2017 Orange County Firefighters Year in Review by Blackman Public Affairs

2017 ORANGE COUNTY FIREFIGHTERS YEAR IN REVIEW

Dear Friends, On behalf of the more than 1,000 Firefighters and Paramedics of the Orange County Professional Firefighters Association (OCPFA), IAFF Local 3631, it is my honor to present the inaugural edition of the Orange County Firefighters Year in Review Photo Book. This book tells the story of our dedicated members who protect lives and property throughout Orange County 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In 2017, our Firefighters and Paramedics responded to more than 141,000 emergencies throughout the 23 cities and unincorporated communities of Orange County. From the unprecedented wildfires and natural disasters which swept the state and the nation this past year to medical emergencies, automobile accidents, hazardous waste spills, and more, our members courageously answer the call of duty at all times. When the people of Orange County need us mostâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;oftentimes on their very worst day, we are there for them and ready to provide lifesaving assistance. This book is dedicated to the selfless Firefighters and Paramedics of the OCPFA who serve on the front lines and risk their lives to save others. On behalf of the entire Executive Board of Local 3631, we thank you for your service and recommit ourselves to protecting you and your families as you protect the people of Orange County. It is truly my honor to be an Orange County Firefighter and to represent the men and women of the finest fire department in the nation. Sincerely,

Baryic Hunter President Orange County Professional Firefighters Association IAFF Local 3631

CALLS FOR SERVICE

150,000

141,858

140,000

136,934 130,713

130,000 117,100

120,000 112,333

110,000

104,735

100,000 90,000

85,652

86,539

85,787

2007

2008

2009

87,519

87,978

2010

2011

80,000 2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

NO. OF FIREFIGHTERS 808

2007

841

862

863

2008

2009

2010

2011

1010

1011

1020

1023

1034

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

CALLS

STATS 108,347

EMS

1.8 Million Residents Served

Fire

2,385

Service Calls

7,794

Cities And Unincorporated Communities

Hazmat

1,306

571

169

Ruptures Good Intent

14,246

Miscellaneous

1,154

False Alarms

6,457

Total Incident Calls

141,858

Total Working Fires Total Civilian Fire Injuries Total Civilian Fire Fatalities Total Firefighter Fire Injuries Total Property Loss In $

Square Miles

505 Emergency Calls Averaged Per Day

175,000 Acres Of Wildland

97.3% Approval Rating

2,385 57 6 18 $53,562,936

DUMP TRUCK RESCUE January 18 LAKE FOREST - A worker had his arm severely damaged when it became trapped in the back of his dump truck tailgate. It took approximately 40 minutes to extricate him with the help of the OCFA Heavy Technical Urban Search and Rescue Team. Firefighters were sent to the 20700 block of Linear Lane around 9:15AM and freed the man in just under an hour.

OCFA

HELICOPTER RESCUE February 2 ORANGE - OCFA Air Operations responded to assist the City of Orange Fire Department with a rescue in Santiago Oaks Regional Park.

TRUCK REFUSE FIRE February 14 TUSTIN - At approximately 9:03AM OCFA Firefighters responded to reports of a refuse fire in the area of 1382 Bell Avenue. Crews arriving on scene found a CR&R recycling truck with smoke and fire showing from the trash receptacle to the rear and instructed the driver to dump the load in a nearby parking lot. Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the blaze.

Miles Madison/Klick Photos

SUSPECTED ARSON HOUSE FIRE March 2 SANTA ANA - Firefighters responded to a two-story residence engulfed in flames on the corner of Olive Street and Washington Avenue. 30 Firefighters worked for over an hour to extinguish the blaze.

OCFA

Miles Madison/Klick Photos

GARAGE FIRE March 10 RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA OCFA Firefighters responded to the 40 block of Via Encanto Avenue to a home with a garage well-involved in flames. 26 Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze with no injuries reported at the scene.

OCFA

Miles Madison/Klick Photos

MOTOR HOME FIRE March 10 MIDWAY CITY - At 10:05PM Firefighters were dispatched to reports of a motor home fire at 15061 Van Buren Street, adjacent to Fire Station No. 25. Units arriving on the scene found a well-involved mobile home and worked to extinguish the fire within 20 minutes.

Miles Madison/Klick Photos

HOUSE FIRE March 11 SANTA ANA - At 3:09AM, crews were dispatched to a residential structure fire at 2214 West San Lorenzo Avenue. Units arriving on scene found a two-story, detached single-family dwelling with a working structure fire in the garage and began fire suppression operations. Firefighters, including some from the Fountain Valley Fire Department, were able to contain the flames to the garage and quickly extinguish the blaze.

