Mutual aid and box alarms in action - PART 2

In the previous post we got a quick introduction to mutual aid and box alarms. Let’s now take a hypothetical example of a residential fire alarm in the heart of Clinton. The dispatcher will get the call and dispatch the call in the following way. “Stations clear, Box 45-01 Level 1- 45 Fire and Rescue. 45 Fire and Rescue responding to 11 Street Road for an audible fire alarm. Caller stating that the alarm is making a chirping noise, no visible smoke”. In this case it is a basic fire call which will be handled by units from Clinton Fire Department and no mutual aid is needed. In cases where there are many potential victims such as schools and large businesses, mutual aid units will be dispatched even for a Level 1 alarm e.g. smoke or CO detectors.

Let’s look at another example where a homeowner comes home to find their basement filled with smoke. The homeowner calls 911 and the necessary departments are dispatched. “Stations clear, Box 45-01 Level 2 - 45 Fire and Rescue, Engine 46-61, Ladder 14-69, Engine 91-64, 18 Fire (FAST) responding to 11 Street Road for a possible structure fire. Homeowner reporting their basement is filled with smoke and they smell something burning”. In this case the homeowner is getting a full response from our station (2 engines, a tower ladder and a service truck) as well as an engine from Annandale (46) and Quakertown (91), a ladder from High Bridge (14), and a FAST from Lebanon Boro (18). The responding officers have the necessary resources coming into the scene without having to do anything. In addition they can also upgrade the box based on the criteria established for that location.

Mutual aid based on box alarms has revolutionized the way that we all work together. Previous to box alarms an officer would get on scene and then they would call for help. Now we have a mindset where we’d rather get everyone on the road and then cancel them, rather than getting on scene and knowing that your next available ladder is at least 15 minutes away. Additionally with less members available for daytime responses Clinton may only be able to staff 1 Engine initially. With the automatic mutual aid the box alarms provide the officer in charge will still have adequate resources responding.

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Fire department mutual aid & box alarms - PART1

The next two posts will describe the mutual aid process and the role of box alarms. People are often amazed by the number of fire department apparatus that respond to their house in a short amount of time. We often hear “I just called 911 to report a burning smell in my house and the next thing I have a hundred fire trucks outside my house - wow.” The primary reason for this effective response is mutual aid based on box alarms. Box alarms are designed to give the responding officers the necessary resources based on the severity of the call. Time is ALWAYS of the essence when responding to a call and box alarms get the necessary resources rolling in a short amount of time.

Box alarms are geographic groupings which allow you to create a response based on the type of risks that are present and resources required to combat emergency situations.

Potential risks include:

• water supply issues e.g. hydrants/ponds; distance to water etc

• number of occupants e.g. schools, business, hospital vs. residents

• resources required e.g. water shuttles, ladder trucks etc.

• size of the structure e.g. business, school vs. a home

Once a department has created these specific boxes they are sent to the 911 dispatch center that then enter these locations and responding departments into their dispatching computer systems. Once a fire call comes in the necessary resources are dispatched based on the emergency that is reported.

The mindset of fire departments using box alarms is to be ready for all potential situations. Each time a reported structure fire is dispatched; all the volunteers in the Town of Clinton and our surrounding mutual aid departments jump in their cars and respond to their fire departments leaving their families and jobs. The mindset of modern firefighting is to get the resources rolling and cancel them if the situation is less severe than the initial 911 call. Our commitment is to keep our neighbors in our communities as safe as possible by dealing with emergencies in a proactive and professional manner. In the next post I’ll go over a couple of hypothetical examples to illustrate the power of box alarms in action.

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Clinton assists Quakertown at Walmart

Around 5:30pm on September 2, Clinton was dispatched on Quakertown Fire Company structure fire box 9106 for an electrical fire at Walmart. Units arrived shortly after dispatch and found a light had been smoking under the canopy in front of the store. Quakertown Deputy Chief Vallat had command of the incident. Members from Clinton disconnected the light and Quakertown members checked the store and secured the power. High Bridge, Annandale, and Lebanon Fire Departments also assisted and the Clinton Rescue Squad stood by. All units were clear of the scene by 6:00pm.

Possible structure fire on September 1

At 8:20pm on September 1, the Clinton Fire Department was dispatched for our first call in September. The call was Fire Box 2546 for smoke in a dwelling on Pittstown Rd in Union Township. Responding on the Box Alarm with Clinton was Quakertown Fire Company(91), High Bridge Fire Department(14), Lebanon fire Company(18), and the Clinton First Aid & Rescue Squad. Chief 45 arrived 2 minutes after dispatch and found a smoke condition in the basement of a 2 family dwelling. Engine 451, Engine 91, Service 45, and Ladder 14 arrived and investigated. The cause was found to be an electrical fire in an electric water heater due to a water leak. The unit was disconnected from it's power source and the smoke was cleared from the residence and all units were cleared by 9:00pm.

Video: August flood

Video of flooding on Main Street in Clinton

August was a busy month!

The month of August proved to be a very challenging month for the Clinton Fire Department. We responded to 62 call during the month, about 30 of those on August 2nd during the flooding in Clinton. On August 2nd we were assisted greatly by some of our mutual aid departments. While responding to calls during the flood our members were also dealing with the fact that our Station had flooded as well. Members work very hard to minimize the damage, however we still sustained almost $30,000 in damages. Fortunately in our efforts to trim costs we shopped around for insurance in 2009 and had recently changed to a new company. This new policy saved the department money as well as increasing our coverage, including flood insurance. Thankfully most of the damage will be covered under this new policy. August was also a challenge for our apparatus. Engine 452 needed a new radiator so it was sent out for repairs and to have annual preventative maintenance performed. Several issues were found during the maintenance and will be repaired. This is not a surprise since this truck is 18 years old and has been very reliable over the years. Then in late August a pulley broke on Tower 45 and it is out of service while the manufacturer works to make repairs. Engine 452 should be back in service early next week however we do not know when the ladder truck will return. Our members are operating with Engine 451 and Service 45 as well as mutual aid. Hopefully September will be dryer, have less mechanical issues, and fewer responses. Stay Safe!