STRUCTURE FIRE AT 706 FOREST PARK DRIVE

CITY OF BRENTWOOD

FIRE AND RESCUE

From: Fire Chief Brian Goss

Date: January 27, 2012

Subject: Press Release: Structure Fire at 706 Forest Park Drive

STRUCTURE FIRE AT 706 FOREST PARK DRIVE

At approximately 12:45 a.m. Friday morning Brentwood Fire & Rescue personnel were dispatched to a structure fire at 706 Forest Park Drive off of Murray Lane. Upon arrival Engine 1 reported flames and smoke coming from the roof and eves. Moments later they reported a working structure fire.

Crews made an aggressive attack via an interior stairwell and quickly located the main body of fire. The home’s attic was involved in fire as well as a bonus room above the garage.  Firefighters were able to keep the attic fire in check and confine it to the area of origin, declaring the fire under control a short time later. Smoke damage is extensive throughout the home with damage estimated at $50,000-$75,000. The Fire Investigator was on the scene this morning and quickly determined the fire to be electrical in nature.

The occupants called 911 when they were awakened by the smoke detectors.  No injuries occurred to either the homeowners or firefighters.

Earlier in the day, Rescue 1 was returning from a motor vehicle accident incident when it was struck by a pickup truck that failed to yield at a stop sign. No one was injured in this accident which resulted in damage to the apparatus. Rescue 1 carries specialized technical rescue equipment as well as extrication tools, commonly known as the “Jaws of Life”. This equipment was transferred to a back-up vehicle until repairs can be completed.

Fire Chief's Briefing for January 1 through January 15 2012

Here is a summary of Brentwood Fire and Rescue’s emergency responses for the period of January 1 through January 15, 2011.


We responded to 97 emergency calls for service.


These calls can be broken down into the following categories:

Fire: 8

EMS/Rescue: 57

Hazardous Condition: 2

Service Call: 6

Good Intent: 10

False Call: 14


Here is an overview of significant events from this period’s activities:


Tuesday, January 3 at approximately 7:45 pm:

E2, R1, and E4 were dispatched to a reported chimney fire.  E2 arrived on scene first, established Incident Command, and met with the occupant of the home who advised that embers fell onto the hearth after they opened the damper. Crew members investigated the chimney and found burning embers above the damper. They moved the damper and pulled the embers down and also used the pressurized water can to extinguish embers in the flue. E4 used their TIC and checked the attic for extension, though none was found. Inside the chimney was extremely dirty. The occupant was advised to have it cleaned before lighting another fire. With no other hazards found, all companies cleared the scene and command was terminated.


Sunday, January 8 at approximately 4:52 pm:

All BFR units were dispatched on a reported structure fire, possibly confined to the chimney. C3, E1 and L1 arrived on scene simultaneously. C3 established Incident Command while E1 went in to investigate. The homeowner met E1 on the driveway and stated that flames were "shooting" out of the chimney cap. The homeowner also stated that they believed the fire was out because they threw water onto it. E1 investigated the chimney flue, chimney box, attic, and chimney cap for extension - nothing was found. All other responding units were cancelled. E1 thoroughly inspected the chimney area once more with the TIC and found no hazards. C3 terminated Command and all units checked available, left the scene and returned to quarters.




Thursday, January 12 at approximately 1:05 pm:

E1 was dispatched on a report of sports related injuries. Upon arrival, E1 found 1 PT with an obvious deformity to their ankle. E1 assessed the PT and began supportive care, including establishing IV access to allow for pain medication before removing the PT’s shoe and preparing them for transport. EMS transported the PT non-emergency to an area hospital.



Thursday, January 12 at approximately 5:16 pm:

All BFR units were dispatched on a reported structure fire. E3 arrived on scene first and established Incident Command prior to entering the structure through the front door. The occupants were still inside and directed crew members to the kitchen. E3 found a small fire at the right rear cooking surface and utilized an ABC portable extinguisher to extinguish the fire. All other responding fire units were cancelled. The fire was readily extinguished, the breaker turned off, and the power cord was removed from the wall outlet. Crew members assisted the resident in cleaning up some of the dry chemical powder before advising them to not use the range and to contact their land lord.
The occupant stated that they were cooking on one of the forward cooking surfaces, heating a large pan of water. There were no other controls turned on when the fire began.

The building was equipped with smoke detectors. The detection system was battery operated. The detector(s) operated properly. The detector(s) alerted the occupants and the occupants responded.
With no further hazards, E3 terminated command and returned to quarters.


Friday January 13 at approximately 6:32 pm:

E4, Brush 1 responded non-emergency to a report of a tree fire in a nearby field.  BFR arrived on scene to find a large bonfire consisting of burning tree limbs. BFR was met by the occupant who claimed that they were unaware that a permit was required for any burns.  The occupant was advised of the ordinance and informed that the fire would need to be extinguished.  BFR extinguished the fire with the booster reel off Brush1.  There were no further hazards.  E4, Brush 1 cleared the scene and returned to quarters.


