Child Passenger Safety Technicians

Ask any parent and they’ll probably tell you that installing a car seat can be a confusing and frustrating process. It can be a time of uncertainty and unnecessary stress, especially if the seat is for your first (un)born child. Many a parent has been broken and sent into a fit of rage while trying to figure out just how. exactly. does. this. infernal. device. fit. in. the. CAR!!! In fact, nearly 75% of all parent installed car seats are improperly installed. If you find yourself in this position, rest easy; Brentwood Fire and Rescue is here to help.

We have recently sent a number of our members to become Certified Car Seat Installation Technicians. Upon successful completion of this course, students become nationally certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians (CPSTs). This means that Brentwood Fire and Rescue is certified to install and inspect car seats as well as instruct parents in methods to properly keep their children safe in vehicles. 

Let us help properly install your car seat. This is an example of how good intentions can go awry

The course attended by BFR personnel is taught by Safe Kids Worldwide and spans 32 hours over a 4 day period. There are both classroom and hands on portions of the class, and students are introduced to all the major types of car seats as well as many of the minor variations between different manufacturers. At the end of the course the prospective technicians must demonstrate proper installation of all 5 main types of car seats.

A BFR Car Seat Technician explaining part of the installation process to a parent

The training is very thorough and does not end with the course. Car Seat Technicians are required to recertify every two years and must complete a minimum number of hours of continuing education during this time.

All car seat installations are thoroughly documented by the technician that performs the installation, and in the month of February alone BFR technicians installed 15 car seats. All car seat installations and inspections are performed by appointment only. If you would like to schedule an appointment, please contact Brentwood Fire and Rescue at (615) 371-0170.

Parents, you have enough to worry and stress about. Let us help ease a little of the burden off you. Call today.

Fire Chief's Briefing for March 19 through March 24, 2013

Here is a summary of Brentwood Fire and Rescue’s emergency responses for the period of March 19 through March 24, 2013.
 

We responded to 38 emergency calls for service.

 

These calls can be broken down into the following categories:

Fire: 1
EMS/Rescue: 23
Hazardous Condition: 1
Service Call: 4
Good Intent: 2
False Call: 7
 

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

 

Tuesday, March 19 at approximately 1:33 pm:

E1 was dispatched on a report of a possible diabetic emergency. Upon arrival crew members found the PT seated in their car awake but unresponsive. Bystanders reported that the PT had left to go to lunch but had not returned. They found the PT and called 911 due to the PT being a known diabetic. E1’s paramedic assessed the PT and directed crew members to obtain vital signs, which revealed low blood glucose levels. An IV was established and D50 was administered. This raised the PT’s blood glucose and brought them back to consciousness. Once the PT became alert and oriented, they were able to refuse transport to the hospital. With no further hazards, E1 instructed the PT to eat a substantial meal before clearing the scene and returning to quarters.
 

Wednesday, March 20 at approximately 7:54 am:

E4 was dispatched on a report of uncontrolled bleeding. Upon arrival crew members found the PT lying on the floor alert, awake and oriented but with uncontrolled bleeding from the site of surgery performed the previous day. The site was packed with absorbent pads to control the bleeding before the PT was loaded into an ambulance for non-emergency transport to an area hospital.

Wednesday, March 20 at approximately 9:29 pm:

E1 and R1 were dispatched on a report of a vehicle off the roadway with entrapment. Upon arrival crew members found one vehicle that had travelled approximately 40 yards off the road before striking a tree on the driver’s door. The PT denied any significant injuries but was not able to climb out of the vehicle. R1’s crew began removing small trees and limbs from the area of the vehicle to facilitate removing the driver. Crew members were preparing to remove the roof from the vehicle when the driver determined that they could self-extricate. Once the driver was safely out of the vehicle, a more thorough examination confirmed no serious injury. The PT refused further treatment and all units cleared the scene.
 

Thursday, March 21 at approximately 12:18 pm:

All BFR units were dispatched on a reported Residential Structure Fire. E4 was in the area and arrived on scene while other units were still being dispatched. E4’s officer quickly determined that the fire was confined to a small portion of a mulch bed and that the home was not in danger. All other responding units were cancelled while E4’s firefighter extinguished the mulch with a pressurized water can.
 

Thursday, March 21 at approximately 5:00 pm:

E2 was dispatched on a Public Assistance call to assist an elderly homeowner on home oxygen. A power outage had occurred in the area which was prohibiting the resident from being able to access their spare oxygen cylinders. Crew members retrieved another cylinder and waited with the homeowner until family members arrived to provide further assistance.
 

Sunday, March 24 at approximately 12:29 pm:

E2 was dispatched on a report of a child locked in a vehicle. Upon arrival crew members were able to utilize their lockout kit to open a door on the vehicle without damage. The child was uninjured and turned over to their parents. With no further hazards found, E2 cleared the scene and returned to quarters.

