Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "sacramento fire department"

Commute interrupted, vehicle crashes into downtown business

2011-12-13T19:29:41Z

Sacramento, CA | Busy morning Downtown commute interrupted Tuesday morning when a vehicle crashed into a building.

Close to 7:30 Tuesday morning, the busy downtown commute was interrupted when a woman driving east on J Street, reportedly felt sick and passed out behind the wheel. Her vehicle hopped the curb and crashed into "Patino Building" at 1010 J St. The driver was transported to hospital via paramedics.

Natomas Community Group to Donate Equipment to Police & Fire Depts.

2011-08-01T22:30:09Z

Investigative & Lifesaving Gear to Honor Fallen on 9/11

A volunteer neighborhood association in North Natomas collected over $6,600 using old-fashioned community fundraising to purchase equipment for their nearest fire and police stations in anticipation of the upcoming ten year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and to honor the sacrifices of hundreds of public safety personnel who perished on that day.

The gifts will be presented to captains of the police and fire departments in a ceremony at the association's fourth annual National Night Out celebration in Witter Ranch Park on Tuesday evening.

Witter Ranch Community Alliance, which covers nearly 1,400 detached homes and over 400 apartments, raised the funds in partnership with Sacramento's all-volunteer non-profit Drowning Accident Rescue Team (D.A.R.T.). With proceeds from a huge community yard sale, a hot dog barbecue, individual donations, and soliciting area merchants, and by negotiating discounts with equipment suppliers, they succeeded in purchasing a MultiRAE portable gas and explosive compound detector for their new fire station (opening in a couple of weeks) and a Cellebrite forensics system for Sacramento Police Department's Kinney Station in North Sacramento.

"We told them our plans and asked them what they wanted, and that's what they said they needed, so our community worked very hard to deliver," said Janice Brannon, former WRCA board member and chairperson of the committee for the effort. "We are honored to be able to do this for them."

"Witter Ranch Community Alliance was formed in response to concerns for our community's safety, so it's absolutely fitting that we do this for our partners at our police and fire departments," said Keith Sharward, WRCA co-founder and board member. "They do so much for us so it's wonderful that we can do this for them."

"This just goes to prove how dedicated our community is on public safety. This is about saving property and saving lives," said Jason Alexander who serves on WRCA's board and volunteers for D.A.R.T. and the fire department's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).

Fundraising efforts had been going strong but were not keeping pace with the aggressive deadline. Then came news from their neighborhood Wells Fargo Bank branch that they would contribute generously towards the effort. "I was profoundly touched by the generosity of this donor to our cause," Brannon said. "I knew then that we were going to make our goal."

No taxpayer dollars are involved in the purchase.

"This couldn't have come a better time for us," said James Maccoun, captain of Sacramento Police Department's North Command. "Our budget has been cut to the bone so these sorts of purchases are increasingly difficult for us. Having the Cellabrite system here at the station will save our officers a lot of time and help with certain types of investigations."

"This will really help us in our response to calls regarding possible gas leaks," said Jaymes Butler, one of the captains of Fire Station 18, currently WRCA's nearest station several miles away, and vice president of Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522. "This MultiRAE detector might save a life someday, and that life could be that of a firefighter."

Also scheduled to attend the ceremony in Witter Ranch Park at 6 PM Tuesday are Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, Sacramento City Councilmember Angelique Ashby, Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna, and a representative from Assemblyman Dr. Richard Pan's office.

Disclosure: Keith Sharward is co-founder and Board Member of Witter Ranch Community Alliance, an all-volunteer association for the Gateway West and Park View neighborhoods of North Natomas, and a member of the Natomas Crime & Safety Leadership Team.

Budget cuts impact resources for major hazmat incident in South Sacramento

2011-07-07T01:43:59Z

Sacramento, CA | A level 3 Hazmat situation shuts down a large industrial area in South Sacramento. Budget weakend hazmat team has to reach out with unusual mutual aid requests.

Wednesday morning, the Sacramento City Fire Department was called to Mike and Sons Inc, in the 8500 block of Elder Creek Road, for a commercial trailer fire. When firefighters arrived “they realized the doors were shut and there was a very pungent odor; so they turned this into a level three hazmat which is the highest level of hazmat response that we have”, Niko King, Assistant Chief for Sacramento City Fire Department stated.

As things progressed, they contacted the shipper and the property owner discovering that there were over forty household products in the trailer, King stated. “For some unknown reason, something happened in there and there was a chemical reaction taking place.”

Evacuations began immediately. King stated that as a result of the off-gassing of the product and wind direction, over fifty-five business were evacuated which equated to 520 people. Reverse 911 was utilized to assist with the evacuations. Traffic was backed up all the way down Young Creek Drive as area workers vacated the industrial park. King stated that the evacuation was in place for about four hours. King also stated that a seven digit hotline was put in place to update evacuees and let them know when they could return to their businesses.

One person, who reportedly inhaled a good amount of the vapors, was transported to the hospital via paramedics.

Large fire suppression lines were put in place in the event they had to fight fire, and measures were taken to protect storm drains from potential contaminated water runoff as a result of firefighting efforts.

“What’s unique about this, Sacramento Fire department just experienced some budget cuts; it cut our hazmat team right in half,” King stated sternly. “…so, we had mutual aid resources from Metro Fire, Hazmat 109 come in. And what was really unique, we had to reach out and get Roseville’s hazmat team to come into the City of Sacramento to assist in mitigating this incident.”

It was finally determined that the substance was some sort of refrigerant oil. The assumption is that due to the warm rising temperature in the trailer, the container of product exploded then mixing with other materials in the trailer.

Many agencies responded to this incident to assist Sacramento City Fire, such as: Sacramento Metro Fire, Roseville Fire, and CERT to name a few. The Red Cross also responded with their Disaster Relief unit.

King stated that all the hazards had been mitigated and the incident would be turned back over to the shipping company.

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Guide to firefighters' pay and benefits

2011-06-12T23:37:33Z

The Sacramento City Council’s tentative decision last week to make major cuts to public safety brings police and firefighter jobs into the spotlight.

Six City Council members said they intend to raise the number of brownouts or alternating closures of fire services from two to four.

While the city has no plans to lay off firefighters, the public debate over possible cuts to public safety begs the question: How much do firefighters in the city get paid? How do their benefits work?

The brownouts may be part of the final budget the City Council is expected to approve on June 21. The city is facing a $39 million deficit.

The Sacramento Press published a guide to police officers’ pay and benefits on June 5, and is now looking at firefighters’ salary and benefits.

Firefighter pay

There are several kinds of unionized jobs in the Sacramento Fire Department, according to data on the city’s website. These job titles are firefighter, firefighter/paramedic, engineer, engineer/paramedic, captain, captain/paramedic and battalion chief.

About 500 employees hold these positions, Michael Stover, administrative officer for the department, said.

“It must be noted that the current pay rates for members of Local 522 (the Firefighters’ union) are frozen until January 2012,” Stover noted.

The salary for the firefighter job ranges from $53,534 to $65,071, according to salary data published on the city’s website. A firefighter/paramedic can earn from $58,888 to $71,579 annually, in base pay.

Engineers earn anywhere from $63,613 to $77,322. Salaries for engineer/paramedics start at $66,157 and go up to $80,415. Engineers, who conduct “specialized firefighting work,” drive the fire engines/trucks and operate the pump machinery on fire engines, must have worked as a Sacramento firefighter for four years, according to the city’s website.

Pay for captains ranges from $71,917 to $87,416. Captains are supervisors who must have worked as a firefighter for five years. A salary range of $74,794 to $90,913 is for captain/paramedics.

Battalion chiefs – supervisors who outrank captains – are paid anywhere from $92,745 to $112,732.

The department has eight sworn top managers – a fire chief, two deputy chiefs and five assistant chiefs, according to Stover. For example, a fire deputy chief earns between $112,629 to $168,943. Assistant chiefs are top managers who outrank battalion chiefs.

Read the salary data for all of these jobs here.

Retirement and other benefits for firefighters

Like police officers and managers, firefighters do not pay toward their retirement benefits. A recent audit of employee benefits by City Auditor Jorge Oseguera’s office said the city covers all CalPERS retirement system contributions for firefighters, police officers and managers.

Meanwhile, city employees in other fields pay retirement contributions.

The audit stated that the city could save roughly $7.9 million on average annually if all of its workers, including firefighters, paid 4 percent of their earnings toward their retirements. Unionized fire employees also receive a health and welfare benefit from the city, basic life insurance, 12 days of vacation per year with the ability to accrue two more floating days each year, 24 hours of holiday time and 12 sick days, according to Kimberly Isaacs, city human resources manager for benefits and retirement.

Additional information about firefighters’ benefits is outlined in the Sacramento Area Fire Fighters Local 522 contract with the city, which can be read here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Council intends to make major public safety cuts

2011-06-08T07:44:49Z

The Sacramento City Council’s tentative decision Tuesday night to make severe budget cuts to public safety is not final, but it made a big statement.

Council members voted 6-3 to say they intend to make budget cuts later this month that include layoffs of 82 sworn cops and increases in brownouts or alternating closures for fire services.

A big caveat to the tentative decision is the council’s statement that it is still open to further negotiations with the city’s public safety unions.

Tuesday’s hearing drew intense public interest. Many people arrived more than an hour early to the 6 p.m. meeting. Shortly before 5 p.m., about 70 people waited in line for the doors at City Hall to open.

About 340 people were at City Hall around 6:15 p.m. The 230 seats inside the City Council’s chambers were filled, and another 110 people were outside, in the lobby and in a second-floor overflow area.

A City Hall police security officer estimated at 7 p.m. there were 400-450 people at City Hall.

City leaders are facing a $39 million deficit for the 2011/2012 fiscal year. The City Council is expected to approve a budget June 21.

