Dollar Tree Recalls Children's Halloween Lanterns Due to Fire and Burn Hazards

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Pumpkin, Ghost and Skull Halloween Lanterns

Units: About 682,000

Retailer: Dollar Tree Stores Inc., of Chesapeake, Va.

Importer: Greenbrier International Inc., of Chesapeake, Va.

Hazard: The bulb in the battery-operated lanterns can overheat, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: The firm has received one report of the bulb in a lantern overheating. No injuries have been reported.

Description: This recall involves plastic Halloween-themed lanterns designed to resemble a pumpkin, ghost and skull. The lanterns are about 6 1/2 inches tall and were sold in orange, white and black. Model number 954437-13096-003-1005 is printed on the bottom of the lanterns.

Sold at: Dollar Tree, Dollar Bill$, Occasions, Deal$ and Dollar Tree Deal$ stores nationwide from August 2010 to October 2010 for about $1.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should take the recalled lanterns away from children immediately, remove and properly discard the batteries and return the lanterns to the store where purchased for a full refund.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Dollar Tree Stores Inc. at (800) 876-8077 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's website at www.dollartree.com

Unattended Food Brings Full Structure Response in Lakeside

Glenview - An alert neighbor called 911 when she noticed the sound of smoke alarms and an odor of smoke in a residence in Lakeside on Tuesday night, October 26, 2010. Heartland Communications dispatched a full residential structure assignment for a possible house fire in the 13000 Block of Aurora Drive. Firefighters from the Lake Jennings fire station (fs3) were first on scene with a strong odor of smoke and audible alarms sounding in the single-family residence. Engine 3's crew forced a window and made entry, discovering unattended food on the stove and a moderate amount of smoke in the residence. No resident was home at the time. Firefighters focused on removing smoke from the home.

The presence of operating smoke alarms made the difference between a routine unattended food call and a probable structure fire.

Units assisting on this incident included E1, E2, E3, M3, B1 (Lakeside); E19 (San Miguel); T4 (Santee); E3382 (CalFire).

Engine 3 on scene.

Cooking is the leading cause of fires in structures.

Story by: Captain Scott Culkin, Lakeside Fire District
Photos by: Engineer Chris Downing, Lakeside Fire District

Station 3 Crew Practices Drafting Operations

Lake Jennings - The C-division crew at Lakeside's Lake Jennings fire station (fs3) spent the afternoon of October 26, 2010, practicing a water supply operation known as "drafting." This technique is used to "pull" water from a static water source as opposed to utilizing a pressurized source like a fire hydrant.

There are many areas of our fire district without established water supply infrastructure and fire hydrants. For incidents in these areas, drafting water with our Type-I (structural) or Type-III (wildland) pumpers is one option that is available. Additionally, we may respond with our Water Tender (tanker) and portable water tank to support fire suppression operations.

Fire Engineer Chris Downing (r) and Firefighter Shawn McKenna fill the 1600 gallon Port-a-Tank.

FF Shawn McKenna at the pump controls of Engine 3 as Engineer Downing supervises.

Story and photos by: Captain Scott Culkin, Lakeside Fire District

Halloween Fire Safety Tips

The following message was provided by the United States Product Safety Commission. Other safety videos can be viewed at their YouTube site.

Other Safety Hints from the USCPSC

Costumes

• When you buy or make costumes, masks, beards, and wigs, look for flame-resistant fabrics such as nylon or polyester, or look for the label “Flame Resistant.” Flame-resistant fabrics will resist burning and should extinguish quickly. To minimize the risk of contact with candles and other fire sources, avoid costumes made with flimsy materials and outfits with big, baggy sleeves, large capes or billowing skirts.
• Purchase or make costumes that are light-colored, bright and clearly visible to motorists.
• For greater visibility during dusk and darkness, decorate or trim costumes with reflective tape on the front, back and sides that will glow in the beam of a car’s headlights. Bags or sacks also should be light-colored or decorated with reflective tape. Reflective tape is usually available in hardware, bicycle and sporting goods stores.
• Children should carry flashlights to see and be seen.
• Costumes should fit well and not drag on the ground to guard against trips and falls.
• Children should wear well-fitting, sturdy shoes. Oversized high heels are not a good idea.
• Tie hats and scarves securely to prevent them from slipping over children’s eyes and obstructing their vision.
• If your child wears a mask, make sure it fits securely, provides adequate ventilation, and has eye holes large enough to allow full vision.
• Swords, knives and similar costume accessories should be made of soft, flexible material.

