Fort Johnson increases emergency capabilities with new fire station

Story by Angie Thorne January 18, 2024 at 05:22PM FORT JOHNSON, La. — Fort Johnson leadership held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the North Fort Fire Station Jan. 16. Completing the 2.7 million dollar project is a testimony to the efforts of the Fort Johnson Directorate of Public Works, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Aegis Security Insurance Company. The single story, standard design, one-company satellite fire station spans approximately 5,800 square feet. The newly completed station is located on Entrance Road, just west of the existing North Fort Fire Station. The new building is designed to provide first responders with adequate facilities that meet current standards, and improve emergency service response to Fort Johnson and the surrounding areas.  Brig. Gen. David W. Gardner, Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Johnson commanding general, was the guest speaker for the ceremony. Gardner acknowledged the work it took to complete the project and thanked the garrison and Corps of Engineers for their continued efforts to hold the project to high construction standards. “We did the punch list. We got through it and now we have an almost 6,000 square foot facility to finally house our first responders on North Fort appropriately,” Gardner said. He emphasized the personnel who will live and work at the station not only keep Soldiers safe while training, but also help the community outside the gate. “The teamwork and partnership of our firefighters is amazing. They worked along with our 1st Battalion, 5th Aviation Regiment and 46th Engineers, as well as Vernon Parish and the National Guard while fighting the third largest wildfire in the United States for weeks. Through it all, we had no loss of life,” Gardner said. “They deserve this station.” Fort Johnson Fire and Emergency Services chief, David J. Kass, said the new fire station meets all current life, health and safety standards and dramatically improves quality of life for firefighters working 48-hour shifts. It also includes backup power to support all critical power requirements, fire protection and alarm systems and security access control.   “The resulting improvements to quality of life is expected to aid in retaining personnel,” Kass said. “Firefighters can now take great pride in a facility that supports our efforts in keeping the Soldiers and Families of Fort Johnson safe, not to mention the community beyond our gates, as we did this past summer during the historic wildfires in our area.” Interior spaces include:  administrative, residential, training, fitness, laundry areas and more. Capt. Elinda Hollis, lead firefighter, is currently on rotation at the North Fort Fire Station. “The station we have been using is pretty old, so this new station is going to be better for us in many ways including better sleeping quarters, a training area, dayroom, gym and more. It will be a great place to work and relax,” Hollis said. She said people would pass by the old North Fort Fire Station and not even realize what it was unless the bay doors were open. “With the new station, people will actually realize there is a fire station here. I think it will give them better peace of mind to know that we are close in case the worst happens and they need us,” Hollis said. Shane Gremillion, DPW project manager for the North Fort Fire Station, said, “The completion of the fire station is a great achievement for the installation. This new station was needed, and days like this make all the hard work worth the it.” People interested in touring the new fire station should call 337-531-7247.

Structure fire at business near Waverly caused $1.1 million in damage

January 16, 2024 6:33 pm  Joseph McCarty, Nolan Dorn

WAVERLY, Neb. (KLKN) — Multiple agencies responded to a fire near Waverly on Tuesday.
The fire was reported at a business near 112th Street and Waverly Road around 4 p.m., according to Waverly Fire Chief Jared Rains.

Firefighters found a fire in the attic and smoke throughout the building, Rains said.
Then Waverly requested help from other agencies.

“It was kind of kicking our butts a little bit,” Rains told Channel 8. “It got a head start on us.”
Eventually, the roof collapsed, with the fire still burning underneath, he said.

Firefighters were working to remove the collapsed roof to attack the fire.

There was one person on the property at the time of the fire, Rains said, but no one was injured.

The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office said the fire caused about $1.1 million in damage.  The building is considered a total loss.

Crews from Waverly, Malcolm, Raymond, Ceresco, Ashland, Greenwood, Eagle, the Southeast Fire & Rescue Department and the Nebraska National Guard responded.

Waverly Road was shut down in the area.

Montana Air National Guard, and Malmstrom Air Force Base. Respond to Cascade County barn fire.

 

Vaughn Fire & Rescue

Several agencies were dispatched to fight a structure fire on Sun Prairie Road early Wednesday morning

By: Brianna Juneau

Posted at 9:01 AM, Jan 18, 2024 and last updated 11:02 AM, Jan 18, 2024

GREAT FALLS — Several agencies were dispatched to fight a structure fire at 170 Sun Prairie Road early on Wednesday, January 17, 2024. It happened at about 4:30 a.m. and firefighters were at the scene for several hours.

Vaughn Fire & Rescue said: “Crews arrived on scene to a fully involved pole barn fire.”
At about 1 p.m., the agency said that it had wrapped up operations at the site.

They noted that, sadly, one horse died as a result of the fire. However, the homeowner managed to rescue five horses.

There were no reported injuries to any people.

Responding firefighting agencies included Vaughn Fire & Rescue, Sun Prairie, Gore Hill, Montana Air National Guard, and Malmstrom Air Force Base.

