STATter 911

I have said before, that one of the great things about being a firefighter today is there is often a photographic record of your work. The ever-present still and video cameras gives firefighters a chance to see themselves and others in operation on the fireground. It is a training tool that was only occasionally available to firefighters of previous generations.

Here is a good example. Wednesday's fire at a warehouse in London. These are videos shot from what appear to be three different cameras, all posted on YouTube (the smaller, middle three appear to be a continuation of video from the same source).

The top video seems to be the most complete. Through all of them you will hear the popping of aerosol cans and see small fireballs shooting out of various portions of the building. This warehouse housed a make-up wholesaler. Here are more details on the fire.

# posted by Dave Statter @ 11:19 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

A conversation today with officials from Kentland VFD shows they are optimistic that the 7-month long dispute over Ambulance 339 is nearing resolution. Acting Kentland Chief Ed Lehan, suspended Acting Chief Tony Kelleher, and Kentland President Sheila Mann met with Prince George's County officials on Wednesday. Present on the county's side were Public Safety Director Vernon Herron, Chief Lawrence Sedgwick and Lt. Col. Bobby McCoy.

Kentland expects to meet again with Herron next week after its Tuesday night membership meeting. According to sources, Kentland VFD feels it received assurances of career staffing for Ambulance 339 for a significant period of time. Where to house the ambulance inside Station 33 has already been determined. The biggest issue to be resolved is finding quarters for an ambulance crew. The volunteers point out that on weekends many of its members are already forced to sleep on couches.

Other than acknowledging the meeting, there is no news to add from the PGFD side of this issue.

A rally at Station 33 is still scheduled for Saturday.

Here is a press released Kentland VFD sent to STATter 911 this evening and posted on its website:

PRESS RELEASE FROM KENTLAND VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT

Friday, August 31, 2007- On Wednesday, August 29, 2007 the leaders of Kentland Volunteer Fire Department, Incorporated met with the leaders of the Prince George’s County Fire Department, including Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Public Safety Director Vernon Herron.

Many issues were discussed about staffing the ambulance, housing, and relationships between personnel. We believe to be working in the same direction with the members of Kentland Volunteer Fire Department and with Prince George’s County Officials.

To date the county has agreed to staff the ambulance, and our department is seeking housing facilities for the extra personnel assigned to the station. Space will be made available in the existing building to house the ambulance, for safety and security issues.

These possible arrangements will be discussed at our next company meeting, which is Tuesday, September 4, 2007. At the conclusion of our meeting it was requested that some consideration be made to terminate the restriction placed on Kentland (33) to respond out of their 1st due area. It was brought to the attention of the Fire Department leadership that it has been over 9 days that the citizens have been neglected emergency service in surrounding areas. During the Labor Day weekend staffing of surrounding stations are reduced and the call for emergency services increased.

The Kentland Volunteer Fire Department does not condone this policy, and wants it to be on record that any harm brought to the citizens and visitors of the county during this restriction of service shall not blemish our willingness to serve the community.

The leadership and members of Kentland Volunteer Fire Department would like to express our sincere gratitude to many of the county council members and several state officials for their understanding and support during these trying times.

Wishing everyone a wonderful and safe Labor Day.

# posted by Dave Statter @ 9:18 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Prostitution probe at D.C. Fire

Matt Cella of The Washington Times uncovered this story. Bunkhouse sex and prostitution as a former sergeant facing possible criminal charges makes some interesting claims.

About the only sure thing, is that the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority (WASA) now agrees the hydrant pictured above needs to be replaced. But that wasn't the agency's first opinion about this plug. STATter 911 has news details on some of those hydrant problems in the Nation's Capital that we have been warning you about this past week.

Chief Rubin wants WASA's GM to pay the bills for the inspection program. So far, the answer is no.

20 new fire stations for Prince George's County, MD.

Seems a lot more like someone's dream than reality. But that's what the county planning department says is needed to get a five-minute response time. The examiner.com has a list of where the stations should go.

Boston update: Code violations.

The restaurant where two firefighters died had a history of code violations including grease buildup. According to the Boston Globe: "Fire officials said yesterday that a preliminary investigation indicated that grease that had seeped over time from the ventilation system into a 10-inch crawl space ignited and burned undetected in the ceiling for more than an hour".

The Boston Globe continues extensive coverage with links to press conference video.

Slow first day for new station.

A new fire station in Frederick County, MD opened yesterday. The Frederick News-Post Online says it didn't have a call in the first 14 hours of operation. More details about the Spring Ridge station, here.

New USFA publication.

The 14th edition of Fire in the United States is now available online from the U.S. Fire Administration.

Busy weekend: Kentland rally and "Fill the Boot".

We have been hearing of some quiet negotiating going on to try and solve the Kentland VFD/PGFD crisis. We don't expect the rally scheduled for Saturday to be quiet.

Don't forget that firefighters, including in Fairfax County, will also be working for a different cause this weekend.

Around the web.

FireGeezer continues to vent on who is taking the blame and who appears to be skating in New York. He also has the story of a fire being started by a firehouse construction crew.

Firefighter Hourly looks at Charleston's lone fire dispatcher.

SConFire.com has pictures from a multi-alarm house fire and a variety of other stories.

