Archive for September, 2018

Naperville Public Safety Open House

This From Daniel Hynd:

Here’s some photos from the Naperville Public Safety Open House today (9/29/2018). At the open house there were many demonstrations including a live burn, extrication with medevac, and a SWAT demonstration. 

Among the photos are pics of various apparatus including but not limited to: The NPD Swat Team, the NFD Water Rescue, a new 2018 Dodge Charger for Car 2, a new Ford Expedition for Battalion 1, a Lifestar Helicopter, two NEMA trucks, and a 1924 Ahrens-Fox pumper.
1924 Ahrens Fox fire engine

Daniel Hynd photo

Naperville FD Engine 7

Daniel Hynd photo

Naperville FD 2018 open house

Daniel Hynd photo

Naperville FD 2018 open house

Daniel Hynd photo

Medvac helicopter

Daniel Hynd photo

Naperville EMA truck 1

Daniel Hynd photo

Naperville EMA truck 2

Daniel Hynd phot

Naperville PD SWAT team

Daniel Hynd photo

Naperville FD Truck 5

Daniel Hynd photo

Naperville FD Water Rescue Unit 7

Daniel Hynd photo

Naperville PD SWAT team

Daniel Hynd photo

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

5-Alarm fire and 3-Alarm EMS Alarm in the North Maine FPD, 9-16-18 (more)

This from Steve Redick:

Bear in mind all the gaps are edited out, there was a long delay in alarms initially (5-Alarm fire and 3-Alarm EMS Alarm in the North Maine FPD, 9-16-18)

Tags: , , , , ,

Working fire in Dolton, 9-29-18

This from Tim Olk:

Dolton Working Fire 14326 South Lincoln

Firefighters battle a house fire

Tim Olk photo

Firefighters battle a house fire

Tim Olk photo

Firefighters battle a house fire

Tim Olk photo

Firefighters battle a house fire

Tim Olk photo

Firefighters battle a house fire

Tim Olk photo

Firefighters battle a house fire

Tim Olk photo

Firefighters battle a house fire

Tim Olk photo

Firefighters battle a house fire

Tim Olk photo

Firefighters battle a house fire

Tim Olk photo

Dolton FD fire engine

Tim Olk photo

Firefighters battle a house fire

Tim Olk photo

Tags: , , ,

National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Light the Night

National Fallen Firefighters Foundation

click on the file to download a copy

Tags: ,

Sexual harassment lawsuit against Country Club Hills (more)

Excerpts from Fox32chicago.com:

Three years ago, a female firefighter filed a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment in Country Club Hills, including firefighters watching porn. Next week, that lawsuit goes to trial at the Daley Center.

Dena Lewis has been a Country Club Hills firefighter since 1998, but she’s been on paid leave for the past three years after filing a discrimination and retaliation lawsuit against the village. She says she was passed over for a promotion after she complained about firefighters watching porn in the firehouse, which she says was epidemic.

Initially, the Country Club Hills Fire Department denied it was even happening. But when Lewis’ lawyer deposed firefighters under oath, they told the truth.

The village has been sanctioned by the court for destroying evidence before Lewis’ legal team could look at the computers.

“They ran what’s called disc cleanup, disc wipe to try to wipe out the internet history and the evidence,” said attorney Dana Kurtz.

Records show three firefighters were suspended last fall for watching porn at the firehouse. But Lewis’ lawyer says the village refuses to confirm whether any disciplinary action was ever taken.

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Fire service news

Excerpts from Nfpa.org:

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), if you have a reported home fire today, you are more likely to die than you were in 1980. This startling fact is attributed to several factors, including the way homes are built and the contents in them. “Open floor plans and a prevalence of modern synthetic furnishings make homes burn faster and the fires produce deadly smoke and gases within moments,” said Lorraine Carli, NFPA vice president of Outreach and Advocacy. According to Carli, you can have as little as two to three minutes to escape a home fire today as compared to eight to ten minutes years ago.

