For the period of Friday January 23, 2009 to Thursday January 29, 2009 the Niagara Falls Fire Department responded to 102 calls for assistance.
Saturday January 24 – Members of Platoon Two were on their last night of a cycle which saw them respond on Tuesday night to a serious fire on Falls Street, and on Thursday to an all-night major fire on 10th Street. It was hoped that Friday evening/ Saturday morning would bring some relief from these all night events. At 12:46 AM Central Alarm received a call indicating that at least two individuals were trapped below grade in the area of the Rainbow Bridge. Firefighters arrived to find two individuals underneath the bridge at the foot of one of the supporting structures. The individuals had no way of scaling the sheer vertical face of the gorge and needed immediate assistance. Department members skilled in this type of rescue work immediately began the process of rigging a lowering system to gain access to the victims who were 80 feet below the bridge. It was quickly determined that the only way to extract the victims from their predicament was to literally haul them up using an elaborate series of ropes and mechanical advantage systems. The temperature outside was hovering around the single digits with the wind making it feel as if it was below zero. Due to the time frame involved and the fact that the victims were exposed to the elements for a prolonged time, Mercy Flight was called to the scene to transport the victims to a specialized care facility. One at a time each of the victims was strapped into a stokes basket and with a firefighter strapped along side began the journey to the top of the gorge. It took firefighters about three hours to bring both victims to the top and another 90 minutes for the firefighters to retrieve all of their equipment some of which was still at the bottom. Due to the duration of the incident it was necessary to request assistance from Niagara County to provide a stand-by ladder truck for any other emergency calls. The Red Cross responded to the scene to provide coffee and snacks to all of the emergency responders.
Saturday January 24th – Department members and mutual aid companies responded to three additional calls for assistance while the majority of the on-duty force was committed to the gorge operation. At 4:57 AM units responded to an automatic alarm coming from a commercial building in the 8200 block of Niagara Falls Blvd. On arrival Engine 9 was met with a large amount of water flowing from the occupancy. The uncontrolled water was threatening to damage two adjacent occupancies and firefighter found it necessary to force entry into the building to stop the flow of water. Once inside firefighters determined that most likely due to the prolonged cold, a water pipe had broken. Firefighters were able to locate a shut-off and the flow of water was stopped.
Sunday January 25 – The dark, snow filled 2300 block of Ferry Avenue was the scene of a car versus pedestrian incident that was reported at 8:13 PM. Fire units arrived to find a single pedestrian complaining of pain in the lower extremities. Department EMT’s assessed the victims vital signs and applied a splint and as a precaution immobilized the victims back and neck. The victim was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The Niagara Falls Fire Department reminds motorists and pedestrians to be especially careful at intersections. The large piles of snow may make it difficult for people on foot to be seen and in some cases where sidewalks have not been shoveled pedestrians are finding it necessary to walk in the street.
Tuesday January 27 – A mechanical failure appears to have been the cause of an auto fire that broke out in the 800 block of Pierce Avenue at 5:26 PM. Firefighters arrived to find an SUV well involved in fire and deployed handlines to extinguish the blaze. The fire apparently started in the motor compartment and quickly spread to the interior of the vehicle. Damage loss is estimated at $4,000.
Snow is piling up on all the city streets and in many cases fire hydrants are being completely buried. Another storm is expected to possibly hit our area next week which may make hydrants completely inaccessible. The NFFD is pleading with all residents to help us keep hydrants clear of snow so that in the event it is necessary to use the hydrant time will not be lost locating the hydrant and digging it out. If you are physically unable to clear you closest hydrant, please call 286-4727 and speak to our dispatcher who can send someone to assist.
