Fire Chief’s Briefing for June 22 through June 27, 2011

Fire Chief’s Briefing for June 22 through June 27, 2011

Here is a summary of Brentwood Fire and Rescue’s emergency responses for the period of June 22 through June 27, 2011

We responded to 40 emergency calls for service.

These calls can be broken down into the following categories:

Fire: 0

EMS/Rescue: 23

Service Call: 2

Good Intent: 7

False Call: 7

Here are some highlights from this period’s emergency activities:

Thursday, June 23 at approximately 7:21 am

E1 was dispatched on a medical call for one PT complaining of difficulty breathing. Upon arrival E1 found the PT in obvious respiratory distress. E1 administered a breathing treatment before assisting EMS with loading the PT into the ambulance for emergency transport to an area hospital.

Thursday, June 23 at approximately 9:10 am

E1 was dispatched to a report of a possible natural gas leak inside a home. E1 arrived on scene and made contact with the homeowner who stated that they smelled natural gas in the water heater closet.  E1 crewmembers investigated the area.  No odor was detected, and the air monitor did not detect any hazards anywhere in the home. The homeowner called their gas company who arrived on scene as E1 cleared. 

Friday, June 24 at approximately 6:49 am

E3 was dispatched for 1 person reported to be unresponsive. E3 arrived on and began CPR. The PT was loaded into the ambulance and EMS transported them emergency traffic to an area hospital.

Saturday, June 25 at approximately 7:29 am

E4 was dispatched for 1 person who needed assistance getting up after a fall. E4 arrived on scene and found the PT on the floor of their dining room. After determining that the PT was uninjured, E4 assisted them back to their feet.  E4’s crew then determined that there were no working smoke detectors in the home and assisted the homeowner with installing several working smoke detectors in the residence before leaving the scene.

Fire Chief's Briefing for June 13 through June 21, 2011

Fire Chief’s Briefing for June 13 through June 21, 2011

Here is a summary of Brentwood Fire and Rescue’s emergency responses for the period of June 13 through June 21, 2011

We responded to 79 emergency calls for service.

These calls can be broken down into the following categories:

Fire: 6

EMS/Rescue: 37

Hazardous Condition: 5

Service Call: 5

Good Intent: 7

False Call: 19

Here are some highlights from this period’s emergency activities: 

Monday, June 13 at approximately 3:06 pm

E2 was dispatched to a report of a person on a roof with a nail in their knee. E2 requested R1 to be dispatched for equipment and manpower, and E3 to be dispatched for manpower and an aerial device. Upon arrival E2 found several roofers on the roof of a 2 story house, one of whom was sitting down holding their knee, having been shot in the knee by a pneumatic nail gun. R1’s crew was sent up to the person to evaluate the injury. E2 deployed an extension ladder to gain access to the roof and the PT. E3 arrived and deployed their aerial to the roof to remove the PT, who had been loaded into a stokes basket. E3’s aerial was used to lower the victim to the ground. After removal the patient was immediately transported to the hospital by EMS.

Wednesday, June 15 at approximately 6:15 pm

E2 responded to a smell of smoke outdoors. As E2 approached the area, light smoke was observed. Upon arrival, E2 found a tree that had been struck by lightning behind a residence. One branch was burning and smoke was coming from a hole in the tree. E2 deployed 200 feet of forestry line and extinguished all fire.

Thursday, June 16 at approximately 4:02 pm

E4 was dispatched for a report of a Vehicle Fire.  While responding, the dispatchers advised that this was a garbage truck and that the brakes were on fire.  E4 arrived on scene to find that the fire had been extinguished by the driver, who had poured the contents of a water cooler onto the wheel area of the truck. The crew of the garbage truck did attempt to use their own fire extinguisher, but it failed to operate.  E4's crew used a pressurized water can to make sure the fire was out, as well as to continue to cool the brakes. The location of the fire was the driver side rear wheels.  No obvious damage was present.  The driver told E4's crew that the brakes on the truck had not been working well for some time, and that he could not stop the truck properly.  E4’s officer told the driver that he was not going to be able to drive the vehicle away due to the brakes not working, and was given two options; the first being to have a road side crew come and fix the brakes on site and the second option being to have it towed.  After several phone calls the decision was made by the owner of the garbage company to have it towed.  PD remained on scene until the truck was towed. E4 returned to quarters.

