Emergency Inside - Woodside Fire Protection District (CA)
The following is a summary of responses to interview questions regarding the department
Interviewees: Justin Werle, Chris White, Jared Abbott, Stephen Bell, Kyle Emmert, Bob Erikson, Emil Picchi, Robert Douthit
General Information
Woodside Fire Protection District (WFPD) Website: https://www.woodsidefire.org/
Currently, WFPD has 55 personnel and 3 stations
WFPD serves the city of Woodside, a small town located within the San Mateo County with a current population of about 25,000. Woodside is home to various outdoor activities such as horseback riding, trail hiking, and rock climbing. Additionally, Woodside is among the wealthiest communities in the United States. These two traits of Woodside are important to keep in mind when understanding WFPD's operations and practices
Note: This interview was conducted at WFPD Station 7, therefore responses are more specific to Station 7. This interview does not represent the entirety of the Woodside Fire Protection District
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| Station 7 Bay with Engine 7 and Rescue 7 |
Interviewees: Justin Werle, Chris White, Jared Abbott, Stephen Bell, Kyle Emmert, Bob Erikson, Emil Picchi, Robert Douthit
General Information
Woodside Fire Protection District (WFPD) Website: https://www.woodsidefire.org/
Currently, WFPD has 55 personnel and 3 stations
WFPD serves the city of Woodside, a small town located within the San Mateo County with a current population of about 25,000. Woodside is home to various outdoor activities such as horseback riding, trail hiking, and rock climbing. Additionally, Woodside is among the wealthiest communities in the United States. These two traits of Woodside are important to keep in mind when understanding WFPD's operations and practices
Note: This interview was conducted at WFPD Station 7, therefore responses are more specific to Station 7. This interview does not represent the entirety of the Woodside Fire Protection District
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| Exterior of Station 7 |
1) What is the most common call for WFPD? Any special calls unique to WFPD?
- Medical calls compose the majority of incidents (75-80%)
-> All WFPD apparatuses are ALS (Advance Life Support) certified
-> Woodside is well known for its paramedic specialty. This will be discussed below, but it is important to understand that almost every WFPD firefighter is expected to be a paramedic (compared to other departments, this employment standard is very high)
- WFPD is specialized towards trauma response, as Station 7 is located right next to the highway (280) and is very close to several parks such as Huddart Park and Wunderlich County Park
-> Bicyclists and horseback riders come in large groups, especially during the summer, which inevitably causes accidents
-> Commute on highway 280 brings a variety of traffic accidents
-> Summer markers the highest concentration of outdoor calls, as the public is out and about
2) What is WFPD able to respond to?
- WFPD is an all-risk/all-hazard Agency (The department is capable of responding to any type of call)
-> Examples of possible responses include traffic accidents, structure fires, wildland fires, confined spaces, rope rescue, and structural instability
-> WFPD continues to train in various emergency response subjects, such as shooting training
3) What role does WFPD play on wildfires?
- Under the ICS (Incident Command System), WFPD is capable of sending out one engine and several single resources (individuals rather than a crew)
-> Sending one engine out can strain WFPD as there are only 2 engines left to serve 25,000 people
-> Especially during summer, sending out an engine can create a challenge due to high-fire danger (similar to the circumstances in the Bay area in late October)
- Service to Woodside is the #1 priority of WFPD
- In addition to sending out an engine and single resources, many members of WFPD are part of task forces and other independent teams (expanded below)
4) Outside of WFPD, what organizations can department members contribute their efforts to?
- There are 2 primary avenues of membership for outside organizations: Task Force 3 (CA-TF3) or the single resource path
-> Task Force 3 is a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Urban Search and Rescue Task Force based in Menlo Park, CA. The task force is composed of various individuals, from emergency response workers to regular citizens (dogs too!). Task Force 3 responds to major incidents such as hurricanes or earthquakes
-> A single resource is not a specific organization. Rather, an individual member of the WFPD (or other departments) is able to respond as a single person to incidents and provide their own skills/contributions (Example: individual provide services as a fireline paramedic or firefighter)
- Important: the participation of members in various outside organizations requires financial resources from the person's main department, as the department must be able to sustain itself while the member(s) of such outside organizations are away
-> Other organizations exist, such as SWAT, and members are free to join whichever they please
- WFPD is very grateful for its ability to provide the opportunity of outside organization participation to its department members, as not every department is capable of providing these opportunities
5) How does WFPD collaborate with state/federal fire organizations? Roles?
- WFPD works very closely with CAL FIRE (CAL FIRE stations 58, 17, 18 neighbor WFPD's stations)
- Due to their immediate locations, WFPD often covers for CAL FIRE and runs calls alongside CAL FIRE employees
- WFPD often trains alongside CAL FIRE employees
- As for federal collaboration, WFPD members often interact with federal workers on large scale incidents (especially when the incident is not in a state park).
