Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "firefighters"

Tales from the front lines: Working on Christmas

2011-12-24T03:38:59Z

On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, when most folks are sitting down to enjoy dinner with family and friends, public safety officers, doctors and nurses and others in service industries still have to work. It’s not always easy – crime and accidents don’t take a break on holidays.

The Sacramento Press asked some of them to share their holiday work experiences. These are their stories.

FIRE DEPARTMENT:
“(Christmas) is a pretty loaded day,” Doug Bruce, an engineer with Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, said Friday. “There is a lot of last-minute things going on, so there is a lot of traffic out. We keep busy.”

Bruce said calls to the fire station can be strange no matter what the day, but during the holidays, you really never know what you’re going to get.

“A lot of times there’s the unfortunate call where something crazy happens involving the holiday spirit and it touches off a structure fire,” Bruce said. “On the other hand, there may be a call where a life is saved or property is saved and things end on a brighter note. It’s really a mixed bag.”

Being on duty on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day is not boring by any means, Bruce said – but it’s not lonely, either.

“We have a lot of people who stop by and bring treats and baked goods,” Bruce said. “We just finished a toy drive, so we have a lot of folks that bring toys for that, too.”

Throughout the year, fire personnel are thanked for their work by random people who come up to say hello now and then, Bruce said.

“When someone who came through an incident that could have had grave circumstances comes back and says thank you, that really means a lot,” he added.

Bruce spoke of a woman who had been out on the town one Christmas Eve a few years ago and choked on some food during dinner.

“We arrived and she was down – she wasn’t breathing,” Bruce said. “She went into a coma for a while, but she came back and survived.”

Bruce said the woman comes by the station about twice a year to visit and bring treats to say thank you to the firemen who saved her life that day.

“When they take time to come and see us and say, ‘You did this for me back when,’ you think to yourself, ‘Wow. That’s great.’ Those are special days,” Bruce said.

For those who have to work at the fire station on Christmas, it can be hard to be away from the family, Bruce said, but many stations try to make the best of it by hosting dinner for the crew’s families.

“Some (stations) invite everyone to the station, and they’ll put on a big spread and feed everyone well,” Bruce said.

POLICE DEPARTMENT:
The police are busy year-round with calls from robbery to murder to car theft, but the holidays seem to add just a touch of excitement even to that score, according to Officer William Cho of the Twin Rivers Police Department.

“A couple of Thanksgivings ago, we got a call because someone had left a turkey on in a school oven,” Cho said Wednesday.

When Cho and his partner arrived on the scene, Cho said, they thought the building was on fire because the place was thick with smoke.

“I don’t know how long it had been in there, but the bird was shrunken, mangled and burned to a crisp,” Cho said. “The people who called us were like, ‘Oh, sorry – guess we forgot to take the turkey out.’ There can be calls like that now and then.”

Officer Arnel Agdipa, also from the Twin Rivers Police Department, said he and his fellow officers feel gratitude from the community in some unexpected ways.

“There was one Christmas out in Woodlake when the community members had a dinner set up for us at the old fire station off of Arden,” Agdipa said Wednesday. “They had food and stuff all laid out for all law enforcement and fire personnel, and we could come and go and eat when we had time. It was great having the community get together and do that for us.”

POST OFFICE:
Gary Campanale, a former express mail deliverer for the U.S. Postal Service, said Friday that working Christmas Day had its ups and downs.

“A couple of times (when delivering on Christmas Day), I was invited to share Christmas dinner,” Campanale said.

The USPS Overnight Express mail is delivered 365 days a year, Campanale said, so every year there is a chance to work on holidays.

“(Customers) were usually so appreciative that they invited me in to share cocoa or lunch or something,” Campanale said. “They were so hospitable. Even if it was for just 15 or 20 minutes, I’d take my break and go in.”

Of course, mail delivery on Christmas has its downside, too, Campanale said.

“Believe it or not, sometimes you’d be there delivering on Christmas Day, but (the package) was guaranteed for the day before – Christmas Eve – and people would be so irritated,” Campanale said. “They’d want their money back and chew your head off even though you’re working Christmas.

“This time of year it’s a crapshoot if mail is going to get there on the exact day, and sometimes it just didn’t,” he said.

HOSPITAL:
Amanda M., an emergency room nurse in the Sutter Hospital system in Sacramento, said patients who arrive in the E.R. on holidays run the gamut from psych patients who think they are superheroes to families with food poisoning.

“Sometimes we get Batman heading out to save people,” she said, “or they think they’re Superman and try to fly off things – it’s surprising.”

Cooking-related injuries around Christmas time are common, too, she said, especially during the night shift after dinner.

“We’ve seen injuries from turkey explosions,” Amanda said, “and burns from deep-frying turkeys. We’ve even had people on oxygen that get too close to flames and set themselves on fire. It’s nuts.”

And then there are the people for whom accidents happen in the most unexpected ways.

“Once, before Christmas, a guy came in who had been putting lights up on his house,” Amanda said. “He got all tangled up in them – like a Chevy Chase Christmas movie – and fell off the roof. He came in with fragments of light bulbs in his skin all over him.”

It took two people nearly two hours to dig out all the shards of glass, she said.

The work of an E.R. nurse on Christmas doesn’t always go unnoticed, however. Sometimes, Amanda said, there is an occasional showing of gratitude.

“We get a lot of patients that bring back cookies or bake cakes for us,” Amanda said. “Or someone will send a card that says, ‘Thank you for taking care of me on Christmas Eve – I was the drunk guy.’

“Whatever it is, the gesture is always appreciated,” she added.

