News Releases

Engine 9 and Ladder 5 Green Shift responded to a car crash where a car left the East Ridge tunnels at a high rate of speed and left the roadway upon exiting the tunnel, striking a tree and catching fire. Firefighters encountered difficult conditions upon E9’s arrival due to the steep terrain and vegetation overgrowth. The fire was extinguished and 1 victim was located deceased inside the car.

Hazardous cargo on Interstate 24 caused two separate shutdowns in a span of several hours on September 20th, prompting a response by multiple agencies. The first incident happened on I-24 Eastbound following an organic peroxide spill in East Ridge. At 4 PM, fire and police responded to a hazmat incident on the Germantown Road off-ramp from I-24 East. A motorist spotted a FedEx tractor trailer with fluid leaking out of the back of the truck and called 911. The interstate was shut down in both directions and homes in a 1,000 foot radius were evacuated as a precaution. The truck had a mixed load with other chemicals being transported on the trailer, but those containers were not impaired. The organic peroxide tote had a pinhole leak, prompting a full hazmat response involving multiple agencies. Firefighters suited up and made entry into the trailer to assess the leak. Marion Environmental then responded to the scene to begin securing and off-loading the leaking product. They placed the chemical into a new tote for further transport and conducted further cleanup at the site. Thirty-eight homes and one small apartment complex were evacuated as a precautionary measure. Residents went to the Brainerd Rec Center, staffed by the American Red Cross. There were no injuries.

Once emergency crews cleared that scene, they were called to a wreck at 8PM on I-24W at the 4th Avenue exit after a van collided with a tractor trailer transporting industrial floor cleaner, prompting another hazmat response and forcing the temporary closure of the interstate in both directions. It appeared that a Chevy Astro van came up the wrong way on 4th Avenue exit ramp and pulled in front of the tractor trailer, causing a head-on collision. Due to the patient being pinned in the vehicle and their position in the wreckage, firefighters performed a complicated extrication operation. The patient was cut out of the mangled car by skilled firefighters and then transported to the hospital with serious injuries. He was the only passenger inside the van. The driver of the tractor trailer was transported to the hospital with leg pain. A small leak was coming from the tractor trailer of a product called ZEP, which is a floor stripping material. A private environmental company handled the cleanup.

Battalion Chief Brandon Schroyer and the Ladder 13 Red Shift crew saved a man’s life at Boyd Buchanan School Thursday night. A spectator at the football game had a cardiac arrest in the bleachers right before the middle school football game and 911 was called by bystanders. CPR was started by civilians and BC Schroyer arrived on scene to take over CPR and attach the school's AED. The first shock was being delivered as the L13 crew arrived. L13 personnel took over CPR and shocked the patient two more times when a pulse and respiration were restored. Medic 16 arrived on scene and transported the 74-year-old patient to the hospital and he was conscious by time he arrived there for further treatment. Last we heard, he was doing well! Great work by BC Schroyer, Captain Kevin Carpenter, Lieutenant Shaun Hinojosa, Senior Firefighter Jason Dill, Firefighter Tim Loving, and Firefighter Tim Chassen.

A woman and her dog escaped their burning home with only seconds to spare as a grease fire in the kitchen spread very quickly. On Thursday 9/14/23 at 2:12 PM, Red Shift companies responded to a residence in the 5100 block of Lantana Lane off Highway 58 in the Ware Heights subdivision. The call originally came in as a fire alarm and then a neighbor called 911 to report that the kitchen was on fire. Engine 15 could see smoke from Highway 58 and when they arrived on the scene, Lt. Michael Battle took command. Heavy fire and smoke was showing from the front and side of the house. The garage and kitchen were fully involved. Firefighters established a water supply and then several crews went in for an aggressive offensive fire attack as flames broke through the roof. The garage and car parked inside the garage were on fire with gasoline from the car burning, adding to the fire fight. Several hundred feet of supply line was needed and pressure was boosted due to the extended length of the lay. Firefighters had the blaze under control in 10-15 minutes and prevented the fire from ravaging the rest of the structure. The resident stated that she was home at the time cooking when she found herself dealing with a grease fire. She went to call 911 and when she turned back, the flames had spread rapidly. She grabbed her dog and got out without any injuries. She will be receiving assistance from the American Red Cross as she deals with the aftermath of this fire. Responding units/agencies included: Engine 15, Quint 6, Quint 8, Ladder 7, Squad 19, Battalion 2, Battalion 3, CFD Safety Chief, HCEMS, CPD and EPB. Thank you to Red Bank FD and East Ridge FD for filling in at our fire halls to provide coverage while our crews worked this incident. Battalion Chief Brandon Schroyer praised the excellent work of firefighters on the scene and the tactics they employed to tackle the fire in a fast, safe and effective manner.