 |
Web Hosting by Netfirms | Free Domain Names by Netfirms |
|
|
|
THREE VEHICLE MVA SEND
THREE PEOPLE TO HOSPITAL
|
Tilton, NL Robert Lynch, The Harbour Grace Volunteer Fire Brigade The Harbour Grace Volunteer Fire Brigade were dispatched to the scene of a three vehicle Motor Vehicle Accident on the Tilton Barrens at 11:23 p.m. on Monday September 23rd 2003. Acting on a call for assistance from Moores Ambulance Services the Brigade responded with their Rescue Vehicle Unit #2, promptly followed by Pumpers #4 & #5: units #3 and #6; 4 officers and a full crew of firefighters.
|
Upon arrival at the scene firefighters found a late model Chevrolet Cavalier resting on the side of the highway. Approximately 500 feet away and about 100 feet off the highway rescuers found another vehicle. A late model Mazda Protege had gone through the woods and had landed on its drivers side with the lone occupant trapped inside. A third vehicle involved in the accident was not damaged as the driver managed to swerve to avoid the Protege as it approached. The driver of the Protege had to be extricated from her vehicle. The initial rescue team walked through the woods to reach the Vehicle. A path was then cut through the brush enabling additional rescuers access to the scene. Firefighters stabilized the vehicle and performed a Roof Roll Down to open the Vehicle enough to provide entry for firefighters and Paramedics. |
The driver was then secured to a backboard and placed in the Brigade’s Stokes Basket. Brigade members then carried her to an awaiting ambulance. The driver was taken to Carbonear General Hospital where her injuries were addressed. The two passengers in the Cavalier were also taken to Carbonear General Hospital for observation and were later released.
Chief Paul Snow said “The rescue and extrication presented some unusual and unique challenges for our rescue team and firefighters. However firefighters and ambulance attendants worked diligently to complete a successful extrication.
|
HARBOUR GRACE VOLUNTEER
FIRE BRIGADE
FIRST AID-CPR-- OXYGEN THERAPY COURSE
Photo Courtesy Ray Verge
Seated Firefighters Paul Sullivan, Pete Butt, Robert Lynch, Dave Regular, Eric Hunt, Darryl Sheppard.
Center row; Firefighters Charlie Archibald, Pat Hearn, Wade Luffman, Cory Lang, Charlie Rogers, Stephen Sullivan, Christopher Noseworthy, David Green.
Back Row Firefighters, Lee Rogers, Jamie Pike, Doug Taylor, Keith Skinner, Alf Dove, Rick Davis, Bill Ryan and Chief Paul Snow.
|
The Harbour Grace Volunteer Fire Brigade membership attended a First Aid-CPR course on Saturday April 05 and Sunday April 06th, 2003. The 22 members of the brigade were instructed by Chief Paul Snow and Assistant Chief Jim Barnes. The course covered selected chapters from the St John Ambulance-- First on the Scene --First Aid Manual. Those studied was the Compulsory Exercises Chapters including Emergency Scene Management, Shock, Chocking Adult Unconsciousness and Fainting, and Severe bleeding. Added to those amongst others was chapters dealing with Bone and Joint injuries, Chest Injuries, Multiple Casualty Management, Eye Injuries, Burns and Poisons. Chapters on Infant, Child, and Adult resuscitation were covered in-depth. Cardiovascular Emergencies and One and two Rescuer CPR Adult were also covered throughly. Instructors provided the practice devises known as Actars for the firefighters to practice Child and Adult CPR Baby Chocking and CPR was practised on a life-sized Manakin. |
The membership completed the two day session and a 75 question written exam was taken by all present to determined each individual’s passing mark On Tuesday, April 09, 2003 the membership used their regular training night, extended by approximately 2 hours, to complete the Oxygen Therapy Course. Firefighters were instructed by the Chief and the Assistant Chief and accompanied by members of Young’s Ambulance Service, Crew Chief/Ambulance Attendant Ray Verge and Ambulance Manager Jason McCarthy. The training session showed the proper devises to be used and when to use them. The firefighters were schooled in the use of several Oxygen Administration devises. |
The Nasal Cannula, Venturi Mask, Bag Vale Mask as well as the uses of the 3 in 1 Mask were demonstrated and practised . Firefighters were also instructed in Oxygen Cylinders, there Size, Height and Capacity as well as the Pin Index Safety System used on the E and D size cylinders. This was followed by a 50 question exam, again, to determine each firefighters passing mark. Chief Paul Snow said “I continue to be very impressed with the membership. The interest shown over these three sessions and the participation in the learning process by these volunteers greatly enhances the Brigade’s ability to better serve the citizen trusted to our care. I would also like to acknowledge the value of the equipment, demonstrations and instruction provided by Young’s Ambulance Service Attendants.”