Whether it’s a thank-you card or a plate of cookies – or the occasional $10 bill tucked in an envelope – the people who work on Christmas so others can enjoy the holiday with their families deserve a hearty “thank you” during the holidays.

As Bruce said, “It’s always nice to hear.”

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Third annual Sacramento 9/11 Memorial Climb includes new 5K run

2011-09-02T06:11:10Z

The 10-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks is coming up, and throughout the country there will be memorials honoring the dead, but Sacramento firefighters ask that locals take the opportunity to come out and run a 5K race for a good cause.

Through a partnership between various Sacramento area Fire Departments, the Sacramento Police Department, the Sheriff’s Department and more than 2,000 local volunteers, a 5K run/walk has been organized as an addition to their third annual 9/11 Memorial Climb, in which 343 firefighters – the number of New York firefighters killed on 9/11 – climb the Renaissance Tower in downtown Sacramento to honor fallen firefighters.

“It’s very personal for the firefighters. You have to be a firefighter to do the climb, and that’s one of the reasons the why the 5K run was developed,” said volunteer Karen Montgomery, a history and geography teacher at Rocklin High School.

“There are so many other people that want to pay tribute to the fallen firefighters and want to be a part of this memorial,” she added, “so it’s a way of preserving the climb just for the firefighters and then having another way of honoring the fallen.”

To take part in the 5K run/walk, it costs $30 to register through Fleet Feet Sports, 2311 J St. Proceeds for the run will go to the Sacramento Area Firefighters Widows and Orphans Fund.

Fleet Feet Sports will coordinate the run/walk. Organizers will provide timers for the racers to carry, and Fleet Feed will track the results of the run.

On Sept. 11 at 8 a.m., 343 Sacramento firefighters dressed in their fire gear will ascend the stairs of the Renaissance Tower, which is 28 stories high.

They will climb the stairs of the building four times in order to match the height of the Twin Towers, which stood at 110 stories high. Each firefighter will carry a name plaque of a fallen firefighter. There will be a Twin Towers memorial at the end of the climb for the firefighters to leave the names of those who perished.

At 9:11 a.m., the 5K run/walk will begin at Capitol Mall between fifth and seventh streets. There will be two waves of participants, according Montgomery. People who want to run will go first. The second wave of participants who want to walk will follow at 9:21 a.m.

Local Celtic band Stout Rebellion will be performing during the run/walk.

For non-firefighters, a pre-climb event will be held Sept. 9 in which Sacramento firefighters have invited Good Day Sacramento to preview their climb at The Renaissance Tower.

The preview will also include a performance by pop singer Anna Nalick. Her song “Breathe (2 a.m.) was a radio hit in 2005. She will be in the Good Day Sacramento studio promoting the run.

Nalick is also set to perform at the Tribute in the Park concert after the 5K run Sept. 11 beginning at 10 a.m. Other acts set to take the stage include the country band 27 Outlaws. The singer and guitarist Joel Van Horne of the indie alternative rock band, Carbon Choir will also perform.

“When you lose a firefighter, it’s obviously a great impact, but when you lose 343 in one day, it’s overwhelming,” said Captain Tony Peck, spokesperson for the Sacramento Fire Department.

“And to think they were doing what we do every day. It’s a stark reminder that although we never want to make that ultimate sacrifice – it’s a reminder that we’re in a line a work where that can happen. It’s very moving for us when 343 are lost in one day and had no idea it was going to happen to them,” Peck said.

At the end of the run, participants will be given a flag, and they will be asked to go to the Capitol and place the flag on the lawn. 2,997 flags will be distributed to symbolize all the Americans who died on Sept. 11.

“As a history teacher and wife of a firefighter, I have a different perspective,” Montgomery said. Historically, it’s important for us to remember these major events and sacrifices that people make. But also, it’s important for our students – our younger generation – to understand what it’s like to live in a post-9/11 world. The events of 9/11 have affected us dramatically. The way we live our everyday lives has really been impacted by security measures that followed 9/11.”

For more information on the 9/11 Memorial Run/Walk, click here.

Photos of Wednesday afternoon's fire north of downtown

2011-08-10T21:41:54Z

Firefighters responded to a fire near the intersection of N Seventh Street and Richards Boulevard at about 1 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.

Start of fiscal year means end of jobs for some

2011-07-01T01:04:59Z

Friday marks the first day of the new fiscal year for the City of Sacramento – and the last day of work for more than 200 city employees, including 42 sworn police officers.

The final city budget, which passed on June 21, included deep cuts to parks, libraries and public safety agencies and filled a $39 million budget gap.

The budget did not pass without contention, however.

Council members Angelique Ashby and Steve Cohn and Mayor Kevin Johnson each went against the budget, calling the cuts to public safety “drastic” and creating a 6-3 split vote.

“These cuts to public safety are too big. They’re way too big,” Ashby said. “Why would we cut more than we have to?”

During the proceedings at the June 14 council meeting, Cohn proposed a motion to use nearly $4 million earmarked for other purposes (including shoring up the city’s anemic reserve fund), in return for matching concessions from police and fire unions to restore cut positions.

That proposal failed 3-6, with the only “aye” votes coming from Ashby, Cohn and Johnson.

Critics of the new budget, particularly the Sacramento Police Officers Association, (SPOA), have said that Cohn’s motion was an effort at showing good faith toward the labor unions and would have eased the way to talks between union and city representatives for alternatives to layoffs.

Ashby, Cohn and Johnson agreed.

“We found a way to save as many (positions) as possible,” Ashby said during the council meeting. “I don’t understand why this council would walk away from that opportunity.”

