SPECIAL REPORT: Taming the Blaze
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The Yuma Fire Department (YFD) has been on the front lines of protecting our community no matter who calls or what they might face.
"In the city of Yuma, anybody that calls anyone is going to get one of the city's communication centers, said David Padilla, Public Information Officer for the Yuma Fire Department. "Our number one dispatchers take that call and then they prioritize the call based on acuity."
They utilize the latest tools that help minimize damage caused by the flames.
"So the big difference between the tools that they're going to use on a on a residential fire or commercial fire is the size of the hose," said Padilla. "When we're dealing with wildlands, wildland incidents were generally not putting a bunch of water down."
Even the amount of water used can differ depending on what type of call they are on.
"We generally are very aggressive with hose lines on residential or building fire. We try to go interior and make a quick stop and knock the fire down," said Padilla.
When it comes to fires where property is damaged or people may be in harms way, YFD looks to make their presence swiftly, trying to knock down the flames as fast as possible. When they receive a call to a fire in an open area, their approach may be a little more deliberate but the goal is still the same.
"Wildland firefighting is far more slow and methodical. We're usually looking for firebreaks, things like roads, things like cut paths that we can stop the fire at," said Padilla. "So "We might allow that fire to burn a little bit longer until it gets to an area that we're confident that we can make a stop."
A Yuma fire captain shared the close personal reason he serves and how that affects him going to each call.
"Around eight years old, our house burned down and we lost completely everything," said Captain Hector Gaxiola. "That made it more of a calling for me. So when I go to a structure fire, when I go to any type of fire and I go and assist somebody that's hurt to me, it's personal."
To Gaxiola, serving on the front lines takes on a stronger meaning. Putting out these flames helps ensure our community stays safe. Though they know with every call they receive, it can never replace what has been lost.
"So when I go, there's a different type of compassion that I see," said Gaxiola. "I try to maximize everything. I try to do everything that we can to save as much property as we can, because that is what it is. I mean, it is our livelihood. We lose everything, pictures, loved ones. I mean, it's everything."
Padilla says that the community must be vigilant in keeping themselves safe, but that the Yuma Fire Department will always be on call for those who need them.
"If you do experience a fire, number one is get you and your family to safety. There's nothing in that house that we want you to risk your life or get out of the house," said Padilla.