December Newsletter
Wishing You And Your Family A Wonderful Holiday Season
Don't Touch That Dial: The 411 On First Responders' Radio Show
by John Planas
Firefighter / Paramedic
GUILFORD, CT - Join Guilford Firefighter / Paramedic John Planas and co-host Guilford Police Sargent Martina Jakober every month on ICRV Radio where the two talk about everything safety in and out of the home. Get the latest information on crime and
fire incidents in and around town. Previous special guests shared their stories involving substance abuse, law enforcement and fire incidents, Guilford and CT Sate police DARE programs and what kids are experiencing, and
important COVID-19 facts. ICRV radio has over 2 million listeners. 80,000 listeners alone listen to 911:411. During this COVID pandemic, Martina and John brought in Yale New Haven Emergency Room Doctor David Cone who is on the front lines fighting the battle with treatment and helping with the cure. Tune in to the December 1 show to hear this important information that will answer all your questions about the vaccine.
If you would like to tune into the show click the link below.
COVID-19 The Virus That Took The County By Storm
By Chris Jones
Firefighter / Paramedic
The first documented case of COVID19 in the United States was laboratory confirmed on January 20 th , 2020 and since then, the confirmed cases have risen to over 16 million. The death toll has sadly reached a dramatic high of over 300,000 in the United States with the daily death rate surpassing the attack on
Pearl Harbor and September 11, 2001. Needless to say, we as a country are fighting formidable enemy on our own soil. COVID19 effects the body in seemingly unpredictable ways. However, by understanding the way it attacks, we may better understand signs and symptoms. In this section, we will discuss the intricacy of the virus. COVID19 is essentially the second generation of the SARS virus, and thus is appropriately labeled as “SARS-COV-2”. As the virus enters the body, it binds to different receptor sites and much like a
computer virus, embeds itself into our body’s genetic coding and signaling known as mRNA or
messenger RNA. After the virus has thoroughly infected its host, symptoms begin to develop such as
fever, shortness of breath, nausea, muscle aches, headache, weakness, and loss of taste and smell.
The symptoms that we have all become intimately familiar with are the subtle signs of the aggressive
changes SARS-COV-2 makes within our body. Primarily, those changes are attributed to a systemic
inflammation. As the virus begins to work, the body releases something called Cytokines that are small
proteins that elicit an immune and inflammatory response. Normally, this response is our body’s natural
way of fighting a virus and against most others, would normally be successful. Due to the drastic effects
of SARS-COV-2, however, the release of these proteins becomes a “cytokine storm” and the body begins
to attack itself. Over a short period of time, inflammation leads to damaged cells in our lungs and other
vital organs, fever develops, and without appropriate treatment, the result may be deadly.
Next time, we will discuss steps we can take to protect ourselves and what to do if we are diagnosed
with COVID19. Be safe and take care of yourself!
This Month In Fire History
by John Planas
Firefighter / Paramedic
Wiping out properties, charring tracks of land, and killing up to thousands of people, these terrible fires are some of the most heartbreaking disasters to ever have hit the country. The causes behind these fires include natural means, arsonists, abandoned campfires, and electrical faults. However, the cause of some of the fires remains a mystery. A few of the fires stand out both for their size and the role in shaping the historical events in the country. Here are some of the worst fires in American history. Each month we will highlight some of this historic fires in the monthly newsletter.
Brooklyn Theatre Fire - 278 Deaths
The Brooklyn Theatre fire broke out on December 5, 1897, at the Brooklyn Theatre in Brooklyn. On this particular evening, the theatre was busy with over 1,000 guests in attendance. The fire killed over 278 people with some reports putting the numbers at 300. A small flame was detected by J W Thorpe, the stage manager, at around 11:20 pm. He, together with two carpenters, tried to put out the fire but their effort was in vain. The play continued for a while as Thorpe fought the small fire. Before long, the fire spread to other parts of the stage. When the audience realized that there was a fire in the theatre, they panicked and rushed to the exits where many were sadly trampled.
Iroquois Theatre Fire - 602 Deaths
The Iroquois Theatre fire took place on December 30, 1903, at around 3 pm Chicago-time. It was the deadliest theatre fire in US history, as well as the largest single-building fire in the history of the US. About 602 people perished in the inferno. However, not all the deaths were reported since some of the bodies were moved away from the scene. The Iroquois Theatre had a capacity of 1,602 but on this particular day, there were approximately 2,200 patrons. The fire was caused by sparks from an arc light that ignited a muslin curtain. The fire quickly spread to the fly galleries above the stage. The efforts to control the fire failed because of the high number of patrons as well as the lack of firefighting equipment.
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