|
MAN DIES OF NATURAL CAUSES
AFTER BEING RESCUED
Harbour Grace South, NL
Robert Lynch
The Harbour Grace Volunteer Fire Brigade
|
Larry Noseworthy age 43, has been identified as the Harbour Grace man who died
after being rescued from an area known locally as The Feather Point. The office
of the province’s Chief Medical Officer investigated the incident and concluded
the death was the result of natural causes. The Harbour Grace Volunteer Fire Brigade were called to The Feather Point Pasture on the Town’s Southside at 12:00 midnight Wednesday September 25th, 2003. A call for assistance was relayed to the dispatcher by the RCMP. The RCMP were on the scene at the absolute tip of the pasture called the “Haypook” in their 4x4 and requested assistance in transporting a male whom had become ill and was now in an awkward position amongst the rocks at the tip of the Feather Point pasture. The Brigade dispatched their Rescue Vehicle Unit #2 along with Units #3 and #6: The Chief and his own 4x4, 2 officers and 15 firefighters. A crew of 8 firefighters and pumpers #4 and #5 remained in town in case of a second call. The rescuers joined the Carbonear General Hospital Ambulance at the end of the pavement on the Southside and set up a staging area some 4 or 5 kilometres away from the actual scene. The chief’s 4x4, Units #6 and #2 along with firefighters then proceeded to the Feather Point Pasture. After carefully manoeuvring several vehicles down the rough road, rescuers realized the conditions would not permit them to go any further with vehicles and decided to continue the rescue on foot. The second staging area was now set up in the Pasture’s Animal Holding Pen. Rescuers carrying a varity of medical supplies, including Back boards, Stokes Baskets and Oxygen Tanks were accompanied by an RCMP Officer and the Medical Staff from Carbonear General Hospital. The entire rescue team began what was now approximately a 3 kilometre trek east towards the tip of the pasture. The RCMP’s 4x4 was driven back from the scene towards the rescuers as they meet rescuers and equipment were then transported to the scene by the RCMP vehicle. Also, using Firefighters and area residents quadrunners as many as 4 quads were made available to the rescuers and were being utilized in transporting as needed. |
The Canadian Coast Guard Vessel Bernier was tied up for maintenance at Dawe’s
Welding and Son’s Marine Center in the port town. Fire Chief Paul Snow radioed
to the fire hall to explore the possibilities of the Bernier’s Fast Rescue Craft
being available to come and assist at the scene. As it turned out the Coast
Guard vessel had only a maintenance crew on board, given the time line, and the
lack of an experienced crew to man the Fast Rescue Craft it was decided that
this option was not viable. Upon arrival at the scene rescuers stabilized the victim, placed him on a back board, and after securing him in the Stokes Basket carried him to the RCMP 4x4 where he was promptly transported to the awaiting ambulance. The casualty was transported to Carbonear General Hospital and then on to the Health Science Center in St. John’s. It was at the Health Science Center in the evening of the 25th that he died of natural causes. Chief Snow Said “The task before us presented its obstacles and was only completed because all agencies involved the RCMP, Ambulance Crew: Carbonear General Hospital: the Crew of the Bernier: the area residents and the Harbour Grace Volunteer Fire Brigade members worked diligently to ensure that it was a successful rescue.” |
SUSPICIOUS FIRE RAZES HISTORIC STRUCTURE
|
Harbour Grace, NL Robert Lynch The Harbour Grace Volunteer Fire Brigade
While the cause of a fire that destroyed a Harbour Grace Landmark on Friday November 22nd, 2003 is still under investigation an arsonist at work appears to be the most likely culprit. Investigators from The Office of the Fire Commissioner and the RCMP have determined that the fire started at the front of the building in the South West bedroom and spread throughout the premises from there. The fire deemed suspicious in nature gutted Ridley Hall a building known locally as the old Cable Station, a fire that when extinguished left only the shell of the stone structure standing in the Town’s Heritage district. The Harbour Grace Volunteer Fire Brigade dispatch received a call for assistance From Brigade Lifetime Member Mr. Charles Garland. Mr. Garland’s son Derrick was driving on Harvey Street and noticed the smoke, thinking it was in the vicinity of his father’s house he quickly drove to Water Street. Across the street from his father residence he found Ridley Hall ablaze and alerted his father who placed the call at 11:37 p.m..
