Inmate Firefighter Frank Anaya, 22, died while battling a brush fire near Lakeside, California after a chainsaw hit one of the main arteries in his leg

A Firefighter died in the Line of Duty yesterday from injuries sustained with a chainsaw while battling a brush fire near Lakeside, California. 

A chainsaw hit one of the main arteries in his leg, leading to the death of Firefighter Frank Anaya, an inmate Firefighter in the Line of Duty.

Firefighter Anaya, 22, was working to extinguish a brush fire on July 5, when his leg was severely cut. Other Firefighters at the scene immediately performed advanced life support care and performed CPR. 

He was rushed to a hospital where he underwent multiple surgeries, but succumbed to his injuries at 0430 hours yesterday.

Firefighter Anaya began working in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation fires service program in September 2016. There are about 3,900 volunteer inmates functioning as Firefighters housed in 43 conservation camps operated by CDCR, Cal Fire and the LA County Fire Department. 

The inmate fire crews work in groups of 12 to 17 members. They often work in rugged back country conditions, using hand tools to cut containment lines and stop the spread of wildfires. Our condolences to all those affected. Rest In Peace. 





=================



LAKESIDE, CA – A member of an inmate firefighting crew, whose leg and femoral artery were cut while he was working to extinguish a brush fire in the Lakeside area last week, died Tuesday of his injuries.

Frank Anaya was injured while using a chain saw to clear away vegetation at the site of the blaze off Los Coches Road on the afternoon of July 5, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and Cal Fire.

The 22-year-old firefighter, who underwent multiple surgeries, succumbed to his injuries about 4:30 Tuesday morning, according to the CDCR.

"We are saddened by the death of Frank Anaya, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends," CDCR Secretary Scott Kernan said. Anaya provided an invaluable public service and helped protect our communities from devastating fires."

Anaya was assigned to the La Cima Conservation Camp while serving a three-year sentence.
============

Frank Anaya

Inmate Firefighter Frank Anaya was treated on scene and taken to the hospital in critical condition on July 5, 2017, after suffering a chainsaw injury to the leg while working a fire near Lakeside, California. Fire crews were clearing brush and working with air crews to successfully defend a threatened mobile home park when the injury occurred. Despite all efforts by medical personnel, Inmate Firefighter Anaya passed away on July 11, 2017. 

Incident Location: Vicinity of Interstate 8-Business and Los Coches Road (U.S. National Grid: 11S NS 0884 3270)

Department Information

CAL FIRE
PO Box 944246, 1416 9th Street
U.S. National Grid: 10S FH 3093 7079
Sacramento, California 94244-2460
Chief: Director Ken Pimlott

Fatality status is provisional and may change as USFA contacts State Fire Marshals to verify fatality incident information.

Age:	22
Rank:	Inmate Firefighter
Classification:	Wildland Part-Time
Incident date:	Jul 5, 2017 13:30
Date of death:	Jul 11, 2017
Cause of death:	Other
Nature of death:	Trauma
Activity type:	Advance Hose Lines/Fire Attack (includes Wildland)
Emergency duty:	Yes
Duty type:	On-Scene Non-Fire
Fixed property use:	Outdoor Property

Fire Captain John Kemper of the Saint Louis, MO Fire Department died from heart attack while battling a structure fire during the early morning hours of July 5th — a fire that was believed to have been caused by illegal fireworks

ST LOUIS FIREFIGHTER DIES IN THE LINE OF DUTY

MEDICAL EMERGENCY AT STRUCTURE FIRE

We regret to pass on the Line of Duty Death of Fire Captain John Kemper of the Saint Louis (Missouri) Fire Department.

Captain Kemper suffered what was thought to be a shoulder injury while battling a structure fire during the early morning hours of July 5th — a fire that was believed to have been caused by illegal fireworks. Upon evaluation at an emergency department, it was determined that he was actually suffering a heart attack, and he was taken to surgery.

Captain Kemper was 1 of 4 Saint Louis firefighters transported during a 12-hour period for injuries sustained while fighting numerous fires suspected of being a result of illegal fireworks.

Captain Kemper died at his home one week later from apparent complications of the heart attack. He was 59 years old and had served the citizens of Saint Louis for over 24 years. He is survived by his wife and adult daughter.

Funeral arrangements are pending. Our condolences to all those affected by this loss. Rest In Peace.

He looks like another overweight firefighter.  The stress of fighting the fire and heavy weight will eventually bring a toll on his heart- RIP.






