What, When, Where, How and Why? Questions we all have

Early Morning Devastation 4015 w 3500 S West Valley City

West Valley City firefighters responded to an early morning house fire at 4015 west and 3500 south. The call came in at about 8:00 AM, it was called in by Deputy Fire Marshal Carl Andreasen. He was at a business in the area doing an inspection follow up when he noticed the thick black smoke rising from the home. As crews arrived the fire was rolling from a shed at the rear of the home and carport.

A home located close to the one involved was threatened but the firefighters did a great job in protecting it from becoming involved.

With the fire contained to the one unit crews were able to concentrate on controlling the fire and making sure everyone was accounted for. There were early reports of people inside, but the firefighters were able to account for everyone quickly. With the amount of fire that involved the structure and everyone accounted for the fire crews fought this fire from a defensive position, meaning that we attacked from the outside first. While this is not the most glamorous way to attack a fire, it is the one that provides the greatest safety for those fighting it. Firefighters will risk their lives to fight a fire where other lives are at risk, but we are trying to be more responsible in risking lives when we know that the only thing at risk is property. The firefighters were able to knock down the fire quickly at this point, making it possible to transition to a more aggressive offensive or interior attack.

There is a lot to do at a fire, more than just extinguish the flames. We try to make sure that  everyone at the scene is safe, whether thats the firefighters, home owners or those that are just there to see whats going on, some time that is a huge chore in itself. We conduct an investigation for every fire. sometimes it is simple and obvious what cases the fire, other times it may take days or weeks to get all the information. We are always grateful for the help we receive from our partners from the West Valley City Police department

That brings me to the title of this article. The What, When and Where are usually easy to answer. The how and why are sometimes much more difficult and require more effort expertise and follow up. We appreciate the patience that we get from the public and the media. We want to make sure we get things right.
We love serving our community. It's a privilege we don't take lightly.

To everyone, Have a great Thanksgiving

Remember..... Be Safe..... Be Smart.... BE READY!
Fire Marshal Bob

CAFFEINE POWDER - A WARNING FOR PARENTS

You may have heard about the use of caffeine powder and some of the problems people are experiencing as a result. We recently responded to a call of a young man who had taken about a protein powder scoop's worth of the drug. Some rough math shows that's about the equivalent of drinking 700 energy drinks. This young man, healthy and fine earlier in the day, was now in full arrest. 100% caffeine powder is easily and inexpensively purchased online and unfortunately, it's also easily over dosed and potentially deadly. Please, be aware, talk to your family about this drug and *SHARE THIS WARNING* with your friends.

Jayson,

MEET JAYSON: Our crew met him when, at only 5 weeks old, a rare condition caused his heart to stop and his parents called for help.
Jayson had heart surgery to fix the problem and his mom sent us a note to say he's doing just great.
"If it weren't for West Valley Fire Department, my son wouldn't be here today. We will never forget what you guys gave back to us and we are forever grateful."
We'll never forget Jayson. From your friends who met you that scary day, Scott Pearson, Nick Herzog, Matt Butterfield, Phil Lords and Alex Wingeier of Medic Ambulance 74 and Tower 74, we wish you a happy and healthy future!

Fire crews battle an early afternoon fire.

West Valley City fire fighters responded to a house fire at about 12:20 July 11, 2014. (4715 w 3145 s) crews arrived to find a split entry style home well involved in fire.

Crews acted quickly to extinguish the fire. Fortunately no one was at home at the time of the fire. The fire is still under investigation The fire started in the kitchen area.  The stove was found to be the starting point of the fire. No foul play is suspected. Damage to the home is over 100,000.  A family of 6 has been displaced and will be staying with family. There was also a water main break at the fire hydrant that supplied the. First in engine. Fortunately the fire had been extinguished prior to the water break.

 BE Smart.... BE Safe.... BE READY!!!!

Fire Marshal Bob

Coming soon......UFO's in the summer sky

Hello everyone, Just a reminder that starting this Tuesday July 1st you might notice some unidentified flying objects in the Utah sky. Not to fear, its just the annual onslaught of fireworks.

