Spring Means Job Security

Open burning in Cache County kicked off on Tax Day this year. Let’s see, that’s two days ago officially. This year there is a 1 month window for anyone with ordinary combustibles like tree trimmings, overgrown yards, etc., to burn it up. As long as they call to see if the air quality allows burning that day, and receive a permit, they’re good to go.

Agriculture burning has been going on for some time already this year, as well as some yard burning before the official season. This photo was taken from our backyard this afternoon, of a field northwest of Newton receiving the treatment so many others have and will receive.

Today, the open burning season kicked off with a bang, for firefighters. Two permitted fires went out of control, requiring fire department response. It’s not the first time this year that a well meaning fire has required a call to summon fire trucks, not even close. These two did require multiple vehicles from numerous stations to control, and they were in progress at the same time.

A haystack and a barn caught fire in Cove, 4 stations sent trucks to manage that incident. South of Logan a grass fire was burning out of control with the wind helping it. Both of Logan’s stations were emptied and a call to Wellsville brought brush trucks and tenders.

I imagine the rest of the season will have moments where firefighters need to respond and control the results of a well meaning fire. It’s the time of year that many - if not all - of the county stations will get a call.  Job security for firefighters.  Hopefully not in a large way like today, or other out-of-control fires in other years, but we’ll see.

Shake Rattle and Roll!

KSL.com Story of Today's Earthquake in Northern Utah

A U of U Seismologist was interviewed for Salt Lake’s Fox News at 9:00 (and no doubt the other stations) and he said we have a less than 10% chance that today’s earthquake in the wilds of Rich County was a pre-cursor to a bigger quake.

That, of course, means it is about 90% certain that we won’t have a larger quake in the area.

Well, I feel comforted by that. But not enough that it removes all of the anxiety and worry that this might fall into one of those less than 10% occasions.

If I didn’t have a responsibility to the community as a firefighter and department officer, that would be another story …..

7 Alarm Blaze in NYC

China Town NYC, 4/11/2010.  NYC’s Bravest battling a blaze.

Firehouse.com

Burning

I’m a kid at heart when it comes to fire.  Last weekend I was able to indulge that a bit.  Friday night I received a call from a farmer in town who had been burning a field.  It was dusk, and the fire was still active in a grassy area between fields - did I think it would be a problem if it burned into the night?

Regulations call for all fires to be extinguished before nightfall, so it had to be put out.  I went with the land owner and we used shovels to extinguish the flames.  Watery eyes, runny nose – the body’s mechanism to protect itself from the smoke.  Great times!

Saturday, my brother wanted to burn off some of last year’s growth in a few spots around his yard.  I went over to help.  More fun!

Since then I’ve been thinking about a line from the movie Backdraft. “… but the only way to truly kill it is to love it a little.” I agree with that, on the basis that to love fire means to understand fire, what it will do in certain situations, and use that knowledge to an advantage.

Sometimes it doesn’t always work out that way.  Sometimes the fire has too great of a head start.  Sometimes environmental factors help the fire, which is why understanding weather’s effects on fire are important, especially to the wildland firefighter. In addition to the weather modules in basic wildland firefighting training, an entire course of study is devoted to helping wildland firefighters understand how weather plays a role in fire behavior.

A wind-blown wildfire is a thing to behold, and many times we see that in Cache Valley, but I will focus on one particular fire in this post. Cleveland Hills is an area of Franklin County Idaho, between Preston and Grace. In August of 2007, a fire started in Cleveland Hills, apparently due to an electrical line failure.

Our station was called to this fire mid-afternoon on Saturday, August 11^th, when additional resources were needed for structure protection. With a travel time of roughly 45 minutes there was plenty of time to wonder about the conditions we would find when we arrived. As we passed the southern flank of the fire the high winds that were pushing the fire were very apparent, bending the trees and helping the fire through the remaining unburned fuel along the edge of the highway.

Several other brush and structure engines from Cache County had arrived before us and were positioned at homes along the highway. When we arrived at our post we backed down the lane of the house that we were to defend, and met up with other Cache County crews. We stretched a hoseline into the brush to help them extinguish the remaining fire. While at this position the large air tankers put on quite a show as they passed overhead when their retardant runs were complete.

The fire had moved beyond this area to the north, creating a patchwork of blackened areas on both sides of the road. When the situation improved in our area, all of the crews from Cache County were held at their current positions to monitor for any hotspots that flared up. Approximately an hour before sunset we were directed to gather at a wide spot on the highway and prepare for demobilization.