ACADEMY 43 GRADUATION March 15 IRVINE - The OCFA graduated 34 recruits from the OCFA Regional Fire Operations & Training Center, adding critical Firefighters to stations across Orange County. The recruits completed a 16-week training to prepare them for a successful career with the OCFA.

OCFA

HIKER AIRLIFTED NEAR UPPER BORREGO WASH April 5 WHITING RANCH - An OCFA Helicopter airlifted a patient with a medical condition to safety from a hiking trail near Upper Borrego Wash.

OCFA

HOUSE FIRE April 9 RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA Just before 7:00PM, the garage of a two-story home on Orchid Street went up in flames. Firefighters arrived within six minutes and confined the fire to the garage. No injuries were reported.

OCFA

AIRLIFT IN DANA POINT HARBOR April 15 DANA POINT - A man who fell and injured himself on the Dana Point Harbor jetty was airlifted to a nearby hospital. At around 1:15PM the man fell approximately 600 feet out on the jetty breakwater and injured his shoulder and arm. Paramedics treated him and an OCFA helicopter hoisted him from the scene.

TOP 10 BUSIEST ENGINE COMPANIES

TOP 10 BUSIEST TRUCK COMPANIES

ENGINE

RESPONSES

TRUCK

RESPONSES

E22

4,454

PMT 76

2,456

E75

4,217

T22

2,275

E222

4,211

PMT 75

2,258

E19

3,789

PMT59

1,825

E21

3,354

PMT 71

1,763

E66

3,317

PMT49

1,529

E46

3,230

T61

1,380

E64

3,177

1,244

E71

3,024

T64

1,193

E48

3,165

1,144

OCFA

FUEL TRUCK FIRE May 23 IRVINE - A 2,000-gallon diesel fuel truck caught fire inside the Bowerman Landfill emitting large clouds of black smoke. Six Engines were at the scene around 7:15PM. Crews were able to put out the blaze in about 10 minutes.

CLIFF RESCUE May 27 DANA POINT - A man and a woman were seriously injured when they fell from a gazebo on the edge of a 300-foot cliff above Dana Point Harbor around 9:00PM. Firefighters performed a complex rescue lift to save the two individuals.

CONDO FIRE May 31

Miles Madison/Klick Photos

IRVINE - At 11:33PM, OCFA Firefighters responded to reports of a structure fire at 14 Snowberry Drive. Crews arriving on scene found a two-story, attached condominium with smoke and fire showing from the garage and initiated an aggressive attack to contain the blaze. Approximately 20 Firefighters extinguished the blaze within 15 minutes. Sadly, several families were displaced due to the fire.

Miles Madison/Klick Photos

2-ALARM COMMERCIAL FIRE June 2 IRVINE - At 4:00AM, the OCFA responded to reports of a structure fire at the Seafood City Supermarket in the 2100 block of Barranca Parkway. Crews arriving on scene found heavy smoke showing from the roof of a large strip mall and began operations to suppress the blaze. The fire was ultimately contained and extinguished within 15 minutes. OCFA Hazardous Materials Crews and the Orange County Health Department were on hand to assist with ground operations.

Miles Madison/Klick Photos

TECHNICAL RESCUE June 2 IRVINE - OCFA Firefighters were dispatched to rescue a worker who had fallen in a trench alongside the 133 Toll Road. Firefighters were able to safely extract the man and transport him to an area hospital. OCFA

WILDLIFE RESCUE June 28 SANTA ANA - Firefighters responded to a request for a wildlife rescue to retrieve four ducklings who had fallen down a storm drain at 3401 West Sunflower Street. The ducklings were reunited with their mother and relocated to a safe place.

Miles Madison/Klick Photos

OCFA

CRISTIANITOS FIRE June 28 SAN CLEMENTE - A brush fire straddling Camp Pendleton and San Clemente charred more than 760 acres. The Cristianitos Fire began around 6:15PM near Cristianitos Road and west of San Clemente's Richard T. Steed Memorial Park. More than 200 Firefighters attacked the flames from the air and on the ground and were able to achieve full containment two days later.

OCFA

ACADEMY 44 GRADUATION June 28 IRVINE -The OCFA graduated 24 recruits from the OCFA Regional Fire Operations & Training Center, adding critical Firefighters to stations across Orange County. The recruits completed a 14-week training to prepare them for a successful career with the OCFA.