Treats

• Warn children not to eat any treats before an adult has examined them carefully for evidence of tampering.
• Carefully examine any toys or novelty items received by trick-or-treaters who are younger than three years of age. Do not allow young children to have any items that are small enough to present a choking hazard or that have small parts or components that could separate during use and present a choking hazard.

Decorations

• Keep candles and jack-o’-lanterns away from landings and doorsteps where costumes could brush against the flame.
• Remove obstacles from lawns, steps, and porches when expecting trick-or-treaters.
• Keep candles and jack-o’-lanterns away from curtains, decorations, and other items that could ignite. Do not leave burning candles unattended.
• Indoors or outside, use only decorative light strands that have been tested for safety by a recognized testing laboratory. Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. Discard damaged sets.
• Don’t overload extension cords.

GE Recalls Dishwashers Due to Fire Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: GE Profile™ and GE Monogram® Dishwashers

Units: About 174,000

Manufacturer: GE Appliances & Lighting, of Louisville, Ky.

Hazard: Water condensation can drip onto the electronic control board, causing a short circuit and resulting in an overheated connector. This poses a fire hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: GE has received five reports of fires, four of which caused minor damage to the kitchen countertops where the dishwashers were installed and one caused minor damage to adjacent cabinets and smoke damage to the home. No injuries have been reported.

Description: This recall involves the GE Profile dishwashers manufactured between July 2002 and December 2005 and GE Monogram dishwashers manufactured between January 2004 and December 2006. They were sold in white, black, bisque, stainless steel and with custom panels. The recalled model and serial numbers listed below are located on the inside on the front left side of the dishwasher tubs.

Brand	Model Number Begins With:	Serial Number Begins With:
GE Profile	PDW9200J, PDW9280J	MF, RF, SF, TF, VF, ZF, AG, DG, FG, GG, HG, LG, MG, RG, SG, TG, VG, ZG, AH, DH, FH, GH, HH, LH, MH, RH, SH, TH, VH, ZH
	PDW9800J, PDW9880J	MF, RF, SF, TF, VF, ZF, AG, DG, FG, GG, HG, LG, MG, RG, SG, TG, VG, ZG, AH, DH, FH, GH, HH, LH, MH, RH
	PDW9700J	MF, RF, SF, TF, VF, ZF, AG, DG, FG, GG, HG, LG, MG, RG, SG, TG, VG, ZG, AH, DH, FH, GH, HH, LH, MH, RH, SH, TH
GE Monogram	ZBD6800K00, ZBD6800K01, ZBD6800K03, ZBD6800K10	AG, DG, FG, GG, HG, LG, MG, RG, SG, TG, VG, ZG, AH, DH, FH, GH, HH, LH, MH, RH, SH, TH, VH, ZH, AL, DL, FL, GL, HL, LL, ML, RL
	ZBD6880K00, ZBD6880K01, ZBD6880K03, ZBD6880K10	AG, DG, FG, GG, HG, LG, MG, RG, SG, TG, VG, ZG, AH, DH, FH, GH, HH, LH, MH, RH, SH, TH, VH, ZH, AL, DL, FL, GL, HL, LL, ML, RL, SL, TL, VL, ZL
	ZBD6890K00, ZBD6890K01, ZBD6890K03, ZBD6890K10	DG, FG, GG, HG, LG, MG, RG, SG, TG, VG, ZG, AH, DH, FH, GH, HH, LH, MH, RH, SH, TH, VH, ZH, AL, DL, FL, GL, HL, LL, ML, RL, SL
	ZBD0700K00, ZBD0700K01, ZBD0700K03, ZBD0700K10	VG, ZG, AH, DH, FH, GH, HH, LH, MH, RH, SH, TH, VH, ZH, AL, DL, FL, GL, HL, LL, ML, RL, SL
	ZBD0710K00, ZBD0710K01, ZBD0710K03, ZBD0710K10	RG, SG, TG, VG, ZG, AH, DH, FH, GH, HH, LH, MH, RH, SH, TH, VH, ZH, AL, DL, FL, GL, HL, LL, ML, RL, SL, TL, VL

Sold at: Retail stores nationwide, appliance dealers and authorized builder distributors from July 2003 through December 2006 for between $750 and $1,400.

