[Scan-DC] Large brush fire Montgomery

[Brooks, Kurt]

Way back in the day, at least 12 years ago, WJZ's Chopper 13 was covering a large, difficult brush fire in Anne Arundel County in the mid evening after dark, about 9pm I recall. AA Co FD got wind that the helicopter was nearby and made a call to the tv station. 

Within a few minutes of the most remarkable conversation I have heard on a fire talkgroup and a TV station 2 way, I heard an engine set up a landing spot for "Trooper 13" and Roy Taylor put the chopper down near the command post. 

Then the battalion chief climbed on board and off they went to survey the fire. I am pretty sure the opportunity was taken to record the incident and interview the chief with the on board cameras and tape deck. 

Notably, this was also assisted by the fact that at the time Roy & I used the Maryland Fire Network's radio system as well as scanners in the helicopter. There were times when we could hear things said on the scanner, then relay info back to a MFN user on the scene, who would flag down a fire officer and relay our message. 

One incredible use of this side system was that the MD Dept of Environment Spill Trucks had programmed MFN in their radios. Reporting live one day on a fuel spill from a cargo ship at the Domino Sugar pier in Baltimore, Roy had an on air 2 way conversation with the MDE guys describing the situation from the air.  

It only happened rarely but I have never seen a better example as to why scanning was good, and direct communication even better between civilians and 1st responders. 

One final story before I go - I was up with Roy for the afternoon flight when we overheard a mutual aid call from Howard Cty to Eastbound 70 in Baltimore Cty - a typical call due to access issues. We were real close so we popped over to take a look well before and ground units were there. Sure enough, it was real bad: several cars, an obvious entrapment. Just then Trooper 3 was flying by on the way home from Shock Trauma. Roy alerted them to the accident so they spun around for a closer look. 

Because the accident had closed the road, the next thing we see is Trooper 3 come in for a landing an taxi up fairly close to the scene. The medic jumps out to start triage several minutes before the first ground units arrive. 

I swear, the incredulous first unit size up of the accident 'with a Trooper already on the ground' was one of the funnier things I have ever heard. 

On Mar 10, 2013, at 17:03, "Doug Kitchener" <oldsdoug at yahoo.com> wrote:

> MSP helicopter requested to evaluate the extent of the fire... I don't think I've ever heard that before.
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Doug Kitchener <oldsdoug at yahoo.com>
>> To: Scan- DC <scan-dc at mailman.qth.net>
>> Cc: 
>> Sent: Sunday, March 10, 2013 4:58 PM
>> Subject: [Scan-DC] Large brush fire Montgomery
>> 
>> Large brush fire in Montgomery County, Germantown area, off Indian Grass 
>> Court... same area where there was a really big fire a couple of years ago.  
>> Probably 10 acres off... at least 3 tankers and half a dozen brush vehicles 
>> there now.  Operations on 7-Golf.  I could see the smoke from Montgomery Pillage 
>> when they dispatched it.
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