By John McFarland
Eureka Times Standard
EUREKA, Calif. — With 40-plus years in the fire service, I have attempted to accomplish one thing when dealing with the media: report the positive side of the story along with the doom and destruction that accompanies this profession.
One little request has always been to utilize the word “when” instead of the phrase “by the time” to report conditions found upon arrival of the firefighters. “By the time” indicates lateness and smacks directly in the faces of the men and women who risk their lives to perform those feats that others cannot. This fire story fits that ticket and more.
On Sunday, Dec. 2, there was a significant wind event escalating in the area when Arcata Fire was dispatched to a structure fire on School Road in McKinleyville. This was not the standard fire dispatch -- it included a phrase that gets the attention of anyone within radio range: “A structure fire with people dropping babies and jumping from the windows.” Not good.
Fire units in the field immediately changed their priority and headed to the fire. One responded from Airport Road while another responded from West End Road. All other personnel headed for the stations to staff the remaining fire apparatus. The chiefs went directly to the fire.
Thankfully, the endangered family was rescued by citizen heroes. They are fine after treatment at the hospital and are dealing with their losses. ...
Arcata Fire responded with a combination of over 35 volunteer and career firefighters. Five of those were serving their first shifts as the final wave of new career firefighters recently hired.
The new personnel, apparatus and equipment was produced and delivered as scheduled and within budget, exactly as promised at election time. And they extinguished a fire that the chief predicted they could not due to the high winds. They truly outperformed all expectations. That’s the best it can get.
The focus of criticism is an off-the-wall comment from a neighbor to a reporter, citing a response time of over 20 minutes before the first firefighter arrived. This “one-liner” was totally inaccurate. The 20-plus minute response time estimated by the neighbor officially turned into a factual four minutes and 55 seconds. The response time is documented electronically by the 911 recorder at the police department.
This is an honorable and respectable accomplishment for any fire department, anywhere. It meets National Fire Service standards. It’s truly a shame that one little inaccuracy can incite such condemning and harmful public remarks.
What do firefighters do at a fire that the public has no awareness at all? In this case they spent two hours fighting the fire and salvaging irreplaceable family heirloom photos. They then rounded up the pets and secured them. They then secured the building from the elements and from those who frequently display so little respect for others’ property.
Some of them spent six to eight hours investigating for the cause and origin of the fire, and many additional hours on the required documentation. At the same time the others were washing and reloading hose, filling air cylinders, servicing and fueling the power equipment, cleaning their personal equipment, and washing the trucks. A lunch was provided to them late in the day, with a sandwich and a bottle of water from a local market.
All of them spent this much time. Every time there is a fire they spend this much time. And you should also acknowledge that only five of them were on the payroll. The other 30 are volunteers. They receive no pay at all.
They all gave up a full Sunday for the fire department at their family’s expense. Nothing was accomplished at their own homes. No chores. No Christmas shopping. No kids’ sports. No Christmas trees were decorated and no lights were hung. And, last but not least, the Firefighter’s Toy Drive was canceled for that day. Nothing got done that was originally planned.
So I find it interesting that after they abandon their families at 10 a.m. and don’t return until after dark, they then get to deal with negative comments from the public due to just one little incorrect negative comment made by a neighbor to a reporter.
No one reported that it was the same neighbor standing in the street “when firefighters arrived,” demanding that the first hose line be deployed to protect her fence. ...
Please refrain from jumping to conclusions. If you must condemn the actions of the fire department after receiving the facts, direct your questions and comments to the fire chief. The chief gets paid to put out those other kinds of fires ... those created by misinformation.
John McFarland is currently the fire chief at Arcata Fire Protection District. Over the past 40 years, McFarland has also served as a volunteer with Arcata, retired from a full fire service career with the city of Eureka, and served as chief of Crescent Fire Protection District.
Copyright 2007 Times - Standard
All Rights Reserved