STATter 911

(Updated at 8:15 PM, Saturday)

Old video of the day: The fire chief was new to town and decided to spend this cold December, 1989 night at a firehouse. Shreveport's firefighters and Car 1 handled a number of multiple alarm fires that evening including this one at the Castle Hotel. The fire chief was J. Gordon Routley, who recently told STATter 911 this fire was quite a challenge. Also, Routley disputes the caption with this video that said the temperature was 17 degrees. He claims it actually was 10 degrees colder.

Off-duty DC firefighter is killed after vehicle hit by suspected drunk driver

Watch video from the scene

A 16-year veteran of DC Fire & EMS, Lawrence Borders, died Saturday afternoon in a three car collision near the Branchville fire station in Prince George's County. County police say the 44-year-old Borders was driving a Chrysler convertible which was struck by a Ford Bronco. According to police the Bronco ran a red light at University Blvd. and Rhode Island Ave. The vehicles then collided with a BMW.

Borders was ejected from the car. Prince George's County Fire/EMS crews found Borders in traumatic arrest. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

A police spokesman says the driver of the Bronco is at fault and alcohol was a factor in the crash.

Borders was assigned to the Haz-Mat unit. More as we know it.

PGFD 3rd-alarm and "mayday"

See STATter 911's coverage of the fire, including early raw video

Fire heavily damaged two garden-apartment buildings around 2:00 Friday afternoon in Greenbelt, MD. The fire was in the 9300 block of Edmonston Rd. at the Spring Hill Lake Apartments. The pictures above are from FirehouseGuy at thewatchdesk.com.

We have a separate page of pictures, video and details about the 3-alarm fire and a "mayday" that was called.

You will also find details of Station 814 (Berwyn Heights VFD) collecting donations for the families displaced by the fire.

Station 831 (Beltsville VFD) is another group of firefighters with the holiday spirit. They have also been collecting for the victims of the 3-alarm fire on Cherry Hill Rd. on Monday. Click here for details.

T'is the season

Bill Carey, with his Charge The Line!, is compiling pictures and details on the heavy work load that has been keeping PGFD crews busy on the north side.

Firefighters are CO victims

In Lynn, MA one firefighter was found to be groggy and a second one became sick after opening up a ceiling at the FD headquarters station. Guess who doesn't have CO detectors? Excerpts from WCVB-TV's coverage:

Fumes from a backup generator in the basement are blamed for causing the leak. The fumes collected near the building's roof.

"There was a vent that should not have been covered, but was covered and did not allow fumes to get out of building," said Phelan.

Carbon monoxide levels in the office were measured at 660 parts per million.

Man trying to set roof on fire is tasered and then jumps or falls to the ground

An unusual story from Phoenix, AZ. A man climbed onto the roof of a townhouse, tossed tiles at police and tried to set a number of fires. For two hours he kept police at bay. He was unmoved by a fire hose and rubber bullets. When tasered, he either fell or jumped off the roof and started running away. It took a police dog to bring him down. Some of the raw video is above. The story from KPNX-TV is here.

New exam in Baltimore

The Baltimore Sun has the latest in the BFD cheating scandal:

Firefighters who took a promotion exam in June will all have to retake the test next year because an investigation found some of the test-takers likely cheated amid lapses in testing security.The next exam is scheduled for March 15 and will be taken under new policies that city officials say will provide a more secure environment.In June, fire union officials questioned the scores of five African-American firefighters, leading a black firefighters group to call the suspicions "racially motivated."City officials looked into the controversy and released a report late last month that recommended the implicated firefighters be disciplined and the test be given again.

Acting chief in Baltimore

Mayor Sheila Dixon has named Gregory B. Ward as the acting chief of the Baltimore City Fire Department. Ward had been the deputy chief of operations. Read more. (Scroll down for another Baltimore story.)

Rosenbaum's settle with Howard Hospital

The family of former New York Times reporter David Rosenbaum has reached a settle with Howard University Hospital. Details from The Washington Post:

The adult children of slain New York Times reporter David Rosenbaum have reached a confidential settlement with Howard University Hospital, ending a year-old lawsuit that accused the hospital and D.C. emergency workers of negligence and medical malpractice.

The hospital and two of Rosenbaum's relatives confirmed the settlement yesterday but offered no details. Asked whether the settlement involved a financial award for the plaintiffs, Marcus Rosenbaum, a brother of the journalist, said, "You wouldn't be wrong to say that it did."

DC recruit has MRSA

For the fourth time in two months, the DC Fire & EMS Department's Training Academy has a recruit with a staph infection. This time the infection has been confirmed as MRSA, the Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Read details.

Firefighter challenges ALS requirement

A Baltimore City firefighter went before a federal arbitrator on Thursday challenging the requirement that he keep up his Advanced Life Support certification. Here are excerpts from The Baltimore Sun:

The closed-door hearing involving Ryan Wenger, an emergency-vehicle driver, centered on whether firefighters who obtain a higher rank should have to remain certified in advanced-level life saving skills, a department policy that has drawn the ire of the city firefighters unions. Wenger and the head of one of Baltimore's fire unions say firefighters who become officers or drivers have added responsibilities during emergency medical calls and should not have to focus on medical care.

