April Print FINAL

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2 Our family, protecting your family

Contents

ContactFor questions, concerns and

suggestions regarding the newsletter,

please contact:

Leilani Bird / Reporter and [email protected]

Carl Wedige / Deputy Chief

Christopher Monestier / Division Chief

Christian Bove / PIO

(210) 207-8495

315 S. Santa Rosa

San Antonio, TX 78207

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

4 Fire Code Amendment

SUPPORT SERVICES

6 Prevalence of Cancer

11 Obesity Studies for Firefighters

EMERGENCY SERVICES

10 EMS Tips

ENTERTAINMENT

14 Cystic Fibrosis Tower Climb

Our family, protecting your family 3

Cancer has affected so many firefighters across the country including both of my fire depart-ment families. I recently visited Fire Station 8 in Phoenix to see a couple of friends, and as I walked through the station, I saw this bulletin board that was full of funeral programs. I was taken aback by the number of firefighters that had succumb to

cancer, and for most it happened quickly and very ag-gressively. Some had recently retired after serving very productive and heroic careers, while others had passed away in the prime of their careers and lives. There were no words. Some of those on the board, I had not even realized were sick or had died.

As I was getting ready to come back home, I realized that I had to have blood work done to prepare for my physical. I began to worry as I had grown up working with all those firefighters in a culture where proof of how good of a firefighter you were depended on how black your helmet was and how dirty and grungy you looked. I came up in a culture where we wore our bunker pants on every call and slept with them by the bed. We had no idea what this was going to do to us later on in life, and surely I never expected cancer to become so incredibly prevalent within the Phoenix Fire Department.

So I was getting ready to take my physical and felt apprehensive. Though I was feeling completely fine, you just never know what the blood work is going to show. Everything came back normal and I was beyond relieved. However, shortly after on that same day, I got a call that one of my firefighters, who had just completed his physical, had sadly been diagnosed with stage four cancer. It just goes to show that we are

all vulnerable to this devastating disease. There is no doubt that if we would have had this information years ago, maybe lives would have been saved.

Now that we know a lot more than in the past and are more educated in the fire service, we need to do our best to take precautions as far as decontaminating our turnouts, cleaning our hoods, showering after a fire, and making sure that when we are performing sal-vage and overhaul, that we are wearing our protective equipment and our self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). We want to be sure we are not exposing our-selves unnecessarily to our turnouts on non-fire runs or taking them into the stations with us. The informa-tion is out there and there are people (some who are survivors) trying to make sure we, as a department and fire service, are better educated and protected against the dangers of cancer. As I write this message, we are in the process of finalizing our Cancer Prevention SOP to establish expectations for all members in mini-mizing our exposures.

It is critical that we all get our physicals done annually. We have had members whose lives have been poten-tially saved because of early detection through abnor-mal blood work or chest x-rays. People in our orga-nizations have expressed to me how a physical saved their lives. There have also been studies that show regular exercise and diet can help as far as resisting potential cancer.

I really look at myself and think I am blessed and lucky to be here and healthy after 30 years in the fire service. This is going to continue as a huge challenge for our organization and the fire service as a whole, , but I know with commitment and perseverance, we can work together to reduce cancer and help protect our firefighters.

MESSAGEFROM THE

FIRE CHIEF

Yours in service,

Charles N. Hood, Fire Chief


Every three years the International Code Council puts out a series

of books. The process begins when committee members meet at the In-ternational Code Council conference and voting members from across the country propose the issues they want to get into the next batch of codes, and then develop the books and codes needed. The San Antonio Fire Department goes through a year long process of evaluating the codes that are best for the city.

The Department gets the Internation-al Code book and begins the evalua-tion period by going through a series of process meetings and asks team members, inspectors, captains, su-pervisors, Development Services and plan reviewers to look at the codes and see if there are any potential amendments needing to be modified, added or removed. The Building and Fire Related Appeals and Advisory Board (BFRAA), established by City Council, has subcommittees whom look at individual codes based on their expertise. The board consists of 15 members and 15 alternates and is assigned roles to review the codes.

The Department presents its code amendments and since these are the City’s codes, the stakeholders and public gather to come up with what they think is best for our community. In the end, the BFRAA board makes any necessary changes and presents

or recommends approval to the ap-pellate board.

