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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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Blood drive helps 2 Orange County firefighters injured in Silverado Fire
A blood drive was held Thursday in Santa Ana to help many, including two Orange County firefighters injured in the Silverado Fire. The Orange County Fire Authority says the goal was to get 120 units of blood for the blood bank because it is at a critically low shortage. The two members of the Orange County Fire Authority suffered critical burns fighting the Silverado Fire, which erupted near Irvine last month. They are still in the hospital and making slow improvements every day. "Both firefighters are slowly getting better. They're both in critical condition at this time and they remain there," said OFCA Capt. Paul Holaday. "They've each had several surgeries for their injuries and they'll have many surgeries moving forward."
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Candlelight Vigil Held for Injured Orange County Firefighters
The Orange County Fire Authority held a candlelight vigil on November 18 for two firefighters that are hospitalized in critical condition after being injured by a burn over in the Silverado Fire. The vigil was held on the day before a blood drive held by firefighters, aiming to get 120 units of donated blood as banks were running low. The firefighters, Dylan Van Iwaarden and Phi Le, were badly burned on October 26.
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Join the OCFA for this year’s Spark of Love Toy Drive
This Saturday, December 5th, you’re invited to stop by our drive-thru donation event as part of this year’s Spark of Love Toy Drive. Proudly partnering with KWAVE, your OC Firefighters are doing all they can to help children in need this holiday season and you can help too! Stop by our drive-thru event, say hello and even grab a helmet as you donate a toy.
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Can’t make it this Saturday? No problem! Click on the link below to see when other upcoming drive-thru events are scheduled, this year’s drop off locations or how you can make a monetary donation. Large or small, a donation of any size helps:
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Small plane’s landing gear jams while coming into John Wayne Airport
A light plane on Wednesday, Nov. 11, experienced technical issues while coming down at John Wayne Airport in Orange County and skidded across a runway, but no injuries were reported. The twin-engine Piper Comanche’s pilot reported trouble with the plane’s landing equipment to air traffic controllers while approaching the airport at about 4 p.m., JWA spokeswoman Deanne Thompson said. Preliminary reports indicate one of its landing gears was only partially lowered as it made contact with the runway, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said. The two people aboard the plane were not injured, Thompson said. The runway it came down on is designated for light aircraft, and was closed until an Orange County Fire Authority crew moved the plane out of the way at about 6 p.m. However, planes were able to use other runways, and flight schedules were not affected by the closure.
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Barn owl recovering after being rescued by OC firefighters during Silverado Fire
Smokey the barn owl is on the road to recovery after being rescued by firefighters during the Silverado Fire. On Wednesday, Smokey the barn owl reunited with the firefighters who saved his life. “He is one of the more feisty birds that we’ve had in a while and just really started doing well quickly,” said Serrano Hospital Vet Asst. Emma Van Etten. Smokey is finally eating on his own and off his pain medicine…and now in a 30-day window to see if his skin can heal and some of his burned flight feathers can grow back.
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Vehicle Barrels Into Wall Outside Garden Grove Home
The driver of an SUV was travelling westbound in the 8200 block of Acacia Av in the city of Garden Grove when he hit the curb sending his SUV barreling into two perimeter gates of two different homes. One elderly woman was home at the time of the crash but was not injured. The driver of the SUV was ejected from the vehicle and treated by responding paramedics. He was ultimately transported to a local trauma center in unknown condition.
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Driver Extricated After Crash in Garden Grove
On November 18, your OC Firefighters extricated and treated a critically injured driver after a crash in the city of Garden Grove. Since OCFA firefighters are also trained paramedics, our members are able to immediately render advanced life support during an extrication process like this prior to transporting a patient(s) to the hospital.
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Photo courtesy of OC Firefighters |
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OCFA Firefighters Quickly Douse Vegetation Fire
Members from your OC Firefighters quickly stopped a vegetation fire from growing in the area of Avenida Pico & Calle Del Cerro after it was called in shortly after 6:00 a.m. Crews are still on scene to mop up & ensure the fire is out. Assistance was provided by Orange County Sheriffs Department.
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Three Injured After Car Plows into Motel in Anaheim
Three people inside a motel office building were injured after a hit & run driver crashed into the motel, backed out, a and took off. The vehicle allegedly plowed into the motel lobby just after 4:30 and then fled an unknown direction. The make and model of the vehicle is unknown at this time. Three people were transported to area hospitals in unknown conditions. Anaheim Police are actively looking for the vehicle. There is a large hole in the building, however the integrity of the building did not appear to be compromised. Building & Safety inspectors are further assessing.