VAFireNews.com has the account of a recent roof collapse injuring firefighters in Goochland County.

WithTheCommand has a scary meeting between a ladder truck and a school bus.

And finally, fleeing suspect grabs power line. He's okay, convenience store isn't.

To Iowa for this story. Sounds like the man being chased by police was doing his Tarzan imitation as he jumped from the roof. But it wasn't a vine he grabbed. He was still able to keep running, but his actions sparked a fire.

# posted by Dave Statter @ 11:54 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

We heard there would be more to come after allegations that a D.C. Fire & EMS sergeant exposed himself to a civilian EMS worker. We were even told at the time of claims that overtime was being bartered for sex.

There were more clues this week starting with the announcement of a joint internal affairs task force with the police department. Then I heard the name of an individual being investigated. I even saw the head of the D.C. Police Department's Internal Affairs Division leave fire headquarters Thursday afternoon. But it is Washington Times reporter Matt Cella who put it all together and has the scoop.

Under the headline "Prostitution ring suspected at firehouses", Cella, who has covered D.C. Fire and EMS for years, lays out what is known so far about the investigation.

Essentially, from making calls about Matt's story, these are allegations that started with the sergeant who faced the possibility of criminal charges following the exposure incident inside Engine 8. As of this morning, no one has been placed on administrative leave, but these sure are some interesting claims.

Here's are excerpts from Matt's article:

D.C. fire officials are investigating whether department employees have been running a prostitution ring out of several of the city's firehouses.

"The allegation is being taken seriously. It is being investigated at this time," said Battalion Chief Kenneth Crosswhite, a spokesman for Fire Chief Dennis L. Rubin.

Chief Crosswhite said no action has been taken against any employee in connection with the investigation. He would not say how many people are under investigation or identify the firehouses where they were stationed.

Sources close to the investigation told The Washington Times that as many as a dozen employees stationed with at least four fire companies citywide are being investigated for involvement in the prostitution ring.

The sources say the ring has been referred to as "D.C. Fems" — a play on the acronym for the city's Fire and Emergency Medical Services department. The sources say investigators are looking into whether female emergency medical technicians performed sex acts for money on men, including male fire department employees, in the bunkhouses of fire stations since late last year.

Sources say the investigation is also looking at whether a male fire officer might have also been involved in coordinating the operation.

The fire chief on Monday announced that the fire department had partnered with the Metropolitan Police Department to form an internal affairs task force to check into claims of unethical or criminal activity by fire department employees. Sources said the formation of the unit was, in part, a response to the prostitution claim.

Chief Rubin said in a statement that he formed the unit "after becoming aware of a number of apparently unrelated, yet disturbing, incidents involving employees."

Sources said the investigation of the reputed prostitution ring focuses on Engine 27, at 4201 Minnesota Ave. NE. The station bills itself on its Web site, at www.27engine.com, as "DCFD's busiest single house."

# posted by Dave Statter @ 2:49 AM 3 Comments Links to this post

So how would you hook up to the 4-inch steamer connection on this hydrant? D.C. firefighters figured it would be impossible, so on July 25th, as part of a city-wide inspection program, the hydrant at 50 Nicholson Street, Northwest was placed out-of-service.

The D.C. Water and Sewer Authority (WASA) received notice of the situation and did what it promised it would do when alerted to problem hydrants. WASA sent a crew out to take care of the situation in order to have the hydrant back in-service within 10 business days.

According to D.C. Fire and EMS records, a WASA crew visited the hydrant on July 27th, just two days after it was reported out-of-service. The crew determined, since the plug could still flow water, it wasn't broken. The hydrant was then immediately placed back in-service.

That hydrant, with the base of a tree wrapped around it, was a topic of conversation today between the top brass of D.C. Fire and EMS and WASA. Afterwards, Charles Kiely, a WASA assistant general manager, admitted that a different decision should have been made by the WASA crew handling the Nicholson Street hydrant. Keily told STATter 911 the hydrant will now be replaced.

But the bigger issue from the meeting is the long-term financing of a hydrant inspection program for the District of Columbia. D.C. Fire & EMS Chief Dennis Rubin presented WASA with a memorandum of understanding that would require WASA to fund and equip twice-yearly inspections. D.C. Fire & EMS would provide the staffing for the program.

Sources familiar with the meeting tell STATter 911 that WASA General Manager Jerry Johnson is not in favor of giving money to D.C. Fire & EMS. Johnson would not discuss the issue when asked questions as he left the meeting. Johnson said WASA and D.C. Fire and EMS continue to work well together on the hydrant issue.

WASA is still looking into why a hydrant at 20th and P Streets, NW remains out of service 17 days after the fire department reported it had a broken steamer connection. It was one of the closest hydrant to this morning's 2-alarm fire at a Subway sandwich shop. Chief Rubin said because of the 4-month long city-wide inspection program that is just ending, crews this morning were already aware the hydrant was broken and easily worked around the problem.

As STATter 911 first reported on Tuesday, the inspection program found more than 75 percent of the hydrants broken in the 3rd Street Tunnel under the National Mall. WASA still insists those hydrants are the responsibility of D.C.'s Department of Transportation (DDOT). A DDOT spokesman said again today that it appears to be a joint responsibility of the two agencies.

