DIVISION 5
PUBLIC EVENTS AND NEWS
NEEDLES ANNEXES TO COUNTY FIRE
LABOR REP: DARRELL FEUERHAHN
JOHN CHAMBERLIN DIVISION CHIEF
NEW FIRE STATION
BY DAN NELSON
After an exciting 2015 in the south desert, the men and women of Division
5 wish everyone a happy and prosperous New Year. In the past year we have
enjoyed upgrades and changes to our staffing levels, technology and safety
equipment. In addition, we have had the privilege of watching many of our
talented members successfully complete the promotional testing process
and accept positions as engineers and captains within our department. As to
be expected, 2015 also provided all members of Division 5 with challenging
emergency response calls. In this edition of FIREWIRE, we will highlight
devolvements from the year’s final quarter.
A new station for Needles broke ground in early December. Station
32 is being built on East Broadway Blvd., near the Interstate 40
and Highway 95 intersection. The design of the station is similar
to Stations 10, 53 and 22. The station is being built to replace the
1950s-era Station 31, which is located across the street from the
rail yard in Needles. Construction is expected to be completed in
late summer 2016.
Firefighter/Paramedic Mike Gregory battles a
blaze in the community of Landers.
INCIDENTS
EQUIPMENT UPGRADES
EL COYOTE ROAD FIRE
EPCR IMPLEMENTATION
In November, San Bernardino County Fire crews from our Yucca
Valley and Joshua Tree stations, as well as units from Twentynine
Palms and Cal Fire, responded to a garage fire on El Coyote Road
in Joshua Tree. Captain Clint Marks and crew from ME36 arrived
on scene to find heavy smoke and fire coming from the eaves of
the home. The crews made access into the garage and waged an
aggressive fire attack in high winds. The fire claimed two cars, an RV
and a boat, but the crews were able to stop the fire from spreading
into the home.
During the final quarter of 2015, all Division 5 stations switched from
the old style paper patient contact form (PCR) to the new electronic
version ePCRs. The upgrade has been a long and challenging
process for the department. Each unit has been issued a tablet
computer and all personnel have received training on how to use
the tablet and ePCR software. The electronic reporting allows for
better patient tracking and information sharing with ambulance and
hospital staffs. In addition, the tablets integrate well with our new
incident reporting system, Image Trend. The paring of these two
systems will allow our division to more efficiently bill for medical
services provided by County Fire.
NEEDLES HOUSE FIRE
Photo: Sky Rodriguez
Also in November, crews from stations in Needles and Wonder
Valley responded to two structure fires within 24 hours. Both fires
were started in abandoned homes and are believed to have been
started by squatters living in the homes. The first fire started in the
early morning hours of November 13. ME31 from Needles arrived
on scene to find heavy smoke and flames coming from the rear of
the structure. With assistance from Mohave Valley Fire Department,
the crew from 31 were able to make entry into the home and
conduct a rapid search for victims while simultaneously battling the
fire. Fortunately, no victims were found. Damage to the house was
estimated to be over $40,000.
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County Fire looks forward to providing premiere service to the City of Needles.
STAFFING UPGRADE FOR STATION 18
Over the past several months, staffing issues at Station 18
in Havasu Landing have become a serious challenge for our
department. In the past, the station has relied on two or three “hardcover” paid-call firefighters (PCFs) to provide constant staffing at
the station. The staffing was supplemented by a PCF force that
would respond to major calls from their homes in Havasu Landing.
Now, however, most of the hard-cover PCFs have left to obtain
full time employment elsewhere, leaving the station with just three
members to respond from home for all emergency calls. Efforts to
recruit additional hard cover PCFs have not been successful.
In November, concerned citizens from Havasu hosted a meeting
with several chief officers from County Fire, including Fire Chief Mark
Hartwig, as well as San Bernardino County First District Supervisor
Robert Lovingood, to express their desire to obtain reliable staffing
at Station 18. The County of San Bernardino, County Fire, and the
Chemehuevi Indian Tribe (owners of the Havasu Landing Resort
and Casino) are currently working on a plan to staff Station