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Local 2625 News
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From Suburban Journals
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Collinsville Assistant Fire Chief John Nichols will hang up his fire helmet after 33 years on the job in March. Not only will it be his last day on the job, it will be the first time in about 100 years that a Nichols family member will not be working for the department.
His father, Alvin Nichols, served as a volunteer firefighter for more than 44 years, retiring as volunteer assistant chief. John's grandfather, Ralph Nichols, served as a volunteer as did his grandfather's brothers, Joe and Artie Nichols.
Known for a legendary work ethic, Nichols - who's been known to show up at late night fires at all hours (he keeps a set of gear in his car) - is leaving to become southwest regional training coordinator with the University of Illinois Fire Service Institute, where he has worked as a part-time fire service educator for more than eight years.
Click here for the rest of the article
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Captain Doug Deadmond has been awarded the Collinsville Firefighter of the Year for 2009. He will be honored at the annual Chamber of Commerce Award Night on November 14 at the Gateway Convention Center. Congratulations on the award, Cap!
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From Suburban Journals By
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Monday, July 27, 2009 Curious crowds gathered behind strips of red caution tape, pointing and aiming video cameras towards the thick black smoke pouring from the roof at 1498 Vandalia.
Suddenly - amidst the pungent smell of burnt ash - two firefighters burst from a side door on their knees, dragging a limp body over a leaking hose and into the parking lot.
Thankfully, this time the victim was only a dummy and the rescue effort was only a drill. 
On Monday and Tuesday, fire departments from Collinsville, Troy and Maryville gathered at the building - currently owned by Meadow Heights Baptist Church - for two evenings of intense training.
During each exercise, a stack of wooden pallets and straw was set on fire inside the building. As the flames quickly spread across the walls and ceiling, a team of four was dispatched from about a block away. Their mission was to rescue the person from inside and put out the blaze. "We are trying to make it as realistic as we can," said Collinsville Assistant Fire Chief John Nichols. "This kind of training isn't something we get to do very often."
For some of the younger firefighters, the exercise was their first time inside a burning building. Unable to see through the smoke in an unfamiliar building, Nichols said responders could learn important lessons about fire suppression, search and rescue and accountability.
"We very much appreciate the church for stepping up to the plate," said Collinsville Fire Chief Peter Stehman. "Live fire training. There's no substitute for it."
Each training session took between 30 and 45 minutes, the walls getting more blackened each time. Several spectators sat in cars next door at the Sonic restaurant, while others stood in the nearby patches of grass to watch.
Longtime Collinsville resident Spike Bryant, 66, came out to watch the training. He remembers the building briefly starting out about 45-50 years ago as Casey's Restaurant. He later became a regular customer when the structure housed Northgate Restaurant.
"They moved across the street in the mid-'70s and business crashed," he said.
Not long after Northgate moved out, the building was purchased by Meadow Heights Baptist Church, who has been using it ever since for youth services and as a fellowship hall. Boy Scout Troop 1093 has also used the site for meetings for over 25 years.
Senior Pastor Jim Donahue said demolition became necessary to meet the city's minimum parking requirements, amidst construction of a large church addition. He is hoping the new section, which will include educational classrooms and a gymnasium/fellowship hall, will be open by the late fall.
In addition to the old restaurant, three other buildings owned by the church are set for eventual demolition. They include an old bus/van garage and some portable trailers once used by the Collinsville School District.
Collinsville Fire Department officials say this was the first time in several years they have been able to conduct live fire training.
The department has been in preliminary negotiations to do "forceful entry" training at the old Wal-Mart store on Belt Line Road, which is expected to eventually be torn down to make way for a new Kohl's. However, even if those plans work out, that training will not include setting the building on fire. |
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Click here for the original article at the Collinsville Herald Programs relay prevention tactics
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/ journal Collinsville firefighter Matt Sienkiewicz talks to a third-grade class at Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic School Tuesday morning about the dangers of smoke inhalation. The department has several outreach programs to educate residents about preventing fires and avoiding danger. | | |
Third-grader Nick Suria recently used a homework assignment to prod his family into creating an emergency meeting place in their home in case a fire unexpectedly breaks out. Meanwhile, his classmate, Deborah Karlak, now knows that a correctly operating smoke detector is even more effective in saving lives than an actual firefighter.
"The most dangerous thing in a house fire that can kill you is smoke," she said on Tuesday morning.
The two students at Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic School have participated the last few weeks in "Get Fired Up," a Collinsville Fire Department program.
Firefighter Matt Sienkiewicz said the department tries to visit every third-grade classroom in the city, whether public or private school.
"We try to shy away from how 'cool' firefighters are, or how 'cool' the big fire truck is," he said. "Instead, our focus is on what these kids need to do if a fire does happen in their home."
