Matt Tuchow: Firefighters in the Avenues

When the Sept. 11 tragedy occurred, the world watched in horror, but this horror was tempered by the humanity and heroism of New York's firefighters and public servants. This column highlights our firefighters in the Richmond District and relays their fire safety tips.

A kitchen fire quickly escalates out of control. A young child begins having seizures. An elderly couple fall asleep with a candle burning which ignites their carpet. A teenager falls into the ocean hiking on a cliff at Land's End. Clutter in the basement of a home close to a water heater ignites as the unsuspecting family above sleeps. A strange white powder is enclosed within an envelope. In each of these cases, our firefighters are the ones on the front lines, often the first to respond.

The Fire Department responds to fires, medical emergencies and hazardous material situations. In the Richmond District, the Battalion Headquarters is located on 12th Avenue near Geary Boulevard. The station serves as the Richmond District's Command Center during a major emergency and has a rescue captain and an Advanced Live Support Engine (with paramedic on board). Two other firehouses are located in the Richmond, located at 41st Avenue and Geary Boulevard and at 26th Avenue and Geary Boulevard. The station on 26th Avenue has the most equipment and responds most frequently to fires).

Fire Chief Patrick Casserly, a 22-year veteran of the Fire Department and fire chief at the Richmond District Station, points out that a fire fatality occurred in a house on Second Avenue last year. Pots of water were found at the fire scene indicating the occupants may have tried to extinguish the fire themselves.

In July of this year, in conducting search and rescue operations at a fire on Seventh Avenue, the Fire Department found a mother and baby unconscious. Since again there were pots of water on the scene, the occupants may have attempted to extinguish the fire.

Casserly states that we should learn from these tragedies and when a fire breaks out, first get all people out of the building - do not to stay inside fighting the fire. A fire can change quickly and overcome you, sometimes flashing into a bigger fire without warning.

Casserly also points out that the biggest fire hazards in our neighborhood are the absence of smoke detectors, clutter, candles and metal safety bars.

His advice is to:

1) Install smoke detectors. Don't sleep with your door closed unless you have a smoke detector in that room. Change the batteries in your smoke detectors each time you adjust your clocks for daylight savings time.

2) Clean out your basement. Good housekeeping is good fire safety. Casserly warns that too many basements in the Richmond are cluttered with flammables in dangerous proximity to water heaters, furnaces and vents.

3) Be extremely careful when burning candles. Never leave candles burning when you are sleeping. Casserly warns that candles are particularly dangerous near Christmas trees.

4) Metal safety bars should have emergency release mechanisms. Metal security bars may provide security against intruders, but they also make it much more difficult for firefighters to reach you in an emergency. If you ever are in a fire emergency be sure to tell firefighters immediately if anyone is still inside the building.

Many of the Fire Department's dispatches relate to medical emergencies, such as heart attacks, seizures, trauma and vehicle accidents. When you phone 911 regarding a medical emergency, chances are the fire department will be the first ones to arrive, even in advance of an ambulance.

Many firefighters are trained in emergency medical assistance. Casserly's advice is to call 911 for advice first in case of a medical emergency if you are uncertain what to do next.

Unique to the westside of San Francisco is the Fire Department's coastal rescue unit. The unit is expert in rescuing people in or near the ocean's rugged coastline. Too often, people try to climb up or down our district's steep hazardous cliffs, and fall or simply get stuck at a point where they need to be rescued. These firefighters are skilled in rope repelling, surf rescue and they are strong swimmers.

Casserly's advice is to use common sense when hiking along the cliffs at Land's End and do not swim at Ocean Beach and Baker Beach. Strong currents can pull you out into the ocean where the water is extremely cold. In the past few years, a number of people have drowned at Baker Beach. At least four to five times a month our rescue unit must respond to distress calls along our coast.

Since Sept. 11, our neighborhood firefighters have responded to numerous calls about suspicious white powders. Err on the side of caution but use good judgment when calling 911.

On one occasion, Richmond firefighters were called about a white powder on a kitchen counter. When they arrived they noticed a bag of flour a foot away.

To respond to terrorism, our firefighters are receiving additional training to respond to bombs and biological terror.

Chief Casserly has another tip - if you ever need to call 911, try to avoid calling on a cell phone if possible. Cell phone calls are routed to Vallejo to the California Highway Patrol. If you do need to call by cell phone, be prepared to give your city, street address and cross streets, or phone 558-3268 on your cell phone to reach the San Francisco fire dispatch center to report a fire emergency.

The San Francisco Fire Fighters hold a toy drive every holiday season for needy children. You can donate toys at any fire station and if you know of children that are in need of toys, their parents or guardians can fill out a form at any fire station. The Laurel Village merchants (on California Street between Spruce and Laurel streets) will be collecting donated toys to support the fire fighter toy drive until Dec. 15 and will promote the drive with a Holiday Celebration on Dec. 8 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Editor's note: Attorney Matt Tuchow's article begins a new periodic column introducing Richmond residents to local government resources. If you have questions you would like addressed about government services in the Avenues, or would like us to feature a governmental entity in a future column, please mail us a note.