City Fire

City firefighters will again volunteer their time this year to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association in the annual "Fill the Boot" fundraiser.

Last year, area residents donated more than $7,100 and firefighters this year hope to top $8,000 in donations, which is more than double the state average for fire departments that participate in the campaign.

The fundraiser begins at 9 a.m. and runs until about 1:30 p.m.

Off-duty firefighters will be positioned on Ellicott Street and Main Street in the area of Court Street holding boots to collect donations from passersby.

The campaign is organized by IAFF Local 896 and co-chaired by Local President Greg Ireland and firefighter Jeff Stevens.

Photo: Stevens, left, with firefighters Dan Herberger and Dave Adams.

The Batavia City Fire Department tested the oldest piece of equipment the department owns today -- a Bresnan distributor.

The device is designed to be lowered into a basement that is on fire, but too hot for firefighters to enter. 

Though, as one firefighter explained, if the fire is burning that hot, you wouldn't want firefighters standing on the floor above and making the hole necessary for the hose and nozzle.

It could also be inserted from below into an attic.

However, one firefighter said in the 25 years he's spent with the department, he's not aware of the nozzle ever being used.

The brass nozzle is somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 years old. It was manufactured by Grether Fire Equipment Co., of Dayton Ohio. As near as I can tell from Google searches, the company was in business from the turn of the early 20th Century until 1930, though maybe through at least 1974. The company made a variety of small firefighting devices, such as nozzles and lanterns.

In case it ever is needed, firefighters today wanted to see if it still works and what its water distribution pattern was like.

UPDATE 3:33 p.m.(by Billie): I searched on Google for "Bresnan distributor" and found this from a retired firefighter named Bill Bresnan who is now an artist. The inventor of the device for firefighting in hard-to-reach places was his great-grandpa. Here's what he says:

"My great grandfather, Battalion Chief John J. Bresnan was a truly dedicated man who served in the New York City Fire Department in the 1800s. He was an inventor and among his many inventions was the Bresnan distributor, the hose roller and a harness for the horses that was designed to facilitate faster response times during those days.

He was passionate about making improvements to the fire service and enhancing safety for the citizens.

Sadly, he was killed in a building collapse at a warehouse fire in Manhattan on a freezing cold night in late December of 1894, leaving behind three young children and an entire city who mourned his loss. Little did he know that generations after him would serve the department and the city he loved. My grandfather, father, uncle, brother and two cousins all proudly served in the F.D.N.Y.

It certainly was a privilege to be part of the New York City Fire Department. This is a special brotherhood. I met great men, real heroes who carried themselves in a humble way. I also met great leaders, knowledgeable and aggressive officers of all ranks. Despite all the tragedy I have seen over the years, I am grateful to have witnessed humanity at its best."

Pre-schoolers from the Tuesday-Thursday class at the YMCA enjoyed a field trip to the Batavia Fire Station today, where they learned about what firefighters do, how they dress and what to do in case of a fire, and each child got a chance to spray water from a fire hose.

Seven ducklings lost their mommy on Mother's Day morning. Batavia resident Sarah Grice watched them helplessly as they all walked over a storm drain grate near the Bank of Castile building downtown and fell in. She called city fire and firefighters responded to rescue them.

Firefighters had to remove the grates from four drains on the north side of Main Street and round them up.

The firefighters then search a wide area of downtown looking for mom, but without luck.

Officials at Godfrey's Pond have agreed to take in the ducklings and care for them in one of their pens until they're ready to fly free.

Photos below submitted by Grice.

It will be red, bright, shiny and brand new and it will belong to the City of Batavia.

In a unanimous vote Monday night, the city council approved the purchase of a fire truck built from the ground up by Rosenbauer, a 140-year-old fire apparatus manufacturer based in South Dakota.

The total cost of $342,369 was the lowest of the bids to meet all of the requirements of the fire department, Chief Jim Maxwell told the council.

City Manager Jason Molino noted it's still below the $370,000 built up in reserve over the past three years for a new truck.

The truck, which may carry the designation Engine 11, will replace Engine 14, which was retired due to escalating repair costs to keep it up to standards.

