News
Chili Battalion Chief Recognized with an Outstanding Adult Student Award by RACCE
Battalion Chief Matt Wheeler has been recognized by the Rochester Area Colleges Continuing Education (RACCE) group as an Outstanding Adult Student Awards because of his continued commitment to higher education and their academic excellence. The Rochester Area Colleges Continuing Education (RACCE) group is comprised of ten area colleges. Each institute awards three adult students who demonstrate intense dedication to their education despite the challenges adult learners typically face. In order to be considered for this award, students must show excellence in academics and an ability to balance personal and professional responsibilities while working towards a college degree. Matt was one of three students honored by University of Rochester. He will finish his MBA in June while working full-time at Delphi Technologies as a Product Line Specialist and providing a critical leadership role for the Chili Fire Department. Congratulations Matt on your Outstanding Adult Student Award! |
Fire Dynamics On Your Fireground And Attack From The Burned Side - Seminar March 3, 2018
The Chili Fire Department will be sponsoring a seminar entitled "Fire
Dynamics On Your Fireground And Attack From The Burned Side" coming up on Saturday, March 3rd from 8AM to 4PM (lunch provided). The seminar will be located at the Hale Auditorium on the Roberts Wesleyan College campus at 2301 Westside Drive, Churchville, NY 14428. We are asking for any interested fire departments to please register by Friday, February 16th. Please see the attached flyer for contact information. The seminar is being provided at no-cost to fire departments. |
Firefighter Rescue Training - January 27, 2018
A crew of Chili Firefighters spent Saturday evening staffing an engine and taking time to do additional training. The crew trained on how to rescue a firefighter who has fallen through a floor and the only means of rescue is to go down the hole to get the firefighter out. This type of training is known by a few names such as Rapid-Intervention-Team/Crew (RIT or RIC) or also as Firefighter-Assist-and-Search-Team (FAST). |
Holiday Week at the Chili Fire Department
Recap of December Fires - Chili Fire Department During the week immediately following Christmas the Chili Fire Department experienced four major fires within a 48-hour period. This kind of resource utilization in a single period was historic. For reference; we typically expend an average of 425 man-hours monthly in responding to the emergency needs of the community. In this five days we provided more than double the average monthly manpower requirements, delivering over 850 hours of “on the job” time responding to incidents within the District. This time has also been supplemented with additional manpower (estimated at another 200 hours) restoring equipment and apparatus to service after these major events. These support activities include picking up, cleaning and reloading several thousand feet of hose, restoring all equipment (saws, hand tools, air packs, fans, etc.) to operating condition and maintaining the apparatus. To further complicate the in-service tasks, activities were considerably more difficult and magnified by the sub-zero weather conditions we encountered! Timeline Monday’s first call, at 7:00 a.m. (on Christmas Day) was a motor vehicle accident. The driver, after experiencing a medical event, had driven his car off the road and into the basement of First Baptist Church on Chili Avenue causing significant structural damage to the facility. He was quickly extricated from the vehicle and transported to the hospital. The vehicle was carefully removed, and the building was secured. This initial call turned out to be the start. On Tuesday, we began a 48-hour period that was extraordinary. At approximately 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon, we received the report of a building fire (a shed with exposures and a reported injury) on Ballantyne Road. Upon arrival, the units encountered a fully involved two-story shed located within 20 feet of the residence. In addition, the homeowner, who had been injured from a propane explosion, needed immediate medical attention. The Chili response consisted of a ladder, 3 engines and 3 rescue vehicles. Our response was also supplemented by an automatic mutual aid response from the Henrietta Fire Department (one engine) to the scene. The fire was confined to the shed with no extension to the home. The units remained on scene until approximately 4:00 p.m. That same evening, at approximately 7:50 p.m., while most of our stations were holding their monthly meetings, we received an alarm for a structure fire with the occupants yelling “the house is on fire” on Chili Avenue. The location of this incident is immediately to the east of our Company #3. Upon arrival to the three- story, balloon construction residence, the first units encountered fire in the basement and smoke conditions throughout the entire house. With the residents already out of the building, an interior attack was begun, however, conditions quickly deteriorated, and crews were forced to evacuate the structure and transitioned to an exterior attack. Chili had two ladders, four pumpers and two rescues on the scene. Additional scene resources were provided by Clifton, Churchville, and Gates Fire Departments with which we owe a great thanks. Crews from Mumford, Scottsville and Spencerport staffed Chili stations during this event, who we are also thankful for. The last units left the scene at approximately 1:20 a.m. early on Wednesday morning although cleaning and in-service activities continued after 2AM. Within an hour and a half of clearing the Chili Avenue job, we were called out again with flames coming from a twelve-unit apartment building and people jumping from the windows at the Parklands of Chili. Even before any apparatus went “en route”, additional resources were being requested based on the initial reports, weather conditions and manpower considerations. Upon arrival, first due unit (Chief) 4C13 and Ladder 4320 observed several units fully involved with flames extending from the ground floor through the second floor and into the attic space. With all residents accounted for, a defensive, exterior attack was initiated. The six apartment units located in the middle of the building sustained heavy fire damage, while the other apartments sustained smoke and water damage. Chili had both of their ladders, two pumpers and two rescues on the scene. Additional resources were provided at the scene by Bergen, Clifton, Churchville, Gates, Mumford, Scottsville and Spencerport Fire Departments. Crews from Henrietta, North Greece, the City of Rochester and Gates covered at Chili stations during this time. Again, we are incredible thankful for the mutual assistance provided by neighboring agencies. Although units cleared Parklands and returned equipment and apparatus to service our work for the week was not complete yet. At approximately 5:00 a.m. on Thursday morning we were dispatched again, for our fourth structure fire within 48 hours to another working fire on Ballantyne Road. At the time of dispatch, multiple calls were received for flames coming from the basement windows. A full assignment from Chili was deployed as well as supplemental resources automatically from Henrietta. As the call unfolded the house was determined to be unoccupied. Given the damage the house sustained, it was declared to be a total loss and demolition was completed by the Town Highway Department. Although we have experienced an unprecedented workload over that week, we remain committed and ready to enthusiastically respond to any call for service. The Monroe County Mutual Aid Response Plan provides coordinated assistance to local departments in the event of major incidents. Over the last several days the following agencies were called upon for assistance at the scene or to provide fill ins to stations in Chili and/or surrounding fire companies who were assisting the Chili Fire Department.