From the appellate board to the full board, they get approval, and then the revisions go to the City Council subcommittee and the City Council Infrastructure and Growth committee, where the same type of presentation is discussed, including any major changes or modifications. Board members are there to recom-mend approval and show support for the package of code amendments being presented to council. If given the approval from Infrastructure and Growth, then the Fire Department goes to the full council for final approval.

The codes are a minimum code, not maximum. A great example of this would be, just because you are not required to put a sprinkler system in a building, does not mean you cannot. Nothing is restricting you from add-ing that system.

The last code adoption was 2012, which leaves the Department on track for the 2015 adoption. On January 29, 2015 the Department presented the codes package which has since been approved to go into effect on May 1, 2015.

Fire CodesStamped Approval

The details on gaining approval to implement fire codes

TheBreakDown• Meet at the International Code Council conference

• Evaluate the codes from the International Code book

• Discuss with members of com-munity any potential amendment changes

• Present codes to the BFRAA

• Meet with the public to gather input

• BFRAA makes necessary changes, if any, then presents approval to the appelate board

• If approved, the code goes to the full board

• Revisions go to the City Coun-cil Infrastructure and Growth committee for final changes

• Once approved, it is brought to full council for final approval

• Codes put into effect


DIVERSITY IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT

It’s imperative for the Depart-ment to remain diverse and the

continued efforts to educate people on the unique life of African American

and female firefighters are important.

On March 7, 2015, several fire-fighters headed to St. Philips College where they discussed the mis-concep-tions about Firefight-ers, the require-ments and career opportunities . Those who attended the event had the opportunity to talk with the firefighters and ask any questions they may have had.

Health is a significant aspect of our lives and the SAFD realizes how crucial it is to learn ways to stay active at an early age. The

Department teamed up with the police department, sheriff ’s office, military and other service personnel to attend dozens of elementary schools in and around San Antonio. The event, Heroes for Health, aimed to educate the boys and girls about the importance of exercise and healthy eating.

Those who continue to eat and drink unhealthily are at higher risk of becoming obese and are at far higher risks of further health problems,

such as heart disease. The Center for Disease Control and Pre-vention (CDC) states, “Child-hood obesity has more than dou-bled in children

in the past 30 years.” Also, the percentage of children aged 6-11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2012. This means more than one third of children were overweight or obese. (cdc.gov)

To help kick the Heroes for Health event into high gear, the Depart-ment, along with other partnering agencies, spent 15 minutes dedicated to a presentation on the risks and ways to change them and another 15 minutes with the elementary school children doing fun exercises including twist, shake and head-shoulders-knees and toes.

Heroes for HealthExercising with children for better health

Photos courtesy of PIO Christian Bove

Photo courtesy of the SAFD Media Production Unit

Photo courtesy of PIO Deborah Foster


DISCLAIMER: The following article was written by Leilani Bird, in her own words, to reflect on the depth of emotions experienced by two of the

Department’s own.

Being new to the SAFD as an intern, I knew there were many things to learn. I have witnessed some of the kindest acts and have been shown the collabo-rative efforts intertwined within several departments, but nothing compares

to the emotional response and family dynamic visible within the Department. In early April, I sat down and spoke with Chief Hood about the message he wanted

“You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and in the manner in

which you live.” -Stuart Scott

to portray for the next issue and he not only commu-nicated with me about cancer being so prevalent to firefighters, but he also showed me how much this topic meant to him through a photo he took of an obituary wall at the Phoenix Fire Department, which depicted some of his friends who passed away as a result of cancer.

It was then I decided to conduct further research on the correlations between firefighters and the presence of cancer. The findings were astonishing and I felt it was absolutely necessary to do whatever possible to reflect the seriousness of the growing risk of cancer within the SAFD. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a study, “A combined population of 30,000 firefighters (retired and active) from three large cities had higher rates of several types of cancers, and of all cancers combined, than the U.S. population as whole.” Mesothelioma accounted for a rate two times greater than the rate of the U.S population as a whole as well.