The Brigade responded with their front run pumper #4 and pumper #5: the rescue van, 4 officers and a full compliment of firefighters, as well as members of the Brigade’s Junior Brigade. Upon arrival at the scene firefighters could see heavy smoke billowing in the air made easily visible by the flames as they lit up the midnight sky. Being a stone structure, windows and doors could be easily seen as the inferno inside consumed anything that would burn. Shortly after the Brigade’s arrival the entire roof of the structure caved into the building. The two large chimney’s and the gable ends of the stone structure stood at each end with a fully involved fire between them. |
Pumper #4 and the initial attack team were set up on Water
Street in front of the building. Pumper #5 set up a supply
line from the nearest hydrant West at the corner of Water Street and Beach
Hill. Chief Paul Snow radioed back to dispatch requesting a call to
the Carbonear Volunteer Fire Department for assistance. Being unable to
gain access to the burning building firefighters attacked the blaze with 1
½ lines from ground level. Also, using the pumper’s Turret Nozzle
firefighters applied a master stream to the collapsed roof area.
The Carbonear Volunteer Department’s pumper arrived and were sent to a Hydrant at the Corner of Harvey Street and Kerry Lane to supply water to firefighters conducting an attack at the Harvey Street side of the building. Although still unable to conduct an interior attack, firefighters were now able to continue their attack on the blaze from all sides of the structure.
During mop-up operations in the building three members of the Harbour Grace Brigade were stood on a section of flooring that gave way. One firefighter stepped on to more secure area another reached a window and the third firefighter who was manning a hose line twisted his back in the mishap. Firefighters remained on the scene through the evening and into Saturday. Members of The Harbour Grace Brigade returned later on Saturday and again on Sunday to extinguish “Hot Spots’ which continued to flare up. Ridley Hall was built in 1834 and served as the residence for Thomas Ridley. Over its first 60 years of existence it served as a residence for the town’s most prominent citizens. During the 1930 and 1950 it served as a Cable Station a name by which most townspeople know it today. At its peak Ridley Hall was the centre of most of the social, political, and economic activities in this historic community. It was a common practice for ships sailing into the port town to salute Ridley Hall as they sailed past. A former Harbour Grace resident now living in Alberta, had purchased the premises with plans to refurbish the site to its previous splendour. Mrs. Jean Flanagan (Pierce) said “The premises was purchased as a long term project for the family. Our intention was to return home during the summer months and complete a room by room restoration of the historic Site”. Chief Snow said “This fire in the abandoned historic structure is a great loss to the community. Upon our arrival the fire was very well progressed telling us that it had been burning for some time. We were forced to a defensive attack on the structure also because the fire had progressed to far for any sort of an interior attack” Harbour Grace Tourism Coordinator Mrs. Daphne Mercer said “ Ridley Hall was located in our Heritage District, to see it destroyed by fire was devastating. This building has as much, if not more, history than any other building in the entire province”. |