While at this location we watched a BLM crew perform a burnout to solidify the line on the southern flank of the fire. After filling out the paperwork necessary we were released to return home. We stopped in Smithfield for fuel then on to the station to put the engine back in service.

Even though we arrived to our assignment a little bit behind the main front of wind-driven flames, it was amazing to see the way the wind had created a fire storm and had pushed the fire mile after mile up the highway, defying all efforts on the ground and from the air to check its progress. Our respect for weather related fire behavior was renewed that day.

The Last Casualty, Remembered

Photos courtesy Gordon Anderson with appreciation for permission to use in this post:

Fire doesn’t strike in my home town very often, at least structure fires don’t.  When they do occur, it’s an event that is so in-frequent that it leaves a lasting memory.  I can remember a fire that I watched when I was very young.  I don’t have a crystal clear memory of it, but I remember my mom loading us in the car and we drove the few blocks to watch the fire department battle the flames.

My dad was on the department back then.  Maybe mom went to keep an eye out for him and see if he was okay, more than to watch the struggle. Now I am a member of the department. I think my wife feels that same way even though she doesn’t make her way to watch – she just worries from a distance.

A memory that stands out is the last time our town experienced the loss of a home to fire.  Almost 4 years ago, the slumber of many a firefighter was interrupted to answer the call.  A home in our sleepy little community was burning, its occupant alerted to the dangerous situation by his cat.  Built just after the turn of the century - a museum of memories and possessions handed down for years - was on fire.

Before discovery, the fire had been slowly and methodically working itself into an inferno.  Luckily the live-in cat filled the role of protector in time to allow the occupant to escape - safely jumping off the roof – after his first attempt to exit failed because of the smoke and heat that met him in the stairwell.  Once on the ground he was able to get to a cell phone and call 9-1-1 and start the response.

A first alarm structure fire in our town results in our two neighboring departments being summoned at the same time as our firefighters are paged.  It's always better to cancel them if they are not needed, versus waiting for them to arrive if they are not called early enough.

Fire attack began in earnest and soon the visible fire inside was extinguished.  It was realized that the fire had made its way through the walls into the attic and with no fire breaks to check its progress it was going to be a job.  A second alarm was transmitted, bringing more firefighters from another neighboring community, and then a bit later a special call for a ladder truck was made.

Racing against time, crews rotated into the upstairs rooms to pull down the lathe and plaster in order to reach the remaining fire.  With a significant head start and aided by the near century old mode of construction, the fire was winning.

When the roof was about to burn through it was time to concede the second floor and pull everyone from inside.  Hand lines and the pipe on the ladder truck continued the battle from outside.  Eventually the tide turned and mop up in the attic was possible.

Daylight came, and when the smoke lessened it was a beautiful morning.  Clear and bright - except for the mood surrounding the block where firefighters were beginning to take up tools and hose, preparing to head back to their stations and back to the routine of the weekday. 

Thankfully life was not lost, but lives would indeed be altered.  A home was rendered un-livable and though many items were saved from the home, many others were destroyed.

Structure fires in our little town don’t happen very often, and we are extremely grateful for that.  But when they do, we know what to expect:  The pagers will alert, the firefighters will come – from wherever they are stationed, and a battle will be waged.  Sometimes the fire wins, other times the firefighters win and maybe the occasional “draw” will be declared.

This specific incident is different from other fires our department has responded to because the address and the names are unique.  My memory of this incident recalls the escape of the occupant; the efforts of the firefighters; the care from the EMT’s; the concern for the homeowner from the neighbors - I hope those things are always the same.

This story was posted on Your Cache Valley, and in the Herald Journal.

Mixed Feelings

Today I was going to put together a post that had photos of me from when I was a pup up to recent days.

That was my plan, it being my birthday today.

But this morning when I went out to the flagpole and lowered the flag to half staff, I have not thought about much else, besides the day the towers fell.

Among the many who died, 343 of my brothers were killed at the World Trade Center.

It just makes my heart heavy remembering the awful sights and sounds of that day.

No funny photo post today, it's a day to remember other things.

Times Change, But Some Things Stay The Same

January, 1929:  Fire was no stranger to the community, but an early morning fire in the Ward Meeting House was the last straw.   It was time to get serious about fire protection, in Newton, UT.

My father's sister recalls a knock at the door in the early morning hours, as her dad was summoned to join the others battling the flames.  She bundled in a blanket and sat at the big picture window in the front room of their home, with a clear view of the scene.

