STATter 911

When you click the above YouTube video titled, "Sig 25 (Fire) Golf Shed #2", you will get the message, "This video removed by the user". It was one in a series of videos posted by someone using the name "61Squad" that had been on the popular web site for months. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports all but one of videos was removed Thursday, shortly after the paper began posing questions to the Pompano Beach Fire Department.

The only "61Squad" video remaining is called "Pompano Fire Museum". (Click the image below to see it.)

"Pompano Fire Museum" is a six-second video showing the city's first fire truck, a 1926 American LaFrance, in front of the first fire station, which is now the museum. But the other clips showed something that is becoming a bit more controversial: videos shot at emergency scenes and inside fire stations.

As most people reading this know, whoever is behind the name "61Squad" is far from alone in sharing with the world the inside doings of a local fire department. STATter 911 posts a handful of these videos each day, culled from YouTube and LiveLeak, and often shot by firefighters and EMS workers. Whether its a helmet-cam, a phone-camera or a more traditional video-camera, it is easy to find action videos from every size fire department.

The Sun-Sentinel was able to capture some of "61Squads" work before it was removed. (Click the image below to see the compilation video.

What the paper has posted from the more than 30 videos of Pompano Beach firefighters in action seems typical of the fire and EMS generated videos that have been showing up on the web. They seem to give a window on a lot of action and a little firehouse fun. But what the Sun-Sentinel has discovered, and should not be a surprise to those in the fire and EMS business, is that there is little policy on this video revolution. Here are excerpts from the article:

The explosion in filming has happened so rapidly over the last year that many fire chiefs and city administrators are still unaware of the trend, experts say. Their display on an open forum like YouTube could raise legal issues involving privacy and malpractice in situations gone bad.

"I had no idea anything like this was going on, but I can see some problems with it right away if firefighters are shooting on the scene," said Barry Baker, head of the Florida Fire Chiefs' Association. "As you can imagine, we're pretty busy when you're dealing with an emergency, and having somebody shooting video instead of doing something else could cause some problems."

In Palm Beach County, officials were also unaware of the phenomenon despite postings by someone calling himself "firerescuelieut." They included videos of "E45 responding to vehicle fire," an oven fire and the hazing of a rookie firefighter getting water dumped on him. "I wasn't aware of it, and I don't think anybody else is, but the only problem I could see would be any violations of privacy at this point," said Capt. Don DeLucia, spokesman for Palm Beach County Fire Rescue. "An emergency scene is a public event, and after the privacy issues, anybody shooting video is really allowed the same leeway as you guys [the media.]"

Elsewhere, some city departments have found themselves embarrassed by video shot by working firefighters at the scenes of emergencies. In Detroit, a firefighter who posted videos closed his YouTube account earlier this year after city officials became concerned about the content.

But firefighters who maintain their own sites say they are very careful to either edit out victims or identifying factors like addresses or license numbers. They view the work as sharing potentially life-saving information as well as good public relations.

Like the Sun-Sentinel, STATter 911 and wusa9.com, have apparently sparked the removal of similar videos, and in one case a fire chief requested that a video not be shown.

In September, within hours of two YouTube videos shot by someone at Prince George's County, MD Station 42, the clips were removed and the account closed. Similarly a response video from the Ashburn Volunteer Fire Company in Loudoun County, Virginia was removed shortly after it was posted on STATter 911. The video showed a near-collision between a fire engine and a car.

It isn't just the Internet. In August, 2006, the Kentland Volunteer Fire Department in Prince George's County, Maryland, provided local media with helmet-cam video of a disabled man being removed from an apartment fire. The victim was critically burned and later died. Prince George's County Fire/EMS Chief Lawrence Sedgwick asked that news organizations discontinue running the clip, citing privacy concerns. News organizations were divided in their response. 9News Now and wusa9.com continued to run the clip.

Because of that incident, PGFD barred the addition of cameras to firefighter's helmets, saying the safety issues needed to be studied further. But the department does not have an overall ban on cameras used by firefighters.

While anecdotal information seems to indicate that bans on cameras are the exception, rather than the rule, there is a good chance this story from Florida, and this issue, will get the attention of fire chiefs across the country. The article was picked up by FireEngineering.com, Firehouse.com, FireRescue1.com and distributed by email in the news digest from the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

Some fire service veterans who did not want to be quoted by name, told STATter 911 it would be a shame to lose these videos because they have become great training tools. At the same time, they pointed out firefighters have to use common sense to be aware of patient privacy concerns and to make sure that the first tool coming off a fire truck at an emergency is not a camera.

FF Charlie Shyab takes us through the events that led to the close call at 619 4th Street, NE.

Watch our 5:00 PM story with FF Shyab

See our previous coverage of this fire, including raw video from DC Fire & EMS photographer Vito Maggiolo

See more news from STATter 911

With compression garments to help the skin grafts heal on his wrists and forearms, Charlie Shyab says he "can't wait to get back to work". Just when that will happen is not clear, but Shyab says he is feeling better every day.

The firefighter for the DC Fire & EMS Department spent 15 days in the Washington Hospital Center Burn Unit and returns there regularly for treatment. He also visits Sgt. Michael LaCore who was more seriously burned in the October 29th fire on 4th Street, NE. Firefighters Kenneth Humphries and Doublas Donnelly were also hurt, but they were released from the hospital within days of the fire.

The crew from Engine 4 was the fifth due engine on the box alarm. They took a 350 foot 1 1/2 inch line into the row house next to the home where the fire started. Firefighter Shyab says they could see from the outside there was fire on the second floor of exposure D, but that Sgt. LaCore first checked the ground floor for fire. Satisfied there wasn't any, the crew moved to attack the fire upstairs.

Firefighter Shyab was on the nozzle and says he and Sgt. LaCore were able to quickly knock down the bulk of the fire in a second floor bedroom. Firefighter Shyab then looked out the window in the rear and saw a large amount of fire coming up from the first floor. A videotape by DC Fire & EMS photographer Vito Maggiolo shows fire rapidly extending from the first floor window and door on side C and traveling outside the building to the second floor. Shyab says as he went to tell the rest of the crew, Humphries and Donnelly, who were in the hallway, rushed in to say there was fire also coming up the interior stairwell.

Charlie Shyab says the large amount of fire overpowered the single hose line. Shyab said he felt his arms and legs burning. Without saying a word, Shyab said they all knew their only option was to get out as fast as they could. Each of them crawled quickly and dove down the stairs to the front door.

