fire department connection newsletter - february 2013

8/13/2019 Fire Department Connection Newsletter - February 2013

1/16

A Fierce Fire see pg. 300000 0000

09Dedicated to Service

February 2013New Partnershipssee pg. 12

FireDepartmentConnection


2/16

Contents

2 Our Family Protecting your Family

Message from the Fire Chief

Yours in service,

Charles N. Hood,

Fire Chief

I want to personally thank everyone who took the time towrite their questions and concerns during the State of theDepartment address. I would like to start by addressing a

concern that gave me chills as I read it.Tired of being a sidewalk firefighter. Going defensive is our

motto. Let us fight fire with aggression.Unfortunately, I read this comment just after listening to a

wave file of the radio transmissions between the two Bryanfirefighters who used their radios to communicate their lastwords during the structure fire that took their lives.

Last month, Bryan firefighters entered into a large vacantstructure, which had no vehicles in its parking lot. The flames

grew and the fire rapidly consumed the unoccupied structure. Firefighters reportedthey were low on air, and they were ordered to evacuate the building. However, Lt.

Eric Wallace remained inside the structure. A Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) thatconsisted of Lt. Gregory Pickard, Firefighter Ricky D. Mantey and probationary

Firefighter Mitchel Moran were ordered to assist Wallace, but while firefighterswere still inside, the buildings roof collapsed in flames. As a result, Lt. Wallace waspronounced dead at the scene. Lt. Pickard died at the hospital while Mantey and

Moran remain in critical condition.

Since my arrival to the San Antonio Fire Department, safety has been my numberone priority. I understand some do not share this priority with me, but we shoulduse the Bryan tragedy as a learning opportunity. Its important to understand risk

management when you look at the loss the Bryan Fire Department experienced.I am very familiar with the adrenalin rush and the excitement of walking into a

burning structure, there is nothing like it. But, coming to a realization that this can

cost you your life or the life of your brother or sister, should be enough incentive tounderstand the reasons we as a department, sometimes, take a defensive stand.

It is therefore troubling reading this type of comment. It leads me to believe thatas an organization some of us may not understand what risk management really

is. I encourage you to be aggressive during training, aggressive in preplanning thehazards in your first due, and even more aggressive understanding risk management.

It can save your life.Operating in a defensive strategy and following the risk management policy ismore than just being a sidewalk firefighter. Its being able to measure and recognize

the thin line between risk and benefit. It is not putting your life or anyone elses life onthe line when there is nothing to be saved. Its about being a leader. I want each and

every member of this organization to understand there is no structure within this citythat is worth any of our lives.

Firefighting is one of the most dangerous professions on this planet. There is no

reason for us to make it more unsafe by falling into the trap of aggression withoutpurpose on the fire ground. There is nothing heroic about it. I feel that as your chief,

the least I can do while you perform this dangerous job is to try to protect you asmuch as possible.

I hope I addressed this concern clearly and you will all consider the safety measures

which were put in place with the sole purpose of protecting you. I dont want a tragicaccident to be the reason you understand my position.


3/16

Feb. 1, 2013 around 11:57 p.m. theSan Antonio Fire Department arrived

at a roaring fire engulfing the ChildressMemorial Church of God in Christ,

located at 901 North Pine Street.Ladder 1 was the first to arrive on

scene within three minutes of being

dispatched. Firefighters immediatelyentered the structure and attempted

containment, but the fire was spreadingvery rapidly. Firefighters noticed the

building could possibly collapse andstarted to operate in a defensive position

outside of the historic church.Firefighters not only faced the

challenge of extinguishing the rising

flames, but they had to protect thehouses and vehicles just feet away from

the church as well. A second alarm wascalled for.

Our main objective was to get inbetween the roaring church and protect

the residences next door. You try toprotect what is not protected, saidCaptain Fernando Sosa.

Oscar Gonzalez, FSC remarked, Myinitial assessment was of a fully-involved

church that was only going to be putout with master streams. We proceededto establish collapse zones and re-

positioned a couple of the trucks.There were no injuries or fatalities. The

houses nearby did not experience anykind of damage. Unfortunately however,

the church, built in 1908 and valued at

more than $3-million, was a total loss.Arson Lieutenant Kenneth Campbell

indicated that since the inside walls ofthe building were predominantly wood,

the fire extended rapidly into the wallscausing the collapse of the structure.