The meeting house was destroyed by the blaze.  It was devastating to the small community - the loss of a building so intertwined with the lives of the citizens, a building that would take many years to replace.

Out of the ashes, the desire to do something more was rekindled.  Faced with the recent loss, and prompted by one of the members of the community, the Town Council approved the purchase of a small hose cart with a few hundred feet of hose.  Also approved was the purchase and installation of fire hydrants on the Town’s water system and a siren to help notify the community in event of a fire.

Now that equipment was available, it was necessary to organize the citizens.  Carl Jorgensen had been key in the discussions about fire protection in Newton, and he was given permission to select a few of the townsfolk and to form a “Fire Squad”.

Using the hose cart and the hydrants, when the call of a fire was sounded the Fire Squad would respond and begin firefighting operations while the motorized fire engine of the Logan/Cache Fire Department was making the long trip to Newton.

In 1940 the Town purchased a wagon to hold additional hose, a wooden ground ladder and other firefighting tools.   Along with the new equipment, the designation was changed from “Fire Squad” to the Newton Volunteer Fire Department.

Newton's Hose Wagon, restored and ready for the 2008 Town Celebration Parade.  Photo: Ray & Julie Wickham.

When a call would come, Chief Jorgensen or another firefighter would respond to the fire by means of motorized vehicle with the wagon in tow, and the department would work to control the fire in advance of the Logan/Cache engine arriving from Logan.  Afterwards, it was common to see Carl and his wife in their yard cleaning and reloading the hose onto the wagon.

In the early 1960’s Newton received a motorized fire engine from Cache County, to aid in fire suppression efforts.  To house the engine, an old railroad building was purchased and was moved from Cache Junction into Newton.   This became the official fire station for Newton and the building is still standing but is now privately owned.

Newton Fire Department photo, app 1963.  L-R: Chief Jorgensen, Max Christiansen, Rod Fabricius, Vaughn Rigby, Claude Peterson, Garth Benson, Norris Anderson, Darrell Goodsell.  Photo: AC Greg Jorgensen

The Cache County Fire District was formed in 1965, and Newton’s zone for fire protection grew to include Cache Junction and the other un-incorporated areas around the town.  Chief Jorgensen retired from the department during this time of change.  Carl had served the Town as head of department for 36 years, he was 83 years old.

Darrell Goodsell became the Fire Chief after Carl’s retirement.  Chief Goodsell served for many years as a firefighter for Newton, as well as holding a career position with Thiokol Fire Department, where he would retire as a Crew Chief.

Newton Fire Department, 1974.  L-R: Jerry Jenkins, Reed Jenkins, Chief Goodsell, Norval Jones, Rod Fabricius, Norris Anderson.  Photo:  CCFD Chief (ret) Lyman Hansen

During Darrell’s tenure, the station moved from the railroad building on Main Street, to the school house converted to a Town Hall.  Additional vehicles would be stationed in Newton – water tenders and a brush truck – to further the ability to fight the variety of fires the department would respond to.  During this time radio activated pager technology came to Cache County, and a new fire engine to Newton in 1985.

Newton Fire Department Apparatus, 1986.  Photo: CCFD Chief (ret) Lyman Hansen

Chief Goodsell had retired before I joined the department, but I remember a few fires where he was on hand to help where needed.  It was a sad occasion but also an honor for our department to be part of his funeral services after his passing earlier this year.

Reed Jenkins was selected as Chief after Darrell retired, and is our current Fire Chief.  I joined the department in 1991; a tender had just been built by members of the department, to replace an aging, older truck.  A few years later we would place in service another custom built tender; upgrade our brush truck; and add other equipment as needed.  Just this year we received another new structure engine from the Fire District, to better protect the Town and area around Newton.

Newton Fire Department, 2002.

Newton's 2008 Kenworth/Pierce Contender Pumper.

In a few months, it will be the 80th anniversary of the fire in Newton’s Meeting Hall that resulted in the creation of the fire squad.  In April of 2009 we will mark our 69th year as a volunteer fire department.  Many things have changed as to the vehicles we use and how fires are fought, but constant is the dedication of those who have and do serve.

Over the years many have served as firefighter in Newton.  Attending station training, attending classes offered by the county, responding to fires.  Their service is appreciated.  It’s a brotherhood of concern for the community that is common in the fire service. I am grateful for the example of those who serve now and those who served before.

