Fire Chief's Briefing for July 14 through July 19, 2012

Here is a summary of Brentwood Fire and Rescue’s emergency responses for the period of July 14 through July 19, 2012.

We responded to 38 emergency calls for service.

 

These calls can be broken down into the following categories:

Fire: 1

EMS/Rescue: 20

Hazardous Condition: 2

Service Call: 1

Good Intent: 6

False Call: 8

 

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

 

Monday, July 16 at approximately 6:33 pm:

All BFR units were dispatched on a reported Commercial Structure Fire. C3, E1 and L1 were the first units to arrive on scene and reported nothing showing from the exterior of building. Upon making entry to the building, no alarms were sounding and no hazards were present. All other responding units were directed to stage. Crew members conducted a search of the 3rd floor, where a light haze was found, coupled with an odor consistent with an overheated electrical motor. The entire area was investigated for sign of hazards and nothing obvious was found. All other BFR units were cancelled. Building maintenance personnel arrived on scene and conducted a detailed investigation of the building’s electrical system. It was determined an electrical motor had burned up. With no other hazards present and no signs of fire, command was terminated and all remaining units returned to quarters.

 

Wednesday, July 18 at approximately 8:31 pm:

E3, R1 and E2 were dispatched on a report of a "T-Bone" type personal injury accident with entrapment.  E3 arrived first on scene and found two vehicles with a side impact collision, with one vehicle having struck the other in the front passenger door. E3 established Incident Command and reported that there was one PT trapped in the front passenger seat of the vehicle that had been struck. R1 and E2 arrived on scene and were instructed to begin preparing to extricate the PT.

The firefighter paramedics from both E2 and E3 as well as a paramedic from EMS initiated treatment of the PT, to include assessment of possible injuries and protection from the ensuing extrication. Other BFR personnel removed window glass from the vehicle before utilizing hydraulic spreaders to displace the passenger door and remove it completely, which granted access to the passenger cabin of the vehicle.

The PT was placed on a long spine board, removed from the vehicle, and prepared for emergency transport to an area hospital. There were no other PT’s associated with this call. Once all hazards were removed from the roadway, all units were placed available and returned to quarters.

 

 

Wednesday, July 18 at approximately 9:56 pm:

E1 was dispatched on a report of 1 vehicle, possibly on fire, with an ambiguous caller description of its location.  BFR with assistance from BPD was able to determine the incident’s location. Upon arrival, crew members found one vehicle on the shoulder of the interstate with smoke developing in the interior of the passenger cabin. E1 deployed a 1 3/4 inch hoseline from the rear of the apparatus and proceeded to open the driver’s door and spray water into the compartment. Smoke began to dissipate from the interior and it was determined that it was originating from the back seat of the vehicle. E1 could not gain access to the driver’s side rear door because the lock was broken, so the decision was made to remove the window and finish extinguishing the fire. Once the fire was out salvage and overhaul operations were conducted. Any savable contents from the vehicle were turned over to the driver. With no additional hazards present, E1 cleared the scene and returned to quarters.

Fire Chief's Briefing for July 8 through July 13, 2012

Here is a summary of Brentwood Fire and Rescue’s emergency responses for the period of July 8 through July 13, 2012.


We responded to 56 emergency calls for service.


These calls can be broken down into the following categories:

Fire: 1

EMS/Rescue: 27

Hazardous Condition: 11

Service Call: 5

Good Intent: 1

False Call: 10

Severe Weather: 1


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


Sunday, July 8 at approximately 10:56 pm:

All BFR units were dispatched on a report of a possible structure fire due to a lightning strike. Additional dispatch information included a report from the homeowner of smoke in the structure. E2, R1, and C2 arrived on scene and reported no visible signs of fire from the outside. Crew members entered the home to investigate and found only a slight haze of smoke on the second floor. While investigating the attic, E2 reported that the roof had been struck by lighting and that a small hole with some charring was visible, but there were no other signs of fire. All units not on the scene yet were cancelled. The homeowner was advised to leave the power off until an electrician inspected the home.  A bucket was placed in the attic to catch the rain that was dripping through the hole. With no other hazards found, all units were released from the scene and returned to quarters.


