New Light Duty Rescue Placed in Service

Rescue Unit 646 was placed into service on Dec 27th, 09. This unit replaces an older model, that is no longer adequate for service required. It can carry everything the old truck could carry, and a little more. The equipment storage is fully enclosed, so it is protected from the weather. The chassis is a Ford F550 diesel, with manual 4 wheel drive and an automatic transmission. It has a slide out equipment tray in the rear for awkward and heavy items. It was manufactured by Freedom Fire Apparatus.

This unit can perform search and rescue, low angle/rope rescue, and rescue patients entrapped in vehicle accidents. It also carries a complement of firefighting tools for firefighting duties.

The New Rescue Truck

The new Rescue Truck is nearly complete. It is due to be delivered very soon, and will replace the current truck, Unit 645. Here is an image of it.

Situation Report: Motor Vehicle Roll-over

At 6:30pm, High Rolls Fire and EMS was dispatched to Mile Marker 10 on Highway 82 for a single vehicle rollover. The vehicle left the roadway and rolled down a 20-30 foot drop-off into a small canyon. A low angle rescue operation was conducted to rescue the two occupants. Both were transported to the regional hospital via AMR ambulance.

December Update

High Rolls Fire has been busy supporting operations with the county due to the heavy recent snowfalls. The FD Plow Truck has been utilized to ensure fire and rescue access is maintained for the citizens of Otero County. High Rolls Fire also supported the recovery of seven stranded hunters, stuck in the snow, near the Upper Cox Canyon area.

In January, we are possibly scheduled to take delivery of a new Rescue unit, to replace the current unit #645. This truck will be used to carry rescue, vehicle extrication, and specialized forcible entry tools. It will also be used to support medical response with High Rolls EMS, and to perform basic Search and Rescue. It will be a fine addition to replace an aging workhorse in our department. We will keep you posted on any new developments.

Christmas Dinner Re-scheduled

The Fire Department Christmas dinner has re-scheduled for the night of Monday, 7th at 6:00pm. It was to be held last Tuesday but was postponed due to weather.

Situation Report: Reported Vehicle Fire

On November 25th around 10:30 am, High Rolls Fire responded to a report of a Semi-truck on fire near Bailey Canyon curve on Highway 82. When Units arrived on scene, it was determined to be a blown turbo-charger, and no additional assistance was required.

Training Reminder

We have scheduled training this Saturday the 21st, at the Pineywoods Fire Station at 09:00. The topic will be driving and operating the new pumper, Engine #612. All personnel are encouraged to attend.

Forest Service Burn at Calico Peak

The US Forest Service will be burning off vegetation on Calico Peak on November 17th and 18th. Expect to see large amounts of smoke in, above, and around the High Rolls area.

Training Reminder: Thursday 22nd

We will be conducting training on Thursday at approx 6:30 pm. The topic will be Vehicle Firefighting. Specifically, it will be a classroom session concerning the dangers presented by modern vehicles and how time tested tactics need to be re-visited for our own safety in most cases. Updated basic tactics for combatting vehicles fires will be discussed.

For further info please contact the Fire Chief.

Fire Prevention Week

This week is Fire Prevention Week, an event that is celebrated by all fire departments in the USA. Two very notorious fires near the end of the 19th century led to it's creation, in the hopes that future catastrophes can be prevented. These two fires were the Great Chicago Fire, and the little known Peshtigo fire. These two fires caused tremendous property damage, and in the case of Peshtigo, virtually wiped the town off the face of the Earth with thousands of casualties. They also burned on the same date, at almost exactly the same time. Two simultaneous great fires were too much for the nation to take, and several years later a National Fire Prevention Week was created. It has been celebrated every year since.

Here are highlights from our activities at the High Rolls Elementary marking this occasion. A Fire Safety presentation was conducted and the children were allowed to play a game of "squirt the burning house" utilizing a wooden prop built for the occasion.

Pictured left to right are Firefighters Chris Ryan, Paul McCarty, Krystal Poindexter, and Tommy Hatfield.

New Fire Truck Due to Arrive...

High Rolls Fire is scheduled to take delivery of a new pumper apparatus from Artesia Fire Equipment during the month of October. This new truck will replace an older unit that has reached the end of it's service life. It is a wildland/urban interface type pumper, capable of performing structural fire or wildland fire suppression, and is on a short chassis for our mountainous environment. It will be placed into service in the Pineywoods Station.