The fire wasnt discovered until itwas very advanced and little from thestructure was able to be saved, said Lt.

Campbell.The 2ndalarm fire involved 79

firefighters and 30 fire units. The fire wassubstantially controlled by about 2:30

a.m.Arson investigators were called to the

scene to try to determine the cause of

the fire but more resources were needed.The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms

and Explosives (ATF) was called to thescene in order to have a more complete

investigation.Recently, there have been seven

other fires in the area, which were

classified as arson. Circumstances aroundit have to be cleared, said Lieutenant

Campbell.After five days of scene excavation

and investigation, the origin ofthe fire was found to be in the

mechanical room located on thesecond floor of the building. Thecause of the fire is undetermined;

however, there are no indications ofa criminal act.

Investigators concluded that itwas not a criminal act partly because

upon the fire departments arrival atthe church, all doors were closed

and locked and there were no signsof a forced entry. Also, the areawhere the fire started was hand

sifted and the accelerant detectingK-9 was utilized at the scene but

no remains or indications of anincendiary device were found. In

addition, ATF reviewed hours ofsecurity camera video recovered

during the scene excavation, butno unauthorized individuals wereseen entering the church and

those authorized were not seenintroducing anything that could

have caused a fire.At the end of the investigation, it

was concluded that there were several

possible accidental sources of ignitionsuch as a light fixture, a heater, the air

conditioning unit, and continued heatingin the electrical wiring and/or appliances

in the room.

Our Family Protecting your Family 3

***PictureprovidedbyCalebMacias

a

FIERCE

fIRE


4/16

Making a decision and beingdetermined changed Lieutenant Eric

Ernsts life. As a firefighter he kept inshape, but when he got transferredto EMS, staying fit became more

challenging and he gained some weight.But he significantly gained even more

weight 15 years ago when he startedgetting chronic back pains and he

stopped working out on a regular basis.However, life provided Lt. Ernst with

the opportunity to become the cadet

trainer. His new job required him to trainthe cadets with high intensity exercises.

His aches, pains, and long time awayfrom maintaining fitness, prevented him

from keeping up with the cadets.I then noticed that I wanted to be

able to perform at the same level as the

cadets, said Ernst.It was at that point that Ernst decided

to make changes in his life. He first wentand saw a doctor to receive clearance

and clarification of the kind of exerciseshe could perform. Then he started to

become more physically active. Yet, hisfirst try was not very successful. It wasuntil he decided to give CrossFit a chance

and make better food choices that hestarted to see results.

The CrossFit program changed theway I worked out and ate. It was hardwork and small changes in my diet that

gave me great results, said Ernst.Within a year of gradual progression,

Ernst lost 20 pounds and 4 inches aroundhis waist and is now able to per form

every single high intensity exercise.This decision made a few years ago

has also improved Ernsts injury. He

mentions that since he started workingout, his back pains are not as severe and

his back has gained strength. He invitesall firefighters that are injured not to be

afraid of being physically active. As acertified CrossFit trainer, Ernst explained

that he is able to adapt and modifyexercises and create a fitness program forindividual needs.

Lieutenant Ernst is 49-years-old. He

has aches and pains but he still goesto work everyday and performs the

same physical exercises as the youngcadets.

If I can do it, you can do it. You just

have to stick with it and dont give up,

said Ernst.

4 Our Family Protecting your Family

Celebrity of the Month

LIEUTENANT

ERIC ERNST

BEFORE

AFTER


5/16Our Family Protecting your Family 5

The SAFD Running Team, fueled by the goal of helpingThe Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, participated in theHero-thon Half-Marathon race on Jan. 27. The main goal

of the race was to raise awareness in the community.It was very nice to be able to represent the SAFD and

show its support for this good cause, said Firefighter Joe

Urias.

Organized and developed by Roger Lopez, JosephMunoz, and Jay Cardenas, the running team and someof their families came together at the Alamodome and

completed the race. The spirit to help was such thatLopez and Munoz decided to run the 13.1 miles in theirbunker gear.

The running team has been a work in progress with

the intent of creating camaraderie, fellowship amongfirefighters and our families, and brotherhood for ahealthier fire department, said Engineer Jay Cardenas.

Currently, the running team does not have anyscheduled events but they are open to suggestions. For

further information, questions and suggestions, contactCapt. Roger Lopez 28-A, FF Joseph Munoz 34-A, or Eng.