The Prevalence of cancer in firefighTers


San Antonio is one of few ma-jor cities to have recognized this problem and is working to better the future of all firefighters. Assis-tant Chief Joe Jones discussed the joint partnership between Local 624 and the SAFD Administration, also known as the Cancer Task Force, and its initiatives to reduce the rates of cancer. Being issued two hoods is now mandatory, so when one hood gets dirty or contaminated during use and is being laundered, firefighters can use the other. Wet decontamination after a working fire is now required as well. There have also been updates made to the Cancer Prevention Policy, which can be found under SharePoint. The primary focus as an Administration is prevention, education and aware-ness and through the task force, placards are being posted at stations on bay doors and a cancer video was released with a few of our own firefighters sharing their fight to overcome cancer.

Chief Jones expressed, “It lets others know, if they are fighting cancer, it is okay. There are ways we

can support you. Otherwise, fire-fighters are burning leave or workers comp and that is not right. A lot of merit goes into highlighting that Chief Hood supports these men and women and brings them back in some capacity. They all still want to contribute, and we will do our best to let them help out in a different mission.”

I had the pleasure to speak with Lieutenant Todd Woodcock, who is currently battling cancer and Fire Engineer Richard Cortez, who is in remission. Both are advocates for having preventative measures taken to reduce cancer in the Department and are currently working in an ad-ministrative capacity at the Training Academy. More importantly was the passion and raw emotions con-veyed through their tribulations and efforts for change. Though Wood-cock and Cortez approached each discussion very differently, one thing remained the same, their strength to talk about an uncomfortable situa-tion.

Woodcock went in for his annual physical, was diagnosed with Chron-

ic Myelomonocytic Leukemia Type 1 on October 6, 2014, and will need a bone marrow transplant in the com-ing years. Without it, his life span could be shortened greatly to pos-sibly 10 years or less. Having been with the SAFD for over 16 years, Woodcock learned this would not be a short term battle, but would continue on for years to come and did not know where this would leave him with his career. Of course he had sick leave, but that would only carry on for so long and he needed to remain a productive part of the SAFD family. Chief Hood and the administrative staff found a way to make that happen without Wood-cock exhausting his leave. He began working at the Training Academy in January, and has been incredibly grateful for the opportunity and recognizes the costs of doing so.

Keeping his composure the entire conversation, Woodcock said, “It is a scary situation when you get told you have cancer. Your future changes. Before you would say, ‘okay I have my whole life to live.’ Howev-er, you realize your life has changed


dramatically. You start thinking about everything and the future becomes a fog, it is a dark road and you can no longer see the future. It is a struggle and a mental game because you start worrying about ev-erything.” From there I could see his positivity as he continued to empha-size the need for a strong support system through family and friends. He has accepted this is his purpose in life now and to just continue the fight. Woodcock recognizes how thankful he is to be able to wake up every day and how tremendous the brotherhood and family atmosphere in the Department have been. “There are plenty of people who want to help everybody, but you also have to be willing to ask for help,” said Woodcock.

Another person, who has been with the Department since 1982, is Rich-ard Cortez and as previously men-tioned, is now in remission from Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. From the moment we sat down, I could sense Cortez would become emo-tional talking about his experience. October 9, 2013, he was diagnosed and had surgery the next day to remove the mass. After calling his captain to inform he would be off for an extensive period of time, he was reassured that his captain was there if he needed anything. His last treatment for cancer was April 15, 2014 and his physician told him to go back to work with no restrictions, if he wishes to., but on April 26,

2014, he became septic and is now battling a new health problem. “All of a sudden I felt something was not right and had my wife take me to the ER, where I waited for 30 to 45 minutes before going straight into a drug induced coma for five days,” said Cortez. His liver shut down, putting him into cardiac failure, which inevitably shut down his kidneys. Since then, his liver and heart have improved and are working fine, but the health of his kidneys has yet to return and Cortez is now in End-stage Renal Disease. He will need a kidney transplant, but cannot be on the list until he has been in remission for five years.

His partner reached out to the SAFD Administration and Cortez’s captain, and each began to call Cor-tez to see what all they could do to help. Though he is able to work like he could before his kidneys failed, Cortez can no longer work 24 hour shifts. Because of this, he was also reassigned to the Training Academy by Chief Hood to preserve what leave he had left and continue to help him remain a vital part of the Department’s success. Cortez has been working towards earning certif-icates and taking courses to become an instructor within the Academy.