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Multi-vehicle Collision in Santa Ana
On November 20, your OCFA responded to a multi-vehicle collision at the intersection of Dyer and Halladay. A total of 3 trauma patients were transported to a local trauma center.
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Photo courtesy of the OCFA |
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Truck Slams Into Home In Stanton
The Orange County Fire Authority responded to a vehicle into a structure in the 7000 block of Fulton Way, in the city of Stanton. An ambulance in the area was passing nearby when they came across the incident and reported it. Units from the OCFA were called in to assist and once on the scene, the vehicle started to catch fire from underneath the front tire. Firefighters were able to quickly pull a hose line to stop the fire from spreading into the rest of the structure. Amazingly, there were no injuries reported.
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SUV Careens Into Santa Ana Business
Just before 7:30PM on November 22, the driver of an SUV plowed into a thrift store located in the 2000 block of W 1st St in the City of Santa Ana. The driver of the SUV did manage to get out of the car and fled the scene before police and fire personnel arrived. Authorities received a call for a structure fire but in turn found a vehicle that protruded the building and that was on fire. The arriving firefighters were able to quickly knock down the fire and found nobody inside the building or inside the SUV.
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Two OC Firefighters Extinguish Pickup Truck Fire on Freeway
Recently, two of our OCFA firefighters that were on the way to the hospital to pick up two of our paramedics (who were with a critical patient) came across a vehicle fire. The two firefighters safely positioned their rig to protect them from traffic, stretched a hose-line, and extinguished the fire.
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OCFA Air/Ground Combination Transports Patient to Hospital
OC Firefighters are capable of assisting with patients who are in remote areas, and there are a few different options in those scenarios. In a recent incident that involved a single patient, we decided to utilize one of our helicopters to bring them to a pre-determined landing zone. Then one of our paramedic engines took over and got the patient to the nearest hospital.
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Photo courtesy of OC Firefighters |
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Firefighters Douse Santa Ana Outbuilding Fire
OC Firefighters, joined by Orange City Fire, took less than 15 minutes to knock down a large outbuilding fire, which threatened a 2-story apartment complex in the 300 block of S. Orange in Santa Ana on November 4. No civilian or firefighter injuries reported.
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‘World’s largest helitanker’ demonstrates firefighting water drops in Topanga
A helitanker capable of dropping 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant atop flames in a single go demonstrated its firefighting abilities in Topanga on Tuesday. It’s dubbed by fire authorities as “the world’s largest helitanker.” Southern California Edison provided funding to help lease and operate the aircraft. Like other electric utilities, SCE’s equipment has been blamed for sparking some of the states’ massive wildfires, including the Woolsey fire in 2018. Stationed in Los Alamitos, the CH-47 Chinook helitanker is available for use around the clock to respond to fires in Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, fire authorities said. It has already seen action on the Silverado fire that started last month in Orange County.
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Video courtesy of the OCFA |
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Orange County (CA) Fire Authority Purchases Five KME® Wildland Units
KME Fire Apparatus, a subsidiary of REV Group® and a manufacturer of fire apparatus, has announced the delivery of five, KME commercial wildland units to the Orange County (CA) Fire Authority (OCFA). Three Type 3 Interface Pumpers and two Tactical Tenders will join more 100 KME apparatus currently in service at the OCFA. The five units are built on Freightliner® chassis with custom body styles organized to the mission of each truck. These units will aid the OCFA when responding to calls in the wildland and urban interface areas served.
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Photo by KME Fire Apparatus |
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OCFA helicopter crew trains for wildfires with Laguna Beach’s mobile water tank
An Orange County Fire Authority helicopter crew made two water drops in an open space area on Tuesday after refilling from Laguna Beach’s mobile water tank system. The so-called HeloPod Dip Tank is positioned along the fire road about three-quarters of a mile from Top of the World, Laguna Beach Fire Department Fire Chief Mike Garcia said. “It’s an area we’ve used for manual filling of helicopters in the past,” Garcia said. The Laguna Beach Fire Department plans to keep the system there until mid-December when it will be trailered and stored elsewhere until late July. Fire officials can reinstall it before then if needed. This mobile water tank will allow firefighting helicopters to refill more quickly, reducing the time between water drops.
