SAN JOSE FIRE FIGHTERS LOCAL 230
November 5th, 2017   
 
San Jose Fire Fighters return home from North Bay Wildfires

 

 
San Jose Fire Fighters were called upon in the early hours of Monday, October 9 and throughout the week, eventually being joined by 5,000 Firefighters to help battle the devastating fires that had broken out across Wine Country and the North Coast. Over a  week later, on Thursday October 19th, they returned home to San Jose, physically and emotionally exhausted, some having worked 13 days  straight. 

At least 42 residents have died, nearly 100,000 were evacuated, more than 5,700 homes, businesses, and wineries destroyed or damaged as the 10 North Coast Fires burned more than 200,000 acres in what is being described  as the costliest wildfires in American history. 

San Jose Fire Fighters were proud to have assisted our neighbors to the North at a time when they needed it most.  Moving forward we will continue to support our brother and sister firefighters who lost homes, as they work to recover from this catastrophic disaster. 


DEPLOYED SAN JOSE FIRE RESOURCES

Engine Companies 9, 14, 16                    Strike Team Leader (Trainee)
Division Group Supervisor                        Field Observer
Line Safety Officer


* More articles and photos from the public below


 
IN THE NEWS
Train Trestle in San Jose Used by Caltrain, Union Pacific Catches Fire
SAN JOSE - A train trestle in San Jose used by Union Pacific and Caltrain caught fire 
Roughly 200 feet of Union Pacific's wooden trestle located next to Mclellan Avenue was damaged after the fire ignited around 3 a.m    (video)     NBC Bay Area    
Four-Alarm Fire Burns Home, Cars and Debris in San Jose Foothills 
SAN JOSE - 80 San Jose Firefighters, with assistance from Cal Fire, responded to the blaze on of Pleasant Acres Drive, Flames quickly spread to nearby cars and debris on the property.  Thick, black smoke from the blaze could be seen for miles. A home on the property was also seen on fire. Neighbors acted quickly to help evacuate the occupants of the home.  (video)     NBC Bay Area    CBS5    KGO
San Jose:  Structures go up in flames in East San Jose
SAN JOSE -  A fire moved quickly and damaged at least two homes in the hills above East San Jose.  Firefighters surrounded the homes while people tried to use water from a swimming pool to wet down a nearby house and protect it from the flames. (video)   KGO       NBC Bay Area      Mercury News   
     
R EMEMBERING OUR
FALLEN BROTHERS &
SISTERS   
 
Gerald A Hubbard  (Ret.)
Fire Captain
Retired 2-5-1986
Deceased: 8-19-2017
Oliver Anastacio (Ret.)
Fire Fighter
Retired: 8-8-1972
Deceased: 8-15-2017
Edward N. Silva (Ret.)
Fire Captain
Retired: 10-3-1973
Deceased: 7-26-2017
Bob Currall  (Ret.)
Fire Fighter
Retired: 12-3-1993
Deceased: 7-19-2017
John Whitaker (Vol)
Fire Associates of 
Silicon Valley
Deceased: 7-11-2017
Joseph M. Nufer   (Ret.)
Fire Captain
Retired: 1-2-1974
Deceased: 3-27-2017
Francis Swanson (Ret.)
Fire Engineer
Retired: 4-6-1986
Deceased: 3-8-2017
Michael Curcio (Ret.)
Fire Engineer
Retired: 1996  
Deceased: 12-11-2016
Vince Jangrus (Ret.)
Fire Captain
Retired: 1997
Deceased: 12-8-2016
Emmett Knutson (Ret.)
Fire Fighter
Retired: 1988  
Deceased: 12-1-2016
John Arnaz (Ret.)
Arson Investigator
Retired: 1995  
Deceased: 11-2016

INSTAGRAM   #SJFD


SAN JOSE FIRE FIGHTERS RESPOND TO NORTH BAY FIRES

"Drove up to Santa Rosa and unloaded at our first location and walked over to Whole Foods to get some much needed grub and ran into SJFD




#SJFD Bless you boys! You saved our home! Words cannot express our gratitude! We will find a way to thank you soon!

@JorgensenLori

 

VIDEO OF WEEK




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FIRE OPS 101
              
MAYOR LICCARDO JOINS SEVERAL SJ CITY COUNCIL AT FIRE OPS 101 EVENT

INSTAGRAM VIDEO   


Councilmember Peralez  

"While others run away from a burning building, firefighters run into it to ensure everyone is safe. Big thanks to the San Jose Fire Department & San Jose Fire Fighters Local 230 for hosting my colleagues and I in today's Fire Ops 101 event. This was a small but powerful taste of the dangers our first responders put themselves through to ensure a safe community .  
 
 
Was your local leader up for the challenge?
    