Friday, June 17 at approximately 4:47 pm

E2 was dispatched for 1 PT reported to have fallen and suffered a possible head injury. E2 arrived on scene and began PT care. PT condition worsened, and PT was transported emergency traffic by EMS with one FF-EMT on board to assist with continued PT care.

Saturday, June 18 at approximately 5:02 pm

C3, E1, L1, and E2 were dispatched to a commercial fire alarm. Upon arrival, C3 established command and E1 went to investigate the cause of the alarm. The building occupants showed E1’s crew where a spatula had been left on a hot stove eye and melted, setting off the smoke detectors. L1 assisted E1 in removing the smoke and the alarm was reset.

Saturday, June 18 at approximately 5:38 pm

All units were dispatched for a reported Residential Structure Fire. Upon arrival, E4 established Incident Command. Personnel were met by the homeowner and 2 BPD Officers who informed E-4 that the clothes dryer was smoking. E4’s crew made entry and found an electric dryer smoking in the laundry room off the garage, but no flames were visible. E4 cancelled all other responding units except E2. Personnel unplugged the dryer and moved it outside. The smoldering clothes were removed from the dryer and extinguished. E2 personnel removed any remaining smoke from the residence with an electric fan. The fire appeared to have been started by the heating elements in the back of the dryer which were covered in lint. E4 also checked for extension of the fire into other areas of the laundry room. The smoke detector had activated and notified the residents of the fire. Command was terminated and all companies cleared the scene and returned to quarters.

Saturday, June 18 at approximately 9:48 pm

E4 responded to a 1 vehicle MVA with rollover. E-4 arrived on the scene and established Incident Command. One vehicle was off the roadway and had rolled, but stopped in an upright position on the wheels. The vehicle had three people in it, two of whom were already out. E4 assisted EMS in removing the third PT who was not entrapped, but was injured. As E-4 personnel were securing the vehicle a small fire in the engine compartment was found and extinguished with a dry chemical extinguisher. R-1 arrived on the scene and assisted in securing the vehicle and then packaging the PTS for transport. All three passengers were transported to the hospital by EMS. One Fire Fighter/Paramedic rode in to the hospital in the ambulance to assist with continued PT care.

Brentwood/Franklin honored with TCMA Excellence in Municipal Government Award

TCMA

Tennessee City Management Association

For Immediate Release                                                                  Contact:             Pat Hardy

June 15, 2011                                                                                                 (423) 854-9882

Brentwood/Franklin honored with TCMA Excellence in Municipal Government Award

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -While the concept of mutual aid is a long standing practice in fire service, the fire departments of Franklin and Brentwood have demonstrated exemplary cooperation and innovation through an Automatic Aid agreement that has resulted in added resources and greater security for the residents of both communities. The cities of Brentwood and Franklin will be recognized by The Tennessee City Management Association (TCMA) with an award for Excellence in Municipal Government, which will be presented at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 15, at the 72nd Annual Conference of the Tennessee Municipal League in Murfreesboro. The award is presented by TCMA each year to cities that operate with professional management and have increased the effectiveness of local government through the development of unique and creative programs.

In 2008, the cities of Brentwood and Franklin completed a feasibility study on the formation of an Automatic Aid Agreement between the two cities. Both departments had long provided mutual aid to one another under both state and interlocal agreements which offered assistance with equipment and personnel from one jurisdiction to another during a significant incident, such as a structure fire, when requested. Automatic aid takes this level of cooperation one step further. Under this agreement, targeted areas or zones within each city deemed as "significant risk" are designated for simultaneous dispatch and response from both Brentwood and Franklin fire units, regardless of whose jurisdiction the incident falls within.

A study was conducted to determine the most significant fire risk areas that could be responded to in each city by both fire departments considering factors such as population density, type of construction, required fire flow (water supply), and historical response data. Significant areas of concern covered in Brentwood include the commercial area north of Cool Springs Mall, the Heritage senior living community and Ravenwood High School.

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TCMA Excellence Award

June 15, 2011

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Significant areas of concern covered in Franklin include the entire Cool Springs Mall and adjoining commercial and office development areas.

These areas were agreed upon by both parties and mapped as "Automatic Aid Response Zones".  The automatic response does not apply to all emergency calls received by each fire department. Automatic Aid response into the neighboring department's jurisdiction within the designated zones is limited to confirmed or "probable" structure fires as determined by the dispatcher based on information obtained from the reporting party.