Friday, January 13 at approximately 8:05 pm:

All BFR units were dispatched on a reported structure fire. The homeowner reported an attic fire. E1 arrived on scene first and found nothing showing with the occupants in the front yard. The main floor of the home was undergoing renovation.

The occupant originally reported a fire in the attic, but it was extinguished following their use of a small ABC extinguisher.  E1 made entry to investigate with C3 assuming command.  E1 found a haze in the attic area and located a light fixture that had burned, along with wood framing and insulation in area.  The fire appeared to be extinguished.  All other responding units were cancelled.
Crew members began overhauling the area, checking for fire extension. None was found.

Per discussion with the homeowner, it was discovered that the light in question was a spotlight that had previously extended into the living space.  During renovation, the light had apparently been pushed into the attic space before being unintentionally covered with drywall and insulation. The switch controlling this light had apparently been turned "on", eventually leading to the fire.
With no remaining hazards and the contractor on-scene to handle repairs, Command was terminated and all units returned to quarters.


Saturday, January 14 at approximately 9:03 pm:

E4 was dispatched for a reported drug overdose. E4 found 1 PT with altered mental status. As PT assessment began, PT became disoriented and combative before losing consciousness and becoming apneic. Advanced Life Support was performed, including administering drugs to counteract the possible drug overdose, as well as airway management and assisted ventilations. The PT was transported emergency traffic to an area hospital with one Fire Fighter on board to assist with continued care while en-route.


Sunday, January 15 at approximately 6:30 pm:

E3 was dispatched on a report of a brush fire behind a local business.  Upon arrival, crew members found flames in the brush and noted that the flames had also burned a section wood fence and a dog house.  E3 extinguished the fire.  Once the fire was out, a heater and wires were found in the dog house.  E3 had alarm contact the dog’s owners.  Upon owner's arrival, they were briefed on the situation and took possession of their dog.  E3 marked available and cleared the scene.  


Sunday, January 15 at approximately 9:45 pm:

E1, R1, and C3 were dispatched for a reported personal injury accident - vehicle rollover. While responding, E1 received further information that there were two occupants in the vehicle with one of them being ejected. E1 arrived on scene and found one vehicle on its side in a field and a power pole that was severed at the base lying on the shoulder of the road. The electrical lines were detached from the power pole and suspended high enough to prevent injury. The telephone and cable lines were down across the car. The Williamson County Rescue Squad was on scene prior to E1’s arrival.

Crew members checked on the occupants of the vehicle and assumed patient care of the occupant that was ejected. WCRS members were directed to attend to the other occupant. E1 crew members performed basic life support, which included a rapid trauma assessment, supportive care, as well as spinal immobilization and protection. The PT was somewhat disoriented and showed obvious signs of traumatic injury, but was able to maintain their own airway and denied any loss of consciousness.

One PT was transported emergency traffic to an area hospital by EMS, while another ambulance took the second PT to an area hospital non-emergency. E1 remained on scene and assisted BPD by providing illumination for their investigation of the crash as well as the subsequent removal of the vehicle. With no further hazards and no other assistance needed, E1 checked available before leaving the scene and returning to quarters.

Fire Chief's Briefing for December 13 through December 31, 2011

Here is a summary of Brentwood Fire and Rescue’s emergency responses for the period of December 13 through December 31, 2011.

We responded to 144 emergency calls for service.

These calls can be broken down into the following categories:

Fire: 6

EMS/Rescue: 79

Hazardous Condition: 3

Service Call: 8

Good Intent: 20

False Call: 27

Other: 1

Here is an overview of significant events from this period’s activities:

Wednesday, December 14 at approximately 11:21 am:

E1 was dispatched to a reported vehicle fire. E1 arrived to find one vehicle that had experienced an engine compartment fire.  An employee of the business next door to this location extinguished the fire with ABC extinguisher prior to E1’s arrival. The fire appeared to have started on the top side of motor.  With no further hazards, E1 went available and returned to quarters.

Wednesday, December 14 at approximately 3:57 pm:

E3 and R1 were dispatched on a reported vehicle accident with entrapment. While en-route E3 received confirmation from BPD of one entrapped. E2 was requested to respond for additional manpower. E3 arrived on scene and established I-65 command. Crewmembers observed a white four door mid-size car which had left the roadway, traveled into a wooded area and was positioned on its passenger side. E3 crew conducted initial vehicle stabilization with wood cribbing and handled patient care. R1 arrived and further stabilized the vehicle with rescue jacks. E2 arrived on scene and was directed to use a chain saw to clear trees to allow better access to the PT before using the hydraulic cutters to flap the roof. The patient was placed on a spine board, immobilized, and transported by EMS non-emergency to an area hospital.

Wednesday, December 14 at approximately 10:52 pm:

E2 was dispatched to a reported grass fire. Upon arrival, E2 found an area burning approximately 50’ X 15’. Wildland firefighting tools including a flapper and pressurized water can were used to quickly extinguish the flames. With no other hazards present, E2 returned to quarters.