Jay Cardenas 19-B.Firefighters who participated in the Hero-thon Half

Marathon include: Lopez, Munoz, Chris Johnson, Urias,Kenny Cook, Roger Fuentes, Michael Borrego, Jenny Park,

Dean Solis, Justin Johnson, Tyler Herrera, Rolando Garza,Fernando Sosa, and Austin Cain; plus several spouses,significant others, and/or family members.

2012 Hero-thon

At the request of uniformed and civilian personnel, the San Antonio Fire Department has created a follow

up video about DWI awareness. The department understands many employees have teenage children andwould like to extend the DWI message to them as well.

This video targets young adults and shows them the importance of not driving while intoxicated as well asthe dangers of texting and driving.

Showings are available at the SAFD Training Academy, every Wednesday from March 13-20 beginning at

7:00 p.m.This is an opportunity to take care of our family, said Deputy Chief Noel Horan.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE

MIGHT SAVE YOUR CHILdS LIFE


6/166 Our Family Protecting your Family

Fire Department Overview

Currently, for Fiscal Year 2013,there are 1,660 uniform positions and

164 civilian positions. Since 2006, theaddition of firefighters has increased.

Within the Department there are atotal of 1,113 EMTs in the Firefighting

Division (197 at Paramedic level)manning 51 engines, 20 trucks and16 squads. In addition there are 393

EMT-Paramedics in the EMS Divisionmanning 33 full-time ambulances.

Accomplishments

Chief Hood was proud toannounce during the presentation

the great value of the Advanced LifeSupport Program (ALS). The program

began in 2010 and increased thenumber of trained paramedics on fire

trucks. The number of ALS responsesby fire paramedics has increasedreducing EMS hectic work load.

Another accomplishment wasthe addition of the Computer Aided

Dispatch (CAD). This technology hasimproved information gathering,

dispatching of fire units, expandedGIS data, and improved preplanning

by tying hazardous materialinformation to specific premises.Chief Hood acknowledged that

not everybody may be happy with

this new system, however it hasincreased the service provided to thecitizens.

In addition, in an effort to keepthe department healthy, the SAFDhas implemented and successfully

accomplished a wellness program.Thanks to the program 1,573

physicals have been completed andtime lost due to fire ground injuries

has decreased by 42% from FY 2011.

Additionally, there were 20 new

medications added to all medic units,180 officers have been trained aspart of the Officer Training Program,

a new planning and researchdivision was created, and the 2012

International Fire Code was adoptedby the department.

Furthermore, the State of theDepartment revealed five fire stationreplacements including 28, 2, 32, 18

and 30, as well as new vehicles.Stations are being built for future

growth of the city, said Chief Hood,while answering a question about

why new fire stations are beingconstructed so big?

Finally, the presentation

introduced firefighters to the newFusion Center and the Strategic Plan

which is currently underway.City Manager Sheryl Sculley and

Deputy City Manager Erik Walsh werepresent at some of the presentationsand both expressed their concerns

and wanted to hear what thefirefighters had to say.

The presentations concluded withan anonymous survey that allowed

firefighters to express their opinionsabout different topics. The results

of these surveys will be utilized toimprove internal and external serviceand management throughout the

department.

Everybody was able to providetheir input. Hopefully decisionsreflect the results of the survey, said

Lieutenant David Momone.

SAFD State of the Department Address

The San Antonio Fire Department State of the Department Address presentations kicked off the first week of February. Theaddress was presented by Fire Chief Hood, who reminded firefighters and civilian personnel about the mission, vision, and core

values of the department. An overview of the department, improvements, accomplishments and the strategic plan were alsothoroughly discussed.

It was a good way to communicate expectations and information in order for us to see the course the department is taking, saidCaptain Michael Moore.



If you answered yes to any of these questions, it is important

that you verify your beneficiary information is still accurate.It is important to remember that every employees personnel

file should be updated in the event of a marriage, birth, deathor divorce. Changes can include name, address, and/or maritalstatus changes. This applies to employee dependants as well. In

addition, any changes to already existing beneficiary electionsshould be updated as well.

It is always best to be prepared, especially in the dangerousprofession of a firefighter. Its critical that this information is

kept as current as possible in the case of an emergency or loss oflife, said Lucia Puente senior management analyst.