Cortez regarded, “With the envi-ronment we are in, there are little things we can do to cut the chances of cancer. Others will say it will not make much of a difference, but if

we can keep just a handful of men and women off the list of firefight-ers with cancer, then it is all worth-while.” With tears welling up in his eyes, Cortez disclosed, “Everyone puts on a brave face over it, but it is financially, emotionally and physical-ly taking a toll.”

Both Woodcock and Cortez are the reason I wanted to write this from my perspective because I witnessed the courageous act it must have taken them to speak out about their hardships. I felt their pain and concerns. I felt their need and want to help others not go through what they and their families are going through right now. The strength it takes to allow others to reach into your life and dig into aspects of it that are not the greatest of memo-ries is breathtaking and noble, espe-cially when it is for a selfless cause.

People search their entire lives for a purpose, but being a firefighter means you save lives, and sometimes the life that needs saving is your own. Sure, pride plays a significant role in this Department and remain-ing humble is another great quality here, but if you are a firefighter and are battling cancer or have someone close to you fighting it, then talk about it. Chief Hood and the entire Administrative Staff have made it a priority to help in any way possible and will continue to be the support needed. Strength is not always about staying silent. Stay safe, stay strong.

Daniels, R., Kubale, T., Yiin, J., Dahm, M., Hales, T., Baris, D., . . . Pinkerton, L. (2013). Mortality and cancer incidence in a

pooled cohort of US firefighters from San Francisco, Chicago and Philadelphia (1950 – 2009). Occup Environ Med.

Retrieved May 4, 2015.


This is a tool that provides the most optimal route for inspectors to take, minimizing travel time needed. The automated system will email the cus-tomer and let them know where they are in line.

These are not the only inspections the Division does; they are just trying to front load the schedule to take care of the most important inspections for the day. They used to have a pretty long wait time when cus-tomers would call to schedule an inspection. Fire Preven-tion is working to automate that process as quickly as they can through their customer

portal. Eventually, customers will be able to use that online portal to schedule those inspections. In the meantime, the Division added a system where they can submit an email request to the administrative staff. The staff is able to receive those emails, process the request and respond to the customer efficiently. Overall, this cuts time down and increases customer service.

Improvements at Fire PreventionThe dreadful “waiting your turn” may have just ended

The Fire Prevention Division has made changes in a way that

would schedule certain types of sys-tem inspections, such as fire alarms, fire sprinklers, fire pumps, etc., more effectively and efficiently. They used to have a scheduling block type of system, where the Department would have five ap-pointments at 7:30 am, five at 10 am, and so forth. They would allow the customer to book those times, which split up their day and made it hard to run around and get things done in time. The Department considers those appointments a priority inspection, so what they did was modify the schedule to put certain system inspections at the beginning of the day. There is no longer a scheduled time for customers.

By doing this, the Department increased the number of available hours to do inspections by 50%. Some contractors have concerns over these changes because they no longer

get the scheduled time anymore. The benefit to them however is there are now more available inspection hours during the day, so it is a trade off.

The best way to alleviate any con-cerns is with good communication.

Once inspectors receive the schedule, they call the contractors to give them their time. This way, they do not have to stand around all day waiting. The Department did not want the 8-5 time frame because it is poor custom-er service to make a customer wait around all day.

Eventually they will transition to a system called “Route Optimization.”


What is the importance of EMS obtaining the pa-tient’s signature on calls?

We must have the patient’s signed authorization before our contract bill collector can file an insurance claim. If they don’t have the patient’s signed authorization to file a claim, we don’t get paid from the insurance company, (Medicaid, Medicare or private insurance). If we don’t get paid from the insurance company the city loses revenue.

Please make every reasonable attempt to obtain a signature, but if you are unable to do so, please document as to why (biohazard, unconscious, fractured hand, etc…). This does not mean our collector will be able to collect, but they can try and go back to obtain the signature from the patient which is a huge challenge.

Trench rescues are a rare occurrence and can prove to be fatal accidents. Battalion 8 Chief Walter Yates emphasized what is involved in such rescues.

1.Recognizing all the problems at hand

2.Accessibility to the patient

3.Finding the best option for the rescue

4.Treat medically as needed

On the evening of February 16, 2015, the Hazmat and Rescue Teams were called out to Alamo and Cesar Chavez for a trench rescue. In this incident, the trench did not actually collapse, but the drain pipe nearby was leaking and it was undetermined where it came from. This proved to be difficult when trying to release cement pressure from the 62-year-old male patient because the cement was in liquid form and every attempt to remove some, left room for more to flood around him.

