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| For more information about anything presented in these media releases, please contact AFD Public Affairs: |
| Phone: 267-4999 |
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Mayor Opens Landfill And Wood Lot To Address Fallen Trees
Early Snow and Winter Wind Leaves Path of Debris
After an earlier than usual snowfall and high winds throughout the Anchorage bowl, Mayor Mark Begich today announced an emergency temporary opening of wood lots to address the excess of fallen trees and branches in Anchorage and Eagle River neighborhoods.
“Homeowners on the Anchorage Hillside have reported as many as 100 spruce trees downed on a one acre lot and it’s important that we address the problems caused by the wind storm,” said Mayor Begich. “By reopening area wood lots, we can help residents clear their lots and reduce the potential for greater fire danger next summer.”
“Very often the trees that fall down over the winter are out of sight and out of mind, but they still create a problem in the spring. The number of deadfalls from this storm have made a routine springtime fire threat infinitely worse,” said Fire Chief Craig Goodrich.
The Anchorage Wood Lot is located at C Street and 100th Avenue and will open Saturday morning at 9 a.m. with daily operations from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. and remain open through Sunday, October 19. The lot will then close for the remainder of the winter. The charge is $8 per pickup load or $6 per yard.
The Eagle River Lot at the Anchorage Regional Landfill will open Saturday morning at 8 a.m. It is closed on Sunday, but will open again on Monday, October 13 at 8 a.m., It will remain open daily from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. until October 18 and is free to the public. Guidelines for disposal are same as those in place for the wood lot this summer.
Anchorage Fire Department and American Heart Association CEO Breakfast
The Anchorage Fire Department and the American Heart Association have joined forces to promote a city-wide CPR initiative called The Big Wild Heart of Anchorage. This Friday, October 10, a CEO breakfast will kick off this initiative at the The Hotel Captain Cook, Endeavor Room, 7:00am – 8:30am.
The Big Wild Heart of Anchorage is a community-based CPR training program designed to increase the number of citizens trained to respond to a cardiac event; thus improving the outcome of sudden cardiac arrests. Those who learn CPR can be trained in as little as 30 minutes on realistic mannequins, and can take an online course to earn a credentialed card that meets most OSHA requirements for the workplace. Since most cardiac events occur in the home; the workplace is the ideal place to increase lay citizen training, because the likelihood of performing CPR will be on someone you know and love.
At the breakfast, Ed Lamb, CEO for Alaska Regional Hospital, Michael Levy, MD, and Craig Goodrich, Anchorage Fire Chief, will speak with community leaders to increase awareness of the initiative and its importance to improving sudden cardiac arrest outcomes in Anchorage. These community leaders will be encouraged to support employer based CPR training, with a goal to train their entire workforce over the next 10 years. Guests include Carol Comeau, ASD Superintendent, Former Governor Wally Hickel, and Beverly Wooley, Director of the Division of Public Health with the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services. Two Anchorage stories of survival will be told with awards being presented to three lay rescuers who were involved in the lives saved.
For more information or a list of attendees, please contact Suzanne Sands,
American Heart Association Director of Government Affairs and State Health Alliances
(907) 727-2969
Anchorage Fire Department Press Release
10.03.08
Station 12 Addition Groundbreaking
Mayor Mark Begich and Fire Chief Craig Goodrich invite you to the groundbreaking of the new addition to Fire Station 12 at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, October 6. Station 12 is located at 7920 Homer Drive and serves Midtown and South Anchorage. This busy firehouse has responded to a total of 2,118 emergency calls between January 1 and October 1, 2008. Of those calls, 1,423 resulted in hospital transport by Medic 12, accounting for 11 percent of all Anchorage Fire Department medical transports.
This extensive remodel of Station 12 consists of the design and construction of a new, two-story 2,172 SF ambulance bay and three firefighter dorm rooms. This remodel will provide much needed sleeping quarters and additional office space for firefighters. The emergency generator system has also been upgraded thanks to a $250,000 state grant, resulting in improvements to the back-up power system for Station 12 and the AFD Communications Center where 911 calls are taken and emergency responders are dispatched. Also part of the remodel includes additional parking and landscape improvements, resulting in improved protection of Little Campbell Creek.
“These much needed improvements to one of the busiest fire stations in Anchorage will improve both the working conditions of our firefighters and protection of nearby wetlands,” Mayor Begich said. “The construction at Station 12 and the upcoming Anchorage Fire Training Center project have been made possible thanks to voter-approved bonds in conjunction with funding from the state.”
Mayor Begich will also highlight plans for the upcoming Airport Heights Fire Training Center project.This project consists of the construction of a new 20,702 SF Practical Application Building and improvements to the existing fire rescue tower and classroom building.
For more information on this event, please contact Jennifer Klugh Collins at 317-9929.
4018 Scenic View Drive
At 01:58 on Friday, October 3, Anchorage Fire Department received a call reporting smoke and fire visible on the second story of this single residential home. Twelve units were dispatched to this location. Engine 14 was the first in engine calling a working fire with the roof 50% involved. Engine 14 quickly pulled a fast attack and the second in engine staged at the hydrant.
The roof and ceiling will need to be replaced estimating damages approximately $75,000.00. The cause of the fire was believed to be from unattended smoking outside on the deck. There were no injuries reported, but two adults and two children have been displaced. Red Cross assisted in finding a place for this family to stay.
