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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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OCFA Captain Returns To Work After Recovering From COVID-19 At Home With Healthy Wife, Daughter
When one Orange County Fire Authority captain was sent home, along with 23 others, on March 18 after two firefighters at his station near the University of California Irvine tested positive for COVID-19, he imagined the worst. “The worst part’s the fear of not knowing,” Capt. Paul Holaday said. He decided to quarantine at home where his wife and daughter also live. To keep his distance, he stayed in the guest bedroom. After taking proper precautions like social distancing, wearing face coverings and washing their hands constantly, Captain Holaday is continuing to recover with no one in the family showing any symptoms of the illness.
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1 woman dead, 2 injured in Rossmoor house fire
A woman died and a man was injured in a house fire that also left a firefighter hurt in Rossmoor early Monday morning, authorities said. The blaze was reported at about 6:25 a.m. in the 12500 block of Martha Ann Drive, according to the Orange County Fire Authority. When firefighters arrived they found the single-story house with flames and black smoke coming from the roof, OCFA Capt. Thanh Nguyen said. “They found one man with smoke inhalation and burn injuries, and he was taken to the hospital,” Nguyen said. One woman was found dead inside the home, Nguyen said. The injured firefighter was taken to the hospital for a leg injury.
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Firefighters Execute Daring Rescue of Man Dangling Above Freeway
OC Firefighters took aggressive action to save the life of a suicidal man on the evening of April 30
th
in Irvine. After the man initially agreed to come down, Truck 20 began to extend its aerial ladder as the life-bag was not on the scene yet. While the ladder was continuing to move into place, the man threatened to jump again and began to dangle from a freeway sign. Firefighters acted fast and completed extending the ladder below the man, allowing fire crews on the ladder to bring the man down safely to complete the rescue.
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Procession held for retired Orange County firefighter who died of coronavirus
A procession was held Thursday afternoon for a retired Orange County Fire Authority firefighter who died Wednesday night of coronavirus. The fire department held a procession for Ken Caley around 2 p.m., escorting the body as it was transported from the hospital to the mortuary. Eyewitness News learned that Caley was a 59-year-old engineer with the department since 1982 and retired just over two years ago. Caley died at Mission Hospital. He was in the hospital for more than two weeks. Loved ones were at the mortuary to receive the body, along with members of the department who saluted their fallen comrade as he passed by, covered with the American flag.
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Firefighters make quick work of Irvine condominium blaze
Firefighters on Monday afternoon made quick work of a fire that damaged an Irvine condominium, authorities said. The blaze was reported just before 12:20 p.m. at a home on a complex on Butterfield, said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Ben Gonzales. When firefighters arrived the occupants were outside, Gonzales said. An Irvine police officer and a civilian sprayed the fire with garden hoses before firefighters arrived as flames and smoke billowed out of the home’s front windows.
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Video courtesy of OnScene.TV
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Good Samaritan saves neighbor from burning Anaheim apartment
A good Samaritan helped rescue a man from a fire at an apartment in Anaheim on Sunday, March 5. Flames destroyed practically everything inside of the apartment, but were contained to that single unit of the complex, Carringer said. Anaheim Fire & Rescue and Orange County Fire Authority personnel managed to extinguish the fire by about 6:45 p.m.
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Video courtesy of Loudlabs News
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Firefighters Quickly Free Driver Trapped After Two-Car Crash In Irvine
One person was quickly freed after a two-car crash left them trapped in their vehicle, late Friday night. Authorities responded to reports of a traffic collision on MacArthur Boulevard near Red Hill Avenue around 11:42 PM. Units arriving on scene located a two-car crash involving a red Ford Mustang and a white Dodge Challenger. Both drivers were injured and the driver of the Dodge was trapped inside his vehicle.
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Firefighters rescue man from flood-control channel in Buena Park during rainstorm
A man was pulled out of a flood-control channel early Monday during a rainstorm in Buena Park, fire officials said. It was just about 6:45 a.m. when residents around the 4600 block of Minorca Way heard someone yelling from a storm-drain area, said Capt. Thanh Nguyen of the Orange County Fire Authority.
“Firefighters lowered a ladder to him, and he was able to climb out,” Nguyen said. He declined medical treatment from paramedics. It was unclear why the man was in the flood-control area.
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Pickup Catches Fire After Slamming into Pole
Firefighters from E74 & B9 responded to the intersection of Edinger & Standard in Santa Ana for a reported vehicle into a pole that caught fire. Upon their arrival, fire crews immediately worked to douse the flames and found that the driver was fortunately not hurt.
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Maintenance Shed Scorched at County Club
Firefighters from the Orange County Fire Authority worked aggressively to contain the flames to a detached maintenance building at Old Ranch Country Club. After crews forced entry, they were able to stop the spread the fire in approximately 20 minutes. No injuries were reported and fire investigators determined the fire was accidental and caused by unspecified failure of the battery system and charger of a golf cart inside the structure.