At this point, there is no word on the suspected cause of the fire.
We will update you if we get more information.

On the Edge of Life and Death

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Ethan Embrey, 35th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, poses in front of a Fire Engine at Misawa Air Base, Japan, Jan. 16, 2024. For his life-saving actions during the COPE North Exercise, Embrey was awarded the Senior Master Sergeant Robert A. McAllister Firefighter Heroism award at the Pacific Air Forces level. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Patrick Boyle)

• Published Jan. 18, 2024
• By Airrman 1st Class Patrick Boyle 
• 35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan --  

The tranquility of the day had been pierced by the screeching of sirens and light from emergency vehicles. First responders had arrived on the scene of a single vehicle accident; the two passengers, one male and one female, were strewn outside a mess of twisted metal and shattered glass. The wreckage stood testament to the uncertainty of life, all can be well in one moment and plunged into chaos the next. Like beacons of hope, the brightly clad first responders quickly approached the passengers with only one goal in mind- the preservation of life. Lives now hanging in the balance, and with time not on their side, the first responders had to act quickly and decisively to avert catastrophe.

Recently Senior Airman Ethan Embrey, 35th Civil Engineering Squadron firefighter, was awarded the Senior Master Sergeant Robert A. McAllister Award for Firefighter Heroism for his life saving actions during the 2023 COPE North exercise at Tinian Island, 2023.

During the exercise Embrey had been assigned to the flightline on Crash Fire Rescue standby. He was not a participant in the exercise, rather he and the other firefighters were there to respond to any incidents and minimize loss of life and equipment.

While assigned to the flightline, Embrey’s truck was approached by an individual crying for help and telling him a vehicle crashed and two people were seriously injured.

“Initially I thought it was a part of the exercise,” said Embrey. “But when she told me that it was real, I hopped out the truck, grabbed my Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK), and headed to the scene.”

When he arrived on scene, Embrey saw the two victims. The male couldn’t feel his legs and appeared to be in the worse shape of the two, leading most of the first responders to pay more attention to him. Embrey decided to help the female after seeing that only one of the security forces members was attending to her.

“I was told to help with the male,” said Embrey. “But I said, ‘I’m going to take care of the girl,’ because only one person was helping her.”

“I told the security forces guard to check from head to waist as I was checking waist down to feet because I saw something protruding from her boot; her bone broke through the skin on her ankle. I was getting ready to splint and package her leg when she said, ‘my stomach hurts.’ She already was expressing an altered mental status so I knew something was wrong.”

Embrey immediately knew what her stomach pain could mean and understood the dire situation she could be in, promptly checking above her waist.

“I saw a black spot on the right of her navel which is the earliest sign of internal bleeding,” said Embrey. “I immediately call in that it's internal bleeding and I tell them to hold the plane, as it was preparing to take off . She has to be on the plane that just landed.”

Now understanding the grave situation the female patient was in, the crew onboard the plane was ordered to halt as Embrey and the other first responders loaded her up on the truck so she could receive the life saving treatment she needed.

“I was standing over her to make sure she didn’t shake on the truck bed,” said Embrey. “While getting her vitals I noted that she had a steady pulse which meant she was now going into hypovolemic shock. It was like a big ice cream scoop took out a chunk of her left thigh and instead of it gushing out it was feeding back into the stomach cavity.”

This latest assessment made it evident that the patient was spiraling. Embrey immediately told the driver to go faster, she couldn’t be away from the plane for much longer.

“I could’ve seen the black spot on her stomach and chalked it up to bruising. I have great leadership and training on the medical side, so I was able to recognize it as internal bleeding. I searched for everything at a rapid pace to make sure I wasn’t missing anything.” 

said Embrey

They had reached the plane and Embrey handed her off to someone with greater medical qualification and gave his assessment of the patient. Embrey’s quick thinking ensured the female patient could reach the plane and give her a fighting chance.

“I was worried whether I did enough or if I provided care fast enough to make sure she made it somewhere that could provide the proper medical care,” concluded Embrey. “After I was notified that she pulled through, I was relieved to say the least.”

Senior Airman Ethan Embrey’s diligent efforts, through all the stress and complications, stand as a lasting reminder of not just a firefighter’s mission, but the mission of all Misawa first responders- to protect lives by doing everything they can.

Damage Controlman 3rd Class Dallas Reilly conducts training.

 

NORFOLK, VA, UNITED STATES
01.04.2024
Photo by Seaman Apprentice Keresea Illenye 
USS WASP (LHD 1)    

NORFOLK (Jan. 4, 2024) Damage Controlman 3rd Class Dallas Reilly conducts training on how to use a RAMFAN 2000 during duty section damage control training in the hangar bay aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), Jan. 4, 2024. Wasp is in Naval Station Norfolk conducting a scheduled continued maintenance availability. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Keresea Illenye)