FASCV "Johnny-On-the-Spot" at San Jose Blaze

    

Photo By John Whitaker

(Note: The following is a first-hand report from "The Blogmaster" John Whitaker. The following is, for lack of a better term, the anatomy of a Fire Associates response. Many readers of this blog may not be aware of the coordination needed during the execution of our tasks. If you fall into that category, this should prove interesting.)
 
On the evening of Tuesday, September 25, I was sitting at my computer doing some work. As is typical of many Fire Associates members, I was monitoring the fire radio channels quietly on my emergency scanner as I worked. The time was 7:09 P.M. and I was just about to go downstairs to prepare some dinner.
   
Usually, the "noise" of the scanner is just in the background, but, all of a sudden, I heard some key information:
  
"Engine 31, Engine 24, Engine 11, Truck 16 and Battalion 2, a garage fire at 3156 Midhurst Court. Report of a garage on fire with possible people trapped."
 
Well, that got my attention because those three engine companies all respond into my Evergreen neighborhood. I immediately went to my upstairs window, looked to the north, and there (about a mile away) was a large column of smoke with a tell-tail orange glow at the base. Since, this was the condition right at the time of the dispatch, I knew that this was going to be a serious fire!

I returned to my computer and sent out a "heads up" message to all Fire Associates drivers giving the location of the incident and alerting them to the possibility of a response. I then changed clothes into my normal response "uniform" and headed for my car. Several minutes had passed by this time and I could hear Engine 11's siren as they responded down San Felipe Road from their nearby station.


Photo By John Whitaker

As I drove towards the fire, I could see other responding SJFD units arriving at the scene ahead of me. By this time, the battalion chief had put out a Second Alarm request due to the "smoke showing" report from several fire rigs that were en route. Traffic was heavy because, between my house and the incident, was Evergreen Valley Community College and a medium-size shopping center. As I was responding, FASCV member John Whiteside phoned me and said that he was standing by and would bring Fire Support Unit 3 in case we were need.
 
I decided to approach the fire from the neighborhood to the east of the incident as I anticipated that most fire equipment would be coming into the scene off San Felipe Rd., to the west. As I turned the corner at San Felipe Road and Delta Road, flames were licking over the pre-fab concrete wall that separated the burning home from the sidewalk along Delta. It was hot as I drove quickly by!
  
I parked my car about a block away from the fire and immediately sought out Battalion 2, who, on this A-shift evening, was Chuck Rangel. I asked Chuck if he wanted a support unit and the reply was, "Yes." I then called John Whiteside and told him to respond.
  
At this point, I went looking for Med30, Mike Van Elgort, to find out the location of Rehab. Mike was very busy statusing the health condition of the home's occupants and asked me to scout out a suitable location. I found a spot on the corner of Midhurst Court and Midhurst Way and coordinated the location with Med30 and the Rural-Metro EMS crews who had responded. That's right - "crews" - plural. Early reports had the possibility of 4 occupants trapped in the home, so a request for an EMS task force was made by the IC. That brought several EMS units and a Rural-Metro supervisor. As it turned out, several residents were home, but all made it out safely on their own.
  

Photo By John Whitaker

At this point, there was not much more I could do besides waiting for the arrival of the FSU. So, being the "Blogmaster", I started taking photos for use in this article. It was an interesting scene with a lot of fire equipment packed into a cramped little cul-de-sac. First-arriving firefighters had made a good knockdown by this time and the fire was not nearly as spectacular as it had been early on. The home had a 30-year-old wood shake roof and a very large attic space that was filled with lots of stored items. This all made for a heavy fuel load for the fire.
  
By the time the support unit arrived, FASCV guest Walter Huber was on scene and we were joined later by members George Hoyt and Mike Chappel. We got to work quickly and made a couple of pots of coffee and put out cold water and Gatorade along with our usual Clif Bars. As the crews were leaving, many took advantage of our "provisions" and expressed their gratitude for our presence.
  
With only one fire rig remaining on scene for "Fire Watch", rehab was disbanded at approximately 10:00 PM. We all left and I returned home to finally have some of that dinner I was going to prepare.