Manufactured in: United States

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled dishwashers, disconnect the electric supply by shutting off the fuse or circuit breaker controlling it and inform all users of the dishwasher about the risk of fire. Contact GE for a free in-home repair or to receive a GE rebate of $200 for the purchase of a new GE Profile dishwasher and a GE rebate of $400 for purchase of a new GE Monogram dishwasher.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact GE toll-free at (877) 275-6840 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the company's website at www.geappliances.com/recall

Lakeside Fire Fighters Respond to Propane Leak

Blossom Valley:  On October 25, 2010, at 10:48 a.m., Lakeside Firefighters were dispatched to the 10000 block of Blossom Valley Rd. for an odor of natural gas.  Engine 3 from the Lake Jennings fire station (fs3) was the first unit on scene and found a leaking propane tank near a house.  As units arrived,  hose lines were stretched and used to disperse the propane vapor cloud and occupants of the home were evacuated. Due to the size and location of the leak, firefighters were unable to stop it and had to stand by while the 500 gallon propane tank drained. Once the leak slowed down enough, personnel could see that the propane was coming from a faulty vent valve that had corroded on the bottom of the tank.  After the tank was empty, the homeowners were allowed to return to their home. During the two-hour incident, Blossom Valley Road was closed to traffic.

Lakeside units assigned to this incident included Engine 3, Engine 26s, Medic 1, and Battalion 1. Other assisting agencies were Alpine Fire, Cal Fire, SDGE, and a propane supply representative.

   

Lakeside Fire Fighters Support Community Event

Children's Choice Academy Preschool hosted their first annual Health and Safety Fair at their new location at 9748 Los Coches Road on Sunday, October 24, 2010.  The school already has one location in El Cajon that puts on a fair every year for the community and is now expanding to Lakeside.  Engine 1 and Medic 1 from Lakeside's Riverview fire station (fs1) were present to support the event.  Children were able to look at the fire engine and ambulance, receive stickers, and have their picture taken with firefighters. Information was handed out about fire safety and pool safety to parents. 

Reserve Firefighter Applications Accepted until November 5, 2010

Applications for Reserve Firefighter with the Lakeside Fire District are now being accepted. Being a Reserve Firefighter is a great opportunity for folks wishing to be a firefighter to volunteer their time, attend the Heartland Fire Training Academy, hone their EMS skills and possibly be invited to join our Department when openings occur. Interested persons should check out the details on the district website at www.lakesidefire.net.  

Closing date is November 5, 2010, so there are only a few days left to apply.  If you should have questions, please contact Battalion Chief Tockstein at 619.390.2365 on "C" Division.  Applications are also available at the Lakeside Fire District Administration Building at 12365 Parkside Street, Lakeside, CA 92040.


Submitted By: Fire Chief Andy Parr

Lakeside Fire Fighters Help with "Kids' NewsDay"

Lakeside - Lakeside Fire Fighters were up early this morning for a good cause. All the on-duty crews along with some off-duty members were out at local intersections selling newspapers for the annual Kids' NewsDay. The money raised benefits Rady Children's Hospital, the regional pediatric medical center in San Diego.

As always, our community came through with overwhelming generosity! Lakeside Fire Fighters raised over $1300 for this great cause. A sincere THANK YOU to all who stopped to donate this morning.