Council members Jay Schenirer, Sandy Sheedy, Rob Fong, Kevin McCarty, Darrell Fong and Bonnie Pannell voted to say they intend to make public safety cuts, among other reductions, though they may still negotiate with unions for changes to the cuts.

Council members Angelique Ashby and Steve Cohn and Mayor Kevin Johnson voted against the tentative decision.

Schenirer proposed the tentative decision, stating that cuts to public safety were necessary in order for the city to get on a fiscally responsible track.

“The right thing happens to be the more difficult thing this year, unfortunately,” he said.

The proposal includes $12.2 million in cuts to the Police Department and $9 million in cuts to the Fire Department.

The suggested cuts include layoffs of 82 sworn cops in the Police Department and 68 civilian personnel, according to updated statistics provided Tuesday night by Sgt. Norm Leong, police department spokesman.

The department could restore 35 staff if it obtains a waiver on a federal grant, according to city officials.

“I just can’t, in good conscience, support a budget where we’re going to cut $12 million from police,” Johnson said.

In addition to its tentative decision, the council made a final decision Tuesday night to approve a federal grant for the Sacramento Fire Department. The funding from the federal government comes from the federal Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant Program.

The six council members also said they intend to make fire cuts that would raise the number of alternating closures, or “brownouts,” of fire services from two to four. Without the grant, the city would be weighing whether to make six brownouts.

The city manager’s office is not proposing layoffs for the Fire Department.

As part of the 6-3 vote, the council also said it intends to keep 11 community centers open without setting aside any money for them through the Department of Parks and Recreation. It’s unclear how that can be accomplished. Schenirer suggested that neighborhoods could help keep the centers open.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Council sets new hearing on parks, police and fire

2011-05-25T16:47:49Z

If you thought the last few budget hearings on proposed budget cuts to the city’s parks, police and fire services were heated, just wait until June 7.

At the close of a nearly four-hour budget meeting on proposed cuts to the Sacramento Fire Department Tuesday night, the City Council unanimously decided to discuss the cuts again on June 7.

But the June 7 meeting will be different from previous hearings because the council decided it will discuss all the controversial budget cuts – to the Parks and Recreation, Police and Fire departments – at that time.

Councilman Rob Fong said the cuts should be discussed all at the same time because the city does not have enough money to prevent cuts to those departments.

The council does not have funds to restore money to one of the three departments without cutting money from another of the departments, Fong said.

“When anyone comes and says ‘don’t cut us, just keep us whole,’ please understand what you’re really asking us to do is cut them,” Fong said.

“When the police say don’t cut us, they’re saying ‘cut the fire department’ ... because that’s where we are – it’s a zero-sum game. We don’t have enough money,” Fong said.

City leaders are wrestling with a $39 million budget gap for the 2011/2012 fiscal year.

Council members indicated Tuesday night that they will likely approve a federal grant for the Fire Department next month. Several council members said Tuesday night that they support the idea of approving the $5.6 million in federal funds from the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant Program.

The department has already been selected to receive the grant and is waiting on the council to approve it.

If the council signs off on the federal grant, the proposed cuts to the Fire Department would be lessened. The department would still face “brownouts” or alternating closures of fire services, but the number of brownouts would be less severe.

The department now closes two fire companies on an alternating schedule. The current budget proposal from Interim City Manager Bill Edgar and Interim Deputy City Manager Betty Masuoka would bump the number of these closures to six.

But the federal grant money would bring the number down to four, according to Fire Chief Ray Jones. The department would still see an increase from two to four, but not from two to six.

Jaymes Butler, municipal vice president of Sacramento Area Fire Fighters Local 522, told the council Tuesday that the cuts would hurt communities.

“Whole communities will be without emergency medical response and fire,” Butler said.

In a press conference before the City Council meeting, firefighters protested proposed cuts to their department.

When talking about the proposed cuts at the press conference, Butler said firefighters would be “laid off.” However, when pressed by reporters if there would be “out-the-door” layoffs, Butler said that 49 positions slated for cuts were not filled and no current workers would actually be laid off.

Earlier Tuesday, Mayor Kevin Johnson commented on the proposed budget cuts. When asked about proposals to save money with cuts to police and fire, Johnson said he'd rather hear from all departments and get information from them before the council makes a decision on what they can or can't do.

"I've said from day one I want to hold the line on public safety if at all possible,” Johnson said. “And that's police and fire. Certainly parks and being a full-service city are very important."

Video by Kathleen Haley

Staff Reporter Suzanne Hurt contributed to this report. Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Firefighters protest proposed budget cuts

2011-05-25T03:49:35Z

About 150 firefighters and their families protested the city’s budget proposal Tuesday night to cut $9.1 million from the Sacramento Fire Department. As part of press conference held to protest the cuts, the fire department staffers stood in a large group outside City Hall to show their opposition.

The city is facing a $39 million budget gap for the 2011/2012 fiscal year. The idea to make cuts to the Fire Department is included in the budget plan proposed by Interim City Manager Bill Edgar and Interim Deputy City Manager Betty Masuoka. Final decisions on the budget will be made by the Sacramento City Council next month.

A group called Protect Sacramento, led by Sacramento Area Fire Fighters Local 522 and the Sacramento Police Officers Association, held a press conference Tuesday evening to protest the proposed cuts. The press conference was held shortly before the start of a City Council budget hearing on the Fire Department.

The proposed cuts “will put neighborhoods at risk, lengthen response times, and stand in the way of our ability to deal with real life-and-death emergencies,” said Jaymes Butler, vice president of Sacramento Area Fire Fighters Local 522.

The proposed budget cuts to the department could increase the number of alternating closures of fire equipment and staffers. The number of these proposed closures was unclear at press time because the City Council on Tuesday night may approve a $5.6 million federal grant for the department. The grant may lessen the Fire Department cuts. The money comes from the federal Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant Program.

The Sacramento Press will provide an overview of the Fire Department budget hearing Wednesday morning.

Read the budget schedule here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Violence and bottles break at downtown Parlare Euro Lounge

2011-05-22T01:01:00Z

Sacramento, CA | Fists and bottles fly early Saturday morning at Parlare Euro Lounge, leaving one person in serious condition.

Just around midnight Saturday, a fight started at the Parlare Euro Lounge on the corner of 10th and J Streets in downtown Sacramento.

“The fight spilled out from the club into the street. One of the security guards was hit in the head with a bottle, subsequently fought with the original suspect who in turn, turned and fought with another suspect who was also hit with a bottle,” Sargent Wendy Brown, Sacramento Police Department stated.

Later the area was deemed a tapped off crime scene with CSI collecting evidence and photos as one of the injured person’s condition worsened. Per Sargent Norm Leong, Sacramento Police Department’s Public Information Officer, the subject is now listed in serious condition.

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Proposed budget would cut 100 cops, 50 fire staff

2011-04-29T00:39:05Z

Layoffs of about 100 police officers and nearly 50 Fire Department staffers are listed as possible budget cuts in the city’s proposed 2011/2012 budget, scheduled to be released Friday.

The city released a summary of the budget recommendations from Interim City Manager Bill Edgar and Interim Deputy City Manager Betty Masuoka late Thursday afternoon. The budget was largely put together by previous Interim City Manager Gus Vina, who resigned last month.

The city manager’s office recommends that police officer cuts should be made in the department’s special units. The summary said that 167 full-time employees would be cut in the police department. Of the 167 employees, 98 are sworn police officers, the summary says.

“This reduction will result in the loss of the special units in order to protect patrol (units) as much as possible,” the report said.

The proposed budget would also ramp up the number of Fire Department “brownouts” from two to six, and lay off 49 full-time Fire Department employees. However, the suggested cuts to the Fire Department were unclear at press time because the city has been selected to receive a federal $5.6 million grant earmarked for firefighters.

Parks and Recreation is slated for major cuts, as well. “All but three community centers will be closed, and all but three swimming pools will be closed starting the summer of 2012,” according to the budget summary. The budget recommendations also said that youth and senior programs will face “significant reductions.”

While the city manager’s office has released budget cut plans for the police, fire and parks departments, it’s unclear how many people will actually be laid off. The City Council is responsible for all final decisions on the budget, and the numbers of proposed layoffs often change during the city budget process. Union negotiations can change the numbers. When the city cuts positions, it uses a process of demoting employees that can also change the number of layoffs.

Read the summary of the proposed budget here.

The full proposed budget is expected to be released Friday. The Sacramento Press will cover the budget in depth on Friday.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

DUI driver injures three in Downtown crash

2011-04-17T03:35:58Z

Sacramento, CA | An alleged drunk driver crashed into an occupied taxi cab early Saturday morning in Downtown Sacramento, next to City Hall.

Early Saturday morning, at the intersection of I St. and 10th St., a drunk driver crashed into an occupied taxi cab.

Two people were transported to the hospital in critical condition, a third was transported with minor injures.

Being struck by the alleged DUI driver, the taxi cab careened across the front lawn of City Hall and came to rest on against a light pole and across the sidewalk next to the steps of City Hall.

After being given a field sobriety test and refusing to take an in field breathalyzer test, the driver was arrested for DUI.

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Downed tree injures one and damages vehicles

2011-03-21T02:53:02Z

Sacramento, CA | Club goers leaving a local club escape fallen tree incident with minor injures and damaged vehicles.

Late Saturday night, as Azukar Lounge at 16th Street and J Street was winding down and club goers filled the parking lot heading to their cars, a large tree collapsed landing on one occupied, damaging others and pinned a female to the ground. Several bistanders worked together to get the tree off the girl as resue crews responded. The victim was transported to the hospital via paramedics with minor injures.

Occupants of the vehicle struck by the tree were unharmed and able to exit the vehicle without further incident.

