LBFD 2008 Christmas Tree Burn
By frhayes | December 18, 2008
Topics: Public Safety | 24 Comments »
Rialto Pins Badge on Fire Departments Chief
By frhayes | December 17, 2008
The following article was published today, Wednesday, December 17, 2008 in the Sun Newspaper, covering San Bernardino and the Inland Empire by Staff Writer Josh Dualancy.
RIALTO – The city welcomed its new fire chief Tuesday.
Robert Espinosa stood proud inside the garage of Fire Station 201 as his wife, Laurie, pinned the badge on him in front of a crowd of about 75 friends, family and firefighters from the department he now commands.
After a speech in which he touched on some of the highlights of more than three decades in what he deemed a “noble profession,” the 50-year-old Espinosa made a promise to those who are curious about his leadership style.
“This is not going to be a solo fire chief show,” Espinosa said. “It’s going to be a cooperative effort by everybody to make sure we are doing what’s best for the department and what’s best for the city and what’s best for the citizens.”
Espinosa takes the reins here after 24 years in the Long Beach Fire Department, where he capped his tenure as an assistant fire chief.
He leads a department reeling from infighting such as arbitration hearings pitting some rank-and-file personnel against their bosses.
But after a celebratory swearing-in, it was difficult to detect in Espinosa anything other than optimism about the department’s direction.
“You can always improve on morale, and I think what you’re looking at is people that are very excited about change,”
he said. “I think they’re very excited about the future, and new ideas and leadership.”
And at least one colleague suggested that pressures from outside the department could prove more worrisome than those from within.
“He’s taking leadership at a time when there’s no money,” said Jim Ballard, who served as interim chief from early July through last week. “That’s going to be a real challenge.”
Both Ballard and Espinosa said budget woes locally and statewide will make for a difficult transition, but it can be navigated by more efficiently delivering service to the community.
Ballard added that Espinosa has the experience to make it happen.
“He’s decisive, knows where he’s going, knows how to get there,” Ballard said. “He has all the skills for the job. There’s no question about that.”
Espinosa said one of his biggest accomplishments in Long Beach was negotiating a contract between the firefighters’ union and the city.
The chief, who lives in Orange County, will work as a full-time employee at a rate of $14,441 a month, according to the city’s Human Resources Department.
Topics: News | 28 Comments »
Long Beach Fire Department and the Redevelopment Agency Partner to Conduct Drill at 645 East Ocean Blvd.
By frhayes | December 17, 2008
In late October, Redevelopment Agency (RDA) Communications Officer Victoria Ballesteros advised the Long Beach Fire Department (LBFD) that a demolition contract had been awarded for a property at 645 East Ocean Blvd.
The LBFD and the RDA have formed a strong partnership in regard to their department notifying the LBFD and taking the required measures to supply buildings and structures for scenario based training in “real” environments.
Captains Don Anderson and Jim Rexwinkle were instrumental in coordinating the drill activities for all three shifts, which occurred on November 14, 15, & 16. Some of the challenges that they faced was evaluating the structure (three story center hallway) and developing scenarios based on training needs, of specific fire companies. They also had to ensure that the contractors did not lose items (rafters) planned for salvage, due to LBFD activities.
Drills accomplished included forcible entry, hose line deployments (rope bag drop) “Firefighter Down” with entanglement, requiring a Rapid Intervention Crew (RIC) deployment. Ladder placements, discussions on building construction features, and how this would affect fire-fighting operations.
A total of 80 Firefighters attended this training, including:
B Shift: E1, T1, R1, E11, T11, R11
C Shift: E1, T1, R1, Task Force 6, BC1, E9, E11, T11, R11, E4, T19, E3
A Shift: E1, T1, R1, E7, T7. The afternoon session was canceled due to the Strike Team deployment.
The ability to train in “Real” structures is such a unique and valuable occasion.
As very well stated by Captain Rexwinkle ” The opportunity to train in “Real” buildings allows our Firefighters to test their skills. It provides for the possibility of mistakes occurring, which then can be corrected, potentially saving the lives of Firefighters, and the trapped victims, which they may need to rescue”.
This partnership is a great way to show how two city departments working together can improve efficiency, save money, and demonstrate to the community our commitment to make Long Beach a better city to work, live and play in.
Thank you to the Redevelopment agency, the Long Beach Fire Department looks forward to a growing partnership into the future. For more RDS information check out the Long Beach Development Services November newsletter.
Long Beach TV-8 conducted interviews and filmed operations, a video will be posted in the future to the Fire Channel web site.
Topics: Events, Video | 35 Comments »
Four Bell in 3’s area.
By JJohnson | December 17, 2008
On the morning of 12/16/08 at 2:33A.M. , a call came in for a structure fire at Pacific Ave. and 12th St. Engine 3 was first on scene very quickly and reported “Heavy fire blowing out the rear, we are pulling a hot-line”.
The house was a single story, single family residence, about 1000 sq. ft. and it was going good. All of Station 1 was there, with Engine 1 pulling an additional line off of Engine 3 and assiting with fire attack. Truck 1 went to the roof and performed vertical ventilation. BC1 called for an additional rescue and engine, which meant we had E1, E101, T1, R1, E3, R10, E10, BC1, PIO4 in total.
It took about 20 minutes before the fire was finally knocked down. There were no injuries and luckily the house was empty and abandoned, although the fire did burn through the raised foundation in the rear.
Topics: Incidents | 21 Comments »
Christmas Tree Safety
By frhayes | December 16, 2008
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQT8yOYJKxQ
- Selecting a fresh tree: Needles on fresh trees should be green and hard to pull back from the branches, and needles should not break if the tree has been freshly cut. The trunk should be sticky to the touch. Old trees can be identified by bouncing the tree trunk on the ground. If many needles fall off, the tree has been cut too long, has probably dried out, and is a fire hazard.
- Caring for your tree: Do not place your tree close to a heat source, including a fireplace or heat vent. The heat will dry out a tree. Be careful not to drop or flick cigarette ashes near a tree. Do not put your live tree up too early or leave it up longer than 2 weeks. Keep the tree stand filled with water at all times. Trees that have been watered properly, and maintain pliable, green needles are harder to ignite.
- Tree lighting: Inspect your holiday lights each year for frayed wires, wear and tear, etc. Use only lights that have been listed by an approved testing laboratory. On your tree, only use lights designated for inside tree use. Do not use excessive lighting – usually 3 strands is the maximum amount that can be linked – consult the lights packaging for details. Never leave lights on unattended.
- Use only non-flammable decorations
- Artificial trees: If you are using a metallic or artificial tree, make sure it is flame retardant.
- Candles can be dangerous: Never use real candles on a Christmas tree.
- Disposing of your tree: Never put tree branches or needles in a fireplace or wood-burning stove. When the tree becomes dry, discard it promptly. The best way to dispose of a tree is by taking it to a recycling center or having it hauled away by a community pick-up serve.
- Smoke Alarms: Even with the best intentions, accidents can happen. Make certain you have smoke alarms installed in your home and test them regularly.
Topics: Public Safety | 23 Comments »