The original automatic aid agreement was approved by both cities in June 2009. Both departments have continued to improve operations between jurisdictions through inter-agency training, simultaneous dispatch, and enhanced radio communications.

Among the numerous mutual benefits to such an agreement are:

§  Simultaneous dispatch of both departments within the designated area, thus providing a higher concentration of resources to an incident more quickly.

§  Provides better service to both communities by increasing available first-alarm fire protection at no additional cost.

§  Facilitates an opportunity to communicate, work, and train with the neighboring department which helps satisfy interoperability requirements set forth by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

§  Enables both departments to count the other's resources toward their available firefighting force, which can translate into additional ISO rating points with no additional investment from either community.

§  The agreement requires "annual" and "as-needed" reviews of the document in order to ensure continued relevance and recommend modifications as needed. This was done in July of 2010 and again in March of 2011.

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TCMA Excellence Award

June 15, 2011

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During a recent meeting, the Franklin Fire Department requested an amendment to the agreement to incorporate additional high-density commercial area within their jurisdiction. As a result, both cities recently approved an amendment to the automatic aid agreement to expand the existing coverage area to incorporate most of the Cool Springs commercial area located south of the Mall.

In the 22 months since the agreement was authorized, Brentwood has responded into Franklin on automatic aid calls 19 times. Franklin has responded into Brentwood on automatic aid 10 times. In addition, Franklin has provided a traditional mutual aid response into Brentwood 12 times, whereas Brentwood has responded into Franklin on mutual aid 5 times. "It just makes sense," the chiefs of both fire departments told Tennessee Town & City in a 2009 interview. "It's working well," said Franklin Fire Chief Rocky Garzarek. "I've had at least four cities contact me recently for information about the agreement to see if it would work in their communities." "In a fire, every second counts," agrees Brentwood Fire Chief Kenny Lane. "Our goal is to reduce response times and ultimately improve safety in both cities."

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The Tennessee City Management Association is an organization of administrators and managers dedicated to professionalism in the management of local government in Tennessee. Its membership is 120 members strong.

Fire Chief's Briefing for June 7 through June 12, 2011

Fire Chief’s Briefing for June 7 through June 12, 2011

Here is a summary of Brentwood Fire and Rescue’s emergency responses for the period of June 7 through June 12, 2011.

We responded to 48 emergency calls for service.

These calls can be broken down into the following categories:

Fire: 1

EMS/Rescue: 28

Hazardous Condition: 2

Service Call: 2

Good Intent: 5

False Call: 10

Here are some highlights from this period’s emergency activities:

Tuesday, June 7 at approximately 3:59 pm

E2 was initially dispatched to a medical call for a person overheated on a roof. E2’s officer also instructed R1 to respond. C3 self dispatched and called for E4 to respond. Upon arrival, E2 surveyed the scene and found 6 men on the roof of a two story home where they had been replacing shingles. One worker on the ground stated that two of the men were experiencing leg cramps and heat exhaustion and were not able to stand. C3 and E4 arrived on scene and C3 established command. E2’s officer briefed command on the situation while E2 and E4’s crews used ladders to access the PTS.

When it was determined that the PTS were unable to get themselves off the roof, but were not in critical condition, L1 was requested to respond to the scene so that it could use its elevated bucket to remove the PTS. While waiting for L1, one PT decided he could stand and E4’s crew assisted him in climbing down their ladder. That PT later refused transport to the hospital.

Ultimately it was decided to use the roofing contractor’s ladder hoist (used to raise squares of shingles to the roof) in conjunction with FD ladders to bring the patient off the roof in a Stokes Basket. A lowering system was put in place over the back of the house and attached to the basket. With the aid of two firefighters on ladders on either side of the ladder hoist, the PT was successfully lowered from the roof to the ground and transported to the hospital by EMS.

Wednesday, June 8 at approximately 4:56 am

E4 was dispatched for 1 PT, possibly having a stroke. E4 arrived on scene and began PT care. 1 PT was transported to an area hospital by EMS with a Fire Fighter on board to assist with continued care.

Wednesday, June 8 at approximately 11:11 pm

E4 responded to a request for fire department assistance. The homeowner stated that their smoke detectors had sounded briefly a few times recently, but they were unsure why and wanted E4 to check things out.  E4 investigated and found a faulty detector in the garage which they then removed from service as requested by the homeowner. The family stated that they would purchase another detector to replace the faulty one.