One of many obstacles with cement is as time lapses, the cement begins to harden and heat up, producing an exothermic reaction. The patient was covered waist down and heating up quickly below the waist, while getting colder above due to the cooling climate. Luckily, the human body can maintain its body temperature through such drastic temperature changes through what is called, thermoregulation.

To begin the rescue process, the team used plywood around the patient to prevent more cement from entrapping him further, and then they be-gan to quickly remove the cement around him. The incident lasted about 90 minutes and Yates said, “Everyone did a fantastic job. Odds are not very favorable in those cases.”

About 90% of victim fatalities in trench rescues are from the rescuers, such as co-workers, friends, and family because they are not equipped nor educated on the proper procedures for rescue.

Called To The SceneWorking hard during a trench incident, the Technical Rescue Team saves a life

Photo courtesy of KSAT 12


According to recent studies, 73% of career firefighters are

classified as overweight or obese. Increased body fat increases one’s risk of developing hypertension, abnormal blood lipid panels, con-tinuous weight gain, lower cardio respiratory fitness, reduced mus-cular strength, and more frequent fatal cardiac events.

There are several significant fac-tors that can contribute to exces-sive weight gain: shift work and irregular work hours, development of unhealthy eating patterns, sleep deprivation, and inability to get the recommended 150 min of moderate to high-intensity exer-cise per week.

Here are a few tips for firefighters to incorporate into their daily rou-tines to create a healthy lifestyle:

Foster an environment within the fire-house of good health through healthy meal choices. This can be as simple as setting a goal to create balanced meals that include variety and moderation. Choose the right foods when eating on the go.

Choose heart-healthy fat sources for cooking like canola oil, olive oil, peanut oil, coconut, ground flax seed, salmon, and walnuts in moderation.

Remember that smoking suppress-es your appetite and sig-nificantly increases

your risk for developing heart disease.

Exchange high-fat ingredients of daily food items for lower-fat versions. For example, switch from whole milk to skim milk, eat more egg whites rather

than whole eggs, and replace oil in baked foods with natural applesauce. Choose skinless, boneless white meats of poultry; choose leaner red meat cuts like sir-loin, 94 – 97% lean ground beef, round roast, flank steak; incorporate more game meats into

the meal rotation—meats like venison and bison are lower fat options than beef; if you choose pork, stick with the boneless pork loin and remove the extra fat prior to cooking.

Eat smaller, balanced meals every 2 – 3 hr for sustained energy. It might be a good idea to stock up on some non-perishable snack items like crack-ers, nuts etc. in the truck.

Incorporate more fresh fruits and non-starchy vegetables in your diet.

The United Stated De-partment of Agriculture’s (USDA) MyPlate recommends consuming a minimum of 2 cups of fruit

and 2.5 cups of vegetables per day.

Food items like deserts, candy, and ice cream taste really great, but remem-ber that these added sugar sources

provide additional calories. According to the American Heart Association, women should limit their con-sumption of daily

sugar to 26 grams and men should limit daily sugar consumption to 32 grams.

Choose whole grains. The MyPlate recommends consuming 6 oz of grains per day, with 3 oz com-ing from a whole grain source, like oatmeal, whole wheat breads/wraps, quinoa, or whole grain cold cereals.

Remember that poor beverage choices can add extra calories during the day.

Get at least 150 min of moderate or high-intensity exercise per week, in addition to work duties.

It can happen to anyone VS.

Photo courtesy of PIO Christian Bove


Office of the Medical Director

On Sunday December 28, 2014 a fire alarm was sounded at 0617 hrs for the Wedgwood Senior Living Complex, an 11 story, high rise building built in 1962.

There were 226 adult residents with ages over fifty-five living in this building with various levels of mobility and health problems. This was in Castle Hills response area and mutual aid was quickly summoned from Bexar County and San Antonio Fire De-partments.

Multiple challenges were encountered with this complicated scenario, but Unified Command was es-tablished and tasks of fire suppression, rescue, EMS care and Occupant Services were accomplished.