- WFPD has collaborated with firefighters from all over the U.S., some as far from Florida!
6) How involved is WFPD with its community?
- WFPD is incredibly involved with its community
- WFPD is heavily focused on prevention. As a result, several programs are focused on engaging the Woodside community in prevention efforts. Efforts include:
-> Offering basic fire safety education, wildland defensible space education, CPR classes, and the Chipper program (where citizens are given one week to take out as much brush off their property as they can, which will then be chipped for free by the WFPD!)
- In addition, WFPD connects to the community through station tours, pancake breakfasts, cancer fundraising, toys for tots, Easter celebration and much more
- The most unique by far is the WFPD offers flu shots and blood drives to the community (never encountered another department that did this so far)
-> Examples of possible responses include traffic accidents, structure fires, wildland fires, confined spaces, rope rescue, and structural instability
-> WFPD continues to train in various emergency response subjects, such as shooting training
3) What role does WFPD play on wildfires?
- Under the ICS (Incident Command System), WFPD is capable of sending out one engine and several single resources (individuals rather than a crew)
-> Sending one engine out can strain WFPD as there are only 2 engines left to serve 25,000 people
-> Especially during summer, sending out an engine can create a challenge due to high-fire danger (similar to the circumstances in the Bay area in late October)
- Service to Woodside is the #1 priority of WFPD
- In addition to sending out an engine and single resources, many members of WFPD are part of task forces and other independent teams (expanded below)
4) Outside of WFPD, what organizations can department members contribute their efforts to?
- There are 2 primary avenues of membership for outside organizations: Task Force 3 (CA-TF3) or the single resource path
-> Task Force 3 is a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Urban Search and Rescue Task Force based in Menlo Park, CA. The task force is composed of various individuals, from emergency response workers to regular citizens (dogs too!). Task Force 3 responds to major incidents such as hurricanes or earthquakes
-> A single resource is not a specific organization. Rather, an individual member of the WFPD (or other departments) is able to respond as a single person to incidents and provide their own skills/contributions (Example: individual provide services as a fireline paramedic or firefighter)
- Important: the participation of members in various outside organizations requires financial resources from the person's main department, as the department must be able to sustain itself while the member(s) of such outside organizations are away
-> Other organizations exist, such as SWAT, and members are free to join whichever they please
- WFPD is very grateful for its ability to provide the opportunity of outside organization participation to its department members, as not every department is capable of providing these opportunities
5) How does WFPD collaborate with state/federal fire organizations? Roles?
- WFPD works very closely with CAL FIRE (CAL FIRE stations 58, 17, 18 neighbor WFPD's stations)
- Due to their immediate locations, WFPD often covers for CAL FIRE and runs calls alongside CAL FIRE employees
- WFPD often trains alongside CAL FIRE employees
- As for federal collaboration, WFPD members often interact with federal workers on large scale incidents (especially when the incident is not in a state park).
- WFPD has collaborated with firefighters from all over the U.S., some as far from Florida!
6) How involved is WFPD with its community?
- WFPD is incredibly involved with its community
- WFPD is heavily focused on prevention. As a result, several programs are focused on engaging the Woodside community in prevention efforts. Efforts include:
-> Offering basic fire safety education, wildland defensible space education, CPR classes, and the Chipper program (where citizens are given one week to take out as much brush off their property as they can, which will then be chipped for free by the WFPD!)
- In addition, WFPD connects to the community through station tours, pancake breakfasts, cancer fundraising, toys for tots, Easter celebration and much more
- The most unique by far is the WFPD offers flu shots and blood drives to the community (never encountered another department that did this so far)
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| WFPD members providing education to the public |
7) How are the relations with the surrounding residents?
- WFPD has a great relationship with its residents, often receiving overwhelming support
- Residents are very open with WFPD and contribute to various events such as fundraisers
- WFPD is very focused on introducing interested citizens to the fire service (expanded below in the cadet/explorer section)
8) What current challenges exist within WFPD?
- Due to the geography of Woodside and the diversity of estates, it is difficult to maneuver apparatuses
-> This often leads to damage of the apparatuses (get replaced more often)
-> Current solution is to adapt; WFPD employees constantly practice to avoid damage
-> While there have been proposed ideas of reducing the size of the apparatus, WFPD has chosen to stay with its current size of apparatuses because they are capable of carrying more water and equipment, which are very important due to the more challenging surroundings
- WFPD's ambulance, Medic 107, is often pulled out of district
-> 107 is frequently taken out of the district of WFPD and sent to districts as far as South San Francisco
-> This is due to an ambulance contract with AMR (American Medical Response)
-> This serves as a problem because members who want to work in WFPD are sent away to other districts and "burned out"
-> Current solution is to wait until the contract ends, and everyone serves their part on the rig to make it fair
9) What are the desirable qualities for applicants for an applicant who is applying for WFPD?