Thursday, June 9 at approximately 7:10 am

E4 was dispatched for a personal injury accident involving a motorcycle. E4 arrived to find 1 PT thrown approximately 10 feet from their motorcycle. E4 personnel assisted in packaging and loading the pt for transport. The PT was transported to an area hospital by EMS.

Thursday, June 9 at approximately 2:56 pm

E2 responded to a reported vehicle fire with injuries. Upon arrival E2 found a van fully involved. E2 began extinguishing the rear compartment of the van, moving in a clockwise pattern towards the engine compartment. A small pike pole was used to begin removing smoldering piles of clothing from the back of the van. Once the clothing was removed, E2 continued to put out hot spots in the rear of the vehicle and forced open the hood area to gain better access to the engine compartment. Once access was achieved E2 finished extinguishing the vehicle.

While E2’s crew was extinguishing the vehicle, E2’s paramedic was providing care to the driver of the vehicle, who had suffered burn injuries while getting out of the vehicle.  EMS arrived on scene, PT care was transferred, and EMS transported the PT to an area hospital. 

Weblog Press Release

From: Asst. Chief Brian Goss

Date: June 8, 2011

Subject: Press Release: Fire-Rescue Weblog

ON-LINE FIRE CHIEF’S BRIEFING NOW AVAILABLE TO CITIZENS;

Citizens of Brentwood are now able to be briefed by the Fire Chief on recent incidents.

Have you ever wondered what happened at the scene of a house fire or medical call? Have you ever wanted to know what all the commotion was about yesterday or last week when you saw fire units screaming by with lights and sirens?

Now is your chance to get briefed directly from the Fire Chief. The Brentwood Fire and Rescue Department has introduced an opportunity for local residents to be informed on a weekly basis about recent incidents, training events, and general department news.

Now you can feel like you’re in the inner circle of the fire department without working the long hours.

Simply visit www.brentwoodfirerescue.blogspot.com to view photos, videos, or to sign up for briefings to be automatically sent to your email account.

The Fire Chief’s Briefing is a free service to help our citizens become better informed about what their fire & rescue department is up to on a day to day basis.

For further information about Brentwood Fire and Rescue or for valuable fire safety tips, visit brentwoodfirerescue.com or any of your local fire stations.

Fire Chief's Briefing for May 29 through June 6, 2011

Fire Chief’s Briefing for May 29 through June 6, 2011

Here is a summary of Brentwood Fire and Rescue’s emergency responses for the period of May 29 through June 6, 2011

We responded to 83 emergency requests for service.

These calls can be broken down into the following categories:

Fires: 4

EMS/Rescue: 40

Hazardous Condition: 4

Service Call: 6

Good Intent: 4

False Call: 23

Here are some highlights from this period’s emergency activities:

Monday, May 30 at approximately 6:56 pm

E3 responded to a grass fire on. E3 arrived on scene to find that PD had extinguished an approximately 4’x10’ grass fire with the dry chemical fire extinguisher carried in their police car.  E3 used a 2.5 gal. water extinguisher  to ensure extinguishment.  There was no obvious cause of the fire, and there were no other hazards.  E3 cleared the scene and returned to quarters without incident.

Wednesday, June 1 at approximately 1:45 pm

E3 responded to a report of a pedestrian hit by a vehicle. E3 arrived on the scene and established Command.  One PT was found lying in the roadway, and one vehicle was on the side of the road. A bystander was maintaining C-Spine immobilization of the PT. E3 took over C-Spine control while initiating a head to toe assessment of the PT. During the assessment Franklin Fire Department arrived on the scene and took over PT care, as this call was actually in Franklin, not Brentwood. EMS then arrived on the scene. Crews from BF&R and FFD assisted EMS in applying a traction splint to the PT's left leg and administering oxygen. The PT was then loaded on to the cot and into the EMS unit. They were transported Emergency Traffic to Vanderbilt. E3 went available, and command was terminated.

Wednesday, June 1 at approximately 3:28 pm

E1 responded to a call for fire department assistance involving a handicapped person locked inside their vehicle.  E1 arrived on scene, unlocked the vehicle, and was placed available.

Thursday, June 2 at approximately 9:26 am

A citizen called in to report a large column of black smoke to the east of I-65 around Old Symrna and Wilson Pike. Initially E2 responded non-emergency while searching for the location, until dispatch could advise if it was a structure or brush fire. Upon locating the fire, the Fire Marshall advised E2 that an active burn permit was on file for the address. No hazards were found, and E2 went available and returned to quarters.