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Sacramento Fire Department Awarded $5.6 Million Grant

2011-03-03T22:00:11Z

Through the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Program, the Sacramento Fire Department was awarded $5,606,864 to hire 27 firefighters and restore two fire companies. The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District was awarded $5,470,824 to hire 24 firefighters. The SAFER grant is awarded annually through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide financial assistance to help fire departments increase their cadre of frontline firefighters. The goal is to assist local fire departments with staffing and deployment capabilities so they may respond to emergencies whenever they occur, assuring their communities have adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards.

Fire Department's brownouts to end soon

2011-02-24T20:05:48Z

The Sacramento Fire Department expects to hire 27 firefighters and end its “brownouts” soon, thanks to a $5.6 million grant from the federal government.

The grant to the city fire department and a $5.4 million grant to the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District were discussed at a Thursday morning press conference held by Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento) and local fire officials.

The Metropolitan Fire District, which covers Sacramento and Placer counties and the cities of Citrus Heights and Rancho Cordova, will hire 24 or more firefighters with its funding, said Metro Fire Chief Bill Sponable.

The city fire department has two rolling brownouts in effect, which means that certain fire trucks and engines are out of service at various times, according to former Fire Department spokesman Jim Doucette. Matsui said Thursday that the grant money could be released “pretty quickly” and must be awarded by September.

“It will alleviate two brownouts that we currently have,” said city Fire Chief Ray Jones.

The money comes from the federal Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant Program.

“As we know, sadly, the budget cuts on the state and local levels have left our first responders both understaffed and overworked,” Matsui said. “We all know that we’ve witnessed brownouts that have temporarily shut down fire stations in our neighborhoods.”

Assistant City Manager Cassandra Jennings praised Matsui, who wrote a letter advocating for the city fire department to receive the grant.

“We are in the midst of dealing with budget challenges here in the city of Sacramento,” Jennings said. “We have looked at revenue sources; we’re looking at efficiencies and other ways to address our budget challenges. But there’s no better way than (for) a great partner to come and sort of save the day, and give us some resources.”

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Single apartment destroyed by fire

2011-01-22T23:03:22Z

This morning just before 10 a.m. Sacramento Regional Dispatch center received multiple calls reporting an apartment fire with explosions. Fire crews from both Sacramento and Sacramento Metro Fire Departments responded and arrived within minutes to find fire blowing out of an upstairs window. The apartment was occupied at the time of the fire and officials were informed that citizens assisted one adult male occupant from the apartment that was on fire.

Quick actions of the fire crews kept the fire from spreading to adjacent apartments; however during the fire operations Sacramento Police were requested to respond to restrain the resident from attempting to re-enter the apartment while it was on fire. Fortunately no one was injured and the initial reports of explosions were determined to be from the fire burning materials inside the apartment.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation and has not yet been determined. The upstairs apartment was completely destroyed and adjacent upstairs units suffered minor smoke damage. At this time the Sacramento Fire Department would like to remind everyone not to attempt to re-enter a building once it is on fire. Fire doubles in size every sixty seconds, and one inhalation of smoke can be fatal.

DUI driver injures several in Midtown wreck

2010-12-31T02:35:12Z

Sacramento, CA | A drunk driver with passengers collides head-on with a Taxi minivan leaving several injured in Midtown early Thursday morning.

At approximately 1:47 am Thursday morning, a black compact car collided head on with a taxi cab minivan at 20th and N Streets in Midtown. Occupants in both vehicles were injured and transported to area hospitals with non threatening injuries, per Sacramento Police department. more from this incident and about Midtown DUI checkpoint >>

City, county faced grim year

2010-12-31T01:35:08Z

Sacramento’s city and county governments confronted grim budget situations throughout 2010. The city faced a $43 million budget gap, while the county struggled with a $181 million hole.

Local government employees felt the pain of budget cuts: Sacramento County laid off about 380 employees during the summer.

The county also slashed 29 positions in its engineering department in September. The county will no longer hire engineers for those spots.

City officials laid off 12 workers represented by Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 447, city spokeswoman Amy Williams said in September. The layoffs occurred after talks between the city and the union failed.

However, the city’s job loss situation could have been worse. City officials and Stationary Engineers Local 39 negotiated a contract during the summer that saved at least 80 jobs.

Budget cuts hit Sacramento’s Fire Department, but the blow was lighter than expected. The City Council decided in June to increase from one to two “rolling brownouts” for the department. An earlier plan called for four rolling brownouts.

The term “rolling brownouts” refers to taking certain fire trucks and engines out of service at various times, former Fire Department spokesman Jim Doucette said in June.

A variety of city programs faced cuts, including the city’s 311 information line and youth program.

Consolidations of several city departments and offices took place as well. Code Enforcement, formerly a department, became a division of the Community Development Department. Neighborhood Services became a division of the Parks and Recreation Department, while Human Resources joined with Labor Relations.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Sacramento Firefighter Receives Governor’s Medal of Valor

2010-12-07T23:53:25Z

Today Sacramento Firefighter-Paramedic Robert Walters will receive the Silver Governor’s Medal of Valor Award for a successful rescue mission completed while serving in the California Army National Guard.

Staff Sergeant Robert Walters and 3 other crew members were successful in the rescue efforts of a 14-year-old boy scout member that was trapped under a ten-thousand pound bolder on June 26, 2008 in Fresno, California.

Robert Walters is a nine year veteran of the Sacramento Fire Department and continues to serve in the California National Guard. He is an eleven year veteran of the California National Guard. The Sacramento Fire Department is proud to have such a member within its organization, and would like to take this opportunity to recognize and congratulate Firefighter Paramedic Robert Walters.

The ceremony will be held at the Crest Theatre, 1013 K Street Sacramento, CA today at 2:00 pm.

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Thanksgiving weekend safety tips

2010-11-22T21:09:21Z

As we approach Thanksgiving Day the Sacramento Fire Department would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy holiday; in addition to providing you with several safety tips to ensure your holiday is also a safe one. Each year many fires and other emergencies occur from un-attended cooking or burning fires. Therefore we are asking that you consider these tips as you enjoy your holiday.

·Turkey roasters’, remember to use a pan large enough to contain the grease that is produced from a roasting turkey.
·If you are going to sleep or leaving your home, make sure all cooking appliances are off.
·Outdoor cooking should occur outdoors and NOT in a garage or under a low covered patio.
·Make sure candles are not left unattended while burning and are placed in holders that will catch the melting wax.
·Don’t go to sleep with fires left in the fireplace. Make sure the fire is out before leaving or going to bed.
·Ashes from fireplaces should be placed in a metal container and placed outdoors, free of paper or combustible products, and allowed to cool 24-48 hours before placing in an outdoor garbage can.
·Make sure you have replaced the batteries in all your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms.

By using these safety tips we all can make it a safe and happy Thanksgiving weekend for everyone!!

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Smoke Detector Saves Life in South Sac Three-Alarm Apartment Fire

2010-11-16T01:07:35Z

At approximately 4:04 A.M. Sunday morning Sacramento Firefighters responded to reports of an apartment building fire at 8010 Pocket Road. When crews arrived they found heavy fire coming from the front door and rear balcony of an upstairs apartment unit. The fire quickly spread through the attic, affecting a second upstairs unit, causing fire commanders to request a second and third alarm response. This brought over eighty firefighters to the scene

The occupant of the apartment where the fire started was awakened by a smoke detector, enabling him to escape his apartment without injury. Fire crews assisted evacuating other occupants that had not yet evacuated the eight, unit building within the complex. Fortunately there were no firefighter or civilian injuries and Red Cross assisted with providing shelter and food for several of the occupants that had to be evacuated, as well as, those that experienced personal property damage from the fire, water and smoke.

The cause of the fire is to believed to have been a candle left unattended, based on an interview with the occupant of the apartment where this fire started. Thankfully this occupant had a working smoke detector that assisted in saving his life.

At this time the Sacramento Fire Department would like to remind everyone that as the cold weather approaches, they remember to unplugged electrical heating equipment that may be used for heating their homes, as well as, blow out candles or extinguish any type fire before going to bed. Last but not least, replace your smoke detector battery if you haven’t and city residents may call 311 if they do not have a working smoke detector and would like one installed. Free smoke detector batteries are still available at Sacramento Fire Department Headquarters.

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Should city charge at-fault drivers?

2010-11-09T02:40:15Z

The Sacramento City Council will decide later this month whether to bill at-fault drivers in collisions requiring an emergency response.

The city has released its draft ordinance for charging fees for emergency services. The fees for emergency responses would charged to all at-fault drivers, including residents and non-residents.

Fire Department responses to car wrecks would include a range of fees. On the low end, the city would charge $435 each time the department responds to an accident. A major wreck, meanwhile, could cost at least $2,000 in fees.

Council members are expected to discuss the ordinance at their Nov. 23 meeting, said special projects manager Mark Prestwich.

City staff has examined the issue for several months. An earlier version of the proposal would have only charged non-residents the fees. Residents were included in the proposed ordinance after City Attorney Eileen Teichert’s office said that focusing solely on non-residents might be deemed discriminatory, according to the city’s report on the ordinance.

Fire Capt. David Dolson noted the department is affected by the tough economy. He said the fees could help the department maintain current service and potentially cover additional levels of service.

“We’re at bare bones right now,” he said.

City Councilman Ray Tretheway indicated he may vote in favor of the ordinance later this month. “I think all of (the council members) are somewhat ambivalent, but also moving toward support,” he said.

Tretheway said he was thinking of the issue in terms of the city’s budget problems and “the need to recover our costs.”

Under the city’s proposal, a third-party billing service would contract with the city to handle the billing paperwork, according to Prestwich. The vendor would bill the at-fault driver’s insurance company for the fees, Prestwich said.

But the insurance industry is opposed to efforts by local governments to charge for fire recovery fees. Various local governments are viewing these emergency services fees as a way to improve their budget situations, argued Janine Gibford, assistant vice president for the American Insurance Association, an industry group with a West Coast office that covers California. This means they’re using insurance companies to help their budgets, she said.

“And we’re not there to fill the hole when the budgets get cut,” she said.