Shyab can't say for sure why Sgt. LaCore's burns were so serious, but has a theory on some of his own burns. Shyab believes, being on the nozzle, his gloves and pants were wet and he was likely scalded by the steam from the sudden intense heat.

Charlie Shyab started his firefighting career at the Burtonsville VFD in Montgomery County, MD in 2000. Shyab was a career firefighter in Arlington County, VA before being hired by DC Fire & EMS in 2004.

After more than 4 weeks of recovery, Charlie Shyab misses firefighting. His girlfriend, Robin Rider, says Charlie is getting antsy. Laughing, Rider agrees it would be good for Charlie to get back to work, soon.

(Updated 11:37 AM)

Pipeline explosion: Two people working on a northern Minnesota crude oil pipeline are dead after an explosion and fire Tuesday afternoon. It is being called one of the largest such pipelines between Canada and the US. Image above by Eric Hylden, Grand Forks Herald. The story, here.

Georgia explosion

An explosion this morning near Warm Springs, GA. WXIA-TV image above. Photo gallery, here. Details from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Five people were injured Thursday morning when an explosion rocked a metal recycling plant in Meriwether County, about 60 miles south of Atlanta.

The explosion occurred before 8:30 a.m. at G&S Metals off Ga. 85 in Manchester, according to Manchester police.

Three people sustained "fairly critical" injuries and two others suffered less serious injuries, said Buzz Weiss, a spokesman for the Georgia Emergency Management Agency.

Weiss said late Thursday morning that all employees had been accounted for.

Authorities said the company, which buys, sells and processes aluminum scrap, has about 60 employees.

Emergency crews from surrounding counties also responded to the incident, which occurred in an industrial park near downtown Manchester.

The cause of the explosion has not been determined, Weiss said.

Ken Rauch, human resources manager at the plant's parent company, in Wabash, Ind., said Thursday morning that he and other executives were about to board a plane to travel to the plant. He declined to say anything further or to provide details about the plant, which opened in 2006.

Manchester, near Warm Springs, is about 60 miles south of Atlanta.

Flag flaps

In Florida, firefighters are upset over the decision, later reversed, to keep flags from being flown at half-staff to honor Firefighter John Curry who died during a training exercise this week. Click the image above to see the story.

In Edwardsville, Kansas, Chief Billy Goldfeder of firefighterclosecalls.com fame, reports the mayor has a similar issue. Goldfeder is reporting today that Mayor Heinz Rodgers has ordered the flags raised after they were lowered to honor the death last week of a Kansas City, Kansas firefighter.

More of the naked truth in Johnson City

You may recall the story we told you about on November 12th of the assistant chief in Johnson City, New York who celebrated his 20th anniversary with the department by showing up in his birthday suit. Well, it seems Kenneth Roe, who is now retired, isn't getting much support from the troops. The quote above from a fire captain is just a part of it. The police have statements from other firefighters, including one who distributed pictures of Roe's arrival at a city fire station and one who said this:

"...I was shocked and disgusted. I could not believe that he would come to work naked."

All of this is coming out in court where Roe is charged with "Exposure of a Person". WBNG-TV, which first showed the pictures, has more. Just click the naked assistant chief above to see the story.

Donna and the Magic Fire Truck

The Johnson City story is pretty tame compared to this one. Make sure you check in on FireGeezer to get the latest installment on one of the strangest stories in a while. The Geeze has been focusing his journalism talents on Seligman, AZ and an ex-con, female impersonator who has fire trucks and a fire department and a lot of names.

Some STATter 911 housekeeping

If you are trying to easily find some of the local, raw video we have posted, or video from the STATter 911 archives, or a report we have linked to, check this link: STATter 911 Links-911 Recordings; Radio Traffic; Raw Video; Documents; Archive Video . It is also to your left at the top of our permanent links (just below my all-important biography). One-stop-shopping for some of our more interesting material. It was recently updated.

A Winnebago with a sprinkler system

Well, not exactly. The Winnebago with the sprinkler system is the firm's factory in Forest City, IA and the sprinkler system did its job. Read more, here.

Giving credit where credit is due

That's what the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs wants. The group is lobbying the federal government to provide tax credits for volunteer firefighters. Read the details of this plan to improve volunteer recruitment and increase retention.

Fire chief's test

In Oswego, NY, everyone's preparing for the fire chief's test. That's the fire chief's job that came open after the previous chief was accused of releasing a 911 recording of a city alderman. Read the details, here.

Theft hinders response time

In Tennessee, a recent break-in at a new fire house is causing some problems. Read the story.

MA lumber yard fire

Video from Tuesday night's five-alarm fire at an Ayers, MA lumber yard. FirefightingNews.com has details. Two more parts to the video can be found here.

San Jose fire update

WithTheCommand.com has the update on the boarding house fire in San Jose, CA we first told you about yesterday. A body was found in the rubble. Click here to see the story.

Trestle fire suspect plea deal

You may recall the spectacular March fire that destroyed a quarter-mile long Union Pacific railroad trestle in Sacramento. See the video above for the resolution, sort of, to this arson. More details can be found here.

More Jackson helmet-cam action

Jackson, Mississippi handling a house fire Monday morning. Details, here.

Ontario fire

House fire at 25 Beland South in Hamilton early Tuesday morning.

Western MD HEAT

A training video from the Cumberland Fire Department helicopter tactical team.

Chicago Arson Hotline

A 1983 public service announcement.

(Updated at 4:14 PM)

Chicago fire: A house fire early this morning at 2800 W. Lexington.

FL firefighter remembered

As we told you on Monday, John Curry, a Volusia County firefighter died during a training exercise. A pine tree fell on the 30-year-old firefighter. He leaves behind a wife and child. Here's how the Orlando Sentinel explains the accident:

Curry, a member of the Firewalker Wildland Team, was working with power and chain saws when the tree fell about 11 a.m. and struck Curry in the head. County officials did not know Tuesday whether it was Curry or another firefighter who cut down the tree as part of ongoing training at the Volusia County Fire Training Center near Daytona Beach.

The pictures of Firefighter Curry are from Volusia County. The county's press release about his death is here.

More coverage from WFTV-TV.

