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In an effort to keep you up to date on the latest local, statewide, and federal fire issues, OC Firefighters send out monthly news clippings. This newsletter will help inform you about very important fire-related matters.
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4-alarm fire rips through vacant Santa Ana church
A massive four-alarm fire ripped through a vacant church in Santa Ana before firefighters were able to extinguish a majority of the flames early Thursday morning. Crews responded at around 2:26 a.m. to the 100 block of East Santa Ana Boulevard near Main Street after receiving multiple reports of the fire, according to the Orange County Fire Authority. Upon arrival, crews encountered the structure fully engulfed. As many as 100 firefighters helped extinguish the blaze.
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Firefighters Battle Third-Alarm Fire At Multimillion-Dollar Estate In Tustin
Firefighters were called out to the 10000 block of Sunrise Lane, near Newport Boulevard, at about 4 a.m. and found fire in the large, vacant single-family home, the Orange County Fire Authority said. The blaze was ultimately upgraded to a third-alarm, and declared under control just before 6:30 a.m. No injuries were reported. The home was vacant at the time of the fire.
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Video courtesy of the OCFA
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Santa Ana Major head on crash; possible DUI
Members from the Orange County Fire Authority responded to a vehicle collision on Saturday, May 23, that left three individuals seriously injured with two of them trapped inside their vehicles. All three were transported as traumas to a local hospital with unknown injuries. Santa Ana PD located a bottle of alcohol in the black car. The collision is being investigated as a possible DUI.
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Man Shot During Attack Outside Elementary School In Garden Grove
A man was shot during an attack by a suspect who fled the scene before police arrives, early Wednesday morning. Authorities responded to reports of a shooting outside the Zeyen Elementary School located in the 12800 block of Magnolia Street, near Chapman Avenue, around 12:10 AM. Units arriving on scene locate a male victim suffering a gunshot wound. Firefighter paramedics treated the man on scene before transporting him to an area trauma center in stable condition.
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Fiery Crash Under Investigation In Irvine
A fiery crash that destroyed an Audi RS5 coupe at the Great Park was under investigation, early Saturday morning. Firefighters quickly doused the flames and learned that both the driver and passenger had escaped without serious injury. The high-speed crash prompted a closure of Great Park Boulevard while officers worked to investigate the cause of the crash.
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Man Who Went ‘Exploring’ Had to Be Rescued From Tunnel Under 5 Freeway
A man who went exploring in a tunnel under the 5 Freeway in Orange County had to be rescued by firefighters after becoming trapped, the California Highway Patrol said Monday. Firefighters from the Orange County Fire Authority helped free the man who had no injuries. The man told police officers he went into the drainage tunnel to explore, and after one and a half hours, got lost.
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Photo courtesy of CHP Capistrano
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Stolen Plane Crashed at Fullerton Airport
OCFA and CHP pilots were the first on scene to render aid to a single individual after he crashed a single-engine, Cessna aircraft at the Fullerton airport. After additional units from the OCFA, Fullerton police and Fire departments, it was discovered the man had stolen the aircraft at the Chino airport and flown it to Fullerton airport where it skidded off the runway and into a fence. The pilot refused treatment and transport and was placed under arrest.
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Suspicious Fire Burns Brush Near Former MCAS Tustin
A suspicious fire burned a brush and a fence, Monday night. Authorities responded to reports of a vegetation fire burning near the intersection of Armstrong and Warner avenues south of blimp hangars on former MCAS Tustin around 10:59 PM. Crews arriving on scene located a small fire burning brush and a section of fencing. Firefighters quickly doused the blaze and discovered a gallon jug that may have been used to start the fire.
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Firefighters Douse Aliso Viejo Garage Fire
Working with speed and efficiency, OCFA fire crews prevented this garage fire on May 5th in Aliso Viejo from damaging any other vehicles parked in the adjoined structure.
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Photo Courtesy of OC Firefighters Local 3631
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Driver killed in Santa Ana crash
A man was killed Saturday when his vehicle crashed into a wall in Santa Ana, authorities said. The vehicle was going southbound on Ross Street when the driver failed to stop at the intersection and crashed into a wall south of McFadden Avenue, police said. Paramedics from the Orange County Fire Authority pronounced the driver dead at the scene. Alcohol was believed to have been a factor in the crash, police said. The driver was the only occupant in the vehicle.
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Biker Rescued by OCFA Helicopter
OCFA’s helicopter and rescue paramedic recently performed a rescue in Silverado Canyon of a biker who collided with a Jeep and was in serious condition. Your highly trained
#OCFA
air operations team is available 24/7 to perform rescue and reconnaissance missions, fire attack, and more.
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Laguna Hills House Fire
At 6:47 p.m., Orange County Firefighters were dispatched to the 3000 block of Via Carrizo in Laguna Woods. Arriving units found an external fire burning the back patio of the residence that extended vertically to the roof. After rapidly deploying, fire crews contained the fire to the exterior of the residence and quickly extinguished all lingering flames.
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Photo courtesy of the OCFA
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Prescribed Burn At Camp Pendleton Sends Smoke Around Oceanside
A prescribed burn at Camp Pendleton sent up smoke visible in Oceanside and much of the surrounding area Saturday, the Oceanside Police Department said. OCFA fire crews took part in the prescribed burn with multiple other agencies, which allows firefighters to get real life training while also helping to manage vegetation growth.