Just in from Lincoln National Forest

SALADO PRESCRIBED BURN

Alamogordo, NM (October 8, 2009) - The Lincoln National
 Forest Sacramento Ranger District will conduct the
Salado Prescribed Burn during the week of
October 19, 2009. The burn location is approximately
three miles north of High Rolls, NM. Residents of the
High Rolls, Mountain Park, Fresnal Canyon, and La Luz
Canyon areas may see and smell smoke for the duration
of the burn.  During the implementation of the burn,
 smoke is expected to be highly visible from NM Highway 70,
La Luz and Tularosa. When the burning begins, signs will
be posted along roadways affected by the smoke and
motorists are urged to use caution. Forest personnel
will be posting current information regarding the
progress of the burn for communities and residents
in the area. As always, firefighter and public safety
are a top priority. For more information, please contact
 the Sacramento Ranger District Office at (575) 682-2551,
between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The address is:  Sacramento Ranger District Office,  
4 Lost Lodge Road, Cloudcroft, NM 88310

Training Announcement : October

The month of October is a busy one for us here in the department.

The schedule looks like this:

1. 10-13-- 7 pm Cloudcroft VFD -- Patient handling training. (optional intra-department training).

2. Oct 10th - 11 am Fire Prevention Week Parade and Muster in Cloudcroft --county wide demos.

3. Oct 8th - Fire Prevention at High Rolls Elementary School --meet Main Station at 0830 am.

4. Oct 22 - 6:30 pm Vehicle fire training at the Main Station. (monthly scheduled training).

5. Oct 30 and 31st - Haz Mat Training at Main Station (must be registered!)

6. Introduction to Firefighting class set to begin. No date announced yet. Contact us for further info.

Situation Report: Report of Three Motorcycles Down on Hwy 82

At 4:00 pm, High Rolls Fire responded to a report of a vehicle accident involving a car and three motorcycles in the vicinity of the Lower Escape Ramp on Highway 82. Mutual Aid was requested from Dungan EMS and units from Burro Flats EMS. After the situation was sized-up, no serious injuries were found and all units cleared and returned to quarters.

Vehicle Rescue Training

On Tuesday, the 22nd of September, High Rolls Fire and EMS conducted a rescue exercise simulating a wreck with two patients, one patient pinned under the burning car. The fire was extinguished and the car was lifted with rescue struts to extricate the pinned patient.

Situation Report: Mudslides and Rockfalls on Hwy 82

At 6:00 p.m. on 16 September, High Rolls Fire was called to Highway 82 to shut-down the highway and assist State clean-up crews following a series of mudslides and rockfalls in the area of the High Rolls Tunnel and Lower Escape ramp. A severe thunderstorm and heavy rainfall caused these problems and left a trail of debris along nearly six miles of roadway, making safe passage impossible. Highway 82 was closed for 4 hours while clean-up proceeded.

At 10:00 p.m. this same night, High Rolls Fire and EMS responded to a vehicle accident caused by falling rock about 1 mile West of the Lower Escape ramp. No injuries were reported, and the vehicle was towed for repair.

Situation Report: Boulder in Highway 82

At around 0200 a.m. High Rolls Fire was called Mile Marker 6 near the Tunnel on Highway 82 for a fallen boulder obstructing the roadway. They performed traffic control duties while the large rock was removed.

Situation Report: Vehicle Accident West of Trestle

At 6:40 pm, High Rolls Fire and EMS units were called to a Vehicle Accident just west of the Mexican Canyon Trestle on Highway 82. One vehicle was reported on fire.
Units from High Rolls Station #1, Cloudcroft EMS , and High Rolls Pineywoods Station #3 responded to the scene. One patient was transported to Gerald Champion Hospital.

Situation Report: Busy Day on the Mountain...

Two incidents to report...

Around 5:00pm, High Rolls Fire responded to a report of an unknown type fire in the vicinity of Fresnal Canyon Road, near the intersection of Old Railroad Drive. Upon arrival, fire units determined the fire to be a controlled burn. All responding units were cancelled and returned to quarters.

At around 7:00pm, High Rolls Fire and EMS responded to a vehicle accident involving two cars located at the pull-off for the Tunnel Vista. One female patient was transported by AMR ambulance.