Locally, the Town of Batavia operates a Rosenbauer engine and Rochester recently bought seven engines from the company.

When questioned by Councilman Jim Russell, Maxwell confirmed that the fire department visited with some of the departments running Rosenbauer equipment, as well has other engines, and didn't come across any complaints.

The department expects delivery of the new truck in 120 days.

On the Web: Build your own fire truck on Rosenbauer's site.

Engine 14 is out of service.

The 1989 Pierce Pumper was decommissioned last month and needs to be replaced, according to City of Batavia Fire Chief Jim Maxwell.

Maxwell prepared a memo for the city council to consider with options for replacing the pumper and explaining that the 23-year-old engine has proven increasingly unreliable.

"The unit since my arrival has been undependable when placed into service and has broken down during operations at two significant incidents," Maxwell wrote. "As we neared the end of 2011, it became evident that Engine 14 was not going to last until we took delivery of a new engine."

The city has been preparing for the retirement of Engine 14 and over the past four years has been able to set aside fire equipment reserves of $360,000.

The council will be asked Monday to decide whether to buy a new engine, buy a demonstration unit or buy a used piece of equipment.

City staff is recommending the city try to buy a demonstration unit.

Maxwell, in his memo, presented the pros and cons of each option.

For example, a new unit would be much more expensive, but could be outfitted exactly to city specifications and would come with a warranty.

With a used unit, you never know if you're buying somebody else's problems. There's no warranty. It would have a short life expectancy and would be outfitted to another department's specifications, but would be the least expensive option.

The demo unit is the middle ground -- less expensive than new, might need some equipment changes, but would still be under warranty and would likely be in service longer than used equipment.

When Engine 14 was inspected by Churchville Fire Equipment, inspectors found 51 deficiencies with the truck. Most of them could be fixed at a cost of $15,000 but the engine would still not meet National Fire Protection Association standards.

Until a replacement engine is purchase, the city is using a loaner from the City of Rochester Fire Department.

The department has two other trucks -- Ladder 15 and Engine 12, which go out on almost all city calls. Engine 14 was used for multiple-alarm fires, or when one of the other engines was being repaired or going through preventive maintenance, or when the city's Fast Team was called to the scene of a fire elsewhere in Genesee County.

Dan Herberger is trained to save lives. It's what he's paid to do.

Recently, though, the unassuming nine-year-veteran of the Batavia Fire Department saved a life while on vacation.

Returning with his family from Disney World, Herberger was in the Orlando airport with his parents, wife and children.  

Part of the group wanted hamburgers and fries for dinner, and the rest wanted something a little more substantial.

While Herberger waited in a line with his dad, he noticed a woman by a kiosk collapse.

"The lady just collapsed," Herberger said. "It wasn't a weak-kneed faint. She just went down."

Herberger was among several people who rushed to her side. As he looked at her, he could tell she wasn't breathing. He asked somebody to call 9-1-1 and asked others to try and find a defibrillator.

When he check the woman's artery for a pulse, there was none.

Herberger began CPR.

Right then, a registered nurse emerged from the crowd to assist him.

A short time later the defibrillator arrived. The nurse applied one paddle, Herberger the other. They waited for the machine to give the signal for a shock, and applied it. Then Herberger started chest compressions again. After a minute, he checked for a pulse again, and the defibrillator indicated the woman had regained a strong, steady pulse.

Herberger filled in emergency dispatchers on what he and the nurse did. He said when he was a paramedic for the city, he liked having information about a situation before arriving on scene, so he passed along what he knew.

Within minutes local firefighters were on scene and took control of the situation.

Herberger went back to the business of getting his meal before boarding his flight. He said as he was boarding, the firefighters were still on scene with the woman tending to her. She was on a stretcher with her head slightly elevated, which tells him she was probably doing OK at that point.

He hasn't checked on her condition, he said, because that feels too much like he's trying to take credit.

The local attention isn't something he's sought out, but said, "I made the mistake of telling one of my buddies on an off day."

That led to Chief Jim Maxwell finding out, who wanted to ensure Herberger got some recognition for his swift work to revive the woman.

"It's something anybody else would have done if they had been there," Herberger said. "If I hadn't have been there, somebody else would have done it. That nurse was only 30 seconds behind me. She would have done it."