Monday, July 9 at approximately 9:52 am:

All BFR units were dispatched on a report of a structure fire. While enroute, dispatch advised that the alarm could have been activated due to an issue with the homeowner’s water heater. Due to this information, Car 3 staged half of the structural response to mitigate the risk of running emergency traffic. Engine 4 arrived on scene and reported a two story home with nothing showing and all persons out of the home. Crew members entered the home and found a ruptured hot water line, which had released steam that activated the smoke detectors. All other responding units were cancelled and returned to quarters. E4 secured the hot water line and advised the home owner to replace the line before turning the water back on. No other hazards were found, command was terminated and Engine 4 returned to service.


Tuesday, July 10 at approximately 11:49 am:

All BFR units were dispatched on a report of a structure fire due to an oven fire. Upon arrival, E4 found all occupants out of the structure. Crew members investigated the home and found that the heating element in the oven had shorted out and that there was no fire. All other responding units were cancelled. With no further hazards found, the homeowner was advised to contact an appliance repair technician. E4 cleared the scene and returned to quarters.


Wednesday, July 11 at approximately 3:39 pm:

E1 was dispatched on a report of dogs locked in vehicle.  Crew members arrived to find BPD on scene with three dogs locked in a non-running vehicle, apparently abandoned.  E1 utilized their lockout kit to gain access to the vehicle.  All three dogs were extremely overheated, with one unable to stand. Crew members attempted to cool the dogs by moving them to a shaded area and providing water.  This did not appear to be enough, so E1’s officer made the decision to transport the animals to an area veterinarian for further care.  Once the animals had been provided with definitive medical care, crew members cleared the scene and returned to quarters.


Friday, July 13 at approximately 12:03 pm:

E1 responded to a report of a small microwave fire that had been extinguished. Upon arrival, crew members met with the property manager, who stated that he would like for FD personnel to ensure that there were no hazards and to remove the smoke from the break room. The manager removed the microwave from the building while E1 ventilated the room. Once it was determined that no hazards were present Engine 1 cleared the scene and returned to quarters.


Friday, July 13 at approximately 12:43 pm:

E1 was dispatched on a medical call for a report of injuries from a fall. Upon arrival, crew members found PT seated on the ground being cared for by family members. The family members reported that the PT had slipped on the stairs and struck their head on the ground. The PT was awake but was not properly oriented to what was going on around him, and bystanders stated that the PT had gone into convulsions following the fall. A rapid trauma exam was performed, and other than superficial bleeding, no obvious injuries were found. Crew members began packaging the PT for transport. Upon arrival of EMS, PT care was transferred and the PT was loaded into the ambulance for emergency transport to an area hospital.


Also during this week:

BFR crews responded to numerous calls related to the severe weather Brentwood experienced. Among these incidents were 6 separate calls for service related to downed utility lines. Crew members also worked to remove storm debris from roadways to keep them open.

Fire Chief's Briefing for July 2 through July 7, 2012

Here is a summary of Brentwood Fire and Rescue’s emergency responses for the period of July 2 through July 7, 2012.

We responded to 80 emergency calls for service.

These calls can be broken down into the following categories:

Fire: 4

EMS/Rescue: 37

Hazardous Condition: 6

Service Call: 11

Good Intent: 7

False Call: 15 

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

Tuesday, July 3 at approximately 9:15 pm: 

All BFR units were dispatched on a reported structure fire. E4 was the first unit on scene and reported no fire showing upon arrival. E4’s officer met with the homeowner who stated that everyone was out of the home and that they could hear a strange noise and smell rubber burning. Crew members made entry to the home but found no evidence of smoke or fire. While investigating the cause of the odor and noise, the thermal imaging camera revealed the attic HVAC unit to be very hot but not on fire. The homeowner was advised to contact a repair tech; all units were placed available and returned to quarters.