WASA'S Kiely said he believed firefighting capabilities at the agency's Blue Plains Sewage Treatment Plant are more than adequate. Blue Plains is also where WASA's headquarters building is located. STATter 911 first reported on Wednesday that 29 percent of the hydrants in the complex failed the recent inspection by D.C. firefighters.

(Watch 9News Now 6:00 p.m. report on hydrant issues)

# posted by Dave Statter @ 8:28 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

A fire this early this morning again highlights issues between the D.C. Fire and EMS Department and the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority (WASA). The fire broke out around 3:00 a.m. in a Subway sandwich shop at 20th and P Streets, NW. One of the closest hydrants to the scene was broken, something the first fire crews had to deal with. The fire went to a second-alarm.

D.C. Fire officials say they reported the broken 4-inch connection on the hydrant to WASA on August 13th. Now 17 days later, WASA has not repaired the hydrant. This week WASA spokeswoman Michele Quander-Collins told the Washington Post that repairs to hydrants are made within 5 days. Quander-Collins also said that if the hydrant needs to be replaced it can take as long as 10 days.

D.C. Fire and EMS Chief Dennis Rubin, back at 20th and P this afternoon, says he does not know why this repair has taken longer. Chief Rubin did note that there was some construction on the street. Chief Rubin says because of the recent city-wide hydrant inspection fire crews were aware of the broken hydrant and were able to easily work around it.

STATter 911 has a call into WASA trying to find out why this hydrant has not been repaired.

STATter 911 is also attempting to get a response from WASA about the hydrants at its own headquarters complex in Southwest Washington. As STATter 911 first reported on Wednesday, recent testing by D.C. firefighters found almost one-third of the hydrants at the Blue Plains Sewage Treatment Plant are broken. D.C. Fire and EMS sources said that 7 of the 24 hydrants on the property failed inspection.

There is also still no clear answer from WASA and the D.C. Department of Transportation (DDOT) over who is responsible for the broken hydrants in the 3rd Street Tunnel underneath the National Mall. A WASA spokesperson said Wednesday, that the 36 hydrants in the two tunnels are DDOT's problem. A DDOT spokesperson originally said it was a WASA issue and later said it may be a shared responsibility between the two agencies. Twenty-eight of those hydrants were found to be broken during an inspection last Sunday.

Chief Rubin and WASA General Manager Jerry Johnson have a meeting this afternoon to work on these issues and a long term plan to fund twice-yearly inspections.

# posted by Dave Statter @ 12:45 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

FirefighterNation.com has a series of pictures submitted by Stephen Walsh from the deadly Boston fire. Click on picture to see more.

Click the photo by Scotty Boatright for more info on IAFF Local 2068's Fill the Boot campaign.

# posted by Dave Statter @ 7:31 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

As is often the case, there is a variety of information, some conflicting, coming out in the early stages of this tragic event. Here are links to, and excerpts from, local coverage in Boston.

WBZ-TV WBZ-TV Special Report WBZ-TV Raw Video

WHDH-TV WHDH-TV Video WHDH Morning Video

WCVB-TV WCVB-TV Morning Report 1 WCVB-TV Morning Report 2

The Boston Herald has a detailed account

Here are excerpts from a Boston Globe report:

2 firefighters die, 10 hurt in blaze
By John Drake, Globe Staff August 29, 2007

Two Boston firefighters were killed, and at least 10 others were injured last night as flames rushed through a restaurant in West Roxbury, said two high-ranking public safety officials briefed on the four-alarm fire.

The two veteran firefighters, Paul J. Cahill of Scituate and Warren J. Payne of Canton, were identified by two high-ranking public safety officials and a firefighter on the scene.

Cahill, who has been a Boston firefighter since 1993, and Payne, a firefighter since 1988, both were assigned to the West Roxbury fire house on Centre Street, headquarters of Engine 30, Ladder 25.

Cahill's wife was vacationing on an island off Maine, and officials drove to the area to bring her to Boston late last night.

A paramedic was also injured in the fire, which broke out about 9 p.m. at the Tai Ho Mandarin and Cantonese Restaurant at 1727 Centre St. and quickly spread, damaging several adjacent stores, officials said.

Fire Chief Kevin P. MacCurtain said a 3-ton air conditioning unit partially crashed through the roof of the restaurant, but that it was unclear what role that played in the firefighter deaths and injuries. He said the first group of more than 100 firefighters who responded to the blaze quickly became trapped and disoriented by the intense heat and smoke.

Other crews found the trapped firefighters and pulled them out, MacCurtain told reporters.

"We're doing a full investigation as to why that happened," he said of the firefighters becoming trapped. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

Jal Ghimire, 33, of Roslindale, said he was working in the kitchen of the Himalayan Bistro, an Indian restaurant in the same strip as Tai Ho, when he smelled smoke. He said four or five tables of customers were in the restaurant when black smoke began to fill the dining room. "The customers ran out," he said. "They were scared."

The restaurant employees then rushed to the back of the kitchen to turn off gas valves. Later, a police officer ran into the restaurant, telling the employees, "You guys need to get out," Ghimire said.

