The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Firefighters battle flames – and winter elements
Northeast Ohio winters are notorious for being unforgiving and unpredictable.
However, for firefighters and first responders, battling the elements is part of the job.
Firefighting in the wintertime welcomes a particular set of hazards for first responders in keeping our communities safe.
“Extreme cold, frigid temperatures, frozen hydrants, high winds and hazard conditions with the temperatures,” said Sheffield Township fire Chief Joe Bandagski.
As one of Lorain County’s smaller departments, Bandagski said working with their mutual aid partners is critical in keeping firefighters safe on the job.
Sheffield Township will call in extra help during the winter to enable them to rotate firefighters when dealing with low wind chill in order to protect their firefighters, Bandagski said.
“And fighting fires in -10 (degree) wind chill, sometimes you don’t realize it if you’re just standing still,” he said. “But if you’re moving around, you don’t feel it that much.”
On Jan. 31, Lorain County Coroner Dr. Stephen Evans spoke of the hazards frigid temperatures place on the human body with first responders.
Cold temperatures “wreak havoc” on the heart and lungs with the human body working to sustain its core temperature, Evans said.
“The police department, the fire department, my crew, you’re just out in the cold,” he said. “You’re out there for 15 minutes and you get frostbite on your nose.”
Year-round weather elements come with their own particular complications.
In the summer, firefighters have to deal with heat exhaustion, but Bandagski believes winter fires present unique circumstances unlike any other time of year.
“To me, I think fighting fires in the wintertime is harder than the summertime,” he said. “Sometimes you’ll have frozen lines and frozen hydrants and bad road conditions.”
Procuring water at the scene and protecting first responders and the community is the top priority, Bandagski said.
According to statistics from the National Fire Protection Association, heating, holiday decorations, storms and candles all contribute to an increased risk of fire during the winter months.
Space heaters are involved in two out of every five fires involving heating equipment fires in the peak months of January and February.
Pay attention
Elyria fire Chief Carl Mack said his department discourages the use of space heaters and advises residents to pay attention to heat sources being utilized such as fireplaces and generators.
Mack said winter firefighting operations bring require additional gear to deal with the elements.
“Things that firefighters do in preparation include creating a personal ‘winter bag’ that remains on the truck that contains additional clothing and socks,” Mack said. “We also make sure that they second barrier hood and firefighting gloves.”
Mack alluded to colder
temperatures, rain, snow and higher wind speeds along with concerns about hypothermia to victims and firefighters.
The challenges to firefighting operations is complicated with extreme cold temperatures, he said.
“The extreme cold leads to water freezing during firefighting operations,” Mack said. “Anything that gets wet is prone to freezing.
“That creates challenges with slipping and falling hazards, water freezing to firefighter gear and skin, and possibly even fire trucks. As we arrive on the scene of a fire, there is additional concern of the possibility of a fire hydrant having ice inside, making it non operational.”
Fire engines typically carry about five minutes of water, so getting water from a hydrant quickly is critical in saving property, Mack said.
Snowstorms and streets not being plowed cause additional making it more difficult for firefighters to notice hazards like ditches and ponds, and to reach victims during an emergency.
“The winds are normally much stronger, which can create a blowtorch effect when there is a fire and spread the fire much more quickly. This decreases the time the firefighters may have to rescue occupants and increases fire damage to property,” Mack said.
In preparing for the conditions,
fire departments around the county conduct regular training sessions on various aspects of firefighting.
On Feb. 11, Lorain firefighters conducted ice water rescue training at the Hot Waters Boat Launch in Lorain.
However, there is nothing like the real deal.
“I don’t want to sound stupid, but you don’t (prepare),” Bandagski said. “You just take each fire as they come.”
On Feb. 13, the Elyria Fire Department called in the Lorain County Dive Team following reports of three juveniles in the Black River screaming for help.
In a two and a half hour operation, first responders scanned the shores.
No juveniles were found, but the preparation and coordination in difficult conditions, authorities said.
In the course of the winter season, Lorain County fire departments have responded to numerous structure fires, putting their tolerance of the elements into practice.
In Lorain, a fully engulfed blaze in the 200 block of West 23rd Street near the intersection of Reid Avenue on Jan. 18 destroyed an abandoned home.
In addition, on Nov. 10, 2018, a structure fire destroyed a century old Lorain church at West 17th Street and Reid.