Hilfe für Japan

Liebe Netzwerkmitglieder, Freunde und Unterstützer,

der Augenzeugenbericht von unserer Kollegin Toshiko aus Tokio hat mich sehr berührt. Als Feuerwehrleute sind wir es gewöhnt direkt helfen zu können. Bei dieser Tragödie sind wir scheinbar in der Zuschauerrolle – aber das sind wir nicht! Wir können Toshiko und den Menschen in Japan durch Spenden helfen! Da wir nicht selber Spenden sammeln und weiterleiten können, möchten wir Euch bitten,  dies über andere Organisationen zu tun. Beispielsweise hat das Deutsche Rote Kreuz bereits ein Spendenkonto eingerichtet:

Spendenkonto: 41 41 41
Bank für Sozialwirtschaft
BLZ: 370 205 00
Stichwort: Tsunami 2011

Bitte beteiligt Euch an der Hilfe, auch kleine Beträge können viel bewirken und unsere Kollegin und Ihre Landsleute unterstützen!

Tanja Dittmar
(stellv. Vorsitzende Netzwerk-Feuerwehrfrauen e.V.)

 
Hello,

We are very happy to know that countries around the world give helping hands to Japan.

I was very lucky, because I was at home when the first big earthquake happened.
It was the biggest I have ever experienced before.
It was long. During the shake I opened the front door and sat on the floor.
I was about to leave the house so I had already put my two dogs in a cage.
There was no damage at my house.
If I had been at office, I would very, very worry about my dogs and house.

Then I turned on TV.
What I learned was the earthquake center was northern part of Japan, very far from Tokyo.
And Tsunami alert.
There was no information about Tokyo.
I tried to call to my fire station but line was busy. Mails were same.
There seemed no damage in my town.

Then I went to my mother's house by bicycle. It took only 10 minutes. She was OK. But electricity was gone at her house.
So I couldn't watch on TV.
I spent around 30 minutes there, because there were two big aftershocks.

Then I went to the nearest fire station by bicycle.
I was astonished to watch on TV!
And I was told all firefighters were requested to go to designated station according to the emergency plan.
In my case, my fire station, 30 km away from my home.
All trains stopped.

I went back to my mom to tell I would go to station.
Then I asked my neighbor to take care of my dogs.

I went on the main road to Tokyo.
People walked toward Tokyo and from Tokyo.
Cars were jammed.

In some areas were black outs.
That means no signals at crossings.
Some area police officers were working for traffic.

At seven-eleven store, people were waiting in line.
They rushed to buy food, drinks, batteries etc.

It was strange to see some pubs were crowded with people who gave up going back home and wait for train service restart. (next morning very early hours)
It took three hours to my station by bicycle.

In my station area there was no fire; a few people were trapped in elevators.
Some buildings' walls were fallen down.

My 10 coworkers have already left for northern area on two pump trucks.
Countless number of trucks and more than 1200 firefighters are now in the disaster area from Tokyo for rescue operations.

Our working shift changed now to cover up the firefighters who have gone for resucue operation..
We usually work in three groups.
Now we work in two groups (24 hour on, 24 hour off).
Daily staff like me, sometimes I need to work 24 hours.
The next evening (Saturday, 12) I was allowed to go home.
I could take a day off on Sunday.

Due to the accidents at nuclear power plants, electricity will be shortage.
To prevent whole Tokyo blackout, the government told us the 3-hour-electric service stop would start on Monday 14 and all people need to save the energy.
The service would stop for three hours at the designated area at designated time period.
By this time people in Tokyo were optimistic.

Saturday and Sunday supermarkets were crowded with shoppers.
People bought up instant noodles, bread, bottled water, rice, batteries, and toilet papers.
All those were gone!
Supply was slow due to confusion and of course there is no supply from north.

Day4-5 (Monday 14 and Tuesday 15)

GREAT CONFUSION

As I was told that I would work for 24 hours as a back-up staff on Monday 14, I planned to go earlier so I got up at 5:30.
To my surprise, TV told many train service (not all) has already stopped for just in case of the 3-hour-electricity service stop.
It was decided in midnight.
And my commuting train stopped. I had to walk to another station for 30 minutes to take another line. It was already packed with people. Many people had to take alternative train route. But I was lucky. I took the train at 6:45 and arrived at my station at 8:00.
People were waiting long line to take a train or a bus in the morning. Some gave up taking it.

13 firefighters left for the disaster site in the morning from my station.
We still have small after shakes in Tokyo.
But what we are now concerned is nuclear matter.
We strongly doubt the comment from the government and the electric company.
The accidents were getting worse and worse.
My friend and her son took the train for Osaka for evacuation.
I was told to measure the atomic level in front of the fire station every hour.
The little gadget showed “0”!!

In my station area from 12:20 electricity service was scheduled to stop for three hours. So we expected some accidents such as trapped elevator, enable to call for the fire department and ambulance service and so on. When one pump returned from patrolling they told there was no service stop, everything seemed normal except gas stations. Cars were waiting in line to buy gas and they caused traffic jam. Some gas stations put the sign board “no more gas and they don’t know when supply will come.”

In the evening TV showed people were waiting in a long line for limited train service.
Some people stood for three hours to take train.
The electric company told on TV “Today there was no service stop, because people tried saving energy very much.” It’s a good thing. However we were too ready for it and too confused and busy. People got angry.
Then the company said “tomorrow we will stop the service in certain area.”

