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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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Camp encourages girls to pursue a career in firefighting
After 17 minutes Felicity Bourgeois, 15, and her partner Savannah Smith, 14, emerged from a hot trailer desperate to take off the masks that prevented them from seeing. “I’m claustrophobic and I felt like I couldn’t breath … it gets kind of scary,” exclaimed Bourgeois. “It was fun,” she continued. Bourgeois and Smith had just completed the confidence course at the Orange County Fire Authority’s first Girls Empowerment Camp at OCFA headquarters in Tustin.
The goal of Girls Empowerment Camp is to introduce teenagers to the fire service and provide them with a realistic, hands-on overview of firefighting. “We want to introduce firefighting and fire service to boys and girls ages 14 to 18 with a particular eye towards introducing females to fire service because they’re under-represented,” said Tia Grasso, human resources manager for OCFA. In all, 53 girls and five boys attended the free two-day camp that introduced them to all aspects of a fire service career.
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Overheated Wires Cause Fire In Orange County Home
SANTA ANA - A Santa Ana family called 911 when smoke began pouring from the walls of their home, Orange County Fire Authority spokesman Capt. Jon Muir reported. Firefighters arrived and used thermal imaging to locate the source of the smoke: an overheated wire inside the walls. The instance caused $15,000 in damages, and the family thankfully was not forced to leave their home.
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OC Firefighters Battle Apartment Building Blaze
SANTA ANA - At 8:28pm, Firefighters from OCFA, Garden Grove Fire, and Fountain Valley arrived at a two-story apartment building that was on fire. Firefighters evacuated six adults and one child to safety. A 30-year old male suffering from smoke inhalation was transported to the hospital in stable condition.
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OC Firefighters Tackle a Structure Fire in Westminster
WESTMINSTER – OC Firefighters responded to an emergency call for service at 10:06PM on July 22nd. Approximately 35 Firefighters from OCFA and Garden Grove tackled the fully engulfed home and knocked down the blaze without any injuries being reported.
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Warehouse Fire In Buena Park
BUENA PARK - Approximately 35 Firefighters from OCFA and Anaheim knocked down a fire that started in a warehouse on July 31
st
. It took about 80 minutes to extinguish the blaze. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
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Fireworks Spark Santiago Canyon Brush Fire, Officials Say
LAKE FOREST - Firefighters quickly extinguished a vegetation fire near Black Star Canyon and Baker Canyon roads early Wednesday morning, the Orange County Fire Authority reported. The small blaze burned nearly an acre of land. Fire officials said fireworks likely sparked the blaze, based off of witness reports. The Orange County Sheriff's Department canvased the area for suspects but no arrests were made. No injuries were reported.
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Bus Fire in Dana Point
DANA POINT - On Sunday, July 14, Orange County Fire Authority units responded to a charter bus fire in Dana Point. The bus had been carrying 35 passengers and all were able to exit safely. Firefighters extinguished the blaze and there were no reported injuries to either passengers or crewmembers.
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Brush Fire Scorches Laguna Niguel On 4th Of July
LAGUNA NIGUEL - Firefighters raced to tackle a brush fire Thursday afternoon, during the Fourth of July festivities in Laguna Niguel's wildland, Orange County Fire Authority reported. Smoke and flames were reported in the Laguna Niguel Regional Park at just before 2 p.m., a department spokesperson said. Two acres burned, and two homes were threatened during the incident, they said. One witness reported that the fire was near the exit to the lake, though the brush fire did not trap recreational visitors.
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Smoke Fills Buena Park Sky In Motor Home Fire
BUENA PARK - A large plume of smoke was seen Wednesday morning in the city of Buena Park. Firefighters from the Orange County Fire Authority rushed to handle the blaze at the 6000 block of Caballero Boulevard, according to OCFA Captain Jon Muir. "The fire was inside a warehouse storage facility where people park RVs," Muir told Patch. There was heavy smoke when the engines arrived.
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Swimmer off Laguna Beach dies despite big rescue effort
HUNTINGTON BEACH - A 27-year-old man was found unresponsive in the ocean by lifeguards at Table Rock Beach in Laguna Beach on Sunday night, July 14, and later pronounced dead at a hospital. Two men had entered the water at the South Laguna beach and only one came out, said Division Chief Api Weinert with the Laguna Beach Fire Department. First responders were called at 7:40 p.m., and dozens of lifeguards, sheriff’s deputies, park rangers and firefighters responded. About 50 minutes later, the man, Javier Vargas Cuellar of Huntington Beach, was found 100 feet from the coast. He was flown to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo by an Orange County Fire Authority helicopter.
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OCFA Hazmat Responds to Chemical Spill at UCI
IRVINE - On July 11, OC Firefighters responded to a chemical spill at the UCI Campus at 3:51PM. Students were mixing chemicals in the science lab when they noticed a vapor cloud form and immediately called 911. Chemical fumes caused respiratory issues resulting in the immediate evacuation of the building. OCFA Hazmat Team performed a Level A entry in fully encapsulated suits to mitigate the emergency. No injuries were reported.
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Chemical Spill in Santa Ana
SANTA ANA - OC Firefighters responded to an early morning chemical spill in the 2600 block of South Susan in Santa Ana. OCFA Hazmat identified the chemical as trichloroethylene and rendered the scene safe once cleanup was completed.
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Southern California motorcycle crash kills 4, officials say
Four people were killed in a motorcycle crash in Southern California on Sunday, fire officials said. The Orange County Fire Authority tweeted that the crash unfolded on Santiago Canyon Rd. and four people were confirmed “Dead on Arrival,” adding that the ages of the victims were unknown.