================




4th of July fireworks cause dozens of injuries in St. Louis area, keeping EMS busy

By Allison Colburn, Erin Heffernan and Nassim Benchaabane St. Louis Post-Dispatch
July 5, 2017


ST. LOUIS, MO • This Fourth of July holiday left four firefighters injured, at least 13 buildings ablaze and a church congregation reeling after a fireworks show gone wrong.

As happens every year, the holiday delivered a round of chaos.

Over a 24-hour period, the St. Louis Fire Department received 335 calls for fires and 270 medical calls, Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson said at a Wednesday press conference. An average day produces between 200 and 225 calls for fires and 225 EMS calls.

Jenkerson said the department was prepared to be busy, but this year seemed to be worse than usual. The totals did not include emergency calls to Fair St. Louis in Forest Park, where EMS received 114 calls over a three-day period.

Especially concerning, Jenkerson said, was that four firefighters received burn injuries while putting out fireworks-related fires. As of Wednesday afternoon, one firefighter was still in the hospital in serious condition. The injuries were not life-threatening.

Jenkerson did not release the identities of the injured firefighters. He said he expects they will not be able to return to work for about six to eight weeks.

“This costs the city taxpayers a tremendous amount of resources,” Jenkerson said. “Those resources cost money, so it’s something we probably need to look at in a different way and come out a little stronger on the restrictions.”
Chaos at church display

Meanwhile, in St. Charles, a church fireworks show quickly became a terrifying scene Tuesday after a firework exploded on the ground, injuring two children, according to the St. Charles fire department.

Fire crews responded to reports of the explosion at a private show about 9:20 p.m. at Bogey Hills Baptist Church at 1721 Treetop Drive.

A large fireworks display misfired, igniting the entire cache of fireworks on site, fire officials say.

One child was taken to a hospital with burns, and parents of another reported injuries to 911, the fire department said.

Chelsae Oelze, of O’Fallon, was in the front row with her family for the show before the explosion.

“I went running with my 2-year-old in my arms and everyone else went running and screaming, grabbing children,” Oelze said.

Oelze said a chair and blanket near where she was sitting caught on fire in the chain reaction of explosions.

The fireworks display was a private show so there were no regulations or permits required in St. Charles, according to the fire department.
Accidents cause injuries

Several people were injured due to two fireworks accidents Tuesday night in Jefferson County, said Ron Harder with the Rock Community Fire Protection District. Three of those injured were taken to hospitals.

One of the victims was a man who lost several fingers when a firework he was holding in his hand went off in the 1100 block of Northward Trails Drive in Imperial, Harder said. The instructions required the firework to be put in a tube before being lit.

An elderly woman and a man were taken to a hospital after an accident about 9:30 p.m. at the Elks Lodge at 1515 Miller Road near Arnold.

A firework planted in the ground apparently tipped over after it had been lit, showering a large crowd of people with sparks, he said. The elderly woman had a burn on her hand and the man was injured in one of his eyes.

Several others were treated at the scene for minor injuries.

The lodge did not need a permit for the small size of fireworks they were shooting, Harder said. Fireworks are legal in Jefferson County, but Harder says every year amateur fireworks enthusiasts are hurt in accidents that could be avoided.

“Please, leave them to the professionals,” he said. “If you do have fireworks, please read the instructions fully, and make sure they’re shot in an organized, orderly fashion with adult supervision in a wide open area.”
‘Just stop’


Don't play with fireworks or you'll get burned
St. Louis Post-Dispatch




Fireworks are illegal in St. Louis city, unincorporated St. Louis County and in some municipalities, but easy access to fireworks stands in nearby counties where they are legal compounds the problem. Using them in city limits could result in a $500 fine or up to 90 days in jail.

In the month around July Fourth, an average of 250 people a day in the U.S. visit the emergency room with fireworks-related injuries, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

From Saturday to Tuesday, St. Louis-area hospitals under SSM Health treated 32 fireworks-related injuries, said SSM spokesman Jason Merrill. A spokeswoman for Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Kara Price Shannon, said the hospital has received six patients with injuries caused by fireworks since Friday.

Jenkerson said the fire department was still responding to fireworks emergencies Wednesday, and he thinks there will be many more calls over the next several days.

“I’m asking people to just stop,” Jenkerson said. “You can’t be doing this.”

15 children suffered minor injuries in a school bus accident in Moorestown, in Burlington County, New Jersey

About 15 children suffered minor injuries in a school bus accident Wednesday afternoon in Moorestown, in Burlington County, New Jersey, police said.

The accident, which involved a car, occurred just after 3 p.m. on westbound Route 38 west of South Church Street in Moorestown, police said. The 5 children complaining of pain were transported to area hospitals to be evaluated, police said.