About food, it is a small thing but for firefighters dinner at station is quite a refreshing thing. A young firefighter called the supermarket to order food, they answered there was no rice. No rice! Shoppers bought up rice in case of the emergency. So we ate instant emergency rice. (Meat and vegetable are available.) Next time we need to bring at least our own food.

At night the Tokyo FD decided to change the time of the starting shift next morning from 8:30 to 10:00. The reason was that many firefighters could not arrive at the station at 8:30 this morning due to train stop.
When I announced this to co-workers they got mad. They were so tired of working and staying at fire station since the earthquake. Even just 1 hour and half, they could not wait any more. As you know we are so relieved when we finish our shift because we face the risk of our life every shift.

The shift of March 14 was quite normal. We worked for a minor accidents and medical runs.
At 10:00, Tuesday 15, finally I finished my long frustrating shift.
I went back home by my bicycle which I rode on the earthquake day. I needed my bicycle for another emergency call. This time I enjoyed a nice-three-hour trip.

However I expected the electricity service stop from 18:20 to 22:00.
I took a hot bath, doing laundry and cooking dinner and so on until the time. In my house a gas oven, an air conditioner and a hot water system are run by combination of gas and electricity. Without electricity we can’t do anything.
At 18:20, lights were still OK. Nothing happened. But TV said the service stop had started. We finally found my neighborhood was exceptional area and until now they don’t plan to stop the service. What a relief! But you know how people in Tokyo are confused about the electricity matter.

Tomorrow Wed.16, I schedule to work only 8 hours. But we don’t know what would happen next.

Thank you for your friendship. As a representative Japanese people, I really appreciate great help around the world.

Hello from Tokyo.
I am off today.
The information here is what I have collected from TV news and newspaper.

As you already know, 240 Tokyo Fire Dept's firefighter-rescue crew including Fire Chief are in the nuclear power plant in Fukushima. 

Early morning on Friday 18, first 130 firefighters who belong to the special task forces have left from Tokyo upon the prime minister's request.

Our special task forces are the cream of the crop of rescue crews of the Tokyo Fire Dept.
The reason why Tokyo launched it was for the big earthquake in Tokyo.
Japan is earthquake-prone country.
They have many heavy machines.
Therefore they sometimes are dispatched to the disasters inside and outside Japan.

They first tried to park our "Super Pumper" by sea yesterday.

Super Pumper can supply a large amount of water.
After several earthquakes, the ground is not smooth, and full of debris there.
It took time to find the best parking place and hose line.
In addition, though they planed to extend hoses by truck, they had no choice to extend 800m of hose line by hand.
In total 40 firefighters worked outside with protective suits for this mission.

Therefore it took long time before starting shooting water to the reactor.
The Super Pomper parked near sea to supply water to the 22m high water tower cannon truck.
They started shooting water at 0:30 midnight for 20 minutes.
It sprayed 3tons of water per minutes, the total of 60 tons.
Around 10 firefighters worked for this mission including the TFD's special HAZMAT team to measure radiation and back up.

Because of high level of radiation, they left the truck there.
Tokyo Fire Dept sent another over 100 firefighters to there.
The total number of firefighter-rescue crew is 240 with 44 trucks now.
To minimize the time of exposure per person, we need many firefighters for this mission.

They set up the system of unmanned water shooting.
The firefighters visit the truck only they adjust the nozzle and refill the fuel.
The second time, it has shot water for 7 hours from 14:00 on Saturday 19.
They plan to continue shoot water until mid night today.(10 hours)

Up to now no health trouble has been reported.
And the first group of exposed firefighters have alreadyy returned to Tokyo and meet family!

Of course all TFD personnel are quite worrying their health condition.

The first day of the earthquake, we were very busy to deal with local fires and earthquake related accidents.
But the very next day, the special task forces started to prepare in case they are requested.
Actually they simulated the operation at river side on Thursday 18 , then they left Tokyo the very next morning.

By the way, some friends asked me about female firefighters in Japan.
Right now we don't know whether there are any victims or missing personnel.
Because the disaster sites don't have electricity and phones and so on under confusing situation.
At least two females are survived and working for people now.
They are running around evacuation camps and distributing food and other aid.
They are too busy to contact with other firefighter-friends now.
One told she didn't have gas any more that she had to depend on public transportation.
But there was no time table and accessible roads are limited.

If you send me a message, I will try to send them.
I think it is too early to accept donation or help.
Instead, please keep your fingers' crossed for us! 

Toshiko

Hi friends,
The Japan times carrys an illustration of our mission, but the distance was wrong.
We extended 800m hose line.
We extended 350m by hand, 450m by truck.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110320a1.html  

You can see photos of TFD firefighters at Tsunami site.
http://www.tfd.metro.tokyo.jp/ji0311/09.html  

Toshiko

I will send the info, in case you need.

Here is the correction of nember of the personnel of the first group at the nuclear power plant.

Truck for hose line had 2 firefighters.
Bus 1 had 10 firefighters for hose line and 5 for monitoring hazard.
Bus 2 had 12 firefighters for hose line.
Super Pumper had 3 crews.
22m high water tower cannon truck had 3 crews.
Hazmat truck had 5 crews for monitoring and back up.

They shot water last night again from 21:30 to 4:00.

Toshiko

Hi friends,

Our life in Tokyo is still in chaos.
We still feel small after shocks, 3 hours pre-planned electric power service stop for residential area, and threat of radiation.

Tokyo fire department still has sent firefighters to Tsunami devastated area and the nuclear power plant.

Tokyo FD has released the video, showing how firefighters worked at the fire of the plant;
The first team entered in the radioactive environment and extended hoses.