Alameda FF Injuries Possibly Linked to Staffing Reductions
Two Alameda firefighters were injured this past Sunday while responding to a house fire in a single family residence -- injuries that may not have happened but for public safety cuts in Alameda.
At approximately 6:28pm on Sunday 14 JUNE 2009, City of Alameda Firefighters were called to a report of a structure fire at 110 Inverness Way, on Bay Farm Island. As a result of their efforts, two firefighters suffered burns. One suffered second-degree burns to his back, flank and stomach, and was treated at the Burn Center of St. Francis Hospital in San Francisco. The second firefighter was treated and released from Alameda Hospital with second-degree burns to the palms of his hands. Both firefighters were wearing their department issued protective equipment.
At the time of the call, all three of the ALS Ambulances staffed with two firefighters on each of them were busy transporting patients to off island hospitals from unrelated EMS calls. At the time of the initial response there were only four remaining units in service in Alameda with three firefighters on each of them.
The lack of resources to complete a simple first alarm and the subsequent delayed actions allowed the fire to intensify and hazardous conditions to exponentially increase. That translates to a more dangerous threat to life and health and increased property damage.
"The injuries to these firefighters are directly related to the inadequate resources available for emergency response, lack of training, outdated policies and organizational neglect by the City of Alameda and Fire Department Management," said Alameda City Local 689 President Dom Weaver.
There are additional cost saving measures being unilaterally implemented by the City of Alameda. Current experience of the above noted fire as well as that surrounding the FISC fire in March of 2009 have proven that with the imposed cuts and reduction to fire department staffing, resources cannot handle the average daily response load.
Alameda City firefighters have been actively engaged in a public education campaign highlighting the disastrous impact engine shutdowns and brownouts have had on the community. "It's very simple," said Weaver. "The impact of [these closures] will end up affecting the victims of emergencies and those who respond."
You can learn more about Alameda's situation and their response at www.savealamedafirehouses.com.