Thursday, June 2 at approximately 1:01 pm

E1 responded to a personal injury accident. While en-route, Rescue 1 advised that there was one vehicle against the wall and that there were two EMS units already on scene. Upon arrival of E1, EMS and an additional ambulance from another jurisdiction area were on scene administering PT care. E1 officer was advised by the EMS paramedic in charge of PT care that the PT needed to be removed from the vehicle, but that they were unable to remove them due to limited access while the vehicle was against the wall. It was determined that the best method to remove the PT would be to completely remove the vehicle’s roof. Prior to extrication one 1 ¾” hose line was placed on the ground in case any fire hazards occurred. The vehicle was stabilized using cribbing blocks. Extrication was started and the roof was removed from the vehicle, allowing the PT to be removed as well. The PT was loaded into the ambulance and 1 Brentwood FF/Medic rode in with the ambulance crew to assist with PT care. Rescue 1 and Engine 1 remained on scene for traffic control until a tow truck removed the vehicle and debris from roadway. Once all hazards were cleared from the roadway, all units cleared the scene and command was terminated.

Saturday, June 4 at approximately 3:35 pm

A team of expert fire investigators spent several hours combing through the debris at the Adkins residence on Sunday to determine what sparked the devastating fire that occurred on Saturday afternoon.

A fire investigator from the City of Brentwood Fire & Rescue Department as well as a private fire investigator and forensic electrical engineer employed by the Adkin’s insurance company worked diligently throughout the day to pinpoint the cause and origin of the fire.

As of approximately 9:45 p.m. last evening it was determined by all three experts that the fire was caused by an overheated and/or loose electrical connection in a power strip located under a work bench in the garage.  The recovered power strip, wiring, breaker panel, and other evidentiary indicators in addition to eye witness testimony have led to this determination.

The property has been turned over to the Adkins family and their insurance company.  No confirmed dollar loss has been calculated.

Saturday, June 4 at approximately 6:54 pm

E3 was dispatched to a report of a grass fire along the railroad tracks. E3 requested E1 and Brush 1 (a pickup truck with an on board water tank and pump that can go places an engine cannot).  Upon arrival E3 found numerous fires along the track and established command. Command sent E1 to Crockett Road Bridge and E3 took care of the fire south of Wilson Pike Bridge.  Franklin Fire Department responded to reports of fires on the track in Franklin and requested that we move communications to the mutual aid radio channel.  Franklin E2 and E6 connected up with Brentwood E3 and extinguished fires south of the Wilson Pike Bridge and E1 and Brush 1 connected up and extinguished fires north of the Wilson Pike Bridge.  All fires were extinguished, command was terminated, and all units went available.

Monday, June 6 at approximately 12:48 pm

At 12:48 hours on Monday, June 6, 2011 the fire and rescue department received a call on the non-emergency number to assist a citizen with possible explosives found in his basement crawl space at a home in the Liberty Downs subdivision. We notified the Brentwood Police Department who in turn notified the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) Bomb Disposal Unit.

Engine 2 was dispatched to stand by at the residence to assist the THP Bomb Disposal Unit. Upon arrival we met with the homeowner who explained that a worker at his home had found a bore hole near the foundation with wires sticking out and advised him to call the fire department.

Once the bomb disposal unit arrived and it was determined that a stick of dynamite was present, E2, assisted by Brentwood Police Department, began to evacuate nearby residents from approximately 350 feet away.

Once evacuation had taken place and the scene was secure, the Bomb Disposal Unit began to remove the dynamite from the hole. Once the dynamite was removed from the crawlspace, the disposal team carried the dynamite and blasting cap to Station 4 to dispose of them.

Engine 2 called all residents to return to their homes and cleared the scene. Total on-scene time was approximately four hours.

It is believed that the unexploded charge had been in place since the home was built over two decades earlier.

STRUCTURE FIRE AT THE ADKINS RESIDENCE CONFIRMED ACCIDENTAL; DETERMINED TO BE ELECTRICAL IN NATURE

Date:               June 6, 2011
Subject:          Press Release:  Structure Fire Investigation at the Adkins Residence

STRUCTURE FIRE AT THE ADKINS RESIDENCE CONFIRMED ACCIDENTAL; DETERMINED TO BE ELECTRICAL IN NATURE

A team of expert fire investigators spent several hours combing through the debris at the Adkins residence on Sunday to determine what sparked the devastating fire that occurred on Saturday afternoon.

