Multi-Vehicle Accident Sends Three to Local Hospitals

Lakeside-

On Sunday, April 27th, 2014 at 1:19 p.m. the Heartland Communications Center received information from the California Highway Patrol about a multiple vehicle accident on northbound Highway 67 north of Winter Gardens Blvd. Reports indicated up to three vehicles involved, with one possibly in a ditch. Dispatched on the initial response was two structural engines, a rescue company, an ALS medic unit, and a chief officer.

With the arrival of Engine1 (Riverview Station) they reported the potential for multiple injured parties. With that information additional medic and BLS ambulances were requested to the scene.

Lakeside Fire crews treat injured parties.

As more companies arrived the task of evaluating seven occupants was initiated. Crews were relieved to find that there were no acute injuries, and only three victims requested transport for various traumatic injuries. Two medic units, and a BLS ambulance from the City of El Cajon, transported patients to local emergency facilities.

The accident occurred as visitors to the rodeo made their way into the community. The accident reduced Highway 67 to one lane that created a significant traffic delay.

The California Highway Patrol is investigating the accident. A total of 12 Lakeside Fire personnel responded to the incident, assisted by the Santee Fire Department and Heartland Fire & Rescue.

Submitted By: Fire Captain Mark Grow, Lakeside Fire Protection District 

 

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Lakeside Graduates Six from the 25th Heartland Academy

 Tom Owen Training Facility, El Cajon, CA -

After months of physically challenging work, the Heartland 25th academy graduated on April 26, 2014 in an all day ceremony. Participating in this academy were six reserve firefighters from the Lakeside Fire Protection District.

Recruits stand at attention prior to the manipulative portion of their graduation. During this portion the participating agency fire chiefs, family, and friends have the opportunity to observe skills obtained during the academy.

Lakeside graduates (left to right): Chad Murray, Shane Daunis, Clinton Pierce, Andrew Shaba, Cameron Smith, and Sean Jackson

During this academy, the recruits were tested on a wide array of skills that they will be required to master during their careers. These skills included hose evolutions, ladder operations, low-angle rescue operations, vehicle extrication, roof ventilation operations, and a host of manipulative skills that will act as the cornerstone for additional, more complex, training. The recruits will be introduced to additional training to prepare them for a career in the fire service upon returning to Lakeside.

Submitted By: Fire Captain Mark Grow, Lakeside Fire Protection District

New Lakeside Firefighters Receive their Badges

Lakeside, CA -

In front of proud family members, friends, and on and off duty firefighters, Lakeside Fire District's two newest members were presented with their badges during a traditional badge pinning ceremony during the fire board meeting on Tuesday, April 22, 2014.

Following a brief introduction and biography, Fire Chief Andy Parr presented probationary firefighter-paramedics Gavin Doudna and Patrick Sellers with their badges. In keeping with a long-standing fire service tradition, the new badges were "pinned" to their uniforms by a person of their choosing.

New firefighters in Lakeside must complete a rigorous one-year probationary period which is part of a comprehensive 36-month step training program.

Best of luck to Patrick and Gavin as they embark on their new fire service careers.

Firefighter-paramedic Gavin Doudna's badge is pinned by his mother.

Firefighter-paramedic Patrick Sellers' badge is pinned by his girlfriend.

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

Fire Crews Tackle Vegetation Fire in the San Diego River Bottom

Lakeside, CA-

On Monday, April 21, 2014, at 8:16 p.m. the Heartland Communications Center received multiple 911 calls about a vegetation fire burning in the San Diego River Bottom just east of the Highway 67 bridge. While units were still responding additional emergency calls indicated the fire was in the heavy fuel producing 20 foot flames. In addition to Lakeside Fire units, CalFire initiated a response to assist with the fire.

Fire crews working an attack line back to the fire area.

Fire burning in the heavy fuels of the San Diego River.

