Last night’s events was another close call for JFRD.
· Recent JFRD injuries---Last night at 2025 hrs a structure fire came in at 6556 Utsey Rd, District 53. Two officers were injured when a room flashed over on them. One was forced to jump out of a 2nd story window. Both were taken to UF Health, with one subsequently being moved to Shands-Gainesville Burn Unit. The Lieutenant on E26 is recovering and has been released from Gainesville and the Lieutenant on L26 has been released as well. Last night Engine and Ladder 26 were battling a typical two story house fire and unfortunately, a flash-over occurred splitting the crew. One egressed the structure through the first floor, the second through a 2nd story window. Our profession is inherently dangerous and that call just illustrated how quickly things can go south on you and your crew. Please keep them in your thoughts and your prayers.
· Structure Fire District 7---last night, at the same time as the District 53 fire, a candle lit off a structure fire in District 7. Reports of people trapped above the fire are not uncommon and usually turn out OK due to the efforts of arriving crews. This time, when crews arrived, they made a quick entry and found two patients in trauma arrest along with three others injured. What started off as another typical two story house…was not. I witnessed the professionalism and valor of those Rescues and assisting engines as they tried to resuscitate the injured.
· Westside natural Gas Leak---For Lieutenant Ahern and his crew on E56, their morning did not start off like all others. Driving down Normandy Blvd, they noticed a buckle in the road and water bubbling out of it. Turns out, a natural gas line had ruptured parallel to the road. It took nearly 28 hours for TECO and JFRD to bring the gas leak under control. Great job to E56 for taking the time to stop and investigate and to everyone who was involved in this incident. EPD members and numerous companies sacrificed their Thursday day and night.
· 2nd Alarm at 3830 S University Bv---at 0244 hrs, Station 21 and 20 went on scene at an apartment fire. Reports of one trapped with multiple units on fire, a second alarm was called. Without the protection of a hand line, FF’s Maurice Brown and FF J. C. Herrera went into a heavily charge apartment and found the victim and brought her out to the waiting Rescue units. Our PIO Tom Francis said it best… "The tower ladder activity to make sure the fire couldn't progress to any other buildings was outstanding, and of course removing the victim from her predicament in a timely fashion gave her a chance to maybe make it." Truth is, everyone on that scene gave her a fighting chance. In the end, 8 apartments were consumed by the blaze.
· Museum Visits---I would like to thank everyone who took the time to go visit the museum. Hopefully you were able to learn a little something about the history of this great department. For me, I always enjoy seeing the LTI tiller truck (old Ladder 10) out front as it reminds me of when I came on the job. In my mind, those were the coolest trucks on the job. What always surprised me was how small the back of the tractor is. It’s a lesson in confined space just to get in one, yet it seemed to me that every firefighter assigned was over 6 feet tall. For those that remember, am I wrong? Please take the time to revisit if a new FF is assigned to your unit. This will become part of their probationary training during their first 11 months.
· New RIT Training---40 hours of advanced RIT and FF safety & Survival is almost complete. Next in line will be the truck company officers. Followed by department training with the Squads later in the year. I would like to thank everyone who has been helping get this important initiative off the ground and running! Also, I would like to thank Captain Reagor L1, Captain Jolly L30, Battalion Chief Gray, and Lieutenant Todd Smith for everything they did.
· JFRD Exhibit at JIA---in very short order, there will be a display at Jacksonville International Airport about the JFRD. It will include our old steam pumper at the museum, the 1901 great fire model display, and a tribute to our HazMat Team and its founding members. What a great way to greet people as they arrive in Jacksonville.
· New Marine Division Video---in case you haven’t seen it yet, please check out the link on YouTube. You only think of the boats on nice days, it’s truly amazing the type of weather and conditions they go in to help our citizens.
Provisional Lieutenant Esley Baker, F5--is retiring today after 25 years of service. I would like to personally thank him for his service and for cutting me out of a fire on Thanksgiving Day, 2002. I hope you stay healthy and happy during your retirement, my friend.
Time to give some thanks….
· To the Eagles---as for one moment on Wednesday night, I was able to relax and forget about all the stresses in my life as I watched the best concert I had ever seen.
· On Thursday, Engineer Pam Ramsdell and Captain Steve Riska took their K-9’s, Pixel and Jade, to SP Livingston Elementary for Career Day. Each spent 8 hours talking about the JFRD and interacting with the K-9s and the children. Thank you to each of you for going above and beyond…again.
· To all of you who come in and risk your life for others…
· FD22/ W3 RESD HOUSE/ 2604 ELLERSHAW RD
· FD32 /W3 RESD HOME/ 10355 S SHELBY CREEK RD
· STRUCTURE FIRE 2 STORY SINGLE FAMILY RESD/ W3/ FD 53/ 6556 UTSY RD/
· W3 APARTMENT STRUCTURE FIRE/ APT B9/ FD 07/ 1771 W 10TH ST
· STRUCTURE FIRE APARTMENT COMPLEX/FD 20/3830 S UNIVERSITY BLVD
· And countless EMS calls!!!
It’s funny how you never know how a person feels until you walk in their shoes. I took a call from a very proud Lieutenant Kerr and he told me how his crew did at the fire. It reminded me of sitting around 21 talking with everyone when I was the Captain there. I couldn’t have been more proud of them. Did you ever see the movie Stripes when a captain was on the confidence course with a sergeant? The recruits were running down the course and the captain said…”are those my men sergeant?’’ no sir. Then, John Candy, Bill Murray, and all the rest rounded the corner. The look of sheer terror on the captain’s face was priceless. The Sergeant said…”those are your men sir!” Truth is, that is what makes a great fire department. Determination, knowledge, skill, teamwork, a just a little bit of crazy (or a lot)…is what makes a firefighter. I’m just as proud of each one of you today as I was of my folks at 21 back then. I’ll take that second group of recruits on my watch any day of the week.
Well that’s it for this WIR. I hope everyone takes to heart the near misses we’ve had the past few weeks and continue to look out for each other. I hope you get some time for yourself this weekend and I hope you spend it with family and friends. As always, we thank you for what you do, why you do it, and for truly being the Best Fire Rescue Department in the Country!
Very Respectfully,
Kurtis R. Wilson
Chief of Operations