A special note of thanks goes out to the Brighton Fire Department who responded to Chili on Thursday 28-December, providing an overnight crew to supplement our resources giving our staff a well-deserved break from the action.
In addition, the Department would like to acknowledge assistance received from the following agencies:
Finally, we would be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge the citizens of Chili for their support during this time. Our crews were provided hot beverages, from neighbors, at the scene of several incidents. Other Town residents stopped by the firehouses to deliver coffee and food. Several business owners also stopped to drop off food and inquired of any “special requests” we might have. We are humbled by this support and offer our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to all who were so thoughtful. THANK YOU!
Members of the Chili Fire Department |
Press Release from the Chili Fire Department Regarding the Past Four Structure Fires
DATE: December 28, 2017 SUBJECT: Press Release FROM: Chili Fire Department We understand that the four recent fires in the Chili Fire District over the last 48 hours is unusual and that a logical question would be "are these fires related"? We would like the public know that the origin and cause of each of these fires has been investigated by the Monroe County Fire Investigation Unit which is a partnership between the Monroe County Fire Bureau and the Monroe County Sheriff's Office. While follow-up activities remain for some of these fires, each of the fires are unrelated and are not being investigated as being incendiary in nature or involving foul play. In fact, in each case, the cold weather conditions are somewhat contributory as is typical this time of year as people work to keep their residences warm through various heating methods. These fires serve as a good reminder to maintain working smoke detectors in your home and to keep fire safety in the forefront of your activities with your family. |
Four Structure Fires in the Past 48 Hours
The members of the Chili Fire Department have been extremely busy in the past 48 hours handling 4 structure fire assignments. On December 26th, shortly after 12:30PM on Ballantyne Road the first call came in for a shed on fire with an update that propane tanks were inside the structure. Along with the hazards of firefighting, firefighters also had to deal with extremely low temperatures. Hydrants were frozen, gear froze up as it got wet, and ice build-up all made the work that needed to be done all the more difficult.Just before 8PM that same day a call came in for a house on fire at 2852 Chili Avenue. Firefighters were there well in to the morning of December 27th handling that call. In the early morning hours, minutes before 3AM on December 27th, Chili firefighters were once again called for apartments on fire at the Parklands of Chili. Below is a photo from the scene of the Parklands of Chili fire. Firefighters were there well in to the late morning hours of December 27th. The fourth structure fire came in just after 5AM on December 28th at 85 Ballantyne Road with a caller heading to work seeing flames from a basement window. The Chili Fire Department extends great thanks and appreciation to all the fire departments that were called in to help at all these incidents: Bergen Fire, Brighton Fire, Churchville Fire, Clifton Fire, Gates Fire, Henrietta Fire, Mumford Fire, North Greece Fire, Rochester Fire, Scottsville Fire, and Spencerport Fire. |
Vehicle Into Church Building - December 25, 2017
Just before 7:15AM on Christmas Day the Chili Fire Department was called for a single vehicle that had struck a wall at the First Baptist Church on Chili Avenue. First Responders arrived on location to find a single vehicle that was partially into the building and access to the driver door was blocked by bushes. Firefighters used saws and cut the bushes down and was able to get the driver out of the vehicle. Firefighters made entry to the church and the room impacted so that structural integrity could be assessed. |
Santa Runs - 2017 Street Schedule - IMPORTANT: SCHEDULE CORRECTION
![]() Santa and his firefighter elves are coming to a neighborhood near you very soon. Below is the tentative schedule for Santa to be on your street starting on December 19th.
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MVA Wegmans Entrance Drive - December 10, 2017
The Chili Fire Department was dispatched shortly before 12:30pm today for a two car motor vehicle accident at the Wegmans on Chili Avenue. 4C23 called on location at the intersection of the Wegmans entrance drive off Chili Avenue with a two car accident and NY State Police already on scene. CHS Ambulance handled patient care and the crew of 4312 handled hazards and traffic control. |