Johnson said he feels the city has done everything it can up to this point.

“We’ve cut $200 million from our general fund over the past four years, and we can’t keep cutting,” Johnson said at a press conference Tuesday.

Johnson encouraged police and fire unions to consider concession discussions and said that “if some of our (police) officers can be saved, we should look at (Cohn’s proposal).”

Cohn said he believed his proposal was “reasonable and necessary” to restore dangerous cuts to public safety without jeopardizing the city’s contingency reserve funds.

“(It) also called for shared sacrifice,” Cohn said, “by making these funds contingent on permanent, ongoing labor concessions.”

Cohn added that his proposal relied on “added savings” developed during the budget process including keeping management staff on furloughs to pay for the public safety restorations.

“Unfortunately, a majority of the council did not agree, so I was on the short end of (the) vote,” Cohn said.

“Our police department is comprised of intelligent, compassionate people. They know how much we value them,” Johnson said. “We’re reaching out to them to have real discussions going forward.”

Although Ashby, Cohn and Johnson were not supportive of the final budget, Johnson said at the press conference that, now that the budget is in place, “We are all committed to find solutions.”

The city faces some serious financial problems over the next few fiscal years, according to a city manager staff report, including a “structural deficit (that) will persist unless additional permanent corrective actions are implemented.”

A structural deficit is when the budget has more expenses than income.

2011-2012 will be the fifth year in a row that the city has faced a budget shortfall, despite major reductions in prior years to services and personnel.

Cohn, however, is trying to stay positive.

“I’m encouraged by possible talks with SPOA and local 522 (the firefighters union),” Cohn said. “Stay tuned.”

Firefighters climb in 9/11 memorial

2010-09-13T18:01:38Z

Three hundred and forty three Sacramento area firefighters climbed 110 flights of stairs early Saturday morning in honor of the 343 firefighters who died in the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York on Sept. 11, 2001.

The second annual Sacramento 9/11 Memorial Climb was held at the 28-story Renaissance Tower on 8th and K. Fire departments representing cities including Sacramento, Davis, El Cerrito, Placerville and Vacaville participated.

Climbers made four ascents: three from the basement to the 26th floor, and a final ascent from the basement to the roof, bringing the total number of floors climbed to 110, the same number of floors in each of the towers of the World Trade Center.

Lloyd Ogden, operations deputy chief for the Sacramento Fire Department, gave opening remarks to the gathered climbers before the climb started.

An emotional Samuel Giamo, Jr., who joined the Fire Department of New York in 1979 and retired in 2002, took the podium next and shared some thoughts on his personal experiences with 9/11.

Firefighters then proceeded to start the climb, led by a firefighter carrying an American flag.

At minimum, all firefighters making the climb wore their department-issued turnout coats, the type of jacket typically worn by firefighters, and their helmets while climbing the stairs. Some elected to wear full gear, including turnout pants and boots, while others wore shorts and athletic shoes.

Each of the 343 climbers had a small, black banner with the name of one of the firefighters who died in the World Trade Center attacks pinned on the back of their coats, over their own name. This allowed each climber to symbolically carry each fallen firefighter 110 flights to the roof of the building.

As each climber reached the roof, each name banner was unpinned and hung inside two metal reproduction models of the World Trade Center towers. The names were saluted, and each firefighter then rang a red bell, which was embossed with each name of the FDNY firefighters.

Immediately following the climb, a tribute in the park event was held on Capitol Mall between Sixth and Seventh. The event gave families an opportunity to come together in a social environment and honor the families affected by the 9/11 tragedy by sharing the day with their loved ones. Those attending enjoyed food, drink, live music and children’s activities. All proceeds raised from the $5 entrance fee, food and beer sales, and donations went to the Sacramento Area Firefighters Widows and Orphans Fund.

Two-year-old Tyler, son of Vacaville firefighter Jeremy Sirois, joins his father during the climb preparation.

Firefighters prepare to climb 110 stories from the basement of Renaissance Tower.

Heading to the first flight of stairs.

A firefighter touches a piece of glass from the World Trade Center before starting his climb.

Climbing 110 stories in turnout gear.

Leading with the American flag, the first of 343 climbers makes it to the roof.

Hanging the name of a FDNY brother in the memorial.

Waiting to approach the memorial.

A firefighter pays his respects to his fire service brothers who died on 9/11.

Firefighters wait their turn to approach the memorial.

Each climber rang a bell which displayed the names of the 343 firefighters who died at the World Trade Center.

Bagpipes being played as climbers make it to the roof.

Honor Guard on Capitol Mall during Tribute in the Park.

The 9/11 Memorial on the roof of Renaissance Tower.

Photos: Steven Chea

Rumble in the Auditorium: Battle of the Badges

2010-08-31T01:03:55Z

Boxing returned to Sacramento Saturday night with Battle of the Badges VII, an annual charity boxing event featuring correctional officers, police officers and firefighters from the Northern California area.

Fifteen bouts of three two-minute rounds took place in front of an estimated 2,000-3,000 boxing fans at Memorial Auditorium, benefiting such charities as the Firefighters Burn Institute, Sac Fallen Officers Resource Fund, The Sacramento Sheriff’s Toy Project and Sacramento SPCA.

Some agencies represented in the matches included the Sacramento and Vallejo fire departments; the Sacramento, Davis and Woodland police departments; the California Highway Patrol and California State Prison, Sacramento.

There were 14 male bouts and one female bout. The majority of the fighters had never boxed before, but have been training for several months at places like Grimz Gym and LA Boxing.

