Los Altos House Fire Goes to Two Alarms

Date: Apr. 15, 2017
Agency: County Fire 
Incident Address: 615 Casita Way, Los Altos
Arrived: 1638; Released 2000

   
Details:
2-alarm garage fire that moved into the house then up into the second story.
 
Agency Responders: 
County Fire
MVFD
   
Responding Unit: FSU-1
FASCV Responders:
Mike Garcia (driver)
   
-- Reported by Mike Garcia

County Fire Attacks 2-Alarm Los Gatos House Fire

   
Date: 03/23/2017
Agency: CNT (Los Gatos) 

Incident Address: 101 Broadway
Arrived: 06:45 Released 10:00
Type: 2-Alarm House Fire 

   
Details:
Fire in a three-story duplex. Sprinklered building, however it appeared the attic burnt through. At least 7 pots of coffee served.
   
Agency Responders: 
County Fire
 
Responding Unit: FSU-2
FASCV Responders:
Don Gilbert (driver) and Walter Huber
 
-- Reported by Walter Huber

Two-Alarm Fire In Palo Alto Residence

     
Date: March 19, 2017

Requesting Agency: Palo Alto Fire

Alarm Level: Two

Incident Location: 335 Seale Ave, (Zillow shows the only OLD house (1927) on the street as 355 Seale.

Type of Incident: Single-story, private residence.

   

Details: The house was an old Spanish-style, single-story house. The fire seemed to be in the kitchen area, since an announcement was made that all fire staff were to stay out of the kitchen because the floor was collapsing. Quote from IC upon seeing a member of FASCV on scene – “Thank goodness you’re here”

   

FASCV Response: Larry Carr with FSU-4, Mike Garcia and Walter Huber

   

-- Report submitted by Bob Gundrum

3rd Alarm Hazmat Incident In Palo Alto

  

Date:  March 11, 2017

Requesting Agency: Palo Alto Fire

Type: Third alarm hospital building hazardous material fire

Incident Location: 300 Pasteur Ave., Palo Alto

   

Details: Fire was in a room containing hazardous material at the Stanford Medical School, Edwards Building. The fire was reduced by the sprinkler system, but required fire responders to use chemical fire extinguishers to completely extinguish the fire when there was a chemical reaction to the water initially used.  

   

Responding Fire Agencies: Palo Alto (PAF), Sunnyvale (SNY), Moffett Field (MOF), Santa Clara County (CNT), Menlo Park (MPK), and Santa Clara (SNC).

    

FASCV Response:

Larry Carr, Mike Garcia, Walter Huber, and Dan Wong with FSU-1 and FSU-4

    

Report submitted by Larry Carr

Palo Alto Cancels 2nd Alarm Commercial Fire

 
Date: March 10, 2017
Agency: Palo Alto Fire
Incident Address: 855 El Camino Real
Type: 2nd Alarm Commercial Fire (cancelled)
 
Details: Single-story, Town & Country style strip mall. Fire in water heater room of Jamba Juice. 2nd alarm canceled before we got to Station 9 to pick up FSU-1.
 
Agency Responders:
PAF, MTV, and CNT
   
FASCV Responding Unit: FSU-1 (Canceled before personnel arrived at station)
FASCV Responders:  Mike Garcia and Walter Huber (Driver).
    
Report submitted by Walter Huber

Early Morning San Jose Callout

   
March 5 at 01:00 hours, San Jose Fire paged Fire Associates for support at an incident involving swiftly moving Coyote Creek and a potential victim. The location was in William Street Park, near Senter Road and Keyes Street. The situation had been dragging on for over 6 hours, with the USAR 34 Swift Water Rescue units and other San Jose Fire and Police units on scene. The temperature was in the 40s, it was raining, so hot drinks and snacks were requested.
   
John Whiteside responded to take Fire Support Unit 2 from SJS Station 6. He was met by Don Gilbert and they departed SJS Station 6 around 01:50 hours. Almost immediately the radio traffic indicated SJ units were being released and Fire Associates were cancelled. Members Walter Huber and Dan Wong were also enroute to the scene.
   
At the same time, San Jose dispatched a full 1st alarm (2 BCs, 3 engines, 2 trucks, 1 squad) to 2820 Leigh Avenue at Mesita Way, a short drive from Station 6. John advised Dispatch they planned to drive to the fire area. The fire, in a one-story duplex, escalated to a 2nd alarm, which was then cancelled as those units arrived on scene. Walter and Dan also arrived at the fire scene. Water, Gatorade and CLIF bars were provided to the fire fighters. FSU-2 was soon released with Don and John arriving at their respective homes around 0445 after restocking the rig.    