- Minimum standards for an applicant include 18+, high school diploma or equivalent, FF1, and EMT certifications
- As mentioned earlier, WFPD is well known for its paramedic specialty. Because of this, applicants who are certified paramedics have a very high advantage in the application process
- The more experience and qualifications, the better
- There is no set ideal standard: the hiring process heavily depends on the needs of the department at the time of the selection process
- Once an applicant is hired, they are sent to the San Mateo County joint academy (if they pass, they become a probationary firefighter for 2 years)
- Participation in WFPD's cadet program provides an advantage as individuals can become acquainted with the department
10) Any entry-level programs such as cadets or explorers? Seasonals? Volunteers?
- WFPD has an exceptional cadet program (where College of San Mateo Students have an opportunity to train and have ride-alongs with WFPD)
- There is no explorer program, and there is no interest in one (cadets take priority)
- No seasonal or volunteer positions are offered
- WFPD offers ride alongs to any interested citizens
-> Most participants are people who are thinking about getting into the fire service
- WFPD has also partnered with Woodside high school to provide the mentorship program
-> The program allows interested high schoolers to meet with MFPD members to learn more about the fire service
10) General apparatus information
- The MFPD has the following apparatuses:
-> 1 battalion chief (B2)
-> 3 type 1 fire engines (7,8,19)
-> 1 rescue (R7)
-> 1 ambulance (M107)
-> 1 water tender (WT108)
-> 1 type 5 engine (E508)
-> 1 polaris emergency response vechicle (ERV)
11) General engine information
- 750-gallon tank (compared to the standard 500-gallon tank which is used by departments such as Menlo Park and San Mateo Consolidated)
- 800 ft of 5-inch supply hose
- 75 ft bumper line (can be connected to hotel packs)
- Standard crosslays and hotel packs (Also known as high rise packs, these hose packs are commonly used when fighting fire in a high rise building. Firefighters will take these packs up the building, and connect to water connections at the end of the hallway(s). Water will then be pumped to these packs)
-> While WFPD sometimes uses hotel packs for high rise buildings, they are primarily used for the large estates
-> Firefighters will extend the 2.5 hose from the engine, then attach with hotel packs for extension
- 550 horsepower
- Due to the higher volume of trauma incidents, E7 is equipped with more extrication equipment than most other engines
-> E7 contains more e-drolics- battery-powered extrication equipment which is the alternative to hydraulic extrication equipment- than most other engines
-> Includes various saws (chainsaws, circular saws, etc.)
- 4 Scott 5.5 SCBA packs
- Standard wildland tools, extinguishers, overhaul equipment, RIT pack and medical equipment (LUCAS is the primary provider of CPR)
- 10' attic ladder, 14' and 24' extension ladder stored on the top
- Fan and hydrant bag in the back
12) General rescue information
- R7 is an all-purpose response apparatus and is ALS certified (paramedics onboard)
- Equipped with:
-> Battery powered extrication tools (e-drolics)
-> Rope rescue equipment (stokesbasket, harnesses, etc.)
-> SCBAs, halligan, axes, wildland tools
-> Night-scene light
- R7 contains a patient compartment (photo below) where paramedics can treat a patient with the given medical equipment
-> Upon questioning, the R7 patient compartment is not commonly used (as WFPD has medic 107 and E7)
13) Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV)
- The ERV is an apparatus used for trail/natural park incidents because of its design
- "The Wheel" is a wheel attached to the backboard/stokes basket containing the patient and is then used to wheel the patient back while on the trail and connect to the ERV
- ALS certified
- Typically pulled to a location closest to the natural space which must be accessed
- The ERV is used mostly in the summer (best time for outdoor activity for most people)
14) Ambulance 107 (M107)
- Going by Medic 107, M107 is an AMR apparatus
- This is due to WFPD's contract with AMR (mentioned above)
- However, WFPD did not always use an AMR rig
-> 8 months ago WFPDs own ambulance was involved in an accident. Luckily, no serious injuries were sustained, but the apparatus was damaged to the point it was taken out of service
-> AMR lent an apparatus, but a new Woodside ambulance rig is on the way!
- Residents are very open with WFPD and contribute to various events such as fundraisers
- WFPD is very focused on introducing interested citizens to the fire service (expanded below in the cadet/explorer section)
8) What current challenges exist within WFPD?
