Incidents- Fires, Wrecks, and Mutual Aid

Comments: 0

Last night and today were busy here in Roanoke City. I will begin with last night. There was a fire on Buena Vista Blvd. Roanoke Fire-EMS released this:

The Roanoke Fire-EMS Department responded to a residential fire on November 3, 2005 at 1302 Buena Vista Blvd. The call was received through the 9-1-1 Center at approximately 1:05 a.m. and was quickly under control at 1:30 a.m. The response of three Engines, one Ladder truck, one Medic Unit, one Investigative Unit, one EMS Captain and one Battalion Chief for a total of 18 personnel responded to the fire.

Upon arrival fire crews found fire in a 2 level storage building at the rear of the address. Fire crews quickly & aggressively extinguished the fire. There were no injuries to civilians or Fire-EMS personnel.

The cause of the fire and origin of the fire are under investigation. Damage estimates are approximately $500.

Today we have seen 2 fires thus far as well as an accident with entrapment on 460.

First fire was a garage fire in the 4400 block of Melrose, just before the Roanoke/Salem line. The units dispatched (E13, L13, E9, M9) were able to handle. No injuries reported. I have not received much else.

Second fire just about an hour ago. Fire at 3102 Willow Rd. NW. E9, E5, L13, M9, M10, E13, BC2, and Service Truck 1 were dispatched for a structure fire. E9 marked on scene with with a detached garage fully involved. The fire was quickly brought under control. No injuries reported.

There was an accident on 460 today. E14, E5, and M2? were dispatched for an accident with injury possible entrapment. Soon after the initial dispatch, dispatch advised that the wreck was possibly on Challenger. Challenger is the name for 460 in Roanoke County, meaning that the accident was actually in the County. Chief 2, David Hoback, marked on scene with a MVA with entrapment and advised City units to continue their response. County units were enroute also. E14 arrived and E5 behind them. 2 victims were trapped. Another Medic truck was dispatched from the City. Units on scene were able to handle. I do not know of the Counties involvement in the response.

On another note, it seems as though the Mutual aid agreements have been getting a work out recently. The other day there were 3 City Medic Units on calls outside the City. There have been a couple today, including the usual mutual aid responses with City Fire Engines. Like I have said before, and I think this is the general sentiment of most City Firefighters. We don’t mind running calls, even mutual aid, however these departments we are running mutual aid for need to correct the problem at hand. The problem is that these departments do not have enough firefighters to handle there call volume. The answer is to hire more firefighters. The County just hired several firefighters to staff Hollins #5 with more firefighters. This is a big step in the right direction. I hope that the County will continue this trend of hiring more firefighters. Hopefully the taxpayers and voters in Roanoke County know the need of more firefighters.

On another note, I have been sent back to the ARFF Company at Roanoke Regional Airport. The ARFF Company is stationed in Station #10. I love it. I have never been happier. To think that I will only have to run about (50 calls a year divided by 3 shifts) 16 calls a year. Not bad is it.

Ok to clarify, I did not ask to be put on the ARFF Company. The guys who are assigned here are good at it and understand it. Most of them have put in numerous years in busy companies and enjoy the slower pace. I however am not one of those firefighters, at least not yet. I enjoy the adrenaline rush, running calls, helping people. I am young, 28 years old with almost 7 years in the dept. and recently promoted to Lieutenant. In our department a Lt. is a driver who has acting ability. Which means the I can ride as the Officer if the Captain is off. I would rather be at stationed at an Engine or Ladder Company. I was recently moved from Engine 8 (Crystal Springs Fire Station) to the ARFF Company which I had been moved off of after being at the ARFF for only several months. I guess I will just have to wait it out until I can move back onto a Red Fire Truck (the ARFF trucks are yellow). Until then I won’t have too many stories to tell of my own, but I will try to report on the others. If indeed I have an incident, I will probably be the last place you will be looking for information, it will be more likely covered on the local or national news. I certainly hope nothing like that happens, wouldn’t be pretty at all. As they say, flying is safer than driving.

Speak Your Mind

Tell us what you're thinking...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!