Atherton: Worker rescued after fall at home construction site

So 2 engine companies and 1 ladder company responded to this call for service. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why it makes PERFECT sense for Atherton residents to make a larger contribution to MPFPD's tax base. The typical residential construction site in Atherton is on par with an apartment or office building in terms of cost and complexity. The value of their property, in both land and improvement terms, is much higher. Consequently, fire/emergency responses to these properties are far more costly in terms of staffing and equipment costs than say, your 1400 sq foot bungalow in Belle Haven or East Palo Alto.

It looks like the fire district rolled their film crew for this rescue. Smells like they used the event for publicity purposes. I suspect these kind of falls happen all the time throughout all the fire departments in the state. This one was singled out? I think we all know why ... to show the value the district has to the town.

Sure Roy the Fire District stages these events:


Two Iron Workers injured after a catastrophic failure
of steel framing used to erect Facebook Building 21
At 5.21 pm, Menlo Park Firefighters responded to Facebook’s new building 21, which
is being built by General Contractor Level 10 Construction. San Mateo County Public
Safety Communications (PSC) received multiple calls that part of the building had
collapsed and two workers had fallen and were injured, but not trapped.
Based upon further reports, Menlo Battalion Chief Dan Coyle activated a level 1
multi-casualty incident which included three ambulances and a supervisor along
with a Central County Heavy Rescue out of Burlingame and Menlo Rescue 2, Truck 1
and Engines 77, 5 and 1.
The crew of Menlo Engine 77, out of Belle Haven, arrived at 5.28 pm and were
immediately escorted in by security and construction workers directly to the two
injured men, who had been moved to a position of safety by fellow co-workers,
well away from the collapse and danger zone.
According to other workers at the site, both victims had been working at an
estimated height of forty feet assembling the structures steel framing when a
catastrophic failure occurred and the steel beam they were standing on, and attached
to, dropped an estimated 20 feet catching on a lower floor assembly, catapulting
them towards the ground. Fortunately, their safety harnesses and rigging broke and
stopped their decent, prior to actually hitting the ground below.
Fire Paramedics described both men as conscious, one in his late twenties and the
other in his early thirties. Both were complaining of significant lower extremity pain
and puncture wounds.
Firefighters from Menlo Engine 77 and 5 treated one patient while the other was
treated by the crews of Engine 1 and Rescue 2. Firefighters quickly triaged, treated
and packaged each patient in rapid and team fashion for immediate transport by two
awaiting AMR Ambulances to Stanford Hospital and Trauma Center.
Firefighter Paramedics accompanied and assisted the AMR Ambulance Transport
Paramedics all the way to the hospital due to the traumatic nature and mechanism of
the injuries caused by the actual fall and deceleration.
Fire Chief Schapelhouman said “fortunately, the iron workers were wearing their
safety harnesses and rigging, which probably helped save their lives along with, as
we understand it, the fact that the beam they were attached to caught on a lower
floor assembly, miraculously insuring their survival. Add in that the area below were
they were working was pretty much open and an army of their co-workers
immediately came to their aid, moved them to a place of safety, brought us right to
them and then stood back so we could do our job…, honestly, it couldn’t have gone
better”.

Think again Roy.

I am shocked and dismayed that these photographs were published. They were taken while standing on private property, presumably without the owner or patient's consent, by a first responder who should have been focused on the emergency at hand instead of snapping pictures of the trauma. Poor judgment, an invasion of privacy--and no photo credit identified. The images should be removed.

I have reviewed this issue with the Fire Chief and can confirm:

1 - The Fire District doesn't use any photographs unless they are approved by the Fire Chief, another ranking Chief Officer, designee or a Public Information Officer. The Fire Chief approved this photograph and press release.

2 - Photographs are scrutinized to make sure patients identities and information are protected under HIPPA, appropriateness and good taste.

3 - The patient can not be identified from this photograph.

4 - The Rescue operation itself is unique and an excellent representation of what special skills firefighters posses, technical equipment they sometimes use and the positive benefits this provides to the overall community, in other words it helps to tell the story of what occurred, which is a matter of public record.

5 - The Fire District has received no formal complaint from the victim or the homeowners.

Peter Carpenter
President
Fire Board

Hi Peter, Homeowner here to weigh in.

We appreciate the excellent services provided by rescue personnel in this unfortunate circumstance and are pleased to see praise given where praise is deserved. That said, we do agree that it would have been courteous to request our permission before publishing photos of our private home.

We will continue to support our police and fire (you may recall our donation of the original structure to the fire department for training purposes) and we feel very thankful for the protections these brave men and women provide.

Homeowner - Please contact me directly so that we can discuss your concern.

pcarpenter@MenloFire.org


Thank you,

Peter Carpenter
President
Fire Board