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Photo courtesy of Laguna Beach |
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Firefighters Rescue Baby Raccoon
On November 7, OCFA fire crews rescued a baby raccoon that was trapped in a flood control channel in the City of Irvine. Animal control asked for assistance and firefighters utilized special rope rescue skills to retrieve the animal. We are happy to report the raccoon is healthy and injury free!
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Mission Hospital staff make sure local first responders feel support
Frontline medical workers at Mission Hospital honored first responders in a drive-thru event at the Mission Viejo hospital on Tuesday.
Staff at the hospital cheered and waved signs as personnel from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, California Highway Patrol, Orange County Fire Authority and Laguna Beach Fire Department snaked through the hospital campus with lights flashing and an occasional siren.
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Firefighters Help Celebrate 107-Year-Old Army Veteran’s Birthday
The weekend of Nov. 21 saw firefighters stopping by to help celebrate WWII U.S. Army Veteran Warren Bussey’s 107-year-old birthday in the City of Santa Ana. The OCFA and Local 3631 would like to say thank you for letting us be a small part of your drive-thru celebration, Bussey!
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The Silverado Incident and Behavioral Health
Submitted By Jeff Hughes, OC Firefighters Local 3631 Wellness Agent
The Orange County Professional Firefighters board of directors is laser-focused on the health and wellness initiatives for our Orange County firefighters. While there is a long list of projects that need to be implemented or fine-tuned, each is being worked toward as aggressively as possible, with the goal of each to ensure that our members are able to fight fire effectively while putting safety first. One of the most important projects rising is updating our behavioral health program.
The OCFA has a comprehensive contract with The Counseling Team International (TCTI) that provides nearly unlimited clinical sessions for our members, their immediate family members and retirees. For retirees, this benefit extends to them even if they had retired from a successor organization long ago and never wore an OCFA badge. While this program might sound robust and used often, it has actually been underutilized. Our 50-member peer support team was rarely contacted for assistance, and trainings and meetings had all but halted in the last year. Secretary Lee Cabrera and I had been, and continue to, working with the new Risk Manager- Rhonda Haynes to assist in retooling the program (policy) to ensure that it is a proactive program and not reactive.
Then October 26th, 2020 happened. As the Silverado Incident unfolded, a burn over occurred east of Irvine, critically injuring two of our young, hand crew firefighters (one of those being the son of one of our highly respected professionals). In an instant, our organization had multiple members who were in need of direct support with many, many others affected by the incident. After the burn over occurred, TCTI and the IAFF were both notified, with the IAFF in particular offering virtually unlimited resources. The IAFF immediately deployed a Burn Coordinator and a Peer Support/Behavioral Health representative to assist, which was crucial as nearly all our peer support team members were engaged in the firefight on the Silverado and Blue Ridge Incidents. A defusing was soon completed for Crew 1 and Crew 2 the day of the incident, with a formal debriefing occurring the following days for each (roughly 72-96 hours after). Four other units were directly involved in the burn over and/or the extrication of the injured firefighters and remained engaged in the incidents days after the burn over occurred. They were all later debriefed by the Cal Fire behavioral health team on the incident.
In the wake of the burn over, peer support members and chaplains from the OCFA provided coverage at the hospital and the fire station level for a full week, but they were not alone. A combined total of 62 professional, peer supporters from LA County Fire, LA City Fire, Newport Beach Fire, Huntington Beach Fire, Fullerton/Brea Fire, Fountain Valley Fire, joined our OCFA members and staff and tirelessly assisted in engaging with those who were directly and indirectly involved in the incident. In total, over 120 members were contacted. While initial meetings are crucial, a comprehensive follow up schedule was also initiated to ensure that no one feels like there is a lack of ongoing, caring support.
There is still much training and structure needed to grow our OCFA behavioral health program. As it stands right now, our program is a reactionary, clinical based type. With the right leadership, training and support at all levels of our organization: we can create and implement a proactive, peer support-based behavioral health program that strives to assist the members of this outstanding organization whenever it is called upon. The fire family is one where it is second nature to look out and protect one another from trouble before it takes root. Providing the resources is the easy part; prevention and engagements are the ultimate keys to success.
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2018 Orange County Firefighters Year In Review
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In 2018, our Firefighters responded to more than 142,000 emergencies throughout the 23 cities and unincorporated communities of Orange County. The Year in Review book serves to illustrate the daily challenges that our First Responders face while serving on the frontlines. 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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