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Photo courtesy of the OCFA
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Woman, Dog Swept Into Santa Ana River Monday
Fast moving water in the Santa Ana River swept a woman and her dog downstream, Monday. Orange County Fire Authority's swift water rescue teams searched for the as-of-yet unidentified woman, who went into the water after her dog, according to reports. Firefighters located the woman in the area of McFadden and the Santa Ana Riverbed over 15 minutes after the call came in, they said. Firefighters were able to tether on the shore and reach her shortly before 8:30 p.m. "They were able to get her and her Boxer dog out of the water, safely," according to OCFA Capt. Thanh Nguyen over social media. Both were unharmed, he said.
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Fire Crews Halt Garage and Attic Fires in Westminster Home
Footage from the
#fire
in Westminster. Crews simultaneously attacked a garage fire and fire in the attic to preserve property and belongings. This fire is a good reminder to have a smoke alarm in the garage as well.
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2 injured in suspected street-racing crash in Santa Ana
A man and a woman were injured Sunday after a car and a truck racing along Warner Avenue crashed into a tree and a wall, Santa Ana police said. The crash occurred near Warner and Raitt Street at 12:08 p.m., Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Thanh Nguyen said. Fire authorities had initially reported that the crash appeared to be head-on but that was not the case, police said Monday. A blue sedan and a white truck suffered significant damage. The car and truck were racing in the same direction, Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said Monday, along the street often used for street racing.
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Photo courtesy of the OCFA
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Decisive Action by Firefighters Keeps Vehicle From Falling 40 Feet; Driver Rescued
On April 18, the quick and decisive actions made by the members of OCFA Engine 22 and Truck 22 prevented a potentially catastrophic situation from occurring. Firefighters arrived on scene to find a car had driven over the side of an embankment and was teetering roughly 40 feet above El Toro Road. Fire crews used multiple anchor points and were able to rapidly secure the car with ropes and chains. These quick actions allowed the drives to be safely extricated all while preventing the car from falling down onto the road below.
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Mountain Biker Injured On OC Trail Flown To Area Hospital
A mountain biker crashed and injured his arm while riding trails in Aliso Woods Canyon late Thursday, Orange County Fire Authority reported. The man suffered an arm injury and was unable to ride out of the back-country trail, according to the department. "With no easy access to the patient, crews on the ground hiked in and assisted the firefighter paramedic on the helicopter," they said. Firefighters "packaged the patient" who was airlifted and then flown to an area hospital in stable condition, according to OCFA Capt. Greg Barta.
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Video courtesy of the OCFA
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Suspicious Bridge Fire Prompts Freeway Closure, Damages Storage Container In Santa Ana
A suspicious fire at a homeless encampment under a freeway overpass damaged a storage container and prompted a full freeway closure while firefighters battled the blaze, early Sunday morning. Authorities responded to multiple callers reporting a fire burning under the SR-55 Freeway overpass just north of Edinger Avenue near adjacent to the railroad tracks on the Santa Ana/Tustin border around 1:08 AM. Crews arriving on scene located the fire but had a difficult time accessing it due to steep terrain. Eventually firefighters descended from the top of the SR-55 Freeway down an embankment to extinguish access the fire.
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Hazardous Materials Response to Illegal Dump in Garden Grove
Firefighters responded to the area of Valley View/Lampson in Garden Grove for an illegal dump of an unknown substance. Haz-mat team members tested the substance and determined it to be non-hazardous. OCFA determined there was no threat to residents and businesses in the area.
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Property Owners Asked to Clear Weeds, Debris
With the arrival of the spring season, the city of San Clemente is reminding the owners of undeveloped land parcels and vacant, developed parcels of their responsibility to remove weeds and debris from those properties. Once a property owner has cleaned their properties and trimmed all weeds to a height no higher than one inch from the ground, it must be maintained for the remainder of the year. Properties with existing native habitat should be thinned by 50%, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.
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First Responders Assess Drones for Search and Rescue Missions
Drones buzz like bees, hover like hummingbirds, and accelerate like race cars. Besides being used for play, drones, properly known as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), have quickly become vital pieces of technology for both private and public organizations. First responder organizations rely more and more on them to enhance their response capabilities and better execute their missions. Large counties like Orange County, California, need different drones for their various terrains, including metro city, wildland-urban boundary, harbors and more. “During a brush fire, a drone can map out where the hot spots are, thus helping the firefighters to put that hot area out,” said Frank Granados, Firefighter Paramedic at the Orange County Fire Authority, CA.
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Photo courtesy of DHS S&T
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First responders applaud healthcare workers
Orange County Fire Authority firefighters and first responders from Laguna Beach, Santa Ana and Irvine thank healthcare workers at Mission Hospital for their efforts to combat COVID-19.
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Local Firefighters Newest Hero, Meet 3-Year-Old Austin
Meet the OCFA’s newest hero, Austin. At just 3-years-old, Austin is one of the strongest and bravest people you will ever meet. Last month, Austin was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer called Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Returning home in San Clemente from the hospital after his first round of chemotherapy, Austin was greeted with a parade of hundreds of well-wishers. Austin, you inspire us buddy! Your friends at the OCFA have your back and we are so proud to be part of
#austinsarmy
.
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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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