, they all stopped off here. This is the way-station between imagination and illusion, the all-important planning terminal where fanciful creations of the mind are mapped out and prepared for manufacture, and where the makings of movie magic are prepared for life through the science of technology, and where they will stop again to have their finishing touches applied on the way from Silicon Valley to silver screen.

From the Field: Apartment Fire in Norcross, Georgia

On Monday afternoon, October 17th, 2011 the Gwinnett County 9-1-1 communications center began receiving calls just after 1:00 PM of an apartment fire at the Highpointe Village Apartments. As companies were responding a large column of smoke could be seen in the vicinity of the alarm. First arriving companies found a three story building with heavy involvement. The fire building contained 20 apartments, of which ten were destroyed

From the Field: Camden City NJ All Hands Dwelling

On January 5th, 2012 Camden City Units were dispatched for a reported dwelling fire at S. 4th and Royden St.’s. A full box was dispatched as Camden County Communications were receiving multiple calls. Engine 1 arrived on location with heavy fire showing. Battalion 1 reported a 2 story twin with heavy fire striking the All Hands box.

From the Field: Camden City NJ: Massive 12 Alarm Building Fire

"It was like a Firestorm" - Camden City Chief of Department Michael Harper. Firefighters were called to Chestnut and Orchard St. on Thursday June 9th, 2011 several minutes before 4 p.m in the Parkside neighborhood. An off Duty Camden City Firefighter who lived on the block reported the Old Tire Factory with heavy fire showing 1st and 2nd floors. Battalion 1 arrived and reported a block long warehouse with heavy fire conditions and exposure problems requesting the All Hands and to start the...

From the Field: NJ Water Rescue Attempt: Occupied Vehicle in Water

On Wednesday December 7th, 2011 at 9 AM a water rescue was dispatched at Newton Creek in Collingswood. Marine units from Collingswood, Westmont and Pennsauken were dispatched. A call to 9-1-1 reported a vehicle in the water. Marine units from Collingswood and Westmont were deployed in the water to locate a vehicle submerged under water.

From the Field: Philadelphia 4th Alarm School Fire

At 1:45 p.m. on August 3rd, 2011 the Philadelphia Fire Department was dispatched for a reported building fire at 7th and Lehigh Ave in the City. Battalion 8 arrived and reported a 4 story vacant school with heavy fire conditions on the 3rd floor and roof area. Companies set up for defensive operations. Extra Alarms were sounded as fire went through the roof. Crews surrounded the building and placed multiple Ladder Pipes, and hand lines in operation.

FSF provides free Fire Scene Communications training program

Fire Scene Communications is the newest free training program available from the Firefighters Support Foundation (FSF).

GammaTech Introduces Fully Rugged Durabook R13C Convertible Computer

GammaTech Computer Corp., offers the Durabook R13C, an upgraded version of model R13S perfectly suited for a variety of applications, including law enforcement, military, homeland security, and mobile workers in any type of outdoor environment.

Ground Zero 9-1-1: FDNY Communications on September 11th

On September 11th... I arrived at my union office to see the doorman watching TV. On the screen was something I never imagined would happen. A plane had slammed into #1 World Trade Center. I stared in amazement as massive flames and profuse black smoke engulfed the upper floors. I knew in an instant that I had to get to the Manhattan central office. They were going to need help.

Innovative iPhone App Tracks Wild Fires, Saves Lives

The FireWhat Inc. and Pusher teams have launched the FireWhat iPhone app in the Apple App Store. The FireWhat App puts critical incident information into the palm of the wildland firefighter's hand. Today's firefighters receive little to no information prior to arriving at the scene of a wildland fire, but with the game-changing FireWhat App, fire information, maps, reference guides and calculators are at the first responder's fingertips.

Internal Politics: Lessons Learned on The Pile

You've all seen the pictures on television, in newspapers, or in other media, all showing the devastation of what was once called the World Trade Center. What you haven't heard about was the relationship between the New York rescuers and the teams sent from throughout the country to help perform Search and Rescue operations at Ground Zero... What are some of the lessons we learned there, that we could make use of in our own agencies?

Jonesboro Is Fired Up About FSA I/O Fire Dispatch System

The City of Jonesboro, a thriving municipality of 70,000, home to Arkansas State University and major companies like NicePak and Nestle, was outgrowing its emergency dispatch capabilities as times and technologies changed. As Jeff Presley, E9-1-1 Director for the City and Craighead County describes, "We were using an analog paging system that was antiquated, trying to patch into the State’s new digital 700/800MHz radio system. We needed to find something reliable, a secure pathway between our...

Keep Responders Safe with Chameleon Chemical Suicide Detection Kit

Morphix Technologies, an innovator in the science of colorimetric detection devices for dangerous chemical gases, is on the forefront of preventing accidental exposure to first responders from these toxic chemicals. The Chameleon Chemical Suicide Detection Kit offers police, EMS and first responders a field-configurable, low-cost, easy-to-use, hands-free solution when encountering a chemical suicide.

Lifesaving CPR Mobile Phone App Launched in San Jose

A free CPR "citizen responder" mobile phone application will help save lives through a new partnership between the San Jose Fire Department and El Camino Hospital in California. The PulsePoint app enables members of the public to provide life-saving assistance to victims of sudden cardiac arrest, which causes nearly 1,000 deaths a day in the United States

Lone Worker/Man-Down Modules from Midian

Midian introduces the TS-120 and VAE-1 Lone Worker/Man-Down modules. Both units can send ANI and Emergency ANI in Motorola's MDC-1200, Kenwood's FleetSync, Harris' G-Star, DTMF and 5-Tone. The units also support the Lone Worker feature which requires user interaction with the radio otherwise it sends the Emergency ANI. Some versions of the TS-120 and VAE-1 also have an accelerometer for Man-Down applications

Massive Public Safety Layoff in Camden City NJ

On Tuesday January 18, 2011 it was the end of a career for over 200 Police and Firefighters in Camden City, NJ. The nation's second-most dangerous city laid off 163 Police Officers, nearly 44% of its workforce, and 67 Firefighters, 1/3 of its workforce after voting unanimously by City Council in an attempt to close a $26.5 million budget gap.