Routley responds to WASA report

Ever since two, conflicting reports came out about the state of DC's water system, STATter 911 has been trying to get a better understanding of what it all means. The only one to respond to our requests is one of the consultants on the DC Fire & EMS report, J. Gordon Routley. You can read what he has to say, here.

Must read series of articles

Bill Schumm who masquerades as FireGeezer has just started a series of articles about someone else with multiple identities that you don't want to miss. It may rank as one of the most bizarre fire stories of the year. Schumm, a retired captain from Fairfax County Fire & Rescue, has been doing an amazing job playing journalist, going in depth on a number of compelling stories. Bill has latched on to what can easily be described as a soap opera and he has begun laying it out in serial form.

It is a story from Seligman, Arizona about an ex-con, female impersonator with his own fire engine and claiming to have his own fire department. It was clear by the responses Bill got when he first ran a blurb from a Phoenix TV station, that there was more to the story. He's been tracking it ever since. Today is the first article. Make sure you read it and then tune back tomorrow for the next installment of Donna and the Magic Fire Truck (maybe he can get Procter & Gamble to sponsor it).

Firefighter slapped over HIPAA

A nosy neighbor who didn't like the answers he got at 2:30 AM slapped a firefighter in Palm Springs, CA. The firefighter told the man, due to privacy laws, he couldn't answer any of his specific questions about the medical condition of a neighbor. 68-year-old Walter Padgett is charged with Battery Upon Emergency Personnel. More from mydesert.com.

There have been days as a reporter that I have wanted to scream over the differing interpretations you get from hospitals, fire and EMS over HIPAA, but my frustration has never led to physical violence. Though I'm sure a few PIOs have wanted to strangle me.

Corporate manslaughter is one possibility in UK LODDs

At a news conference this morning, "police said it was possible Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service could face charges and they were 'ruling nothing out' " as they continue to look into the deaths of four firefighters. Still no cause determined for the November 2, fire. More, here.

EMS response in Sean Taylor shooting

The Washington Post has some details on how Miami-Dade Fire and Rescue handled the shooting of Sean Taylor. Read details.

Minority hiring in NY

Mayor Michael Bloomberg calls the increase in black and Hispanic candidates for the FDNY "a promising new sign". The story from the New York Times. Here are excerpts:

The Fire Department’s pool of black and Hispanic job candidates has more than doubled since 2002, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said yesterday, raising hopes that efforts to hire more minority firefighters might be yielding results.

The announcement came six months after the United States Justice Department sued the city, charging that the written firefighter entrance exam screened out a disproportionate number of blacks and Hispanics.

Slightly more than 30 percent of the 4,000 applicants scoring highest on this year’s exam were black or Hispanic, compared with just under 14 percent in 2002, the last time the test was given. There were also three times as many women in this year’s top 4,000.

The results are significant, city officials said, because the top 4,000 applicants are the most likely to be hired. The cutoff score to make that list this year was 96.77 percent.

Mayor Bloomberg called the results “a promising new sign” for the Fire Department, which has faced intense scrutiny over its lack of diversity.

The answer: just follow the glow

The question: Do you know the way to San Jose? The video above shows a lot of fire as firefighters in San Jose's Japantown fight a blaze in a group home on Tuesday night. The efforts of the fire department saved a nearby historic church.

FF falls on top of a another FF

During this fire in San Diego Monday night, a firefighter fell through a balcony floor. He landed on a firefighter below who broke his fall. The picture above from neighbor Peter Brueggeman via San Diego.com. Click here for details.

Different

I don't know what to make of this video

Jacksonville

House fire on Jacksonville, Florida's west side. Ladder 10 and Safety 2 on the call. No other details. But more parts can be found here.

Indiana

A video of a June 7th house fire in Black Township,Posey County, Indiana.

Springfield, MA house fire

Raw video of a vacant house fire in Springfield, MA early Tuesday morning. Details, here.

UK industrial fire

This is from a fire in Martock. Part 2 is here. Here's how it was written up in the Yeovil Express (they make it sound all so civilized ... I think I will start writing them like this):

FIREFIGHTERS are still in attendance at the Parrett Works industrial estate in Martock after the outbreak of a blaze in the early hours of this morning.

It was around 1am this morning when the alarm was raised and ten fire engines and supporting vehicles attended the scene.

Crews got to work with 17 breathing apparatus, five main jets and four hose reel jets.

Involved in the fire was one single storey building, and a two-storey building used as businesses for storage and car repairs.

CA fire

he installation of a hot water heater is apparently behind this fire MOnday afternoon in Roseville, CA, northeast of Sacamento More information,here.

And nearby

This is a truck fire not far from the house fire above. It is along I-80 near Citrus Heights, CA. No date with the video.

Warehouse in Atlanta

Language alert if you click directly to YouTube to see this raw video of a vacant warehouse fire in Atlanta Sunday night. More info and video from WXIA-TV.

And finally a trip down smoke alarm memory lane

1978 and Canadian General Electric advertises its Sentry smoke alarm.

West New York 2nd-alarm

A second alarm in West New York, NJ from Sunday night. Click the image to see Part 1. Parts 2 through 5 can be found here. Good fireground audio.

Some of you may have read the reports we showed you 10 days ago looking into the fire on Adams Mill Road and concerns about small diameter water mains in the District of Columbia. It was hard not to notice that the two reports, one from DC Fire & EMS (DCFEMS) and the other from the DC Water & Sewer Authority (WASA), came up with very different conclusions.

The headline from the DCFEMS report is that the water system infrastructure in the Nation's Capital is "highly questionable". The WASA report indicated only one real problem area effecting a developed part of the city.

Trying to get to the bottom of how these reports could be so far apart, we have tried to ask further questions of DCFEMS, WASA and those involved in the report. The only response we have received is from J. Gordon Routley, a former fire chief and an experienced consultant in fire service matters.

According to the DCFEMS report, Routley supervised the testing of hydrants around the Adams Mill Road building. He also looked at the city's water system from a more general standpoint. Below is Chief Routley's response to my efforts to get a better understanding why there was such a difference of opinion:

My comments are in reference to the study that was released by WASA on fire flow in areas with small diameter mains. This was done in response to the WASA Board's directive from October 5 to do a study and report back in 30 days...well, I guess they did the best they could do in 30 days with the data that was already in their computers.