Story by: Captain Scott Culkin, Lakeside Fire District

Heartland Firefighters Mourn One of Their Own

Lakeside - A memorial service was held on Sunday,October 17, 2010, at Lindo Lake Park in Lakeside for fallen San Miguel Fire Distict Engineer Rick Pascall. Rick passed away on October 1, 2010, after losing his long battle with cancer. Even though the weather was inclement, the turnout was large. In attendance were numerous firefighters representing fire departments from around San Diego County along with family, friends, and loved ones.

Rick's brother and sister firefighters from San Miguel Fire were all in attendance. In order to make that happen, the San Miguel District fire stations were covered by other area fire departments during the memorial service.

The procession was lead by San Diego Firefighters Emerald Society Color Guard and Pipes and Drums Corp. The Officient for the ceremony was Chaplain Randy Yenter. Numerous family, friends, and fellow firefighters spoke of the life and times of Rick Pascall. A reception was held after the service at the Lakeside VFW Hall.

Lakeside Firefighters send our condolences to Rick's family and the San Miguel Fire District. Rick will be missed.

San Miguel Truck 15 shows the way-in

San Diego Firefighters Emerald Society Pipes, Drums, and Color Guard

San Miguel Fire Fighters honor their fallen brother.

Story and photos submitted by: Captain Wes Barnes, Lakeside Fire District

Dunbar Area Vehicle Accident

Dunbar Lane -   Firefighters from Lakeside's Blossom Valley fire station (fs26) responded to a report of a motor vehicle collision at the the intersection of Dunbar Lane and Chocolate Summit Drive on the afternoon of September 17, 2010. Finding no signs of a traffic collision at the dispatched location, E26s searched the immediate area and found the incident approximately 1/4 mile away on Alpine Boulevard just east of Dunbar Lane.  E26s encountered a two-vehicle traffic collision with one of the vehicles showing major damage. Luckily, there was only a driver in this vehicle, however, the driver appeared to be trapped and injured when units arrived on scene. 

The  incident was upgraded to a rescue assignment, adding E17 from Alpine Fire, a Rescue unit, a Chief officer, and an additional ambulance to the response. The patient was transported by El Cajon Medic 9 to an area hospital for treatment.

Major intrusion seen on passenger side of vehicle.

Story and Pictures submitted by: Captain Jerry Daoust, Lakeside Fire District

Water Main Break in Eucalyptus Hills

Eucalyptus Hills:  On the afternoon of Saturday October 16th, Lakeside Fire Station 2 in Eucalyptus Hills was dispatched to reports of a broken water main at the intersection of Valle Vista Road and Manzanita Road.  E2 found there to be a large volume of water coming out of the ground on the right shoulder of Manzanita Road when they arrived on scene.


View Lakeside Incidents and Story Map in a larger map

 The water turned Manzanita Road into a river for about 1/2 of an hour while the water was being shut off.  Water always seeks the path of least resistance, in this case that path was into the yard of a Lakeside resident and down Manzanita Road across Pinehurst Drive out into the drainages that find their way down to Lakeside Avenue and finally into the San Diego River.   The path is partially illustrated by the blue line on the map.

 The roadway showed the signs of damage quickly from the stream of water, as can be seen by the pictures.  It is an important point to emphasize to never drive your vehicle into running water.  Moving water can quickly wash away even paved roadways.

What looks like a road with some water running over it can have a very large carved out areas deep enough to incapacitate a vehicle.

The roadway was closed by county roads and the Water Main is being repaired by Lakeside Water district.


Pictures and Story submitted by: Firefighter / Paramedic Bernie Molloy

Lakeside Fire Crews Make Quick Work of Bedroom Fire

Lakeside - On Friday, October 15, 2010, at 9:22 a.m., Heartland Fire Communications dispatched a first-alarm structure assignment for a house fire in the 13000 block of Appaloosa Drive in Lakeside. Battalion 1 (Tockstein) was first on-scene reporting moderate smoke from a single family residence. B1 assumed Appaloosa Incident Command (IC) and directed the efforts of fire crews from the Lake Jennings (fs3), Riverview (fs1), and Eucalyptus Hills (fs2) fire stations. The smoky fire was quickly located in a back bedroom and extinguished with a preconnected 1-3/4" hoseline. Due to the quick response and aggressive actions of the firefighters, fire extension was limited to a single bedroom.

