LABOR REP. MIKE MCCLINTOCK
DAN MUNSEY DIVISION CHIEF
Photo: Terri Nielsen
Photo: Kristian Cavada
DIVISION 3
BY DAN NELSON
SIGNIFICANT INCIDENTS
As with so many past issue of the FIREWIRE, there are far too many significant
and exciting emergency response to list. In this installment, we have chosen
to list a few that include links to teriffic video footage and photos taken by
cameras mounted on the fire helmets of Division 3 members.
In the late afternoon of July 29, five fire engines, a ladder truck and a battalion
chief responded to a residential structure fire on La Paz Drive in Victorville.
The first arriving crews found the home to be largely consumed by flames and
smoke. Fortunately, all members of the home were able to evacuate on their
own and were not injured. Even though the outside air temperature at the
time of the fire was over 100 degrees, firefighters mounted an aggressive attack
and battled for over 30 minutes to extinguish the fire. Impressive footage from the
fire can be found online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPSAWih2Afk.
September 25 proved to be a very busy night for firefighters in Division 3, as
several fires ignited in the area of Palmdale Road in Victorville. The first fire
was a commercial structure at a Dollar Tree store. Immediately after the blaze
was extinguished, firefighters responded to two more fires near other businesses
along Palmdale. Deputies from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department
found a man in an empty field nearby the third fire. The man was in possession of
multiple lighters and smelled smoke. Deputies conducted an on scene interview
of the man and later placed him under arrest for suspicion of arson.
Crews from Division 3 also responded to assist the Apple Valley Fire Department
with a multiple vegetation fires in the riverbed which borders the cities of Apple
Valley and Victorville. The The river bottom is notorious for creating large and fast
moving fires that generate high levels of heat, making firefighting both difficult
and dangerous. The largest river bottom fire this summer occurred in June just
behind Riverside Drive in Apple Valley. The Riverside Fire, as it was named by the
incident commander, burned for multiple days.
PUBLIC RELATIONS / PUBLIC EDUCATION
September is a month of remembrance throughout our country as we all pay
respects to those who lost their lives on 9/11. This holds especially true for
members of the fire service, as we remember the 343 members of FDNY that
were killed during the Twin Towers attacks. Members of Division 3 participated
in memorial events throughout the county. Several members of the department
replaced their regular firefighter badge with special commemorative badges for
the month of September. These badges were designed to pay respect to members
of FDNY and serve as a reminder that we must never forget the sacrifices of those
who died that day.
BATTALION CHIEF DAVE MEDDLES
Recently a video showing County Fire in action on a residential structure
fire in Victorville went viral. It was shown on all major news networks and
reached over 1.5 million people on the KTLA Facebook page.
20
FIREWIRE | Fall 2015
Dave Meddles is a battalion chief (B/C) in Division 3. In addition to performing
many daily tasks in that role, Meddles is also qualified by the State Fire Marshal
to serve as division group supervisor on large incidents throughout California. The
Chief Meddles was assigned as the Grant Grove Structure
Group in which the General Grant Tree was located.
primary function of a division group supervisor is to oversee the operations of multiple
strike teams in a specific geographic location. Oftentimes, on large wildfire incidents in
California, division group supervisors can be responsible for over 100 firefighters from
various fire agencies.
In August B/C Meddles was assigned as a division group supervisor at the Rough
Fire in Fresno County, one of many large wildland fires in California this summer. The
fire burned over 150,00 acres in the Sequoia National Forest, Sierra National Forest
and Kings Canyon National Park. Although the incident was made difficult because
of historically dry conditions and manpower shortages due to multiple wildland fires
throughout West Coast, B/C Meddles was able to use his training and experience to
navigate his division through the fire fight. On behalf of the all members of Division
3 and the staff of the FIREWIRE, we would like to congratulate B/C Meddles on his
successfully tackling this very challenging assignment.
CONCLUSION
The third quarter of 2015 has certainly been a challenging one for the men and women of
Division 3. The high temperatures of the desert summer have members welcoming the cooler
temperatures of the final months of the year. The temperature may be lower but you can bet
that the heavy call loads and other challenges of the job will be still be present. One thing is
for sure, no matter what challenges lie ahead, the members of Division 3 will still be standing
tall and ready to conquer.
Division 3 would like to remind you that you can follow San Bernardino County Fire and IAFF
Local 935 at the following links to stay informed with updates including text, pictures, and
video of our incidents:
YouTube:
www.youtube.com/channel/UCPD5I6aB8ZYUpXmC2mYF7jQ or
www.youtube.com/channel/UC50j_wBq8iypHKNKOXj-K7w
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/SanBernardinoCountyFire or
www.facebook.com/San-Bernardino-County-Professional-FirefightersLocal-935-186418088190404/timeline/
Twitter:
@SBCOUNTYFIRE
@SBCoFFLocal935
Instagram:
@Local935
Battalion Chief Dave Meddles recently deployed to the Rough Fire
in the Sequoia