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Fire-Rescue Teams Deployed to Kern County Following Two Powerful Earthquakes
Urban search and rescue teams from the Los Angeles and Los Angeles County fire departments and Orange County Fire Authority were deployed Saturday morning in Ridgecrest to assist authorities there in assessing damage to homes and businesses following a magnitude 7.1 earthquake. A heavy rescue apparatus and urban search and rescue support vehicle with six firefighters left Friday night for Ridgecrest, the OCFA said.
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Gavin Newsom adds hundreds more firefighters amid fears of ‘large and damaging’ fire season
California will hire 393 more firefighters in anticipation of an upcoming wildfire season that has the potential to be even worse than last year’s, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday. The long rainy season promoted heavy growth of grass and other underbrush in which fires can start and spread once the vegetation dries out. Cal Fire and the state firefighter union have said the state needs more firefighters to face the escalating threat. Newsom signed an executive order Wednesday authorizing more seasonal firefighters to boost staffing on a third of Cal Fire’s 340 engines.
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OCFA Swears-In Members of the Garden Grove Fire Department
Last month, members of the Garden Grove Fire Department were sworn-in by the Orange County Fire Authority Clerk. Garden Grove Firefighters were also issued new equipment and officially became OCFA employees. Local 3631 would like to extend a warm welcome to all of our Garden Grove brothers and sisters!
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Fire officials showcase helicopters equipped to fight wildfires at night for trial program
The Orange County Fire Authority on Tuesday showcased nighttime aerial firefighting equipment that will be tried out in Southern California over the next five months. The pilot program, which started this month, is funded by Southern California Edison and features two helicopters. One of them has the capacity of carrying 1,000 gallons and can fill its tank at night while hovering over a water source instead of landing to load. The second helicopter will work as the reconnaissance aircraft and will help track the location of water drops more precisely and measure their effectiveness.
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OC Firefighters host “Fill The Boot” Fundraiser
Each year, OCFA Firefighters participate in the Fill the Boot fundraiser benefitting the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). Since 1954, the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) has partnered with the MDA to raise funds to support muscular dystrophy research, care centers, and a summer camp for kids. This year, 42 OCFA units and the OCFA Hand Crew collected more than $24,000. Special thanks to OCFA Engine 66, which led the way in collecting a total of $1,195 this year. Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed to this worthy cause!
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Local 3631 Attends IAFF Leadership Training
Local 3631 Executive Board Members attended the International Association of Fire Fighters’ Partnership Education Program (PEP), which offers a wide variety of workshops designed to develop and strengthen leadership skills. Workshops covered topics such as Health and Safety, Legal Issues, Negotiations, and Social Media Communications. Thank you to the IAFF and 10
th
District VP Frank Lima for putting together this informative leadership training.
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OCFA Fire Explorer Academy Graduation
Congratulations to all the teens who completed the week-long Fire Explorer Academy with the OCFA! These young adults learned new skills and honed firefighting techniques they can use in the future as they pursue a career in the fire service. Fire Exploring gives young people valuable insight into the firefighting profession. Individuals gain personal confidence, learn to use various tools, develop mechanical skills and aptitude, and gain a greater awareness of personal and fire safety.
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The Turnout Extractor Myth
Article submitted by OCFA Captain Jeff Hughes
Historically, many Firefighters (including myself) thought that extractors provided the best cleaning because they “extracted” contaminants. However, the term “extractor” is misleading. Spinning wet laundry to remove water using centrifugal force became possible with the advent of high-speed electric motors. This process was originally done in a machine called an extractor, as the water was “extracted” while spinning. As technology evolved, the processes were combined and the modern washing machine as we know it today came to be. However, over time the term “extractor” was dropped and now washer/extractors are simply referred to as “washers”.
By extracting water at very high speeds, nearly all of the moisture is removed, greatly reducing drying times and resulting in lower utility costs and faster turnaround times. The irony is that NFPA 1851 and Lion Manufacturing (NFPA, 2014) prohibit high-speed extraction (spinning) of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and explicitly state that PPE should not be subjected to high extraction (spin) speeds due to the potential for damage to garments (max. allowable is 100Gs) (NFPA, 2014). It is the washing and rinsing with an appropriate cleaning solution that cleans PPE, not “extraction”.
In addition to extraction (spin) speed guidelines, Lion Manufacturing and NFPA 1851 recommend that washer water temperatures not exceed 105 degrees (NFPA, 2014) and Lion Manufacturing and approved PPE cleaning solutions recommend that PPE be run through multiple rinse cycles during the washing process. Therefore, what is required is a front-loading washing machine that can be programmed for multiple rinse cycles, a spin speed of less than 100Gs, and a water temp less than 105 degrees to adequately clean turnout gear in accordance with Lion Manufacturing, NFPA 1851, and approved PPE cleaning solutions. These requirements can be met for less than $14,000 for a 45 lb. capacity professional washer with installation costs of approximately $15,000 or greater. Food for thought.
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2017 Orange County Firefighters Year In Review
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We are proud to present the inaugural Orange County Firefighters Year in Review photo book! In 2017, our Firefighters responded to more than 141,000 emergencies throughout the 23 cities and unincorporated communities of Orange County - an average of 505 emergency calls per day. Click
HERE
to view the book.
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OC Firefighters - IAFF Local 3631 |
1342 Bell Avenue, Suite 3A | Tustin | CA | 92870
THIS MESSAGE WAS CREATED BY JIMMY BLACKMAN & ASSOCIATES.
Copyright © 2017 OC Firefighters, all rights reserved.
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