Chamber of Hoarders Online Blog

This article originally appeared in the January 2014 edition of Fire Magazine. To subscribe to the magazine visit  http://www.pavpub.com/p-262-fire-magazine.aspx . The hidden problem of hoarding US Correspondent Catherine Levin reports on the growing problem of hoarding fires and what is being done to tackle the issue on both sides of the pond: [ca

  Here is a behind the scenes look at the ChamberofHoarders.com Learning Center.  Four hours of education of Hoarding and how we need to Identify, Adjust, and attack the overloaded buldings caused by Compulsive Hoarding Disorder.  

Since the days of the Collier Brothers in Manhattan first responders have been      dealing with the affects of compulsive hoarding disorder.  The ChamberofHoarders.com is a website dedicated to teaching educating first responders on the needed changes to tactics and challenges they will face when entering the hoarding environme

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE)  A firefighter battling a Monday morning blaze at home in a ] Picture from Wayne.com northern Allen County subdivision fell through a floor, but was able to quickly return to his duties. Firefighters were called to 10722 Windsor Woods Boulevard in the Windsor Woods subdivision located off Dupont Road just east of Lima R

Are the number of Hoarder Fires rising? As we research this question the evidence seems to point towards: Yes they are . Until we establish a definite way of recording data on the number of Hoarding Fires that are occuring, we rely on news stories from around the world to update us on the number of hoarder fires. They usually grab news attention du

Hoarder Fire North Huntsville, Ala. (WHNT)– Firefighters are investigating a house fire on Kennan Road. At two o’clock Sunday afternoon the call came in that both smoke and flames were visible from the home. It took firefighters nearly an hour to get inside. The front entrance and the inside of the home were full of items, which blocked the entranc

One type of call that Fire, EMS, and Law Enforcement often respond to is the [caption id="" align="alignright" width="229"] Ems response to Hoarding “check the well being” of a occupant that has not made contact with family in a certain amount of time.  Being called to check the well being of a person inside hoarding conditions can turn into a majo

Here is a sample of the Live Hoarder Fire evolution from Frontier Fire Company.....  

From News10.net SACRAMENTO, CA - A hoarder's home offered plenty of fuel when it went up in flames Wednesday night. Neighbors said the woman who lives at the home on the 2000 block of 66th Avenue, off Florin Road, had made threats to set her house on fire previously. Police detained her in front of her burned out house, but it is still unclear what

Dealing with the challenges presented by compulsive hoarding disorder is assessing how bad the conditions are.  When families reach out for help with a family member the mental health professionals start the treatment process with an assessment of how severe the hoarding conditions are.  There are different hoarding assessment scales available to u

When firefighters enter a burning building many different factors come into play.  One huge factor that can affect the outcome of the operation is the presence of increased amounts of belongings, caused by a person afflicted with compulsive hoarding disorder.  As their collection of stuff accumulates the danger in hoarding firefighting increases. [

Since attacking the problem of emergency responses in Hoarding Conditions, from the perspective of first responders, the questions from the family members of people who are suffering from Compulsive Hoarding Disorder keep coming in.  How can I help my family member? How do I make their home safer are a small examples of the questions that are

How much risk are you willing to take?  While attending the 2013 Ohio Fire and EMS expo in Columbus Ohio last week it seemed clear that first responders don’t fully understand Hoarding Dangers and how they can affect safety.  Having the opportunity to travel and meet the brave men and women who serve as first responders is a HUGE honor.  In this pa

Since the days of the Collyer Brothers , in Manhattan, first responders have been dealing with the excessive accumulation of belongings caused by compulsive hoarding disorder. We have just “dealt” with the challenges and continued on our way to solve the problem. Today we are seeing an abundance of these types of emergencies.  Many different theori

Hoarding Firefighting Case Study Here is a case study of a Cluttered House fire from Wayland Massachusetts.  This is a small glimpse of the complete study that will be added to the Chaberofhoarders.com learning center. In this Hoarder Fire case many points are reviewed as the firefighters battled a "cluttered" condition.  We would like to thank Kyl

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="281"] Cluttered Fire Picture credit KHOU.com HARRIS COUNTY, Texas –- Firefighters said clutter inside a westside home hindered their efforts to put out an overnight blaze. The fire was reported on Paso Dobble Drive at Paso Del Sol Drive around 12:30 a.m. Friday, according to officials with the Community Volu

[caption id="attachment_40" align="alignright" width="180"] Hoarder fire. Picture Courtesy of sdfirephotos.com Are you prepared to call a mayday, right now?  One of the most often asked question from my students is how do you know when you should call a mayday.  The answer always comes back to, anytime you can’t get yourself out or find yourself in

Hoarder Fires Welcome to the first video from the ChamberofHoarders.com.  This short video is a look into the new exciting online learning that will be released soon!  The Chamber of Hoarders Online Learning Center will be a 24/7 access to hoarding education for first responders. Keep up to date on the new online learning center by signing up for o

[caption id="attachment_638" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Online learning is going to the next level

Without a doubt, the number one question asked is “How can I tell if the home is a Hoarder Home”.  The answer: You will need to look for the Cues and Clues of Clutter. If you are driving your district, running medical emergencies, or driving home from work you should be on the lookout for the hoarded homes in your district.  Knowing the conditions