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Last Updated: Nov 14, 2008 - 12:49:26 PM |
Sunday night was a night that some companies should have never made their beds. We were awoken at about 12:30 a.m. for a dive team call. An hour or so later, we were working an accident on I-95. During this time, E18, Co. 6, E1, R14, T3, A18, and A17 were dispatched to a house fire with reports of people trapped. E18 stated prior to arrival that this was going to be a working incident, and also advised A18’s crew to assist with throwing ground ladders. E18 marked on with two people on a porch roof, one person hanging out of a window, and smoke showing from a two-story, single family dwelling. While the officer made his lap, a ladder was thrown to the window, and another ladder was placed to the porch roof with the assistance of two unnamed police officers. Once everyone had been safely rescued, E18’s crew took a hose line in and attacked the fire in the kitchen. I talked with the officer on E18 who stated that this was kind of like a movie, the way it all played out. Good job, E18 and A18!
The fire started somewhere in the kitchen, with the family sound asleep. Properly operating smoke alarms woke the parents, but they could not escape due to smoke and fire conditions, except to exit their bedroom window onto a porch roof. Their child heard the dog barking and also awoke to heavy smoke. She too was unable to get out, and had to hang out of her window until help arrived. As I have stated in the past, this family did not go to bed expecting to wake up with their lives in the balance. This situation had a good ending, with no one being injured. This fire does offer me the opportunity to revisit some key points:
· Every home should have a practiced home escape plan.
· Properly operating smoke alarms are the most effective means of detecting smoke while your family is asleep. Be sure to check your smoke alarms at least once a month.
· When you wake up to smoky conditions, remember that the best air is going to be close to the floor; stay low and go.
· Sleeping with your door closed hinders smoke, heat, and fire from entering your bedroom.
· If you are sleeping with the door closed and you are awoken by your smoke alarm, be sure to check the door with the back of your hand before opening it. If it is hot, or there is smoke in the hallway, close the door and stuff blankets under the door; then proceed to the window.
· If your bedrooms are located on the second floor, you may want to invest in a rescue ladder. Once you purchase it, you will need to deploy it out of the window, and practice climbing from the bottom up.
· If you do not have a rescue ladder, you will need to open the window, and wave something to get others’ attention.
· If the fire and heat are encroaching into your room, you may need to perform a “hang from the window sill and drop” maneuver. You should only do this if you believe that you will lose your life if you stay in the room.
You never know when this will happen to you. This fire started in the place where the majority of fires in homes begin, at a time when most people are injured or killed. Properly operating smoke alarms did their job, and everyone was safely rescued. Engine and Ambulance 18 did a great job, managing people and resources in a way that resulted in the best possible outcomes.
Do not lay your head on another pillow until your family is prepared!
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