Most of us dont want to think about our own passing, butthe truth is there is no guarantee we will be here tomorrow. Ifthe worst does happen, you definitely want your beneficiary

information to be correct. In addition, having a living will canbe also very helpful to your survivors, said Deputy Chief David

Martinez.To review your file, please contact HR Benefits at (210) 207-

8705. To make any changes or update your file, please contact

HR Specialist Rosalva Acosta at (210) 207-7958. Also, make sureto check with the SAFD Personnel Office to ensure all contact

information is still accurate.You can find the Beneficiary Form in the Intranet Portal

under Human Resources. Click on Employee Benefits, then click

on Benefit Forms. Scroll down to Life Insurance and click onBeneficiary Form.

Have you recently married?

Had a baby?

Been divorced?

Lost a family member?

Benet Forms



Fire station 10

Towards the end of January, Fire Chief Hood received an e-mail describing a situation that not only made him more

humble but also increased his pride in his SAFD family. The e-mail which described real life heroism, gave Chief Hood

goose bumps. It was written by Paramedic Jason Aguilar:

Dear Chief Hood,

I would like to take a moment to shine some light on an act of kindness that I was fortunate enough to witness

today. I am a paramedic at M10-D and around 5:30 this morning we were dispatched to a structure fire at the intersection ofW. Woodlawn and Elmendorf. Upon arrival, E10-A (along with backup companies) was making an offensive attack on a single

story structure that was fully involved. The occupants of the house were fortunate enough to escape the flames with only minorsmoke inhalation. The fire quickly grew and became too dangerous for an offensive attack and the crews were pulled out to go

defensive. After the completion of our patient assessments, it was determined that transport to the hospital was not necessaryand M10 stood by as a shelter for the occupants to get out of the cold weather while awaiting the arrival of the Red Cross. The

occupants were asleep when the fire started and ran out of the house in what little clothing that they were sleeping in. Thefire was determined to have been started by a heater in the garage that was left on for their pets and the homeowners homeinsurance had just been cancelled making the fire a total loss. After sitting for a couple of hours, the men began asking if they

could use the restroom and since we were located close to the station we took them back to the station. When we walked into thestation the crew of E10 greeted the men with condolences and fresh coffee to warm them. The men walked in distraught, as you

can imagine, and barefooted. Several members of the crew left the room and came back with socks and other various items ofclothing for the men. When the men left the station they kept telling me how thankful they were and how we truly were heroes.Crews like this make our department what it is by continuing to act admirably when it really counts and when the cameras arent

rolling. Although this was only a small act of kindness, it was a gesture that will never be forgotten in the eyes of those three menthat now had a newfound respect and gratitude for the SAFD. Im sure that E10 is not the only company that has served the public

in this manner but it seems that there just arent enough people that are willing to sit down and write a letter thanking them for it.The selflessness that the guys displayed was inspiring and made me proud to be a member of the Mens of Tens.



QUIZ YOURSELF? Answer

SAFD History

Stories about horses being part of the San Antonio Fire Department are some of the favorite anecdotes among firefighters

Horses became part of the department in 1881, after the fifth annual convention of the State Firemans Association. The first horsedrawn fire apparatus was assigned to Alamo Fire Company No. 2. The newly arrived apparatus was rated at 700 GPM, weighed

7,020 pounds and was complimented with a hose carriage (todays engines weigh roughly 60,000-65,000 pounds). Shortly after, thesecond horse-drawn steamer arrived in the Alamo City and was delivered to Milam Company No.2.

In an effort to improve service and remain up to date, the Turner Hook & Ladder Company sold all of its fire apparatus, trucks and

equipment to the Fredericksburg Volunteer Fire Department and invested in its first horse-drawn hook and ladder truck. A few yearslater, Turner Hook & Ladder Company acquired a second horse-drawn hook and ladder truck and named it the Davy Crockett. By

1888, San Antonio had a total of 192 men, two horse-drawn steamers, five horse-drawn hose carts and seven fire companies.

Davy Crockett remained in service until 1917 when it was placed on the reserve apparatus list.

Because it refers to possesive aspects of that station. Anything in the station like the crew, equipment,and apparatus belongs to that fire station.



News FlashS a n A n t o n i o F i r e D e p a r t m e n t

To: Have I reached the person to whom I am speaking?