Government Sanctioned Torture

I am sick.  My lungs are full of crud, I have aches and pains, and I wish I was in a Nyquil induced coma right now.

I began to get sick Thursday, sore throat.  I started using over the counter remedies because Saturday I was scheduled to be at the Logan High track for a session of government sponsored torture, otherwise known as the wildland red-card pack test.

This is the physical fitness test required to be completed each year in order to have your red-card certification renewed.  What is red-card certification, you ask?  It's what an insane person seeks in order to be allowed to fight fires on federal lands, as a member of a Forest Service hot shot crew, or a BLM crew, or a wildland engine crew, or a local department who offers resources, etc.

Here in Cache County we use it as a means of identifying personnel who can respond to wildland fires on government owned land, to work with Federal and State fire suppression personnel on those fires.

To complete the test you must carry a 45 pound pack around for three miles and complete the distance in less than 45 minutes.  Let me just say this: If you think the pack test is strenuous, actually spending a shift (12+ hours sometimes) on a mountain digging fire line, cutting down trees, etc., makes the pack test look like a walk in the park ....  So, the government sanctioned torture doesn't end with the pack test, the pack test is where the torture begins!

I am happy to say that I didn't give in to the torture attempt, I didn't let them win!  I made it with ample time to spare, but torture it was nonetheless, mainly because of that darn cold I mentioned above.

A person who exercises regularly, or prepares by starting to exercise a few weeks to a few months before taking the test can handle the test without difficulty.  I had been preparing and exceeded my goal by a little bit, I just wish I could have tried the test on a weekend when I wasn't starting to get sick, as will be related in the next paragraphs ...

I felt better that morning, not suffering as much from the cold symptoms I had dealt with the day before.  After the test I went home and finished a full day of fire department and personal work projects, then settled in for the night.

After I had sat down for about 1/2 hour, I was hit with the realization that I was sliding backwards into a pit of suffering - also known as the common cold.

From that point on I pretty much became a vegetable on the couch unless I absolutely had to move.

Now it is Monday and being the loyal employee that I am (ehe), I got up and made it to work at my usual time, and pray that the cold remedies will help me get through the day.

I hate colds.

All said and done, I don't mind the pack test that much.  I didn't get sore from the exertion, just suffered afterwards this time because of the cold I was starting with.

I do enjoy the initial attack of a wildland fire - where the bombers are coming in, dropping retardant all around you; firefighters are coming from several stations to setup operations, etc. - that's quite a rush.

The extended work of a wildland fire is monotonous and strenuous.  I don't like that as much, but it's part of the job and since I will be wildland red-card re-certified I better get used to the fact that I will likely end up in the hills with a shovel or other tool, before this summer is done.

Why A Flashover Kills

I read recently on Firehouse.com that a firefighter in Missouri was caught in a flashover while working at a house fire and was burned quite severely.

A flashover is the near simultaneous ignition of all combustible material in an enclosed area.

Flashover occurs when the majority of surfaces in a space are heated to the point (known as fire point) at which they give off flammable gases that are hot enough to sustain combustion. Flashover normally occurs at 500 °C (930 °F) for ordinary household combustibles.

You might be thinking, well, firefighters wear that protective clothing that should help them be okay in a flashover .....

In part that is true.  We wear that protective clothing when we enter burning buildings so we are protected from the heat the fire is generating.  But, it's not good enough to protect us from the temperature that exists when a flashover occurs.

Through my years of firefighting I have been taught and now teach to the firefighters on our department, that our protective clothing will keep us safe for about 2 seconds at a temperature nearing 1100 degrees F.  The temperature of failure may actually be a bit higher or lower, but it's still in that range of really-stinking-hot, regardless.

In my career, I've been at several house fires where the temperature was reaching the really-stinking-hot stages.  At one in particular, we searched the ground floor of a home - looking for the fire - but all we found was smoke and a tiny spot of visible flame around a wood stove chimney where it had started the ceiling on fire as it passed through the ceiling on it's way to the roof.

The fire was burning freely in the second story, so we advanced our hose up the stairs to attempt an attack on the fire.  As we advanced the hose up the stairs the temperatures increased significantly and at the top of the stairs it was so hot that I was feeling it quite well through my protective clothing.  We backed down the stairs and went to work ventilating the upper story of the home so we could release some of that heat.

We lost that house because of the advanced fire conditions in the second story and into the attic.  No one was hurt and a bunch of the owner's belongings were saved.  You win some, you loose some.