Brush Fire Sparks at Golf Club in San Jose
SAN JOSE - Firefighters responded to a two-acre brush Fire at the Santa Teresa Golf Club in San Jose.  The Santa Clara Sheriff's office took a man into custody after being seen starting a small brush fire. Golf course workers told officers that the man was acting erratically and employees needed help getting him off the property. 
      NBC Bay Area    

Diesel spills into Canoas Creek in San Jose  
SAN JOSE - A spill of an unknown amount of diesel fuel into slow-flowing Canoas Creek in South San Jose is being mopped up with absorbent logs, and officials are looking for clues to how the fuel entered the waterway.       Mercury News    

SAN JOSE FIRE FIGHTERS RESPOND TO NORTH BAY FIRES
San Jose Firefighters Kept Busy at Home While Crews Assist in the North Bay  
SAN JOSE -   While some San Jose firefighters continued to battle the blazes burning in the North Bay, crews back home were kept busy fighting multiple fires.      NBC Bay Area    

 

San Jose Officials: 2-alarm fire at KFC in San Jose 'unusual' 
SAN JOSE - Firefighters knocked down a two-alarm fire at a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in San Jose on North Capitol Ave. Fire officials say the event is somewhat unusual, because the fire appears to have started in the dining area, not in the kitchen.  (video)    KGO       Mercury News   
      
LOCAL NEWS    
PG&E could pay dearly for North Bay fires, even if it followed rules
The lethal wildfires in the North Bay could exact a heavy cost on Pacific Gas and Electric Co., even if the utility did nothing wrong.  State investigators are trying to determine whether PG&E's power lines and poles - some of which came crashing down in a windstorm the night the fires began - sparked the flames. The first lawsuit from burned-out homeowners accusing PG&E of negligence was filed a little more than a week after the fires began.     SF Chronicle  
   
Man shot at firefighters battling Mendocino County blaze
A 73-year-old Mendocino County man who defied a mandatory evacuation order from his home was arrested after shooting at firefighters who came onto his property to battle the massive Redwood Valley Fire, apparently mistaking them for intruders, authorities said Wednesday.      SF Gate  
     
CANCER EPIDEMIC IN FIRE FIGHTERS
A 5 - Part Series


FIREFIGHTERS & CANCER
UNMASKED

Mark Rine became a firefighter because he wanted to save people. In the end, that job could also be what kills him. Rine has cancer. This is a story about firefighters who are dying of cancer more often than in burning buildings, and of one dying man who is dedicating the time he has left to saving his fellow firefighters from the same fate.  Columbus Dispatch


Cancer Is the Biggest Killer of America's Firefighters
BOSTON, MA - For the nation's oldest fire department, the alarm sounds 234 times a day.
Car accidents, medical calls, rescues and fires keep Boston firefighters busy round-the-clock.
But while they are equipped with state-of-the-art apparatus and protective clothing, what's killing them is a danger they often can't see: cancer.
Boston Fire Commissioner Joseph Finn called it an "epidemic."     NBC News



DRONE VIDEO: QuadCopter4 over burned neighborhoods in Santa Rosa
 New drone video from QuadCopter4 shows the devastation in Santa Rosa from the North Bay Firestorm. Wildfires devastated the state's famed wine country and nearby areas, killing 42 people and destroying 8,400 buildings.      KRON 4  
     
Twitter                                                                                        #SJFD


  Full recovery from California wildfires may take years  
SANTA ROSA, CA - It will take at least months and likely years to fully recover from devastating wildfires that ripped through Northern California earlier this month, destroying at least 8,900 structures and killing 42 people, Sonoma County officials said Saturday.     East Bay Times  

CALIFORNIA NEWS
  City Council Committee Approves Guidelines For LA Fire Department Drone Program
LOS ANGELES, CA - A City Council committee approved proposed guidelines for a drone program being developed by the Los Angeles Fire Department amid controversy over use of the devices by public agencies.   LA West Media 
 
  City Council Committee Approves Guidelines For LA Fire Department Drone Program
LOS ANGELES, CA - A City Council committee approved proposed guidelines for a drone program being developed by the Los Angeles Fire Department amid controversy over use of the devices by public agencies.   LA West Media 
 
  Hollywood Burbank Airport opts to not reduce firefighter staffing
Hollywood Burbank Airport officials recently decided to not reduce its aircraft rescue-and-firefighting services after finalizing a labor agreement with its in-house fire department.  The Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority in June tried to reduce the minimum number of on-duty fire personnel at the airport from five firefighters and one captain to three firefighters and one captain.     LA Times
 


NATIONAL NEWS
Firefighter gear could be hazardous
CINCINNATI - The turnout gear that firefighters are encouraged to wear for protection against toxic chemicals at fire scenes could itself be a hazard, according to a lawyer who's demanding a study be done for a group with "unusually high rates of cancer."      Fire Rescue 1 
 
