Invitation to Long Beach Fire Department Ambulance Operator Graduation
By frhayes | March 31, 2009
On Friday, April 3, 2009 the Long Beach Fire Department (LBFD) will be graduating 13 Ambulance Operators (AO’s) who have just completed a 2-week academy. The ceremony will be held at the LBFD Training Center located at 2249 Argonne Ave. and will begin at 11:30 A.M. These individuals will soon be assigned to Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulances and will begin serving the citizens of Long Beach.
Fire Chief David Ellis and others worked for many years to help develop and implement this Ambulance Operator program. Service to the community is improved directly as a result of this program. Specifically LBFD units are able to respond quicker as a cohesive unit, and based on the patients needs, units can become available sooner, for future incident demands.
This program is also very cost efficient for the community, it matches the patient’s condition with the appropriate resource, either Advanced Life Support (ALS) or BLS interventions and transportation. In addition to being cost efficient for the community, the program generates a significant cost recovery for LBFD resources and personnel to the city through collection of transportation fees. “Peak Load Staffing” (increasing staffing during the busiest hours of the day) with additional BLS units for 12 hour shifts also increases efficiency and availability of resources able to respond quickly to other emergencies, in fact BLS 3 is the busiest unit in the LBFD.
The AO’s live and work in the LBFD stations right along side of the other department members. This situation allows for the evaluation of perspective candidates for future Firefighter position in the LBFD in a “Real World” environment, to ensure that qualified personnel are hired. The 12 and 24 hour shifts allow for continued education opportunities for those seeking training and advanced degrees for careers in the Fire, Law, and Medical fields, making it a great entry level position.
This close working arrangement also encourages an understanding that they are a part of the LBFD family. Which fosters a desire to help with charity events, and organizations such as the Red Cross CPR Saturday event, and the LBFD Kids hospital visitations. These individuals are also a great benefit in regard to assisting during the fire academies and future AO academies.
This program is a great example of demonstrating how a great idea, persistence in developing and implementing a program can be such a huge benefit. There are increased services to the community, with increased efficiency while saving money for the citizens of Long Beach. Significant cost recovery is also realized to the city for resources and personnel from the LBFD. Individuals can be evaluated to ensure that qualified candidates are hired for drill school, and we are training the Firefighters of the future.
Topics: Events | 22 Comments »
LBFD Lifeguards Hold 1-Day Tryouts
By JJohnson | March 30, 2009
Bring a swimsuit, towel, social security card and any picture ID, because on Sunday, April 5th at 8:00 am, the Long Beach Fire Department Beach operations will hold a 1-day exam for those interested in becoming a lifeguard. The event will be held at 2100 E. Ocean Blvd., with the access at the foot of Junipero Ave., west end of the parking lot.
The exam schedule is as follows:
- 8:00 am Briefing and Sign up
- 9:00 am Ocean swim, 1000 yards
- 9:30 am Run-Swim-Run
- 12:00 pm Announce candidate list for oral interviews
- 12:30 pm Oral Interviews
- 3:00 pm Conclude
The qualified candidates will be notified via telephone, and they will have a new employee orientation the following weekend.
Some examples of duties:
- Watch a designated section of the beach and water from an assigned station
- Respond to calls for service
- Warn bathers of beach and water hazards
- Perform rescues, first aid, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation
- Use and maintain equipment
- Take charge of lost children
- Answer questions of beach visitors
- Serve as a crewmember or ride-a-long on rescue boats and in lifeguard vehicles
- Perform other related duties as required
If you have any questions, please contact the LBFD’s Beach Operations at (562) 570-1360
Topics: Uncategorized | 27 Comments »
Twin Engine Plane Noses In At The Long Beach Airport
By Jackawa Jackson | March 27, 2009
At 6:44 am on March 26, Long Beach Fire Department units were notified by the Long Beach Air Traffic Control Tower of a Cessna with 2 persons aboard, having difficulty locking the nose gear on their twin-engine aircraft. Crash units stood by at the airport fire station while the aircraft flew by the tower. The tower observed that the nose gear appeared not to be in the down and locked position. The pilot advised that he would attempt to land the aircraft while Crash units stood by at the taxiways. The aircraft touched down and stopped on the runway, settling on its nose. Crash units responded to the aircraft and found that the 2 souls on board had exited the aircraft unharmed. There was no fire present. A small leak of fuel was dripping from the vent hole on the left wing tip. A protection hoseline was extended from Crash 5 and absorbent was placed on the ground to contain the leaking fuel. The vent was plugged to stop the leak. Personnel from Airport Operations and Airport Security arrived on scene to initiate the investigation. Crash units were requested to lift the aircraft and attempt to lower the nose gear. Airbags and cribbing were employed to lift the nose and lower the gear. Fortunately, no injuries were reported to citizens or to firefighters.
Topics: Uncategorized | 30 Comments »
LBFD Participates In Disaster Day At Long Beach Memorial
By Jackawa Jackson | March 27, 2009
On March 24 the Long Beach Fire Department and the Long Beach Fire Ambassadors participated in Disaster Preparedness Day at Long Beach Memorial Hospital. This event was established in an effort to educated hospital staff members on what to do in a large or small-scale emergency at home or abroad. There was also information provided on basic fire prevention as well as ways to avoid many other emergencies. The Red Cross, The Long Beach CERT program, Fire and Police departments as well as nearly two dozen other groups, manned various booths throughout the meeting hall. Hundreds of hospital workers filed past numerous booths in an effort to collect fliers and information. There is talk of extending this all day event to the public in the future. This event was coordinated by J. C. Arzaga.
Topics: Events | 35 Comments »
Jet Ski Takes Off Without It’s Rider
By Jackawa Jackson | March 26, 2009
At 1:58 pm on the afternoon of March 25, Long Beach Fire Engine 8 and Rescue Boat 1 responded to 5875 Appian Way to a report of a pwc (Personal Water Craft) requiring assistance. The rider said that the throttle stuck in the “wide open” position. The rider fell off, but the ski kept going. The pwc raced all the way across the channel at approximately 60+MPH, hit the sand at the Girl Scout Base (under the bridge), skidded all the way up the beach, flew through the fence, and rolled across two lanes of traffic on Appian Way. It stopped, upside-down, in the South bound side of Appian Way. There were no injuries to the rider, bystanders or to emergency responders. The only damage reported was to the pwc and the fence.
Topics: Uncategorized | 30 Comments »