After weigh-ins and a pre-party at Blue Cue, the prematch action began at Memorial Auditorium Saturday afternoon. Fighters were in many different states of mind as fight time drew closer. Some listened to music through headphones to calm the nerves, and others prepared their muscles by shadowboxing in front of a mirror.

After all fighters had their hands wrapped for support, a meeting backstage was held for the corners and fighters to go over the ground rules of the matches: Don’t hit boxers when they’re down, no hitting below the belt, no “rabbit punches” (hits to the back of the head), and others.

After the singing of the national anthem by Roxanne Devera and a prefright ceremony performed by the California State Prison, Sacramento, and California State University, Sacramento, Army ROTC Honor Guard, the bouts were under way.

Fighters chose the music they walked out to, and the songs were played by DJ A-1 accompanied by Justin Barnes on live drums. For those who are curious, “Gonna Fly Now,” also known as “Theme from Rocky,” was indeed chosen by one fighter, however, "Eye of the Tiger" was not.

The ready-for-action crowd erupted each time a fighter let loose a flurry of punches, as well as when fists connected hard with their intended targets – mainly faces.

The bouts were engaging for the fans, and the crowd was enticed to stay involved between rounds with the help of the Corona Ring Girls.

The event featured its share of blood, sweat and knockdowns. No one was knocked out, but there were TKOs (technical knockouts), and many fights went the distance, and the winner was decided by decision.

One of the most intense moments of the night occurred during the match between Ryan Dodd (Department of Child Support Services) and Raymond “Sugar Ray” Cancel (CSP, Sacramento).

During boxing matches, an indication is made that there are 10 seconds remaining in each round by knocking loudly on a table with a hammer or similar instrument. Saturday night, the 10-second warning was created by slapping the floor of the ring several times with a large, flat instrument.

When the 10-second warning was sounded before the end of the first round for this particular bout, a disoriented Cancel mistook this for the bell signaling the end of the round, dropped his hands and turned to walk to his corner.

His opponent, Dodd, took the opportunity to cock his right fist back and unleash a devastating, unchallenged right punch to the side of Cancel’s now-undefended head, knocking him to the floor and ending the bout with a TKO. A fair punch within the rules, it still elicited a deafening amount of boos from the crowd. Dodd was awarded the Knockout of the Night belt later in the evening.

Battle of the Badges was created in 2003 by correctional officers Israel Montes Jr. and Yvonne Vasquez of California State Prison, Sacramento, to raise money for related charities. Montes said he hopes in 2011 he can bring firefighters and policemen from New York to compete on the 10-year anniversary of 9/11.

Corona Girls model the Championship Belt at the Pre-Party event at Blue Cue.

Shawn “The Rock” Correa (California State Prison-Sacramento) receives a physical before the fights.

Ilya Bezuglov (Davis PD) stares down his opponent after their weigh-in.

Julie “The J-Cat” Williams (San Quentin)

The Championship Belt on display whets the appetites of the boxers the night before the fights.

A fighter gets his hands wrapped before his bout.

Referees go over the rules with fighters backstage at a pre-fight meeting.

Tyrome Johnson (CSP-Sacramento) listens to music in his dressing room before his fight.

Katie “Pacwoman” Hartwig (Sacramento Sheriff ‘s Dept)

Memorial Auditorium

Matt Jameson (Woodland PD), left, appears to dodge a blow from Noel Montes (California Correctional Peace Officers Association).

Corona Ring Girl

One of the judges waits to hand in a decision to the referee.

Cain "The Brawler" Bramasco (Deuel Vocational Institute-Tracy) is victorious over Craig "Ramblin" Hamblin (CSP-Sacramento).

Shawn “The Rock” Correa (CSP-Sacramento), foreground, gets a ten count from the referee after being knocked down by Rich De Los Cientos (Sacramento Sheriff’s Dept).

Before intermission a $10,000 check was presented to the Firefighters Burn Institute.

Tyrome Johnson (CSP-Sacramento), left, takes a blow from James Smith (CHP).

A fighter rests in his corner before the next round begins.

Ralph “Big Nasty” Heredia (CSP-Sacramento), left, cocks a right hook for Ilya Bezuglov (Davis PD).

Julie “The J-Cat" Williams’ (San Quentin) left hook connects with her opponent, Katie “Pacwoman” Hartwig (Sacramento Sheriff’s Dept).

Hartwig gets a pep talk from her trainer between rounds.

A warm reception for Javier Banuelos (CSP-Sacramento) as he enters for his fight.

Banuelos, left, connects with his opponent Gomez’s jaw.

Master of Ceremonies Lance Corcoran

Javier Banuelos (CSP-Sacramento)

A dazed Raymond “Sugar Ray” Cancel (CSP-Sacramento) slowly gets to his feet after being knocked down by his opponent, Ryan Dodd (California Dept of Child Support Services).

A bloodied Cancel is checked by ringside physician Dr. Gary Furness after being knocked down by Ryan Dodd.

A left hook from Carlos Cabrera (Sacramento Sheriff’s Dept), foreground, glances the face of Larry “Pitbull” Fernandez (CSP-Solano) during the Main Event fight.

Cabrera, right, throws a hard right punch at Fernandez.

Cabrera, center, victor of the Main Event.

Photos: Steven Chea

What's happening at the Capitol: October 21, 22, 23

2009-10-21T05:00:18Z

Wednesday, Oct. 21

1:30 - 3 p.m. Firestar Productions will be filming a California Firefighters Conference video. The crew of about six will be filming near the south steps and south lawn area of the Capitol.

