Archive for September 20th, 2010

NIOSH Report on Homewood, IL LODD

The Neighborhood Star.com has an article about the fire which resulted in the tragic death of Homewood firefighter/paramedic Brian Carey and the serious injuries incurred by firefighter/paramedic Karra Kopas in March of this year.  The article can be seen HERE and the NIOSH report summarizing the events surrounding the fire can be obtained HERE.

NIOSH report cites numerous errors in fatal Homewood fire

September 20, 2010

BY JOHN K. RYAN

A report obtained Monday by the SouthtownStar on the Homewood house fire in March that took the life of a Homewood firefighter and a resident cites several errors that occurred as firefighters were battling the blaze.

The report from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health said contributing factors included an incomplete 360-degree situational size-up (of the fire scene); an inadequate risk-vs.-gain analysis; ineffective fire control tactics; insufficient staffing, uncoordinated ventilation and its effect on fire behavior; inadequate command, control and accountability; and failure to recognize, understand and react to deteriorating conditions.

The report also said the breathing apparatus facepiece somehow got removed from Brian Carey, 28, the Homewood firefighter/paramedic who died fighting the fire. Resident Wendell Elias, 87, also died in the fire.

Homewood firefighter/paramedic Karra Kopas suffered second- and third-degree burns battling the fire. She has been recovering but still is not back on the job at the fire department.

RELATED STORIES

• NIOSH Report (.pdf)

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Countryside FPD gives old tanker to Libertyville

We mentioned previously that the Countryside FPD in Lake County recenlty received a new IHC/US Tanker HERE and HERE, and that the disposition of their old 1988 Pierce Dash tanker was unclear.

Dennis McGuire, Jr. found the following article in Libertyville edition of the TRIBLOCAL that can be seen HERE with photos. The article answers the question.

Countryside gives Libertyville Fire Department used tanker for free

theBy Amy Alderman, TribLocal reporter

Countryside Fire Protection District in Vernon Hills is giving Libertyville Fire Department a 1988 tanker known as a water tender, which carries 2,500 gallons of water.
Through the third mutual aid agreement between the departments in five years, Libertyville agreed to continue to assist Countryside at emergency calls in exchange for the used truck.

“We never had a water tender in Libertyville,” Fire Chief Rich Carani said. “But the Libertyville fire protection district covers Mettawa and Green Oaks— a lot of areas that still don’t have fire hydrants, mostly on the northern border and southeastern border. So the need for a tender is there, but we couldn’t justify the need for a new one.”

Libertyville has used neighboring districts’ water tenders six to ten times a year on average, Carani said. However, the neighboring districts assist each other at an average of 300 fire alarms, car accidents rescues and structure fires a year, he added.

Although the old water tender will be given to Libertyville for free, maintenance is expected to cost the village about $1,000 a year, Carani said.

Following the recent purchase of a new $250,000 water tender, Countryside Fire Chief Jeff Steingart said he didn’t even stop to think about looking up the value of the old water tender in order to sell it.

“We probably would have sold it, but we saw this agreement as having more value,” Steingart said.

The two department chiefs began discussing the exchange about a year ago, when Countryside started looking for a new water tender.

“We had a conversation about sharing resources,” Steingart said. “They have it for first responses, and we have it as a back up water tender.”

This kind of partnership isn’t new to either district.

“Basically over the last several years — many years, actually — Libertyville, with all their neighbors, has reciprocated back and forth with responding to calls at certain buildings and areas,” Carani said.

In 2005, Libertyville bought a squad truck, which is also used by Countryside through a mutual aid agreement. Both departments agreed to respond to every structure fire in each district through the second mutual aid agreement in 2007.

Steingart pointed to last week’s barn fire in Wauconda as an example of pooling local resources. Thirty fire protection districts responded to the call of flames traveling to three barns due to high winds, and 14 water tenders were pooled to put out the fire. No people or animals were injured.

“These mutual aid agreements get us the resources we need, while kind of being boundary free so the closest fire station responds,” Steingart said.

Editor’s note: When the tanker is lettered for Libertyville, we hope to get it photographed and added to the website in the station where it is assigned.

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Station/building updates

The following images have been added to the website filling vacancies:

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