Firefighters train in how to deal with flashover in specially designed burn rooms.  It's an amazing thing so see the snaking flames travel the length of the burn room above your head, and feel the intense heat just above you, then learn a technique that could give you a few more seconds - maybe just enough time - to escape that intense heat.

Several years ago I was in Paradise, Utah at a live fire training exercise where a home was used for training burns, and then burned to the ground.  After the training and during the destruction burn, I was able to snap a photo through an open window of what it looks like when a flashover occurs as described above, nearly every combustible thing begins burning at once:

Fire is deadly, it kills firefighters in their protective clothing just as easily as it does civilians - given the right temperatures and conditions.  The one big thing going for the firefighter is the breathing air carried on his/her back as they enter the smoke filled building.  The public generally doesn't have that tool, and therefore smoke kills more people in a fire than flames.

Rapid notification is the key to success in getting you and your family out of a burning structure, as well as giving firefighters a chance to respond before the fire has such a strong hold in the structure that it wins the battle.

Somehow, thankfully, the firefighter from Missouri was able to escape the heat and make it out alive.  Hopefully the treatment for his severe burns will be successful and he will suffer as little as possible.

Let's all be careful out there, and remember to keep your smoke detectors working properly!

Mortimer Pallet Co. Fire

***This is a description of a fire from history, back in 2005.

It was a usual November evening. Folks everywhere were looking forward to the turkey feast that was coming up in about a week.

 

I was sitting in the front room winding down from the days events when I heard tones come across the open channel of my pager. I waited; one set, two sets, three sets (if it goes to 4 sets then I'll get really interested), four sets of tones.

 

Listening closely now I hear the dispatcher add the voice information to the call. "Fire in Smithfield" or something like that. I waited again until the first units came up on the air and gave a report of conditions on arrival.

 

What I heard was a request for a 2nd alarm and that made the decision for me, I will go and take some pictures of this. I grabbed my shoes and coat and left town, making sure my turn out bag was in the trunk.

 

Topping the little hill that obscures Newton from part of the valley, I was surprised to see an inverted cone shape of fire glaringly visible from the East in Smithfield. Yes, it is a big fire I said to myself.

 

I had only traveled about 1 more mile before a request for the 3rd alarm was transmitted, and shortly after that my pager sounded the familiar alert, my departments engine was due on the 3rd alarm for this incident.

 

I decided to continue in and meet the engine crew once they were on scene. We were directed to the West of the fire to assist crews extinguishing fire in a building and to protect the structures next to that building.

 

The rest of the narrative will best be served by a few pictures. I did not take the pictures, they were taken by another individual. I did photo shop them a little bit because they were dark, it being night-time and all.

(Above, below) The main part of the fire was in stacks of pallets in the open air at the rear of the building.

There were significant flame lengths from the well ventilated fuels involved.

For reference, the total 4 alarms at this incident brought 2 truck companies, 11 engines and command staff to manage the resources on hand.

These photos were taken from Smithfield's Main street, about 400 South by an observer who then passed them on to a North Logan firefighter who in turn sent them to me.

Truck 70 works the flames in the pallets.

Truck 120 works the flames in the pallets.

North Logan firefighters stand by at un-involved structures with hoses drawn in case the flames and heat start to threaten these exposures.

Other than the Cache Valley Dairy #2 fire in the early 90's, this is probably the biggest non-wildland fire that I have had a hand in fighting. It's a terrible event when a fire like this breaks and puts property in threat of damage and loss. Thankfully no one was injured.

2 Firefighters Lost

This morning in Ohio, 2 firefighters were killed in a house fire.

Read more in a Firehouse.com Article.

The nation's firefighters will pause and reflect once again as we take in this sad news.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the fallen firefighters.

Fallen Firefighter

Firefighting is a brotherhood.

Today we mourn the loss of another firefighter in a line-of-duty incident that occurred in Los Angeles, yesterday, March 26th.

From the LAFD Media and Public Relations Blog:

Los Angeles Firefighter Killed in the Line of Duty

Our hearts go out to the family and all across the nation fire companies will reflect on the loss of this firefighter.

Firefighting News Flash

Mainly because I'm not able to put together a real post, I'll just link to a couple of large fire incidents out of California for this entry.

Both incidents are from the LA area of California and were found on my daily visit to Firehouse.com:

Anaheim Tank Farm Blaze

San Fernando Condominium Complex

Let's all be careful out there!