From: Head Cheese of the Fiscal Division

Copies: Budget Kahuna, File 11

Subject: Interdepartmental Communication

The Fire Department receives numerous requests daily by either email or by other forms of written correspondence. Often the re-

quests are not very clear making it difcult to understand what is actually being requested and often delaying the response to the re-

questor. Good communication is the fundamental skill that helps us successfully navigate in our business world. It is also the tool tha

helps us communicate effectively with our customers and helps us build strong business relationships.

When communicating with customers we have found that using the ve (5) W processis most effective. When requesting

information or providing information, ask/answer the following questions:Who, What, When, Where, and Why

HOW? Choose the right medium for your written communication

Email - electronic mail the most popular way to exchange communication in an organization.

Memorandum used for internal customers and is usually brief and sticks to the facts

Letter more formal and contains the Citys Letterhead; includes return address, the date, the recipients address, a subjectline, salutation, message, closing and signature.

Additional Guidelines:

1. Simplicity simple sentence structure

2. Avoid Jargon know your audience

3. Specicity avoid writing in ambiguous or unclear details

4. Easily readable format present the information with bullets, tables, and/or formatted lettering so you can get your point

across and highlight the most important information

5. Be Conversational as a rule of thumb, write in a similar fashion as talk

6. Avoid Gendered Language avoid attaching masculine or feminine

7. Avoid Passive Language use active voice

8. Be Personable if you know to whom you are writing

9. Appropriate Humor use in moderation, and only when appropriate for the situation

In all cases, the creator of the correspondence is the originator and the correspondence becomes an official record.

The City has many directives on communications and the use of IT (AD 7.X), including those below.

For additional information see: http://www.sanantonio.gov/hr/admin_directives/index.aspA.D. 6.14 City of San Antonio Communications Policyand the City of San Antonio Communications Manual- P44-49 provide

guidelines/restrictions for e-mail signatures, as well as outlook out-of-office messages, and voice messages.A.D. 7.4Acceptable Use of Electronic Communications prohibits the use of HTML format for e-mails.


11/16

Wellness Connectionn


Tips for a

Healthy-Heart Lifestyle

Vidya Sharma, MA, RD, LD, CDE

Registered Dietitian

The month of February marks AmericanHeart Month and we would like to take

this opportunity to provide informationabout heart disease, the leading cause of

death in the United States.Heart disease is observed commonly

in men above the age of 45 years andwomen above the age of 55 years.Nearly 28 percent of San Antonio

area deaths each year are attributedto cardiovascular disease. Certain risk

factors, such as having high bloodpressure and high blood cholesterol,

smoking, excessive consumption ofalcohol, being overweight, leading asedentary lifestyle, and diabetes, can be

controlled by eating a healthy diet andstaying physically active. Here are some

recommendations in order to reduceones risk of heart disease:

Choose a combination of healthyfoods such as fruits, vegetables,

whole grains including bread and

cereal, which contain fiber. Dietaryfiber helps in reducing cholesterol,

maintaining body weight andcreating a sensation of fullness that

helps in controlling how much oneeats.

Include foods rich in omega-3 fattyacids found in fish such as salmon,

sardines, albacore tuna, trout andherring in your diet. Consumption

of these foods has been proven tobe beneficial for the heart by their

ability to reduce blood pressure andcholesterol.

Choose low fat or lean meats suchas skinless chicken, turkey, and fish

instead of beef, pork and lamb.Prepare them using less added fat.

Grilling, baking, and broiling arebetter options of cooking foodsinstead of frying them.

Choose fat-free or low-fat dairyproducts such as skim milk or

reduced-fat milk, low-fat cheese, andlow-fat yogurt.

Trans fats, also known as partiallyhydrogenated vegetable oil, are

notoriously popular for raisingblood cholesterol. These types of

fats are found in hard margarinesand several commercially prepared

baked products, cookies, crackers,chips, and candies. Read thenutrition facts label carefully to

check for the presence of trans fats.

Choose foods with less added saltsince salt increases blood pressure.

Try using herbs and spices insteadof salt to flavor your food or use salt-free seasonings such as Mrs. Dash

that is available in most grocerystores. Optimum requirement of

daily salt intake is 2300 milligramseveryday. Keep in mind that all kinds

of processed foods such as cannedsoups or sauces, deli meats, baconand sausage are high in sodium.