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Video courtesy of the OCFA
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Mobilizing Firefighters for Wildfires During a Pandemic
COVID-19 is adding new challenges to firefighting. “We have to do what we can to mitigate the problem,” said Orange County Fire Authority Captain Greg Barta. “We’re going to try and keep social distancing on the fire lines and have crews be more self-sufficient out there so they don’t have to rely on interacting with other resources as much as far as getting supplies,” said Barta. Captain Barta, who has been with OCFA for 12 years, says so far, the agencies' response times haven’t been affected by COVID-19, but they are taking precautions like measuring everyone’s temperature before they start their shift
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Live video feed helps spot wildfires in Southern California
Stuck at home because of the coronavirus? Maybe you can help spot a wildfire.
As part of its mandated fire mitigation plan, Southern California Edison has installed 161 live feed cameras on towers across the region and has invited the public to view them and report signs of trouble. While the cameras are useful for both dispatchers and firefighters as an extra reconnaissance tool, the public shouldn’t consider the cameras a stand-in for personal responsibility.
“I hope nobody uses this as a safeguard for their property,” said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Thanh Nguyen. “What people should be considering right now is clearing the vegetation around their homes.”
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Photo by Southern California Edison / AlertWildfire
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OCFA Welcomes New Firefighters
Orange County Professional Firefighters Local 3631 would like to introduce to you the newest members of the OCFA family. We congratulate each of the graduates of Academy 50 and wish them all continued success as they work to maintain their excellent work ethic that brought them to this point.
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Photo courtesy of the OCFA
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OC Firefighters Survive Coronavirus Donate Plasma To Save Others
Orange County Fire Authority Firefighters who fell ill to coronavirus in late March are now battling the disease through plasma donation. Nearly 24 firefighters were exposed when Irvine Battalion Chief Steve Dohman first tested positive for coronavirus. Each battled symptoms for weeks in self-quarantine. Once cleared, the first responders did what came naturally: help others. They enrolled in the convalescent plasma program through the American Red Cross.
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Photo by Getty Images/iStockphoto
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Yorba Linda seniors and health care workers honored with first responder parade
One Yorba Linda senior community got a special surprise by some of Orange County's finest. "Who doesn't like a fire truck? Who doesn't like a sheriff's car?" said Suzette Miranda, resident director at Brookdale Yorba Linda. "It's a hello, we're in it together. We stand together," Miranda told ABC7.
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Local 3631 Takes A Big Step for Your Health & Safety
By Jeff Hughes, OC Firefighters Local 3631 Wellness Agent
The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and Local 3631 take the health and safety of our firefighters extremely seriously. The IAFF has a dedicated position for the overall safety of its members who reports directly to IAFF President Harold Schaitberger. This important position within the IAFF’s Health and Safety Division has been led by Pat Morrison for nearly twenty years. Recently, Local 3631 introduced a similar concept at our local level, a proactive move for our membership’s safety and health that, according to Pat, has never been heard of before.
The Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) Cancer Awareness and Prevention position that I was lucky enough to hold for three years fell within the Risk Management section of the department and I was responsible for reducing the “risk” of being exposed to the toxic effects of our jobs as firefighters. The “risk” in Risk Management is all about liability and managing the liability for the organization rather than the risk of illness or injuries to our members. When I retired in March, Local 3631 offered me the opportunity to work for you (the membership) to reduce the risks (personal risks) of illnesses or injuries. Now, the focus of my new position is on your health and safety. It’s no longer about managing liability. It’s a big step taken by the union for you.
My Background
On March 27, 2020, I retired as Fire Captain with the OCFA after 38 years of firefighting experience. I am a third generation Firefighter whose father died of occupational cancer after serving 21 years with the Long Beach Fire Department. I also spent three and a half years as an Assistant Fire Training Officer (with four and a half years as a Safety Officer) and finished my career in the Risk Management section as the OCFA’s Cancer Awareness and Prevention Program Manager with the objective to reduce exposures that lead to occupational illnesses and to create a culture change for the health and safety for our firefighters. I currently chair the working group to create the Orange County Annex Plan for contamination reduction. Additionally, I chair the California State FIRESCOPE Behavioral Health Working Group to create a working plan for the mental wellness needs during incidents. I have attended the National Fire Academy Managing Fire Officer Program and Safety Program-Operations. I am also a qualified Line Safety Officer by the National Wildland Coordinating Group.
My Plan
As the OC Firefighters Local 3631 Wellness Agent, I plan to follow the Total Worker Health template offered by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The initiatives that I will be focusing on are Cancer Awareness & Prevention, Behavioral (mental) Health, Wellness/Fitness, and Operations Safety. I will also be reviewing the research (fact finding done by smart people) which leads to educational opportunities to learn from the science. The education and awareness are what lead to prevention of the bad outcomes that are so prevalent in our profession. I also support the National Fallen Firefighters (NFFF)
16 Life Safety Initiatives
and I plan on implementing the new FIRESCOPE guidelines for Critical Incident Support Teams. Additionally, I hope to continue engaging the OCFA to take more responsibility of operational safety matters. Although the OCFA is responsible for maintaining firefighter safety on the job, each member of our organization must also be responsible for their own wellbeing.
I’m excited to start working on implementing these new initiatives and I look forward to working with Local 3631 to continue offering our OC Firefighters the best tools possible for maintaining optimal health and safety.
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2018 Orange County Firefighters Year In Review
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In 2018, our Firefighters responded to more than 142,000 emergencies throughout the 23 cities and unincorporated communities of Orange County. The Year in Review book serves to illustrate the daily challenges that our First Responders face while serving on the frontlines. Click
HERE
to view the book.
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OC Firefighters - IAFF Local 3631 |
1342 Bell Avenue, Suite 3A | Tustin | CA | 92870
THIS MESSAGE WAS CREATED BY JIMMY BLACKMAN & ASSOCIATES.
Copyright © 2017 OC Firefighters, all rights reserved.
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