The highway was cleared for traffic in both directions around 4:30 p.m.


The cause of the accident is under investigation.



================



MOORESTOWN, NJ — A school bus accident on Route 38 left multiple children with minor injuries on Wednesday afternoon, police said.

"Approximately 15 children with complaint(s) of minor pain being transported to area hospitals to be evaluated," a police statement read.

An update from the police said 22 children were taken to area hospitals and 36 other children were transported back to the unnamed school.

The accident occurred about 4 p.m. in the westbound lanes of the highway near South Church Street. It involved a school bus and another vehicle. Police said the other driver was not injured.

By 4:30, both lanes were reopened to traffic after the vehicles involved were moved to the side of the road. The police cautioned drivers to be alert since first responders were at the scene.

No further details about the accident were available.

Five school buses caught fire while parked in a bus depot in Brooklyn

MILL BASIN, Brooklyn (WABC) --

Five school buses caught fire while parked in a bus depot in Brooklyn early Thursday.

Firefighters responded to Seth Transportation yard on Strickland Avenue in the Mill Basin section to find the school buses smoking just after 3 a.m.

The fires on the buses, which were parked in the yard, were quickly put out and no injuries were reported.

The bus yard was closed at the time.

The cause is under investigation.



============



Several school buses were burned to a crisp at a bus depot in Brooklyn, firefighters said.

Just after 3 a.m. on Strickland Avenue in Mill Basin, firefighters were called to a bus company for the report of the buses burning, fire crews said.

At least six buses were destroyed in the fire. Nobody was injured, according to firefighters.

It was not immediately clear what sparked the blaze.

CAL/OSHA cited Anaplex Corp. and Aerocraft Heat Treating Co. for violations after inspectors said employees exposed to harmful material were not provided with proper safety equipment, procedures or other resources.

PARAMOUNT, CA -  California’s workplace safety agency has cited and fined two metal-processing companies at the center of this city’s pollution crisis , accusing them of placing the health of dozens of workers at risk.

The Division of Occupational Safety and Health cited Anaplex Corp. and Aerocraft Heat Treating Co. for violations after inspectors said employees exposed to harmful material were not provided with proper safety equipment, procedures or other resources.

The companies manufacture aerospace and industrial parts.

Anaplex is employee-owned. Company officials are appealing the violations issued in May, contending workers weren’t exposed to harmful chemical levels and that the company has a long, solid safety record.

“We were surprised at the Cal/OSHA investigation, which we believe is an example of unwarranted government overreach,” the statement said. “Cal/OSHA has refused to turn over test results and has cited Anaplex for what would ordinarily be general safety and health violations.”

Cal/OSHA fined Anaplex $78,250 for nine violations, including failure to provide workers with splash goggles, insufficient ventilation near paint booths and inadequate eye-wash and shower stations near plating and aluminum-processing operations. Inspectors noted that some of the violations were corrected during their inspection.

A representative of Aerocraft, owned by Berkshire Hathaway, could not be immediately reached. But Aerocraft General Manager Greg Stonick told KPCC-FM (89.3) radio that the company is working cooperatively with the agency to resolve concerns.

Cal/OSHA fined Aerocraft $30,135 for five violations, including failing to test a ventilation system meant to prevent workers from harmful exposure to dust, leaving unsecured a tank filled with hazardous materials, failing to create a plan for employees exposed to high-decibel noise, lack of certification for some truck operators and exposing workers to “a fall of approximately 10 feet into mineral oil.”

Collectively, the companies employ about 120 people in Paramount and have been under scrutiny since last year, when the South Coast Air Quality Management District linked the facilities to the release of dangerous levels of hexavalent chromium, a substance known to cause cancer.

The revelations sparked protests from residents and criticism from local leaders, many of whom raised concern about workers.

Earlier this year, several residents filed a class-action lawsuit against seven metal-related companies in Paramount, including Anaplex and Oregon-based Precision Castparts Corp., the parent company of Carlton Forge Works, Aerocraft and Press Forge.


PCC supplies parts for Airbus, Rolls Royce and Boeing. Last year, PCC was acquired by Berkshire Hathaway for $37.2 billion.

Both companies have been intermittently shut down after violating an air-district order to curb their emission of chromium-6.

Magdalena Guillen, who runs the Facebook page Paramount Coalition Against Toxins said Anaplex is trying to play the victim.

“It’s just more of the same,” she said. “They claim to be very concerned about the community and worker but the evidence says otherwise. We would like them to consider the employees and the community.”