It is important to note that the residence had several working smoke detectors and that the doors to all of the bedrooms were closed, limiting both the spread of the fire and the smoke.

Lakeside units attending this incident included E3, E1, E2, M3, and B1. Also assisting were Truck 4 (Santee) and E3382 (CalFire). San Diego County Sheriff's deputies assisted prior to fire department arrival with the removal of two dogs from the residence. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Firefighters getting ready to make entry.

FF Shawn McKenna prepares to advance the attack line.

Engine 3 layed a supply line from the closest hydrant.

Engineer Chris Downing sets-up his pump panel.

Firefighters take a break after "knockdown."

Story by: Captain Scott Culkin, Lakeside Fire District
Photos by: EMT David Csik

Structure Fire on Irene Ct

Pepper Drive Area: On Thursday, October 14, 2010, at 11:42 p.m., the Lakeside Fire District dispatched four engine companies, a truck company, an ALS medic unit, and a battalion chief to a reported residential structure fire in the 8000 blk of Irene Court. Occupants called 911 to report that their attic was on fire.

On the arrival of Engine Company 19 (San Miguel Fire, Bostonia Station), they had smoke showing from a single-story residential structure. Upon further investigation, firefighters discovered a fire amongst common combustibles stored in the attic area. Engine Company 1 (Riverview Station) was assigned to assist crews with extinguishing the fire while Truck Company 4 (Santee Fire, Cottonwood Station) conducted salvage operations to reduce potential damage to contents in the structure. Battalion 1 (Laff) assumed command of the fire.

Crews were able to confine the fire to the attic, but operations required extensive overhaul as all the stored items had to be removed from the attic.

Agencies assisting Lakeside were San Miguel Fire District, El Cajon Fire Department, Santee Fire Department and CalFire.

Initial cause appears to be an electrical short in the attic. Fire loss was placed at $50,000.

Submitted By: Fire Captain Mark Grow, Lakeside Fire District
Photo By: Battalion Chief Ron Laff, Lakeside Fire District

Ryobi Recalls Cordless Drills Due to Fire Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Ryobi Model HP 1802M Cordless Power Drills

Units: About 455,000

Importer: Ryobi Technologies Inc., of Anderson, S.C.

Hazard: The switch on the cordless drill can overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: Ryobi has received 47 reports of the drills overheating, smoking, melting or catching fire, including 12 reports of property damage to homes or vehicles. Two of the incidents involved minor burns from touching an overheated switch.

Description: The Ryobi Model HP 1802M cordless drill is powered by an 18 volt rechargeable NiCad battery. The drills are blue and black in color with "Ryobi" appearing in red and white on the left side. The model number can be found on a white label on the right side of the drill.

Sold at: Home Depot from January 2001 to July 2003 for about $100.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled drill, remove the rechargeable battery and contact Ryobi to receive a free replacement drill.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Ryobi Customer Service at (800) 597-9624 between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm's website at www.ryobitools.com

CPSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about it by visiting https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx

Lakeside Units Assist El Cajon with Vehicle Rescue

El Cajon - On Thursday, October 14th, 2010 at 12:02 p.m., the Heartland Communications Center dispatched two structural engines, an ALS medic unit, and battalion chief to westbound Interstate 8 just west of 2nd Street, for a vehicle that had left the freeway and was now at the bottom of a flood control channel. Initial reports had indicated that the vehicle was also on fire.

On the arrival of Engine 3 (Lake Jennings Station), they discovered a sedan at the bottom of Forester Creek. Bystanders had climbed into the channel to assist the occupants and extinguished a small fire. Because of the location a rescue unit was requested for their technical rescue equipment. Rescue 18 (San Miguel Fire, Crest Station) was dispatched to the incident.

On the arrival of Medic 3 (Lake Jennings Station) and Engine 26s (Blossom Valley Station), they accessed the channel and initiated advanced life support for a patient with traumatic injuries. Battalion 3, Chief Snow (Heartland Fire Rescue Department) took over the incident command role.

