Boston MA 8 Alarms Southie 12/3/13

[mack]

BFD has 8 alarm fire in industrial buildings in South Boston. 

 

[firstdue]

BFD has 8 alarm fire in industrial buildings in South Boston.

Commercial (office) building, 5-story, brick, 100x150. Heavy fire on multiple floors. External ops/surround and drown ATT. Box #711.

Response at 4:29am to 327-333 Summer St near a South Station for a building fire. Smoke showing on arrival.

5 story brick office building under renovation. Heavy fire on first floor and spreading. 2nd alarm ordered.

They had heavy fire showing on floor 1&2 out 5 windows; 3rd alarm ordered.

Fire has blown out of windows floors 1-3. 7th alarm ordered. No reported injuries at this time.

Evacuations sirens sounded. Heavy fire. Repositioning apparatus. Deck guns now in use. Collapse Zone being established.

8th alarm ordered.

Chief of Department Hasson now in command. Multiple deck guns, blitz guns and ladder pipes in operation.

Building was occupied with cleaners but BFD had to force open front doors. Cleaners got out back door.

As of 7 am: Fire darkening down, still have some moderate fire. Several hot spots on multiple floors. Still defensive ops from outside.

As of 9 am: No reported injuries. Fire Investigators have been on scene since to early stages of the fire. Unable to access building yet. Chief of Department estimates damage at $2,000,000.00 Cause under investigation. Smoke still pushing out floors 2-3.

Update at 10am: still have fire on the 2-3 floors. Fire is hard to reach from outside. Expect to be pouring water on it well into afternoon. This area of Summer St. still closed, D Street to South Station.

11:50 hrs: Still have fire visible at the 3rd floor level in the rear. Engine 2 hitting it from adjacent garage operating on level 3

14:32 hrs: Chief has ordered a 2-engine, 2-ladders detail along with a District Chief to Summer St. to continue to check for hot spots

 

[mikeindabronx]

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2013/12/03/boston-firefighters-battle-alarm-blaze/C7dumhIZnMxVNktJ15rhSK/story.html



http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/boston/10012376209840/crews-battle-8-alarm-fire-in-south-boston/

 

[fdny1075k]

Sounds like a great job by Boston's Jakes!

District 6, Box 711: Summer St. & "A" St., Fort Point, Southie. Fire reported at 327 Summer St. A lot of factory buildings like this in this neighborhood. Not too far from the Fire Museum.

04:35hrs. - Tower Ladder 3 reporting smoke showing from the 5th floor of a 5-story brick commercial.

04:37hrs. - 2nd Alarm struck b/o of Car 6(District 6)

04:38hrs. - C6(Division 1) assuming Summer St. Command.

04:41hrs. - Car 3(District 3-R.I.T.) o/s.

04:44hrs. - 3rd Alarm struck b/o of C6(Division 1).

04:50hrs. - 4th Alarm struck b/o of C6(Division 1).

04:56hrs. - 5th Alarm struck b/o of C6(Division 1).

04:57hrs. - 6th and 7th Alarms struck b/o of C6(Division 1).

05:21hrs. - 8th Alarm struck b/o of C6(Division 1).

Box 711 Assignment:

Engine 10, Engine 39, Engine 2, Engine 4(R.I.T.)
Tower Ladder 3, Ladder 18, Ladder 1(R.I.T.)
Rescue 1
Car 6(District 6-Ops.), Car 3(District 3-R.I.T.)
C6(Division 1)
H1(Safety Chief)
W25(Rehab. Unit)

2-711(2nd Alarm) Assignment:

Engine 3, Engine 17, Engine 8
Ladder 19, Ladder 4
Car 4(District 4), Car 7(District 7-Accountability)
H2(Special Unit)
W12(Air Unit)

 

[firstdue]

5, 6, & 7 alarms were ordered within 1 minute

 

[fdny1075k]

One of the reasons why Boston FD goes up to 9 Alarms on their run cards, is because each alarm after a 2nd only brings 2 Engines and a Ladder. For a while, the BFD used the 5 Alarm system like the FDNY, which brought 4 & 2 on each alarm level up to a 5th or General
Alarm. Therefore, a 8th or 9th Alarm in Boston would be equivalent to maybe a 4th Alarm in New York City or Chicago.

 

[grumpy grizzly]

This is really in response to the MetroFire 9 alarm running card. After x alarm it is 2 engines and an x truck on certain upgrades. It seems like 99.9 calls for central station alarms, water flow calls are false, but jeez, first due must have said, this is .1 for the real deal. Back in the day, lots of multiples in this area. BFD jakes made a great stop!

 

[mack]

Thanks first due.  Good progress reports.  9 alarm system offers much more flexibility.  Chiefs can get increments of 2 and 1.  9 alarms equivalent to old 5th alarm.

 

[mack]

Nice that BFD has COD who takes command at major fires and incidents unlike previous outside hired chief.

 

[grumpy grizzly]

Why do we space the alarms. March 9, 1950. Automatic signal 222-37-8 found a building fully involved @Congress  and Federal St. Response order was 0228, 0300, 0302, 0307, and 0309. The Congress Street Fire.

 

[Ret Phila Lieut]

Just some info as far as Philly goes. Run cards go to 12 alarms. After the box assignment (4 engines, 2 ladders) ladders only assigned to first 4 alarms unless asked for by FG commander.  After that 4 engines on each additional alarm. Phila does not assign an additional alarm for FG relief as I beleive FDNY does. I know this thread is concerning Boston,,just throwing it in.

 

[mikeindabronx]

Thanks for the Philly info Lt.

 

[firstdue]

Thanks first due.  Good progress reports.  9 alarm system offers much more flexibility.  Chiefs can get increments of 2 and 1.  9 alarms equivalent to old 5th alarm.

No problem mack

 

[grumpy grizzly]

Info from one is info for all. Thanx!

 

[mack]

8 alarms BFD response:

Total 19 Engine Companies 7 Ladder Companies, 1 Rescue**, (and Marine Unit In Div 1),Special Unit, Air Supply Unit (W-12), Field Com/Tac Com, Rehab Unit (W-25), Safety District Chief (H-1), 2nd Alarm District Chief, Network District Chief, Rit District Chief, Deputy Chief, Chief of Department, Public Information Officer (Includes any Units Responding On 7th Alarm)

**In Div 1 Rescue 1, In Div 2 Rescue 2,

BFD response pattern:

http://www.angelfire.com/ma4/emba/resp.html

 

[grumpy grizzly]

There is audio and some video on this job on YouTube!