The residents were evacuat-ed to Via Transit buses and the EMTF 8-02 Ambus for warmth, shelter and initial evaluation. A temporary shelter was set up in the Churchill High School Cafeteria by the Red Cross and managed by Castle Hills Police and City officials, Bexar County EMA, STRAC EMTF #8, Acadian Ambulance and San Antonio Fire Department. Food, drink and shelter were provided with some initial brief counseling as it was known that five of their friends had perished in the fire and over 13 were hospitalized.

Many challenges were quickly identified, besides their immediate shelter needs. Many residents were dressed in pa-jamas with no shoes, they did not have their wallets, purses nor did they have a written medication list. Cell phones were lost as many had no way to contact relatives and family, was the contact information was only stored in their phones. Without their medications or insulin many were starting to have issues with high blood pressure, hypergly-cemia and anxiety. Several of the residents needed durable medical equipment such as nebulizers, glucometers and oxygen concentrators replaced, as they were left at the fire scene during the hasty evacuation.

The Wedgwood Fire Unified Command was contacted and a mission to retrieve medications and visible important property had begun. Firefighters went door to door at Wedgwood collecting pill bottles and medical supplies as best

Wedgwood Relief

By Dr. David MiramontesPhotos courtesy of Eric Epley


they could and placed them in labeled zip lock bags. Residents were reunited with their medications at the shelter or at their temporary shelter in local hotels near the San Antonio Airport area. The SAFD Medical Director with the assistance of EMTF-8 Medical Staff from SAFD, STRAC, AirLife and Methodist hospital, Legends Pharmacy, HEB and CVS pharmacies tried to re-place critical prescriptions.

HEB Pharmacy sent a “go kit” of common med-ications and insulin to the shelter and treatment for hypertension, diabetes and CHF; however, the response did not end there. After responding to a Cardiac Arrest in one of the Hotels for one of the Wedgewood evacuees, SAFD, supported by EMTF began an unprecedented mission. Two MOFs, Two EMS Units, EMTF medical and administrative staff, and the SAFD Medical Director reached out to 104 evacuees sheltered in local hotels. Sick Call was started to evaluate residents, provide initial care and coordinate obtaining needed supplies with Red Cross and other service agencies.

Exacerbation of Diabetes with the high carb meals and lack of insulin/ medications was rapidly becoming a problem. Prescriptions were written and local pharmacies engaged to replace medications lost/ destroyed in the fire despite the

fact that “refills are not due till next month “. Complicating matters was the fact that this was the week of New Years Holidays and many Primary Care physicians were not open or available and most pharmacies closed early on New Year’s Eve and were closed on New Year’s Day. Daily visits and sick calls continued for the week following the fire. Multiple residents were sent with families or EMS to ER’s and urgent care clinics for further evaluation and testing if on-site care could not be accomplished. Numerous residents suffered from Influenza that was endemic during this time period. Dehydra-tion and medication compliance was assessed daily with these patients.

Mental Health was also a large concern. Depression, anxiety and exacerbation of Mental Illness were problematic with many patients unable to get medi-cations. One patient had to get an Emergency Detention as other residents reported that he was Homicidal and Suicidal after being off critical medica-

tions and under the stress of evacuation. Hotel counseling

sessions and group discussions were arranged as many were grieving at the loss of friends or were very upset due to loss of possessions, displacement from their home environment and the uncertainty of their future.

At day seven post Fire, BCFS took over the ongoing assessment, case management and longer term monitoring of this complicated scenario. All residents were forced to move to another living environ-ment either with family or had to move to a new facility without their furniture, clothing or possessions later in the month. Many lessons learned were incorporated into after action items so that if we ever have to face such a complicated multi-jurisdictional disaster such as this, that our unified response will be swift, efficient and provide maximal customer service and patient care.

Working diligently to get the necessities for those who were displaced after the fire at Wedgwood Senior Living Complex.

Sealed medicine that was either picked up from some apartment homes or sent by HEB.

Discussing options to take full advantage on ways to benefit the patients in need of clothes, medicine, etc.


Cystic Fibro-sis (CF) is a

life-threatening genetic disor-der that affects mostly the lungs, but also the digestive system. Annually, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Lonestar chapter holds a tower climb to raise funds for the

FibrosisCystic

local chapter and to aid CF research. This is their 30th year doing the original and only competitive tower climb held in San Antonio, where Firefighter Dawn Solinski has participated in for the last seven years.