With the arrival of Engine 2 and Medic 2 (River Park Station), firefighters could see a fire burning in a remote location. Crews evaluated a number of locations to initiate the fire attack but eventually decided to advance an attack line from an area near the Highway 67 bridge. The effort required a hose lay that exceeded 1000 feet, but crews were able to knock down the fire and cut a fire line around the area.

Due to the heavy fuel, firefighters had extensive mop-up.

Currently the fire is under investigation. Crews from Lakeside and CalFire responded to the incident.

Submitted By: Fire Captain Mark Grow, Lakeside Fire District

 

View 2014 Incident Map in a larger map

Fire Station 26 Pest Eradication Period

Blossom Valley-

As with most wooden structures in Southern California, fire stations also need occasional termite eradication efforts. These efforts are now necessary for Lakeside Fire Protection District’s Station 26 in Blossom Valley. This work is vital to maintain the facility at its highest level of functional readiness.

From April 26 to April 30, 2014, the station will be “tented” and fumigated. During this time, the fire engine and its crew will be temporarily housed at our station near Lake Jennings Park Road which will double the number of engines and personnel located there. While we know that there will be a minor response time differential during this time, we feel that this is the most efficient option for the district to take while we complete this ‘once in 25 years’ step to maintain our facilities.

Alpine Fire and CAL FIRE (Flinn Springs Station) will be assisting by responding to emergencies in the district during this period to help us reduce our response time for fires and other life threatening emergencies.

So, when you drive by and see the tent over the fire station, please know that the Lakeside Fire Protection District is taking a necessary step to manage and maintain our facilities just as you trust us to every single day.

If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact the Lakeside Fire Protection District office at 619.390.2350 or email the Fire Chief at aparr@lakesidefire.com.

Submitted By: Division Chief Jim Kirkpatrick, Lakeside Fire Protection District

Early Morning Crash Closes Wildcat Canyon Rd.

Lakeside:

On the morning of April 20, 2014 (Easter Sunday), crews from the Lakeside Fire Protection District and Barona Fire were called to the scene of an early morning rollover traffic collision.  Initial reports from Heartland dispatch noted that there was a solo vehicle rollover with around 5 patients.  Several of the patients were reported to still be trapped in the vehicle which was on it's roof and possibly on fire. 

The vehicle came to rest on it's roof

Barona Engine 27 arrived on scene first and reported that the accident was just south of the 3.0 mile marker on Wildcat Canyon Road near Muth Valley Rd.  Engine 27 reported there were several patients and people around the vehicle, but there were none requiring extrication and vehicle was not on fire. It was confirmed that there was only one vehicle involved in the collision and that it had rolled over an unknown number of times.  Lakeside Engine 2 arrived on scene just after Engine 27 and began patient care with Lakeside Medic 2.

View 2014 Incident Map in a larger map

The traffic collision required that both lanes of Wildcat Canyon Road be closed so patient assessment and care could be carried out.  The California Highway Patrol arrived on scene and took over the establishment of the road closures, which allowed fire department crews to safely load the patients into the transporting medic units.

Transporting medic units getting a patient turnover from the on scene paramedics.

Bystanders on scene reported that at least two of the patients from the traffic collision had left the scene with other vehicles before any fire department resources arrived.  It was found that there were still two patients on scene that had to be transported to local trauma centers.  The patients were transported by Lakeside Medic 2 and Medic 3.

The damage to the vehicle is clearly visible after it has been flipped onto it's wheels.

After the patients were transported the vehicle was flipped onto it's wheels and the extent of the damage could be seen.  The roadway was covered in oil and fuel as a result of the damage the vehicle had sustained.

There were a large volume of fluids on the roadway as a result of the vehicle collision.

Crews assisted with the initial clean up but it was determined that the County Roads Department would have to come out with specialized equipment to complete the cleanup operations.  The CHP remained on the scene to wait for County Roads and conduct the accident investigation.

Preventing fluids from running off into the waterways is one of the tasks that has to be accomplished on an accident scene.