The weaknesses with that analysis are:

1. The analysis is entirely theoretical, based on computer modelling of the water system. No actual flow tests were conducted to validate the calculations. There are lots of potential reasons why the real flow might not match the calculations...undetected closed valves...old water mains obstructed by tuberculation...underground leaks. It is all just theory until someone goes out and validates the analysis (systematically --- neighborhood by neighborhood).

2. The analysis calculated the volume of water that is theoretically available in the underground mains at each "node" in the system. A node is a connection point in the computer model, generally representing the intersection of two sections of underground pipe. The hydrants are not incorporated into the model, so there is no assurance that there are hydrants available at/near the node locations or that the calculated flow can be obtained through those hydrants. For example, the model may indicate that the water mains can deliver 3000 gpm to a certain location in the underground system. If there is no hydrant at that location, the fire department can't obtain that water. If there is one hydrant at that location, the maximum flow available to the fire department is the maximum flow through the hydrant ...which is generally around 1500 gpm...2000 gpm under the best circumstances. The FD needs at least two hydrants (connected to the right underground mains) to obtain 3000 gpm.

3. The analysis assumes that everything is OK if the needed fire flow (based on the size, occupancy and construction of the building and its exposures) is available at a node within 1000 feet of the location. If there is no hydrant...or no road that allows fire apparatus to get to the hydrant from the fire...that's not OK. It's also a problem if the hydrant is not working.

4. The analysis only considered needed fire flows up to 2000 gpm. They considered buildings/locations that require more than 2000 gpm as special cases that require individual analysis.

Areas that may require the water system to have a greater fire flow capacity (3,000 gpm or greater) associated with larger diameter water mains need further investigation, through a coordinated effort with FEMS and is not included as part of the scope of this analysis.

There is a logic disconnect when they assume that the maximum you should expect small main systems to deliver is 2000 gpm, so the analysis only looked at flows up to 2000 gpm. What about areas that have small mains where the needed fire flow is greater than 2000 gpm?

This whole discussion started with the fire on Adams Mill Road in a building with a needed fire flow of 2500 gpm. The mains within that neighborhood are small, old and appear to be restricted. There are several buildings in that area (deeper into the neighborhood and more than 1000 feet from Columbia Road) with needed fire flows in the 3000 to 3500 gpm range.

If we look around DC as a whole, we will find numerous locations where the existing buildings have needed fire flows in the 2500 to 3500 gpm range. How many of those areas have small mains with limited flows? And how many years will it take to correct those deficiencies if/when they are identified?

5. The water system "requirements" are benchmarked against policies and practices in a lot of places that don't look much like DC. They used a DC land use map and assigned estimates of needed fire flow based on the land use classifications. They did not calculate needed flows for any real buildings or obtain needed fire flows from DCFD or ISO. The analysis should be based on the real buildings that exist in each area of DC today. The data for hundreds (probably thousands) of buildings is available from ISO.

6. As noted in their analysis, there is no legally adopted code that requires WASA to provide any specific flow for firefighting purposes at any location. A city's insurance grading is partially based on ISO's evaluation of the ability of the water system to deliver the needed fire flow to each location in their jurisdiction. If they can't deliver, the insurance grading is negatively impacted, but there is no legal code that requires WASA to provide the needed fire flow.

The study is interesting, but far from comprehensive.

If we go back to the Adams Mill incident, there is no question that the volume of water that was needed to fight the fire was not available from the hydrants in the immediately surrounding area. When that was discovered, DCFD had to go looking for more water, but the information that DCFD had available from WASA did not indicate where to go. All of the hydrants look the same, so how is DCFD supposed to know which ones are connected to large underground mains and which ones are connected to the same system of small mains that is already delivering it's capacity? The maps that WASA provided to DCFD were impossible to interpret (I tried myself, in an office with good lighting and no urgency. I could only interpret about half of the information.)

As it turns out, there were three hydrants in the area that could have supplied the volume of water that was required....3 among a couple of dozen. DCFD connected to two of them, without the benefit of markings or good maps. If they had known, they could have obtained more water from those two hydrants or connected to the third ---- BUT the guy that WASA sent to the scene to assist DCFD told them that they wouldn't be able to get more water from the mains on Columbia Road and he suggested going to Connecticut Avenue. (everyone wants to overlook that little detail).

(Updated 5:07 PM)

Seat belts work: That's the message Chief Billy Goldfeder wants you to get from this picture from Illinois on Monday. Two firefighters survived the rollover with what are reported to be minor injuries. Go to firefighterclosecalls.com for details.

Training LODD in Florida

John Curry died during a training exercise this morning when a tree that was being cut down struck the 30-year-old Volusia County firefighter. Here are details from the Orlando Sentinel:

A Volusia County firefighter died during this morning during a training exercise at the county's training facility on Tiger Bay Road, Volusia County spokesman Dave Byron said.

The firefighters were working with chainsaws when a tree fell on John Curry of DeLand, 30, but it was not known who was cutting down the tree that hit him.

He was pronounced dead on the scene, Byron said.

The firefighter has been with Volusia County's fire service since January and was part of the firewalkers team, which specializes in wildfires. There are about three dozen members of that team. About half of the team was present when the accident occurred.

Mayday video from FL

We told you last week about the rescue of Nassau County Fire Department's Lt. Patrick Cauley after a structural collapse during a house fire. The department has now released dash-cam video and audio providing more insight into the rescue. WJAX-TV also interviews one of the rescuers, Lt. Glen Harper. Click the image above to read the story and see the video.

Charleston union leaders visit MD and another look at Piringer's role

The latest visitors to experience Montgomery County's command development training are IAFF officials from Charleston. Also, some old press releases provide a little insight into Pete Piringer's role in Charleston. Check it out, here.

New rules for New Ulm

More than a month ago there were screams and howls over the alcohol policy of a Minnesota fire company. The policy was approved by the City Council of New Ulm. Now the new fire chief has been given a new mission: draft an alcohol-response policy to replace the policy of every man, or woman, for him or herself.

Instead of each firefighter deciding if they had enough, City Manager Brian Gramentz wants Paul Macho to take a look at the guidelines of the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust (LMCIT). LMCIT actually has separate, but not equal, guidelines for career and volunteer firefighters.

Read the article at Firehouse.com. Billy Goldfeder was one of the many who had something to say about the original policy. You can read that, here.

