This from Drew Smith:
All-Hand Pace Bus Fire for E39, S9, S42, B9, and A9 at Apple and Milwaukee
On Thursday, February 6th at 3:10 p.m. E39 and B9 were dispatched to a car fire at Apple Drive and Milwaukee Avenue in Prospect Heights. Engine 39 arrived and reported the fire was in a Pace Bus a block west of Milwaukee and they were dropping a line. Battalion 9 arrived two minutes later and asked RED Center to send Squad 9 also. The bus driver reported to B9 that all passengers were off and none were injured. The fire involved the rear section of the bus which spread to both sides and underneath, including all four rear tires. S9 used a second line on the fire.
Due to the stubborn nature of the fire and the severe weather B9 asked RED Center to send Ambulance 9 and Wheeling Squad 42 for assistance. Foam from E39 was used. S9 and S42 used a K-12 saw to cut open the sides and floor to access the fire. However, cutting the floor was futile due to the design of the bus and the fact that the underside of the frame is covered with a metal plate. S9’s driver had to shovel out a fire hydrant to secure a positive water supply. Several SCBA masks and regulators froze up and frozen foam coated several firefighters like snowmen. More than a dozen spare air tanks were used before the fire was out. After more than an hour firefighters were able to have Pace’s wrecker lift the bus so they could ensure the fire was completely out.
Drew Smith photo
Drew Smith photo
Drew Smith photo
Drew Smith photo
Drew Smith photo
Drew Smith photo
#1 by Dennis on February 11, 2014 - 9:15 AM
Drew Smith thank you for your response.
#2 by Drew Smith on February 11, 2014 - 12:10 AM
Squad 9 has a four, 6000 PSI cylinder cascade that will refill about 25 SCBA. Every company except the airport crash truck has spare cylinders, at least one per SCBA with E9 having 10 spares and S9 having 9 spares.
Being inside or outside the structure has no bearing on why you wear a mask. Being in or near the smoke is the key. That smoke is full of nasty stuff that can cause either immediate or chronic health conditions. With the exception of natural vegetation fires we want our people on air. We have been pushing this in both attack and overhaul. There is also the risk of flash fire or explosion during a transportation fire and SCBA helps reduce the risk to the member. We would not use a lack of spare air as a reason to compromise the health and safety of our members. We can always call for more air.
If we leave and we are not able to be in full service we would tell RED Center that. Until we are in full service RED will automatically dispatch replacement companies for a given area and the nature of the call. Our responses are preplanned four deep (a primary, as well as a secondary, a third, and a fourth replacement for each company type). If that’s insufficient RED is pretty sharp and will get us help ASAP. RED has instant access to its other 28 companies, the balance of Division 3’s companies, and with one call to NWCD the majority of Division 1’s companies (we border on three sides). Our policy at the PHFD is to handle the call in front of us now well and react to the next call when it happens. To do this we do rely on RED Center.
As for the cutting of the side, after more than 30 minutes of trying to get the fire out we simply couldn’t get the water and foam directly onto the fire. The gap between the tires and the wheel well was less than two inches wide. We would get it out, let the hose run for a while, then after a few minutes of not flowing the fire would flare back up. The companies cut away the wheel well covering to permit better agent application. Cuts were made inside too but the construction of the bus (it’s very solid) prohibited access. The bus floor is framed like a house: Plywood covered with rubber mat over steel floor joists then a steel plate welded to the bottom of the about 6-inch joists (frame members).
#3 by Dennis on February 10, 2014 - 2:29 PM
Does Prospect Heights have a Refill system on their rigs for air bottles? Do they have spare tanks for everyone on the rig? If not why are they on air outside a structure? I understand that most departments require everyone to have on FULL PPE plus a air pack for a auto fire but what if they leave this and get called for a structure fire and then when they get there they cant go inside becuase their air packs are empty. The fire Service is all about ” what if’s” thats are nature. We prepare for the worse case. Also why is the guy cutting the body panels over the wheels?
#4 by Drew Smith on February 9, 2014 - 4:31 PM
This day our companies were on the street clearing hydrants not in complexes. Our fire marshal has been on a constant battle all winter for these complexes to keep the hydrants clear. Most are compliant.
#5 by John H on February 9, 2014 - 3:25 PM
Actually, it’s the apartment building management company that is responsible for keeping things like fire hydrants cleared. There actually should be an ordinance that requires this–with building management companies fined for non-compliance.
#6 by o. morgan on February 9, 2014 - 3:02 PM
Maybe after this incident the folks who live in the apt bldg pictured will clear the other hydrants before they have a fire. Lucky the driver had snow to shovel and not “frozen” snow : )