Lakeside Fire Engineer Joe Vasquez and Firefighter Nate Fox remove equipment from Forester Creek after the victims had been transported.

A second patient was located so a request for an additional ALS medic unit was made. Medic 5 (Santee Fire, Carlton Hills) was dispatched to transport one of the patients to Sharp Memorial Trauma Center.

A system of ropes and ladders was constructed and both victims were removed from the scene. Medic 3 transported the second patient to Sharp Memorial Trauma Center also.

Units on scene:

Battalion 3: Heartland Fire Rescue Department
Engine 3: Lakeside
Engine 26s: Lakeside
Rescue 18: San Miguel
Medic 3: Lakeside
Medic 5: Santee

This is another example of the efficient automatic aid system that benefits the citizens throughout the Heartland area.

CHP is currently investigating the accident. CalTrans crews responded immediately to replace fencing damaged in the incident.

Submitted By: Captain Mark Grow, Lakeside Fire District

Disabled Smoke Detector No Help to Resident

Winter Gardens - A shorted electrical circuit in the kitchen ignited wood framing and paneling within the wall of a home in the 12500 block of Royal Road on October 11, 2010. The concealed fire created a large volume of smoke which spread throughout the home, eventually getting the attention of the occupant. Firefighters from Lakeside's Riverview (fs1) and Lake Jennings (fs3) fire stations responded to the afternoon incident. Crews used a thermal imaging camera to locate the hot spot in the wall, allowing them to open it up and extinguish the small fire.

While clearing the remaining smoke from the residence, firefighters discovered that the smoke alarm in the hallway had been disabled by the removal of the battery. This is an all-too-common scenario in residences. For one reason or another, residents remove a battery from a smoke alarm and forget to replace it. Unfortunately, this can have tragic consequences. A properly functioning smoke alarm is the best protection for the early detection of a house fire, giving occupants time to escape.

Here are some SMOKE ALARM QUICK TIPS:

Install smoke detectors in every bedroom, outside all sleeping areas, and on every level of your home.

Test Smoke Alarms once a month.

Replace batteries in smoke alarms twice a year.

Regularly dust or vacuum smoke alarms to keep them working properly.

Do not disable smoke alarms, even temporarily.

For best protection, use both photoelectric and ionization technology.

Replace smoke alarms every 10 years.

Have a home fire escape plan. Practice it twice a year.

When the smoke alarm sounds, get out and stay out.

Firefighters open up the wall.

Fire in the wall.

Units attending this incident included E1, E3, M1, and B1 from Lakeside. E8 and E9 from El Cajon also assisted.

Story by: Captain Scott Culkin, Lakeside Fire District
Photos by: Captain Wes Barnes, Lakeside Fire District

Rush Hour Accident on Highway 67 Snarls Traffic

Moreno Valley: On Wednesday, October 13th, 2010, at 3:34 p.m., the Lakeside Fire District dispatched one structural engine, a rescue company, an ALS ambulance, and battalion chief to a reported accident at Highway 67 and Santa Maria.

On the arrival of Engine 2 (Eucalyptus Hills) , crew members encountered a vehicle with moderate damage blocking the southbound lanes. After a quick assessment of the scene, crews discovered that they had a single patient with minor complaints of pain. After evaluating the patient, crews turned their attention to removing debris from lanes to expedite reopening of the blocked lanes.

Fire Engineer Scott Smith starts clean-up efforts to get lanes re-opened.

Highway 67, during this time of day, is an important transportation corridor for the Lakeside area. This accident created a significant backup for the evening commute.

CHP is investigating the accident. 

Submitted By: Captain Mark Grow, Lakeside Fire District

Head-On Traffic Collision on Ashwood Street

On Wednesday afternoon, October 6, 2010,  just before 5:00 p.m., firefighters from Lakeside's Riverview Fire Station (fs1) were dispatched to reports of a head-on traffic collision in front of El Capitan High School.  On arrival, fire crews found two compact sedans in the roadway with moderate vehicle damage.  Luckily no one was trapped in either car and one person was transported to an area hospital.  This scene could have been much worse if seatbelts had not been worn.

