Published: August 29, 2008 08:31 pm      

FIRE CALLS: Falls Fire Department reports for Aug. 30

Niagara FallsFire Department

Calls for service

For the period of Aug. 22 to 28 the Niagara Falls Fire Department responded to 126 calls.

• INCIDENT: At 9:21 p.m. Aug. 22, firefighters from the downtown companies were alerted to respond to a report of people trapped in an elevator. Units arrived at the multi-story residential apartment building and found the elevator had somehow malfunctioned causing it to stop between floors. While some of the firefighters made verbal contact with those trapped, others began the task of securing the electrical service so that the rescue could be accomplished. Using specialized elevator rescue equipment, firefighters were able to open both the hoistway doors as well as those on the elevator car itself and safely remove the victims.



• INCIDENT: While thousands of people filled the area around the Hard Rock Cafe on Aug. 23, Falls firefighters were once again alerted to respond to the area of Whirlpool State Park for reports of multiple people in distress. Numerous reports were being received indicating some type of accident may have occurred involving personal watercraft in the lower river. Firefighters continued to receive reports of at least three people in the water and began their decent using the Whirlpool steps into the gorge. Telephone calls indicated that one person had made their way to the Canadian shoreline, one was retrieved by a commercial vessel and one was still unaccounted for. Fortunately the third party was located by Niagara County responders safely on the American shoreline with none of the parties suffering significant injury.



• FIRE: The 1700 block of Elmwood Avenue was the scene of an early morning vehicle fire on Sunday. At 6:19 a.m., central alarm received reports of a vehicle fire and dispatched Engine 4 and Truck 1 from the 10th Street fire hall. Units arrived to find a 1995 Chevy fully involved in fire. Hoselines were quickly deployed to both extinguish the fire and stop it from spreading to other nearby combustible materials. The fire was quickly extinguished, but not before it consumed the vehicle.



• FIRE: A series of late night fires Monday kept the LaSalle companies busy. At 10:05 p.m., firefighters responded to the rear of a motel in the 6500 block of Niagara Falls Boulevard for an unknown type of fire. Firefighters arrived and found a Dumpster well involved in a fire that appeared to have been set intentionally. The fire was quickly extinguished before it could spread to other materials. At 10:28 p.m., firefighters were again alerted to a Dumpster fire in the 1300 block of 95th Street. Again firefighters arrived to find flames shooting from the Dumpster. Both of these incidents are currently under investigation by members of the Fire Prevention Bureau.



• NOTE: Thousands of city school-age children will be returning to the classroom next week. This means that once again children will not only be waiting for and traveling on school busses but many will be walking as well. Please keep this in mind when operating you vehicle both in the early morning as well as during the afternoon. Each year hundreds of children are injured and/or killed when they are inadvertently struck by a vehicle while they are on their way to school. Please take a few extra seconds when backing out of your driveway to make sure that the way is clear and no children may be in the way.