By the time the employees ran out onto Centre Street, the Tai Ho restaurant was engulfed in flames. "It was a big fire, very big," he said.

George E. Elhaddad, a 39-year-old cashier at the White Hemp Pantry on Centre Street said he was picking up food from a nearby restaurant when three employees from Tai Ho came running and asking him to call the police

When firefighters arrived, Elhaddad said they broke the window to the restaurant to try to get inside. Just then, a huge ball of fire came bursting out of the restaurant.

Mayor Thomas M. Menino arrived at the scene of the fire about 10 p.m., and left after 10 minutes without making a statement. He later arrived at Brigham and Women's Hospital, where at least one firefighter was taken.

"We just started hearing sirens," said Bryan Strickland, 18, of Roslindale, who works at West on Centre, a restaurant across the street from the fire. "I never saw anything like it. It happened real fast. It seemed like they had everything under control. That's when we saw the firefighters coming out" on stretchers.

At the West Roxbury station, two grim-looking firefighters who said they were from Brighton sat on a park bench outside about 10:30 p.m. They said they were just waiting for news, without giving their names.

Lieutenant Chris Stratton, a Boston EMS spokesman said the two firefighters who later died were transported to Brigham and Women's and Faulkner hospitals. Four other firefighters with lesser injuries were sent to Brigham and Women's, and a paramedic, who Stratton said was one of the first responders on the scene, was sent to Boston Medical Center. Five firefighters were taken to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

"We expect the numbers to continue to rise for firefighters we transport," Stratton said. He said Boston EMS sent five ambulance crews to the scene.

According to the Boston fire Department, five Boston firefighters have died during or after fires since 1994. They include David Milton, who died earlier this year upon returning home from a shift at a firehouse; David Packard, who died of a heart attack after fighting a fire in 1999, Dick Murphy, died of a heart attack after fighting a fire, also in 1999; James Ellis, who died from injuries after he fell down a fire pole when responding to a call in 1996; and Steve Minehan who died in a warehouse fire in Charlestown in 1994.

# posted by Dave Statter @ 1:53 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

(Watch my report from 9News Now at 5:00 p.m.)

STATter 911 has learned that one of the properties in the Nation's Capital with a high hydrant failure rate is the grounds of the headquarters for the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority (WASA). According to sources familiar with the recent inspection, seven of the 24 fire hydrants at the Blue Plains Sewage Treatment Plant were not working. That's a 29 percent failure rate.

WASA is a quasi-independent agency responsible for maintaining the large majority of the almost 10,000 fire hydrants in the District of Columbia. The inspections were conducted by D.C. firefighters who are in the process of finishing a city-wide hydrant inspection program.

As STATter 911 first reported Tuesday evening, one area with an extremely high hydrant failure rate is the city's 3rd Street Tunnel. More than 75 percent of the fire hydrants in the tunnel do not work. But in this case, a WASA spokesperson says it's not their fault.

While D.C. Fire & EMS Chief Dennis Rubin is optimistic that water will flow again within the next two weeks, someone still has to figure out who has the responsibility for maintaining the tunnel hydrants.

In multiple phone calls today to both the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority (WASA) and the District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT), spokespersons for each told STATter 911 the other agency is the responsible party. WASA's Michelle Quander-Collins said that two different sets of hydrants, in two separate portions of the tunnel, clearly belong to DDOT. According to Quander-Collins, representatives of DDOT took responsibility during a meeting with WASA officials today.

But DDOT's Erik Linden said that may not be the case. Linden, who first directed our questions to WASA, now believes there could be some shared responsibility. Either way, both sides have said they will work with D.C. firefighters to get to the bottom of the problem.

Chief Rubin confirms 28 of the 36 hydrants are not working. The broken hydrants were discovered during one of the final phases of the 4-month-long testing program run by D.C. Fire & EMS. The tests began after two broken hydrants were discovered during an April 30th fire that destroyed much of the Georgetown public library. City-wide the failure hydrant failure rate is near 10 percent.

The 3rd Street Tunnel carries I-395 under the National Mall and connects the Southwest-Southeast Freeway to New York Avenue. In the southern section of the tunnel, closest to the U.S. Capitol, there are 22 hydrants that were built into the wall. D.C. Fire & EMS says that 20 of those hydrants aren't working.

In the northern tunnel, between Massachusetts Avenue and New York Avenue, there are 14 more traditional hydrants. These hydrants are similar to ones you will find on most surface streets. Officials say 8 of those hydrants can't be used.

Chief Rubin has ordered extra equipment and firefighters to be dispatched to any reports of fire in the tunnel. Rubin is scheduled to meet with WASA General Manager Jerry Johnson on Thursday to try and work out an agreement for future testing. Chief Rubin says his department will need equipment and funding from WASA to do the required twice-yearly testing.

STATter 911 has obtained a copy of a proposed memorandum of understanding that Chief Rubin will present to WASA during the meeting:

-DRAFT-

Memorandum of Understanding
Between
The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority and the
District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services

This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is entered into and shall be effective as of June 5, 2007, by and between the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (WASA), an independent Authority of the Government of the District of Columbia and the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services (FEMS) together the Parties.