• John's photos can be viewed at:  Midhurst House Fire
     
• John's video can be viewed at:  Midhurst Fire Video
   
• A San Jose Mercury News story and ABC7 video can be seen at:  Family Displaced By Fire

-- Report submitted by John Whitaker
   

San Jose Condo Fire Requires Quick Action

  

Photo By John Whitaker

On Tuesday morning, September 18, while most FASCV members were sound asleep at 5:09 A.M., the morning's silence was broken by a pager message from the San Jose Fire Department. A condo unit was on fire at 671 Yolo Court, near the intersection of Capitol Expressway and Narvaez Ave. in the heart of the Valley. With several FASCV members initially slowed by some confusion with the location specified in the pager message, John Whiteside volunteered to drive Fire Support Unit 3 to the scene of the 2-alarm blaze.

Located at the end of a narrow cul-de-sac, SJFD Truck 13 was the first arriving rig. Initial reports were of a person trapped, so the crew immediately went into rescue mode. All but one resident had escaped from the structure, but a woman was still on the condo's wooden balcony. With help from the SJPD, she was brought to a safe location while additional fire companies began the fire attack. The fully involved unit was one of eight in the building. Because of firefighters' quick action, the only loss of life was one of two dogs owned by the resident. Fire crews held the blaze to the initial upstairs unit, with the lower unit suffering water damage. Power to the building was shut off, which required several residents to accept the offer of a place to stay from the American Red Cross.

Photo By John Whitaker

This call to Fire Associates was a good example of what it sometimes takes to get a Fire Support Unit on scene.

Somehow, after SJFD Dispatch called our paging service with the location of the incident, the page that went out attributed the call to "SNC", which most FASCV members recognize as the tri-graph for the Santa Clara City Fire Dept. This was an innocent mistake, but it led to a couple of responders initially not responding, since they lived in South San Jose. But, when a second page did not come out (saying that a Support Unit was being taken) in a timely manner, John Whitaker and John Whiteside both made phone inquiries to the paging service. By that time, Jerry Haag had indicated that he would take Support Unit 1. John Whiteside phoned Jerry and suggested that he could get FSU-3 there faster. So, Jerry backed off taking FSU-1 and went in his personal vehicle directly to the scene where he was met by John Whitaker, George Hoyt and Walter Huber (guest).

It should be pointed out that this sort of mistake happens VERY rarely. But, it helps to point out the complexity of getting support to a fire scene. It all hinges on the accuracy of the information we receive. And, the ability and willingness to communicate between members is a vital part of what we do in order to respond.

As it always works out, FASCV once again provided service to a bunch of tired firefighters. Several pots of hot coffee, lots of water and Gatorade, and a box of Clif Bars was again provided as a "Firefighter's Breakfast". FSU-3 was released from the incident at approximately 9:30 A.M.

• John Whitaker's photos can be viewed at:  Condo Fire
    
• A San Jose Mercury News story can be read at:  8-plex Blaze

-- Report Submitted By John Whitaker

Mountain View Fire Requests FASCV Help

  
Date and Time: Sept. 15, 2012; Alarm: 1718, Page: 1738
Agency: Mountain View Fire
Incident Address: 2260 Wyandotte St., Mountain View
Type: Second alarm
   

Details: Two-story, framed, four-plex. Fire held to single upstairs unit and some attic involvement. 11 persons displaced, 2 transported to hospital. 25 hamburgers from In'N'Out were served to the firefighters.

   

Agency Responders:

MTV: E-1, 3, 4, 5; T-1; R-1; IC-Batt. 18 (Capt. Walls)
PAF: E-4, T-6, R-2, BS-2, Batt-6
FASCV Responding Unit: FSU-1. Arrived: 1800, released: 2145 hours.
FASCV Responders: Jerry Haag (driver), Ron Green, Dan Wong, Larry Carr, Len Williams ad Walter Huber (guest).

