Danbury, CT - Multi Alarm Fire - 01/16/09

[SageVigiles 1,194]

Date: 1-16-09

Time: Approx 1800

Location: 7 New Street

Frequency: 46.24

Units Operating: Car 1 (Chief of Dept), Car 30 (Shift Commander), Fire Marshal, T1, T2, E21, E22, Sq. 23, E23, E24, E25, E26, Vol. Sq. 6, Vol. Engine/Tank-10, Volunteer Engine 12, Fire Police, All tankers citywide (10's, 11's, 12's, 13's, 14's), Volunteer Engine 9, Volunteer Canteen 13 Danbury Health Systems EMS (Multiple Units and Supervisors), Multiple Danbury PD Units and supervisors, Bethel FD (1 tanker to scene, Bethel FD to cover Danbury), Ridgefield FD (to cover)

Description Of Incident: Working fire in an apartment building DIRECTLY next to New St. Fire Headquarters

Writer: SageVigiles

Article at www.newstimes.com

I went down to take pictures, should have them up tomorrow.

UPDATE/Edit:

Initial Assignment was MOST LIKELY the following, given the area, and they probably saw it pulling out of the bay:

Engine 21, Engine 22, Car 30, Truck 1, Volunteer Engines 5 and 9, Squad 6

Engine 26 was called to New St. HQ next door to staff Truck 2.

This fire was COOKING. Numerous callbacks (about 25 members) to staff backup companies. Members put in alot of work in this fire, especially given the single digit temperatures. The crew of 22 looked like snowmen as they walked by me to rehab.

Truck 1 was on the roof for a bit, they ventilated but they claimed the roof was (and I quote) "Unbelievable" and Command pulled roof operations at that point. When T2 got staffed and out the door, they had 2 master streams operating

I saw 3 L/S/O, 1 Deck Gun (Engine 22 after repositioning), and 2 Aerial Streams. They had basically hit every hydrant on New Street and still needed to feed 22's Deck Gun, so a tanker shuttle operation was set up in the parking lot of Headquarters with a fill site at the Kennedy Ave Green.

A Housatonic Area Regional Transit (HART) bus was called in to warm up the residents until they were brought to the War Memorial (acting as a Warming Station) the city's Public Health Dept. setup. FD Rehab was set up, conveniently, in the bay of Headquarters with EMS and the volunteer Canteen Truck

As of 0015 units were still operating on scene, though the fire was placed under control at approximately 2030 Hours. HQ called Volunteer Squad 7 in for relief, probably for lighting support for the FM and Buildings Dept.

Edited January 17, 2009 by SageVigiles