RECITALS

Whereas, WASA and FEMS have been meeting in joint sessions over the past year relative to the Hydrant Upgrade Program (Program); and

Whereas, this Program (requested in a letter by then Fire and EMS Chief Adrian H. Thompson dated November 16, 2006 and reaffirmed by Fire and EMS Chief Dennis L. Rubin, in a letter dated April 26, 2007) modifies all hydrants by changing the DC-4 inch threaded nozzle connection to a 4.5 inch NST specification compliant with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) colorization standard; and

Whereas, this modification will indicate the available flow of water in gallons per minute (GPM) and that FEMS will petition NFPA to use color coded bands rather than painting the hydrants as per the standard; and

Whereas, the initial phase of the Program will focus on upgrading approximately 3,500 hydrants through replacement of hydrants; and

Whereas, the initial phase of the Program will also include an as yet undetermined number of hydrants that will be retrofitted with the 4.5 inch NST connection; and

Whereas, WASA and FEMS acknowledge and are prepared to address the operational challenges arising from a hydrant inventory with two different sized nozzle connections; and

Whereas, WASA and FEMS wish to work together to efficiently and effectively implement the Program; and

Whereas, WASA and FEMS wish to memorialize their commitments with regards to the Program through the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU);

Now therefore, in consideration of the promises contained herein, and other consideration the receipt and sufficiency of which are mutually acknowledged, the Parties hereto agree as follows:


1.00 Inclusion of Recitals

The Parties agree to the inclusion of the recitals as part of this MOU as though the recitals were stated in full herein.


2.00 Obligations of FEMS

2.01 FEMS shall inspect District of Columbia (DC) fire hydrants by Engine Company on an annual basis to collect fire hydrant condition data. The Parties agree that the first year shall be considered completed by the end of August 2007. FEMS shall utilize the established field data forms used by WASA as may be modified from time-to-time or an agreed to technology that may be approved by the Parties to share the data collected with WASA.

2.02 FEMS shall immediately notify WASA’s command center of any out- of- service or damaged fire hydrants detected during the course of its inspections.

2.03 FEMS shall provide to WASA electronically on at least a weekly basis, a complete file of all fire hydrant survey data collected during field assessments.

2.04 FEMS shall work diligently with WASA to identify those fire hydrants they deem to be in high risk areas in order to assess the need for custodial locks to prevent theft of service and vandalism to the fire hydrants.

2.05 FEMS shall appoint a principal contact to help coordinate this hydrant upgrade program.


3.00 Obligations of WASA

3.01 WASA shall share all fire hydrant data with FEMS which is collected during the course of WASA’s flushing program, infrastructure contract work, and distribution main and repair work.

3.02 WASA shall investigate each FEMS hydrant out-of-service report within 24-hours. WASA shall repair an out-of-service fire hydrant within five (5) business days or replace the out-of-service fire hydrant within ten (10) business days (a business day is defined as Monday through Friday excluding holidays.)

3.03 WASA shall repair or replace an out-of-service fire hydrant that has an operational impact on FEMS within forty-eight (48) hours. An example of an operational impact would be the detection of multiple out-of-service fire hydrants within the same block.

3.04 WASA’s command center shall immediately upon notification by FEMS report out-of service fire hydrants to the Office of Unified Communications.

3.05 WASA shall distribute a joint report (WASA and FEMS) showing the status of hydrants inspections, out-of-service hydrants, and returned to service hydrants in a format agreed to by FEMS and WASA. The hydrant assessment numbers shall be reported based on actual information collected in the field and that this information shall be shared between both agencies. WASA will report the information on its website daily and make it available to the general public in the format and reporting period agreed upon by the Parties.

3.06 WASA will flow test hydrants replaced or retrofitted during this Program and affix color coded bands to the hydrants indicating flow rate; and

3.07 WASA shall work diligently with FEMS to identify those fire hydrants in high risk areas in order to assess the need for custodial locks to prevent theft of services and vandalism of fire hydrants.

3.08 WASA’s Department of Water Services shall propose a capital program to replace any remaining fire hydrants that are not NFPA compliant and cannot be retrofitted with the 4.5 inch nozzle after the assessments to be undertaken pursuant to this Program are completed and those fire hydrants are identified.

3.09 WASA shall appoint a principal contact to help coordinate this hydrant upgrade program.

4.00 Importance of FEMS Employees’ Safety

Both Parties recognize that FEMs employees are at greater risk of injury when hydrants are equipped with the plastic sprinkler devices that are installed during the summer months for cooling purposes, especially when they are glued to the hydrant. Therefore, the Parties hereby agree that such plastic devices shall not be used under the Program.


5.00 Term

This MOU shall be effective until terminated in writing by either WASA or FEMS or both.


6.00 Miscellaneous

6.01This MOU contains the entire agreement between the Parties. No change or modification can be made unless the same is in writing and signed by the Parties.

6.02 This MOU can not be assigned by either Party.

6.03 This MOU may be executed in two (2) or more counterparts all of which shall have the same force and effect.


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have caused this Memorandum of Agreement to be effective as of the date first written above.


GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
FIRE AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES



_______________________________________
By: Dennis L. Rubin
Title: Fire and EMS Chief





DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY



________________________________________
By: Jerry N. Johnson
Title: General Manager

# posted by Dave Statter @ 6:51 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

STATter 911/9News Now Exclusive: Dead hydrants along highway under the National Mall.