Sunday Afternoon Call

At church yesterday I was having a reminiscent moment talking with a young man who had spoken in our worship service.  He had served his mission in California, the same mission I was called to 20 years ago.  We were talking about how the mission had changed it's boundaries since I was there, etc., when among the sound of conversation from us and many others in the chapel, I keyed into the too familiar sound of my pager.

I have two alert sounds programmed into my pager.  If it's a fire it alerts me with one pattern, if it's a medical call it alerts with a different sounding pattern.  I've commented before on how I still get a bit of an adrenalin rush when the tones for fire sound from my pager, yesterday was no different.

After the tone alert is finished, it transmits the voice information from dispatch - what units respond, address, type of call, etc.  While I was walking out of the chapel trying to hear what voice information was being received and not having much luck, it did nothing to settle my anticipation of what we would face in a few minutes time.

I was finally outside and was able to play back the recorded message from my pager.  "Tender call for a structure fire", just down the road in Petersboro.  I responded to the station and we prepared a crew to send in one of our tenders for the water supply needs at this fire in a a non-hydrant area of Cache County.

After managing a bit of a mechanical issue, our tender pulled out and I followed along behind  the tender crew as the department officer responding.

It's always a grim feeling when a house is involved.  We had about 6 miles of road to travel before arriving on scene, and being in a wide open space of Cache Valley, we were able to see the structure miles in advance.  It was good to see less smoke coming up than what was visible when I was driving to the station, but it can be a hollow victory.

It really doesn't matter who's home it is, a fire in a a home is a terrible thing, but I believe it's a bit harder to take as a firefighter if you  know the owners.

To realize who's home it was, and that they had within the last 4-5 months finished it's construction and went from living a couple of blocks away from us in Newton to this new home in Petersboro, was one of those moments in firefighting that you don't want to experience.

Our part of the response was short lived.  Discovering a fire before it is too far advanced is always helpful, and coupled with the automatic aid agreements between the valley fire departments, the quick response saved a lot of the house and hopefully it will be as easy as possible to return it to its former condition as quick as possible.

Final Call-out

What a beautiful day.  A clear blue sky, and a chance to honor a person that made a difference.

I would hope that everyone could be spoken of in that way -he/she made a difference.

Today friends and family gathered together to honor and remember one person who was a strength to those around him.

There were stories told that many hadn't heard before, and many others remembered their experiences with this friend privately.

There's something about the sound of the siren that sits on top of our station and is activated every time we are asked to respond.

In my younger years it was an ominous feeling when it's tones cut through the stillness of the night, or interrupted your thoughts mid-day to ponder what was requiring action from the fire department.

The lonesome tones cycling up and down in pitch would send chills through me, and now that I am one of those who set life aside to answer it's beckoning call, it has no less of a hold on my emotions.

A final call-out was issued over the counties fire department radios at 1:50 PM, March 7, 2008.

As the pager finished it's alert sequence, and the dispatcher finished his requested words, all was silent except for the lonesome rise and fall of the town's siren reaching the hearts of everyone in attendance at the service.

Those who had pondered the life presented to them over the last hour and three quarters felt emotions rise up anew during the short tribute to our former chief of department.

It was our privilege as a fire department to carry our former chief to his final resting place on the back of our fire engine.  Joined by our brothers of the ATK Fire Department, we placed the casket on the engine and drove under an arch prepared by the valley's truck companies, on the way to the cemetery.

Yes it was a sad day too, but it was a beautiful day to remember a life who made others feel better by knowing him.

Glad it's Not That Cold

I might be complaining about the cold, but I guess it's not too bad here, compared to this photo.

Taken in New York in the 70's after a fire, this engine company now has to figure out how to de-frost to get back to their house.

There have been some really cold days and nights to be on a fire in Cache County, but luckily no vehicles were frozen up this bad.

There was a moment of concern on a fire in Clarkston back in my younger days, when my breathing air regulator froze up while inside the house and left me scrambling to get outside and get my mask off. And that was in the daytime .... The pump on our engine needed some time to thaw out in the station, as did the firefighters.

Then there was that middle-of-the-winter, middle-of-the-night in Amalga at a haystack fire; or that middle-of-the-winter, middle-of-the-night in Petersboro at a house fire; or that other time .....

Obituary of Former Chief Goodsell

NEWTON, Utah — Darrell Victor Goodsell, 76, left this life on March 3, 2008, after a courageous battle with cancer, surrounded by his family in his home.