Hazardous Materials Awareness/Operations Class

From the Fire Chief:

Sue D. has made arrangements with the Fire Academy to put on a Hazmat Awareness/Operations class locally. Discussion on dates, everyone agreed on Oct. 31st-Nov. 1st, and Nov. 7th-8th. Classes will be held at High Rolls VFD. Prospective students need to file an application with the State Fire Academy by Sept. 30th.
if you want to attend this (actually required for FF1 certification) and don't know how to apply let me know and I'll help you

Contact Chief Klaene for further info.

*Note from High Rolls 603* This class is HIGHLY recommended for all personnel. An example where this would come in handy would be for an incident involving a spill, such as diking spilled saddle tanks on a semi-truck. This is a common occurence, that is considered an Operations Level response. In order to perform this type of work, we are technically required to hold these certifications. Instances have arisen where this could become an issue and we could be held liable.

At the very least, we should all maintain Awareness level certifications.

Upcoming Training: September 22nd

We have scheduled training for all members on 22nd of September. It is planned to consist of an auto extrication/fire scenario.

Meeting Announcement: September 1st

The next scheduled meeting will be September 1st, at the Main Station. On the agenda, is discussion about possible new apparatus purchases. Members please be sure you attend if you wish to be a part of the decision-making process.

High Rolls VFD will be hosting a meeting of ASAR on August 25th from 6-8pm. Anyone is welcome to attend.

Prescribed Fires in Area

SACRAMENTO RANGER DISTRICT TO CONTINUE
WITH PRESCRIBED BURNS

Alamogordo, NM (August 24, 2009) – The Lincoln National Forest 
Sacramento Ranger District will continue implementing several 
prescribed pile burns over the next few months. These pile burns 
began the week of July 6, 2009, and will continue as long as the 
current weather conditions permit.
The burn in James Canyon near the Irongate subdivision was completed 
in mid July. We will continue burning in the Cloudcroft area around 
Bailey Canyon and Sleepy Grass picnic area as well as burning the 
Slash Pit at the junction of US Highway 82 and 244, as needed.  
Additionally, pile burns will be conducted south of Cloudcroft in 
the area of Upper Karr recreation area.
Residents of local communities as well as the public may see and 
smell smoke for the duration of the burns. When the burning begins, 
signs will be posted along highways affected by the smoke and 
motorists are urged to use caution. Forest personnel will be posting 
current information regarding the progress of the burn for 
communities and residents in the area. As always, firefighter and 
public safety are a top priority.
For additional information, please contact the Sacramento Ranger 
District Office, (575) 682-2551, between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., 
Monday through Saturday. The address is:  Sacramento Ranger District 
Office, 4 Lost Lodge Road, Cloudcroft, NM, 88310.
For more information about the Lincoln National Forest, please visit 
our web site at http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/lincoln or the Southwest 
Coordination Center, which provides fire information, logistics and 
predictive services at the following web site:  http://gacc.nifc.gov/swcc/

Situation Report: Motor Vehicle Collision

At around 01:00 am, High Rolls Fire and EMS was called out to Mile Marker 12 on Highway 82 for a rear end collision involving two vehicles.

Controlled Burn

High Rolls VFD conducted a controlled burn on Saturday, August 15th. a large brush pile and vegetation was burned off by request of the property owner. Any person wishing to conduct a burn on their property are advised to contact High Rolls VFD and Otero County Sherriff's Office, to ensure burning is allowed for the planned date and that the planned burn is in a safe location. Permits are also required, depending upon the burning season.

Situation Report: Vehicle vs. Boulder

Around 6:30pm, Thursday evening, High Rolls Fire / Rescue was called to a motor vehicle collision slightly west of the Lower Escape Ramp on Highway 82. A vehicle was found to have struck a large boulder lying in the roadway. No serious injuries were reported, though the car was severely damaged. High Rolls Fire Department's snowplow truck was called to the scene for rock removal.

Forcible Entry Training

Here are some shots of Tuesday night's Forcible entry class. Different techniques were practiced utilizing a varied selection of locks and a donated training building.

Training Announcement: Tuesday, August 11th

Scheduled training on Forcible Entry is to be conducted for HRFD members on August 11th, around 6:30 pm. Training location to be determined (possibly at the Pineywoods Station).