5 - 9 p.m. The California State Library will hold their monthly "Food For Thought" event at the California History Room, room 200 of the Library & Courts Building II at 900 N Street. Held the third Wednesday of each month, the free event features a film, refreshments and discussion. This week's film is Young Frankenstein. About 80 people will attend the screening.

Thursday, Oct. 22

11 a.m. - 3 p.m. The California Afterschool Network will be holding their annual "Lights On Afterschool" celebration on the south steps of the Capitol. It will feature student performances, guest speakers and an awards ceremony for teachers, parents and students. About 500 people are expected to participate.

Friday, Oct. 23

No events are scheduled for this day.

Battle of the Badge VI: Raley Field Rumble

2009-10-12T03:27:11Z

Once the sun set in West Sacramento, the stage lights flickered on and the red boxing gloves came up.

Saturday's Raley Field Rumble pitted firefighters, corrections officers and law enforcement officers from all over Northern California against one another, all in the name of Sacramento charities.

"We like to support different charities each year," said Isreal Montes Jr., creator of the event. "We keep it local in Sacramento. This year we're supporting the Firefighters Burn Institute, Sheriff Toy Project and Sacramento Fallen Officers Resource Fund."

Correction officers Montes and Yvonne Vasquez, from California State Prison Sacramento, started the city's "Battle of the Badges" in 2003. The inspiration for it struck Montes after he won a gold medal at the Western States Police and Fire Games that same year.

He never imagined the event would become as big as it has. More than 3,500 people attended this year.

"It started at the Boys and Girls Club in downtown Sacramento," Montes said. "There were maybe a few hundred people and we had no budget. Every year since it has grown more and more popular."

The event started with correctional officers competing and helping local charities, Montes said. In 2004, firefighters got involved. Fliers and word of mouth spread the word. Last year, the event was held at Memorial Auditorium and drew more than 3,000 spectators.

"What's great about this thing is that it builds a lot of camaraderie among us," Montes said. "People have come up to me to say, 'Wow, what a great fight!' Contenders are coming from seven different institutions, like CHP officers or Sacramento City firefighters, to compete."

Officer Debra Salvo, Folsom Police Department, was on hand to support friend and co-worker Officer James "Lights Out" Dorris, also from Folsom Police.

"He spent a lot of time working out. His biggest problem was not being able to snack," Salvo said of Dorris. "He is a huge junk food eater. He can't wait to be able to eat again!"

Concession stands offered typical ballpark fare: hot dogs, burgers and alcoholic beverages. Commemorative shirts and red boxing gloves were on sale for $15.

First time attendees Jeff and Mike Gerbers said they were proud to support the event.

"I'm a huge boxing fan," Jeff Gerbers said.

Mike Gerbers, who has lived in Sacramento 42 years, said he was eager to see the event grow locally.

"I love the sport, and I'm so glad to have come out," he said. "The more [boxing] events we have in Sacramento, the better!"

Roxanne Devera, a sophomore at Franklin High school, opened the event by singing the national anthem.

A moment of silence followed a three-gun salute, and taps honored the men and women in uniform.

"We can't forget the sacrifices made for us," said the announcer. "God bless this country."

Sixteen bouts were scheduled. Youngsters from the Sacramento Boxing Group fought in the first three matches. Parents could be heard shouting words of encouragement to the young contenders.

The first fight card event, between Raymond Cancel, who works at California State Prison Sacramento, and Ken Amodo, a corrections officer at Deuel Vocational Institution in Tracy, ignited the crowd. Raley Field erupted in cheers and screams.

Amodo delivered a hard left hook to Cancel's temple 30 seconds into the first round, and almost got a knockout. Cancel swayed on his feet for a few seconds.

Then he fought back. The crowd jumped up, shouting words of encouragement to both contenders.

Amodo was named the winner after three rounds. Both contenders received a standing ovation.

The fights concluded at 10:30 p.m.

Montes said he hopes the next event will be even bigger.

"I need a year off," he laughed, "but I am proud of it, it was great. It took six years to get to this point."

Montes then spoke of his dream.

"I am hoping in 2011, on the 10-year anniversary of 9/11, I can bring firefighters and policemen from New York to compete, but nothing is planned quite yet."

"I am just happy everyone had fun this year," Montes said.

Charities benefiting from the event included The Firefighters Burn Institute, Sacramento Sheriff's Toy Project and the Sacramento Fallen Officers Resource Fund.

Photos courtesy of anthonybento.com. Please see his Web site for additional photos from the event.

Brush fire delays south area Light Rail

2009-07-02T23:52:45Z

Sacramento, CA- Early Thursday after noon, a small blaze broke out off of Hing Avenue, near Franklin and 47th. The fire was contained to the dry field area between the homes and railroad tracks.

Light Rail service was minimally impacted. Trains were briefly delayed during the high part of the blaze then permitted to move through at a reduced speed due to limited visibility resulting from heavy smoke, per on scene RT rail worker.

Several structure firefighting engines were in place to protect the homes along the field, while brush rigs and crews moved through the field to attack the fire and bring it under control. Per Captain Doucette, the cause of the fire is unknown.

Firefighters' jobs likely to be saved

2009-07-02T03:28:31Z

The Sacramento City Council is about 99 percent sure that no firefighters will be laid off this week.

The local firefighters’ union and city officials reached a breakthrough in negotiations Wednesday and have made a tentative agreement to not lay off 68 firefighters. The last step will be for Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522 members to vote on the agreement this week. It is likely that Local 522 members will vote in favor of the agreement because they proposed it to city officials.