How often after a bad fire do we hear a story about a crucial piece of firefighting equipment that wasn't available? It just happened with the Manhattan tragedy and the out of service standpipe. We run stories all of the time of similar things occurring in smaller cities and towns where funding, or the will to make things right, isn't available. But the problem we are reporting on is in the Nation's Capitol, on the major commuter roadway that runs under the National Mall and leads to the adjacent U.S.Capitol.

With all of the money spent in the last six years to prepare Washington, D.C. in the event of a terrorist attack, still, a basic, relatively inexpensive thing, like a fire hydrant at a crucial location, isn't working. But its not just one hydrant, it is 28 of them. More than 75 percent of the plugs along the mile stretch of roadway are dead.

All indications are the hydrants haven't worked for a long time. If it not for the ambitious hydrant inspection program D.C. Fire & EMS Chief Dennis Rubin started after water failures at the Georgetown library fire in April, it's possible this problem might not have been discovered until disaster occurred.

I hope to have more later today on this issue, both on STATter 911 and 9News Now at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Metro now knows where, still working on exactly why.

After two nights of massive delays, Metro has traced its rail power problems to an electrical substation in Alexandria. Still, for a long term solution to handle power problems and reduce the number of fire and smoke calls, Metro needs money.

Firefighters and presidential politics.

Roanokefire.com has the message from Harold Schaitberger explaining the choice of Democratic Senator Christopher Dodd as the IAFF's candidate in 2008.

In South Carolina, SConFire.com tells us they are set to unveil a national first responders coalition for Republican Rudy Giuliani.

Do only alpha males ride the alpha truck?

Not likely. But the pickup truck is an important tool for the Tucson Fire Department in its effort to cut back on needless EMS runs. D.C. Fire and EMS Chief Dennis Rubin has been talking about something similar for his department.

Uniform issues.

Problems with the uniforms worn by Charleston firefighters and Jay at Firefighter Hourly has some views on this.

Geezer on the blame game.

FireGeezer looks at how politics can play a part in the aftermath of a tragic fire like the one at the Deutsche Bank building.

Training in VA.

Fredericksburg.com has a nice photo essay on a house burning and training in Spotsylvania County.

Notice the hydrant is still standing after a tanker wipes out this rowhouse in Baltimore's Curtis Bay community. Click on The Baltimore Sun picture above to see the paper's story.

# posted by Dave Statter @ 12:55 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

(Watch 9News Now's 11:00 p.m. report on dead hydrants in the 3rd Street Tunnel.)

D.C. Fire & EMS Chief Dennis Rubin says he isn't taking chances. Any fire related emergencies on or near I-395's 3rd Street Tunnel will get twice the normal amount of fire engines dispatched to the call. That's because firefighters wrapping up a city-wide inspection of fire hydrants have determined that more than three-quarters of the hydrants along the tunnel are not working.

Acting on a tip from STATter 911, 9News Now reporter Doug Buchanan determined that testing on Sunday showed water did not flow in 28 out of 36 hydrants along the tunnel. Chief Rubin said Tuesday evening about the possibility of a fire in the tunnel: "Without water, the basis to be able to cool a fire, I think we all know that it would rage out of control".

The tunnel goes underneath the National Mall, one block west of the U.S. Capitol, and connects the Southwest-Southeast Freeway with New York Avenue. The more than one-mile long commuter route also runs below the U.S. Department of Labor and near U.S. District Court and Metropolitan Police Department Headquarters.

At-large D.C. Councilmember Phil Mendelson said, "The fact that we have so many fire hydrants that are out of service in and around the 3rd Street Tunnel, says how many years of neglect have taken place".

After hydrants failed during a fire at the Georgetown public library on April 30th, Chief Rubin ordered firefighters to inspect each of the city's almost ten-thousand hydrants by September. The weekend inspection on the highways was one of the last parts of the summer-long program.
Up until now, D.C. Fire & EMS crews found a failure rate of near 10 percent. Chief Rubin says his department has been working closely with the D.C. Water & Sewer Authority (WASA) to get broken hydrants fixed or replaced. Rubin has also been trying to hammer out a memorandum of understanding that would have WASA fund future inspections.

WASA, a quasi-independent agency, has the responsibility of maintaining hydrants in the Nation's Capital. As for the ones in the 3rd Street Tunnel, a spokesperson said Tuesday evening that those hydrants don't even show up in their system as belonging to WASA.

Chief Rubin believes with the completion of the hydrant inspections, "the crisis is over with the exception of the 3rd Street Tunnel". Rubin said, "I will feel a lot more comfortable when that's completely repaired and back up".

(story updated at 11:55 p.m.)

# posted by Dave Statter @ 9:50 PM 1 Comments Links to this post

Media General's TBO.com has more pictures like this from yesterday's electrical substation fire in Lakeland, FL. See below for more links.

Metro operated normally this morning.

UPDATE: Metro has scheduled a 3:00 p.m. press conference to discuss the power issues.

Power problems elsewhere.

An electrical substation lit up Monday in Lakeland, Florida. Lots of video and pictures.

