South County Braces for Isaac's Predicted Rainfall

The National Weather Service said 3 to 5 inches of rain could fall Friday and Saturday in St. Louis.

Mehlville emergency responders are closely monitoring weather reports in anticipation of the remnants of Tropical Storm Isaac. The storm is expected to hit the St. Louis area late Friday and Saturday. National Weather Service officials predict 3 to 5 inches of rainfall when Isaac arrives locally. In South County, the major hazards expected due to storm conditions are flooding and road closures.  “Our big issues are going to be flash floods and people getting stranded in the area,” said Deputy Chief Dan LaFata with the Mehlville Fire Protection District. The district has a water rescue team and will be making sure all equipment is in service in case of an emergency.  LaFata advised residents to stock up on supplies and avoid driving in …

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Pictured on Patch

Pictures Capture Mehlville Firefighters, Affton Volunteers, Fenton Dogs and More

Did you miss any of our stories this week? Catch up by viewing Pictured on Patch, a gallery of the best photos from the week.

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Firefighters Defeat St. Louis County Police in First Charity Softball Game

South County's first responders competed in a softball game that benefitted the Backstoppers, Inc.

Kids lined the bases for autographs after a game that involved heroes instead of professional athletes when St. Louis County Police officers took on firefighters from the Mehlville Fire Protection District in a softball game Sunday night.  Despite friendly jeers of 'hose-draggers,' the firefighters prevailed and defeated the police 19-13.  The game benefitted the Backstoppers, Inc., a nonprofit organization that supports family members of first responders who died in the line of duty.  The South County Chamber of Commerce organized the game at the Gateway Grizzlies Stadium in Sauget, IL.  The police and firefighters competed for the first time in what Chamber Director Donna Schumann hopes to be an annual event.  "We learned a lot, but we'…

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More Brush Fires, Heat Exposure Calls for Firefighters

This season's extreme heat means more calls for the Mehlville Fire Protection District, which covers several Affton neighborhoods.

This summer's extreme heat brought more brush fires, heat exposure incidents and other emergencies, according to the Mehlville Fire Protection District. The fire district covers several neighborhoods in the Affton area, including Lemay, Green Park, Concord, Sappington, Tesson Ferry and Mattese. The district also works closely with the Affton Fire Protection District, especially in periods of extreme heat, like the area has experienced recently. For more fire news, sign up for the Affton-Shrewsbury Patch newsletter. The fire that completely destroyed a home on Butler Hill Road in April was one of 18 house fires the Mehlville fire district put out in the last three months. No deaths were reported. The number of fires was included in a call …

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Affton, Mehlville Fire Districts Working Together During Heat Wave

The districts support each other to protect firefighters during fires in Affton, Mehlville, Oakville and Sunset Hills.

Affton Fire and Mehlville Fire protection districts are working together during this week’s heat wave. Captain Ben Waser told Affton Patch that the districts are prepared to provide extra manpower at fires to keep firefighters safe during this week’s 100-degree temperatures. During fires, firefighters work in shifts—some working hoses or helping residents while the next group prepares to step in. With today’s high temperature forecast at 106 degrees, it could take longer for firefighters to recover after their first shift. "There’s only a certain amount of work a guy can do in extreme heat," Waser said. “There’s no escaping the heat. A guy can’t recover.” Waser also had some tips for staying safe in extreme heat. “Be sensible in the high …

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Mehlville Fire Promotes Two to Captain

The board voted unanimously Wednesday night to promote the firefighters.

Privates Dan Rosenthal and Roland Therina are now captains with the Mehlville Fire Protection District.  The fire board voted unanimously to promote the two in a closed session Wednesday night.  Rosenthal  has been with Mehlville fire for 13 years, while Therina has been serving for 21 years. Both said they were excited about their new roles.  The board also honored Todd Besancenez Wednesday. Mehlville Fire Chief Brian Hendricks selected Besancenez as the Fireman of the Year for the South County Chamber Awards Banquet for his work as a field training officer. 

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Fire District Buys Camera to Help Trauma Victim Treatment

Mehlville Fire also promoted Craig Walk to assistant chief of Emergency Medical Services.

Mehlville Fire Protection District firefighters can now insert an endotracheal tube in a severe trauma or cardiac arrest victim in nearly any situation with the aide of a new camera. The fire board saw a presentation at Wednesday’s meeting about a new device that improves their current Airtraq Airway—a plastic device that illuminates the inside of a victim’s mouth and allows paramedics to place a tube in the trachea windpipe for air. “Now they’ve come out with a camera system which actually attaches to this plastic piece, which is disposable, to allow the paramedics to actually place this Airway in the patient and not have to be right over their head where they would normally be,” said Craig Walk, the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) …

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Mehlville Fire Board Promotes Interim Chief to Lead District

Chief Brian Hendricks accepted the permanent position.

The Mehlville Fire Protection District Board of Directors unanimously voted in a closed session Wednesday to offer interim Fire Chief Brian Hendricks a permanent position as chief. Hendricks, who has worked for the district for 13 years, accepted the position and said he was excited about the opportunity to formally lead the district. The board named Hendricks interim chief after the resignation of Tim White in June. “I’ve talked to employees who think he’s doing a great job; the board thinks he’s doing a great job and I think if those two people agree to that, then it’s pretty clear,” Board Chairman Aaron Hilmer said. The board also promoted interim Assistant Chief Dan LaFata to the permanent assistant chief position. LaFata was formerly …

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Mehlville Firefighters Host BBQ for Local Police

The firefighters also presented a check for $2,800 to the Backstoppers.

Police and firefighters gathered together for a BBQ on Oct. 17 and 18 at the Fourth and Third St. Louis County Police Precincts.  The BBQ is held every year and is done to show appreciation for the police and what they do, said Capt. Mike Yemm with the Mehlville Fire Protection District.  "We take a tremendous amount of comfort in the fact that we know they are there for us in the event one of our calls starts to go down hill," he said in an email to Patch. "This is just our little way of saying thank you." Firefighters also presented the police with a $2,800 check made out to the Backstoppers, which provides support for the families of fallen police officers and firefighters. The money was raised through a trivia night and car show.

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Mehlville Fire Board Passes 2011 Tax Rates

The blended rate will see a 2.6-cent increase.

The Mehlville Fire Protection District Board of Directors voted unanimously to pass their 2011 tax rates at Wednesday's board meeting. No residents spoke at the public hearing about raising or lowering the rates.  The blended rate, used for state calculations, will have a 2.6 cent increase, going from 67.1 cents to 69.7 cents, said Chief Financial Officer Brian Bond. The rates that were passed are as follows: In 2010, the district had the lowest residential tax rates in St. Louis County.  Assessed values have decreased in the county more than $70 million dollars from 2010, allowing the district to roll up the tax rate to stay revenue neutral. The increase will not generate any additional tax dollars for the fire district. The district’s …

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