OCFA

OC Register

PLANE CRASHES ON 405 FREEWAY June 30 IRVINE - A small, twin-engine plane crash-landed on the I-405 Freeway during rush hour and erupted into flames. Two passengers were able to escape the blaze and the pilot was pulled from the cockpit by an off-duty Firefighter. Dozens of Firefighters from the OCFA responded and were able to douse the blaze within minutes.

MULTIPLE CAR FIRES July 2 SEAL BEACH - Firefighters responded to multiple car fires at Leisure World Seal Beach. Seven vehicles and a golf cart were destroyed.

OC Register

OCFA

BRUSH FIRE AT CAMP PENDLETON July 11 CAMP PENDLETON - A vegetation fire that erupted on the Camp Pendleton Base was 100 percent contained after burning 152 acres. OCFA crews responded to the fire around 4:00PM and at that point, the blaze charred a little more than five acres just east of Cristianitos Road. The blaze was contained in just over 4 hours. OCFA

Miles Madison/Klick Photos

VEHICLE FIRE July 12

GARAGE FIRE July 18

IRVINE - At 2:58AM, Firefighters responded to reports of a traffic collision near the intersection of Trabuco Road and Visions Road. A SUV collided with a pole and was well-involved with fire. The flames were knocked down within 10 minutes.

BUENA PARK - A fire broke out and caused a large amount of damage to a garage in the 7400 block of Apache Drive. Firefighters were called at 11:48PM and were able to extinguish the blaze within about 15 minutes, keeping the flames from spreading to the main part of the house.

OnScene.TV

MOTORCYCLE FIRE ON 5 FREEWAY July 18

HOUSE FIRE DISPLACES FAMILY July 19

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO - OCFA Firefighters swiftly responded to a motorcycle engulfed in flames near the Camino Capistrano exit of the 5 Freeway. Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the blaze.

STANTON - 24 Firefighters were called to a home in the 10300 block of Courtright Road at 10:04PM. The garage fire was smothered 15 minutes after it began but caused enough damage to displace a family of seven. Fortunately, no injuries were reported and the family was offered housing assistance from the American Red Cross.

OCFA

URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE OCFA Firefighters Assist In Hurricane Harvey Rescue Effort August 26 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; September 2 HOUSTON, TX - The 45-member California Task Force 5 was one of the first six national Urban Search and Rescue teams to be deployed in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Crews used two aluminum flat-bottom boats and two rubber inflatables to perform over 1,000 rescues during their 14-day deployment to Houston. California Task Force 5 has the ability to perform wide area searches, render medical care, perform rescues in static or swift water, and assess hazardous materials situations. OCFA

OCFA

CAR CRASHES INTO HOME August 25

OCFA

LAKE FOREST - A motorist escaped with non-life-threatening injuries when his electric Tesla vehicle crashed into a home, igniting a garage fire in the 21200 block of Countryside Drive. Firefighters were dispatched at 6:17PM to the residence and had the fire under control in about an hour.

VEHICLE FIRE August 31 LAGUNA HILLS - OCFA Firefighters responded to a vehicle fire that ignited nearby brush off of Laguna Canyon Road. The fire was quickly extinguished and further spreading was prevented.

BRUSH FIRE OFF TOLL ROAD 73 September 2 NEWPORT BEACH - A brush fire broke out near the toll plaza of the southbound San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor, Toll Road 73, around 3:30PM. Approximately 80 Firefighters were on the scene from the OCFA, Newport Beach, and Laguna Beach departments. By 5:00PM, the fire was reported under control after having burned over 30 acres.

OCFA

CPF

HONORING THE FALLEN Local Firefighter Made The Ultimate Sacrifice Protecting Orange County September 16 COLORADO - Firefighter Ron Castro joined the professional fire service with a commitment to put his life on the line to keep Orange County safe. Now his name has been added to the IAFF Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial in Colorado Springs, Colorado, along with thousands of others Firefighters who have died in the line of duty. Firefighter Ron Castro succumbed to job-related cancer on November 30, 2016. A veteran of the Vietnam War, Ron Castro served for four decades as a Firefighter. CPF

OCFA

CANYON FIRE 1 September 25 October 2 CORONA - Scorching over 2,660 acres across the Orange-Riverside County line between Anaheim and Corona, Canyon Fire 1 damaged six structures and, at its height, threatened about 1,900 homes. A total of 925 Firefighters were deployed from multiple agencies to protect 500 homes in the fireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s path near the 91 Freeway. OCFA

