Thursday, June 23, 2011

Fire Press Release Two Fer

Buckeye Command

Incident #: 2011024317 Date of Incident: 6/22/2011 Issuing Officer: Battalion Chief Jones

Narrative:
On 06/22/11 at 13:14 hours, the Spokane Fire Department responded 3 engines, 2 ladders, 1 rescue, and 2 battalion chiefs to a reported structure fire at 2311 W Buckeye. First arriving SE3 reported smoke showing at the roof of a two story single family residence. Firefighters aggressively performed an interior attack on the fire while additional fire crews completed search and rescue, roof ventilation and salvage and overhaul. The fire was located by SE3 in the basement and extinguished. No one was home at the time of the fire. 6 fire companies with 21 firefighters responded to this fire. There were no injuries to civilians or firefighters. Damage by fire was confined to the basement and first floor, smoke damage thought out the structure. This fire is under investigation by the Spokane Fire Departments SIU.

Cause:
This fire is under investigation by the Spokane Fire Departments SIU.

Damage:
Fire was cnfined to the basement and first floor . Smoke damage thought out the strusture.

# Firefighters Repsonding: 21

Dollar Loss: $10,000

End Of Release For more information on this release please call (509) 625-7002



Spokane House Hotel Fire

Incident #: 2011024096 Date of Incident: 6/21/2011 Issuing Officer: AC Schaeffer

Narrative:

On Tuesday June 21, 2010 at 5:41 AM, Spokane Ladder 4 and Engine 4 were dispatched to an automatic alarm at 4301 West Sunset. While the initial companies were enroute, Fire Dispatch received additional information from the business that smoke was present on the first floor. Fire dispatch subsequently upgraded the alarm to a full response adding 6 additional companies including 3 Engines, 1 Heavy Rescue and 2-Senior Ladders under the direction of Battalion Chiefs Moline and Haworth. Station 4 companies arrived within 7-minutes and reported a working fire in the first floor of the five-story hotel. Due to the topography of the hill, the first floor of this building is actually below grade. The fire was rapidly growing in a commercial laundry service area and had spread to large electrical utility components which created tactical concerns for the companies entering the fire area. The incident was upgraded by Chief Moline to a "working incident" and multiple companies were assigned to manage assisting the orderly evacuation of civilians and controlling the building's ventilation system. Ladder companies provided quick searches of adjoining areas while engines were utilized to support the building's standpipe system and stretch hose leads to the below-grade fire. It took 34 Firefighters just 20-minutes to locate and knock down the fire and control the incident. Firefighters were able to contain the damage to the primary service area on the1st floor and successfully prevented it from spreading vertically to the second floor or to any of the adjoining horizontal areas. The commercial electrical service was shut down and tagged out by Avista on-scene due to the severe damage and electrocution concerns to workers. No civilians or firefighters were injured as a result of the incident.

Cause:

The cause is under investigation by the SFD's SIU and the Hotel Management is assisted any displaced occupants. The building is not able to occupy this morning, but all efforts are being made to isolate areas in the building which can be used for safe occupation.

Damage:

Firefighters remained on scene for several hours, protecting the building's contents from additional damage during the salvage and overhaul operations. The damage to the first floor laundry service area is significant and does include severe damage to electrical components. The total dollar loss due to the fire was estimated at $25k-45k.

# Firefighters Repsonding: 34

Dollar Loss: $45000

End Of Release For more information on this release please call (509) 625-7002

Monday, June 20, 2011

MDA Summer Camp and Fill the Boot

SFD Brothers and Sisters,

We had a get together with the MDA folks and the Union and even a City Councilperson last week. Fill The Boot is scheduled for Sept. 17th this year so please put that on your calendars. I have a goal for getting so many off duty L-29 personnel to turn out that we have the lowest need for on duty folks in years. We are the 3rd highest Fire contributor for MDA in the State and they really appreciate our involvement although I sure wouldn’t mind seeing us climb a couple of spots!

I would also love to see us start getting involved in providing folks for helping the local MDA with their camp over in Rathdrum. They love to have EMTs and Paramedics help out because these kids need someone watching over them but it is the time of their lives and many of them can’t wait for Summer Camp each year.

I also wish to extend many thanks To Brian Turpin as he has been getting involved as well. The Union Officers and Bill Gonzalez are working with the City regarding the permit process. Jana Worthington and I are planning on getting some more info out soon and answering questions about how we can help.

Let’s make this year with MDA the best yet!