Fire Associates Responds to Yet Another Flood Area

   
Date: Feb. 21, 2017
Dispatch: 20:45
Location: Williams and 22nd Streets, San Jose
Type: Multiple Flood Rescues
FASCV Response: FSU-3, Dembecki

Details: After completing meal service at the Oakland Road incidents, SJFD units were working yet another flood incident covering multiple blocks in the area of Williams and 19th streets. Multiple rescue boats were working the incident and traveling up and down normally dry streets evacuating residents. Fire Support Unit 3 brought approx 40 meals to the Williams Street incident at around 21:00. While rescue efforts continued the meals were popular and FSU-3 was released soon after 10:00pm.
 
Report submitted by Bruce Dembecki

FASCV Responds To Second Flood Area In San Jose

 
Date: Feb. 21, 2017
Dispatch: 16:13pm
Location: 1350 Oakland Road, San Jose
Type: Multiple Flood Rescues
FASCV Response: FSU-2, Gilbert, Whiteside and FSU-3 Dembecki
Released 20:45
 
After a busy morning and afternoon, San Jose Fire personnel were presented with continuing flood problems along the Coyote Creek. Having finished a search of the properties in the Nordale area and evacuating more than 200 people, San Jose Fire moved on to a series of problems at several mobile home parks along Oakland Road. Three parks were put under mandatory evacuation orders as the flood waters along the Coyote Creek threatened to overwhelm the barrier walls protecting the parks. Along with minor flooding, several people required rescue and removal by flood boat during the evacuation.
   
Fire Support Unit 2 along with drivers Don Gilbert and John Whiteside responded directly from the earlier incident, while Bruce Dembecki brought FSU 3 to the scene along with fresh supplies.
   
Fire Associates was tasked with acquiring and serving 65 meals… The local Togo’s closed their doors so they could work on meeting our needs. Meals were served to Fire, Police, Parks, and PG&E personnel involved in the evacuations. After dinner, the evacuations were completed and the parks were handed over to the PD to provide security.
   
FSU-2 and a weary John and Don were released at 20:45 and sent home after a long, long day. FSU-3 was dispatched to provide additional meals at a third flooding location.
   
Report submitted by Bruce Dembecki

Fire Associates Called To Aide San Jose Food Response

 
Date: Feb. 21, 2017
Dispatch at 10:37am
Location: San Jose's Nordale neighborhood - Phelan & Senter Roads
Type: Multiple Flood Rescues
FASCV Responders: FSU-2, Gilbert, Whiteside
   
Details: San Jose Fire called Fire Associates looking for assistance with meals for an ongoing rescue operation in the Nordale neighborhood, near Kelley Park. The Coyote Creek had flooded and was flooding multiple homes and apartments. San Jose responded with multiple rescue boats and were working to evacuate residents.
   
The nature of the flood meant the floodwaters were contaminated wth raw sewage, fuel and oil from flooded vehicles, and assorted chemicals picked up in various homes and garages. This meant as well as evacuating the residents it was important to decontaminate the residents who had been exposed to the flood water.
   
San Jose worked to evacuate over 200 residents by boat. Meanwhile Fire Associates were setting up to provide rehab to the first responders working the scene. Setting up a rehab facility across the street from the incident in the lobby of the Fire HQ building proved advantageous, and our helpers throughout the day even included San Jose’s Fire Chief Jacobson.
 
Don Gilbert and John Whiteside responded to the scene with Fire Support Unit 2, stopping en route to collect the first 40 meals, along with a supply of donuts and coffee. Setting up Rehab in a downstairs conference room gave our first responders a higher than normal comfort level, and good access to bathroom facilities. Of course having been wading through chest deep water across the road they all had to decontaminate before entering Rehab.
   
As the event dragged into the afternoon a second food run was made to bring in another 40 meals for hungry first responders. Once the primary search had been completed of all the residences in the impacted neighborhood units were released to additional flood areas around San Jose. With FSU-2 being dispatched to an ongoing operation on Oakland Road at around 16:15.
 
Report submitted by Bruce Dembecki

Los Gatos Condo Fire Goes to 2 Alarms

   
Date: Feb 5, 2017
Requesting Agency: County Fire (CNT).
Incident Location: Los Gatos, Unit 120k, at dead-end of College Terrace Court at College Ave. Near Main Street/Hwy 17, southwest of downtown, uphill above Hwy 17.
Type: 2-alarm; plus SJS for 2 engines, station coverage.
   
Details: Continuous rain, downhill walk into the scene at a Multi-unit condo structure fire with narrow street access. Fire unit at ground level, only feet from parked engines. Hydrant within complex. Per IC, we only provided water, Gatorade and CLIF bars. Fire in attic, thought to have originated from fireplace. Contained to single, end unit.
 
FASCV Response: FSU-2, John Whiteside (driver), Mike Garcia, Walter Huber, and guest Christian Sevilla. Departed SJS Station 6 at 19:20, released 20:40.
   
Report submitted by John Whiteside