Tue, 22.02.2005 @ 11:00:31... I would like to thank Capt Oliver, Lisa, Paul, the fire chief and the YFD for giving me the opportunity to ride along. The day was even more special because it was Capt Oliver's last official day on the job. He has retired after 25 years of service. Capt Oliver will be missed by his crew and all on the department who knew him. We wish him well with his retirement. I'd also like to thank Joe Gorman of the Tribune Chronicle for stopping by the firehouse. Mr. Gorman saw this and the past web log and wanted to get some more information about the youngstownfire.com site and about this unique way of sharing with the public a little insight into a day in the life of a Youngstown Firefighter. I look forward to seeing his story sometime soon!
Tue, 22.02.2005 @ 10:52:43... In the firehouse, firefighers are always ready, you never know when someone will knock on the door and need assistance or the alarm sounds. When the alarm does goes off though, the truck is leaving the station in less than a minute. On the way to the fire, the Captain and the firefighter on the truck already have their gear on and are getting their airpacks on. The airpacks sit in a hollowed out space in the back of the seats and it's a lot like putting on a backpack. They also grab the tools they might need which typically include an axe and whatever else they feel will be needed for the call. When the truck pulls up on the fire, the Captain and the firefighter will investigate. If it's a structure fire, the firefighter and Captain will grab the hose and pull it off the truck and into the building. The driver, or lieutenant stays with the truck and is responsible for running the pump and pumping water through the hose to the firefighter and Captain inside. If it was a structure fire, additional fire trucks would be arriving and would provide more water to the first fire truck. Firefighters always want to extinguish the fire as quickly as possible because it minimizes the spread of the fire and the damage caused. Once the fire is knocked down, the firefighters then check to make sure all the fire is put out and that it hasn't spread into the walls or ceilings.
Tue, 22.02.2005 @ 10:36:44... P.S. If you are wondering why I didn't include more this time around, it was because I had to send all my updates via text message on my cell phone and if you have ever tried to type in a long message on a cell phone, it's a challenge in itself. So, I'm adding a little more here. Even though it was a holiday, work in the firehouse still goes on. In the morning shortly after arriving to the station, each member was briefed about what went on the previous day. Each member was responsible for checking the all of the equipment on the truck to make sure it was in working order and nothing was malfunctioning. We made sure the fire engine was in full readyness. We made sure the tank was filled with water, fueled up and ready to go. We checked the warning lights to make sure none had burned out. We checked the halogen spotlights and the hose on the truck. We checked the medical bags and made sure the oxygen tank on the truck was filled should it be needed. We then worked on station chores. Just like in a normal house there were dishes to wash, dry and put away, floors to sweep and beds to make.
Tue, 22.02.2005 @ 10:06:20... Although we only had 2 runs on E7 yesteday, the department as a whole was busy. The rescue squad went on a dumpster fire downtown in the morning, then the south side companies went to a working attic fire on McCollum Rd. Later that evening the south side companies went to a reported fire on Taft which turned out to be minor. E3 also on the West Side had a smell of gas call.
Tue, 22.02.2005 @ 07:01:17... Box 4 -Denneck and Elm, Trash fire. E7 only.
Mon, 21.02.2005 @ 19:41:42... The south side has been active today. They have had several structure fire calls.
Mon, 21.02.2005 @ 15:41:33... Box 4 -1044 Belmont. St Elizabeth's Hospital. Fire alarm. E7 only.
Mon, 21.02.2005 @ 12:51:14... This morning we thoroughly checked the truck. It's important to make sure everything is ready to go when there is an emergency.
Sun, 20.02.2005 @ 21:11:11... .Test successful. T-Minus 11 hours till I ride along with Engine 7 A Turn. Right now there is about 2 inches of snow on the ground with an ice and rain mix falling. Tomorrow's forecast is scattered showers with a high of 40 degrees. Since I'll be hanging out at the station, we're pretty much guaranteed not to get any runs :-)
|
