Long Beach Fire Welcomes Navy Ship Green Bay Into The Port of Long Beach
By frhayes | January 21, 2009
On Tuesday, January 20, 2009 at approximately 1600 hours the Long Beach Fire Department (LBFD) welcomed the Navy’s Ship the Green Bay into the Port of Long Beach with a water display from Fire Boat 15 (Challenger).
The ship is in port for a commissioning ceremony, which will take place on January 24, 2009. The commissioning event will feature a speech and customary procedure that will give the green Bay a USS prefix. Only after this ceremony will it be proper to call the vessel the USS Green Bay. One of the highlights of the event will be when the ship is “brought to life” a military term for officially placing the ship under military command, this will occur when the entire crew runs up the ramp into the ship.
This ship will have football memorabilia aboard, including logos, replicas of Super Bowl trophies, and a life size cutout of former Green Bay quarter back Brett Favre. The primary mission of the vessel is to deploy Marines by air and sea for combat and humanitarian missions. The ship is 684 feet long, is capable of cruising at 22 knots, a regular crew consists of 360 personnel; 28 officers, 332 enlisted, and 3 Marines. In addition to these personnel it is capable of transporting an additional 699 troops for a surge total of 800. This will be the first ship commissioned in Long Beach since the destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur in 1994.
Tickets to the ceremony in the Port of Long Beach are required and available for free, for information on the time and procedure to obtain tickets call (310) 326-7434 on or after Thursday morning, January 22nd. Additional information is also available at http://greenbay-shipcommissioning.org
Some of the information contained in this post was supplied by John Canalis of the Long Beach Press Telegram; he may be reached at john.canalis@presstelegram.com
Topics: News | No Comments »
Crowds Line The Streets Of MLK For The 2009 Unity Parade
By Jackawa Jackson | January 20, 2009
On Saturday morning January 17, 2009, crowds lined Martin Luther King Avenue in honor of unity. Participating in the parade again this year were LBFD rigs from past and present. Glen Goodrich and Marlow Brown drove the two Ahrens Foxes. One contained LA County Supervisor Don Knabe and the other, a number of members from the Long Beach Human Dignity Group. Also in attendance was a parade staple, the crews of Engine 10 and Rescue 10 (These individuals serve the area faithfully on a daily basis.)
Topics: Events, News | 23 Comments »
Urban Search and Rescue Team Low Angle Rope Rescue Training at Bluff Park
By frhayes | January 20, 2009
On Tuesday, January 20, 2009 members of the Long Beach Fire Department (LBFD) Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) team conducted low angle rope rescue operations at Bluff Park. This training is in support of the US&R programs mission statement, that ” the LBFD will provide for the citizens of Long Beach and surrounding communities the means to effectively rescue trapped victims from technically challenging situations by standing up and supporting an Urban Search and Rescue Program”.
A low angle rope rescue operation occurs on terrain that is below 40% grade; above this level the rescue would be considered a high angle rope rescue. In the city of Long Beach these types of rescues could take place in our numerous river beds, over embankments, and could occur through our mutual aid agreement with the Los Angeles City Fire Department on the cliffs of Palos Verde’s, as a few examples.
These types of rescues are “High Risk/Low Frequency” events and require a standardized method to ensure maximum safety for the victims and rescuers, and provide for efficient operations. Some of the general tactical considerations are to determine if this incident is in fact a rescue or is a recovery. All hazards should be identified, addressed, and an action plan should be put into place. The need to call for additional resources is also an initial task that needs to be conducted early in the incident. In some circumstances helicopters could be utilized for rescue operations, which the LBFD US&R team trains with on a routine basis.
The fundamental training that was delivered to the crews was information on rope rescue equipment, including the use of rope, webbing, hardware friction devices, how to tie anchors, and the building of lowering and raising (mechanical advantage) systems. Emphasis was also placed on how to “package” a patient in a litter basket using webbing to secure them in place (lashing), constructing the proper rigging, putting safety lines in place, and ensuring that there were load releasing capabilities.
This training is scheduled for all three shifts, is mandatory for all US&R team members, serves to ensure that our members will be ready to respond, and perform proficiently under this type of technically demanding rescue operation.
Topics: Events | 21 Comments »
Garage Fire in 19’s area
By JJohnson | January 18, 2009
This evening at 9:45pm, a call came in for a garage fire on the 4800 block of Graywood Ave. E19 was first on scene and stated they had a fully involved garage fire and were pulling a hotline. A second line was also pulled off of 19’s for exposures and fire attack, knockdown was called within 6 minutes. Arson was requested. There were 6 occupants, all home at the time, no injuries were reported. The occupants declined to have the Red Cross come out for assistance.
E19,T19, E17, E5, R17, BC2, POI4, and LACO E45 were the units involved.
One Long Beach Firefighter was transported to LBM by R17 after he sustained an ankle injury. He was pulling a second hotline off 19’s and stepped down off the running board onto a charged supply line and subsequently rolled his ankle.
Topics: Incidents | 29 Comments »
LBFD Hazmat 24 called into action for Cargo ship Fuel spill
By JJohnson | January 16, 2009
This morning at 10:45am, Long Beach Fire Department Engine 6 was called out to the ITS terminal at Pier J, Berth 232 for a cargo ship leaking approx. 30 gallons of fuel. E6 arrived very quickly and found that there was liquid in the water coming from the ship and that the Captain of the ship did not know how it started or if it was in fact fuel. E6 called for LBFD Hazmat and Engine 24 to respond and determine what the substance was. BC1 as well as RB2 were also on scene and called for additional resources; which all together were BC2, BC4, R1, POI4, FP51, MCC, Fire Boats 15 and 20 as well as other local agencies were involved.
The cargo ship was 485 ft. long and was in the process of loading and off loading cargo, when they noticed the leak. The ship has a fuel bladder that can hold 306 tons of diesel fuel and it was at 91% capacity. HM 24 crew boarded RB2 and ran some tests and determined that the liquid was in fact diesel fuel and they plugged the leak (similar to plugging a leak on a cars fuel tank).
No one was injured and only a couple of news agencies were notified
No actions were recorded by the primary responding units.
A total of 15 apparatus and 28 personnel responded to this call.
Topics: Incidents | 27 Comments »