Chopper battle in New York heats up

WABC-TV is investigating why FDNY still does not have its own helicopter fleet. They point to last summer's Con Ed steam explosion where it took an hour to get an aerial view. Here are excerpts from the station's website:

When there's a high-rise fire, the FDNY must rely on the police department 's chopper to get a bird's-eye-view.

It's an arrangement that, as the Eyewitness News Investigators have discovered, could be slowing down the fire department's aerial response time.

Chicago's fire department has its own helicopter, so does Los Angeles and Miami. But in the city with more skyscrapers than all those places combined, the fire department must get a ride on the police chopper to get above the scene -- something two former fire chiefs say is inherently flawed.

After the first Trade tower collapsed on 9/11, the NYPD Aviation Unit noticed the remaining tower was unstable. The pilots communicated that to police below on their own special radio frequency.

While police knew to evacuate, firefighters never got that warning from above.

Now, whenever there's a major fire or incident a specially trained FDNY battalion chief is on board one of the NYPD's seven helicopter's so he can communicate vital information to firefighters below at the scene.

"There's inherent delay there in putting that into effect," said Peter Hayden, a former chief of the department.

Video from Shenandoah, PA fire

We already told you about the fire that began Saturday night in Schuykill County, PA. Here is one in a series of videos from the fire. The rest can be found here. WithTheCommand.com has details.

Jersey City 2nd-alarm

From Saturday, good audio and video from a second-alarm at 7 Madison Avenue. Click the image above to see Part 1. Part 2 and Part 3.

Another Western MD fire

Two days in a row for videos from Western Maryland. This time it is from Garrett County. A convenience store and gas station in Kitzmiller. Details, here.

Since I report on all of the problems of your business, here's one from my business

I work in a visual medium. Sometimes you have to go to air with the visuals you have and not the visuals you want. Such is the case above. It is from WCIA-TV, covering a barn fire in Champaign, IL with the station's tower camera. Here's what the person who posted this wrote: "It seems the rule of thumb regarding tower cams holds true here...if you want to show lightning or fires, they both stop when you go to tower cam."

In this case there were plenty of visuals

This is a fire from Friday in West Spokane, WA, According to KXLY-TV firefighters were forced to halt an interior attack due to a downed live power line. This allowed the house to burn for quite a while. Crews did rescue a dog. More details, here.

Long Island fire

Not much information on this house fire other than it apparently occurred early this morning in New Hyde Park.

Around the tangled web we weave

FireGeezer talks about one of the more interesting stories of the day, a fire chief who doesn't want sprinklers installed. Plus, he has details of an arsonist in Wilkes-Barre, PA.

WithTheCommand.com has a bunch of PA house fires and more.

SConFire.com has that awful story of the man who cut off his own arm to get away from a growing fire.

FirefighterNation.com has some clips from Rescue Me and many other videos.

VAFireNews.com has an MVA from Henrico County and other stories from around Virginia.

Firefighter Spot ventures out of New York to post all the available videos from the Houston hi-rise fire.

Firefighter Hourly has more on OT issues from Charleston.

It's labor's turn to see the training Montgomery County, Maryland has offered management from the City of Charleston Fire Department. Members of IAFF Local 1664 in Montgomery County invited the Local 61 leadership from Charleston to participate in the same type of command development training that chief officers from Charleston began receiving in September. Three members of Local 61 are currently in Maryland.

For more details on the training, click here to read Firehouse.com's reprint of a Montgomery County press release announcing the program.

The press release also answers a question I had from my analysis of the issue involving public information officer Pete Piringer's role in Charleston. I asked what had been disclosed about Piringer's role. Well, the release, and one that Firehouse.com posted on August 10th, both make it pretty clear that Piringer would include offering advice to Charleston on PIO matters. Here's what it says:

Pete Piringer, public information officer for Montgomery County (MD) Fire and Rescue Service. He will oversee the review team's communications and public outreach efforts as well as advise the department on media relations and public information.

Now, is this something Charleston reporters were not aware of and was not released locally?

I do know that Piringer's role should not have been news to any of the Charleston reporters who made it to Montgomery County for the command training Chief Rusty Thomas participated in during the first week of October. I stood next to the Charleston TV reporters and it was pretty clear that Piringer was operating as a PIO, helping to coordinate that event.

So, was the fact that Pete Piringer has been advising the city 0f Charleston on PIO matters really a surprise to everyone when the Post & Courier did its story on November 15th?

If it wasn't a surprise, is there anything in the emails reprinted by the paper that doesn't fall under the category of "advising the department on media relations and public information"?

Again, I am pointing all of this out in an attempt to answer the question I asked earlier this month. It is not my job to defend Piringer or Gordon Routley (that would be the job of a PIO). Anyway, it would probably destroy their credibility if I defended them.

Let me also, once again, make sure you know that my relationship with Pete Piringer goes back to about 1975 when we first worked together in Prince George's County. I consider him a friend, but that has never stopped me from doing stories that have made him or his bosses unhappy.

(Update at 12:09 PM)

Up a tree: From Nassau County, FL on November 15th. Click the image above to hear a hunter's call to 911 as he is hanging upside down from a tree stand. He was that way for 3 hours until rescuers could find him and get him down. Details, here.

Note: Things are happening in pairs today, by evidence of the following 3 stories.

Second 4-alarm fire of the day in Houston

Right now (11:30 AM EST) there is fire showing from the fifth or sixth floor of a Houston hi-rise for senior citizens. Rescues have been made and the fire has gone to 4-alarms. Watch live streaming while it lasts from KRIV-TV.

Around 11:40 AM, you could see the fire being hit from a ladder pipe and it appears to be knocked down. Minutes later there was what appeared to be an elderly woman removed through a window (image is below)

Overnight Houston had a 4-alarm fire at an apartment and townhouse complex. Read details and see video of that fire, here.

Two suspicious fires in Woodbridge

Fire investigators in Prince William County are busy after two fires break out at neighboring businesses on Route 1 in Woodbridge. The initial call was around 11:45 Sunday night after police officers responding to a burglar alarm at the Meadow Farms Nursery in the eleven thousand block of Jefferson Davis Highway saw the building was on fire.About 45 minutes later a second fire began a short distance aways at the Playtime Pools & Spas.

Hazmat crews were brought into the second fire because of the chemicals inside the building. Two firefighters suffered minor injuries battling the fires. Emergency crews were forced to shut down Jefferson Davis Highway between Longview Drive and Village Drive for several hours overnight. The highway re-opened just before seven this morning.