• A news story from MountainView.patch.com:  Injuries in Fire

-- Report Submitted By Jerry Haag
 

Big Rig Fire Spreads to Highway 17 Hillside

   

Photo By John Whitaker

Where were you just before midnight on Wednesday, September 5th? Fire Associates members were near the summit of Highway 17 in the Santa Cruz Mountains as a tanker truck burned to the ground!
  
At 11:22 P.M., the Santa Clara County Fire Department called for FASCV's assistance on Highway 17 as it winds its way towards Santa Cruz. Don Gilbert and John Whitaker responded in Fire Support Unit 2. With all lanes of the 4-lane highway totally shut down, Don and John had to bring FSU-2 southbound in the northbound lanes from the Redwood Estates turn-off to the fire scene. Although deemed "safe" it is always an odd-feeling experience to be going the wrong way down a divided roadway. They were joined on scene by FASCV members George Hoyt and Dan Wong, along with Walter Huber (guest).

Located in the southbound lanes, about one-half mile north of the Summit Road overpass, a semi-truck was on fire. The uninjured driver reported that a fire began in the engine compartment of the near-new Freightliner tractor. Before fire crews could arrive, the rig's cab had burned to the ground -- literally! The big-rig was owned by Praxair and was transporting a load of liquid nitrogen "over the hill". Although singed, the large, insulated tank was not compromised and the load remained fully contained.
   

Photo By John Whitaker

Meanwhile, the blaze spread into the wildland along the shoulder of the mountainous highway. Using the dense brush and trees as fuel, the fire quickly raced up the 60-degree slope. Arriving County Fire crews were face with a diesel truck fully ablaze, and a wildland fire racing up a steep hill in the middle of the night. They were joined in the firefighting effort by Cal Fire units from CZU (Santa Cruz) and SCU (Santa Clara) as well as a Cal Fire camp crew from Ben Lomond. Additional water was provided by a water tender from the Loma Prieta Volunteers. A mutual aid request also went out for help from the San Jose Fire Department and a request was made for an EMS Task Force from Rural-Metro Ambulance. They provided 3 EMS units and an EMS supervisor.

With middle-of-the-night temperatures in the low 60s, and no wind, fire crews actually enjoyed some good firefighting weather. FASCV provided cold drinks, Clif Bars and the ever-popular donuts. With the blaze under control, and Cal Fire crews awaiting the arrival of a big-rig tow truck, Fire Associates was released at approximately 2:15 A.M.

• John's entire photo album can be seen at:  Highway 17 Truck Fire
    
• A San Jose Mercury News story can be read at:  Big Rig Engine Fire

--- Report submitted by John Whitaker
  

Cathedral Fire Challeges San Jose Firefighters

   

Photo By Bruce Dembecki

At 11:40 A.M. on Thursday, August 30, Fire Associates responded to a fire at St. Patrick's Cathedral. The midday blaze challenged San Jose firefighters with their third multiple alarm fire in 36 hours. John Whiteside responded in Fire Support Unit 3 simultaneously with Don Gilbert who was responding in Fire Support Unit 2. With FSU-2 able to respond more quickly, FSU-3 was cancelled en route.
 
Located at 389 E. Santa Clara St., at its busy intersection with 8th Street, the fire was spotted soon after it started. However, the fire quickly spread up into the open, vaulted rafters of the cathedral's sanctuary. The room reportedly filled with dense, black smoke making the fire difficult to fight.

To complicate matters, as the fire fight was winding down, one of the crew members of Truck 1 suffered cardiac arrest, requiring quick and immediate attention from other firefighters and paramedics on the scene. He was transported by a Rural-Metro EMS Unit to Regional Medical Center. However, those remaining on the scene were visibly shaken by the incident. Many were released from the incident and were replaced on scene by fresh firefighters.
  
The warm afternoon, with temps in the mid 80s, brought out a large response from the SJFD as well as a larger than usual response from Fire Associates. Responding FASCV members were Don Gilbert (Driver), John Whiteside (Driver), Bruce Dembecki, John Whitaker, George Hoyt, Mike Chappell, Ron Green, Rick James, Bob Gundrum and guest, Walter Huber.