Flat Firefigther Contest Winner Announced

*****PRESS RELEASE*****

 

CITY OF BRENTWOOD 

FIRE AND RESCUE

                             

  

From:             Fire Marshal Nancy Jones                              

Date:              March 18, 2013

Subject:         Brentwood Fire and Rescue Department Announces Winner of the Flat

                       Firefighter Contest 

 

Hollie Cummings recently discovered the locations of all five Flat Firefighters in the Brentwood Fire and Rescue Department’s “Find Flat Firefighter Sam” contest. The flat firefighter signs were located at the Maryland Farms YMCA, Concord Road YMCA, Williamson Recreation Center, the Brentwood Library and the Municipal Center. For her efforts, Hollie and a friend received a ride on a Brentwood Fire and Rescue Department Fire Truck as well as lunch with the firefighters.

The Flat Firefighter program was rolled out early in February and features a large full color Brentwood firefighter in turnout gear holding informational signs. Each Flat Firefighter is used to promote safety messages and advertise community programs, with messages changed out on a regular basis. QR codes are included for smart phone users to investigate related websites or messages on the signs.

The Flat Firefighters are part of an ongoing effort to reach out to the community. This push includes QR codes on the fire engines, email campaigns, a regular Fire Chief’s Blog at http://www.brentwoodfirerescue.blogspot.com/, messages featured on Channel 19, online journals, as well as traditional media outlets.  Many new and recurring programs are featured such as CPR Free February Fridays, Public Safety Day/ Open House in conjunction with fire safety week in October, The Citizen’s Fire Academy, and the Car Seat Inspection Program. For more information on these programs you can contact the Brentwood Fire and Rescue Department at www.brentwood-tn.org/fire or by phone at 371-0170.

 Pictured (L to R) Tracy Lebos, Flat FF Sam, and Hollie Cummings

 

Chief's Briefing for March 13 through March 18, 2013

Here is a summary of Brentwood Fire and Rescue’s emergency responses for the period of March 13 through March 18, 2013.

We responded to 37 emergency calls for service.

These calls can be broken down into the following categories:

Fire: 1

EMS/Rescue: 24

Good Intent: 4

False Call: 8

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

Thursday, March 14 at approximately 12:48 pm:

All BFR units were dispatched on a reported residential structure fire.  Initial dispatch information indicated that a citizen could see a lot of smoke coming from their neighbor’s house.  While units were responding, dispatch advised that a BPD Officer was on scene and could see heavy fire and smoke coming from the structure.  C1 and C2arrived on scene and found a single story home with heavy smoke showing from the front of the house.  C1 established command and requested mutual aid from Franklin FD.  E1 arrived on scene and personnel pulled a 1 ¾” attack line to the front door.  C3 arrived on scene and advised that heavy fire was showing from the rear of the home.  L1 arrived and assisted E1 personnel with interior fire attack.  E4 arrived on scene and established a water supply for E1 by connecting to the nearest fire hydrant.  E2 then arrived on scene and pulled another 1 ¾” attack line to assist in interior extinguishment.  E4 personnel deployed a 2 ½” attack line at the rear of the structure and extinguished fire that was spreading to the roof and eaves of the home.  E3 and Franklin FD units arrived on scene and assisted with exterior extinguishment.  Once a majority of the fire was extinguished Franklin FD units were released by command along with E2.  All other units remained on scene for salvage and overhaul.  Once all hazards were addressed and the property owners were informed of the situation, all units returned to service and quarters.

Saturday, March 16 at approximately 7:44 pm:

E3 responded to a reported residential Carbon Monoxide alarm.  While enroute, dispatch advised that one resident on scene was exhibiting signs and symptoms of possible Carbon Monoxide exposure.  E3 requested EMS to respond to the location of the call.  Upon arrival E3 made contact with the resident who stated that they had been feeling nauseous and then their Carbon Monoxide alarm went off.  One member of E3’s crew assisted with patient care while the rest of E3 used a gas monitor to check the Carbon Monoxide levels inside the residence.  E3 found no indication of dangerous levels of Carbon Monoxide in the house and the homeowner did not want to be taken to the hospital.  Once all hazards were addressed E3 returned to service and quarters. 

Monday, March 18 at approximately 12:17 pm:

All BFR units were dispatched on a report of a commercial structure fire.  Franklin FD also responded due to the location of the call being in the BFR/FFD Automatic Aid District.  C3 arrived on scene to find a commercial structure with nothing showing from the outside.  C3 established command and assigned E3 to investigate the interior of the building and FFD Tower 3 to investigate the roof the building.  All other BFR units were cancelled.  E3 reported a light haze in the bathroom of the structure.  FFD Tower 3 found that a ventilation fan motor on the roof with a burned belt.  All HVAC units were shut down in order to prevent any further smoke from entering the structure.  E3 ventilated the structure using and electric fan.  Command informed the occupants of the situation and advised them to call an HVAC service company to repair the broken fan as soon as possible.  Once all hazards were addressed, C3 terminated command and all units returned to service and quarters. 