Read the proposed fire cost recovery ordinance here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Report: Sac Fire Department lacks racial, gender diversity

2010-09-28T01:57:36Z

The city’s Fire Department lacks diversity in the racial and gender make-up of its employees, according to a committee that reports to the City Council.

City Council members plan to discuss the committee’s June report on the department’s diversity at their Sept. 28 meeting.

“With the exception of Native Americans, the numbers of females and racial/ethnic minority groups are disproportionately underrepresented in the city of Sacramento Fire Department compared to the demographic make-up of these groups within the county labor force,” according to the committee’s report, which is referred to as an “equal employment opportunity analysis.”

The committee that made the findings is part of the Small Business Development and Employment Advisory Board, which has a role in studying diversity at city hall. It used U.S. Census demographic figures in its report.

The overwhelming majority of the Fire Department was white in 2008, according to the report. While figures showed that 62.7 percent of workers in Sacramento County were white, 75 percent of the Fire Department’s employees were white, according to the report.

Women accounted for 14.5 percent of the Fire Department’s staff, but they represent 47.8 percent of the county’s working population, the report said.

Department spokesman Jonathan Burgess said it has been at least three years since the department hired any new firefighters.

Fire Chief Ray Jones, who is black, became the head of the department in January 2008.

Burgess said that diversity is a priority for Jones, and that any problems with diversity began before Jones became chief. “If this was a problem, it was definitely long before” he led the department, Burgess said.

The department is holding daily “brown-outs,” or service cuts, due to budget reductions. The brown-outs mean that eight firefighters and the equipment they use are taken out of service each day, Burgess noted.

While the department is grappling with its budget cuts, it will be hiring next year for a new fire station in Natomas, Burgess said.

Read the report on diversity in the Fire Department here.

Photo: Fire Chief Ray Jones talks to reporters at a June press conference on the city's budget.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

I've replaced the batteries but my smoke detector won't stop beeping!

2010-08-31T21:57:40Z

If you have changed the battery in your chirping smoke detector and it still chirps, you might think your detector is bad.

Before you replace that smoke detector or go out and purchase another new pack of nine-volt batteries, there are a couple things you should know about your smoke detector, and a few things you can do to address this problem.

There are several different types of smoke detectors, however, the most current model detectors found in homes and apartments operate by low-voltage electrical wiring with a battery backup.

These smoke detectors have internal processors that store error codes, and a week battery chirp is a common error code that may be retained, even after the old battery is replaced. The only way to clear this error is to reset the smoke detector, which can be done by following these simple steps:

* Turn off the power to the smoke detector at your circuit breaker.
* Remove the detector from its mounting bracket and unplug the power supply.
* Remove the battery from the smoke detector.
* With the battery removed, press and hold the test button for 15-20 seconds.
* Replace the new battery in the detector and plug in the power supply.
* Restore power to the circuit breaker.
* Reattach the breaker to mounting bracket.

When the power is restored, the smoke detector should chirp once. However, your low-battery chirping should no longer be a problem. There is one other thing you can do to reduce the possibility of ever hearing chirping from your smoke detector, and this is to change your batteries before the chirp is heard.

A good rule of thumb and industry standard is to change the batteries in your smoke detectors every six months. October is fire prevention month and a good time to change all your detectors in your home. However, if your detectors are chirping, change your batteries immediately.

If your smoke detector is more than 10 years old, the unit should be replaced with a newer one.

Detectors can be purchased at your local hardware stores, or your local fire department may have a program to distribute them. It is recommended that smoke detectors be installed in each bedroom of your home and a hallway. However, if you only have one smoke detector, placing it in the hallway outside of all bedrooms is the best location for placement.

If you live in the city of Sacramento and would like to get more information on how to get a smoke detector installed in your home call 311 from a hard-line telephone. For useful and up to date information on current events you’re welcome to follow the Captain Jonathan Burgess, Public Information Officer of the Sacramento Fire Department, on Twitter or Facebook by using the links below.

Sacramento Fire Department Facebook

Follow Captain John Burgess on Twitter

Doucette retires, takes job at Burn Institute

2010-07-22T22:59:48Z

All his life, Sacramento Fire Department Capt. Jim Doucette wanted to be a police officer.

Until he got a job as a firefighter.

Doucette said he was initially afraid of being a firefighter, knowing he would see more traumatic injuries than a police officer, but once he got involved with the fire department, he fell in love with the job.

After more than 30 years in the fire service, Doucette announced his retirement last week.

The official date is Aug. 24, after which he will take a vacation to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and spend some time in Boise, Ida., to visit family.

“It has been a very long career, and one that I will surely miss,” Doucette wrote in a post on The Sacramento Press.

He said Monday that he will miss the pride he felt in telling people he is a captain for the Sacramento Fire Department.

“I’m very proud of that...but now I’ll be telling them I’m a retired captain, and that’s something I’m proud of too,” Doucette said.

Since 2006, Doucette served as the public information officer for the department, and it was something of a natural fit for his personality.

“I love the Fire Department, and I love to talk. People can’t shut me up,” he said.

Battalion Chief Niko King held the information officer position before Doucette and characterized Doucette as always being calm.

“His whole mission was to always get the word out to the public about the fire service and what we do and the great men and women in this profession, and that’s exactly what he did,” King said.

King admitted to sometimes getting frustrated with some of the questions when he was dealing with the media, but said Doucette was always patient and never lost his cool or got frazzled.

Doucette was hired as a volunteer firefighter for the Pacific Fire District in 1979, and began working for Sacramento when the smaller district was absorbed by the Sacramento Fire Department in 1991.

By the time he was 29, Doucette was already a captain, and he led his company on many of the major fires in Sacramento over the next 15 years.

“I do miss the station life and the camaraderie and going to work every day and playing and working together,” Doucette said. “It’s a full day, and it’s like being at home, except it’s a lot of work.”

Doucette will start a new job as executive director for the Firefighters Burn Institute, an organization he has been involved with for 25 years.

“It’s a firefighter-based charity, and in my humble opinion, its gotten stagnant in some ways,” Doucette said. “I would like to see more firefighters get involved, and I’d like to see the community get more involved.”

Lincoln Fire Department Chief Dave Whitt worked with Doucette in Sacramento and said he has a good, level head on his shoulders and is often the voice of common sense and reason.

“He’s always been a strong leader in any organization he’s been responsible for,” Whitt said. “I think it will be a good move not only for the Burn Institute, but for him. He’s been at pretty busy fire stations for most of his career, and that takes its toll on your body.”

The institute was founded by Sacramento Fire Department Capt. Cliff Haskell in 1973, about a year after the tragedy at Farrell’s ice cream parlor on Freeport Avenue when an airplane crashed into the shop, killing more than 20 people. A Sacramento firefighter and his family were among the victims.

“That’s when Cliff went to work,” Doucette said. “Burn units are a financial strain on the medical community, and I’ve heard stories of people all over the country treated at small hospitals where they don’t have the training to treat burns.”

Retired Stockton Fire Department Capt. Oscar Barrera has worked with Doucette for a number of years through the Burn Institute and said he will be a great fit as executive director.

“He’s a great guy,” Berrera said. “He’s going to be a good asset to the Burn Institute...It’s going to keep the Burn Institute heading in the right direction.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Photos courtesy of Jim Doucette.

Council to consider billing nonresident drivers for emergency services

2010-07-21T00:56:34Z

The next car crash you get into could be more costly than you think. Especially if you’re not a Sacramento resident.

The City Council Law and Legislation Committee decided today to put the measure on the Aug. 5 council agenda.

The goal of the proposed fee is to collect between $600,000 and $1.3 million, allowing the city to reopen one of the browned-out fire stations by next year, according to Sacramento Fire Department Operations Deputy Chief Lloyd Ogan.

Council members Robbie Waters, Lauren Hammond and Sandy Sheedy voted for sending the measure forward, while Councilman Steve Cohn voted against it on the grounds that he would like more details.

As it currently stands, when drivers who are not Sacramento residents are involved in a collision, they will be billed a minimum of $435 for a basic response from the Fire Department, Ogan said.

One of the major details to be figured out is if nonresident drivers involved in a collision would still be charged if they are not at fault.

The prices go up as services increase, depending on whether hazardous materials need to be cleaned up, a fire needs to be extinguished or other factors, Ogan said.

“In general, the high level of service we provide is to a constituency that does little in supporting the cost of that service,” Ogan said.

He added that the Fire Department sees the issue as Sacramentans subsidizing nonresident emergency costs with their property and utility use taxes.

Between 30 and 50 percent of collisions the department responds to involve out-of-town residents, according to Ogan.

Cohn asked that the proposed ordinance include a mechanism to audit the third-party company charged with billing insurance companies for the fees.

Sam Sorich, president of the Association of California Insurance Companies, said the proposed ordinance makes revenue promises it can’t fulfill, could increase insurance rates for California drivers and is unfair to nonresident drivers.

“When insurance policies do cover emergency response fees, the inevitable result is higher insurance costs,” Sorich said. “Those costs will lead to higher insurance rates for our customers.”

Sorich added that the proposed fee “literally adds insult to injury” by billing drivers who recently underwent the trauma of a collision and cited a report released last month by the Yolo County Grand Jury that found a similar program in Woodland to be a “financial failure.”

Ogan said other local agencies, including Roseville and the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, have either adopted similar ordinances or are in the process of doing so.

“Roseville has been doing it for some time now, and it has been a successful program, and they are coming in pretty close to the projected (revenue) recovery they are hoping to get,” Ogan said. “Metro Fire is ready to move on it.”

“We’re not here to make money,” Sheedy said. “We’re here to recover our cost factors only...not to balance the budget with it.”