• Bruce Dembecki's photos can be seen at:  St. Patrick's Fire
    
• An NBC Bay Area news story and video can be seen at:  Cathedral Fire
      
• An ABC7 news story and video is at:  Firefighter Suffers Heart Attack

-- Report submitted by John Whitaker
  

San Jose Firefighters Tackle 3-Alarm Nursery Fire

Photo By John Whitaker

Photo By John Whitaker

 
As the clock struck midnight, firefighters from the San Jose Fire Department struck a 3rd alarm at a popular plant nursery. Located at 4606 Almaden Expy., the Summerwinds Nursery has provided the plants for many, if not most, gardens in South San Jose. Now, the main building was fully engulfed in flame.

When the SJFD paged Fire Associates at 12:20 A.M. on Wednesday morning August 29th, Bruce Dembecki responded with Fire Support Unit 2. It was the middle of night for most people, but San Jose firefighters were hard at work. They were soon joined by FASCV members John Whitaker, George Hoyt, Mike Chappell, Dan Wong and guest, Walter Huber.
   
The first-arriving units found the front of the wood structure fully involved with the flames quickly spreading to the interior of the building. After the IC surveyed the scene, a second alarm was quickly called. Anyone who has been inside the business knows that the entire interior was wide open with cathedral ceilings. That was a lot of open space for the flames to spread and the interior was filled with fertilizers, pesticides and indoor plants that provided a lot of fuel for the fire. Because the entire structure was fully involved, the strategy early on was for a defensive attack. While two master streams were aimed at the center of the building, one from the "Bravo" side and one on the "Delta" side, other teams concentrated on hot spots on the exterior of the blaze.
  

Photo By Bruce Dembecki

At the direction of SJFD Med30, Fire Associates set up rehab in the slow lane of Almaden Expy., near the "Alpha-Delta" corner. The nighttime temperatures were still warm throughout the incident's duration, so water and Gatorade were in demand. However, several pots of coffee helped to keep fire crews, and FASCV members, alert during the wee hours of the morning.

With the fire operation in overhaul mode, and police wanting to open up Almaden Expy. for the quickly approaching commute hour, FSU-2 was released at: 04:15 A.M.

• A San Jose Mercury News story can be read at:  Nursery Hit By Fire
     
• John's photos can be viewed at:  Nursery Blaze
   
• Bruce Dembecki's photos can be seen at:  Summerwinds Fire

-- Report submitted by John Whitaker
 



Fire Associates Responds to Sunnyvale Moble Home Fire

   

Photo By Bruce Dembecki

Date and Time: 24 Aug. 2012, 10:30 P.M.
Agency: Sunnyvale
Incident Address: 1050 Borregas Ave., Sunnyvale
Type: Second alarm
  
Details: Double-wide mobile home. Close exposures.
  
Agency Responders:
SNY: E-1, 2, 5, 6, 60; T-2; R-2; IC-Discher
SNC and MTV: Assisted with brief station fill
FASCV Responding Unit:
Initially Carr in FSU-4, then Haag substituted in FSU-1 after FSU-4 battery failure. Arrived: 2318, released: 0100 hours.

FASCV Responders: Jerry Haag (driver), Ron Green, Dan Wong, Larry Carr, Bruce Dembechi, George Hoyt and Walter Huber (guest).

• A San Jose Mercury News story can be read at:  Friday Night Fire
      
• Bruce's photos can be viewed at:  Borregas Mobile Home

-- Report submitted by Jerry Haag
   

FASCV Responds to House Fire In South San Jose

 

Photo By Bruce Dembecki

On Tuesday night, August 14, Fire Associates was paged by the San Jose Fire Department to a house fire in South San Jose. The 10:52 P.M. call was for a house fire at 6263 Lean Ave. John Whitesdie responded for Fire Associates in Fire Support Unit 3. He was met at the fire by Bruce Dembecki, John Whitaker and Walter Huber (guest), and later, Dan Wong arrived on scene.
    