Monday, March 18 at approximately 12:27 pm:

L1 was dispatched on a report of a motor vehicle accident with injuries.  L1 arrived on scene and found a two vehicle, side impact type collision.  An occupant of one of the vehicles was injured and could not exit the vehicle due to the damage from the accident.  L1 established command.  E1 and R1 arrived on scene and began providing patient care and preparing to remove the door of the vehicle.  The patient was protected with a special tarp while personnel removed the door of the vehicle with hydraulic spreaders.  Once the door was removed the patient was immobilized and moved to an ambulance.  All hazards were addressed and control of the scene was handed over to BPD.  Command was terminated and all BFR units returned to service and quarters. 

Station Life: Fire Sprinklers

Have you ever seen an action movie where the hero needs a diversion to get past a villain, so he pulls the fire alarm or holds a lighter up to a fire sprinkler? In the movies, that is usually enough to set off all the fire sprinkler heads in the whole building.

Chuck Norris doesn’t activate the fire alarm, he makes the building cry!

The simple truth of the matter is that what happens in Hollywood isn’t what happens in reality. Fire sprinklers are a simple yet effective system for limiting damage to a building involved in a fire and giving the occupants a better chance to escape. Each sprinkler head is independent of the others in the system. The only thing that can activate a sprinkler head is direct heat; smoke alone is not capable of setting off the system. This means that pulling a fire alarm pull station or cooking popcorn in the microwave too long are not going to cause system activation.



A Commercial Building Fire Sprinkler Head

A Residential Fire Sprinkler Head

Another common misconception about a fire sprinkler is that it might start to leak over time, or that the water damage from an activated head will be worse than if the fire had been extinguished by the fire department. Lay your fears to rest. Fire sprinklers are no more likely to leak than any of the other plumbing in a home or business. The piping is very similar to what is already running through the walls and ceilings of buildings all across the country. Fire sprinklers also use much less water to extinguish a fire than a firefighter’s hose. Residential fire sprinklers use as little as 15 gallons of water per minute, while Brentwood Fire and Rescue trucks apply a minimum of 200 gallons per minute per hose! That’s more than ten times as much water, not to mention the fact that the fire will have gotten larger before the fire department arrived.

A Trifecta of Protection: A Smoke Detector, a Fire Alarm and a Fire Sprinkler

But how do they work? The videos below will give you a brief overview of a residential fire system.

Brentwood Fire and Rescue has also performed live demonstrations of the effectiveness of sprinkler systems. The video below is from Public Safety Day in 2012. In the video we show how fast fire can grow as well as how effective sprinklers can be in containing the fire and mitigating damage.

Brentwood Fire and Rescue 2012 Sprinkler Demonstration Video on YouTube

Sprinkler systems aren’t just for newly constructed buildings either. Any certified sprinkler installation company can retrofit an existing home or business with a system. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Brentwood Fire and Rescue at (615) 371-0170 or visit http://www.homefiresprinkler.org/ .

Fire Chief's Briefing for March 7 through March 12, 2013

Here is a summary of Brentwood Fire and Rescue’s emergency responses for the period of March 7 through March 12, 2013.

We responded to 44 emergency calls for service.

These calls can be broken down into the following categories:

Fire: 3

EMS/Rescue: 32

Hazardous Conditions: 1

Service Call: 2

Good Intent: 1

False Call: 5

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

Sunday, March 10 at approximately 9:43 pm:

E2 was dispatched on a reported grass fire. Upon arrival crew members found a small grass fire quickly spreading due to high winds. E2’s firefighter deployed a 1 ¾” pre-connected hose line and knocked the fire down. The area was then overhauled with fire rakes and flappers to ensure complete extinguishment. The area was investigated but a definitive cause of the fire could not be found. With no other hazards present, E2 cleared the scene and returned to quarters.

Monday, March 11 at approximately 11:15 am:

E4 was dispatched on a report of a dumpster fire at a construction site. Upon arrival crew members found a construction dumpster with heavy smoke showing and a worker attempting to extinguish it with a garden hose. Crew members deployed a 1 ¾” hose line and utilized firefighting foam to fully extinguish the fire and smother the heat source, greatly reducing the chance of the fire rekindling at a later time. After overhauling the fire and ensuring it was fully extinguished, E4 cleared the scene and returned to their previous assignment.

Monday, March 11 at approximately 10:39 pm:

E3 and R1 were dispatched on a report of an MVA with rollover. Upon arrival E3 found one vehicle on its roof with the PT out and being tended to by EMS. E3’s paramedic assisted EMS with the PT while the rest of the crew stabilized the vehicle, which was leaking gas onto the roadway. Once the vehicle was stabilized E3 applied oil dry to absorb and contain the fuel leak. The PT was fully immobilized and loaded into the ambulance for transport to an area hospital. E3 remained on scene to assist with traffic control and monitor the scene due to the fuel leak. Once the vehicle was safely loaded onto a tow truck and removed from the scene E3 returned to quarters.