OCFA

CANYON FIRE 2 October 9-17 ANAHEIM HILLS - Thousands of Firefighters from agencies all over California joined OCFA to battle the quick-moving flames that burnt over 9,200 acres. With over 3,500 structures threatened and massive evacuations across multiple cities, this was the largest fire Orange County has seen in nearly a decade. It took over 1,600 Firefighters more than one week to contain the massive blaze which destroyed 25 structures and damaged 55 others. OC Register

CANYON FIRE 2 STATS

9,217

Acres Burned

3,500

Structures Threatened

Structures Damaged

Structures Destroyed

Injuries

255

Fire Engines

Hand Crews

Fixed-Wing Air-Craft And Helicopters

Dozers

1,660

Firefighters On Site

OC Register

5-ACRE BRUSH FIRE October 25 BREA - A brush fire on Carbon Canyon Road was quelled at five acres after a quick response from multiple fire agencies. Two water-dropping helicopters and approximately 95 Firefighters from the OCFA, Brea, Fullerton, and Anaheim were able to extinguish the blaze in one hour and prevent it from spreading.

OCFA

HORSE RESCUE November 9 YORBA LINDA - OCFA Crews rescued a horse after it became spooked and slid down into a deep ditch, where it became entangled. The horse was found face down in thick brush and shrubbery. After cutting the vegetation, rescuers were able to bridle the horse and pull it out of the ditch to safety. Fortunately, the horse only suffered superficial injuries.

ORANGE COUNTY FALLEN FIREFIGHTERS MEMORIAL December 4

OCFA

SANTA ANA - Hosted by the OCFA, Orange County Fire Chiefs, and the Orange County Fire Services Association, this annual event pays tribute to the men and women who sacrificed their lives protecting the communities they serve. Since 1995, the OC Firefighter Memorial Event has been held at the Orange County Fire Service Monument and is dedicated to every fire department and organization in Orange County. OCFA

OCFA

MUTUAL AID Firefighting Teams Sent To Ventura And Los Angeles Counties To Battle Multiple Large Fires December 4 - January 12 VENTURA - The OCFA deployed a Strike Teams consisting of 22 OCFA Firefighters to assist with the Thomas Fire in Ventura County. Additionally, the OCFA sent Strike Teams to the Creek Fire and the Rye Fire burning simultaneously in Southern California. Firefighters from several locations in the region battled fires that were spurred by dry and windy conditions. In Ventura County, the Thomas Fire burned more than 50,000 acres on the outskirts of Los Angeles County, while the Creek Fire enveloped more than 11,000 acres north of downtown Los Angeles. Another fire in the Los Angeles County, dubbed the Rye Fire, cut through 5,000 acres near the City of Santa Clarita.

OCFA

DEADLY BUSINESS COMPLEX FIRE December 6 SANTA ANA - Flames shot through the roof of a Santa Ana business complex as a five-alarm fire destroyed the two-story building and nearby vehicles. The fire was reported around 9:00PM in the 1500 block of Edinger Avenue. Firefighters arrived to the scene to witness flames coming through the roof of the building, which housed 16 units. 90 Firefighters worked on scene for just over two hours to put out the blaze. Sadly, a 67-year-old man was found dead inside the building.

OCFA

OC Register

OnScene.TV

OC Register

2-ALARM RECYCLING PLANT FIRE December 6 SANTA ANA - Fire Crews battled a blaze at a recycling firm that came dangerously close to a neighboring industrial-gas manufacturing facility. The fire was sparked at about 9:45AM at OC Recycling located in the 1600 block of East Edinger Avenue. Firefighters worked quickly to knock it down as flames burned through cardboard and plastic recyclables. Firefighters were able to prevent the blaze from spreading.

OC Register

ACADEMY 45 GRADUATION December 20 IRVINE - The OCFA graduated 36 recruits from the OCFA Regional Fire Operations & Training Center, adding critical Firefighters to stations across Orange County. The recruits completed a 16-week training to prepare them for a successful career with the OCFA.

OCFA

RECOGNITION Orange County Firefighters Local 3631 would like to give special thanks to our contributors, including the Orange County Fire Authority, Orange County Register, OnScene.TV, and Miles Madison of Klick Photos for their support in making this book.

ORANGE COUNTY PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION IAFF LOCAL 3631 EXECUTIVE BOARD President Baryic Hunter Vice-President Ryan Bishop

Vice-President Tim Steging

Director Reid Gibson

Treasurer Sean Lowry

Director Daniel Gonzales

Secretary John Cloughen

Director Matt Schuetz

PAC Director R. Todd Baldridge

Director Joe Sinclair

Paid for by Orange County Professional Firefighters Association, IAFF Local 3631. Not printed at taxpayer expense. Miles Madison/Klick Photos

OC Register