OC Firefighters News | April 2021 | View as Webpage
April 9, 2021
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In an effort to keep you up to date on the latest local, statewide, and federal fire issues, OC Firefighters send out monthly news clippings. This newsletter will help inform you about very important fire-related matters.

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OC Firefighters Join Firefighter Iaawarden On His Road To Recovery
A couple of weeks ago, wildland Firefighter Dylan Van Iaawarden successfully completed rehabilitation and walked out of the facility to cheers of support from his fellow OC Firefighters. He continues to make improvements while on his journey to recovery and we wish him all the best. If you would like to contribute to his recovery, please click HERE.
OC Firefighters Honor International Women’s Day
Local 3631 is proud to honor and highlight the women of the OCFA who have pursued a career in the fire service and made a lasting impact on our department and the communities we serve. The women in our department are not only leaders and role models, but a vital part of our success!
Congratulations Supervisor Foley
Orange County Professional Firefighters Association (OCPFA) Local 3631 was proud to support Katrina Foley’s campaign to the Orange County Board of Supervisors because we know that she will be a strong voice for our Firefighters and public safety. We look forward to working with Supervisor Foley and her colleagues on the Board of Supervisors to ensure the highest level of safety and emergency response for all of Orange County.
Woman, man die in separate home fires in Seal Beach, Westminster
A woman and man died in two separate fires, both of which originated near cooking equipment in their respective homes in Westminster and Seal Beach late Sunday and early Monday, fire officials said Tuesday, March 30.
Watch Fire Race Through This Tustin Home, One Injured
Orange County Fire Authority firefighters raced to a home in Tustin that was fully aflame Wednesday morning, officials say. One person was treated at the scene, then hospitalized after the fact. Firefighters arrived at 90 block of Buena Vista worked to make ground on the blaze on a doublewide mobile home that set nearby structures in danger, according to a fire department spokesperson. Trees next to the home also erupted into flames, they said.
Man arrested after allegedly setting fire to Laguna Hills home
A 49-year-old man was taken into custody after the house he was in erupted in flames in Laguna Hills Wednesday morning, officials said. Aerial video showed firefighters working to put out the blaze, which caused a partial roof collapse. Several Sheriff’s Department vehicles and deputies were also at the scene.
3 killed in Garden Grove crash that sent vehicle plunging into pool
Three people were killed Friday in a two-vehicle crash in Garden Grove that sent one vehicle into a pool and left the other vehicle overturned and up against a brick wall. The vehicle that crashed into the pool sheared a hydrant and plowed through a brick wall near the corner of Euclid Street and Orangewood Avenue, where the second vehicle rolled over, the Orange County Fire Authority reported about 3:15 a.m.
Railroad Worker Killed After 2 Freight Trains ‘Converge’ In Buena Park
A railroad employee was killed after being found trapped between two freight trains in Buena Park early Tuesday morning. The accident occurred just before 12:30 a.m. on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway track in the area of Beach Boulevard and Stage Road, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.
Photo courtesy of OnScene.TV
Firefighters Respond to Late Night Dumpster Fire at Taka-O
A dumpster fire outside of the Taka-O Japanese Restaurant that firefighters quickly extinguished late Saturday night, March 6, charred a portion of the structure, causing the owners of the local eatery to shut down operations while they made repairs expected to take a few days. Just before 11 p.m. that night, fire crews with the Orange County Fire Authority received reports of large flames emanating from the dumpster that had spread to the wooden roof of the building, Fire Capt. Greg Barta explained on Monday, March 8.
OC Firefighters Perform Auto Extrication
OC Fire Crews from Truck 81 and Engine 80 utilized extrication equipment to quickly lift the heavy car off of the victim who was pinned underneath a sedan in the City of Garden Grove. The victim was treated by our Firefighter/Paramedics and transported to a local trauma center.
Lab Techs Vacate UC Irvine Due To Liquid Nitrogen Spill
A hazardous materials division of the Orange County Fire Authority cleaned up a small liquid nitrogen leak Sunday at a lab at the University of California at Irvine. OCFA Fire Capt. Greg Barta described the spill as happening at a building in the 800 block of the Medical Science Court. Lab personnel vacated the building, and no one was injured during the cleanup according to Barta.
OCFA Handcrews Getting the Job Done
Local 3631 would like to recognize OC Handcrew Firefighters for their grit, determination and endurance. Thank you for your hard work and for doing your part to keep OC residents safe.
OC Annex/Exposure Reduction Plan & Procedures
Submitted by Jeff Hughes, OC Firefighters Local 3631 Wellness Agent
 
In 2018, the Orange County Training Officer’s Association established a goal to create an operational plan for Fire Departments within Orange County on ways of reducing exposures and addressing the growing occupational cancer diagnosis within the fire service. A team of five motivated individuals from local area fire departments (OCFA, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, and Costa Mesa Fire Departments) were selected to work on this project.
 
In order to tackle this multi-pronged issue, the plan would first have to establish the intent for the policy. The plan would then make recommendations for establishing uniformed operating procedures for all Orange County Fire agencies at the scene of a fire incident where products of combustion are present. Additionally, operational plans would offer ways to reduce personal contamination/exposures to fireground contaminants before, during, and after all fire incidents, and establish best practices for a safer work environment.
 
Uniform Personnel Exposure Reduction procedures will reduce the confusion on how we can actively work together during mutual and automatic aid assignments and have a universal understanding for the “why” and “how” of these tactics.
 
The Orange County Operational Plan addresses all aspects of reducing exposures through eleven appendices and can be found on Target Solutions:
  • Appendix A- Pre-incident Tactics for Contamination Reduction
  • Appendix B- Fireground Tactics for Contamination Reduction
  • Appendix C- Firefighter Rehab
  • Appendix D- Wildland or Urban Interface
  • Appendix E- Station Equipment Decontamination
  • Appendix F- Clean Cab Concepts
  • Appendix G- Personal Protective Equipment
  • Appendix H- Exposure Reporting 
  • Appendix I- Survivorship 
  • Appendix J- Investigations
  • Appendix K- Resources

THIS MESSAGE WAS CREATED BY JIMMY BLACKMAN & ASSOCIATES.
For more information about Blackman & Associates, visit www.jimmyblackman.com