It really is a time of celebration as we remember our nations birth. But this celebration comes with some risk when combined with fireworks. So here are just a few reminders and tips.
1. Buy from a reputable dealer.  Don't drive to Wyoming to get your fireworks. If you do you are at risk of bringing in illegal fireworks.
2. Be a good neighbor, fire works are allowed between the hours of 11:00 AM and 11:00 PM, from July 1st - July 7. On the fourth you can shoot them off until midnight. For the days of 47 celebration the dates you can use legal fireworks are July 21st - July 27. The hours are the same for these dates and you can shoot till midnight on the 24th.
3. Still illegal are bottle rockets, firecrackers, M80's, re loadable mortars, and any fire work that has more than 500 grams of powder.
4. Dont be a dud.... Dont combine drinking alcohol and lighting fireworks.
5. Adults be just that ....Adults! Please supervise any child that is around fireworks, by law no one under the age of sixteen is to light or handle the fireworks.
6. Look up before you light! you should have 150 Feet of clearance overhead to safely light fire works. You should also have at least a 30 foot radius around the fireworks display you are doing.
7. Check with your local jurisdiction to see if there are any other restrictions that are in place. Certain locations have banned the use of fireworks in areas that pose a problem. By checking you can avoid most of these problems.
8. When you do light the fireworks make sure that you are shooting from a stable hard surface. Not grass or uneven terrain.
9. Join the bucket brigade. Keep a bucket of water to dunk the discharged  fire works in. Also keep a hose handy. These two items stem a lot of problems.
10. When in doubt... don't!

Be safe have a great summer. The following video is just a brief reminder of most of these tips. Remember Be Smart... BE Safe... BE READY! Fire Marshal Bob

A river runs through it

June 22, 2014 West Valley City, Utah

At about 7:10 on a beautiful Sunday evening something evil lurked just under the surface of the road.
The evil turned out to be a leak in a 24 inch water main. Residents described the initial leak as volcano like, spewing road, water, rocks and debris into the air.  The neighborhood quickly became inundated with water. Fortunately the storm drain system was able to handle the hundreds of thousands of gallons coming from the roadway.



West Valley City Fire, Police and pubic works, worked to keep the traffic back and alert residents about the potential hazards. These departments worked along side granger hunter water improvement district to get the situation under control. Granger hunter had to shut down pressure stations and locate the appropriate valves to stem the rising waters. Fortunately there were no injuries reported, and no property damages were known of at the time of this article. The attached video was taken well into the incident and the water pressure had been lowered considerably. Thanks so much for those that responded quickly and helped to make sure that damage was kept to a minimum.

Remember,      BeSmart.... Be Safe.... BE READY!
Fire Marshal Bob

ITS WEST FEST EVE!!!!!!!

Hello everyone. I'm so excited! Because its WEST FEST EVE! You know the night before the big three days in june
.
Come join the Fire Department as we celebrate with the City in the annual three day event. This year the fire department will be doing many fun family activities, we'll have safety sheets and books. We will be featuring our "home safe home" program with an activity book for families with over 60 activities to make your home a safer place. There will be photo opportunities, an inflatable house for families to learn about home safety, and our C.E.R.T. team members will be there to help Westfesters get their "Ghoul" on by doing moulage for those that are not faint of heart.

One item we especially want to talk about is the West Valley City Firefighters support of Camp Na Na Mah. This is the University of Utah burn center camp for kids ages 7-12 that have been injured by fire. Camp is held in early August and runs for four days. Each year the firefighters rally together to provide meals, activities, and interaction with the kids. "Its one of the most rewarding things I've done" according to Mary Lindsay Vonk, one of our engineer paramedics.

This year, Battalion Chief Jeff Fox has headed up a special fundraiser for camp nah nah mah. Thanks to the efforts of the West Valley City firefighters, police officers, and community. We have around 30 bikes that we will be selling during westfest. These bikes have been cleaned up and serviced and are very reasonably priced. You can purchase one of these bikes during westfest at the fire department display. The money will be donated to camp nah nah mah to help offset costs for this wonderful program. You of course can make a donation to the camp even if you don't need a bike.


We hope to see you there, and don't forget about the fire works on Saturday June 21 at 10:00


Remember....

Be Smart... Be Safe... BE READY!              Fire Marshal Bob

West Valley City Fire Hosts "Trench Rescue" for Metro Fire Agency

Technical rescue crews from Utah's Metro Fire Agency recently held training at Wst Valley City Fire Departments training center.



This critical training provides crews from around the Salt Lake Valley to work together and build team relationships. the focus of this training was "Trench Rescue". with summer upon us and many construction projects ramping up for the season "We want to make sure that our personnel are ready in the event that one of these sites has a collapse that involves some one being trapped in a life threatening situation..... time is critical in these events.... We don't have the time to invent how to handle the situation, we need to be ready to make a difference at the outset" said one of the instructors.

Remember everyone.

Be Smart.... Be Safe.... BE READY!