"It's not a mission - it's a job."

Those are the words of Stefan Svensson PhD, Swedish firefighter and Research and Development Engineer who is critical of the way fires are fought in the U.S. Pointing to Sweden's firefighter safety record, Svensson explained the Swedish way, last week in Atlanta, at Fire Rescue International. Read Lisa Snowden's account of Svensson's presentation posted late this morning on firehouse.com.

Kentland quiet, but FossilMedic stirs the pot.

The best I can tell is that, for the moment, both sides are keeping a low profile on the Kentland VFD/PGFD front. Word is there might be some more discussions this week. But this quiet time hasn't stopped the man who wrote the book on Kentland (or at least the paper) from giving us his insight. Mike Ward makes some points on FireGeezer.com.

Burning Man has an early burn.

How do you charge someone with burning something that is going to burn anyway? At the Burning Man arts festival in Nevada, that is apparently what has happened.

Maryland Department Accreditation.

Montgomery County Fire & Rescue services becomes largest combination department in the country to be accredited.

Fall out from fatal fire in New York.

The problems at 130 Liberty Street have resulted in a deputy chief, a battalion chief and a captain being relieved of their duties.

WithTheCommand.com brought to our attention yesterday's New York Post article which has the memo outlining a plan of attack in case of fire at the Deutsche Bank Building.

Also from New York, NYPD handles first responder mask recall.

NYPD has been dealing with potential problems in 30,000 masks from MSA.

Hydrant issues.

Two extremes with hydrants. Those who don't have them and those who have them and are trying to keep them working.

Internal affairs.

The task force you probably don't want to call for in DCFD is the Internal Affairs Task Force. It is a joint operation between D.C. Fire & EMS and MPD.

Well, it does get hot in the South.

Grant Mishoe at SConFire.com says he has the reason behind the sudden resignation of a South Carolina fire chief. He explains that a ladder truck operator is also an air conditioning repairman. If you can't figure out the rest, Grant spells it out for you here.

Also from SC, the Charleston City Council is trying to figure out where it fits in with the fire department reforms. And Grant alerts me to this TV story about ISO wanting to meet with Chief Thomas' crew.

First aid.

Automatic aid is being discussed and tempers are flaring over how a 911 center handled a recent fire in Arkansas.

Volunteering, Part 3.

In my business it used to be you knew we were in sweeps month because everyone was doing a 3 part series. Not sure who's rating FireGeezer (up there at the top in my ratings diary), but he is on Part 3 of his look at volunteers in today's society. He's off the yuppie rant for the moment.

FireGeezer also has a story from Maryland's Eastern Shore about fire destroying 30 years of research. The Geezer, as usual, asks some good questions.

Over at Firefighter Hourly, Jay has a history lesson.

More OT issues.

Another department has received a ruling ordering a lot of overtime to be paid. This time it is Minden, LA where the fire chief is also the police chief.

A picture costs medic his job and some bruises.

EMSvillage.com found this story about a Kentucky paramedic who posted pictures from a crash scene online. The family of one of the victims tracked down the medic, beat him up and then helped get him fired.

See, anybody can do this job.

A 65-year-old woman takes care of her own house fire before firefighters get there.

Next, the council member will suggest we get a bunch of 65-year-old women to do the job for cheap.

You remember the numbers game that had a lot people focusing on cutbacks in Omaha, Nebraska. Well, people in the mayor's office say that proposal is DOA.

But there is also the other issue where a study has shown Omaha can save money. That's getting rid of the requirement that captains ride ambulances. EMSresponder.com found the details.

More cuts.

We first told you yesterday that a fire station has been closed down in Elyria, Ohio. Now you can listen to the chief and union officials, yourself.

Miami-Dade to the rescue.

A Florida search and rescue team is assisting in the rescue of a family trapped underground in Barbados.

Click the photo to find out more on this fire from Alabama's Decatur Daily.

# posted by Dave Statter @ 1:22 PM 2 Comments Links to this post

Some excerpts from a press release sent this afternoon announcing accreditation for the Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service:

The Montgomery County (MD) Fire and Rescue Service recently was attained the distinguished Accreditation status through the Commission Fire Accreditation International (CFAI), which falls under the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE). The CPSE program, among other things, provides an excellent self-assessment and peer review process for the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service and other fire and rescue agencies across the United States. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service is the largest combination (career and volunteer) fire and rescue service in the United States to achieve accreditation.

Montgomery County Fire Chief Tom Carr stated that the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service achievement of Accredited Agency status “demonstrates the commitment of the men and women of MCFRS to provide the highest quality of service to our community.” Chief Carr added, “We have also will be able to use the Commission on Fire Accreditation International’s process as a way to continuously evaluate our progress making the MCFRS safer, more efficient and a high quality public safety agency.”

# posted by Dave Statter @ 12:58 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

One day after eight separate reports of smoke or fire kept D.C. and Northern Virginia fire departments busy, there have been two more incidents.

Around 7:30 Monday evening, D.C. Fire & EMS handled a report of smoke in a tunnel at the U Street/Cardozo station.

There was a bigger issue in Northern Virginia a short time later. Major power problems on the Blue/Yellow line, forced Metro to set up a bus bridge between Crystal City and Braddock Road.