Wednesday, July 4 at approximately 3:45 pm: 

E2 was dispatched on a report of a natural gas leak. Upon arrival crew members were able to find a leaking gas meter. The homeowner was not home. Crew members shut the gas to the home off and notified the appropriate gas company. With no other hazards present, E2 cleared the scene and returned to quarters.

Wednesday, July 4 at approximately 8:26 pm:\

E1 was dispatched to a report of a transformer fire.  Upon arrival, crew members found a burning transformer on top of a utility pole.  The oil in the transformer appeared to be burning.  The entire street was de-energized, so E1 lobbed water at the transformer via their deck gun from a safe distance and extinguished the fire.  E1 remained on-scene until the appropriate electrical company arrived.  With no further hazards found, E1 returned to service. 

Thursday, July 5 at approximately 12:59 am: 

All BFR units were dispatched on a reported structure fire. While enroute fire units were advised by a BPD officer that the roof of the home was on fire and that the occupant was attempting to extinguish it with a garden hose. E2 arrived on scene and reported no smoke or flames visible. Crew members gained access to the roof and found a heavily damaged section that appeared to have been extinguished with a combination of a dry chemical fire extinguisher and a garden hose. The TIC was utilized in conjunction with salvage and overhaul operations to determine that the fire had not spread and was fully extinguished. The homeowner stated that personal fireworks had been in use earlier in the evening despite being banned within the city, and that appeared to have been the cause of the fire.

Thursday, July 5 at approximately 11:55 am: 

E3 and R1 were dispatched on a reported single vehicle accident, vehicle VS utility pole. Upon arrival, E3 found the occupant out of the vehicle and walking around. The driver decided to be transported by EMS to an area hospital for further evaluation. The impact of the vehicle snapped the pole. The appropriate utility company was notified to respond to the scene to replace the pole. Once the scene was under control, all units were placed available and returned to quarters.

Thursday, July 5 at approximately 4:32 pm: 

E1 was dispatched on a reported brush fire.  Squad 1a (a special hazard unit set up especially for grass fires during this high hazard time) responded as well as Brush 1.  E1 arrived to find a small area of grass near a retaining wall that had burned, but was out.  Crew members checked for hot spots and found none.  Some firework debris was noted, but E1’s officer was unable to determine if they were the cause of the fire.  The initial caller had indicated the presence of teenagers in the area prior to the fire, but crew members did not make contact with anyone on scene.  Determining that no further hazards existed, all units cleared the scene and returned to service.

Thursday, July 5 at approximately 6:35 pm: 

E1 was dispatched on a report of a possible exterior natural gas leak.  The engine arrived on scene to find a significant gas leak from the meter on the side of the residence.  E1’s firefighter secured the leak after donning full PPE. Since no one was home, the appropriate gas utility company was notified.  Once the gas company technician arrived on scene and secured the gas meter, E1 returned to service.

Thursday, July 5 at approximately 7:36 pm: 

E1 and R1 were dispatched on a report of two elderly persons stuck in an elevator.  R1 arrived first on scene and found the building’s staff members attempting to open the doors.  R1 ensured that an elevator technician was responding, but was unable to ascertain an ETA for their arrival.  E1 arrived on scene and made contact with the trapped persons, who were both elderly and in poor health.  Based on this, E1’s officer decided it was in the victim’s best interests to forgo waiting on the repair tech and open the elevator doors to remove the occupants.  After ensuring that the power to the elevator had been turned off, crew members safely removed the occupants without further incident.  With no further hazards present, all units returned to service.

