January Recap

Crews work at a crash on Babcock Boulevard

Incidents

Our crews had their hands full with another active month with eighty-nine (89) calls. Forty-six (46) incidents involved fire and rescue-related responses and forty-three (43) responses were for quick response medical emergency calls.   Incidents of note include a structure fire assist in Franklin Park and a vehicle fire assist in the McCandless side of North Park. A total of twenty-nine (29) members responded to calls in January. Our average turnout time (dispatch to the first unit on the road) was 2 minutes and 45 seconds. Our average response time to emergency incidents was 7 minutes and 16 seconds.

Here is a breakdown of our incidents for January by major incident type:

Fire- 2
Fire Alarm- 9
Good Intent- 19
Hazardous Condition- 8
Rescue & QRS- 50
Service Call- 1
TOTAL – 89

Training

Members use teamwork in a drill to lift ground ladders from the bay floor.

After a short holiday break, weekly training resumed in January. Members reviewed procedures to inspect their fire gear to ensure it is ready for service and to help gauge replacement needs. Crews also participated in a teamwork exercise to raise ground ladders in unison with various lifting equipment. The drill helps members practice with equipment that is used for emergency lifting situations such as someone trapped under a vehicle. In a real rescue situation, firefighters involved in performing a lift must use good teamwork to ensure that the lifting operation is safe. Our QRS members were also trained on new CPAP and nebulizer equipment as well as on the administration of albuterol.