When using canned vegetables,discard the water and rinse them

thoroughly before eating.

Choose foods low in dietarycholesterol. Limit cholesterol

consumption to less than 300milligrams per day. Cholesterolis usually found in foods from

animal sources such as liver, shrimpand egg yolks. Egg yolks are

high in cholesterol, so limit theirconsumption to no more than four

times per week or better still, useegg substitutes.

Watch out for beverages and foodswith added sugar. Instead, use sugar

substitutes or sugar-free products.

Drink at least 6-8 glasses of watereveryday. Based on a six-year studyconducted on more than 20,000

healthy men and women aged38-100 that was published in the

American Journal of Epidemiology,it was found that women who drank

more than five glasses of water dailywere 41% less likely to die from a

heart attack than those who drankless than two glasses.

Alcohol is digested in the body justlike fats; hence, excessive alcohol

consumption can increase bloodcholesterol and body weight. If you

drink alcohol, drink in moderation.For men, this means no more than

two drinks in a day and for women,no more than one drink per day.

Regular physical activity helps totone our muscles, maintain a healthy

body weight and lower bloodpressure and cholesterol. Aim for

at least 30 minutes of activity onmost days of the week. Even routinetasks such as cooking, mopping

and vacuuming help lose thoseunwanted calories.

Quit smoking. Cigarette smoking

accounts for nearly 440,000 deathseach year, of which more than135,000 are due to smoking-related

cardiovascular diseases. It has beenestimated that cigarette smokers are

two-to-three times more likely to diefrom heart disease than nonsmokers

So, opt for a smoke-free and risk-freelife!



The San Antonio FireDepartment recognizes

there is always room forand a need for professional

improvement. As a result,the SAFD has taken the

opportunity to participate in a 90-hour

course delivered by the CommunityEducation Division of the Emergency

Health Sciences (EHS) Department at theUniversity of Texas Health Science Center

San Antonio (UTHSC).The Critical Care Transport Paramedic

(CCP) Course consists of classroom,

laboratory, and critical care clinicalhours. Expanded scope of practice topics

include hemodynamic monitoring,diagnostic lab studies interpretation,

critical thinking skills, and clinicalapplication. This expanded scopecurriculum also includes troubleshooting

ventilators, intraortic balloon pumps,arterial lines, laboratory study reports,

and intracranial pressure monitoring(ICP) waveform monitoring. This new

knowledge and skills set is designedand intended to decrease morbidity andmortality while caring for San Antonio

citizens.

This first class had participants fromthe Medical Special Operations Unit aswell as Technical Rescue paramedics.

Twenty-one firefighters engaged inclassroom and clinical education. Atcourse completion, all participants will

be eligible to take the Flight ParamedicCertification Examination (FP-C).

Improving knowledge and skillsis always advantageous and patient-

care centered in the field of medicine,said Director of Community EducationDivision Leslie Hernandez.

Dr. Craig Manifold, SAFD MedicalDirector, believes this program will

enhance the critical thinking skills ofour paramedics. Additionally, he hopes

to use this core group of personnelto improve the care provided to our

critically ill and injured patients.This will stimulate the medics to

anticipate issues in care of patients as

opposed to being reactive to a change in

the patients condition, said Manifold.

Partners from San Antonio AirLIFE,University Health System, and Methodist

Healthcare System are participating byallowing SAFD medics to observe andperform patient care in their facilities.

This partnership with local institutionsalso assists in improving communication

and building long-term relationships.The UTHSC Community Education

Division is dedicated to providing initialand continuing medical educationthroughout the state of Texas to EMS,

nursing, physician, and other alliedhealth professionals.

The course began on Feb. 4 and lasteduntil March 6, 2013.

I am very excited and looking forwardto applying the knowledge in the field.

This program will bring up the level

of care we can provide to the citizens,Paramedic Travis Haecker said.

A New Partnership


13/16

Hurricane Sandy arrived to the

United States on October 29 destroyingthousands of homes and taking 131lives. After the enormous destruction

and some much needed volunteerhelp, the New York Office of Emergency

Management reached out and requestedhelp from the State of Texas. Without

hesitation, Texas sent the Lone StarIncident Management Team whichconsists of experienced experts from

throughout the state.San Antonio provided the expertise

of eleven individuals. On December26 there were a total of eight SAFD

firefighters, two SAPD sergeants and onemember of the San Antonio Office of

Emergency Management who traveled

to New York to assist with HurricaneSandy recovery efforts. They assisted

by visiting residences with no heat, byinforming the public of the different

services which were available, andby distributing care packages which

included meals, electric blankets, waterand heaters.