The City of Batavia Fire Department will be flushing fire hydrants out today until 3 p.m. in the general area south of East Main Street and east of Jackson Street. Homes and businesses nearby will be affected. The rain date for testing is Friday, Sept. 30 from approximately 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

These tests may result in a temporary discoloration of water in that area. As in the past, please do not attempt to wash any clothing if your water appears discolored.

Two young firefighters have joined the City of Batavia department and are undergoing rigorous training on day shifts.

New to the department are Collin Byrne, 23, of Rochester, and Michael Dorgan, 21, of Gates (originally from Brockport).

Byrne is a graduate of John Jay College with a criminal justice degree and Dorgan has a two-year degree from Monroe Community College in fire protection technology. He's enrolled at Empire College where he's pursuing a degree in fire service administration.

"We're both really excited to learn the area and serve the community as best we can," Dorgan said.

Dorgan said firefighting runs in his blood. Both his father and uncle are career firefighters and his grandfather is a lifelong volunteer firefighter.

"I'm excited to be here," Byrne said. "I became a firefighter to do some good, to help people out and because it's an honest living."

Below is a picture from one of their training sessions on Friday. The training was on low-angle basket rescue, which was conducted off South Jackson near the old bridge that crossed the railroad tracks.

Friday's MDA "Fill the Boot" drive sponsored by the IAFF local was an amazing success according to city firefighter Greg Ireland.

Ireland said city firefighters collected $7,156 for "Jerry's Kids."

That tops a record set last year by city firefighters when they raised $5,601.

"We are very grateful to the wonderful people of Batavia and Genesee County who gave to this great charity," Ireland said.

Members of the Batavia City Fire Department are out on Main, Ellicott and Court streets today with boots collecting donations for "Jerry's Kids."

The annual "Fill the Boot" fundraiser is sponsored by the International Association of Firefighters and benefits the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

City firefighters will be on scene until 5 p.m.

If you can't make it by or prefer to make a donation with a credit card, click here.

Capt. Pat O'Donnell is on his final shift with the Batavia Fire Department tonight.

He joined the department Sept. 5, 1979 and decided it's time to stow his boots permanently.

"The body is not like it used to be," O'Donnell said. "It takes a few days to recuperate after being here for four."

Divorced with two daughters in college, O'Donnell has no sure plans for his retirement. He is staying in Batavia (His family was in Elba when he was born and moved to Batavia when he was in third grade.) and looking forward to a summer of taking it easy, playing golf and taking a couple of trips with his girls.

Asked if he had a message for the community, O'Donnell said, "The community should feel blessed that they’ve got this place. The guys do a hell of a job with the equipment that they’ve got. I know over the course of the last two or three years we’ve gotten a lot of bad publicity but the people in the city don’t realize what they have in this place. They do a good job."

A team of five firefighters from the City of Batavia Fire Department participated in the American Lung Association's Fight for Air Climb this month.

The climb was a race up 38 floors -- or 800 steps -- that took place at the HSBC tower in Buffalo to raise funds for the American Lung Association. The team from Batavia finished second in the open team division with an average time of 6 minutes 44 seconds.

Also, the team raised a total of $955 for the American Lung Association, which is the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease through education, advocacy and research.

These Batavia firefighters participated: Mark Sacheli, Greg Ireland, Mike Morris, Jeff Whitcombe and Jerry Yoder.

A story published by The Batavian in August 2009 received a second-place award from the International Association Firefighters in the organization's 2010 media awards.

The story, about the local firefighters' union annual MDA "Fill the Boot" campaign while ambulance layoffs loomed, was picked for nomination by City Fighterfighter Bob Fix and other members of the department.

The award category was for news stories on the Web. First place went to 1strespondernews.com.

A total of 245 entries from throughout the United States and Canada were judged in the competition.

Along with the recognition, the IAFF presented The Batavian with a $250 check.

Saturday, the Batavia Fire Department held an open house, which included a chance for the kids to shoot a fire hose at traffic cones, a chance to get a close-up view of the fire trucks, information on fire safety, a child seat safety check (with the help of Batavia Police) and a demonstration of how the fire department can get trapped people out of a car.