If approved by the City Council on Aug. 5, the Fire Department would go through the bidding process for companies to handle the insurance billing and could be ready to institute the changes by mid-September, Ogan said.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press

Photos by Ed Fogle Maverick Photography

City budget to be released Friday, $40-$43 million gap

2010-04-30T03:01:07Z

Sacramento city officials hope to release the draft city budget before 4 p.m. on Friday, said city spokeswoman Amy Williams.

The city is facing a $40-$43 million budget gap, according to an estimate provided earlier this month from Interim City Manager Gus Vina.

Williams said the city releases the draft budget on May 1 each year. This year the city will release it the day before May 1. She said the city’s charter dictates the timeline for the budget release. The charter calls for the city manager to issue budget recommendations at least 60 days ahead of July 1.

City Councilman Steve Cohn said last month at a Neighborhood Advisory Group meeting that he expects major cuts to city parks.

The Parks and Recreation Department received $8.3 million in cuts as part of the 2009/2010 budget.

The Sacramento Bee published information from confidential budget documents Wednesday. The documents suggested cuts may be made in several departments, including police, fire, development, general services and code enforcement.

The Sacramento Press will report additional information about the draft budget after it is released Friday.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

McClatchy High Students Experience Dangers of Driving Under Influence

2010-04-09T04:07:18Z

Students at C.K. McClatchy High School experienced the dangers of driving under the influence during a two-day event earlier this week.

The event is part of the "Every 15 Minutes" program, which happens at high schools nationwide and aims to inform high schoolers about the dangers of drunken driving as well as texting while driving. The name is a reference to the fact that every 15 minutes someone in the United States dies from an alcohol-related traffic collision. The two-day program begins with a staged car crash and ends the next day with an assembly that focuses on the events of the previous day.

The program started on Tuesday, when students witnessed a staged car crash on campus. The staged crash involved students from McClatchy, who played different parts including a drunken driver, a dead passenger and an injured person. The juniors and seniors watched as firefighters and officers from the Sacramento Fire Department and California Highway Patrol worked the scene like they would in a real collision, and students who played the parts of the people in the crash were treated as they would be in a real collision.

"The police department came, and they took the drunk driver away in a cop car, and they took the people to the hospital," said student Janna Langhi, a junior. "They even had the coroner come and take away the dead person."

Throughout the day, a different student was pulled from class every 15 minutes, representing one person who will die from an alcohol-related collision. The students are led to a private retreat where all communication to friends and family is cut off for the rest of the day. Parents of those students also receive death notifications from officers at their work.

Aaron Dean, who coordinates the "Every 15 Minutes" program for the Sacramento Fire Department, said that even though the parents know what is happening beforehand, it is a very powerful moment.

"Those notifications are pretty heart-wrenching," he said. "Many parents have quite a significant emotional event."

The next day's school assembly allows everyone to share in those emotional events when the students and parents are reunited. While separated, both the students and the parents write letters to each other as if the student had actually died. During the assembly, those letters are read out loud, which many students in attendance said was very impacting.

"When they read the letters and stuff, it made you see how the parents would feel and how you would be affecting everyone in your whole life if you did something like that," said junior Roshena, who declined to give a last name. "It was very emotional. It had a huge impact on me."

The assembly also featured a segment by motivational speaker Dee Sova, who lost a 13-year-old daughter when she was hit by a drunken driver more than six years ago. Sova said that she takes the students through the events of the weekend before her daughter was killed and shares the details of her daughter's death. Sova said that she knew students were impacted by her story.

"When I tell the details, it gets pretty silent," she said. "You can hear a pin drop."

Senior Andrew Chao said that Sova was moving with her story.

"She was, like, wow. Her story about her daughter was crazy," he said. "I understood what she was going through, and it's really sad."

The students said that the assembly made a difference.

"The assembly really influenced people," said Langhi, adding that the student's letters made an impact. "That, I think, got a lot of people."

"There were tears rolling out of my eyes," Chao said. "Some other guys were crying too, even if they were ashamed to say it."

Dean said that the program, which happens three to eight times a year throughout the area, changes many lives.

"The kids that are involved in the planning especially take a big impact with them," he said. "It's definitely working, and our message is getting out there."

Chao said that he knew students who drink and drive, and that the event definitely impacted them.

"It was deep," he said. "This stuff happens, you know. It's real life."

All Photos by Kati Garner

A day in the boots of Sacramento's heroes: Oak Park's Station 6

2009-08-24T02:17:53Z

To call them simply “firefighters” is an understatement. The men of Station 6 of the Sacramento Fire Department in Oak Park do more than put out fires.

Out of more than 20 stations within the Sacramento Fire Department, the station is the busiest. Year after year, the station has also been ranked as one of the busiest in the nation.

During their time at the house, firefighters are on-call to respond to a wide range of calls. Many are legitimate life-threatening emergencies, but a number of them don’t necessarily warrant a 9-1-1 response. A faked seizure, a man unconscious in the bushes covered with ants and foaming at the mouth, a woman who claimed she had been assaulted by six men and a man in cardiac arrest while his young children looked on: These are the types of calls that I saw as I rode along for 24 hours with the firefighters from Station 6.

A typical day at the firehouse begins around 8 a.m. The firefighters must arrive ready to work, since the first call can come in at any time. The men (there are no women currently at Station 6) prepare for their shifts by checking out the rigs, making sure tools are running properly and discussing the types of calls that came in during the previous shift. Also, because of recent budget cuts and the resulting “brownouts,” the firefighters must know which engines might be out of service at nearby stations, which can result in additional calls for them to pick up.

The station works in three different groups (A, B and C) with each shift lasting 48 hours, with four days off in between. They work with the same crew each rotation, which creates a strong camaraderie among them.

The firehouse serves as a sort of home away from home for the firefighters. A dormitory room has mattresses and storage cabinets lining the walls and is generally only used when sleeping. The day room houses recliners and a TV and is located directly near the kitchen, where the firefighters take turns cooking each shift - and they certainly know their way around the kitchen. They are given set a budget for grocery shopping at the beginning of each shift and also contribute out of their own pockets.

"When we go to the store, people will joke and ask what they are buying us today, but people don't realize that we will actually put in money from our own pockets as well...," said firefighter Jeff Switkowski.

On the day of our visit, the firefighters dined on homemade bacon cheeseburgers and fruit for lunch, and carnitas, rice and beans for dinner. At any given moment, a call can come into the station and the firefighters have to leave their meals half-eaten.

In between calls, the members of the crew stay busy watching movies, reading, exercising or fine-tuning their job skills with drills. Typically, they will practice one drill a day to stay efficient for situations they might not regularly encounter. On my visit, the crew demonstrated their rescue skills with an elaborate ropes and pulley system while Switkowski, the youngest of the firefighters, played the “victim” and was “rescued” from the roof of the station and lowered to the ground in a metal gurney.

Station 6 is home to Truck 6, Engine 6 and Medic 6, as well as Battalion Chief Niko King‘s red SUV. Depending on the type of emergency, either one or a combination of the vehicles will respond to the call. There are six different panels located around the house with four differently colored lights that give information as to the type of call and who needs to respond. White signals King, blue signals the medic, green signals the engine and red signals the truck.

Both the truck and engine hold rescue equipment and tools, but the main difference between the two rigs is that the engine holds 500 gallons of water and the truck has a ladder.

When someone calls 9-1-1, the dispatcher will determine which station should answer the call, and an alarm is sounded at that particular house. A printer automatically feeds out information about the call and location and more information about the call is provided on the computer screen in each rig.

Two engineers, Eric Munson and Robert Knaggs on this particular shift, are responsible for navigating the truck and engine through the narrow streets of Oak Park. Unfortunately, many drivers give little regard to the blaring sirens and fail to pull aside as required by law. The engineers often have to drive down the center of the road or weave in and out of traffic because of uncooperative drivers.

Of around 20 calls (not including canceled calls) that came in throughout the 24 hours, only two were actual fires. The first, at around 9:30 a.m., was a grass fire on 65th Street and Folsom Boulevard that had to spread to several storage units. The second fire, also a grass fire, came at around 10 p.m. and was behind Cal Expo near the levee.

The response to fires is organized chaos. To the untrained eye, it might seem like a lot of men running around spraying hoses, but there is actually a precise chain of command and specific protocol during each call. Upon arrival, the battalion chief surveys the situation and the best way to go about putting out the fire. Each firefighter has someone to report to. The battalion chiefs are responsible for two captains, who are each responsible for several firefighters.

Rather than fire, most calls are from people who require medical attention because of either accidents or illnesses. Upon arriving to a call for a medical emergency, each firefighter is responsible for a specific duty. Vital signs are checked and medical history and health insurance information is gathered while the firefighters wait for the medics to arrive. If the patient or victim can't communicate, medical history is taken from family members or anyone else present. Information is then transferred to a computer and then input to yet another computer system at the hospital.

The computers, which were installed in medic vehicles around a year ago, are supposed to streamline the emergency room process, but seems to instead slow things down as medics have to wait in line to check their patient in.

On some calls, the firefighters provide more medical attention than the medics might. This was the case Saturday morning, when a woman was unresponsive due to low blood sugar. After administering IV dextrose, the firefighters transported her to the hospital for further treatment. The firefighters saved her life, as she could have slipped into unconsciousness were it not for their quick actions.

Many people often wonder why so many firefighters are required to respond to certain calls. The importance of manpower was clearly demonstrated by a call that came Friday evening for a man in cardiac arrest. There were six different medics and firefighters attempting to revive him, and it was necessary for multiple people to administer CPR, monitor his heart and lift him onto the stretcher for transport.

While many of the calls that come into the department are from people who actually need emergency medical attention, many others abuse the 9-1-1 system and use the ambulances as a sort of Golden Ticket into the emergency room in hopes of being seen sooner.

"Many people are trained to think that if they see blood, they should call 9-1-1," said one firefighter.