Saturday, December 17 at approximately 4:43 pm:

E4 was dispatched to a report of a child locked in a vehicle. E4 arrived and found the child standing in the driver’s seat with no obvious signs of distress.  E4 crew used their lock out tools to unlock the driver’s side door.  The child was removed from the vehicle with no damage to the car.  E4 cleared the scene and returned to quarters without further incident.

Tuesday, December 20 at approximately 9:08 am:

E1 responded to a reported vehicle fire.  Upon arrival, E1 found one flatbed truck with a fully involved cab and engine compartment.  E1 crew members deployed their foam line and extinguished the fire.  E1 cancelled E2 and R1, which had initially been requested to respond due to the type of vehicle on fire.  E1 ensured that the vehicle was fully extinguished and gained access to the engine compartment.  No additional hazards were present and E1 remained on scene to complete clean up.  After obtaining vehicle information and cleaning up, E1 became available and returned to quarters.

Tuesday, December 20 at approximately 10:11 am:

E4 responded to a residential fire alarm.  E4 arrived on scene and was met by the home owner in the front yard who stated that they had been baking a pie and had a fire.  E4’s officer noted a burnt pan and lid sitting on the walkway outside. Crewmembers placed an electric fan at the front door and exhausted the smoke out the back door.  The home owner said that they were melting a stick of butter in a pan and walked away and when they returned the butter was on fire.  E4 investigated and found that the fire in the pan had spread to the microwave and caused smoke damage on the cabinets above and the ceiling.  The home owner had extinguished the fire with baking soda.  E4’s crew unplugged the microwave and turned the breaker to the stove off before checking for extension of the fire to the cabinets. None was found.  The home owner was advised to contact their insurance company.  E4 cleared the scene and returned to quarters.

Tuesday, December 20 at approximately 7:06 pm:

E2 was dispatched for report of a carbon monoxide alarm activation. Upon arrival, E2’s gas monitor did not detect the presence of CO and the resident’s CO detector had not activated. The sound was concentrated only in the kitchen and investigation of the attic and basement found no hazards or obvious alarm sources. The source of the noise was finally determined to be either a hidden alarm speaker in the ceiling activated by a low battery or a Christmas ornament on the kitchen counter with its batteries going dead. The sound had stopped and E2 advised the homeowner to have a technician check their alarm system.

Sunday, December 25 at approximately 11:42 am:

All BFR units were dispatched on a reported structure fire. While en-route, the homeowner was contacted by dispatch and reported that they believed the small fire in their oven had gone out on its own. All responding units were dropped to non-emergency except for E4. Upon arrival on scene, E4 found no smoke visible and that the fire had been extinguished. All other units were cancelled. Crewmembers utilized the TIC to check the area around the oven to be certain that the fire had not spread. Grease from a turkey had spilled over the edge of the pan and ignited when it contacted the heating element in the bottom of the oven. Once the grease had burned off there were no more flames. E4 assisted with smoke removal from the residence before clearing the scene and returning to quarters.

Sunday, December 25 at approximately 11:27 pm:

All BFR units were dispatched on a reported structure fire. Dispatch advised that "the homeowner had something over the front door that caught on fire and that the fire may be extinguished". Upon E3's arrival command was established. Crew members discovered that the plastic flashing above the front door was melted off with charring to the outside and inside of the front door. The homeowner stated that "their child saw what appeared to be fireworks going off in the front yard and then saw  smoke over the front door before yelling to the parents, who in turn came down stairs and started throwing buckets of water on the fire.”  E2 arrived on scene and was ordered to investigate the second floor and the attic utilizing their TIC. C3 then staged all other responding units. E3's crew removed the plastic flashing and the insulation above the front door. The TIC indicated no hot spots or extension of the fire. E2 then gave the all clear of the second floor. All units besides E3 went available. E3's crew remained on the scene to assist with clean up and boarding up the front door. It is believed that a wreath affixed to the front door had somehow ignited.  With no further hazards found,  E3 cleared  the scene and command was terminated.

Friday, December 30 at approximately 4:48 pm:

E2 was dispatched on a report of an unresponsive person. Upon arrival, E2 found 1 PT seated in a chair, pulseless and apneic. E2 immediately moved the PT to the floor and initiated CPR. BLS care was provided until EMS arrived on scene, at which time PT care was transferred. The PT was transported emergency traffic to an area hospital with on firefighter on board to provide continued patient care while en-route.

 Saturday, December 31 at approximately 8:36 pm:

E2 was dispatched on a report of two kittens trapped in a washing machine. Upon arrival, E2 found two small kittens had accidentally been locked in the machine with clothes and the machine switched on before the owner heard the kittens cry. Water was in the machine and the door would not open despite multiple attempts by the owner. E2 crew members drained the water from the machine to release the door latch and removed the animals without any damage to the washer and no harm to the kittens.