Whatever You Do, Don’t Look Down – 2 Window Washers Rescued From 14 Story High Rise
By JJohnson | August 7, 2009
If you were driving on Ocean Blvd through downtown Long Beach on the morning of August 7th, 2009 at around 8:30am and looked up, you would think they were filming a movie, but that wasn’t the case. This wasn’t a stunt from some action movie, nor was it a training exercise, this was a life threatening emergency that the Long Beach Fire Department USAR (Urban Search And Rescue) trains for.
LBFD responded to a call for two men that were hanging from a broken window washing scaffolding at 300 E. Oceangate. Truck 1 and Engine 1 were first on scene and reported that the scaffoldingwas hanging to one side and both men were dangling from it. They immediately went to the roof to begin assessing the situation and figuring out the best course of action to rescue the men.
E6 & USAR 6 got on scene quickly and also went to the roof with their rescue equipment and ropes. One of the menwas actually hanging only by his safety harness with the scaffolding dangling below him. Once additional safety lines were in place, the LBFD pulled the victim up to the roof, while they figured out the best way to reach the second man. The second man was also wearing his safety harness and was still inside the scaffolding and hanging on. He appeared to be alert and for the most part calm, considering the situation.
The second man was rescued after one of the firefighters went over the top of the building and rappelled down the 20 feet to the victim. The firefighter then tied off some rescue rope to the man and the crew up top began to pull the man up. Once they got him to the ledge, they were able to grab onto him and pull him over onto the roof. Both of the victims had no injuries and did not require and medical treatment.
This type of emergency is considered a low-frequency, high-risk and requires constant training to perform. The USAR and Truck companies in downtown Long Beach, as well as throughout the city, train for these and other types of emergencies on a daily basis.
Total units on scene: E1, T1, R1, BC1, E6, USAR6, R2, PIO4
Topics: Incidents | 29 Comments »
The LBFD Attends Terrorism Management Course To Be Prepared for “Any and All” Types Of Emergencies
By frhayes | August 6, 2009
Firefighting is a complex and potentially dangerous profession as evidenced by the presentation given at the Long Beach Fire Department training center, First Responder: Operations – Terrorism Consequence Management. The purpose of this course is to provide California’s first responders with the initial training to respond to acts of terrorism.
It is also based on the following assumptions, that “the potential for a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, explosive (CBRNE) event within the state of California is high”. A major CBRNE would potentially cause numerous injuries, property losses, disruption of normal life, and even deaths. Recent incidents of terrorism demonstrate that there are no longer physical targets or victim groups that are “off limits”.
This training program is also geared towards first responders with a working knowledge of hazardous material first responder operational and medical training. It is intended to specifically provide information for corrective actions to be undertaken during the first 20 minutes of a response to a terrorist incident.
This course developed and implemented by the California Firefighter Joint Apprenticeship Committee, was presented to members of the Long Beach Fire Department, and other fire department representatives by subject matter experts from the Sac Metro and San Diego Fire Departments.
It is not an issue of “whether but when” the state of California will experience some type of terrorist incident requiring first responders to act in response, to render aid. The LBFD consistently researches current topics of concern, and continually provides related training to all members to ensure our readiness to respond effectively to “any” type of emergency that may present itself.
Topics: Events | 19 Comments »
Blast from the Past – The Long Beach Way
By frhayes | August 5, 2009
Topics: Public Safety, Video | 25 Comments »
LBFD Rescue 2 and Pick-up Truck Involved in Injury Traffic Accident at 10th Street and Alamitos Avenue
By frhayes | August 5, 2009
On Wednesday, August 5, 2009 at 8:58 A.M. Rescue 2, of the Long Beach Fire Department and a private vehicle were involved in an injury traffic accident at the intersection of East 10TH Street and ALAMITOS AVE, LONG BEACH, CA 90813.
Rescue 2 was traveling West bound on 10th Street transporting a patient to a local hospital from a prior medical response, when it was struck by a pick up truck traveling at a high rate of speed, as reported by witnesses. Once the accident occurred one of the Paramedics from Rescue 2 immediately went to the other vehicle to check for injuries.
Due to possible traumatic injuries a LBFD Engine Company and Rescue unit was requested to respond for triage and treatment if required. In addition according to department policy a Battalion Chief, the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD), and a city attorney representative were requested to assist at the scene.
The single male driver of the truck was transported to a local hospital in mild distress for the treatment of unspecific injuries. One of the Paramedics on Rescue 2, who was treating the patient in the back of the Rescue, received injuries, including symptoms of back pain. The Paramedic was put into cervical spine immobilization using a “cervical collar” and a “backboard” to ensure safe transportation, and to avoid the possibility of causing any further injuries. The patient in the back of the rescue was not injured due to the accident, vehicle extrication operations were not required on this incident and both patients appear to be in mild to moderate distress from their injuries.
The intersection at 10th Street and Alamitos Ave and some of the surrounding streets were closed down for approximately 1 hour for patient treatment, the towing of both vehicles, and the initial investigation of the accident being conducted by the LBPD, which is on-going.
If the status of either of the patients involved in the accident changes dramatically or if other pertinent information becomes available a news release will be forwarded to all concerned. This incident occurred on the boarder between council district 1 and 6 with a total of 7 apparatus and 11 personnel working on scene for approximately 1 hour.
Topics: Incidents | 24 Comments »
LBFD Participates in Wild Land Fire Training
By frhayes | July 31, 2009
On Thursday, July 30, 2009 at 11:00 A.M., Long Beach Fire Department (LBFD) units Engine 2, Engine 3, Engine 8, Engine 12, Engine 13 and Battalion Chief 1 participated in Wild Land fire training.
Other agencies that participated in this training were Los Angeles City and County Fire Departments, the Glendale Fire Department, and the United States Forrest Service. The primary goals of the training was to work on the use of common forms of communication, the establishment of a communications plan, and to discuss the issues surrounding the deployment and operations of strike teams.
There were also demonstrations and explanations of specialized equipment that is used in the extinguishment of wild land fires. Including “Drip Torches” used in backfiring operations used to control the fires direction, and hand tools used to cut off the spread of these fires. The culmination of the training ended with 3 different organizations taking on the challenge of a “head to head” contest of deploying hose lines, with the first one able to squirt water at a target being the winner.
In the past during every wild land fire season the LBFD has responded strike teams (5 Engine Companies with a Battalion Chief) to assist other cities facing the potential devastation presented by these large fires. The LBFD provides this resource under the master mutual aid agreement, that would allow the City of Long Beach to request the assistance from other agencies in the future if we were faced with a major incident e.g., Earthquake, Flood etc. This cooperative agreement allows for state resources to assist other agencies with personnel and equipment when the local jurisdictions assets are overwhelmed. This training also served to prepare our members for the challenging and dangerous conditions that are encountered during these deployments.
A total of 6 LBFD apparatus and 21 personnel participated in this training.
Topics: Events | No Comments »