Calls such as the woman who was dehydrated at a Church’s Chicken, the man who had back pain from his sciatic nerve or the woman who was intoxicated and fell from her front porch can seem like a waste of the firefighters’ valuable time when there are actual emergencies to be attended to. Still, the firefighters treat all of their patients with the utmost decency and respect. They talk to victims and patients as if they are friends, genuinely concerned with their well-being.

A call early Saturday morning brought them to an unconscious man laying in bushes, covered in ants, and paramedics tried to coax him awake. "Hey buddy, can you open your eyes for me? There are ants all over you, you don't want to lay out here," a paramedic said. He had most likely overdosed on drugs and was incoherent, yet they spoke to him politely, as if he could hear and understand.

Stories are often exchanged, whether around the firehouse dinner table or riding to or from a call, and it’s clear that the firefighters have seen more than their fair share of disturbing and gruesome scenes. Over dessert, Capt. Michael Wolfe recalled a gunshot wound that went in through a man’s groin and came out the other side. Firefighter Jeff Klein recalled a time he entered a car after the driver shot his passenger, who was also his brother. Upon pulling his hooded sweatshirt down from his head, the man’s brain fell from his skull.

Calls like these are shocking to hear discussed at the dining room table casually as if they are discussing weekend plans. However, such disturbing calls are a daily occurrence for the crew. To be able to continue with the job, they have to be able to downplay the shock and use coping mechanisms like humor after witnessing horrific accidents.

"We are exposed to some pretty awful things at times. There are definitely some triggers that will require a supervisor to put together a critical incident stress debriefing, such as an infant death or traumatic injuries," King said. "Most firefighters will joke about the things that stress us out as a way to not just keep it bottled up inside...We deal with the stresses of the job along with our successes as ups and downs within the team."

Another challenge the firefighters face is sleep. Getting quality sleep in a firehouse is almost impossible, and a night's sleep becomes a series a short naps. When a call comes in, the lights in the dorm immediately turn on, and the firefighters must load into the rigs just as if they had been awake. On Friday night, there were a total of 10 calls after midnight, which is more than the average of six for the weekend.

False alarms are common, and two came during our stay. The firefighters got out of bed, dressed and loaded into the rigs only to make a U-turn minutes after pulling out of the station driveway. Even more frustrating was when, on returning from a call, the battalion truck was flagged down by a man claiming to have been held up at knife point. After determining that they could return to the firehouse and return to sleep, a call came in around an hour later, only for the firefighters to arrive and realize the same man had called again and did not actually need any sort of medical attention.

While the crew is used to the constant waking and sleeping routine, it is a huge adjustment for someone used to uninterrupted sleep. As King explained it, to cope with the constant interruptions, it is common to only fall into shallow sleep patterns. Subconsciously they know that on a minute’s notice they could be fighting a fire or saving a life, which requires their alertness, so it is perhaps imperative that they don't sleep deeply.

At the end of an exhausting 24 hours, the firefighters are revving up for the next 24, never knowing what the day will bring. Their lives could be threatened in a massive structure fire, they could save numerous lives or they could be roused from their sleep to answer a call for someone with a simple earache.

But they are ready to go wherever needed and so they wait, with smiles on their faces, for the alarm to sound.

To see the rest of the photos from our 24-hour ride along, click here

For more information about Station 6, visit the station's website.

All photos taken by Ed Fogle of Maverick Photography

Editor's Note: The Sacramento Press editorial department made corrections to this story after it was published .

Dog's swimming infatuation gets him stranded

2009-07-27T05:09:16Z

Sacramento- When firefighters arrived at Discovery Park Sunday afternoon, Buddy was on a small piece of beach surrounded by water on one side and a dirt wall on the other, with no way out; whimpering and whining, looking up at everyone staring down as if to say, "don't just look at me, get me out of here."

Sacramento Fire Department's Engine 14 and Rescue 20 responded to Discovery Park Sunday afternoon for the rescue.

Buddy, a 9 year old Wiemaraner, was with his owner for a Sunday walk in Discovery Park. Wiemaraners are known for their hunting and love of water. Buddy, took off for the water and jumped about 10 feet down to the river. His K9 senses weren't calculating "how am I going to get out"?

After Buddy got cooled off, he made his way to a small dirt beach, but had no way to get up the dirt wall to his owner. The only option was to call the Sacramento Fire Department.

Engine 14 firefighters arrived and assessed the situation. Rather than risk firefighters' safety, they felt it best to call in the Rescue unit which specializes in difficult rescues and carries specialized equipment for "over the side" rescues.

When Rescue 20 arrived, with ladder, rope and a harness, they were able to safely rescue Buddy from his small piece of beach and reunite him with family.

Buddy's owner stated that Buddy had never got himself in this type of a situation before. The question remains, will this incident linger in Buddy's memory so next time his K9 senses will calculate the risk before another plunge is made?

Editor's Note: The Sacramento Press editorial staff made minor alterations to this article with the author's permission.

Body discovered on the American River in Discovery Park

2009-07-24T04:23:06Z

Sacramento, CA- While training on the American River Thursday, Sacramento City Firefighters, aboard Sac Fire Boat #5, discovered a body floating amongst the logs across from Tiscornia Beach, per Capt. Jim Doucette.

Doucette stated that they do not believe this is the body of George Ho who drowned just a few hundred feet downriver Sunday. Ho was wearing shorts at time he disappeared in the water; dark pants and footwear were on the body that was recovered today.

Per Doucette, "the Sacramento Police Department and the Sacramento County Coroners Office responded. Firefighters assisted with the retrieval of the body."

The case is currently under investigation.

Elk Grove man dies at Discovery Park

2009-07-20T08:34:07Z

18 year old George Ho went under the water and never surfaced at Tiscornia Beach in Discovery Park Sunday afternoon at the confluence.

Jim Doucette of the Sacramento Fire Department,stated "at 2:54 PM, we responded to the beach at Discovery Park for an 18 year old male that went under and never surfaced."

"Ho and his friends were swimming about 25 yards off shore. Some boats came by, created a wake, he went under and never came up" said Doucette.

This occurred right where the Sacramento River and American River meet, the area known as The Confluence. Doucette stated that it is very deep there with a lot of logs and rocks. He further stated that in the past an abandon car had been found there.

After about an hour of surface searching, the fire department pulled their swimmers out of the water and went into a recovery mode, per Doucette.

Doucette noted that even as the recovery of Ho was taking place, there were many children in the water without life vests. "It's kind of ironic; you see what just happened here and people are still in the water. The big deal is, they just don't think it could happen to them."

The young man was identified as George Ho of Elk Grove. Per Doucette, Ho had just graduated from Monterey Trails High School in Elk Grove.

Doucette spoke with Ho's friends who were at Discovery with him. They stated that Ho did know how to swim and Doucette believed that alcohol was not a factor in this incident.

With Ho's father, family and friends looking on, a few hours later, the dive team was still unable to locate him and called off the recovery efforts.

Capt Doucette states, "This is a sad reminder of just how dangerous our rivers and waterways are. The victim’s friends reported that he knew how to swim. These waters do not discriminate against anyone, whether they are good swimmers or not. These waters will 'kill' you."

The Sacramento Fire Department also received assistance from the Sacramento Police Department, Sacramento County Park Rangers, the California Highway Patrol, the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department, and the Yolo County Sheriffs Department.

What does Disney Radio and brush fire have in common?

2009-07-16T07:37:11Z

Sacramento, CA- Were you listening to Disney Radio Wednesday and wondered why all of a sudden it dropped off?

At about 11:51 A.M. Wednesday morning, Sac Fire received a call for a vegetation fire in the wild land are off of Commerce Circle and Lathrop Way. This area is located between Discovery Park and the Cal Expo area, just west of The Radisson Hotel and bordered by the bike trail on the south side of the levee.

Firefighters arrived to find difficult terrain to access off the levee, but were able to attack the fire within ten minutes of the call.

In this wild land area were three radio towers over 200 feet high belonging to ABC Radio. One of the tower's collapsed and a witness stated that when the guide wires from the tower snapped, it sounded like gun fire. Captain Doucette of the Sacramento Fire Department stated, "A small building at the base of the collapsed tower was destroyed by the fire. The building housed radio equipment." The second tower was damaged and leaning during most of the blaze. Firefighters were on guard working around the second tower; in the event guide wires broke loose.

Firefighters had to shuttle water back and forth to the fire. Doucette noted that heat was a factor for the firefighters fighting the blaze.

While the cause for the fire is still under investigation, Captain Doucette stated, "The Investigator is looking into the possibility that something electrical inside the building caused the fire, but it is not known at this time."

Vehicle upside down in the ditch, driver unscathed

2009-07-10T17:53:13Z

Sacramento, CA- 19 year old Sarmeet Singh is not only lucky to be alive today, he escaped his vehicle landing upside down in a drainage ditch without even a scratch.

Friday morning Singh called 911 from his cell phone at 8:16 A.M. stating "I just flipped my car". Per Singh, he was exiting Highway 99 on the Florin Road West off ramp when his car slid off the road, under the fence and flipped over in the cement storm drain.

Emergency crews at first were not able to locate the vehicle because it slid under the fence and out of view. The fencing had to be cut and opened up for crews to access the vehicle. Singh asked Chief King, "Is there a chance of the water hitting the battery and starting a fire…because my speakers are in there?"

Battalion Chief King immediately called for a level two HazMat assignment due to oil leaking in the storm drain. The fluids were quickly contained protecting the environment.

Hero saves sleeping Asian family from fiery demise

2009-07-10T10:01:38Z

Sacramento, CA- A sleeping family lives today because of the heroism of Santino Deanda

Lyndsay Deanda stated she and her husband Santino were on their way to the hospital with their daughter traveling down H Street, when in the 3700 block Santino spotted the back of a house on fire.

Santino stopped the vehicle, instructed Lyndsay to call 911 and headed to the front door to wake the family. Santino actually went into the burning, smoke filled house several times to be sure every one was out.