The Washington Post reports Metro officials are now wondering if there is something more to this than the power surge they suspected after a series of incidents on Sunday. Here is an excerpt from the Post article by Lena H. Sun and Martin Weil:

Smoke poured into Metro subway tunnels again last night, a day after an unprecedented and unexplained series of such incidents, and baffled officials began to consider the possibility that the events were more than mere accidents.

"This is not normal," Metro General Manager John B. Catoe Jr. said. "This is highly, highly irregular."

Asked whether he suspected terrorism, Catoe said no. But he added: "Could it be something else? Everything now is suspicious."

Asked whether he suspected sabotage, he said, "I don't know the answer to that question."

A spokesman for the D.C. fire department said the department was "very concerned" about the large number of incidents in a brief period and would try to assist Metro in determining whether they were more than accidental.

Here is what the AP is reporting:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Smoke and small fires crippled the Metro train system in a large part of northern Virginia on Monday evening -- the second night of disruptions that officials attributed to electrical problems.

A fire broke out on the tracks at the Pentagon City station in Arlington, Va., about 7:30 p.m., officials said. Trains were halted and four stations were closed in Arlington and Alexandria,
including Reagan National Airport's busy station -- where smoke halted service Sunday.

Something was wrong with the transit system's power supply, but officials hadn't determined the cause, Metro spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said. No injuries were reported.

"We are doing everything we can to try to identify what the problem is," Farbstein said. "It's extremely troubling just for one day, let alone two."

A fire also was reported Monday evening at the U Street-Cardozo station in Washington. That station was closed for about an hour, along with the Columbia Heights station.

Earlier Monday, transit officials said they were investigating whether a sudden electrical surge in northern Virginia might have caused five similar incidents that shut down several rail stations on Sunday evening.

Deputy General Manager Gerald Francis said the outbreak was unprecedented in Metro's 31-year history, and he apologized to riders for the inconvenience.

"We have pulled together a team representing several operational departments to determine the cause of the incidents," Francis said in a statement. "We know our riders were frustrated."

As part of its investigation, Metro was working with Dominion Power. A spokeswoman for Dominion said workers from the utility company were called to the incident at Reagan National Airport on Sunday but were released when Metro officials described the situation as an "internal communications room problem."

# posted by Dave Statter @ 1:34 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

Last night, Metro said it was looking at most of the 8 reports of smoke and fire in the subway system as separate incidents. Now, Metro believes almost all are connected to a possible power surge in Northern Virginia.

Starting at 5:45 Sunday evening, the calls brought fire trucks to Metro facilities in D.C. and Virginia. Delays occurred on all 5 rail lines because of the problems. Metro says that has never happened before.

In a press release this afternoon, Metro says it is working with Virginia Power "looking into the possibility that a sudden surge in electricity in Northern Virginia" may be behind all but one of the calls.

Metro thinks the surge could have sparked a small fire on a track at Huntington, at Farragut North and in an equipment room at the Reagan National Airport Metro station. They also believe it disabled a train that then had brakes lock up while being pulled by another train. That caused smoke on the Orange and Blue lines between Rosslyn and Farragut West.

No one was injured and the investigation continues.

# posted by Dave Statter @ 5:12 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Media General's TBO.com has more images like this one. Click the picture.

Lakeland, Florida has been dealing with the effects of a fire at a electrical substation. Here is raw helicopter video from WTSP-TV.

Originally the fire department was staging. Now that the power has been cut, they have moved in with foam lines to extinguish the fire.

FireGeezer has been keeping up with other links.

# posted by Dave Statter @ 2:38 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Firehouse.com also has the story and more links.

# posted by Dave Statter @ 2:23 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

The pictures above and below, by Todd Dudek of the Salisbury Daily Times, are part of a story running in USA Today. Under the title "Sprawl exceeds reach of hydrants", Joseph Gidjunis looks at how we are moving out further from the urban areas, but the hydrants aren't following us. Not a shock for firefighters, but it can be for homeowners. This includes Robert and Tammy Weber of Salisbury. That's their home burning a little more than a month ago.

Here is an excerpt from the article:

Six out of 10 homeowners in Wicomico County, Md., a growing area between the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, do not have hydrants within the recommended 1,000 feet, says Jack Lenox, county planning and zoning director.

Nearly a fourth of U.S. families face the same protection inadequacies as the Webers because they live in extended suburban or rural locations with no hydrants, says Lori Moore-Merrell, an operations analyst with the International Association of Fire Fighters. The lack of fire hydrants is a growing problem as more homes are built outside urban and suburban infrastructure, she says.


On the other side of the coin are places where there are a lot of hydrants. Washington, D.C. would fit that description. An April fire at the Georgetown public library brought attention to hydrant problems in the Nation's Capital.

The Washington Post's Michael Ruane has an update on the inspection of 10,000 hydrants by D.C. firefighters and an agreement being worked out with the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority for funding of future inspections.

# posted by Dave Statter @ 1:40 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

A fire Saturday in Pocomoke City, MD. Click the picture for details.

New Chief 33 Named.

Ed Lehan is the third person to become Chief 33 in a little more than 3 months. Kentland officially confirms