Mass shootings are part of the conversation about improving safety codes 
Clark County, NV - Officials are looking to national authorities for guidance on how safety standards might be improved in light of the mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival. The two leading associations that craft the safety policies adopted by most municipalities across the country are looking right back at Las Vegas.    Las Vegas Sun
 

 
   
     SIGNIFICANT SAN JOSE     
            FIRE INCIDENTS 

           First Due      San Jose Council District  
 
10.12.17   N. 
7th Street 
     Station 1   SJ District 3  
One call reporting a fire in an abandoned building with homeless seen fleeing the scene.  The first arriving fire unit reported active fire on the Charlie side of the building.  The Arson Investigator was notified, SJPD was requested for traffic control, PG&E to secure the utilities and Board Up to secure the structure. 
  
 
10.12.16   
Neet Ave
         Station 10   SJ District 1
One report of an apartment fire.  The first arriving fire unit reported smoke showing from an unknown floor but later found active fire on the 2nd floor.  The call was upgraded to a 2nd Alarm.  The fire was knocked down and under control after 1.5 hours.  JPD was requested for traffic control, PG&E to secure the utilities and Red Cross for four displaced residents. 

10.13.17  S. 2nd St   Station 3    SJ District 3  
Engine 3 was dispatched to a possible medical event.  The event was upgraded to a full first when details came in of a house on fire.  E3 arrived and found a large amount of smoke coming from the structure and a wood burning stove in the basement was on fire.  The fire extended from the basement to the attic of the structure.  A VACATE order was given for all companies to exit the structure due to loss of structural integrity.  The fire was placed under control after 2.5 hours.  Red Cross responded for occupants who were displaced.                               *VIDEO OF THE WEEK

TIER 3
 
10.15.17   My Hamilton Road     Station 2   SJ District 5  
Tier response after receiving multiple calls a reporting a fire endangering a structure. While enroute, B2 called for a  Tier 2 response due to access and visible smoke.  Upon arrival it was determined that structures were becoming involved and the fire was upgraded to a Tier 3.  A wildland task force was also requested.  Calfire provided a heavy response and aircraft.  PG&E responded to secure utilities. Santa Clara County Sheriff's  department and California Highway Patrol assisted with traffic control. The fire was placed under control after 3.5 hours. 

 
10.15.16   
Felter   Station 19   SJ District 5   
Single unit to a report of a possible vegetation fire. Once the first unit arrived they requested a Tier response. Calfire dispatched a Full Wildland Response to the location. USAR task force was also requested. Sheriff's department was requested for possible evacuations. Injuries were treated on scene.
 

10.15.17  Harmony Ln  Station 18  SJ District 2
Full First response after receiving multiple calls reporting a house fire with possible people trapped. Engine 26 arrived on scene with a well involved residential garage fire. Units confirmed that no one was trapped in the building. The fire was knocked down and placed under control after 1 hour. 
  

10.17.17  Quimby Rd.  Station 21 SJ District 8
SJPD requested Fire to respond to reports of a broken gas line.  A structure response was sent and confirmed that a commercial gas line was broken.  PG&E was requested.  3 homes were evacuated.  The incident was extended due to the inaccessibility of the break.  PG&E sent for a crew to dig up the line.  The situation was under control after 1.5 hours.
  
 
10.19.17 Meadow Ln   Station 2  SJ District 5     
A Full First was dispatched to multiple reports of a structure fire.  Engine 19 & E619 arrived on scene confirming an exterior fire that extended into the structure.  PG&E responded to assist with utilities. RedCross responded for displaced residents. 


10.20.17 Judith St   Station 35  SJ District 2
Report of a kitchen fire, the first arriving fire unit reported smoke coming from the lower corner unit.  The fire was knocked down and under control after 1 hour.  SJPD was requested for traffic control and PG&E to secure the utilities.  


10.21.17 Bernal Rd    Station 27  SJ District 2  
An I-Zone response was dispatched to a report of a fire at the golf course. B13 upgraded the call to a TIER while en-route.  Engine 27 & E627 arrived on scene and confirmed a fire on a hill at the golf course.  The fire was placed under control after 1.5 hours.
    

10.22.17  Monterey Rd       Station 3    SJ District 7
Full 1 st response to multiple reports of a commercial business on fire. The first arriving units confirmed a fully engulfed restaurant on fire. San Jose PD assisted with traffic control. 
  
   
10.22.17  SB Hwy 85     Station 9    SJ District 9
Single engine to a report of a vehicle accident on Northbound 85 at Camden. Engine 13 requested a second code 3 ambulance for the report of 2 patients. Engine 13 located the accident on Southbound 85 at Camden and requested the balance of a rescue response for a person trapped. One patient self-extricated and the second patient was extricated from the vehicle after 30 minutes hours. CHP assisted with traffic control and all appropriate.
 