The blaze started in a couch on the back patio up against the house. The fire quickly spread catching the back side of the house on fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Santino was transported to UC Davis Medical Center by paramedics to be treated for smoke inhalation.

Battalion Chief King indicated that if not for the heroic act of Deanda, this could have been a very bad situation. While Deanda is credited with saving many lives, King noted that firefighters go into fires and smoke filled homes prepared with a vast array of safety equipment and tools. "Inhaling one breath of the superheated toxic smoke of a structure fire will drop you to floor".

Older man stabbed on Broadway, during rush hour

2009-07-07T03:33:43Z

Sacramento, CA- Early Monday evening, at about 6:30 P.M., Sacramento Police and Sacramento City Fire and Paramedics were called to a stabbing at the front of New Station Seafood in the 1800 block of Broadway.

Firefighters and police found a 54 year old man sitting on the bus bench bleeding from the chest. Per the on scene police sergeant, the man sustained a 3 to 4 inch deep laceration across the chest and was very intoxicated.

Due to the man's level of intoxication, authorities were having challenges getting accurate information from the victim. Per the sergeant, police do have a couple persons of interest in the case. It appears that the subject also took the victims cash he had on hand from his SSI.

Police will be tracking down the alleged subjects to make an arrest.

Downtown Victorian home fire strikes out two alarms

2009-07-04T05:57:07Z

Sacramento, CA- At 7:24 P.M. Friday evening, Sacramento firefighters were called to a downtown structure, just a few houses down from Old Ironsides off of 10th and S streets.

When firefighters arrived at 1913 10th Street, they found the second floor and attic of the old Victorian well involved.

Per Captain Jim Doucette, Engine 1 was on scene in about three minutes. Firefighters made a very aggressive attack on the fire. With the fire well seated in the attic, firefighters had to tear in and gain access to the space to bring the blaze under control. The roof on the north side became unstable and all the firefighters were ordered out.

They were able to control the rest of the blaze from outside, then were able to reenter for overhaul to be sure the fire was completely extinguished.

"Firefighters made an aggressive attack on the fire and saved the downstairs units and they also prevented the fire from spreading to adjoining buildings. Fortunately no one was injured and there was only one resident in the entire building. All of the other units were vacant," said Doucette

A total of 16 fire units responded, four paramedic squads, 75 firefighters and 10 command/support staff.

Presently, the cause of the fire is under investigation.

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 rescue injured transient from water channel

2009-06-30T02:52:23Z

Sacramento, CA- Firefighters called to rescue an injured transient on the steep slope of a water channel

William Lockwood and his girlfriend, Angel Love have been residing under the overpass, that spans the water channel, on 88th Street off of Fruitridge Blvd. Monday morning Lockwood lost his footing at the top of the channel and tumbled down the steep cement side coming to a stop just before the water. Injured and unable to climb back up the steep cement slope, Angel summoned for help.

Sacramento Fire Truck 10 and Paramedics received the call near 11:30 a.m. The truck crew had to commence a rope rescue with the stokes litter to safely bring Lockwood to the top.

Lockwood was transported to the hospital by paramedics with minor injuries.

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."

City passes budget, 168 workers to be laid off Friday

2009-06-17T05:29:38Z

The Sacramento City Council’s unanimous approval of Sacramento’s budget Tuesday means that city services could face major cuts and that the last day of work for 168 city employees is Friday. While the council adopted the budget, the situation may soon change because some of the city’s key unions, including its firefighters’ union, have not yet finished negotiations with the city.

Sacramento has balanced its budget and closed a gap of more than $43 million. City officials continued to say Tuesday that many cuts and layoffs could be averted if the unions make concessions. Since the budget has now been approved, any changes to the budget would be amendments.

Of the 168 layoffs approved with the budget, 41 will be from the Sacramento Fire Department, according to the latest numbers from the labor union that represents city firefighters.

The Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522 and city managers are in the midst of controversial negotiations. Members of the firefighters’ union will finish voting on their latest tentative agreement with the city Wednesday afternoon. The results of the vote won’t be available until Thursday, said union spokesman Chris Harvey.

Several council members pressed for union concessions during the meeting.

"We need them to step up now," said Councilwoman Sandy Sheedy.

The final deadline for unions to approve labor agreements with the city for the 2009/2010 fiscal year is June 30 at midnight, according to acting city spokeswoman Wendy Klock-Johnson.

City firefighters and Local 522 member Brandon Doughty told the city council that he was one of the firefighters who would be laid off. In his remarks, he referenced the city government's slogan: “Get the customer to success.” He said that the layoffs mean that getting the customer to success is the last thing the city is concerned with. The city has made poor financial decisions in the past, he said.

Councilman Steve Cohn agreed in part with Doughty’s comments, saying that the city has approved some “foolish expenses” in the past. However, reversing those past decisions would not change the budget situation now, he said.

Harvey said after the vote that the city is unfairly saying that union concessions are the way to fix the city’s budget problems.

Update: Package found outside post office not an explosive

2009-06-16T23:26:51Z

Sergeant Norm Leong, spokesman for the Sacramento Police Department, announced at 3:05 p.m. that the package found outside the Fort Sutter post office at 1618 Alhambra Blvd. was not an explosive.

Sacramento Post Office spokesman Ralph Petty described the item as a glass bottle that had been wrapped up with a wire protruding from it.

Shortly after 1 p.m., when a customer found the package, the Sacramento Fire Department and the Sacramento Police Department were contacted by the post office and traffic was blocked off by squad cars.

The block of Alhambra Boulevard between P and Q Streets, half of one lane of P Street between 30th and Alhambra, as well as Q Street between Alhambra and 30th Streets were blocked while police and fire crews waited for the Explosive Ordinance Disposal to arrive.

Post office employees and other employees from surrounding businesses watched as the event unfolded.

Ginger Mott, 48, who works for a state agency in Libby's Cannery, found out about the incident when she went on break with her coworker.

"We don't even know what's going on here, but if it's so suspicious, why aren't [they] evacuating everyone?" she said while watching the post office from across the street.

"We take these matters very seriously. If anyone has any information regarding this suspicious item, they should call the Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-US-MAIL5," said Misty Racimo, federal agent with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which is the law enforcement branch of the postal service.

The mission of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is to protect the safety of employees and customers and the security of the postal service, facilities and operations.

They investigate crimes that were committed using the postal system or its facilities.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will work with the other law enforcement agencies to determine who left this package and what the intent was.

Colleen Belcher also contributed to this story.

Suspicious package left at Fort Sutter Post Office

2009-06-16T21:41:31Z

The Sacramento Police Department have blocked off streets around the Fort Sutter post office at 1618 Alhambra Blvd while they investigate a suspicious package left outside.

According to Sacramento Police Department spokesman, Sgt. Norm Leong, people inside the post office and the surrounding areas have been told to remain inside.

The post office employees notified the Sacramento Fire Department of the package at 1:13 p.m., Capt. Jim Doucette told The Sacramento Press. Leong said the fire department notified the police department at 1:17 p.m.

The police and fire crews are currently waiting for the Explosive Ordinance Disposal to arrive on scene to evaluate the package.

Photo courtesy of Ed Fogle; click the following link to view website: Maverick Photography

Pest control worker killed in porch collapse

2009-06-16T01:26:33Z

When this pest control worker went to work today, he probably didn't expect to never come home for dinner again.

Two pest control workers had been working on termite damage on a Curtis Park home the past few days. The previous owner of the home was a lady who lived to be 100 and passed away a few months ago. The home was up for sale with extensive termite and dry rot damage.

Today, the two men were working under the cement slab front porch when the edges gave way and the entire weight of the slab came down on them. Capt. Doucette of the Sacramento Fire Department guestimated the slab to be well over 1000 lbs.

The surviving partner stated that they were removing some "dark dry rot damage under the floor and the concrete floor it gave way and came down on us…it was about three inches thick and it came down on us." He escaped with very minor injuries.

Sacramento Firefighters arrived within one minute from the time of the call and the extrication took 25 minutes. Firefighters had to use pneumatic air bags to raise the cement and wood cribbing to shore it up to enable the extrication.

The worker was pronounced dead on scene.

The cause of the incident is currently under investigation by Cal OSHA.

The identity of the worker has not been released pending family notification.

The river is best enjoyed with a life vest

2009-06-15T19:44:31Z

The summer edition of the Sacramento Fire Department's Community Newsletter discusses the dangers of swimming in the river.

It mentions that the river bottoms can be uneven and have steep drop-offs and the currents are strong, so a life vest should be worn at all times.

Under the City and County of Sacramento ordinances, it is against the law for a child under the age of 13 to enter public waters without a life vest. Parents or guardians who do not put life vests on their children can be fined up to $500 and cited for a misdemeanor.

If you don't have a life vest on hand, there are plenty of places to borrow one.

The following fire stations have life vests for the public to borrow:

FIRE STATION 5 (731 Broadway)
FIRE STATION 8 (5990 H Street)
FIRE STATION 11 (785 Florin Rd)
FIRE STATION 15 (1591 Newborough Dr)
FIRE STATION 60 (3301 Julliard Dr)

For more information, visit sacfire.org,

City weighs firefighters' new labor proposal

2009-06-09T02:21:19Z

City management was not yet ready to comment at 5 p.m. Monday on the local firefighters’ union's latest proposal on pay and layoffs.

Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522 has pitched a new proposal to put salary increases on hold for the next 30 months if the city will guarantee no layoffs throughout that period of time, said Local 522 spokeswoman Robin Swanson.

Swanson described the proposal as “inherently fair" and said it would bring more than $10 million in savings to the city.

Acting city spokeswoman Wendy Klock-Johnson did not have an update Monday afternoon on the city’s reaction to the union’s proposal.

City managers and firefighters resumed negotiations after firefighters voted down a deal Friday. In the vetoed deal, firefighters would have not received a 5 percent cost-of-living increase scheduled for July. The nixed deal featured a 1 percent pay increase for firefighters in July 2010 and a 2 percent increase in 2011.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Things got hot outside family court

2009-06-04T03:46:05Z

Things may or may not have got heated in family court today, but it definantly got hot outside the courthouse.