The incident was handled by Lakeside Engine 1, Medic 1, and Battalion 1.  Santee Rescue 5 was dispatched to assist but they were canceled before they arrived on scene.


Story and Photo by: Firefighter/Paramedic Matthew Buzzell, Lakeside Fire District

Bella Heads to the "Big Apple"

Lakeside: For the last 18 months, Fire Engineer Rich Smith has been working feverishly with his black Labrador "Bella" to complete her training as a FEMA search dog. Attached to San Diego US&R Task Force 8, Bella will join an elite group of K9's specially trained to locate victims buried in collapsed structures.

Bella successfully locates San Diego Firefighter Brent Brainard at the Tom Owen Training Facility. Handlers use this "alert tube" drill to sharpen their dogs skills.

But before these dogs can join the team, they must pass a rigorous series of evaluations that not only test the dogs, but evaluate the handlers ability to "work" the animal in disaster situations. This November, both Rich and Bella will travel to New York City to participate in a Search Specialist Certification test. If successful, Bella will become an asset of the Task Force that can be deployed to disasters throughout the world.

Bella 18 months ago, just after being paired up the Engineer Smith.

Bella will require re-certification every three years to remain on the team. Good Luck Rich and Bella!



Submitted By: Captain Mark Grow, Lakeside Fire District

Rainy Morning Makes for Slippery Lakeside Roads

HWY 67 -  The light rain that was falling this morning did its part in making for a slippery morning commute.  Lakeside fire crews responded to many accidents this morning, two of which were on the Hwy 67 corridor.  The accident pictured was a two-vehicle accident where the pickup truck lost control and rolled-over two times before becoming pinned between the tractor trailer and the embankment.  Crews from Station 2 in Eucalyptus Hills, and Station 3 near Lake Jennings  responded to this accident.

 When crews arrived on scene, they found the patient had self-extricated from the accident, meaning they had removed themselves from the vehicle before the fire crews arrived on scene.   Personnel from Engine 2 and Medic 3 treated and transported the patient to an area hospital.   Fortunately, the patient did not receive life-threatening injuries.

When dealing with traffic collisions, fire crews must practice the utmost caution.  Working on patients in hazardous areas, such as the side of rainy high-speed roadway, is inherently dangerous.  We always ask that when confronted with slowing traffic and a vehicle accident in the roadway, motorists slow down and move as far away as possible from the accident to pass.  This simple step helps us in completing our duties on the scene of the accident with much less risk.

Story By:  Firefighter/Paramedic Bernie Molloy, Lakeside Fire District
Photos By:  Firefighter/Paramedic Steve Russo, Lakeside Fire District

Lakeside Fire Department Open House

On September 25, 2010, the Lakeside Fire Protection District held its annual Open House. Every year, near the start of national Fire Prevention Week, we open the doors of fire station number three on Highway 8 Business to provide fire prevention education to the public. 

This event is geared towards children and adults alike, providing them with information on being fire safe. The event showcases one of our district's four stations, much of the apparatus operated by the district, vehicle extrication demonstrations, a jumper for the kids, an opportunity for the kids to operate a fire hose, Smokey the Bear, and Bella, the district's search and rescue dog. 

We invite many other agencies to participate in the event and they provide the public with additional safety information. We would like to thank the following agencies for making our event successful: the San Diego Burn Institute, the San Diego Sheriff Department Crime Prevention Unit, the California Highway Patrol, Cal Fire, Sharp-Grossmont Stroke Prevention, Farmers Insurance, San Diego County Watershed, (CERT) Community Emergency Response Team-Lakeside, and Road One Towing. Thank you to all who attended our event and we will see you next year!  For a full preview of the pictures we took at the 2010 Open House see our photo album.

Story by:  Engineer/Paramedic Chris Downing, Lakeside Fire District

Fire Prevention Week 2010, October 3 - 9

Lakeside, CA - 

"Smoke Alarms: A Sound You can Live With" is this year's message during Fire Prevention Week, October 3 - 9, 2010.

