This morning at 0752HRS, The Highland Park Volunteer Fire Department was called to 227 Raritan Ave. to assist the First Aid Squad with removing a resident from the basement of the residence. The resident, while leaving their apartment on the second floor, had fallen through the stairs into the basement. The firefighters on scene, led by Chief Littman, assisted the Squad with removing the resident by utilizing a backboard and rope rigging. They safely removed the resident thro…ugh Bilco doors in the front of the building. The resident was then transported to a local hospital. After that, the firefighters were made aware of more residents on the second floor that could not leave the apartment because of the collapse of the stairwell. The firefighters utilized ground ladders to remove the rest of the residents from the windows. Another great job by the firefighters of Station 37!

Fire Engines carry a variety of hoses to fight fire. Many of the hoses are “preconnected” – they are connected directly into discharges from the engine’s pump to get water on to a fire. During an emergency the driver of the engine and those in command must take into account what hoses they are carrying, where the emergency is occurring and how to position the engine to effectively and safely deploy hoses.

What happens if a preconnect is too short to reach a building, room, etc. despite engine placement?

For the April, 2015 Departmental Drill the Highland Park Volunteer Fire Department trained on just this scenario. Firefighters worked repeatedly deploying hoses to extend the reach from the engine. Efficiency and speed improved each time through and firefighters were able to work on a variety of skills (hose deployment, hydrant connections, pump operations, handline operations). A great and important drill – thanks for everyone who showed up and worked hard.