Click the image above to see a live report from the scene.

Two fires on Druid Hill Avenue

Baltimore firefighters handled two rowhouse fires, a block apart, overnight. One in the 2100 block of Druid Hill Avenue and while that one was being handled, the second one came in for the 2000 block. The second fire went to three alarms. The image above from WBAL-TV. Click here for details.

Flea house "burnt to a crisp"

One of the homes destroyed in the weekend fires in Malibu belonged to Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. Here are the details on the $5 million home that was destroyed.

Ohio arson string

In Columbus, four fires since Wednesday are being looked at closely. Details, here.

FFs electrocuted installing antenna

Two firefighters in the Philippines, excited about the new firehouse, volunteered to install a TV antenna. Read the story, here.

Bit of a close call in PA

Good video as firefighters in Landsdowne, PA move to an exterior attack at a house fire on November 8th. It appears one firefighter had to be helped from a top floor window after being unable to use another means of egress. More info on the fire, along with pictures, can be found at Landsdownefire.com

Good water supply

No details with this one. Yacht burns, somewhere.

Klondike, MD fire

A brief video from a house on Saturday night in Allegany County, MD. Details from the Cumberland Times-News.

Second due in Marion County, FL

Marion County, Florida Station 18 is second due on a house fire on November 16th. Details from Firehouse18.com.

Trbovlje, Slovenia

A good look at how firefighters handle an apartment fire in Slovenia

WA 1991

From Parkland Washington on Oct 20, 1991. Apparent arson in a vacant house.

Richmond warehouse

From Richmond, British Columbia, a warehouse fire on Friday. More, here.

Interesting Terre Haute video

I have enough problems understanding and explaining the fire politics here, so I won't begin to tell you anything about what goes on in Indiana. But I thought this was an interesting video recently posted on YouTube. Here is the description that goes with it: Found on Terre Haute city website from 6-27-06. Ex-Mayor Kevin Burke trying to fool the public on what really was going on during contract negotiations in 2006.

Painted Post

I'll admit I'm a sucker for old fire pictures. There are quite a few of them from this history of the Painted Post fire department in New York.

Speaking of old pictures


This is one of a series of pictures from a derailment and fire posted on thewatchdesk.com by OldTimer13. He says he doesn't know much about them, other than they show firefighters from Riverdale Heights (Company 13) in Prince George's County. One would think this could be on what used to be B&O's Metropolitan Branch that runs through Hyattsville and Riverdale (Now CSX and MARC uses it as its Camden Line). I've been checking the Internet and newspaper archives and haven't found anything that fits this. Anyone with info, I'd love to know more. I think I do see "DC FD" on a jacket in one of the other pictures.

Update- My old friend Bert Shaffner writes the following:

Check with the U of M fire service, in the old basic book they had a picture of a train wreck that preceded one of the chapters and I believe this is the same one. I think it was in College Park.

Bert may be onto something. In various newspaper archives there are stories from Monday, May 12, 1952 reporting an 82 car freight train that had a derailment and fire near College Park over the weekend. Here is the lead to the Washington Post article:

Traffic on the Baltimore and Ohio was restored at 3:30 p. m. yesterday, 17 hours after 21 freight cars were derailed near College Park, Md., setting off an all-night fire visible miles.

(Updated 11:42 AM, Sunday)

No one injured in a derailment near M & T Bank Stadium, the home of the Baltimore Ravens. Photo above from The Baltimore Sun. Read the paper's coverage here. Raw helicopter and ground video from WJZ-TV is here. See WJZ-TV's story, here.

Deja vu all over again

KCBS-TV image

Above, raw helicopter video the latest round of Southern California fire. Malibu is the center of the activity. Weather forecasters said Sunday would be a better day. Here is some of the latest from the LA Times:

The most destructive fire in Malibu in nearly 15 years raced through parched canyons Saturday, consuming 49 homes and forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents.

The so-called Corral fire burned 4,700 acres before the fierce Santa Ana winds died down, allowing firefighters to make a stand. By evening, the blaze, which investigators said was started by "human activity," was 25% contained. Six firefighters sustained minor injuries, authorities said.

Meteorologists said the winds were subsiding and not expected to return today. A red flag warning, issued when the humidity level drops below 8%, would remain in effect in Los Angeles and Ventura counties until this evening.

Last month's wildfires ignited in multiple areas throughout Southern California and stretched limited firefighting resources thin. This time, only Malibu was ablaze. As a result, two dozen firefighting aircraft and hundreds of ground crews were able to concentrate their attacks.

"It helped that nothing else is going on," said U.S. Forest Service spokesman Jim Wilkins. "We have a lot of assets put in place."

Knowing that Santa Ana winds and low humidity were in the forecast, fire officials started preparing days ago.

More than 600 firefighters from around California and the Western United States had gathered at the National Orange Show grounds in San Bernardino before Thanksgiving, officials said.

About 1,750 firefighters, at least 45 fire engines, numerous hand crews, 23 water-dropping helicopters and two fixed-wing planes battled the blaze.

"This was remarkable. In my 35 years of doing this, it was an unprecedented mobilization," Wilkins said. "We've been doing this type of thing for many years. I just don't remember it on this type of scale."

LA Times coverage.

KABC-TV KNBC-TV KCBS-TV and KCAL-TV KTTV-TV

Firegeezer is also on top of it.

Detroit rescue

A Detroit firefighter pulls two children out of a burning home under some pretty adverse conditions. Click the image above to see WJBK-TV's story. Here are excerpts from the story on DetroitNews.com:

With mere minutes to spare, three Detroit firefighters rushed into a blazing home Friday morning, searching wildly for two young children trapped inside.

The fire began in a back bedroom around 11:30 a.m. and quickly spread down a hallway, closing in on a second room where two boys, ages 1 and 3, were lying unconscious on the floor, said Lt. Robert Distelrath.

"The fire was right there in the hallway behind me. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to come back out that door or have to go out the window," said Distelrath, who closed the door behind him when he found the two youngsters.

With neighbors and family members crowding around the front of the house in the 3700 block of Van Dyke on the city's east side, Distelrath and firefighters Michael Risher and Brendan Milewski split up and crawled on their hands and knees to get the two children out in less than two minutes.

"You always have to be ready," Distelrath said. "You come to work every day and don't know what's going to happen. I'm very proud of the work we've done over there and thankful."

