Posts Tagged Sycamore Fire Department

House fire in Sycamore, 4-4-19

This from Art Zern:

Dispatched at 2156 hours for a structure, police arrive and report it fully involved. First arriving E-2 found heavy fire on three sides and “B” exposure getting started. They called defensive and went to work with their deck gun and 2 1/2″ hand line to the B-side exposure. E-1 arrived and pulled skid line to the D-side. Quick initial knockdown with DeKalb T-1 put to work due to structural issues. Gas fed fire on B-side going until Nicor arrived to dig and D/C the gas.  General alarm fire with Cortland and GK engines, Hampshire Truck, and COQ companies. A couple folks evaluated for smoke inhalation no injuries to FFs.

Art

From the Sycamore FD Facebook page:

Late last night into early this morning, the fire department was called to the 1300 block of Janet Street for a reported structure fire.

First arriving fire crews found heavy fire engulfing the majority of the structure and initiated a quick defensive attack using a master stream device with tank water carried on the engine. The bulk of the fire was brought under control in approximately 60 minutes. A natural gas fuel fed fire involving the gas meter was kept in check by fire crews until a NICOR work crew were able to locate and shut off fuel to the meter. Fire crews remained on scene for approximately two more hours doing overhaul operations.

A great job by the initial arriving fire companies to knock down an overwhelming fire along with valuable assistance provided by our mutual aid partners.

There were no injuries to firefighters or residents. Two individuals were evaluated by an ambulance crew on scene and refused treatment or transport to the hospital. The initial estimate of damages from the fire at 1319 Janet Street are approximated to be $300,000 to structure and contents. Heat from the fire damaged a neighboring house at 1311 Janet Street. The initial estimate of damages at that property are approximately $50,000 to the structure.

The fire went to the general alarm level and assistance was received from several neighboring fire departments including DeKalb, Elburn, Genoa, Hampshire, Burlington, Cortland, Pingree Grove, and Hampshire. The Sycamore police and public works department also assisted along with Nicor and ComEd.

The cause of the fire is undetermined pending further investigation.

house fully engulfed by fire at night

From the Sycamore FD Facebook page

Sycamore Firefighters at the scene of a house fire at 1319 Janet Street

From the Sycamore FD Facebook page

aftermath of house fire at 1319 Janet Street in Sycamore IL

From the Sycamore FD Facebook page

gas utility workers at fire scene

From the Sycamore FD Facebook page

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Sycamore Fire Department news

Excerpts from the Dailychronicle.com:

The Sycamore Fire Department has been awarded a nearly $84,000 grant to install a fire sprinkler system at Fire Station 1 through the Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant program.

The grant of $83,905 covers 95 percent of the total estimated cost of the installation of a fire sprinkler system and the city is responsible for the remaining 5 percent of the cost, about $4,195.

Fiscal 2017 Assistance to Firefighter grant funding had an appropriation of $344 million with a projection of 2,500 awards. The program is administered by the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency in cooperation with the U.S. Fire Administration.

 

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Sycamore Fire Department news (more)

This from Arty Zern:

Gents,

The SFD 1923 Stutz (Engine 2) is finally on the road.  This link is to a video of the Stutz on the raod on the Sycamore Fire Preservation Company Facebook page.

Art

From Sycamore Fire Preservation Co. Ltd.:

Sycamore truck # 2 responding to smoke showing at Plank & Lukens. Oh wait, that’s the Sycamore Steam Power Show. Sycamore Fire Department’s 1923 Stutz will be on display there this weekend. Stop by.

 

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Sycamore Fire Department news

Excerpts from the daily-chronicle.com:

According to the annual report presented during a Sycamore City Council meeting, the fire department took 2,281 calls during fiscal 2018, 93 more than in 2017.

Sycamore Fire Chief Pete Polarek said there has been an upward trend in calls overall since fiscal 2010, but he said there isn’t a clear cause for the increase. He said an increase in city residents, an increase in vehicle traffic, or an increase in visitors could have contributed.

The fire department has been addressing concerns of firefighters having a higher risk of cancer because of chemical exposure on calls. He said the department is making sure firefighters limit their exposure to those hazards, including having them wash their equipment, launder their clothes and shower after calls.

There has been a notable increase in the number of patient lift-assist calls in the past couple of years, including calls coming from alarm systems such as LifeAlert. There were 178 of those during fiscal 2018, compared with 164 the year before, and 132 in fiscal 2016. This is the fourth year the department has been collecting patient lift-assist data with the older population living at home longer and living unassisted. He said this wasn’t much of a factor in the past because most people have called family or friends for that kind of help.

Now, there are a lot of older people who don’t have that kind of extended support system and the fire department is starting to see those kinds of calls more often.

Polarek said his department is still able to address the increase in those calls with the staffing that they have, but staff will have to keep an eye on that statistic going forward

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Sycamore Fire Department news (more)

Sycamore 1923 Stutz runs again!

This from Art Zern:

The Sycamore 1923 Stutz is running again after years of sitting idle.  As was posted last year, the refurb was completed and now it’s running.  Here is a link to a video on the Preservation Committee Facebook page.