Terry Canfield

SE13A (soon)

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Memorial Service Procession for Fallen Firefighter

Wenatchee, Washington – June 14, 2011 – Arrangements are underway to coordinate the funeral procession for the memorial services of Battalion Chief Garet Rasmussen of Chelan County Fire District 1.

Memorial services with full honors for Battalion Chief Garet Rasmussen will be held on Saturday, June 18th at 1pm at the Town Toyota Center, 1300 Walla Walla Avenue in Wenatchee, Washington.

If your agency is interested in sending fire apparatus to this service, please contact:

Firefighter Matt Rise (509) 662-4734 of Station 11, Chelan County Fire District 1

Home remodeling that promotes union work and energy conservation...


Energy Efficiency is a Win, Win, Win!!

If you live in Spokane's South Hill, you have an excellent opportunity
to save on your home energy costs.

Participating homeowners have saved up to 50% on their energy bills.

Save Money, Save energy, Create Jobs!!!

Bulk Neighborhood Pricing + Utility Incentives + Federal Grants & Tax Credits + Low Interest Loans = Cost-Effective Energy Retrofits!!

Four Easy Steps to Energy Efficiency:

· Pre-Audit: You can call (509) 532-1688 to sign up or get more information. You will be asked for information to determine if yourhome is a good candidate for an energy saving retrofit. You can also go online to fill out the information at www.sustainableworks.com.

· Energy Audit: Skilled trade workers will inspect your home todetermine where you can save energy and money. Thanks to federalstimulus and utility support, your audit will cost only $95 (fully refundable if we don’t recommend any improvements) and includes installation of CFL light bulbs, showerheads and faucet aerators to start saving immediately.

· Energy Consultation: An energy consultant will review the findings with you and suggest the most cost-effective steps to reduce your energy usage. You will only select the extent of energy savings activities and costs that you are comfortable with.

· Energy Savings Retrofit: SustainableWorks coordinates everything - contractors, financing, and project management. The SustainableWorks project manager will make a final inspection to be sure you are fully satisfied with the work and the energy savings.

Previous SustainableWorks projects have served Seattle,South Perry District, and Northwest Spokane. For more information, to sign up for an energy audit, or to Volunteer, please call (509) 532-1688 or go on-line at www.sustainableworks.com.

Monday, June 06, 2011

Article on two San Francisco firefighters killed in flashover.

From SF Weekly:

Vincent Perez, Anthony Valerio, S.F. Firefighters Killed in Blaze, to be Honored Friday at Funeral

Categories: Local News
rsz_tony-thumb-222x281.jpg
Tony Valerio
San Francisco Fire Department will gather on Friday to honor two of their own who were killed while battling a blaze at a Diamond Heights home last week. Lieutenant Vincent Perez, 48, died Thursday after the fire and Anthony "Tony" Valerio, 53, was pronounced dead on Saturday morning.

The double funerals will be held Friday at St. Mary's Cathedral on Gough Street. The time is tentatively set for 12:30 p.m.

Fire Chief Joanna Hayes-White released a statement on Saturday, shortly after Valerio died: "This has been an extremely difficult time for the members of the San Francisco Fire Department," she said. "Their deaths have left all of our members with heavy hearts -- they will be greatly missed."

Niether Perez nor Valerio were married or had children. Both were experienced firefighters who served on Engine Company 26. They were two of 30 firefighters who responded to the major blaze on Thursday morning at about 10:45 a.m. at 133 Berkeley Way. A woman and her children escaped the house fire, but both Perez and Valerio were upstairs in a room when a "flashover" occurred. That happens when temperatures rise so much that everything in the room ignites at one time. When fire officials found them, the two were badly burned and knocked unconscious.

rsz_1vincent.jpg
Vincent Perez
Perez died about an hour later, while Valerio clung to life at San Francisco General Hospital, with friends and family by his bedside. Although firefighters were not feeling optimistic as of Friday; they told SF Weekly, they were expecting that Valerio would not make it. He died at 7:45 a.m. the following day.

Valerio served the city for 27 years, 13 of which were with the Department of Public Health, and 14 years with the Fire Department. He grew up in the Bay Area, attended El Camino High School, City College of San Francisco, and then San Francisco State University, according to fire officials.

Perez, who was also raised in the Bay Area, was a 21-year veteran of the San Francisco Fire Department. He had served as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps.