Every 39 minutes, someone in the U.S. is injured in a home fire.  Home fires result in hundreds of Californians being burned and even killed.

This year’s fire prevention week campaign is designed to educate people about the importance of smoke alarms and encourages everyone to take the steps necessary to update and maintain their home smoke alarm protection. NFPA statistics show that working smoke alarms cut the chance of dying in a fire nearly in half. But they must be working properly to do so. Roughly two-thirds of all home fire deaths result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

Lakeside Firefighters want you to know that the safety of your family and loved ones is our number one priority.

Here are some SMOKE ALARM QUICK TIPS:

Install smoke detectors in every bedroom, outside all sleeping areas, and on every level of your home.

Test Smoke Alarms once a month.

Replace batteries in smoke alarms twice a year.

Regularly dust or vacuum smoke alarms to keep them working properly.

Do not disable smoke alarms, even temporarily.

For best protection, use both photoelectric and ionization technology.

Replace smoke alarms every 10 years.

Have a home fire escape plan. Practice it twice a year.

When the smoke alarm sounds, get out and stay out.

For more great information on smoke alarms, CLICK HERE.

Fire Prevention Week 2010.

Submitted by: Captain Scott Culkin, Lakeside Fire District

Lakeside Fire Crews Rescue Trapped Driver

Dunbar Lane Area - A high-speed head-on traffic collision required a full rescue response from Lakeside and Alpine Firefighters on October 2, 2010 at 8:27 p.m. The incident, in the area of Dunbar Lane and Alpine Boulevard, brought fire crews from Lakeside's Blossom Valley (fs26) and Lake Jennings (fs3) fire stations. Enroute the incident, Lakeside Battalion 1 (Tockstein) requested an additional engine company and the crew from Alpine's Tavern Road fire station (fs17) also responded.

Firefighters used hydraulic spreading and cutting tools to extricate the driver of a heavily damaged full-size pickup truck. Due to the prolonged extrication time involved, an aeromedical helicopter (Mercy Air 6) was requested to transport the patient to Sharp Memorial Hospital. Lakeside Firefighter/Paramedics provided treatment for the patient on scene.

Unfortunately, the driver of the other involved vehicle did not survive the collision and was pronounced dead at the scene. Two dogs were also killed in the crash. The crew from Lakeside Rescue 3 was on scene for nearly three hours assisting the CHP and County Medical Examiner personnel with scene lighting.

Units attending this incident included R3, E26s, E17, M3, and B1.

Lakeside Firefighters prepare to remove extricated driver.

This vehicle sustained major damage!

Photos by: Captain Jerry Daoust, Lakeside Fire District
Story by: Captain Scott Culkin, Lakeside Fire District

Engine 3 Goes Back to School

Rios Elementary School: With the start of Safety Week at Rios Canyon Elementary School, the crew from Lakeside's Lake Jennings fire station (fs3) got a special invitation to come talk with the preschool and kindergarten classes about fire safety. During our time at Rios, Fire Engineer Rich Smith had the opportunity to talk about "Stop Drop and Roll", "Stranger Danger", proper use of 911, and "Crawl Low Under the Smoke".

The very attentive preschoolers, and kindergarten kids at Rios.

Fire Engineer Rich Smith discusses "Stranger Danger" with the kids.

 To finish off the presentation, Firefighter-Paramedic Josh Raczka demonstrated the equipment firefighters use to enter burning buildings. We try to teach kids not to be scared of the noises the breathing apparatus makes and to call out to us, but more important "don't hide"...!

Kids have the opportunity to see (and hear) a firefighter in their protective gear.

 The kids also had the opportunity to tour the fire engine and ask questions. When dealing with this age group, you had better come with your "A" game because they are going to have some great questions.

Firefighter-Paramedic Josh Raczka discusses why fire engines have so much equipment.

Fire Engineer Rich Smith shows the kids how we carry hose up hills on wildland fires.

We would like to thank the kids from Ms. Hanna, McKimmey, and Olenick's class for their attention and great questions.

Submitted by: Captain Mark Grow, Lakeside Fire District.