What We’re Up To

Day one is in the books! Our 8 recruits received an extensive education on and introduction to our department thanks to key instruction from several of our members including Training, Safety, and Wellness Division Captain Jacob Urban and Lieutenant Jon Drost. One day down, many more to go!

Often at scenes of auto accidents, we may encounter overturned vehicles. At our headquarters, we simulated victim removal and factors to keep in mind at these scenes to ensure a safe rescue of any potential trapped victims.

One of the several grants we were awarded last year allowed for the purchase of three cardiac defibrillators and two Lucas CPR devices.

While WHFD has had a single Lucas in service for many years on Rescue 27, and recently found funds for a second, studies have shown just how effective and important these devices are for maximizing the chance of surviving cardiac arrest. They free up a rescuer, they provide higher quality compressions than a person ever could, and most importantly, they never stop or get tired or distracted.

We are thankful that the funds awarded through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program allow us to put these critical devices on every medical response unit in the Center District.

ENGINE OPs. While it’s true that some fire engines have specialized functions, such as wildfire suppression and aircraft rescue and firefighting, in our case, the primary job of our Engines 21 and 25 is to deploy hoselines and water at a fire. The secondary job of our engines is operating as a rescue and paramedic service. With several different tools and medical gear, the Engines are dually equipped to handle incidents such as structure fires, accidents, or medical emergencies.

The brief and critique. Before every live fire training evolution there is a safety brief. Everyone needs to know what the training objectives are, what the scenario is, what is simulated, and what is real. After the evolution we pick it apart. What went well? What could have been done better? What problems did we encounter and how did we overcome them. Then we pack up and do it again. And again. And again.

Firefighters are often called upon to enter burning buildings to save lives and property. However, sometimes the situation can become dangerous, and firefighters need to exit the building quickly. This is where bailout training comes in handy. In this training, we learn how to safely exit a building using a variety of techniques.

The brief and critique. Before every live fire training evolution there is a safety brief. Everyone needs to know what the training objectives are, what the scenario is, what is simulated, and what is real. After the evolution we pick it apart. What went well? What could have been done better? What problems did we encounter and how did we overcome them. Then we pack up and do it again. And again. And again.