A fire investigator from the City of Brentwood Fire & Rescue Department as well as a private fire investigator and forensic electrical engineer employed by the Adkin’s insurance company worked diligently throughout the day to pinpoint the cause and origin of the fire.

As of approximately 9:45 p.m. last evening it was determined by all three experts that the fire was caused by an overheated and/or loose electrical connection in a power strip located under a work bench in the garage.  The recovered power strip, wiring, breaker panel, and other evidentiary indicators in addition to eye witness testimony have led to this determination.

The property has been turned over to the Adkins family and their insurance company.  No confirmed dollar loss has been calculated.

Fire Chief's Briefing for May 23 through May 28, 2011

Here is a summary of Brentwood Fire and Rescue's emergency responses for the period of May 23 through May 28, 2011.

We responded to 52 emergency requests for service.

These calls can be broken down into the following categories:

Fires: 4

EMS/Rescue: 23

Hazardous Condition: 4

Service Call: 4

Good Intent: 9

False Call: 8

Here are some highlights from this period’s emergency activities:

Monday, May 23 at approximately 05:49 am

E2 was dispatched to an outside investigation for a smell of natural gas. Upon our arrival we noticed a Bradford Pear tree had been blown over during the night and landed on the residential gas meter feeding the home. We shut the gas off at the meter to eliminate the hazard. E2 cleared the scene and returned to quarters.

Monday, May 23 at approximately 09:29 am

E2, R1, and C3 were dispatched to a MVA on I-65 South at mile marker 71.  E2, R1, and EMS arrived on scene to find one car on its roof against the wall.  PD was on scene and all three PT's were out of the vehicle prior to our arrival.  C3 arrived on scene and remained in the vehicle for traffic control.  The EMS Supervisor arrived and requested another unit.  E2 and R1 assisted EMS with immobilizing and loading all PTs.  All three PTs were transported non-emergency to Williamson Medical Center.  All units were placed available and returned to quarters.

Monday, May 23 at approximately 10:17 am

E2 was sent to a medical call on I-65 near Concord Road.  Upon E2’s arrival, 1 PT was found sitting in their vehicle on the side of I-65 near mile marker 71 just south of Concord Rd. PT was alert, awake, and oriented but was in obvious respiratory distress. PT advised E2 crew of a past history of asthma and that they had self administered an inhaler prior to our arrival without relief. E2 proceeded with ALS care and began immediately administering oxygen. PT’s breathing was evaluated with a stethoscope, showing inspiratory and expiratory wheezing in all lobes (areas of the lungs). The PT was placed on a cardiac monitor, which indicated a normal heart rhythm. E2 crew administered a nebulizer treatment (medication administered as a mist with oxygen) with a combination of Albuterol 2.5mg and Atrovent. IV fluids were administered. EMS Medic 14 arrived on scene and PT care was transferred. PT showed an improvement in status and decrease in respiratory distress. E2 crew assisted EMS with loading the PT onto the cot and into the ambulance without incident. Pt transported to WMC ER non-emergency.

Monday, May 23 at approximately 01:54 pm

E4 was requested by PD for possible forcible entry into a residence after PD arrived on the scene of a "welfare check" and no one came to the door. On arrival E4 gained access to the residence via a back window that was unlocked. PD and E4 made entry and searched the residence, leading to the discovery of a locked bedroom door with a rolled up towel at the bottom of the door. PD knocked on the door and requested that the occupant open the door. When there was no response from the room’s occupant, PD requested E4 to perform forcible entry of the bedroom door, which dead bolted. While forcing the door, the occupant said they would unlock the door after getting dressed. Light damage was noted on the door from the haligan bar. After several minutes the occupant opened the door and stated that they were sleeping with earphones in and did not hear the knocking.

Tuesday, May 24 at approximately 05:24 am

All units were dispatched to the Governors Club on a report of a Residential Structure Fire due to a lightning strike. E4 arrived first and found a small fire along the ridge line of the home. Approximately 20 feet of ridge vent had been blown off by the lighting. E4 established command and pulled an 1 ¾” hose line to the garage. The home owner stated that all occupants were out of the residence. E4 made entry into the home in order to perform the primary search and utilized the TIC to search for extension of the fire, but found no other signs of fire. Other crews arrived, laddered the roof, and used the hose line to extinguish the fire. Less than 30 gallons of water was used.