The fire was officially listed as a first alarm response, but with an extra truck company on scene, and an additional engine company, the IC reported that they were actually one engine short of a 2nd alarm. The first-due truck company (T-35) was busy on a medical call at the time of the dispatch, but made themselves available within a short time.

First-arriving engine companies reported flames above the roof on the "Charlie" side of the two-story structure. Crews on the ground reported that flames were coming out of both upstairs windows on the back of the home. Two attack lines were placed into the building and the interior firefighters reported "...heavy flames at the top of the stairs." With all residents and several pets safely outside, the truck companies concentrated on ventilation of the roof and one crew was assigned to begin pulling ceilings to expose more of the fire. In addition, crews reported that the upstairs floor was also burning, so a third attack line was positioned on the ground floor. After knockdown was achieved, the fire required extensive overhaul. The overhaul work was complicated by the fact that the fire had burned a hole from the second floor through to the first floor.

Fire Associates provided the usual coffee, Gatorade, water and lemonade to exhausted firefighters in Rehab. Although it was a middle-of-the-night fire, the nighttime summer temperature of 64 degrees made the firefighting effort hotter than usual. After all crews were rested, FSU-3 was released from service at 1:20 A.M.

• A San Jose Mercury News story can be read at:  San Jose House Fire
     
• Bruce Dembecki's photos are at:  Lean Ave. Fire

     

Fire Associates Called to Grass Fire In Palo Alto

    
Date and Time: 08 August 2012, 6:46 P.M.
Agency: Palo Alto Fire
Incident Address: Arastradero Preserve, 1529 Arastradero Rd., near Page Mill Rd., Palo Alto
Type: Special Call
  
Details: Low lying vegetation fire. No structures involved.
Responding Agencies: Palo Alto, Santa Clara County, Woodside and Cal Fire (Type 3 engines, air resources, 2 hand crews)

FASCV Responding Unit: FSU-1
FASCV Responders: Len Williams (Driver),  Jerry Haag and Walter Huber (guest)
Arrived: 7:15 P.M., released: 9:00 P.M.

• A news story with photos can be read at:  nbcbayarea.com

 
-- Report submitted by Jerry Haag
 

Multiple-Alarm Los Gatos Vegetation Fire Spreads into Apartment Parking Lots

  

Photo By Brian A. Floyd

Shortly before 6:00 P.M. on Thursday, August 2, Santa Clara County Fire began receiving reports of a grass fire in Los Gatos, between residences on Calle Marguerita and Hwy 85. What started as a brush response was quickly upgraded to a full Brush Alarm, and then a second Brush Alarm. The fire was burning in a strip of vegetation sandwiched between the apartment building parkinglot and the Union Pacific railroad tracks that run under some high-tension power lines alongside Highway 85.
   
Units on scene were confronted with a medium-intensity grass fire, some burning trees, and then several out-buildings and parked vehicles began burning. At that point, a Full First Alarm Structure Assignment was added to the response to deal with the burning buildings and evacuating the nearby apartment buildings. Additional units were requested from San Jose Fire Department. County Fire also used units from San Jose and Sunnyvale Fire Departments to provide Station coverage.
   
As this incident was developing, Fire Associates members were en route to their monthly meeting at County Fire's Shannon Fire Station in Los Gatos. Several members responded to the fire instead of the meeting, with Bruce Dembecki fetching Fire Support Unit 2, and being met on scene by John Whiteside, John Whitaker and, as a pleasant surprise, Fire Associates member Jill Levy made a guest appearance.
 

Photo By Bruce Dembecki

Cold drinks were the order of the day with water, lemonade and Gatorade being popular with fire crews. Although the threat level was high, the fire was quickly contained and crews were released to return to service in a short amount of time. Fire Support Unit 2 and the FASCV members on scene were released in time to join the Fire Associates meeting underway outdoors behind Shannon Station (County Engine 6, normally stationed at Shannon, was on scene at the fire!).

• An on-line news story from LosGatosPatch.com can be read at:  Los Gatos Brush Fire
     
• Bruce Dembecki's photos can be viewed at:  Calle Marguerita Fire

-- Story submitted by Bruce Dembecki