          FIRE MARSHAL BOB

West Valley City Fire

"Be quick but never hurry" - John Wooden

In todays fast paced world, everyone seems to be in a big rush or hurry. In the fire service we never want to hurry...... does that surprise you? Let me explain.
The great UCLA Coach John Wooden once said "be quick but never hurry". In that five word sermon he teaches a great principle. When we hurry we often make mistakes, leave out key components, and often cause more damage than we intend. In the fire service we cannot afford to make those types of errors. A mistake or missed step might mean the difference between life and death. A crew responding to an emergency can't hurry while driving a large heavy piece of equipment. We have a responsibility to get our crew there as quickly as possible, and without putting ourselves and the public at great risk. The difference between being quick and hurried is quite a bit.
A good example of this would be a new fire fighter being introduced to our self contained breathing apparatus, or air packs. The first time he or she is told to put the pack on, they are given instructions and goals such as, you will have  a certain amount of time to put the pack on, usually under 45 seconds or so.  As the instructor stands above them with a stop watch the recruits are nervous, sweat beads up on the forehead, their hear rate increases, and adrenaline is released. When the clock starts they hurry to put the pack on. Invariably they go over the time limit, and as the instructor inspects the firefighter with the air pack donned they find many mistakes, faults and safety issues. As the recruit fire fighter progresses they learn the steps, the in and outs, and what seemed to be an impossible request becomes natural. Not because they hurry but because the have learned to be quick. The old adage" practice makes perfect" is true.
Recently the West Valley Fire Department installed monitors at the stations.

These monitors display the dispatch screen from The Valley Emergency Communications Center or VECC. This allows crews to see incoming calls before they are dispatched on the radio. This simple step has allowed our crews to respond "quicker". Many times the the crew is out the door and on they way to a call before  the dispatcher sends it over the radio, allowing us a "quicker" Safer response.





Remember......

Be Smart.... Be Safe.... Be Ready!

Fire Marshal Bob

What does a dentists drill and a CERT drill have in common?

The answer to this question is that there may be a little discomfort, but in the end they both will improve your smile.

West Valley CERT students work a mock accident scene.

West Valley CERT will be conducting a drill this Friday April 11th at 7:00 PM at the Utah cultural celebration center. (3100 south and approximately 1300 west)  This is open to any of our West Valley CERT members.  So come, bring you gear and join in the fun and mayhem. Like I said it will improve your smile.

Thanks. Fire Marshal Bob

Early morning fire 7194 w Schuler ave

West Valley City Firefighters quickly handle a fire that could have spread to adjacent homes. Nice work A shift.

The fire is currently under investigation.

Fire Marshal Bob     Be Smart.... Be Safe....  BE READY!

Protect yourself from the boogie man...... and Mean Mr. Smoke

I like to repost this video from time to time. Please share it with your family and friends.




Remember

Be Smart....  Be Safe...  BE READY!

Fire Marshal Bob

Believe it or not the heat is on.

2:00 AM -  West Valley City Fire Department responded to a structure fire at 3309 s Eastcrest road. Crews arrived to find the single wide modular home heavily involved in fire. The home was not occupied and was a unit that was for sale. Cold temperatures and ice formed from the fire hoses and engines posed potential problems, but fortunately there were no injuries at the fire

Photos courtesy Ammon Fox

Courtesy Ammon Fox

Courtesy Ammon Fox

 Crews quickly attacked the fire keeping it from spreading to nearby homes. The fire was contained and extinguished in about twenty minutes. crew remained on the scene until about 5:00 AM making sure there were no hot spots left. Investigators determined the cause to be a water heater that was left on after the water to the unit was turned off. The home was a complete loss

Happy Safe New Year

Ring In the New Year Safely

New Year's Eve is a night to have fun and celebrate the upcoming year. It’s also a time to keep safety at the top of your New Year’s resolution list. Make disaster preparedness part of your plans for the New Year and resolve to be ready for upcoming emergencies.

If you are attending a New Year’s Eve gathering, ring in the New Year safely by locating the nearest exit to you upon arrival and be prepared to use it. If you are hosting a party, ensure your guests are aware of your home fire escape plan.

After the festivities end, get a head start on disaster preparations for you and your family with FEMA’s Are You Ready? Guide.  This interactive course provides information on specific hazards including steps to not only be reactive but proactive in response to them. The guide also teaches you about evacuation, emergency public shelters, animals in disasters and more.

Wishing you a safe and happy New Year!

Remember. Be Safe... Be Smart.... BE READY!

Fire Marshal Bob

HO HO OH NO..... Don't let your old Christmas tree be a problem

What Goes Up…

Taking down the Christmas tree may not be as fun as putting it up but keeping a dried-out tree in your home or stored in a garage is a fire hazard! When it comes to tree disposal, do you know your options? After the holidays, don’t throw your Christmas tree in the trash.  Real Christmas trees are recyclable. Typically, there are several environmentally sound ways to dispose of your tree.  These options include:

• Curbside-pick up for recycling;
• A drop off recycling center; and
• Mulching programs.

Never dispose of your tree by burning it in a fireplace or wood stove. Doing so may result in a chimney fire.  Pine and fir trees produce a lot of creosote when burning and may lead to deposits in your chimney. Besides that, Christmas trees burn much faster than you think. In the twinkle of an eye and a HI HO silver and your living room and eyebrows are gone. 

Remember Be Smart.... Be Safe... BE READY! 

Fire Marshal Bob