Two Perish When Cessna Crashes Near Merrill Field
At approximately 11:40 am on Wednesday, October 1, AFD Communications received a 911 call reporting a small aircraft had struck a building and then crashed near 9th & Orca Street, which borders Merrill Field. The caller stated the small Cessna was on the ground and engulfed in flames. When first Anchorage Fire Department crews from Stations 1 and 4 arrived, firefighters worked quickly to extinguish the flames while avoiding the snapped power lines surrounding the wreckage. The building sustained structural damage but did not catch fire.
Two passengers perished in the crash. Witnesses report the Cessna departed from runway 25, which runs east to west. The plane made an abrupt dip towards the south and then collided with the vacant building. There were no injuries to bystanders on the ground. The investigation is now being conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board and any further updates on the crash itself will be released through their agency. The names of those who perished are being withheld until next of kin has been notified.
Fire Destroys Trailer
An early morning fire destroyed a trailer in the Dimond Estates Trailer Court at 1200 W. Dimond Blvd. Fire Department Dispatchers received multiple 911 calls around 12:50 a.m. reporting a single family trailer with flames visible. Twelve units were dispatched moments later.
Engine 12 from the station located near the Dimond and Seward Hwy juncture was first on location confirming the front half of the trailer heavily involved. Engine 12 initiated a fast attack using defensive tactics. Truck 12 from the same station arrived moments later and began assisting with a search of the structure from the rear of the trailer. As fire units arrived they aided the Station 12 crew with a water supply, securing utilities, and related fire ground operations. The fire was brought under control in less than 15 minutes.
During overhaul operations fire officers determined the origin to be suspicious in nature and requested an investigator to respond. The cause and exact origin of the fire remains under investigation. Damage estimates will likely exceed $50K.
The occupant(s) of the trailer were not home when the fire broke out, and have not been contacted at the time of this report. Fire officers noted there were no working smoke detectors in the trailer. There were no fire ground injuries or casualties, and there were not pets in the trailer. Red Cross assistance was not requested.
3209 Peterkin Avenue
Anchorage Fire Department received a 911 call at approximately 4:33 a.m. from a resident at 3209 Peterkin Avenue. The caller reported there was fire visible outside their unit.
12 units were dispatched to the location. The first Engine company on scene advised of a working fire and started a fast attack. A few residents of the 3 story 6-plex were rescued from the complex; however, no injuries were reported.
Units on scene advised that the apartment fire started on the 1st floor area. A Fire Investigator responded to the scene. The fire is currently under further investigation, and there are no damage estimates at this time.
Discarded Cigarette Causes Fire
9-15-2008
Contact Battalion Chief Tom Kempton 317-7233
A cigarette that was carelessly discarded in a flower pot caused an early morning house fire at 7070 Cheryl Street in South Anchorage at 7:30 Am this morning.
An alert neighbor called 911 after seeing flames on the front deck of a house next door. Firefighters found the melted remains of a planter and a hole burned through the wooden deck with heat damage to the front facing home exterior and front window. Damage was estimated at approx. $1000.00.
The fire department responds to a number of these type of fires each year, some have caused extensive damage to homes and several apartment units have been lost when a flower pot holding organic soil smolders and then erupts in flame.
Flower pots typically are not filled with dirt but with organic soils containing moss and other materials that will continue to smolder for hours and sometimes days even in very cold temperatures. It is like having a very hot peat fire on your deck.
Flower pots should never be used as an ashtray or to stub out cigarettes, Use a metallic container filled with sand, water or other non-combustible materials.
September 11th Memorial Recognition
Home Depot Giving Back to the Community
The Anchorage Home Depot Store on Tudor Road has generously donated a new kitchen, two bathrooms and a new breakroom area to Fire Station 12 located at 1301 E 80th.
Home Depot employees and the Home Depot Corporation wanted to give back to the Fire and Emergency Medical Services responders within the Anchorage community.
They selected Fire Station 12 for their community project.
A special ribbon cutting ceremony in honor of September 11th will take place at Fire Station 12 at 1:00 PM on September 11th.
The Fire Chief and MOA officials will be in attendance. In addition the response crews assigned to Station 12 will be making an appreciation presentation to Home Depot.
The public is invited to attend.
For Immediate Release
For Additional Information contact:
Bridget Bushue
317-7239
Commerical Structure Fire
9-7-2008
Contact Battalion Chief Tom Kempton 317-7233
Reports of smoke in the area of 100th and King Sreet sent units from the Anchorage Fire Department to investigate shortly before 5:00 AM today.
A 911 caller reported smoke and Engine 12 from the Dimond Blvd. area station responded to check out the report. Engine 12 discovered smoke coming from Northern Powerline Constructors at 775 E 100th Ave. A full response of 12 units was then sent and Engine 12 reported a heavy smoke charged atmosphere as they made entry into the building. Other arriving units set up a water supply and opened other access doors and eventually cut ventilation holes in large overhead gargage doors to clear the smoke from the business.
The fire was contained to the shop area of this business and the cause of the fire appears to be insulation too close to a heater in the ceiling of the shop area at the rear of the business. Several roof framing members were burned through adjacent to a ceiling space heater.
No damage assessment is available this morning. There were no injuries. Units of the Anchorage Fire Department were on location mopping up until about 9 AM this morning.
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