"Slow" Month for FASCV Ends with Gas Explosion in Cupertino

"Here is what I found burning upon arrival." - Bob Gundrum

Date & Time: 31 August 2011, 1245 hours 

Agency: Santa Clara County Fire Incident Address: 20299 Northwest Square, CupertinoType: With both CNT and SNY in attendance, a constructive 2nd alarm.
 

Details: Two-story, single-family, townhouse-style occupied condo. Reported as an "explosion" later found to be due to leaking natural gas. Heavy damage to the building. Engine 1 first in, own 5" supply line from close hydrant. Held to unit of origin. One small dog rescued. Final extinguishment was delayed while PG&E clamped-off underground gas lines serving the building.

Responders: CNT:  E-1, 2, 9; R-17; T-1; HM-2; IC-Batt. 14 (Pearson), Batt-2 SNY:  E-3, 4, 30; T-2, Batt. 1

FASCV Responding Unit: Voluntary response by Haag in own POV. Upon contact with IC ordered response from FSU-1. Released at 1630 hours.

Responders: Bob Gundrum (driver), Jerry Haag, Ron Green and Walter Huber (guest)

• San Jose Mercury News story:  Blast Rocks Home

 

FASCV Makes Donation to Burn Foundation

   

  
Fire Associates of Santa Clara Valley recently made a cash donation to the Alicia Ann Ruch Burn Foundation. The $100 donation was made by members of Fire Associates during the Mountain View stop of the recent Alicia Ann Ruch Burn Relay.

The Burn Relay is a procession of current and antique fire apparatus that travels "Code 3" up the San Francisco Bay Penninsula collecting monetary donations a various stops along the way. Like years past, this annual event was a great success, garnering the support of the Bay Area’s finest fire departments and other agencies. The 2011 relay began at Moffett Field and traveled north to the San Francisco Fire Department's Division of Training site. FASCV was proud to participate in this year's relay with Fire Support Unit 1 taking part in the procession as far north as the Santa Clara/San Mateo County line.

The Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation (AARBF) is a California-based nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing burns and fires and providing services to those who have been affected by a burn injury. AARBF brings together health care providers, firefighters, emergency workers, burn survivors and others to enhance the quality of life for burn survivors and to make burn injuries a thing of the past.

At age eight, Alisa Ann Ruch was fatally injured in a backyard barbecue accident in Southern California. Bravely using their tragedy as a catalyst for change, Alisa Ann’s parents, local firefighters and medical professionals joined together and created AARBF in 1971 with the goal of preventing burn injuries by teaching Stop Drop and Roll.
 

Former Fire Support Unit Gets New Life

  

  
Fire Associates' former Fire Support Unit 2 must be part feline - it seems to have 9 lives.

In the early 1990s, this vehicle served as a Santa Clara County Vector Control unit. Then, it was donated to Fire Associates and, after some custom modification by member Don Gilbert, became a part of the organization's FSU fleet. In May, 2009, it was donated by FASCV to the San Jose Fire Museum (see this link) and, now, it has been transformed into a fleet service vehicle for the Museum.

Thanks to some work by San Jose Fire Museum Fleet Manager Randy Perez, the 1990 Dodge Power Ram is not only part of the Museum's historic collection, but it now does double duty as the Museum's road service vehicle.

Randy says, "This vehicle is perfectly suited to our needs. When we take one of our antique vehicles on the road, we usually need an additional vehicle to tag along behind the antique rig as safety support. This former FSU is big and red and has the bonus of rotating, amber warning lights."

It should be noted that the rig also has a 5,000-watt generator for power equipment and plenty of storage compartments for tools that might be needed in case an antique rig has a breakdown on the road. And, because of its towing capacity, the new service truck can pull a trailer for hauling several of the smaller rigs in the Museum's collection. All of these are capabilities that the Museum didn't have before the donation from Fire Associates.
 

Fire Associates To Take Part In "2011 Burn Relay"

  
On Thursday, August 18, Fire Associates of Santa Clara Valley will join in on the "2011 Burn Relay" benefiting the Alicia Ann Ruch Burn Foundation. FASCV Vice President, Jerry Haag, reports, "FASCV President, Bob Gundrum, and I will join the parade in FSU-1 and go as far as Palo Alto. We will stay in service. During the relay, FASCV will present a donation check to the burn foundation. The presentation will be made at the Mountain View stop (Fire Station 1 on S. Shoreline at Dana)."

An informational flier can be viewed at this link:  2011 Burn Relay

A description of the route can be read at:  2011 Burn Relay Route

 

Santa Clara County Fire Battles Early Morning House Fire

   

Early on Thursday morning, August 11, Santa Clara County Fire battled a full first alarm house fire in Los Altos Hills. In a rare, early morning voluntary response, Jerry Haag responded in his personal vehicle. Jerry has submitted the following report:

 

Date & Time: 11 August 2011, 0200 hours 

Agency: Santa Clara County Fire
Incident Address: Anacapa Dr. & Ascension Dr., Los Altos Hills  
Type: “Full First” Alarm
 

Details: Large, single-story, single-family, unoccupied dwelling undergoing remodeling. Fire in attached garage that spread to roof. Delayed detection, heavily involved before arrival of first units. Heavy damage to the building. Engine 15 first in, provided own 5" supply line from close hydrant, 5 attack lines.

Responders:
CNT: E-1, 7, 15, 16; R-14, 17; HM-2; BS-2; IC-Batt. 14 (Vega), Safety (Wallace)

FASCV Responding Unit: Voluntary response by Jerry Haag in his own POV, released at 0425 hours. 28 bottles of water dispensed.
FASCV Responders: Jerry Haag

   

Santa Clara Firefighters Battle 3-Alarm Fire

  

Date & Time: 02 August 2011, 1934 hours
Agency: Santa Clara City
Incident Address: 2312 Augusta Lane 
Type: Third Alarm

Details: Wood frame, single story, single family dwelling. Fire in outside shed and attached garage. Engine 5 first in, own 5" supply line from close hydrant, 3 attack lines. Heavy black smoke more reminiscent of an industrial fire filled the sky above Santa Clara, visible from Palo Alto to the far side of San Jose - the outside "structure" was full of "heavy fuel load" materials, which caused the increased level of smoke, and some problems for firefighters.

Responders:
SNC: E-2, 7, 9, 10; E-1 & 3 quickly released; T-2; R-2; IC-Batt. 1 (Dellamaggiore)

FASCV Responding Unit: FSU-1, released at 2115 hours.
Responders:  Bob Gundrum (driver), Herman De Kruyff, Bruce Dembecki, Jerry Haag and Dan Wong with Walter Huber (guest)

• Bruce's photos can be viewed at:  Santa Clara Fire