Vehicle Rescue Training

High Rolls Fire conducted vehicle rescue training Thursday Night. This training simulated an overturned vehicle with a passenger needing extrication. The crew practiced stabilizing the vehicle for entry and lifting the vehicle to remove a trapped patient underneath.

Mountain Rescue Working Group Being Formed

Cloudcroft FD in cooperation with James Canyon and High Rolls Fire is in the process of forming a working group to explore the possibility of creating a joint High/Low Angle rescue team. Several shared targeted hazards have been identified which are spurring the creation of this group to explore the idea of this team. A pre-liminary meeting was conducted in which representatives of the respective fire departments got to know each other and tried to establish a baseline of equipment needed.

Anyone wishing to take part should contact Mark Klaene or Paul McCarty at one of the next scheduled meetings.

Training Reminder

General Announcement to all members...

There will be training on deployment of the new FIT-5 initial attack device at the Otero County Fire Training Ground on Highway 70 tomorrow night. We will need at least one pumper and a crew of 4 with structural firefighting gear. Anyone who wishes to attend should be at the training grounds prior to 5:30pm or should make arrangements to catch a ride down the mountain to attend.

Situation Report: Motorcycle vs. Car

At 5:10pm, High Rolls Fire and EMS was called to the scene of a vehicle accident with injuries near MM 9 in the area of "the Old Apple Barn". The accident involved an automobile striking a motorcycle, sending one man to the hospital with injuries. The patient was transported via AMR ambulance into Alamogordo.

Flood Control

The heavy rains yesterday caused several flooding issues in and around High Rolls. Our volunteers were busy filling sand-bags, fixing wash-outs, and re-inforcing areas prone to flooding. Several washed out roads caused problems, the most notable being Old Firehouse and several points along Karr Canyon. A supply of filled sand-bags has been station at the Main Station for use if flooding becomes an issue for the High Rolls area again, over the next few weeks. Otero County and Boles Acres FD provided assistance with the sand-bagging operations.

Not Everything a Fire...

The High Rolls Fire Department was called out at 0230 AM for a report of a downed tree blocking Highway 82 near MM 12. The tree was no match for the chainsaws of the HRFD wildland fire units, and the highway was quickly cleared.

Situation Report: Motor Vehicle Accident near High Rolls Tunnel.

At 3:15 today, High Rolls Fire responded to a vehicle accident slightly west of the High Rolls Tunnel. Response included Fire Suppression and Rescue units with personnel, including AMR ambulance from Alamogordo. No major injuries noted.

Photos not available at this time.

De-Brief at Main Station Tonight...

We will be holding an incident de-briefing for the Fresnal Canyon Rescue, at the Main Fire Station tonight. Members please show up so we can discuss issues related to our response to this incident.

Situation Report: Rollover Near Tunnel

At around 4:00 pm today, the High Rolls Fire Department responded to an overturned pick-up truck on Highway 82 just west of the High Rolls Tunnel. One person sustained injuries and was removed from the vehicle by rescue personnel. It is suspected the accident was due to a large boulder rolling from above the road level and striking the vehicle. Highway 82 was closed approximately 1 1/2 hours.

Situation Report: Canyon Rescue at High Rolls Tunnel

On Saturday Night, June 20th, High Rolls Fire Department was called to rescue an injured hiker at the bottom of Fresnal Canyon, in the creekbed. This area is extremely rough and consists of a large box canyon with extremely steep sides. No regular access points are available. With the help of local fire departments and regional SAR teams, High Rolls Fire completed a successful rescue of this hiker using life safety ropes and low angle rescue techniques. This involved a night-time hoist of 400ft or more to the High Rolls Tunnel overlook.

Note to Fire Department members:
Great job working together on the Mountain Rescue response last night. Nerves got a little frayed, and plans did not always work out as expected, but we all pulled together and got it done. Everybody came back safely and the patient was removed from a precarious position.

Thanks for the hard work!

July Training: FIT-5 Interior Attack

The manufacturer's representative for the FIT-5 units will be in our area to conduct training on July 15th, 2009. This training is scheduled to be conducted at the Otero County fire training facility on Hwy 70 , west of Alamogordo. This training coincides with the scheduled meeting of the Otero County Firefighter's Association, which begins at 8 pm. Members from other fire department's and agencies are invited to observe.