But Fire Department officials say they want all firefighters who arrive at the scene of an emergency to be able to perform the advanced-level skills, such as administering intravenous drugs and other medication.

The arbitrator is expected to rule in the next 45 days.

Every sworn member of the department is required to keep up at least a basic level of emergency medical services certification. Chief William J. Goodwin Jr. said the department has required all members to obtain a higher level since 1997. Firefighters must pass a test every two years to remain certified.

Stephen G. Fugate, head of the city fire officers union and a 33-year veteran of the department, said about one-third of the department's 1,700 uniformed workers are ALS-certified. Fugate estimated that about 60 of the 325 officers have ALS certification.

Fugate said he did not think certification for the entire department was possible.

"The department is having quite a difficult time in maintaining ALS certification for all its members," Fugate said. "It's time intensive and expensive. To presume we can maintain on an on-going basis an entire department is unrealistic."

Findings on WWB medical helicopter crash

It has been almost two years since a helicopter crashed into the Potomac River near the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, killing two of the three people on board. The NTSB blames the crash on a disoriented pilot and a faulty gauge. Read the story from The Washington Post.

Both sides in Burton case cite radio traffic and AVL

Yesterday we were able to give you a little more insight into what both sides are saying about the dispute between Lt. Gerald Burton and the DC Fire & EMS Department. Each indicate the audio and data recordings will prove their case. Read our story.

Also, 9NEW NOW's story by Nancy Yamada on the Gerry Burton incident has attracted an enormous amount of attention. It has been the top story on the wusa9.com website. It also has received more than 100 comments, most of them supporting Lt. Burton. Watch the story. Read the story. Read the comments.

Fire museum

The video above from the North Charleston and American LaFrance Fire Museum. The history curator is our friend Grant Mishoe who runs SConFire.com. Read an article about the museum in The Post & Courier.

Explosions in UK industrial fire

From Thursday in Low Moor Bradford. Explosions and evacuations. Read the details.

While researching this video I learned there was a major, deadly explosion in Low Moor 90 years ago. It involved picric acid at a munitions factory. Eighteen firefighter were trying to extinguish the blaze when it blew, killing many. Read here.

IL furniture factory burns

A Cicero office furniture factory was destroyed early this morning in Cicero, Il. Click the image above to see the video from WBBM-TV.

Tourist attraction burns in MD

In Boonsboro, MD, Thursday morning, a fire in a building that is part of the Crystal Grottoes Caverns.

Rhode Island may be small, but ...

It apparently pays a lot for fire protection. The headline in the Providence Journal reads: "R.I. ranks 3rd nationally in fire department payrolls".

Here's the lead to the story:

Nearly every other state in the nation pays less per resident to run its fire departments — personnel, buildings, equipment and other costs — than Rhode Island shelled out last year in fire department payrolls alone.

The Rhode Island fire department payrolls would rank the state third nationally when compared with the total costs in other states, a Providence Journal analysis of municipal employee payroll information shows.

The article has charts comparing pay throughout the state. It also has this interesting item:

The highest-paid municipal fire service employee was Providence Lt. Zachariah Kenyon, who grossed $175,225.78. That includes more than $82,000 in base pay, plus more than $90,000 in overtime, according to figures supplied by the city. But Kenyon’s pay in 2006 — along with other unionized firefighters in Providence — included the lump sum retroactive pay raise. Without the retroactive pay, Kenyon would have grossed $144,672.78, still highest in the state.

Pension board thinks it needs to hire PR firm

The Chattanooga Fire and Police Pension board doesn't think its side is being told about a potential $94 million dollar shortfall. Read the story.

Faking it

Sprinkler systems in dozens of buildings in New York are being reinspected after two plumbers are accused of faking their qualifications. Click here for the story.

Historic VA church destroyed

More than 140-years-old, the Zion Baptist Church in Portsmouth was destroyed by fire Thursday morning. Click here for WAVY-TV's video of the fire and various collapses.

Chester, PA fire

50 years ago

In Stillwater, Minnesota they are remembering the destruction of the local high school, after a fire that was blamed on a poorly maintained smokestack. Read the story.

Lawsuit over apartment fire

In Lexington, KY, a lawsuit has been filed against the owners of an apartment complex that burned last December. The suit cites a lack of exits and working smoke alarms.

Around the web

WithTheCommand.com has the story of the Ottawa firefighters, their shovels and the city's hydrants.

FireGeezer has the story of the impatient motorist and the ambulance. I also missed telling you about LightRock's insiders look at turmoil in the fire apparatus business. And there is more about the infamous Donna from Arizona. Click here for the latest installment.

SConFire.com has the links to the stories on the new SCBAs for Charleston and the new chief for North Charleston.

Firefighter Nation now has 9300 members and lots of videos, photos and chat.

VAFireNews.com now has a chat room to go with its extensive news coverage from my adopted home state.

Don't forget DCFD.com has all of the details from the three, 2-alarm fires on Wednesday.

On thehousewatch.com you will see an image I missed from the fire at the Old Executive Office Building. It is President George Bush exchanging a semi hi-five with a hose carrying firefighter.

# posted by Dave Statter @ 8:15 PM