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I was up late working on a project at home when we were dispatched to a house down the block from my own for a "fire in the basement." When we got on scene, I sent two of our younger members to tag a hydrant, and I jumped off with my crew and left the engine to establish a water supply. When I got to the front of the house, there was heavy smoke coming out of the front door and windows, and I saw a hoseline was already stretched into the front door. I took my crew and went to the back of the... Read Full Story

We were standing by in the next town over for a working house-fire that they had when a rollover occurred in our own town. Our town was low on manpower, and when the Chief got there he saw there was indeed an entrapment, so he called us back to town to take it. When we got there, one car was on its side and there was a lady pinned in the driver's seat, which was closest to the ground. I immediately called for a dry hoseline to be stretched, and for the truck to be stabilized. While this was... Read Full Story

Just a quick post to share this experience about yesterday's trailer fire. We got dispatched to fire on the side of a trailer, and upon arrival we found a small amount of smoke and fire outside the main entrance to a residential trailer. The amount of fire was small enough that I knocked most of it down with a water can before the hoseline was even charged. As I made entrance through the main door, there was quite a bit of smoke in the trailer. I saw children's toys thrown around the living... Read Full Story

I had a crowd of people over my house, all ready for a nice holiday dinner when dispatch came through and reported a trailer fire in one of our trailer courts. While we were on the way to the fire, the chief on scene reported heavy smoke pushing from the trailer. We took a detour up a street that precariously committed our engine to the street the fire was on, however the nearest hydrant was one block east, so I got on the radio and called out "Engine 6 1 5 is on scene without a water supply... Read Full Story

We had our monthly meeting when a firecall came through. The dispatcher sounded real excited, so I had a feeling it was something good, when they said "Your response is needed on Calvin Drive for reports of a house-fire!" Because we had our meeting, guys were practically fighting for a spot in the cab of the engine since there were so many of us. (One of the great things about being an officer is the front-seat is always reserved, I never have to fight for elbow-room in the rear) As we were... Read Full Story

I just got home from dinner when my pager went off for a car accident with entrapment on the exact highway I was just on moments earlier. When we pulled up on scene, I yelled to the back to my guys "Stabilize that car. Cut the battery and secure the wheels." I saw a bunch of EMS standing around the car while a few of my guys went to pop the hood. As my guys searched for the car battery, I went around to the driver-side where I took a look into the car and saw the driver pinned between his... Read Full Story

We had a holiday weekend for the 4th of July, and I was out in the back w/ my little sister with a telescope when a call came in for a "small fire started by fireworks that is now out." I opted not to go, but 2 minutes later they re-broadcasted a working house-fire at the same address. When I got to the firehouse, my engine already left so I jumped in the car with my Lieutenant and drove to the scene - a 3 story condo with smoke pushing out of the eaves and roof. I yelled to my Lieutenant... Read Full Story

Last night we had elections in my firehouse and I was voted in as the new Captain. Not 3 hours after I got home did the pager go off (around 12:30AM) for an activated fire alarm. I shot down to the firehouse and as I'm gearing up, dispatch came again and confirmed it was a working fire, and that the Police on scene stated there was heavy smoke coming from a strip-mall. My new Lieutenant was driving, and I had 1 experienced guy, 1 kinda-experienced guy and 1 new guy in the engine with us. As... Read Full Story

We've been pretty slow lately so I scheduled flashover training up at the fire academy for our company. Flashover is defined as the "near simultaneous ignition of all combustibles within a confined area." Basically this is when a room gets so hot due to fire that everything lights up at once. This typically happens when the temperature reaches between 800 and 1300 degrees F. This can happen as soon as a few minutes after a fire starts in a room. It's somewhat predictable by a few telltale... Read Full Story

A caller phoned dispatch and said their kitchen was on fire. I shot down to the firehouse and someone said the homeowner now reported it was a dryer in the kitchen that was on fire. The chief told us there was a hydrant on the corner. We followed the ladder truck in and tied into the hydrant before realizing the fire was at the total opposite end of the block, so we laid probably like 600 feet of 3 inch supply lines when there happened to be another hydrant almost in front of the house. Oh... Read Full Story