A small brush fire ignited in the field adjacent to the Family Courthouse around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon on the corner of Power Inn Rd and Cucamonga Ave. While the fire was relatively small, Sac Fire called for a second alarm due to winds picking up and driving the fire across the field in the direction of the courthouse, per Capt Doucette of the Sacramento City Fire Department. Metro fire units from battalion 9 responded to assist in the second alarm.

The fire was contained quickly and a little over an acre was involved. There were no injuries and no structures involved.

Will the waterways and pools bring tragedy into your life this holiday weekend?

2009-05-23T07:30:23Z

"Drownings in Sacramento have become a problem. They occur way too much and it is very frustrating for us, because it seems like there is not much more we can do to help prevent them" said Capt. Doucette, Public Information Officer for the Sacramento Fire Department in an article a few weeks ago. see article

"More than one in four fatal drowning victims are children 14 and younger. For every child who dies from drowning, another four received emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries" says the Center for Disease Control and Prevention CDCR Site

For myself, as a former lifeguard, paramedic and firefighter, nothing challenges your professionalism more than getting the call across the radio for a child related drowning; while in route the dispatcher updates you stating "be advised, CPR is in progress". While you see so much and most 911 responses you handle as routine, your heart beats a little faster for these calls, especially if you yourself are a parent.

Depending on the body of water, even a few inches of water can be surprisingly dangerous.

Sacramento Fire Department is just one agency that has partnered with Cal Boating and CSUS Aquatic Center to bring local boaters and waterway recreation enthusiasts a lifesaving program by making life jackets available on loan to children and adults.

"The Department has supplied each location with life jackets for children and adults. An individual or family can check out life jackets for a day or a weekend simply by completing a loan form. Look for the sign, 'Life Jacket Loan Station,' at participating locations" says Cal Boating.

In a press release today, Capt. Doucette, Public Information Officer for the Sacramento Fire Department issued this reminder: "The Sacramento Fire Department is reminding you that this holiday weekend our beaches and waterways will be very busy. It is extremely important that a responsible adult take the responsibility and supervise all children who are in or near the water. It is also the law that all persons under the age of 13 must wear a properly fitting life jacket while in our natural water ways."

The following local fire stations have "Life Jacket Loan Stations":

El Dorado Hills Fire Dept.
Station 84 2180 Francisco Dr.

Folsom City Fire Dept.
Station 35 535 Glenn Dr.

Roseville Fire Dept.
Station 1 401 Oak St, Ste 402

Sacramento Fire Dept.
Station 5 731 Broadway
Station 8 5990 H Street
Station 11 785 Florin Rd.
Station 15 1591 Newborough Dr.
Station 60 3301 Julliard Dr.

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District
Station 31 7950 California Ave.
Station 59 7210 Murieta Dr.
Station 61 10595 Folsom Blvd
Station 63 12395 Folsom Blvd.
Station 65 11201 Coloma Rd.
Station 110 1432 Eastern Ave.

See the Cal Boating web page for more information on this program

The end of what could have been much worse

2009-05-16T10:07:51Z

Sacramento, CA
Saturday, May 16, 2009 at 12:41am

The overturned semi-truck hauling Smuckers Jelly packets, was a much more docile ending than what this incident could have been. What you don’t see from this angle is the wreckage of multiple cars on the other side of truck that flipped twice (per reports), before it came to rest spilling its sticky cargo all over the highway.

Dennis Hanson stated that the car in front of him (actually the second or third vehicle in the incident), “spun out and a fender came off or the hub cap or something, and came to a complete stop in the middle lane.” As Hanson approached, he swerved to the right lane to avoid the vehicle and was hit from the rear by the car behind him. Hanson made his way to the side and went back to meet with the owner of the vehicle that collided with his car. “ Meanwhile,” Hanson stated, “the car is still in the middle of the road and cars are swerving around it.” Hanson yelled to the driver “get your family out the car. This is a disaster waiting to happen.” Per Hanson, just as the driver “got his wife and kid out of the car, less than a minute later, the big rig came and plowed right into it.” Hanson then went to help the truck driver who apparently had been ejected. When Hanson called to him he said he was out and he thought both his legs were broken. When Hanson was finally able to get around the wreckage to the driver, he found him hobbling on a compound fractured leg with bones protruding through the skin. The driver was looking through the roadside grass to find his cell phone… and he did.

Considering the massive wreckage strung a roughly half mile down the interstate, the injuries in this accident were quite minor in comparison to what they could have been. All lanes were stopped across the interstate for less than 30 minutes. Sacramento Fire Department and CHP were able to open the first three lanes quite quickly while the number four lane remained closed for some time due to clean up and to enable the wrecker to right the semi-truck and it’s trailer. One of the other victims from this accident called in to 911 and stated she was high and injured in the middle divider. Whether she was the cause of any part of this incident is unknown at this time.

In another accident just a few miles and minutes before this incident, at Twin Cities and Interstate Five, the occupants were not as fortunate. We do not have the details from that incident other than it was a head-on collision and fatalities were involved.

Our weekend is already starting off in wreckage and carnage. As this story is being written, calls are going out for an overturned vehicle on Greenback Lane, and another vehicle accident on Interstate 80 East at Auburn with a person down in the middle of the road. Do your part to be safe on the road this weekend. If you are not fit to be behind the wheel, be responsible and let someone else drive. Be alert and refrain from being distracted by cell phone calls and text messaging.

Lessons from the fire at 1319 H Street

2009-01-26T18:53:25Z

On Friday January 23, 2009 Deputy Chief Lloyd Ogan of the Sacramento Fire Department greeted neighborhood leaders from Downtown and Midtown on the front porch of the building at 1319 H Street. The property had been damaged in a December 30, 2009 fire. The group had been invited by the Fire Department and District 3 Councilmember Steve Cohn to tour the building, ask questions and see what could be learned from the fire. The idea for the tour came from Battalion Chief Niko King. Chief King had experienced a similar tour while attending an advanced firefighting school in the East.

What did we experience? We saw how much damage a building sustains in an extremely short time. The fire started in an upstairs unit kitchen, but damage was extensive throughout the whole building. Chief King estimated that this happened in six to seven minutes! As reported in earlier stories, there was a rapid and extensive response by the Fire Department. Even with this response there were signs of damage on adjacent buildings. It was very sad to see the damage to what had been the well preserved original features of this beautiful property. Fortunately there was no injuries or loss of life of the occupants or firefighters.

What did we learn? A rapid and extensive response is necessary to prevent injury and loss of life. Occupants of a building should be cleared out immediately on detection of a fire. Fortunately this fire was in the afternoon. If this fire had occurred at night with most occupants asleep the outcome could have been much different. Maintain smoke detectors in good working order! This can be a problem with tenant occupied properties. An extensive response from the Fire Department is necessary to prevent the spread to adjacent buildings. This is especially true in the crowed neighborhoods of Downtown and Midtown. At one time the Fire Department would send one engine company to a fire call. They would assess the fire and call in more help as needed. Three vacant lots a few blocks from this property from a house fire several years ago is testimony to the problem with this approach.

We also learned that it is important to maintain electrical wiring in good order, especially in older, historic buildings. That the number one cause of home fires is unattended cooking. This is very preventable. Number two is intentionally set fires. This is very scary in that it is much more difficult to prevent. Lastly we learned that a loss of property is a loss of income to the community.

The Sacramento Fire Department hopes that tours like this will help instill the need for residents to be prepared and vigilant and that a rapid and extensive response to fires is needed to prevent injuries, loss of life and property.

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.

Sacramento Home Fire Safety

2008-10-31T16:47:20Z

This years California Wildland Fire Season is nearing its end. This past fire season has been an ugly and deadly one. But here in Sacramento we are entering our "Urban Fire Season". What I mean by that is this is the time of year where we start seeing more structure fires and unfortunately this is usually the time of year that we experience our fire deaths.
More people are spending their time indoors for obvious reasons. With that we have fires that are caused by defective heating equipment, fireplaces, candles, cooking, and the all too common, "smoking". Now is the perfect time to go through and check the safety of your home. It's is also a very good time to sit down with your family and talk about fire safety and go over and practice a fire escape plan. Never think that fire cannot happen to you. It can and it is devastating.
In Sacramento we have twice as many fire deaths as compared to any similar sized city in California. The public needs to be proactive and make sure that they do not live or work in a fire trap. There are many resources available to the public regarding fire safety. Visit our website at www.sacfire.org to get more tips. Stop by any of our fire houses and talk with the Firefighters there. They will gladly give you some sound advice.
Probably the most important tool that you can have to help prevent fire deaths is a simple smoke detector. Smoke detectors have demonstrated time and time again that they do save lives. They do not prevent fires, but they give you warning and the time to safely escape your home in the event of fire. I can honestly say that in my 29 years as a Firefighter, I have never been on a home fire that has had a working smoke detector and someone there has died. It rarely ever happens, and if it does there is usually some other factor involved, like alcohol or drug use affecting the persons ability to safely escape.
With the change of the clocks this weekend, now is the perfect time to change the batteries in all of your smoke detectors. Only use brand new fresh batteries. Statistics have shown that over 90% of the homes in the U.S. have smoke detectors. That's the good news. The bad news is that in over 25% of the homes with detectors, the detectors do not work. Usually this is due to "dead batteries". It is a good idea to replace your smoke detectors after 10 years. They start to lose their effectiveness around then.
Please do not become a grim statistic. Make sure you and your loved ones are protected. And make sure you have working detectors in your home, preferably in every bedroom of the house. Please feel free to give me a call or drop me a note. The Sacramento Fire Department is here to serve.
Captain Jim Doucette, Public Information Officer
Sacramento Fire Department