Photos by: FF/PM Steve Russo and Captain Bernie Molloy
Post by: Captain Bernie Molloy

Car Fire Lights Up the Sky

Glenview-

On Tuesday, April 15th, 2014 at 12.02 a.m., the Heartland Communications Center received a 911 call reference a vehicle fire in the WalMart parking-lot in the 13400 block of Camino Canada (Glenview area).

Firefighter-Paramedic Josh Wilson pulls an attack line on the fire.

On the arrival of Engine 3 (Lake Jennings Station) they discovered a well involved sedan in the middle of the parking area. Fortunately no other cars had parked adjacent to the fire scene so the fire was isolated to a single car. Sheriff deputies had arrived just prior to the engine's arrival and checked that no occupants remained in the vehicle.

No injuries were reported. The vehicle is considered a complete loss.

Submitted By: Fire Captain Mark Grow, Lakeside Fire Protection District

Firefighters Rescue Injured Horseback Rider from River Bottom

El Monte Valley:

Firefighters from Lakeside were called Thursday April 10th, 2014 to assists a horseback rider who had been thrown from their horse.  The rider had reportedly been injured on the trail in the river bottom that runs through the El Monte Valley but the exact location was not known.  The San Diego Sheriff's Department assisted the fire department in trying to find the downed rider.  After a short time, the rider was located on the trail.

View 2014 Incident Map in a larger map


Crews from Lakeside Engine 2 and Medic 3 hiked into the scene and began rapid treatment of the patient.  Rescue 3 arrived just behind the other units to assist with extricating the patient off of the trail.  The Patient was carried out in full spinal precautions to M3.   Once in the ambulance the patient was transported to a local trauma center.

Firefighters from E2, M3, and Rescue 3 carry the injured rider out of the river bottom

The injured rider is loaded into M3 for transport to the trauma center

Photos by Captain Mark Grow
Story by Captain Bernie Molloy

County Firefighters Prepare for the Wildfire Season

Viejas Reservation, CA -

Firefighters from all over San Diego County recently took part in the S.D. County Wildland Fire Preparedness Exercise at the Viejas Indian Reservation in Alpine. The annual drill was hosted over three days finishing up on April 7, 2014.

The all-day drill gives the local fire service a chance to focus on the unique skillsets required to mitigate fire in the wildland and wildland-urban interface areas our county is well known for. This comprehensive training is the result of hundreds of hours of planning and preparation by a dedicated group of fire professionals representing federal, state, and local agencies. Its three-day format allows for the attendance of a wide cross-section of fire agencies with myriad work schedules.

Unique to this particular drill is that it is dispatched as an "incident" with resources grouped in the familiar "strike team" and "task force" configurations used in actual local and state mutual aid incidents. Assigned resources respond to the incident base and receive a briefing on the daily Incident Action Plan (IAP) before heading to their assignments. The IAP for the drill consisted of three Branches, each offering practice on important wildland firefighting skills.

In addition to the ground forces, three Type II helicopters were assigned to the incident. From the helibase, they were dispatched by Incident Communications to assist the Branches from the air. Each copter made several water drops to practice this important fire control skill.

Providing support to the incident this year were Lakeside's Logistics Volunteer Group (LVG). Wearing their familiar light blue duty shirts, they provided hydration and shade and made themselves available to assist the incident Logistics Section with other needs that came up.

During this year's drill, all personnel took some time to reflect on the tragedy of last year's loss of nineteen firefighters from the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew during the Yarnell Hill fire near Prescott, Arizona. It was a sad reminder to all of the dangerous nature of fighting fire in the wildland environment.

Crews assemble for the incident briefing.

Incident Commander Brad Rushing (Alpine F.D.) addresses the troops.

Lakeside Logistics Volunteers support the incident. I think their sign says it all!

Central Zone Strike Team 6441C.

Engineer-Paramedic Chris Downing (l) and Firefighter-Paramedic Gavin Doudna on LKS Brush 1.

San Diego Fire-Rescue Copter 1 leaves the incident helibase.

Lakeside Logistics Volunteers providing support to Branch II.

Post and Photos by: Captain Scott Culkin, Lakeside Fire District.