New Free Public Information Officer Program Available

The Firefighters Support Foundation’s newest free training program, Public Information Officer: Roles and Responsibilities, is now available. The program consists of a 35-minute video program and an accompanying 45-slide PowerPoint presentation about this not well-understood but vital function.

NPSTC Presents Strong Case for a Single Nationwide Broadband Network for Public Safety

On March 1, 2011 the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) unanimously voted to support the concept of a single nationwide broadband network for public safety instead of the network of networks approach. At an ex parte discussion held by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for invited representatives of public safety, NPSTC made the strong case for a single flexible, reliable, and vibrant national broadband network, presenting high-level conceptual drawings to...

Oxnard (CA) FD selects Emergency Technologies' Visual Fire Software

The city of Oxnard, California Fire Department will deploy Emergency Technologies, Inc. (ETI) Visual Fire, a Fire Records Management System (Fire RMS), which will provide responders with access to mission critical data that will help improve firefighter safety and increase efficiency and effectiveness in federal and state reporting requirements. ETI will begin implementing Visual Fire later this year as part of a comprehensive public safety software modernization effort. Visual Fire will...

Pryme Radio Unveils Latest Innovations For Public Safety

Pryme Radio Products recently unveiled its arsenal of newest technologies at the IWCE Las Vegas earlier this month. All of the innovations introduced at the show are brand new this year, including two new additions to its award winning PRYMEBLU line, a wireless PTT adapter and a number of solutions for high-noise environments.

Remembering Ray Downey, FDNY 9/19/37 - 9/11/01

All those who died that day will forever be heroes, but Ray Downey's life prior to that day had already made him a hero to so many who had know him. At 63, he was the Deputy Chief in charge of Special Operations Command (SOC) for the largest urban Fire Department in the world. His contributions to the Rescue community had made him a legend, and he was respected as a leading authority on Structural Collapse Rescue all over the Country.

Remote Print Manager Elite Helps Fire Department Dispatch, Responders, and Citizens

Rescues made in Camden NJ Dwelling Fire

On March 8th, 2011 at 12:38 A.M. Camden City (NJ) companies were dispatched for a dwelling with reports of people trapped. EMS arrived and reported the house was fully involved with 3 trapped occupants on the rear roof. Crews worked to remove the occupants who were transported to a near by hospital. The Battalion struck the all hands on arrival with heavy fire conditions.

San Jose Firefighters Conduct Swiftwater Rescue

On Thursday, March 24, 2011 units of the San Jose Fire Department responded to a stretch of the rain swollen Guadalupe River near the San Jose International Airport for a report of a subject trapped in the fast moving water. Firefighters with San Jose's Urban Search and Rescue Task Force worked quickly to deploy two inflatable rescue boats needed to reach the victim.

Spokane Selects Locution Systems for Automated Dispatching & Fire Station Alerting

Locution Systems, Inc., a provider of advanced, automated 911 dispatching, fire station alerting, and fire station control technology, today announced that it has been commissioned to provide its CADVoice automated 911 dispatching system to the City of Spokane, Wash. and 19 other public safety agencies in Spokane County, Wash. Locution Systems will be providing the radio version of the CADVoice fire and EMS automated dispatching system to the City of Spokane and other agencies that comprise...

Teton Interagency Fire Reduces Mobile Command Costs with TACPAK

When the Red Rock and Gray Hills fires combined to ravage 12,000 acres in the remote Gros Ventre Wilderness, Teton Interagency Fire responded. Due to the remote Fire Complex location, data and voice communication was limited to costly and inefficient hand delivered messages and radio connections made by sending trucks many miles down valley... In response, the Wyoming Department of Homeland Security deployed their TACPAK Briefcase Command Center, manufactured by 308 Systems, at the fire site.

The Deer in the Wildfire: The Story Behind the Photo

The photograph is striking. The vibrant colors show two elk surrounded by huge walls of fire. Many have already downloaded the picture from the NIFC website and put it on their own websites. Others have attributed this once-in-a-lifetime portrait as being fake, or perhaps shot in Yellowstone... The picture is genuine, and is the work of John McColgan, a Fuels Management Specialist with the Alaska Fire Service,

Working Fire: Palmyra NJ All Hands Dwelling Fire

On January 31, 2011 a dwelling fire was dispatched in Palmyra NJ at 519 Cinnaminson Ave. Initial reports were received of occupants trapped inside the dwelling. Companies arrived with heavy smoke and fire conditions from the multiple family dwelling.

Writing Public Safety Noir: A Conversation with novelist Kurt Kamm

Malibu resident Kurt Kamm has used his access to Los Angeles County and LA City firefighters and his experience in several devastating local wildfires to write his novels.9-1-1 Magazine recently spoke to Kurt Kamm about how his experiences have flavored his books and how writing from a public safety viewpoint has given them a unique edge.

Zetron's IP Fire Station Alerting System in Action in Texas

The fire department in Sugar Land, Texas, began to appreciate the benefits of IP-based communications with their recent installation of Zetron's IP Fire Station Alerting (IP FSA) system. Because the new system sends alerts over the city's fiber-optic IP network, an operator can dispatch a fire truck, an ambulance, and one or more fire stations almost simultaneously, with the press of just a few buttons. The system also provides automatic indications of alert success and failure, so operators...