San Francisco Fire Fighters Local 798 has established Trust Accounts at the San Francisco Fire Credit Union (SFFCU) for Perez and Valerio's families. Contribution can be sent to SFFCU, 3201 Cailfornia St., San Francisco, CA 94118 or made through www.sffirecu.org.

Follow us on Twitter at @SFWeekly and @TheSnitchSF

Saturday, June 04, 2011

Fire Press Release

Pho Van Restaurant Fire

Incident #: 2011021516 Date of Incident: 6/3/2011 Issuing Officer: AC Schaeffer

Narrative:
COMMERCIAL FIRE On Friday, June 3, 2011 at 11:42PM, 6 Companies of Spokane Firefighters, 3 Engines, 2 Senior Ladders and 1 Heavy Rescue under the direction of Battalion Chiefs Cornelius and Clive Jones responded to a building fire at 1212 North Hamilton (Pho Van Restaurant). While responding, firefighters were notified by a passerby that smoke was emanating from the restaurant. The first company arrived within 4-miniutes and found an intense fire inside the rear of the 40' x 30' concrete building. The incident was upgraded to a working fire by the first ladder company which added an additional company and other off-duty resources. Ladder companies had to force entry into multiple sides of the building which allowed engine companies access to the interior where they successfully located and extinguished the fire. Ladder companies also performed a rapid, well-coordinated search of the premises for any victims and found nothing. There were no injuries to civilians or firefighters on this incident.

Cause:
The incident is currently under investigation by the Fire Department's SIU.

Damage:
The fire was confined to the area in the rear of the building in less than 30-minutes. Firefighters were able to protect a large amount of the restaurant's contents. Damage estimates are still being calculated.

# Firefighters Repsonding: 31

For more information on this release please call (509) 625-7002

Wednesday, June 01, 2011

9-11 Memorial Stairclimb

If you, or you and your crew, would like to participate in the 10th Anniversary Stairclimb here in Spokane please contact Jason Keen. The website here offers more details.



Thursday, May 26, 2011


Have you ever thought you might like to play the Bagpipes or Drums in a Firefighter/Police Pipes and Drums band??

Well now’s your chance!

Come join us at the Spokane Valley O’Doherty’s Irish Pub for an informational/recruitment meeting. We are looking for ANY Career firefighters/law enforcement active or retired in the Spokane area that would like to learn the bagpipes or drums and belong to the Spokane County Firefighters Pipes and Drums band. Experience is not required. Spokane Valley O’Doherty’s has been gracious enough to be our meeting place. So come have a few pints, and join the band.

When:

Informational/Recruitment Meeting

June 7th, 2011 1900 hrs

Where:

O’Doherty’s Irish Pub (Valley Location)

11723 E. Sprague

Spokane Valley, WA

RSVP

Chris Wetherell at 435-2600, or firefighterweth@hotmail.com

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Great CDC site on surviving the Zombie Apocalypse


The CDC has done a great job in getting people to prepare for disasters by framing these preparations for floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, etc. in terms of a zombie outbreak. Enjoy!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Fire Press Release Two Fer

Early Morning Strip Mall Fire

Incident #: 2011019034 Date of Incident: 5/17/2011 Issuing Officer: AC Schaeffer

Narrative:
On Tuesday May 17, 2011 at 6:04 AM, 8 Companies of Spokane Firefighters, 5 Engines, 2 Senior Ladders and 1 Heavy Rescue under the direction of Battalion Chiefs Brown and Fielder responded to a commercial structure fire at 918 North Division "U-Save Cleaners." Firefighters arrived within 5-minutes and found a long strip mall with smoke showing from a middle unit (U-Save Cleaners). Firefighters met an employee which explained that she had discharged a fire extinguisher to the ceiling after seeing flames. Initial companies entered the Cleaner's portion of the building to locate and extinguish the quick moving overhead fire while additional companies forced entry into adjoining units to prevent the fire from spreading to other businesses. SFD members skillfully protected clothing, records and equipment in the building while holding the fire to the area above U-Save Cleaners. The fire was extinguished completely in just 30 minutes. No injuries were reported.

Cause:
The cause of this early morning fire is still under investigation.

Damage:
Primary damage is limited to the U-Cleaners section of the building. Utilities have been temporarily disabled to the entire building limiting service to Supercuts and Hollywood Video.

