IAFF Fire Fighters Go Above and Beyond During Blizzard

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February 4, 2011

One of the largest blizzards since the 1950s wreaked havoc on large portions of the United States' mid-section this week. By snowmobile, grass-fire rigs and any other means possible, IAFF fire fighters were on hand to free trapped motorists, provide emergency medical care and respond to carbon monoxide calls.

Snow drifts topped nine feet in some areas, with snowfalls of 10-20 inches in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Kansas, Massachusetts and New York. States of emergency were called in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Oklahoma.

In Chicago, Local 2 members were given about 30 snowmobiles for temporary use during the blizzard. "Snowmobiles aren't part of our department's regular equipment," says Local 2 President Tom Ryan. "The City never said who authorized the snowmobiles, but they were very useful in moving patients from unplowed side streets to main roads where ambulances were ready for transport."

Local 2 fire fighters were responding to every kind of emergency call from births to trapped motorists. "I can't remember a snow storm like this one," says Ryan. "It was very intense."

Illinois was hit hardest. In Oklahoma, especially in the northeastern part of the state in cities like Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Owasso, fire fighters were responding to calls in very uncommon levels of snow and wintery conditions.

In Oklahoma City, Local 157 fire fighters rescued a homeless man who suffered severe frostbite from underneath a train bridge.

And in Owasso, Local 2789 fire fighters made use of their four-wheel grass-fire rigs to rescue snow-trapped citizens and respond to car fires, medical calls and busted sprinkler systems.

"Everyone calls them monster trucks not only because they have that appearance, but because those trucks can handle any terrain and never get stuck," says Local 2789 President Shane Atwell. "If we had been using our regular apparatus, we probably would have had to stop and walk to calls on unplowed streets. This was not the case with these rigs."

Fire fighters in Madison, Wisconsin, were able to get good traction with their apparatus using chains on the tires. Snow drifts were so high that home air vents were getting blocked, causing spikes in carbon monoxide.

"Schools and businesses were closed, so our call volume was not as high as it could have been," says IAFF 5th District Vice President and Madison Local 311 President Joe Conway. "But, we were ready for every call we got."

Conway explains, "Fire fighters, even if they were off-duty, were staying at the firehouses just to make sure they would be able to work their next shift. Those extra guys road with ambulances and fire apparatus to help shovel out driveways and walkways so that on-duty Local 311 members could reach medical patients and other emergencies."

One of their more unique calls came from the University of Wisconsin where students involved in a snowball fight had dislocated their arms and had to call for medical assistance.

Now that the snow has stopped in most places, the challenge is what to do with the accumulated snow. This will particularly be a problem in areas that are still experiencing below freezing temperatures.

Republished with the permission of the IAFF.  View original article here.


Author:International Association of Fire Fighters