Saturday, April 13, 2013
Firefighters in Howard County this week underwent a series of training exercises.
This week was one of training for Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue firefighters and trainees. On April 10, the department’s special operations team did high wire training off the I-70 bridge at the Howard/Baltimore County line. On April 8, trainees participated in a demolition burn at a wooded property off of College Avenue in Ellicott City. The buildings were donated to the fire department by the property owner, according to Battalion Chief Eric Proctor. The photos above are from the Department’s Facebook page and they document the high-wire training and the controlled demolition burn. See related links: Firefighters Burn Houses in Ellicott City for Training
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Howard County firefighter trainees participated in a controlled burn on Tuesday in Ellicott City.
Clouds of smoke billowed from two buildings in Ellicott City Tuesday morning as firefighters worked hoses to control the flames. At times the fire was large, but nothing too out of control. The event was a training exercise for the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services. In all, three buildings were burnt down by HCFDRS as part of a training exercise for new recruits. Watch the video above to see a demolition burn, in which firefighters ensure flames don't spread as a house burns itself to the ground. The buildings were donated to the fire department by the property owner, according to Battalion Chief Eric Proctor. Related Articles Expect Smoke, Commotion in Ellicott City This Week Video of the Day: A Training Fire in …
Monday, March 18, 2013
Captain Dale Becker was recently recognized as a top 10 innovator in the field of EMS for his new, streamlined approach to rescue operations.
Captain Dale Becker remembers the first time he went on a call that required cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). “I was just kind of freaked out by it,” he said with a laugh. Becker was 17, volunteering in Sykesville and he said, “I wasn’t interested in touching the guy.” How things have changed. Becker, a captain and emergency medical services (EMS) supervisor with the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services, was recently recognized by the Journal of Emergency Medical Services (JEMS) as one of the "EMS 10," one of the top 10 innovators in EMS who drove the profession forward in 2012, for his new, streamlined approach to CPR practices. He is just one of 10 professionals recognized out of a pool of 100. “That just blows me …
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
'It was simultaneously awesome, scary and nerve-racking at the same time,' said the Columbia father who delivered his daughter early Tuesday morning.
At 3 a.m. on Election Day, when most big questions in America were still undecided, a Columbia family confronted what may have been the biggest surprise of all—their daughter. Around 2:45 a.m. on Tuesday, Joseph Duperre was awoken by his wife Brittany, who told him she was going into labor and needed to go to the hospital. "I was incredibly surprised, there were no signs she was going into heavy labor," said Joseph. He grabbed the bag the couple had packed, put it in the car, but when he came back, Brittany told him she didn't think she was going to make it to the hospital. So he called 911. The dispatcher instructed him to tell her how to sit, and soon the baby began to emerge. "I'm freaking out and also have an adrenaline rush," said …
Monday, October 8, 2012
The Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services dedicated the county's 12th station on Monday morning.
Local officials dedicated Howard County's 12th fire station at a small ceremony on Monday morning. The 10,000-square-foot, $3.8 million fire station will service western Howard County and will employ 41 firefighters. The Glenwood station is the first entirely new station to be built in the county since 1994, according to the fire department. The station caused some controversy earlier this year when the County Council voted to raise the fire tax from 13.55 cents per $100 of assessed value in the eastern part of the county and 11.55 cents in the western part, to a unified tax of 17.6 cents, which will help pay for the new station's expenses. The additional tax is expected to generate $63.1 million in Fiscal Year 2012 and $78.1 million in …
Friday, October 5, 2012
It's getting cold, but before you use your fireplace check out these tips to avoid a disaster.
Temperatures are dropping quickly around Maryland, making this week a perfect opportunity to use your fireplace for the first time this fall. But using the fireplace for the first time after the summer puts you at a risk for an accidental fire, so we asked Jackie Cutler, spokesperson for the Howard County Fire Department (HCDFRS), about what residents can do to make sure their fireplaces and wood stoves are fire-safe. Here's 12 tips provided by Cutler: Protect the Outside of Your Home Sign up for the Columbia Patch newsletter here and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for instant news updates and community conversations.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Firefighters were able to put out a small fire at a house before serious damage was done.
A small fire in a kitchen trash can at a home near the 7000 block of Sandalfoot Way was extinguished by firefighters after residents called 911 when their carbon monoxide detector began sounding on Tuesday evening. Fire officials reported the homeowner had thrown stain-soaked rags into the kitchen trash can the previous evening. The oily rags were the likely cause of the fire, according to a spokesperson for the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services. Fire officials reminded residents to properly dispose of oily rags to prevent the possibility of spontaneous combustion. "In this case, the resident was lucky that the fire was caught so quickly," wrote Marc Fischer, a spokesperson for the fire department, "but the results …
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Tractor-trailer spilled after midnight Thursday.
An exit ramp off I-95 near Elkridge was closed for approximately six hours Thursday morning after sugar and fuel spilled from a tractor-trailer, according to highway and fire officials. Firefighters were called to I-95 north at the exit ramp to Route 100 west around midnight for an overturned tractor-trailer, reported Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services (HCDFRS). The driver had gotten out of the vehicle before first responders arrived and was not injured, according to a statement from the fire department. Special operations teams worked until approximately 1:40 a.m. to clear the scene, where the truck's 40,000-pound load of sugar and more than 60 gallons of diesel fuel were leaking onto the roadway, said officials. …
Lisa Rossi
1:48 pm on Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Wow, lots of smoke and flames there. Very interesting to see how the firefighters use this as training! more ›