He was born in Newton, May 21, 1931, to Alfred W. and Edna May Henriksen Goodsell. Darrell grew up in Newton and attended school there in a little two room schoolhouse. He later graduated from North Cache High School. He married his sweetheart, Sarah Jensen from Collinston, on March 30, 1951, in the Logan LDS Temple. Shortly afterwards he enlisted in the Air Corp and was stationed in Olathe Kansas from 1951 to 1952. After the service, he worked 10 years for the railroad and later retired after 30 years from Thiokol Fire Department as one of their crew chiefs. He started his own business, Cache Valley Fire Extinguisher, and operated it for over 30 years. Many business owners will remember his cheerful and friendly disposition.

The community of Newton appreciates all that Darrell has done for their small town. He has served and worked over the years in many capacities. He was honored as their Outstanding Citizen of the Year for 2007. He served on the Newton Volunteer Fire Deptartment for 50 years and was the fire chief for 30. He was known for having a beautiful garden and took great pride in it, always sharing home grown fruits and vegetables with everyone. Darrell will be most remembered for his love of life and the outdoors. He was an avid sportsman and enjoyed baseball, softball, water-skiing and snowmobiling. He loved to hunt and fish. He was a loyal Aggie basketball fan and attended whenever he could.

Darrell has been an active member of the LDS Church all his life. He served and contributed in a variety of ways. He loved his calling as a temple ordinance worker and made many dear friends there.

Darrell is survived by his dear wife Sarah of 57 years; his sons, Jerry (Leona) Goodsell and Lynn (Darlene) Goodsell; his daughters, Jeanette (Brent) Jorgensen and Joanne (Mark) Peterson; 11 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; and four sisters, Viola Johnson, Fern Greene, Avis McBride and Gwen Dahle. He was preceded in death by his parents and three brothers, Roger, Mervin and Reed.

Many lives have been touched. Many hearts will remember.

Funeral services will be held at 12 p.m. on Friday, March 7, in the Newton Ward Chapel, 90 S. 100 West in Newton. Friends may call from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 6, at the Allen-Hall Mortuary, 34 E. Center in Logan, and prior to the funeral services from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Friday in Newton. Burial will be in the Newton Cemetery. Condolences and thoughts may be expressed to the family online at www.allenmortuaries.net.

We want to give special thanks to family and friends for their love and support, and to Dr. Ali Ben-Jacob and his nursing staff.

Passing of a Former Chief Announced

Earlier this morning the pagers sounded for a medical in the community we protect.

With sadness in our hearts we announce the passing of a retired Chief of Department.

This long-time member, then long time Chief had retired before I joined the fire service in my home town, but his years of service carry on with his sons - one who is a member of a career department as well as a member of our department.

Our badges are covered, we will not forget his many years of service to the community.

Additional information will be posted as appropriate.

A Tale of Two Crashes

It's high time that the snow melted. Personally, I'm tired of it. I am tending part of my brother's yearling aged additions to his Red Angus herd this winter, and it's starting to get old with the weather related hardships. Thats not really what I intend to address in this post, however, so I'll move on.

Notable traffic crashes are on my mind today. I'll tell you why this popped to the front of the line in a paragraph or so, but now I'll take a few minutes to describe one event that this current memory trigger reminded me of. I don't remember the year, but you'll see from the photo below that it was a day somewhere close in calendar proximity to the months we have just lived through.



You may be saying to yourself, that's a pretty handy extrication job those firefighters performed to get that car open and get the patient out, but that's not how it happened.

One morning, as folks often do, they get in their cars and head to work. One individual - afterwards identified as "Person A" traveling to such a destination crossed paths with another person having the same goal of meeting the day at the office on time. Person A was the driver of the car in the photo. Person B and Person A met - quite literally - on the roads of northwestern Cache County that particular morning, in a pretty violent manner. You see, the rip in the car above was not the handy work of the jaws of life, it was the result of a violent collision.

The next thought would be how many died in the crash. Even stranger is the outcome because on arrival both Person A and Person B were walking it off, so to speak, without obvious sign of injury to either. In emergency response lingo the likelihood of injury - based on the type of damage present on the vehicle carrying the patients - is called mechanism of injury. The patients in this crash were transported for a closer evaluation based solely on the type of damage clearly visible here.

All's well that ends well, basically. The insurance companies were left to sort it all out and everyone went on their way just slightly worse for the wear.