Every day there was a good thing

because we were able to help. We wereable to provide food, blankets, and

heaters, said Captain Mark Trevino.After a three-week deployment in

New York, the eleven San Antonianscame back home proud to say that theirmission was successful and the goals

established by the City of New York wereachieved. They were able to identify

and respond to the needs of the publicby visiting over 100,000 homes. They

distributed 6,362 blankets and 41,880meals to those affected by HurricaneSandy in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten

Island.

This unique experience not only

allowed SAFD members to help, but alsoto practice the skills they learned duringtraining and further those skills.

The sheer magnitude of theoperation was phenomenal. The Lone

Star State IMT we were part of oversawan operation that reached out to over

100,000 residences spread over 26square miles in the hardest hit areasof 3 different boroughs of NYC. The

operation reached out to each of theseresidences an average of five times to

ensure that they had heat, as well asto offer other basic commodities and

assistance.The lessons learned from practicing

on someone elses disaster could be very

beneficial in Texas, since we could be in anearly identical situation if the Gulf Coast

experienced a large magnitude stormlate in the hurricane season followed by

an early, severe winter, said BattalionChief Mark Black.

Below are the members of the SAFDwho volunteered and provided relief tothousands of people in New York.

Lawrence Trevino, Emergency

Operations Manager SAOEMPatrick Zepeda, Battalion Chief

Mark Black, Battalion ChiefMark Trevino, CaptainJesse Davila, Engineer

Jesus Ramon, FirefighterErnest Salazar, Engineer

Danny Wilks, EngineerChris Strokes- Special Projects

Manager SAOEM

We are always here, we will always be here aslong as Chief Hood allows us to,

said Capt. Trevino.


HURRICANE SANdY



Even though Fire Station8 is gated, a veryundernourished, furry,

four-legged friend was ableto sneak in and hang out.After continually showing

up, firefighters startedfeeding him. He was very

shy, and would barely getnear anybody. With time, he

became friendlier and madeStation 8 his home. Since he had become part of thefamily, firefighters named him Buddy.

Without being trained, Buddy rapidly learned toget ready for emergencies.

After two weeks, he learned to get out of the waywhenever he hears the station alerting go off, said

Andrew Walla, firefighter.In addition, Walla mentioned that Buddy is so

smart that without even being properly potty

trained, he doesnt dirty the yard. He makes hisnecessities outside of the station.

Buddy is not only a mascot, he also helps the crew.He alerts us whenever the public comes to the

station to request our help. Every single time he barkssomeone has been standing at the door, said Walla.

All crews and shifts are happy to have Buddy atStation 8. They all take turns buying his food andwhatever he needs. He sleeps in the yard, but when

its cold he has a bed inside. Buddy is approximatelythree-years-old and is a mixed breed. Whenever he

needs a hair cut, Enginer Adrian Alvarado and Wallahelp buddy look handsome.

Unfortunately for Buddy, he has gained someweight and now its difficult for him to sneak out ofthe station.

BUDDY

The sudden good-bye of Firefighter Matthew Whitley has

resulted in a powerful smoke detector campaign within the SanAntonio Fire Department.

In an effort to communicate to firefighters that they tooare susceptible to be affected by fire, Lieutenant Jerry Whitley

started a smoke detector pledge program.The program was created in honor of his son, MatthewWhitley, who passed away on December 28th, 2012 in the hands

of a fierce fire. While Whitley slept, his heater had a malfunctionand created a fire which he did not notice in time.

If only he would have had something that had woken himup, said the elder Whitley.

His best friend and neighbor explained that in many

occasions they talked about installing smoke detectors on theirhomes. In fact, Whitley helped his friend install smoke detectors

at his house.

Lt. Whitley is amazed by the number of firefighters whoadmit to not having smoke detectors in their homes even

though they have the expertise to install them and informationabout how to obtain them free of charge.

Smoke detectors might be seen as just another object butthey are more important than a cell phone that helps youcommunicate, or a car which serves for transportation. Smoke

detectors can save your life.Please make the commitment to install smoke detectors,

maintain them, make sure they are working and if you dont doit for yourself, do it for your family, said Lt. Whitley.