While dozens of firefighter jobs are likely to be saved, about 180 city workers in other departments still face layoffs on Thursday, according to Assistant City Manager Gus Vina.

Several councilmembers returned from vacation Wednesday afternoon to approve the firefighters’ deal in a private meeting at City Hall. Mayor Kevin Johnson and six councilmembers talked to reporters after the private meeting.

“It is a very good day in the city of Sacramento,” Johnson said.

City officials wanted to balance the budget and protect public safety, and it’s likely that those goals will be met, Johnson said.

David Dolson, a firefighter and representative of Local 522, said union members are very happy that they’ve been able to both provide high quality public safety and save firefighters’ jobs. Ensuring that the community has the best fire protection has been “our main goal the whole time,” Dolson said.

The union will recommend to its members that they vote in favor of the contract, he said.

The council’s unanimous approval of the deal marks the end of this year’s highly controversial negotiations between Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522 and city managers. The Wednesday agreement came back from the dead: The city and Local 522 had ended negotiations last week.

City officials said last week that up to 68 firefighters were scheduled to be laid off. The union had also threatened to file a lawsuit against the city, claiming that city officials had engaged in “unfair bargaining practices.”

The deal means that firefighters would give up salary increases over the next 30 months, according to Local 522 and city officials. The agreement also states that the city would promise to not lay off firefighters for one year, union representatives and city officials said. Firefighters will give up the 5 percent increase scheduled for this month.

The city will save about $10.8 million as a result of the deal, according to Vina.

The Sacramento Press was not able to obtain a copy of the agreement, and cannot independently verify the details of the agreement until it is public.

Councilmembers Bonnie Pannell and Steve Cohn did not attend the closed session. The members who attended formed the required quorum.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Firefighters use cranes to rescue victims

2009-06-19T04:52:53Z

The Rancho Murieta training facility was a disaster scene this past week. Firefighters collaborated on an Urban Search and Rescue mission to carefully extract victims stranded in cars crushed under debris.

The victims in this case, mannequins, were successfully removed from the wreckage. Firefighters treat this simulation as an actual disaster so they will be prepared when they get the call.

For the past four years, firefighters from all over California have been gathering in the Sacramento area for a heavy equipment and rigging training course that culminated this past Wednesday.

L.A. City, L.A. County, Oakland, Elk Grove, Roseville, Sacramento City and the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District all participated in a three-day training session focused on the setup of cranes and their operation in Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) situations.

Capt. Jay Coon is a 23-year veteran of the fire service currently working for the Sacramento Fire Department. He said the training was initially a preparation for natural disasters, such as earthquakes.

"We didn't know about terrorism when we first started this training," Coon said.

The program extends training to cover incidents such as September 11 in New York and the Oklahoma City bombing.

"We prepare people for the worst of the worst of a natural or man made disaster," said Coon, who participated in both events as a heavy rigger.

The scene of the training site is a barren facility with a collapsed building and a heap of steel beams and concrete slabs resting on top of cars.

"We basically build an artificial disaster," Coon said.

According to Dave DeWilde, the director of training at the Rancho Murieta training facility, firefighters engage in this simulated disaster with an end goal of removing mannequins from cars buried within the devastated area "without causing more damage or hurting yourself."

Coon said the first seventy-two hours rescuers are on the scene are critical, as most victims who will be rescued are saved in that timeframe. After that, it becomes a recovery mission.

"This is a good estimation," he said, adding that people can die within hours thus making the rescue futile. That is why DeWilde emphasized the importance of this specific training, saying it "teaches the firefighters to be able to communicate better and faster, so they can rescue people as fast as they can."

According to Coon, within the first few hours firefighters are on a scene, cranes can be set up "immediately if they are hydraulic cranes, or within hours for the bigger ones." He described the positives of using a crane as its ability to pick up a tremendous amount of weight. That's an asset," Coon said. Despite that, he added, "The bigger they are, the longer it takes to put them in service. You can spend as much as two days putting them together."

"This kind of training is vital, and it's sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Office of Emergency Services," Coon said. However, he maintained that, "We couldn't put this thing on if it wasn't for the community," describing the various companies that gave the trainers access to steel, cars and equipment.

"If they didn't support us,” Coon said, “it would be too costly to put this training on."

Budget Update: City layoffs to occur in about two weeks

2009-06-17T20:59:59Z

The City Council has changed its original plan to lay off 168 workers Friday, and now layoffs are expected to take place in about two weeks, according to acting city spokeswoman Wendy Klock-Johnson.

The number of layoffs is in flux and may soon change depending on negotiations with five city unions.

On Tuesday, the city adopted its 2009/2010 fiscal year budget and closed out a gap of more than $43 million. The budget that was approved comes with major cuts to city services. Changes to the budget will be amendments because the budget has been adopted.

City officials continued to say Tuesday that many cuts and layoffs could be averted if the unions make concessions.

Negotiations between city managers and Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522 continue to be controversial. The City Council did not approve the latest agreement with the firefighters’ union, Klock-Johnson said.

The layoff dates are being extended to allow the city more time to come to concessions with unions, she said. The city is lengthening the deadline for layoffs to all 168 workers, including those who are not represented by unions.

Four alarm apartment blaze takes out at least one unit, damages several others

2009-06-17T07:10:55Z

Early Tuesday evening, Roseville fire department was called the apartments on Woodcreek Oaks Blvd., south of Junction Blvd., in Roseville for a fire. When fire crews arrived, high flames and smoke were coming from backside of one of the back buildings in the complex.

Several apartment units in the building were involved by the time the fire was brought under control. This was a four alarm fire which even brought units from Placerville Fire Department.

