For the period of Friday August 7, 2009 to Thursday August 13, 2009 the Niagara Falls Fire Department responded to 165 calls for assistance.
Friday August 7 – Members of Platoon 4 assigned to Engine 3 were dispatched at 7:02 PM for a reported unresponsive male in the rear of a home in the city’s north end. On arrival they found a 57 year old male who was both pulseless and not breathing. CPR was being performed by members of the patient’s family who were relieved by the responding firefighters. A portable defibrillator was attached to the patient and an electric shock was administered. Shortly after the shock was administer the patient’s pulse returned. Firefighters continued to support respirations through the administration of rescue breathing and the patient began to stabilize. On arrival at the hospital the patient was conscious and conversing with hospital staff.
Saturday August 8 – The 7400 Block of Buffalo Avenue was the scene of an early morning fire that caused considerable damage to the top floor of a residential building. At 3:13 AM fire units were dispatched to a reported building fire that involved a large wood frame structure. Responding units arrived on the scene and reported thick smoke pushing out of the upper levels of a three story building. Firefighters advanced hoselines to the fire floor and found a well involved fire that had considerable hold of the upper floors. Thick smoke filled Buffalo Avenue as firefighters removed multiple windows to remove the toxic gases and extreme heat. The building was unoccupied at the time of the fire and Investigators assigned to the Fire Prevention Bureau continue to search for a cause.
Sunday August 9 – A single vehicle crash sent LaSalle area firefighters to the 8100 block of Buffalo Avenue around 1:15 AM. Units arrived to find that a vehicle had impacted trees alongside the roadway resulting in extensive damage to the involved vehicle. The lone occupant of the car was pinned under remnants of the vehicle and was found to have succumbed to his injuries.
Sunday August 9 - Sunday was an extremely busy day for the members of the Niagara Falls Fire Department with the department responding to 29 incidents. At 11PM fire units responded to a vehicle accident in the 800 Block of Rainbow Blvd that injured a total of five people. Firefighters stabilized the involved vehicles and began treating the injured occupants of the cars. A total of three individuals were transported to Memorial Medical with non-life threatening injuries.
Monday August 10 – An out of control vehicle caused significant damage to the freestanding air conditioning units of a commercial building in the 8500 Block of Niagara Falls Blvd. At 10:08 AM fire units were dispatched to investigate a potential accident with injuries. On arrival firefighters determined that there were no injuries but the crash did cause damage to the A/C units as well as a nearby power pole. Firefighters also assessed a nearby gas meter and found that there was no leak.
Wednesday August 12 – The department was once again called to respond to an automobile accident in the 700 block of Main Street. Again department EMT’s treated a total of 4 patients with 3 of them eventually being transported with suspected neck and back injuries.
Thursday August 13 – The 7200 block of Niagara Falls Blvd was closed early Thursday evening as a mutil vehicle accident sent a total 3 patients to the Trauma Center at ECMC. A total of 12 firefighters respond to this incident which injured a total of 6 people. Firefighters secured the damaged vehicles and immobilized the injured parties. Niagara Falls Blvd was closed for a few hours as members of the police department investigated.