The dismantling of a car was pretty fascinating and are a good portion of the pictures after the jump.

To purchase pictures from the event, click here.

A few years as a Town of Batavia volunteer firefighter convinced Notre Dame graduate Mark Sacheli that he wanted to land a full-time job in the fire services.

This month, after 11 weeks of training at the New York State Fire Academy, things turned out for Sacheli better than he'd hoped -- now not only is he a career firefighter, he's serving in Batavia.

"I feel extremely fortunate to get a job doing what I love in my hometown," Sacheli said.

The 27-year-old bachelor was attending SUNY Brockport working toward a degree in physical education when his father suggested he would serve himself well by getting some EMT training and joining a volunteer department.

"After a few years I decided I didn't want to be a phys ed teacher," Sacheli said. "This is what I wanted to do. This is a career."

He said firefighting is an exciting job.

"Everything meshes well to make it a well-rounded job," Sacheli said. "Every day is different."

When he's not in uniform, Sacheli said he enjoys staying active. He described himself as an avid sports enthusiast who plays golf, softball, basketball and skies.

That fits in well with finding a job at home, where all of his friends live. He wanted to stay close to friends and family.

"The community is full of good people," Sacheli said.

City firefighters were at Robert Morris School this afternoon teaching the Pre-K students about fire safety. The class time included instruction on drop-tuck-and-roll, using your "outside voice" to get a firefighter's attention, and not being afraid of the big person in the funny looking suit.

City firefighters were back in training mode Friday afternoon, getting more practice with a safety system that will help them escape a burning building if they ever become trapped on a second floor or higher during a fire.

Chief James Maxwell said that in order to help personnel achieve the proficiency in the system he thinks they need (see previous story), he's now requiring the firefighters practice with the system at least once a quarter rather than only twice per year.

Not to be one to ask of his firefighters something he wouldn't do himself, Maxwell went through the training today as well.

Above, Firefighter Harmon goes through the drill. After the jump, Chief Maxwell and Firefighter Anne Kleinbach.

Being a relatively new observance, National Preparedness Month is not necessarily widely known. It is what Homeland Security designated the month of September in 2002, in response to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

This initiative, which has the support of the Red Cross and other such organizations, is geared toward helping individuals, families, schools and workplaces develop efficient emergency response plans. This way, they will be ready in the event of a disaster -- natural or manmade.

Jim Maxwell, chief of the Batavia Fire Dept., recently commented on the fact that National Preparedness Month gets too little attention at the local level.

"It upsets me that not enough people get involved locally," he said. "I'd like to try and prepare for more (involvement) next year."

Maxwell's disappointment stems from his belief that every emergency is local in nature.

"It just depends on how you define local," he said. "'Local' starts in the household. For me (as fire chief), local means the City of Batavia. For someone like Jay Gsell (the Genesee County manager), the word 'local' has an even broader meaning. It (an emergency) starts and ends locally."

Of course, reparedness is not limited to September -- it ought to be a year-round priority.

"Part of my position is to make people aware," Maxwell said. "National Preparedness measures make things easier in the long run, because people are trained to handle smaller emergencies while we (firemen, emergency response teams, law enforcement, etc.) handle the bigger emergencies."

The chief pointed to National-Preparedness-Month-related websites that list things people can do to be ready for an emergency or disaster, as well as prepare for greater involvement in promoting the awareness campaign next year.

He mentioned websites like www.ready.gov, which educates people regarding steps they can take in order to successfully weather emergencies and provides information on what materials/provisions/supplies (and how many) they will need.

If you Google terms such as "National Preparedness Month" and "survival mom" (for parents), you will find a lot of useful information, including:

• how to coordinate an exit drill in your home
• establishing a meeting place for your family outside the home
• designating what Maxwell calls a "focal person" -- someone who is outside of the home, the area, or even the state -- who the family can contact if they get separated.

Another website Maxwell mentioned was www.72hourplan.com.

Anyone who is interested in contributing to National Preparedness Month next year or would simply like more information can contact Maxwell at jmaxwell@batavianewyork.com, or call 345-6400, ext. 4379.