Thursday, July 5 at approximately 8:31 pm: 

E1 responded to a report of live electrical wires down which had caused a grass fire.  Crew members arrived on scene to find BPD and electrical company personnel on-scene of lines down with small fire burning in the grass.  Per the electric company personnel, E1 were to assume the lines were live.  E1 waited until the fire had burned a safe distance away from the wires & fence before extinguishing it using a flapper.  The cause of the fire was due to the pole breaking, resulting in power lines arcing.  This was the pole that had been damaged earlier in the day at the above listed single vehicle crash (this occurred in District 3, but as E3 was on another call, E1 responded in their place).  The scene was turned over to BPD, who remained on-scene to assist with traffic control.  With no further hazards present, E1 went available and returned to quarters.

Friday, July 6 at approximately 4:24 pm: 

E3 was dispatched on a report of a child locked in a vehicle that was not running.  E3 responded emergency traffic.  Upon arriving on scene, E3 found the vehicle’s owner out with BPD directing us to the vehicle.  Crew members utilized E3’s lock out kit to force entry into the vehicle.  There appeared to be no heat related injuries to the child due to the lock out.  E3 marked available and left the scene.

Friday, July 6 over a period of approximately 3 hours: 

BFR crews ran numerous calls related to the storm that passed through the area. The calls were mainly related to downed trees and power lines. Due to the excessively high call volume, crews were dispatched based on the severity of the incident and often would be immediately dispatched on another call as soon as they cleared the previous call. Members of BFR did their utmost to keep roadways open and mitigate any hazards due to downed lines.

Fire Chief's Briefing for June 26 through July 1, 2012

Here is a summary of Brentwood Fire and Rescue’s emergency responses for the period of June 26 through July 01, 2012. 

We responded to 71 emergency calls for service.

 These calls can be broken down into the following categories: 

Fire: 9

EMS/Rescue: 26

Service Call: 5

Good Intent: 13

False Call: 18 

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

Wednesday, June 27 at approximately 7:52 pm: 

E1 was dispatched on a medical call for a report of 1 PT with an altered level of consciousness. Upon arrival crew members found 1 PT seated in a vehicle in a parking lot complaining of confusion. Bystanders stated that the PT was a known diabetic. E1’s paramedic began assessing the PT and baseline vitals were obtained which included a dangerously low blood glucose level. An IV was established allowing DW50 to be administered. The PT was continually reassessed and began to regain a normal state of mentation. Once blood glucose levels rose to normal levels, the PT was able to refuse transport to the hospital and obtained a meal to help further stabilize their blood glucose.

Thursday, June 28 at approximately 1:29 pm: 

E4 received a phone call at Station 4 from a homeowner reporting smoke coming from a window sill. The homeowner stated that they poured water on it and it was no longer smoking, but requested E4 to respond to investigate. Upon arrival, crew members found signs of a long smoldering fire that appeared to have been extinguished. A pressurized water can and a TIC were utilized to ensure total extinguishment. During overhaul of the area, E4 found charred insulation and wood framing, but could not determine a cause. With no further hazards present, E4 cleared the scene and returned to quarters.

Friday, June 29 at approximately 8:41 pm: 

E1 was dispatched on a commercial fire alarm for a report of smoke in the building. E1 arrived on scene and began investigating the building. An HVAC register was found to be blowing smoke into the structure. E1’s officer requested a full structure fire response and directed his crew to continue searching for the location of the fire. Crew members were able to gain access to the roof of the building and quickly found the smoking unit. Upon opening the access panel, E1’s crew found a motor on fire. A dry chemical extinguisher was utilized to extinguish the flames. After the fire was extinguished the rest of the business was inspected for fire extension. None was found, and the manager was instructed to contact a repair technician for the damaged unit. All units were placed available and returned to quarters.

Also throughout this week: 

BFR responded to numerous small mulch, grass and vegetation fires due to the extremely hot and dry weather in Middle Tennessee. Fortunately none of these fires became serious, but until there is a significant rainfall in Brentwood, residents are reminded to be wary of the extreme fire conditions.