Climbing with her nephew, Solinski helps foundation with selfless act

By Leilani Bird

Photos courtesy of the SAFD Media Production Unit


Cystic

Her story touches hearts and the selfless-ness behind her participation has brought forth light to the climb. She first learned about the climb with her academy class, where they climbed in full gear. Solinski recalls how hard it was to do that and mentioned, “it wasn’t until after [she] had actually fin-ished the climb that [she] really put the pieces together of who this organization was and how it so closely relat-ed to [her] own life.” Her best friend Theresa has a grandson, Wesley, who was just a baby at the time, but diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. After diagnosis, Wesley and his mom moved in with Theresa and they became a close part of Solinski’s life and for all intents and pur-poses, Wesley is her nephew and she his aunt.

Solinski wanted to climb the next year and

had decided to wear a sign around her tank to emphasize her true purpose for climbing. She would train by starting with shorter buildings with some gear, slowly building to full gear and moved onto the Tower of Amer-icas. After the tower climb had been completed, Solinski recalls Theresa jokingly saying, “If you were able to train to carry that tank on your back, how much harder would it be to train to actually carry Wesley him-self ?” Though it seemed crazy, Solinski said, “I won’t know until I try!” She began training again and added weights to her pockets and webbed into the SCBA harness.

In 2011 she climbed again, only this time her nephew, Wesley, was in a carrier on her back with a sign stating, “I climb for Lil Wesley.” Solinski said it was expected to be a one-time

deal, but after seeing all of his family cheering after she walked through the doors, high-fiv-ing Wesley and so forth, she knew this is something she could do for Wesley and for his family. Four years later So-linski continues to carry Wesley during the climb.

Wesley, 8, un-derstands more of what’s going on and that he gets sick more often than other people. Solinski says their con-versations have changed over the years as well. Now they talk the whole way up, when be-fore they’d have earbuds to listen to music. Her goal is for him to “understand that there are people out there, like her, who will go to great lengths for him, to inspire him, to give him and his family faith, who will fight with him and carry him every step of the way he needs.”

FIRE RESPONSES EMS RESPONSES LADDERS OTHER UNITS

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M01M02M04M05M06M07M08M09M10M11M13M14M15M16M17M18M19M21M22M24M25M26M27M28M29M31M32M33M34M35M36M37M38M39M40M41M42M43M44M45M46

40737844054834124504164571744372833974613613754201673864133958340431640331029942525838030943432833019827633830365258216

1,5571954151,5311,7781,5831,7011,6651,7097371,6671,0821,5081,7661,4851,4921,6186081,4501,6001,5652831,6261,2401,5181,2681,1231.6641,0491,5341,2661,6191,3061,3258041,1411,2981401,4651,046811

138891341031611441331397416310216311811868108162219122136

508388466415674519525502275665425609488471330437628839535542

SQ01SQ06SQ08SQ09SQ11SQ14SQ17SQ29SQ32SQ33SQ34SQ35SQ36SQ37SQ38SQ40SQ44SQ46

558510210184381142225139501351201241321281157

1023394114184013532554888059820750544446745348467156

SQUADS

BATTALION CHIEFS

BC1BC2BC3BC4BC5BC6BC7BC8

4344433048322267

16715714199130154129237

BRUSH TRUCKS

BT20BT22BT30BT36BT40BT42BT43BT44BT48BT50

1153322100

2014722131541765

HAZ MAT

HZM1HZM34SPL1SPL34

10593

44144618

FSCFSOHR11HR51R7 RHB1WT25WT47AIR1AIR2AIR4MOF1MOF2MOF3MOF4MSCR5

529785054510201151107179535

16130292203201111536241439434130212144

Unit # Engine

# of Responses

YTD Unit # Engine

# of Responses

YTDYTD YTD

YTD

YTD

YTD

YTD

Ap

ril

20

15

Totals

Totals

Totals

Totals

Totals

Totals

Totals Totals

8, 844 34,786

13, 380 50, 576

2,594 10, 241

595 2, 306

329 1, 214

18 123

1, 774 6, 840

27 122

Fire & EMS Responses

MAC

AC07AC39AC41

887

68 18 19

YTD

Totals 23 105

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