# Firefighters Repsonding: 29

Dollar Loss: $20000

End Of Release For more information on this release please call (509) 625-7002

STRUCTURE FIRE WITH BURN VICTIM

Incident #: 2011018498 Date of Incident: 5/13/2011 Issuing Officer: AC Schaeffer

Narrative:
On Friday May 13, 2011 at 2:32 PM, 8 Companies of Spokane Firefighters, 2 Senior Ladders, 5 Engines, 1 Heavy Rescue under the direction of Battalion Chiefs Cornelius and Jones, responded to a building fire at 229 West Second Avenue in downtown Spokane. While enroute to the incident, companies were notified that civilians may be trapped and one victim was reportedly ".on fire in the hallway of the first floor..." The first companies arrived within three-minutes and confirmed that smoke was showing from the front and rear of the three-story apartment building. The first due Engine and Ladder went to work immediately on arrival and secured water supply and stretched a hoseline in attempt to control the fire's progress and protect the egress of civilians from the upper floors. Simultaneously the Ladder Company searched the area of the fire unit for savable civilians. A male victim was located and removed from the hallway of floor 1 to the exterior where he was immediately treated by awaiting SFD Paramedics. All companies assigned on the alarm were immediately dedicated to searching the building while trying to suppress the fire's progress when they arrived. Decisive action by first arriving company officers allowed a successful search of the entire building which resulted in a confirmation that all 25 occupants were evacuated and accounted for. The fire was declared under control in less than 30-minutes and no other injuries were reported.

Cause:
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Fire Department's Special Investigation Unit.

Damage:
Damage was limited to the first-floor unit of the fire's origin. The building was protected with a fire alarm system AND a sprinkler system. Both systems worked appropriately. The smoke detectors and fire alarm alerted all of the building's residents of the emergency and allowed for an early and controlled egress. The closest sprinkler head to the fire was activated and successfully kept the fire confined to the area of origin until firefighters could stretch hoselines to the seat of the fire and extinguish it completely. The building's safety systems have been restored and Fire Marshal Lisa Jones has allowed occupancy for the building with exception of the unit that received damage from fire. The victim is an adult male suffering from critical 3rd degree burns over 60% of his body plus significant airway burns. He was initially transported to Sacred Heart and has just been transferred to Harborview in Seattle.

# Firefighters Repsonding: 31

Dollar Loss: $10,000

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Fire Press Release

House Fire Indian Trail Neighborhood

Incident #: 2011017928 Date of Incident: 5/9/2011 Issuing Officer: Craig Cornelius / Battalion Chief

Narrative:
The Spokane City Fire Department dispatched fire fighting crews to 4329 W. Arrowhead Rd. at 16:59 hours on Monday, May 9th, 2011. Fire Dispatch forwarded to the responding companies that there was fire and visible flames in the home's mechanical room. Engine 17 from the neighborhood fire station located at Lowell and Indian Trail arrived within 4 minutes of being dispatched. Engine 17's crew under the direction of Lt. Jeff Hager reported that they had a basement fire in a single family residential home. Lt. Hager and his crew donned their Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) and immediately advanced a charged hose line through the garage to the back entry door. Other responding fire companies were assigned to help in moving the hose while Engine 17 advanced down the interior stairs into the basement. Additional hose lines were stretched to provide protection for the attack crew, and to secure a water supply from a near by fire hydrant. The owner of the home, who was present when the fire started, had attempted to extinguish the growing fire and burned portions of his hands and face in the process. Assistant Chief Brian Schaeffer who lives in the Indian Trail neighborhood arrived shortly after the first arriving fire crews. Chief Schaeffer made contact with the home owner and assisted in providing medical care for his burns and smoke inhalation. The home owner was transported to a local hospital for additional treatment. The fire itself was quickly knocked down and confined to a portion of the basement by the fast aggressive action taken by Engine 17's crew. The fire cause is still being investigated at this time, but appears to be accidental in nature.

Cause:
Fire cause is still under investigation.

Damage:
Fire damage was confined to the basement.

# Firefighters Repsonding: 26

Dollar Loss: $20000

End Of Release For more information on this release please call (509) 625-7002

Thursday, May 05, 2011

A message about the future of your L and I insurance.

Many of you don’t know me, but I’m a state representative from the 3rd District in Spokane. I worked as a concrete finisher and a labor representative. A lunch bucket guy with a high school education who finds himself in the Legislature.

Lately, I'm reminded of the old adage that you don’t pick a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel (today it’s by the tanker car).

Here’s why I’m reminded: Recently, my hometown newspaper, the Spokesman Review, wrote a patently false editorial, “Industrial insurance reform hits labor hurdle,” and called me out by name.