Members, we will need at least four personnel with full structural PPE in order to conduct this training/demo. As many personnel who can attend the better. Please let the Fire Chief know if you plan to attend. We will need one engine (610 or 614) and four personnel with PPE to be there by 5:30pm to get set up for the night's training. We will also need someone to document the training with pictures or video.

Mental Exercise #1

How would you handle this situation...

How would you lift this load off the driver? What options are available? Is the crane the only option? How would we handle this if it occurred 15 minutes from now in our district?

New Technology for High Rolls FD

The High Rolls Fire Department has bought two FIT-5 devices. The FIT-5 is a Fire Interruption device that is used to knock down a fire until additional water and hose-lines can be moved into place. It is a large round pack that is tossed into the structure near the seat of the fire. It operates by ejecting fire suppressing chemicals and smothers the fire in the incipient stage. It can be deployed by a single firefighter, and can delay progress of a working fire long enough that hose-lines can be put into place for final extinguishment.

This device is scheduled to be placed into service first at the Piney Woods, and Haynes Canyon substations.

Training Announcement

Training is scheduled for Tuesday, 8th June, at the Main station. The topic will be basic Wildland Fire skills.

Lifting of Stage II Fire Restrictions

Due to the recent rains, the US Forest Service is planning to lift the Stage II Fire Restrictions for the Sacramento Mountains and Lincoln National Forest on Monday at 08:00 A.M. , June 1st 2009. A ban on fireworks in the forest remains in place, pending the arrival of the summer monsoonal weather pattern.

Inventory Time

Members, it is radio inventory time again. Please send the model, serial number, and tag (if it has one) for any radios you possess to Chief Klaene. Deadline is the June meeting.

Stage II Fire Restrictions in Effect for Lincoln NF

The Forest Service has placed the entire Lincoln National Forest under Stage II Fire Restrictions due to the dry weather. Fire Danger remains in the Extreme category.

Stage II Fire Restrictions prohibit the following:

1. Building, maintaining, attending or using fire, campfire, charcoal, broiler, coal, or wood stove fire anywhere within the forest

2. Smoking outdoors

3. Using an explosive (including fireworks)

4. Operating a chainsaw, or other equipment powered by an internal combustion engine is prohibited from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.

5. Operating or using any internal or external combustion engine without a spark arresting device properly installed, maintained, and in effective working order

6. Welding or operating acetylene or other torch with open flame

7. Parking or driving a motor vehicle off National Forest System roads, except when parking in an area devoid of vegetation within 10 feet of the roadway; and, except for parking overnight in Forest Service developed campgrounds and trailheads.

For more information on the Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico, go to www.fs.fed.us/r3/lincoln.

Highlights of Training at Pineywoods

Training was completed at the Pineywoods Substation today. The crew went over Forward and reverse lays, and the differences between Class "A" and Gel foam. These foams are used extensively for wild-land fire protection, and are something the crews need to be thoroughly familiar with. Gel type foam is normally used to protect houses and structures from being over-run by an advancing wildfire.

A small structural fire attack scenario was also performed. At some point in the future, a live burn is planned for this training building.





Flame Impingement Test...
52 seconds with no foam protection.


52 seconds with blanket of Gel Foam

Cherry Festival Sign-up

The sign-up list for the Fire Department support of the 2009 Cherry Festival is on the table at the Main Station. Please check your schedules and sign up to serve either Ice Cream, or Snow-cones (or both). We still have over a month to go before this event happens. Let's not wait until the last minute to sign up and support the department.

Department Training Notice...

The High Rolls Fire Department will be conducting training this Saturday, May 9th. This training is part of a series of Wildland Interface protection and will occur in the Pineywoods area. Members are advised to have their Wildland Fire gear ready and to expect the exercise to commence around 08:30.

The Time to Clear Brush is Upon Us...

High Rolls / Mountain Park lies in a region that is prone to the damaging effects of forest fires. We are in the early phases of our fire season. Please take advantage of this and remove brush from around your home and trim your trees back at least 10 feet from any overhanging eaves. These simple actions may save your home if a devastating wildfire happens to occur in your area. The season is upon us, and the Fire Danger will remain high until the Summer Monsoons start.