Thursday, May 26 at approximately 12:24 am

All Brentwood units were dispatched to a reported Structure Fire in the Montclair subdivision.  E2 was first to arrive on the scene and began the initial size up. While conducting a 360 degree walk around of the structure, heavy smoke was found to be showing all around the foundation coming out through the foundation vents. Command instructed E2 to access  the crawlspace and inspect under the house with the TIC to determine the location of the fire. During this time E2’s driver and R1’s crew pulled an 1 ¾” preconnected hose line from E2 and extended it in the crawlspace.

E1 and E3 arrived on the scene and were directed to enter the front door of the house.  While E1 and E3 were searching the house they noticed that the front entryway had begun to sag just inside of the front door. E1 informed Command of this and were told to cut an inspection hole in the floor. Immediately after cutting a hole in the floor, flames where visible beneath the front entrance. Once the location of the fire was determined, Command instructed E1 to the C/D corner and had them, along with E4, remove the trunk line from the HVAC to assist the crews with access. While they were engaged with this task, the driveway lay (a hose bundle consisting of 150’ of 1 ¾” hose, a gated wye valve which allows a second 1 ¾” hoseline to be connected, and as much 2 ½” hoseline as needed to reach the house) was pulled from Engine 2 and taken to the C/D corner. An additional 150’ of 1 ¾” was pulled to the front door.

E2 proceeded to the front door of the house to begin cutting a larger access hole into the floor of the front foyer where the initial inspection hole had been cut to assist with extinguishment. Once the hole had been cut into the floor a ladder was placed over the hole as a precaution to prevent anyone from falling into it.  E2 remained on scene until E6 arrived to stay with the house to monitor for any signs of  additional fire. Once E6 arrived, E2 set up a generator so that the homeowner could plug in his refrigerator and freezer. E2 returned to quarters.

Thursday, May 26 at approximately 03:11 pm

C3, E1, L1, and E2 were dispatched for an inside investigation.  Upon arrival, C3 established command and E1 investigated.  E1 gained access to the business involved and the responsible party stated that a burning odor was present throughout the business.  E1 located an electrical panel with burn marks on the cover and above the panel.  The thermal camera did not indicate any heat and no breakers were tripped.  E1 shut down the power to the panel and advised the responsible party to have an electrician service the panel before power is restored.  The property manager arrived on the scene and was advised of the situation.  E1 also checked the business with the air monitor at the request of the responsible party, but no hazards were found.  L1 checked the HVAC and also found no hazards.  The scene was turned over to the property manager and all companies went available. 

Thursday, May 26 at approximately 4:01 pm

E4 responded to a reported vehicle fire off of Concord Road near the eastern city limits.  Upon arriving on scene, E4 found a pick-up truck with heavy fire in the engine and passenger areas. E4’s crew pulled an 1 ¾” hose line and advanced it to the fire area. The fire was extinguished and overhaul of the truck was completed. The owner of the vehicle stated that when they tried to start the truck a “popping” noise was heard coming from under the hood. Within a few minutes they noticed smoke coming from the engine area and called 911.

E4 used 700 gallons of water for fire control and overhaul of the truck

Saturday, May 28 at approximately 09:04 pm

E1, L1, C3, and E2 were dispatched to a Commercial Fire Alarm.  While en route, units were advised that the occupants reported having had a small fire but that it had been extinguished.  C3 advised all units to continue response.  E1 arrived on scene and met with the manager, who stated someone had disposed of ashes in the trash compactor located in the rear of the building.  He believed fire was out, but there was smoke in the building.  L1 was advised to report to the rear; E1 proceeded through the store.  C3 arrived on scene and established Franklin Rd Command.

Investigation revealed light smoke in the loading dock area with smoke coming from the trash compactor located on the exterior of the building.  A dry chemical extinguisher had been discharged into the trash chute by employees of the business.  Fire personnel opened the large end of compactor and discovered a smoldering fire still present in cardboard boxes.  1 ¾” trash line was deployed and fire fighting foam was used to smother the smoldering fire.  A positive pressure ventilation fan was also placed in the store, forcing the remaining smoke out of the right side of the building.  Fire crews utilized the hose line, a roof ladder, and a TIC to ensure that the fire was fully extinguished.  The alarm panel was reset, command was terminated, and all units returned to service.