Flash forward to February 28, 2008. A differnt "Person A" is stopped on a highway in Cache County, watching the rear flashers of a school bus mark the time. Person B is travelling rapidly along the same road. A third player is present, related to the wintry weather being suffered through by such cow caretakers as myself - fog.

"Person B" doesn't have enough reaction time to apply much if any pressure to the braking device and impacts the rear of Person A's vehicle at a nice clip. Person A's vehicle reacts to the sudden application of physics and travels the 15 or so feet required to reach the rear end of the bus. The bus reacts to the sudden application of physics and becomes an object in motion as well, until the last bit of applied force is used up.

What happens next? An accident report is initiated; law enforcement responds; the school district brings out another bus and takes the children on to school; an engine company from the closest city comes to clean up the spilt fluids. Wait a minute, what about the patients? Well, no ambulance comes to the scene, but both are taken to the hospital privately to deal with the possible results of that pesky mechanism of injury business. Oh, and the other difference is that Person A in this crash is a relative to me.

All's well that ends well, basically. The insurance companies were left to sort it all out and everyone went on their way just slightly worse for the wear. Below are a front and rear end view of Vehicle A.

1991 - The Beginning of an Era

In a lot of cases, firefighting is a generational disease. I can identify many members of our fire department and other local departments as second generation - or greater - carriers. On our department we have a fifth generation firefighter, and currently we have one father and son team.

So it goes with me. My father was a member of the same department when I was younger. On my wall hangs a photo of the department from 1966, my father among those pictured. I remember a few occassions when he would return from a fire somewhere in the general area, exhausted from the effort and covered in ash and soot. I remember one house fire where my mom packaged up us kids in the night and we drove the few blocks across town to watch the battle.

The foundation was laid, but I didn't fully realize it until my late teens when I was in California and would watch the engine companies and truck companies and ambulances, etc., zoom around taking care of whatever emergency they had been called to repair. That's when it became clear that I was going to be a firefighter too.

I returned home from California in late 1990 and after a few months I applied for membership on my home town department - via a visit to the Fire Chief's home one evening to express my interest in joining. The chief had served with my father and being from a small town atmostphere he knew me as well, but it can be a serious matter as to who is offered a position.

The process I began is similar to the process our department uses today: We'll try you out and you try us out and see if we all fit together. After all, we're going to have to count on each other to work together to save a citizen or another firefighter when the occassion arises ..... And so I was invited to attend fire drills with the department twice a month and begin learning the ropes.

How excited I was! It was great to be learning and then understanding what it would take to be a firefighter. Just training and practicing was enough to have me hooked, but then came the first fire I was allowed to respond to. A small shed behind a residence caught fire of an evening. The alert tones sounded; the pagers sounded; and as if my adrenalin wasn't pumping fast enough, the town's fire siren sounded. I was involved in the suppression and overhaul, it was great!

I began to consider firefighting as a career. In those days firefighter certification was helpful before applying for a position, but not always necessary. EMT certification was needed, so I obtained that and began testing while I attended the courses for firefighter certification. Then came the problem - just where would I want to be hired to work? As a newly married with a wife who is from Northern Utah, and me being a stay in Cache Valley kind of person, and with one career department in the valley staffing only one station at the time, positions were few and far between.

I did branch out and test with Ogden, Utah and a nearby private company that staffed a fire department, but mainly stuck to the local testing sessions in Logan. For all my work and effort I only reached the top of the list once - for Ogden Fire Department - but the hiring roster expired before the next position opened. I decided that I was still enjoying living in Cache Valley and my volunteer experiences enough, so thus ended my efforts to become a career firefighter.

Over all, I think that was a good choice. I may seem to be justifying my decision, but the life of a firefighter can be jam packed with trials and troubles on a day-on-day-off or two-days-on-two-days-off work schedule, as can be any type of job. I haven't always enjoyed the jobs I've done instead of continuing the dream, and maybe I could have avoided some of the trials that came to me if I'd worked harder and reached my goal, but I can't worry about that now.

I've come to realize that it's the character of the person that makes them suited to the position, not just the knowledge of the job. I believe I would have been an excellent career firefighter, and many others commented to that effect as well. As evidenced by events that would come a few years after this time of life, I still had some growing to do and the founder of it all had a different plan for me.

So, I enjoy teaching the training meetings twice a month, I try to help the department be ready for the few calls we will get each year, and believe it or not I still get an adrenalin push when the tones sound. Whether it can be classified as a disease or not, I'm proud that my father served the community as a firefighter and that I can too.