These concerns prompted NFPA to create “Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere” as the theme for Fire Prevention Week, October 7-13, 2018. It emphasizes three basic but critical messages:

  • Look for places fire can start
  • Listen for the sound of the smoke alarm
  • Learn two ways out of each room

This year’s Fire Prevention Week messages point to the essentials of home fire safety,” said Carli. “Looking for potential fire hazards in the home, making sure your smoke alarms are working properly, and having a home escape plan that everyone has practiced – these actions can dramatically reduce the loss from home fires.”

Motivating the public to take these steps can prove challenging, notes Carli, because people don’t think they could have a fire, despite the fact that home is the place they’re at greatest risk. Four out of five U.S. fire deaths occur in homes.

“Because we have reduced the overall number of fires, there is a general complacency and a lack of action around home fire preparedness and planning,” said Carli. “Our goal for Fire Prevention Week is to make sure people recognize that fire remains a very real risk, and that everyone needs to take action to protect themselves and their families.”

For more information about Fire Prevention Week, October 7-13, and this year’s theme, “Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere,” visit www.firepreventionweek.org.

For this release and other announcements about NFPA initiatives, research and resources, please visit the NFPA press room.

Tags: , ,

Knollwood Fire Department apparatus

Shots from Steve Redick of the Knollwood FD apparatus and the MABAS Division 4 Wildland engine

MABAS Division 4 Wildland engine

Steve Redick photo

MABAS Division 4 Wildland engine

Steve Redick photo

Knollwood FD Utility 44

Steve Redick photo

Knollwood FD Ladder 44

Steve Redick photo

Knollwood FD Engine 44

Steve Redick photo

Tags: , , , , ,

National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend

103 Fallen Firefighters to be honored at National Memorial on Sunday, October 7

click on the flyer to download the file

Tags: ,

Firefighters sue over excessive noise from sirens (more)

Excerpts from the buffalo news.com:

Like their colleagues in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Chicago, firefighters in Buffalo believe there’s a link between hearing loss and the sharp, piercing sounds of the sirens that accompany them to fires. But four years later, the lawsuits they filed against the siren maker are ending and no one on either side is claiming victory.

The suits, filed by nearly 190 Buffalo firefighters, claim Federal Signal Corp. knew or should have known their sirens were harmful. The suits sought an unspecified amount in damages for each of the firefighters named.

In July, the suits against the siren maker started ending as part of an agreement between the two sides, but lawyers on both sides have repeatedly declined comment. There is also no indication in court papers that firefighters received any compensation.

The Buffalo cases started ending after an appeals court in a similar but separate case in Philadelphia sided with Federal Signal, the company being sued. Even more important, perhaps, the appeal courts took the unusual step of ordering the lawyers who represented the firefighters to pay attorneys’ fees and costs associated with the Philadelphia case. In the Philadelphia case, the appeals court said the firefighters’ lawyers failed to conduct a meaningful presuit investigation and then filed lawsuits that resulted in substantial costs to the company and the courts.

The local firefighters union, which is not a party to the suits but helped in providing hearing tests, indicated its members are still waiting for a settlement.

The federal court claims in Buffalo were filed three years after several similar suits resulted in a $3.8 million settlement by Federal Signal. The siren manufacturer said that settlement with 1,125 firefighters in Buffalo and other cities would result in an average of $3,380 for each of the firefighters.

The link between noise and hearing loss in firefighters is nothing new. In 1992, the nation’s top fire official said noise is probably the most underrated health hazard for firefighters and emergency service personnel.

“The cases of hearing loss are irreversible and incurable,” U.S. Fire Administrator Olin L. Greene said at the time. “They are also preventable.”

More recently, a University of California study in 2007 found 40 percent of all firefighters were at risk of noise-induced hearing loss. The study of more than 400 firefighters from 35 fire departments in California, Illinois and Indiana also found that firefighters use ear protection devices – earmuffs and earplugs – only about a third of the time.

Tags: , ,

As seen around … Waukegan

From Steve Redick:

Waukegan FD ARFF unit

Steve Redick photo

Tags: , , ,