While it was initially believed that this was a barbeque fire that ignited the patio, the actual cause of the blaze is under investigation and fire investigators were searching the area for a youth to question.

There were no injuries, however a cat from the unit where the fire started is unaccounted for.

Fallen Soldier Comes Home

2009-04-19T20:51:02Z

Fallen soldier, Staff Sgt. Bryan Hall, was welcomed home today. Hall was returned from overseas to Dover Air Force Base, then flown to Sacramento Executive Airport this morning. A procession followed Hall’s hearse from the airport to south Highway 99 and ended at Elk Grove Funeral Chapel.

Staff Sgt. Hall was killed in Iraq with four other soldiers when an explosive laden truck careened through an Iraqi police headquarters.

Community members lined the freeway and side roads waving flags and welcoming our fallen soldier home; but perhaps the most striking exhibit was the firefighters and apparatus that could be clearly seen atop every freeway overpass on the route. If you knew nothing about what was going on, you knew something significant was happening as you drove down 99 and witnessed firefighters standing atop their apparatus, at attention, aerial booms raised half staff on the fire trucks awaiting Hall’s return. Engines, trucks, ambulances and other apparatus participated from Sac City, Consumnes and Elk Grove fire departments.

What Does the Sacramento Fire Department Do?

2009-02-11T19:37:23Z

Yesterday the Sacramento City Council voted to try and find additional funds to prevent closing a second fire engine in the Sacramento Fire Department. The City Council, Mayor, and the City Manager are all working very hard to try and avoid this additional engine closure. The task they have is very difficult.

I have been bombarded with questions and comments pertaining to our Fire Department. People ask me on the street, readers comment in newspapers, and I receive telephone calls. Most of the people I speak with appreciate the job that your Sacramento Firefighters do, but many do not understand how or why we operate the way we do. The Fire Service, including your Sacramento Fire Department, historically has not done a very good job of informing the public about our jobs and what we do. I will try and change that! Here are some of the questions and comments that I get.

“Why do you send the big fire engine to a medical aid call?” Our Fire Engine and Truck Companies are all staffed with EMT’s and Paramedics. All of our personnel are also Firefighters! Our Fire Stations are geographically placed throughout the City and this equipment can usually get to the emergency much faster than our ambulances can. Because of the serious threat of fire and rescue emergencies, we have more fire engines and truck companies than we have ambulances.

If your heart stops, you will be dead in about 4 minutes. All of our Engines and Trucks carry Heart Defibrillators and Advanced Life Support gear and both Paramedics and EMT’s are trained to use this life saving equipment. During a call where a person’s heart has stopped and we are administering CPR, manpower is extremely important. One Firefighter has to do the chest compressions, one has to maintain the victims airway, another has to administer the advanced life support drugs, one has to get the ambulance and its equipment ready for transport, the Captain usually has to do the documenting and taking care of the victims family and friends. The patient has to be “packaged” and loaded onto the gurney and sometimes carried down many flights of stairs to the waiting ambulance.

To do this and many other medical aid calls is very labor intensive. And yes, this is a very typical call for us, one that we respond to many times on any given day.

“I was in a fender bender and 6 Firefighters showed up, and I wasn’t even hurt!” Car accidents can be very serious. We always respond at least one Fire Engine and one Ambulance to vehicle accidents.

Victims can be trapped; the car can be on fire. Removing victims from mangled cars takes a lot of personnel. There is broken glass, jagged metal, leaking fuel and the possibility of fire. We also need to make the accident scene as safe as possible for both the victims and the Firefighters. The “big Fire Truck or Engine” can block traffic and prevent others from running into to us!

If it is only a fender bender and no one is hurt, what we typically do is release the ambulance, so it can respond to other calls and we will stand by and wait for law enforcement. If another call comes in, we can always leave the scene and respond to the next emergency.

The main thing to remember is that usually in any emergency our Dispatchers receive many 911 calls. Until we actually arrive and see what we have, we do not know the true extent of the emergency. On many emergencies that we get called for, we immediately release equipment and make them available for other calls, if the emergency doesn’t require the dispatched fire equipment.

“How come some local Fire Agencies have only three Firefighters on their Fire Engines and you guys have four?” The Sacramento Fire Department operates with four Firefighters on every Engine and Truck Company. There are many reasons for this. There was a time that we operated with five Firefighters on all equipment.

The NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) is the organization in this country that sets standards for the fire service. The NFPA is not a labor or management organization. It is made up of people from many different backgrounds, people who have an interest in fire safety and prevention. Building Industry officials, Government officials, Firefighters, Fire Equipment Manufacturers and many more. The NFPA has set many standards and one of them states that Fire Engine and Truck Companies, to do their job properly and safely, should have as a minimum, four Firefighters assigned to them at all times. The standard even states that some companies should have five personnel assigned!

The Sacramento Fire Department has a much more diverse geographical area than the surrounding fire agencies do. In Sacramento we have many older buildings, high rise buildings, multiple story offices and apartments. Our life safety targets are high within the City limits. We also have the typical suburbs and even wildland areas.

With four persons on all of our apparatus we have the ability to quickly attack the fire and rescue any trapped occupants. Three personnel would only slow us down and hamper our ability to keep the fire small, and rescue trapped victims. A good example of this was the recent fire on H Street. It is my opinion that if we would have operated with three person companies, we would have probably lost that entire building and possibly the buildings next door!