Block burns in PA

A major fire in Schuylkill County Friday night. It destroyed businesses on Main Street in Shenandoah. Above is a picture from RepublicHerald.com and click here to read the story. WithTheCommand.com is also on top of this story.

FDNY, Con Ed gas leak response questioned

A deadly explosion after FDNY cleared a gas leak in Sunnyside, Queens on Wednesday. The New York Times has the story. Here are excerpts:

The Fire Department said it did the right thing when it left the scene after checking a report of a gas odor because Con Edison had taken control of the situation. Con Edison, meanwhile, said it acted appropriately because it did not have information suggesting that any of the homes on the block were in danger.

But yesterday, one day after a 69-year-old resident of the home died from her injuries, the utility and the department both promised to review their protocols to see if changes could prevent future fatalities. “It seems that we acted in accordance with our protocol,” said Mary Jane McCartney, Con Ed’s senior vice president for operations. “We are going to look at all of our procedures and benchmark other utilities to make sure that we are using best practices.”

Bus fire in France

A photographer gets to this burning bus fire before the fire department.

Another bus fire, that kills 12

In central Indonesia a bus burst into flames killing 12 people. Three children are among the dead.

More from Beijing

A different view of that large auditorium fire we showed you two days ago. This one has some of the firefighting operations.

Old Illinois warehouse destroyed

In Murphysboro, Illinois, a warehouse that survived the 1925 tornado didn't make it through the 2007 fire. Details here.

Granary fire

Heavy fire conditions in Northern Germany on Tuesday.

Grainy video

The domestic version from April, 1990 as a grain elevator burns in Ellis, Kansas

Beach front homes burn

This fire was from a week ago in Sea Isle, NJ. Six condos, three separate buildings. Details and photos here.

Middle River rescue

From Baltimore County, MD, click the image above to see the extrication after a dump truck and car collide on Eastern Blvd.

Good video and audio from 2006 double fatal apartment fire

Two people died in this evening apartment fire in Long Beach California on December 8, 2006. Raw video with good view of fireground operations. Details on the fire, here.

San Francisco 4th alarm from 2006

High winds, lots of fire. This was from February, 2006. Details, here.

(Updated at 3:12 p.m. on Friday)

More on the Seat Pleasant, MD Thanksgiving Day fire: These four men were brought together 20-years ago by a house fire that killed 6 children. Read and watch their stories, here.

Some Mickey Mouse Fire Department: Actually, THE Mickey Mouse Fire Department. But FireGeezer will be happy to know they throw plenty of ground ladders. Though, as seen in this image, they do it in a slightly unorthodox way. For your kids, or the kid in you, click above.

No monopoly on intelligence

A new anit-terrorism program involving firefighters has the ACLU concerned. The AP has the story. Here are excerpts:

Firefighters in major cities are being trained to take on a new role as lookouts for terrorism, raising concerns of eroding their standing as American icons and infringing on people's privacy.

Unlike police, firefighters and emergency medical personnel don't need warrants to access hundreds of thousands of homes and buildings each year, putting them in a position to spot behavior that could indicate terrorist activity or planning.

But there are fears that they could lose the faith of a skeptical public by becoming the eyes of the government, looking for suspicious items such as building blueprints or bomb-making manuals or materials.

Battalion chief is the latest to go through the revolving door at the mayor's office in AC

Atlantic City Battalion Chief Scott Evans is the third person in two months to become mayor of the gambling town. Evans is chairman of the local Democratic Party and is now on leave from the fire department as he fills out the remainder of Mayor Bob Levy's term through next December. More from Firehouse.com.

Not a Chinese fire drill

A large fire in Beijing at the Beijing Language and Culture University. No reported injuries. The auditorium was in the process of being dismantled when the fire broke out. Click the image above to see a brief video. Click here for more pictures and details from China.org.cn.

Fire briefing

Two RIT students died in a fire on November 9th. Rochester Fire Chief John Caufield and Deputy Chief Stephen McLary explain what happened.

Dozens displaced by Texas 4-alarm fire

A Thanksgiving Day fire destroyed 16 apartments in Killeen, TX. Click KWTX-TV's image above to read the story and see the video.

Man injured in Thursday fire

This video is from Thanksgiving Day in Arapahoe County, Colorado. News reports say a man was in the basement of the home when the fire started. He is listed in fair condition. Details, here.

Thanksgiving fire bug in CT

Bridgeport had three fires on the same block early Thursday morning. Firefighters spotted fires two and three while responding to fire number one. Watch and read the story, here.

Another Thanksgiving day fire

This house fire was in Joliet, Illinois.

Early video of large commercial fire in LA County

No date on this one. It is from the "Little India" section of Artesia.

Emergency vehicle demolition derby

A compilation of wrecks here and abroad.

Roof collapse in FL injures firefighter

A Nassau County, Florida firefighter was burned in a house fire Wednesday afternoon. Video of the fire's aftermath and a news story are here. More details in this TV story. Chief Billy Goldfeder of firefighterclosecalls.com tells us the firefighter is already home with his family for Thanksgiving. Here's what news4jax.com is reporting:

Two Nassau County firefighters were injured on Wednesday fighting a house fire near Hilliard.

Channel 4 was told the four firefighters were inside the garage of the burning home in the 22000 block of Fortress Lane when the roof caved in, injuring two of them.

"The roof collapsed, pinning one of the firefighters to the ground," Nassau County Fire Chief Chuck Cooper said.

Lt. Patrick Cauley was flown to Shands-Jacksonville Medical Center with burns to his arms and hands. He was treated and released. A second firefighter who rushed in to rescue Cauley was treated at the scene, then returned to the firefighting effort.

"They put a lot of heroic effort into getting that fireman out," Cooper said.

About 30 Nassau County firefighters were used to put out the blaze, and one unit remained at the scene six hours later checking on hot spots.

Jacksonville Fire-Rescue sent three engines to the scene to assist and made six other units available to cover Nassau County fire stations while those firefighters were in Hilliard.

A 9-year-old boy first spotted the fire and got his grandfather out safety, then they called 911.

The house was a total loss. The state fire marshal's office was on the scene investigating the cause of the fire.

Another Justice Department turnaround

Less than six weeks after President Bush's pledge to fix the Home Heroes Act, a New York family hears some good news. Here's the story.