Most of the subjects discussed during the six-week course focus on one principle: get outside and get safe.
Out of all the lessons they learn, Sienkiewicz said, the kids are most surprised to find that, unlike what they may see on television, flames aren't what causes the most deaths.
"The smoke can kill you without you knowing it," he said. "You can be killed in a house fire and never be burned. That's why it's important to have working smoke detectors."
To reach the adults, "Get Fired Up" has several homework lessons designed for completion at home that require parental involvement.
Third-grade teacher Sharon Laswell said she felt the course has been effective, especially by giving the kids stories about fires that have occurred in houses and apartments right in their very own hometown.
"It helps them relate better," she said. "I think it's a pretty awesome program and the kids really enjoy it."
The department's grade school outreach has been running "off and on" since 1987 and at one time was heavily dependent on sufficient funds being available in the budget, Sienkiewicz said. But when Chief Peter Stehman took over in 2007, he made it mandatory.
"The two groups most affected by fires are seniors and children," Stehman said. "We want to make sure we are directing our focus towards those at-risk groups."
Stehman said that children generally have a lower ability to react appropriately in an emergency situation.
"There can be some natural curiosity children have toward fire," he said. "We want to address that and show the danger toward that. Hopefully they come out with the mind-set to alert their parents to get out of the house."
Other prevention programs
- Leave 'Em Safe
Dedicated to ensuring no Collinsville family goes without working smoke detectors. During any non-emergency call, firefighters will offer to check if detectors operating and change the batteries. Free detectors can also be picked up at the station.
- Remembering When
Focuses on elderly people, highlighting safety concerns about fire and falling. Information is generally made available at senior centers and health fairs. |
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Link to the article By Chris Coates
Sunday, April 19, 2009 Collinsville firefighter Chris Frawley twisted the metal wrench and a gush of water rushed over the grassy hill, right into the path of an oncoming car on Ramada Boulevard. The driver paused, then plowed through the thick stream with a "broosh."
"I don't know why people do that," said Lt. Mike Lutz, pointing to the canary yellow hydrant as another car drove through the stream of water.
Lutz and his crew are getting a lot of that lately.
The department last week started flushing half of the city's 1,200 fire hydrants, a time-consuming process that will take several weeks and countless water plumes like the one on Ramada.
The inspections make sure each device has the proper flow pressure, an important factor for crews battling blazes with hoses and trucks.
Too little pressure and lines won't be able to shoot water. Too high, and hydrants and home fixtures leak. The best is somewhere in the middle, usually around 1,000 gallons per minute, an amount that crews can find only by checking each hydrant manually.
"We'll do it eight hours a day as much as we can," said Lutz, holding a clipboard and global positioning device to locate the sometimes hidden fire plugs. Last year, they inspected about half of the hydrants, with the rest on tap from now until June, he said.
The task involves a jumble of gauges, pipes and wrenches that Frawley and firefighter Dennis Cooper lug from site to site in a blue Madison County recycling bin.
Thursday morning, it was the devices on Ostle Drive and Ramada, where the three-man crew found the next hydrant on the list - a freshly-painted Mueller Co. model - in front of a Denny's restaurant. After a few bolts and a twist of a wrench, the hydrant was spewing a thick cylinder of brown-ish liquid.
"Sediment. It kicks up that sediment," said Lutz, looking at the muddy cascade, which soon changed to clear water.
The sudden release of water, he explained, loosens dirt and other debris at the bottom of city mains.
The muddy liquid can also flow into home water pipes, sometimes alarming homeowners reaching for faucets, said Chief Pete Stehman. He said the crud goes away after a few minutes of running the tap.
"Just make sure it runs clean," he said.
Still, people complain to the department, especially if they just put a load of laundry in, said Fire Department secretary Pat Nelson, who fields the calls and offers tips for removing the stains. "Rust remover works best, not bleach," she suggested.
Nelson said she's also quick to remind people that the crews are just trying to make sure hydrants are ready when needed, which usually calms callers down. "Most people are very understanding," she said.
Better flow also helps drive down home insurance rates, since the city's Insurance Services Office rating - which sets how much insurance companies charges - is partially based on how ready municipalities are to battle fires.
Stehman said the agency checks department records and calculations on whether the hydrants pass muster. The Fire Department also coordinates with the Water Department to add more hydrants in areas with sub-par flow.
Back on Ramada, Lutz and crew finished checking the pressure and recapped the hydrant, as another car navigated the plume of water. Lutz said motorists should wait the few minutes for the tests. It's not worth the risk, he said.
"We don't want to damage their cars," Lutz said.
Hydrant flushing continues daily during regular working hours through June.
For more information, call the Collinsville Fire Department at 346-5022, ext. 141
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