Fire Chief Hood invites all the SAFD family to keep Matts

memory alive by taking the pledge to install smoke detectors

in your homes.

TAKE THE PLEDGE



Firefighter Tim (Nemo) Menchacas first instrument was

a guitar that his dad gave him. After that, his life revolvedaround music. Menchaca was in the marching band andwith time he learned to play all sort of instruments. As time

has passed, music has prevailed in the life of Menchaca.Although he knows his calling is helping people, he doesnt

let go of his passion: music.Menchaca mentioned that even though music has been

part of his life for many years, he was never the lead singer.This year, in hopes of making one of his dreams come

true, Menchaca took the opportunity that he was presentedwith to audition for a reality show. He gave it a shot atthe auditions for The Voice. He produced a video where

he showed his talent and sent it to the reality show. It willtake a few weeks for Menchaca to know whether or not

he was selected to participate in the new season of TheVoice, however he is confident knowing that he has theunconditional support of his firefighting brothers and family.

I never considered myself a singer, but I wanted to give ita shot, said Menchaca.

Menchaca performed Me & Mrs. Jones by Jay Perez andTakin It to the Streets by The Doobie Brothers.

Currently, Menchaca is waiting for the call.

A Firefghter

with a Voice

BC1

BC2

BC3

BC4

BC5

BC6

BC7

BC8

47

33

41

23

29

44

26

89

Batallion

TOTALS

Total # of

Reported Fires

91

42

70

TOTALS

Structure Fires

Vehicle Fires

Brush/Grass Fires

YTD

YTD

203

332


16/16

YTDNumber of

Runs

Responses

Unit Number

Engine E01

E02E03E04

E05E06

E07

E08E09

E10E11

E12E13

E14

E15E16E17

E18

E19E20

E21E22

E23E24

E25E26

E27

E28E29

E30E31

E32E33

E34E35

E36E37

E38

E39E40

E41E42

E43E44

E45E46

E47E48

E49

E50E51

9,233Totals

124

221

169

194

149

181

131

170

178

233

197

53

162

115

195225

228

271

309

175

261

125

97

305

253

196

226

239213

165

206

338

231

100

205

190

177

182

246

199

149149

108

325

193

85

35

100

78

60

117

Unit

Number

Number of

Runs

YTD

12,644Totals

M01

M02M04

M05

M06

M07

M08

M09

M10

M11

M13

M14

M15

M16

M17

M18

M19

M21

M22

M24

M25

M26

M27M28

M29

M31

M32

M33

M34

M35

M36

M37

M38

M39

M40

M41

M42

M43

M44

M45

M46

416

87159

319

377

380

416

387

391

189

383

297

394

436

335

353

375

167

350

391

367

139

372325

379

315

203

413

224

372

298

364

336

362

157

253

318

49

343

286

167

L01

L06

L08

L09

L14

L17

L22

L29

L33

L34

L35

L36

L37

L40

L41

L46

AP11

AP32

AP38

AP51

LaddersYTD

3,097

104

157

166

150

132

180

131

171

197

73

186

160

163

187

130

106

192

243

165

104

BT20

BT22

BT30

BT36

BT40

BT42

BT43

BT44

BT48

BT50

Brush Trucks

46Totals

10

1

1

11

1

5

1

12

2

2

AC26

AC29

AC39

AC41

FSC

FSO

HR11

HR51

R7

RHB1

WT22

WT43

AIR1

AIR2

AIR3

AIR4

BIK1

BIK2

BIK3

BIK4

MOF1

MOF2

MOF3

MOF4

MSC

R5

Other Units

0

9

0

10

3

11

73

35

9

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

6

3

0

0

148

98

73

105

0

36

Totals 620

Totals

SQ01

SQ08

SQ09

SQ11

SQ14

SQ17

SQ22

SQ29

SQ32SQ33

SQ34

SQ35

SQ36

SQ37

SQ38

SQ40

SQ44

SQ46

39

53

59

23

3

34

3

102

16059

23

65

97

65

81

88

4

9

Squads

Totals 967

HZM1

HZM34

SPL1

SPL34

14

1

12

2

Haz Mat

Totals 29

YTD

fire department connection newsletter - february 2013

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