Grabs 14- Fort Dodge, IA (11/17/24)
Name and Rank:
-Kyle Porter Firefighter/Paramedic
Department Name:
-Fort Dodge Fire Rescue
Date of Grab:
11/17/24
Type of Building:
-3 Story Ordinary Construction
-Multifamily Dwelling built in 1895
-22’ wide by 140’ deep
-Approx 5 units not conforming to code
Arrival to Removal:
-3 minutes
Weight of Victim:
-110 pounds
Method of Removal:
-24’ ground ladder with a 14’ roof ladder spliced
-Hooks of the roof ladder were placed into the window. The ledge was wider than
opening on hooks, so those were not hooked into the room.
-I told the victim she was going to have to climb onto the ladder as I had to push the roof
ladder into the 24’ extension and also pull down on the roof ladder to keep it from sliding on the ledge of the window.
-I assisted her in transferring to the extension ladder and stayed behind her while moving to the ground.
-The victim was then able to walk away from the building and head towards ambulance staging.
Show Notes:
1) Prior to my shift beginning at 0700 on 11/16 I came in to work at 0330 for a second alarm on the shift prior to mine for a single family dwelling fire. That fire included extensive overhaul and we did not clear the scene until shift change.
2) At 0220 on 11/17 we were dispatched to an intersection where a police officer reported a structure fire fully engulfed with occupants still inside. We were responding in what we call a “broken play”. We were clearing from a natural gas leak in a restaurant when we were dispatched to the structure fire. Our Incident Commander was the farthest from the structure fire. Our IC normally is first on scene and can give crews a mode of operation/play prior to our arrival with his arrival report.
a) My engine I was assigned to was the first on scene simultaneously with the next engine.
b) The engine I was assigned to operates with duties as a truck would. We were also on a reserve engine that day as the apparatus we normally operate with is out of service for repairs.
c) The road was completely blocked by police squad cars hindering our access to the scene and denied us the ability to get a good view of the structure.
3) When I dismounted the apparatus as the driver, normally I would retrieve my SCBA, Helmet and other needed equipment from an outside compartment. I was met by multiple people in the roadway stating someone was hanging out of a window and that we would need a ladder to get her out. I retrieved the 24’ ladder off of our engine and went to the delta side of the building where the victim was found leaning out of a 3rd story window.
a) Incident command arrived at that time. He mentioned using a 35’ ladder to get the height we needed. I advised him we did not currently have an apparatus on scene that carried a 35’ ladder. At that time the engine company was able to park in front of the building. The IC grabbed the roof ladder while I was talking to the victim from the 24’ ladder. He handed me the roof ladder and I leaned it into the window.
b) With the hooks of the ladder not reaching downward passed the ledge of the window I knew I would be unable to ascend it to help the victim down. I then explained to her that she needed to get on the ladder at that moment as the smoke conditions were getting worse. At that point I was unable to see her from the 24’ ladder. She began to descend the ladder and I assisted her in transferring to the extension ladder and down to the ground.
4) After removing her from the structure I made contact with my Lt. and we knew there was a bed confined occupant on the first floor. We retrieved a cot from an ambulance and went into the structure to remove her. She had no injuries but we had to place her in an ambulance away from the incident. When we loaded her into the ambulance, the victim from the window was requesting medical attention along with an occupant from the same room as her who had self extricated.
a) No other medics were readily available at that moment. I began assessing those two for smoke inhalation and other injuries. A parent showed up on scene at that time and stated she would take care of them and get them to the hospital if needed.
b) When I went to regroup with my crew I was met in the roadway by another occupant of the structure. She stated she was in the unit that was on fire and that she had attempted to put the fire out. Her pant leg was burned and she had 2nd degree burns on her left lower leg. She had heavy amounts of soot on her lips and tongue. I determined she needed emergent transport to the hospital at that time and told IC I would be taking another member with me to transport her.
c) This victim ended up being intubated in the ER and flown by helicopter to the nearest burn center.
d) After transporting her I returned to the scene to complete secondary searches with my crew and perform overhaul operations.
