News: Fire captain receives medal from Germany's fire service

Thursday, January 10, 2008

News: Fire captain receives medal from Germany's fire service

Fremont Fire Department captain receives second highest medal from Germany's fire service

In summer 1997, Ben Brockemuehl was visiting from Germany and stopped into a local Fremont Fire Department station.

Brockemuehl shared his interest and passion for the fire department with firefighters working that day.

Since he was visiting for a number of months, he was invited to join the Fremont Fire Department Explorer Division.

Brockemuehl returned a number of times through the years, visiting the department and taking various fire services courses.

Today, Brockemuehl is a battalion chief for the Aichach-Friedberg Fire Department in Germany. He believes his success comes from much of the training and experience obtained during his time with the Fremont Fire Department.

One person specifically, who he feels not only impacted his experience, but played a major role as a Explorer adviser, was Fremont Fire Capt. Rick Bota.

Brockemuehl submitted his experience of Bota's managing Fremont's Explorer Program to the president of Germany's fire service for consideration, among many applicants to receive Germany's second highest medal given out to non-citizens.

Bota was selected and Brockemuehl returned to Fremont on Jan. 5, representing the president of Germany's fire service to award the medal to Bota.

Source: Milpitas Post Staff - Fremont Bulletin Online

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How fires get their names

Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.

CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States. CDF - CAL FIRE Firefighters answer the call more than 300,000 times a year. CAL FIRE Firefighters make up the fire department for 30 of our 58 counties in California and more than 100 local communities. We serve as the incident command during many of California’s most serious disasters. CAL FIRE Firefighters respond to many various types and forms of calls ranging from structural fires, to auto accidents, to earthquakes, to floods, to the spilling of hazardous materials, to every conceivable disaster; CAL FIRE answer's the calls. CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States . CAL FIRE firefighters protect 33 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA). We have over 4,000 members within CAL FIRE and CAL FIRE is associated with the California Professional Firefighters (CPF) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).

CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS

Thursday, January 10, 2008