Art

 

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House fire in Sycamore, 4-30-18

house engulfed in fire

from DeKane Scanner Incidents

This from Art Zern:

Here’s a pre-arrival pic of the “mulch” fire we had yesterday afternoon about 1500 hours.   Presented with heavy fire on three sides, SFD Engine 1 made a great hit on this one. Fire extended to the first floor front, attic and second floor.  See link for info on the first fire of the day, an old barn on Glidden Rd.

Thanks,

Art

From DeKane scanner incidents on Facebook:

Update on Monday afternoons house fire in sycamore.

Sycamore fire was dispatched just after 3pm for reports of a brush fire on the 400 block of Mary Ann Cir in Reston Ponds. Syc Bursh-1 confirms the front porch is on fire at 3.15pm.

Call was upgraded to a General Box Alarm 10-1

Cortland fire was dispatched with an ambulance for a patient with burns to the hand.

Fire was contained in under 40mins. All occupants made it out safely with the exception of some hand burns.

Mutail aid companies
DeKalb, Cortland, Genoa-Kingston Fire & Rescue, Hampshire, Elburn & Burlington.

 

Excerpts from the Daily-chronicle.com:

Multiple fire departments responded about 3:30 p.m. to a blaze at 401 Mary Ann Circle in Sycamore, where a mulch fire spread to and rendered the house uninhabitable and damaged the neighboring house at 409 Mary Ann Circle. Firefighters got the blaze under control quickly, but the wind raised concerns about potential spread, with gust as much as 30 mph in DeKalb County.

Sycamore police said the homeowner burned her hand during the fire, but it was not severe enough to require hospitalization. No one else was hurt.  Mulch locks in moisture for plants and prevents weed growth, but when conditions get hot, dry, and windy, mulch becomes a prime source for fires.

The Cortland, DeKalb, Genoa-Kingston and Hampshire fire departments assisted.

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Sycamore Fire Department news

Excerpts from the Dailychronicle.com:

A $1,000 grant from the Allstate Foundation will help the Sycamore Fire Department’s command officers better assess potential structure fires. The funds bought small thermal imaging cameras for the three command officers, who will use the cameras to determine the warmer areas of suspected structure fires and help identify the extension of fire in walls or void spaces.

Fire Chief Peter Polarek said the cameras are about the size of a cellphone, and while they don’t boast the features of larger cameras they’ve had for many years, they can help quickly scope out situations. Even in an event where there’s no fire, but smoke, it can help officers figure out the extent of heat within the walls without tearing out those walls.

The Allstate Foundation awards $1,000 grants to nonprofit organizations based on the volunteerism of Allstate agency owners.

The foundation gave $36 million to nonprofits across the nation and volunteered more than 250,000 hours and since it was founded in 1952 has contributed more than $400 million, the release said.

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Sycamore Fire Department news

Excerpts from the daily-chronicle.com:

The Sycamore Fire Department will use a $135,228 federal grant to buy a mobile fire training prop and replacements for decades-old fire fighting equipment.

The Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant program is covering 95 percent of the estimated cost for the gear, while the city of Sycamore will pay the remaining cost of about $6,761.

The mobile training prop includes a 12-by-20-foot roofing platform mounted on a 23-foot trailer, forcible entry door props, and an overhead door-cutting station.

New equipment will include a breathing air compressor, fill station and cascade system to replace the current 20-year-old unit.

The department also will buy replacements for an attack hose that’s more than 20 years old and a supply hose that’s more than 14 years old.

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Sycamore Fire Department news

Excerpts from the Dailychronicle.com:

A $2,000 grant from the Monsanto Fund  will be used to purchase new radio equipment for the Sycamore Fire Department.

The grant will be spent on radio pagers, portable radio,s and spare radio batteries, which will facilitate the ability to recall emergency personnel when needed and provide primary radio communication at the scene of an emergency response.

The Monsanto Fund, a nonprofit that helps rural communities where farmers and Monsanto employees live and work, awarded more than $1.4 million to nonprofits this year, and more than $7.5 million over the past five years.

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Sycamore Fire Department news

Excerpts from the Daily-chronicle.com:

Developers of new multi-story buildings in Sycamore would have to design elevators to accommodate the size of ambulance cots under a proposal city officials are considering.

If the city council votes to amend city code, the elevators in any new building developed in Sycamore would have to accommodate the size of a 2-foot-by-7-foot stretcher in the horizontal, open position. Currently, only buildings with four or more stories are required to have elevators with these dimensions.

Sycamore Fire Chief Pete Polarek told city council members Monday that once the fire department becomes engaged in the building review process, developers typically have already spent money on materials for smaller elevators.

Minimum elevator size requirements that meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards will only fit stretchers in the upright, seated position. Polarek said firefighters might have to interrupt chest compressions on a patient experiencing cardiac arrest if they have to navigate them down stairs.

The city would not be asking for older buildings to be retrofitted, but the requirement would be in place for future construction.

thanks Dan

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