 
10.25.17  Flintwell Wy   Station 35   SJ District 2   
Structure Response to a single report of smoke coming from a home and no flames were seen. The first arriving unit reported smoke coming from the roof vent. The response was upgraded to a Full 1 st response.  PG&E assisted with utilities. The fire was placed Under Control after 40 minutes.


SECOND ALARM

10.26.17 N Capitol Ave      Station 23   SJ District 4
Report of a fire at the Kentucky Fried Chicken.  Engine 23 arrived and found heavy, black smoke coming from the business.  A 2 nd alarm was called.  The fire was knocked down and placed under control after 1 hour.  
 

FOURTH ALARM
 
10.27.17 
Pleasant Acres Dr.
    Station 8  SJ District 3  
A single unit was initially dispatched to smoke in the area from an unknown source.  After receiving multiple calls and seeing a column of smoke in the area Engine 21 & E621 requested a precautionary TIER.  The call was then upgraded to a Full First after receiving a call for a structure fire.  A TIER and a Full First was dispatched Engine 21 made access and reported a structure and cypress trees on fire.  The call was upgraded to a 2 nd alarm, then a 3 rd alarm was requested due to exposures.  After 30 minutes operations moved to defensive.  The call was upgraded to a 4 th alarm.

PG&E responded to secure utilities and for wires down. San Jose Water Company assisted on scene.  CHP and SJPD assisted with traffic control.  County EMS responded precautionary; one civilian was treated for injuries.  Fire watch and extended operations were put into place overnight for one to two acres of smoldering debris.
 
10.29.17 Canoas Creek     Station 35  SJ District 2
One call was received reporting a fuel spill in Canoas creek.  Upon arrival it was determined that there was a large quantity of fuel spilled in the creek.  The Department of Fish and Game was requested and also the Santa Clara County Water District for boom trucks to absorb the spilled fuel.  All units were clear of the event after 4 hours. 

10.31.17  
McLellan Avenue
     Station 3  SJ District 3
Fire Communications dispatched a single unit to a report of a fire on the train tracks. After receiving multiple calls, Engine 3 arrived on scene of a well involved bridge trestle fire. Engine 3 requested eventually upgraded to a Full . Caltrans and CHP responded to assist. The fire was placed under control after 3 hours.

10.31.17   
Bobbie Avenue 
   Station 14  SJ District 1
Full 1 st response to a report a house on fire. While en-route Battalion 10 requested a precautionary 2 nd alarm. Engine 14 arrived on scene of a residential structure with heavy fire visible. Battalion 10 requested a mutual aid alarm assignment, however cancelled the mutual aid units before arrival.  The fire was knocked down and then placed under control after 1.5 hours.  


11.2.17  Michigan Avenue  Station 25 SJ District 4
Multiple reports of a house on fire with power lines either down on the ground or on fire.  Engine 25 noted flames and a column of smoke upon dispatch from fire station 25 and a 2 nd alarm was immediately  called  E25 arrived and found a fully involved house fire.  A total of 4 buildings were on fire; the main structure, one garage and two out buildings.  Fire also spread to a neighboring house and it sustained damage.  PG&E responded to secure the downed power lines.  Red Cross responded for 13 people displaced by the fire. 



 


MUTIAL AID REQUESTS


10.11.17 
Central LMU Complex
Medical Unit Leader

10.12.17  Southern LNU Complex Fire
Field Observer 

10.12.17     CalFire for Morgan Hill:
Engine 27 & Engine 627 to respond to a structure fire 

10.12.17   South County Fire Station
Engine 35 to South County Fire Station 2 for coverage

10.12.17   Central LNU Complex Fire
Line Safety Officer Trainee for the Fire in Sonoma County

10.13.17 Milpitas Fire Department
Engine 23  to back fill MFD fire stations

10.14.17 Southern LNU Complex Fire 
Division Group Supervisor 

10.16.17 Bear Creek Canyon Fire in Santa Cruz County.  Engine 209 immediate need for structure protection.  

10.27.17  San Jose Fire - Pleasant Acres 
CNT Battalion  83 responded for coverage in 13's area.
MLP Engine 86 for station 2 backfill.  
MLP Engine 87 responded for station 24 backfill.  

11.1.17  CalFire Morgan Hill
Engine 27 and E627 to a fire in the City of Morgan Hill.  











 
    
 
 

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ABOUT US:
Local 230 is the labor organization of the proud men and women that serve as Firefighters protecting the City of San Jose.  The members of the San Jose Fire Department rely on Local 230 to focus on the well being and safety of those that protect the lives of others. For more information, visit  www.sjff.org .



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