From: 01/11/06 - Yonkers - 4th Alarm

[Remember585 815]

One firefighter was seriously injured and 16 others suffered minor injuries. Capt. Ken Gallagher suffered a severe hand cut and was taken to Westchester Medical Center. All the tenants escaped without injury.

17 Injuries???

I'm sorry, perhaps I am naive, but that is an unacceptable number of firefighters to see injured at ONE incident!

Obviously I do not know what the exact injuries are, but to have that many is absurd. Don't we undergo enough training these days to know how to protect ourselves from getting hurt? Do we not buy thousands of dollars of equipment to protect ourselves? I just don't get it - maybe someone who was here at this incident can enlighten me.

And, for all of you bound to get defensive, I don't mean to offend you, I just want to know what exactly occurred so perhaps others can learn from it.

Good job protecting the exposures!

[ndemarse 0]

We all know this!

Firefighting is an inherently dangerous and tough job. Especially when you have something like this going on. Very heavy fire in 2 buildings on arrival, people still evacuating, several lines being stretched, etc...

Yonkers, Mount Vernon and several other departments across the United States are severely undermanned. The city is asking their firefighters to do more with less. When we do more with less, firefighters get hurt.

Stretching lines with two or three firefighters into buildings is crazy. Working in an aggressive mode to make sure that everyone is out of the building is what firefighters do! Sometimes we get hurt doing it.

I thank God that it wasn't any worse than it was. I saw first hand what these members did under extremely heavy fire conditions. I think they deserve a hand, not a "scolding" for getting hurt.

NO ONE WANTS TO GET HURT AT FIRES, BUT IT HAPPENS!

I don't say this in anger or frustration, just saying how it is.

[Remember585 815]

Understaffing is no secret. But it still isn't an excuse for increased injuries. As a matter of fact, knowing how dangerous the job is, and knowing you are operating with less, extra care should be taken to avoid an increase of injuries.

And like I already said, I wasn't "scolding" anyone, I just don't see why so many firefighters need to get hurt. If it is a matter of over-exertion - then certain practices that a FD uses should be reconsidered until the pen-wielding politicians provide the funding to sufficiently staff Westchester's Career Departments. Call in more help........and if needed call for Mutual Aid.

I don't think there is anyone left in this business that does not know how dangerous it is and how important it is to get home safely. Swallow the pride and ask for help.

[Guest]

YFD performed a prolonged aggressive interior/exterior fire attack

on Morningside Ave. Their hard work prevented further fire spread in a

densely packed residential neighborhood consisting of century old wood framed houses each seperated from each other by a few feet or inches.

Interior fire attack is far more effective at stopping fires quickly and limiting

fire spread, yet it is prone to injuring more ff's, as happened here.

If YFD had set up a prolonged surround and drown operation the damage to the

neighborhood would have been much more severe. Besides, that's just not

the way they operate.

YFD did call in Mutual aid as well as its own members to man reserve rigs.

It should be obvious to all that all fire dept's are not created equal, some

operate in mostly a defensive manner at fires, while others operate in

a far more aggressive manner. Keep this in mind when critiqueing incedents.

[yfd910 8]

17 Injuries???

I'm sorry, perhaps I am naive, but that is an unacceptable number of firefighters to see injured at ONE incident!

Obviously I do not know what the exact injuries are, but to have that many is absurd.  Don't we undergo enough training these days to know how to protect ourselves from getting hurt?  Do we not buy thousands of dollars of equipment to protect ourselves?  I just don't get it - maybe someone who was here at this incident can enlighten me.

And, for all of you bound to get defensive, I don't mean to offend you, I just want to know what exactly occurred so perhaps others can learn from it.

Good job protecting the exposures!

←

Unbelieveable! If you don't mean to offend anyone, maybe you should think twice before posting some ridiculous statement like the one you made and then trying to play it off by saying you don't mean to offend and want to learn from it. Or maybe you should try fighting a fire from inside instead of outside! I find it "absurd" that you would be ignorant enough to ask such a stupid question. 100 Caryl Ave. burnt earlier this year. I recall over 20 men were injured rescuing dozens of people from fire escapes and windows with tower ladders, and through interior stairs, all while fighting a fast moving fire. Is that absurd or unacceptable also?? Or too many for you for one incident??

Injuries can be anything from exhaustion, over exertion, a strained back, shoulder, twisted ankle, or severed tendons in a hand. They can occur getting 1 person or 100 people out of a building. Men trip over hoses, hurt themselves pulling ceilings, etc. Yonkers sends 30 men on a first alarm to a reported structure fire. They arrive within minutes of each other, not whenever they get away from what they're doing, while chaos is still going on, and then bust their asses getting things done. Just because the pictures from the photographers show Ladder Pipes and Master streams in operation doesn't mean that there wasn't an intensive interior attack and search before they got there.

Don't question what or how we do things in Yonkers or any other department for that matter because you find it "absurd" that men get injured actually fighting fires!! Or, if you'd really like to know, don't ask in some online forum and stop by Station 9, 8, 6 or 10 and ask those guys why they got hurt. I'm sure they'd love to hear your criticism!!

Yes, I'd say you are naive.

Edited January 14, 2006 by yfd910

[dadbo46 50]

Amen.

[jd783 64]

Keep in mind Yonkers is not a rural town, this is a large city just this year there was 2 jobs back to back in 2 days ( 2 of the 4 fires were multiple alarms) Exhaustion is not uncommon after fighting a 4 alarm fire ALL night would you be able to preform at 100% if you just finished packing up and another fire broke out, would you want a exhausted firefighter searching to save your family. Open your eyes and look at the big picture Yonkers is not made up of raised ranches on 1 acre of property

[Guest]

17 Injuries???

I'm sorry, perhaps I am naive, but that is an unacceptable number of firefighters to see injured at ONE incident!

Obviously I do not know what the exact injuries are, but to have that many is absurd. Don't we undergo enough training these days to know how to protect ourselves from getting hurt? Do we not buy thousands of dollars of equipment to protect ourselves? I just don't get it - maybe someone who was here at this incident can enlighten me.

UNBELIEVABLE, I just found out that these comments are coming from a

dispatcher at 60-Control John Munson. I also hear that he is a Captain in the Croton Volunteer

Fire Dept.