What was false about it? Well, too much to get into here, so I’ll just limit my critique to the headline: They’re not supporting industrial insurance “reform;” they’re really advocating injured worker exploitation, and proponents didn’t just hit a “hurdle,” they hit a brick wall of common sense.

You see, business interests are pushing proposals, like ESB 5566, that could have catastrophically injured workers coerced into accepting lump-sum buyouts rather than the workers’ compensation benefits they are owed and have paid for.

When these workers find themselves unable to take care of themselves after these settlements run out, they’ll have to turn to taxpayer-funded social safety net programs. To me, that’s an abuse of the working families and taxpayers that I go to work every day to serve, but the Spokesman Review, with a flawed analysis that didn't consider the facts, jumped into the debate.

That’s why I need your help today to urge my colleagues in the legislature to vote NO on lump-sum buyouts. Click here to contact them with our easy-to-use tool.

Many of my colleagues have stood up and said we will not stand for these lump-sum buyouts, or any other attack on injured workers. Now we’re trying to convince more legislators that there are better ways to improve workers’ comp than putting people in their most vulnerable hour at further risk. We need your help.

There will be action to change our workers’ comp system in some way this special session, and the people who have the power to decide what those changes are need to hear from you, their constituent.

Help us help injured workers. Speak truth to power. Click here to contact your legislators.

Tell them we have a strong workers’ comp system where employers already pay consistently among the lowest costs in the nation, and where Washington workers are the only ones in the country who help pay into the system.

Tell them that lump-sum buyouts are abusive and unfair and have no place in our balanced system; and, that as a taxpayer, you are not willing to bear employers’ costs for workplace injuries.

Tell them that improvements to the system are welcome as long as they don’t threaten injured workers’ ability to get the care they need and actually bring efficiencies to real issues we see in our system.

But please talk to them today. I need your help, and more importantly, so do the injured workers under threat in this special session.

Sincerely,

Timm Ormsby
Representative, District 3

Tuesday, May 03, 2011

In a nod to the Royal Wedding, today's Labor Quote is from the always popular Marquis of Carmarthen

"For what purpose were they suffered to go to that country [the American colonies], unless the profit of their labour should return to their masters here?"

The Marquis of Carmarthen commenting before the British Parliament in 1774 on the purpose of establishing colonies in North America

Thursday, April 28, 2011

This Morning's Labor Quote from Adam Smith, Father of the "Free Market"

This disposition to admire, and almost to worship, the rich and the powerful, and to despise, or, at least, to neglect persons of poor and mean condition, though necessary both to establish and to maintain the distinction of ranks and the order of society, is, at the same time, the great and most universal cause of the corruption of our moral sentiments. That wealth and greatness are often regarded with the respect and admiration which are due only to wisdom and virtue; and that the contempt, of which vice and folly are the only proper objects, is often most unjustly bestowed upon poverty and weakness, has been the complaint of moralists in all ages.

Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments pt i, ch iii (1759).

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

This week's Labor Neighbor Radio

Click title link to listen

Last night's city council meeting...

Was great!

All city council members except Nancy McLaughlin voted to affirm Spokane's commitment to the human right of collective bargaining - a right recognized by all free nations on our planet. Ms McLaughlin voted against this nonbinding resolution.

I will post the audio here, as soon as I can get it. Many Local 29 members came out to show support for Councilman Snyder's resolution and to speak in favor of it.

It was an especially entertaining evening as Council President Shogan upbraided the always entertaining George McGrath. It was no surprise that George spoke against the resolution and us. He even tried to denounce the resolution when it wasn't even the subject the council was addressing! I'll try to get that audio for you too.

All in all, a great night. It will be rebroadcast on City Channel 5 on the 28th at 6pm. Enjoy!

Monday, April 25, 2011

And now a word from Aristotle...

"Whenever men rule by reason of their wealth...that is oligarchy, and where the poor rule, that is democracy." Aristotle. Early Greek Philosopher

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

This morning's quote

"The view has been gaining widespread acceptance that corporate officials... have a 'social responsibility' that goes beyond the interest of their stockholders... This view shows a fundamental misconception of the character to use its resources and to engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game... Few trends could so thoroughly undermine the very foundation of our free society as the acceptance by corporate officials of a social responsibility other than to make as much money for their stockholders as possible." 1976 Nobel Prize winning Economist Milton Friedman in his 1962 book Capitalism and Freedom