Noose and note being investigated as possible hate crime

We first told you Wednesday afternoon about this new problem for the Baltimore City Fire Department. Here is the latest from WJZ-TV and from The Baltimore Sun.

Come hungry, leave smokey

In Modesto, California on Wednesday morning, a lot of fire inside an IHOP.

Big place burns

That's about all I know about this one. A large building with a lot of fire. No who, what, where and why posted with the video.

The woman being interviewed is now known as Miss Utility

Watch it until the end. Oops.

Whatever happened to the show must go on?

This is an old one, but it was just re-posted, so I thought I would pass it on.

The leaning tower of Balsam Lake, WI

Not your normal technical rescue team. But they got the job done ... barely.

Around the web, Thanksgiving edition

FireGeezer catches up on what investigators determined about some recent fires. He also has one very wild story from Seligman, AZ. It is a must read. And read the comments, too. The Geeze sure finds some interesting stuff. When I grow up, I want to be just like him.

WithTheCommand.com has a Mormon church fire in Mesa, AZ.

Firefighter Nation has a bunch of good videos and a lot of chat.

Firehouse.com has the story of an Atlanta firefighter saving the day and lots more.

SConFire.com has details on an electrical substation fire and more from SC.

DCFD.com always has the work of my old friend Vito Maggiolo (we often run Vito's raw video). There are also messages from the wonderful folks at the DC Firefighters Burn Foundation who I got to see in action after the 4th Street fire.

VAFireNews.com wants to see pictures of your Thanksgiving meal at the firehouse.

Maryland Fire News, as usual, lives up to its name.

Firefighter Spot has the details of the man behind Harold the Fireman.

Firefighter Hourly is podcasting, even on Thanksgiving.

FirefightingNews.com has details on the investigation into a training mishap.

TheHouseWatch.com is one I heard about from FireGeezer. Well worth checking out.

FireTactics.net is a good place to go to get you thinking.

EMSresponder's lead story is on autism.

The Washington - Metro Area Fire & Injury Prevention site reminds us what plenty of firefighters deal with at Thanksgiving time, FOS. Let's just hope it's not at the firehouse while they are out on a call.

As we mentioned near the top, don't forget Chief Billy Goldfeder's firefighterclosecalls.com. Chief Billy is very blunt about firefighter safety.

I am sure I have left someone out, but let me say thanks to all of the webmasters and bloggers who keep those in firefighting and EMS informed. You do a great service keeping the information flowing. Thanks for letting me be a part of it and providing such great support to STATter 911.

From left to right: Danny Jarboe, Alan Noznesky, Wayne McBride, and Stefan Gansert

Watch video of PGFD event

See previous STATter 911 coverage of this fire

Thanksgiving Day in 1987 broke a lot of hearts in Prince George's County, Maryland. A day for families to be together had barely started when one family found itself changed forever.

Around 7:30 a.m., three young children inside of 203 69th Street in Seat Pleasant, lit a foam cushion on fire while playing with matches in the living room of the two-story home. Not being able to put the fire out, they left the room and returned to their bedrooms without telling any of the adults in the house about the fire. There were 15 members of the family of James and Annie Mae Williams inside the home, many of them sleeping.

A short while later, Corporal Wayne McBride, a Prince George's County Police K-9 officer, saw a plume of smoke in the Seat Pleasant area. Following it, he found himself face to face with screaming people and a house shooting flames from many windows. McBride, also a volunteer firefighter in nearby District Heights, tried to get to the trapped children.

About the same time, Seat Pleasant volunteer Alan Noznesky was asleep in the bunk room at Company 8. He soon found himself being rudely awakened by the cold air as he road toward the burning home aboard Seat Pleasant's open cab Pirsch. Coming from the opposite direction, Stefan Gansert, a volunteer firefighter from the Chapel Oaks VFD.

All three men tried hard to get to the 6 children who couldn't get out on their own. They failed. But they would soon learn from Danny Jarboe, who led the investigative team looking into the cause of the fire, that it was unlikely any of the children were still alive by the time Wayne McBride first reached the scene.

All four men were brought together on Wednesday by the Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department. Along with Chief Lawrence Sedgwick, who was one of the fire investigators assigned to that fire, they recalled the tragedy.

The event also looked at the department's 20-year effort, started that day, to visit neighborhoods where fires have occurred, making sure all homes have working smoke detectors. (To learn more about the program, click here.)

Danny Jarboe is now retired. Wayne McBride is also retired from the police department, but has a second career as the deputy director of the Prince George's County Public Safety Communications Center. Alan Noznesky is a captain with the DC Fire & EMS Department. Stefan Gansert is a career firefighter in Fairfax County, VA and also a volunteer division chief with PGFD.

I have taken my interviews with these men and mixed it with the news coverage from 1987. You can see that, here.

The first EMS crew to arrive at the fire at Seat Pleasant included Laurie Gilman. Laurie and I first met when she was a volunteer in Clinton and I was at Oxon Hill. We were in EMT class together and later were in the first group of civilian dispatchers hired by PGFD. She is a good friend who wrote me this email about the 69th Street fire.

Every Thanksgiving Day I think of that fire and that family especially the grandmother. I remember pulling up with Co. 8 coming in the other direction and there she was coming up the street toward me screaming for her 10 year old son Josh and her grand babies. Since you were a part of the happy day my Josh was born you can understand how she tore at me heart strings that morning. Fire was just exploding from all the windows and the doors. Family members were running and screaming everywhere and I never felt so helpless in all my life. I knew those six little babies would never get out alive. Co. 8 and Rescue One, the unit I was on, were first on the scene and we ended up using Rescue One as a triage vehicle to treat and send the family members to the hospital. But what do you say to in a situation like that,there is nothing that could ever take away their devastation that morning. I don't know how any of us bucked up and did our jobs while our hearts were screaming and our anger at ourselves growing because we couldn't save these 6 precious babies. We are the Fire Department and we are the supposed to save people, we expect ourselves to perform miracles and don't want to accept less. That's our job and I know that every person there that morning wavered back and forth between great sorrow in their heart and anger at themselves because that is what we do when we can't save everyone. That is the heart of the Fire Department, that is what we all share and if you haven't been a part of it you can never quite understand it. You and I were on some fires together as volunteers and I know you understand and I was glad you were there reporting that day. I also want that family to know they have never been forgotten, at least not by me, especially little Josh.