- Due to the geography of Woodside and the diversity of estates, it is difficult to maneuver apparatuses
-> This often leads to damage of the apparatuses (get replaced more often)
-> Current solution is to adapt; WFPD employees constantly practice to avoid damage
-> While there have been proposed ideas of reducing the size of the apparatus, WFPD has chosen to stay with its current size of apparatuses because they are capable of carrying more water and equipment, which are very important due to the more challenging surroundings
- WFPD's ambulance, Medic 107, is often pulled out of district
-> 107 is frequently taken out of the district of WFPD and sent to districts as far as South San Francisco
-> This is due to an ambulance contract with AMR (American Medical Response)
-> This serves as a problem because members who want to work in WFPD are sent away to other districts and "burned out"
-> Current solution is to wait until the contract ends, and everyone serves their part on the rig to make it fair
9) What are the desirable qualities for applicants for an applicant who is applying for WFPD?
- Minimum standards for an applicant include 18+, high school diploma or equivalent, FF1, and EMT certifications
- As mentioned earlier, WFPD is well known for its paramedic specialty. Because of this, applicants who are certified paramedics have a very high advantage in the application process
- The more experience and qualifications, the better
- There is no set ideal standard: the hiring process heavily depends on the needs of the department at the time of the selection process
- Once an applicant is hired, they are sent to the San Mateo County joint academy (if they pass, they become a probationary firefighter for 2 years)
- Participation in WFPD's cadet program provides an advantage as individuals can become acquainted with the department
10) Any entry-level programs such as cadets or explorers? Seasonals? Volunteers?
- WFPD has an exceptional cadet program (where College of San Mateo Students have an opportunity to train and have ride-alongs with WFPD)
- There is no explorer program, and there is no interest in one (cadets take priority)
- No seasonal or volunteer positions are offered
- WFPD offers ride alongs to any interested citizens
-> Most participants are people who are thinking about getting into the fire service
- WFPD has also partnered with Woodside high school to provide the mentorship program
-> The program allows interested high schoolers to meet with MFPD members to learn more about the fire service
 |
| Shot from inside E7 when I was given a chance to do a ride-along with them! |
- The MFPD has the following apparatuses:
-> 1 battalion chief (B2)
-> 3 type 1 fire engines (7,8,19)
-> 1 rescue (R7)
-> 1 ambulance (M107)
-> 1 water tender (WT108)
-> 1 type 5 engine (E508)
-> 1 polaris emergency response vechicle (ERV)
11) General engine information
 |
| Close up of E7 |
- 800 ft of 5-inch supply hose
- 75 ft bumper line (can be connected to hotel packs)
- Standard crosslays and hotel packs (Also known as high rise packs, these hose packs are commonly used when fighting fire in a high rise building. Firefighters will take these packs up the building, and connect to water connections at the end of the hallway(s). Water will then be pumped to these packs)
-> While WFPD sometimes uses hotel packs for high rise buildings, they are primarily used for the large estates
-> Firefighters will extend the 2.5 hose from the engine, then attach with hotel packs for extension
- 550 horsepower
- Due to the higher volume of trauma incidents, E7 is equipped with more extrication equipment than most other engines
-> E7 contains more e-drolics- battery-powered extrication equipment which is the alternative to hydraulic extrication equipment- than most other engines
-> Includes various saws (chainsaws, circular saws, etc.)
- 4 Scott 5.5 SCBA packs
- Standard wildland tools, extinguishers, overhaul equipment, RIT pack and medical equipment (LUCAS is the primary provider of CPR)
- 10' attic ladder, 14' and 24' extension ladder stored on the top
- Fan and hydrant bag in the back
12) General rescue information
 |
| Rescue 7 (R7) close up views |
- Equipped with:
-> Battery powered extrication tools (e-drolics)
-> Rope rescue equipment (stokesbasket, harnesses, etc.)
-> SCBAs, halligan, axes, wildland tools
-> Night-scene light
- R7 contains a patient compartment (photo below) where paramedics can treat a patient with the given medical equipment
-> Upon questioning, the R7 patient compartment is not commonly used (as WFPD has medic 107 and E7)
 |
| R7 Patient compartment |
13) Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV)
- The ERV is an apparatus used for trail/natural park incidents because of its design
- "The Wheel" is a wheel attached to the backboard/stokes basket containing the patient and is then used to wheel the patient back while on the trail and connect to the ERV
- ALS certified
- Typically pulled to a location closest to the natural space which must be accessed
- The ERV is used mostly in the summer (best time for outdoor activity for most people)
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| ERV |
14) Ambulance 107 (M107)
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| M107 |
- This is due to WFPD's contract with AMR (mentioned above)
- However, WFPD did not always use an AMR rig
-> 8 months ago WFPDs own ambulance was involved in an accident. Luckily, no serious injuries were sustained, but the apparatus was damaged to the point it was taken out of service
-> AMR lent an apparatus, but a new Woodside ambulance rig is on the way!
 |
| Original M107 rig before the accident |
Thank you to the WFPD for making this interview possible!
Check out other interviews on different departments here
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