“Why do you work 24 hours and fully staff your fire stations at night time?” Some people think that we only sleep at night and never respond to calls. After being on the job going on 29 years, I wish that this was true! It is very rare for any of our Firefighters to sleep all night. We get many calls after hours, and most of our more devastating and fatal fires happen late at night and early in the morning. Sleep is a luxury our Firefighters usually only get at home!

“Recently the Fire Inspectors showed up at my place of business to inspect my fire extinguishers, and these inspectors came in a big fire truck!” The Sacramento Fire Department has a Fire Prevention Bureau. The Fire Prevention Officers have a wide range of responsibilities, including building and business inspections, code enforcement, plan checks, and much more. However they do not ride in Fire Engines. They use staff cars.

What this person saw was their local Firefighters doing their “Monthly Business Inspections”. Every fire station is assigned to do monthly business inspections. This is when your Firefighters will come to your business, and look for any possible fire or safety problems. The Firefighters have the ability to write “correction notices”. If the problem is severe, they can refer to Fire Prevention who can write “citations” and in extreme cases even close down the business, until the problem is corrected.

As an Engine Captain, I would say that the main purpose for having me and my crew out doing business inspections is so that we can become familiar with your building and business. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have been at a fire or some other type of emergency, that it has helped me in knowing the layout of the building, where the fire hydrants and fire sprinkler connections are, where the best access points are, where some hazardous materials are stored. The list goes on and on. It pays for us to know your building inside and out!

“There aren’t that many fires in Sacramento, so what do you guys do all day?” Unfortunately in Sacramento we do have many fires. On any typical day we have at least one “working structure fire”. We have many more car fires, garbage and trash fires, brush fires, etc. We are also one of the Nations first Fire Departments that have trained Haz Mat Personnel. We run many medical aid calls and other calls for service.

Your emergency becomes our emergency and we do our best and are always ready to assist you! We also maintain our apparatus and equipment. You will not see any dirty, rusty, or poorly maintained fire equipment on any of our apparatus. We believe that this equipment can save our lives and lives of others, and unless they are in good working condition, we will not be able to depend on it in an emergency. We take great pride in our gear and equipment.

We also take pride in the training that we do. We train each and every day in some way. Without the training we do, we cannot be ready for the emergency when it hits!

And yes we do cook and eat, doesn’t everybody? Some of our Fire Houses have four persons and some have as many as eleven. Preparing for these meals is a job in itself, but like anything else that we may be doing, and you can use your imagination, when the bell hits, we stop what we are doing and we are out of the house in about one minute!

“And why do you still get cats out of trees?” We still respond to “cat in the tree” calls as well as other types of non-emergencies, because the public has grown to expect us to. Even though I have never seen a cat skeleton in a tree, we typically try and help the citizen get their cat down! Even though this is not a true emergency, we all carry radios and if another emergency is dispatched, we respond and we’ll come back to the cat call at a later time.

I really appreciate the opportunity I have to do this at Sacramento Press. To be able to respond in a letter to the editor in other newspapers, is usually difficult and most times it gets edited. I also encourage anyone who has more questions or comments to please respond to this and I’ll try and give you an answer or response. If you rather, you can also email me at jdoucette@sfd.cityofsacramento.org

Thank you for interest and always know that your Sacramento Firefighters take our business serious and although we hope that we never have to serve you, rest assured that we are there for you when you call!

H Street Fire 12-30-08

2008-12-31T19:37:26Z

Yesterday afternoon I had just sat down for Coffee at Peet’s on J Street with two of our Battalion Chiefs when the call came in for the apartment fire on H Street. The two Chiefs and I responded and were on scene right after the first arriving fire company. Heavy fire was engulfing the upper floor of the Victorian building. It was a good thing that our Firefighters were able to arrive on scene in about two minutes!

A second alarm was requested and our Firefighters went to work protecting the two adjacent buildings and attacking the main body of the fire. It took a few minutes but our crews were able to knock down the fire and prevent it from spreading to the adjacent buildings and to the lower floors of the Victorian.

Victorian style buildings as well as many of the older style construction that we see in the downtown area of Sacramento, make our job as Firefighters a little more difficult. A lot of these buildings are over 100 years old and many are built with what we call “balloon” construction. That means that the walls of the building run continuous from the ground to the attic with no fire breaks inside the walls. Basically you have a chimney from the basement to the attic and the fire spreads very fast. Fortunately, over time the building codes have changed and this type of construction is not allowed anymore. Another issue we face in the downtown area is how close these old buildings are to one another.

I get questions all of the time about why we send so many Firefighters to the downtown area on a fire. In the City a typical first alarm assignment for a structure fire is to send three Fire Engines, Two Fire Trucks, (Engines carry hose, water and have the pump, and the Trucks have the big ladder on top and carry the rescue equipment.) one Medic, (Ambulance) and two Battalion Chiefs. On all structure assignments downtown we send five Engines, three Trucks, two Medics, three Battalion Chiefs, and the EMS Captain. As you can see that is a lot of manpower and equipment! We have learned over time that it is better to send a lot of resources on downtown responses, and if they are not needed, we can easily turn them back!

Our Firefighters did a great job on this fire! This fire could have easily destroyed the entire building as well as the next door units. The Firefighters who work for you take their job very serious and we constantly train and do our best to be prepared for fires like this and for the every other type of the 70,000 plus calls we have every year!

The Sacramento Fire Department is one of the nation’s busiest Fire Departments. Fortunately we do not have these types of fires every day; however we typically have one or two structure fires each and every day somewhere in the City. We appreciate the support and comments we received yesterday from the fire victims and the people who were watching the fire. Our job can be very difficult at times, but all of us love doing it and we love serving this City.