STATter 911

(Updated at 9:45 AM, Sunday)

Video of the day and close call alert: A must see video from Sacramento, CA. Three firefighters operating on the roof of a single-story beauty supply business on Thursday suddenly found there was no roof. They scrambled to the edge and were able to hang on for a long 30- seconds until two ground ladders appeared. They all had minor injuries. Click the image to watch the raw video.

Arson in Accokeek, but unclear if related to previous cases

Prince George's County fire investigators report there was a fire set in an Accokeek, MD home late Saturday night. The fire was discovered just before midnight at 15,625 Livingston Road. The fire began in the kitchen and was quickly extinguished.

Spokesman Mark Brady tells STATter 911 it has not been determined if this fire is related to a series of arsons in vacant homes and homes under construction in the area over the last few years. There is the possibility that vagrants were using this home.

The large majority of the previous fires have been on or near Livingston Road within in a short distance of the Accokeek firehouse. Station 824 is at 16111 Livingston Road on the west side of Indian Head Highway (Route 210). This home, while still close, is on the east side of Route 210.

DC union threatens legal action on EMS shift plan

In a strongly worded letter, IAFF Local 36 officials have told DC Fire & EMS Chief Dennis Rubin that the planned twelve-hour shifts for firefighters assigned to 90-day EMS rotations just won't fly. The union was notified by top department officials on May 29 that the current 24/72 schedule would not be used for those assigned to ambulance duty. The notification indicated the new schedule would begine June 22.

The quote above, summarizing the position of Local 36, and the one below, threatening legal action, seem to be the operative parts of the four page letter.

At last word, a spokesperson for the department said there was nothing to comment on, because this plan was still being negotiated and had not been finalized.

Click here to read the entire letter

Chief supplier?

Click the image above to see raw video #1 from KHOU-TV

The headline seems to be an apt description according to what the Fort Bend County, TX Sheriff's Department is saying about Dannie Connor. Connor, the volunteer chief of the Kendleton Fire Department, was arrested at the firehouse at 6:00 AM Friday. At the same time his home was raided.

This comes from a weeks long investigation into allegations of cocaine and marijuana distribution.

KHOU-TV has the exclusive. They have enough video for Chief Connor's life story. Click the image above to see raw video of deputies with the chief in front of the firehouse. Click the image below to watch the perp walk outside of Chief Connor's home and listen to Connor speak about the charges. Click here to read the story.

The TV station reports the deputies found guns inside the chief's home and "a police radio tuned to the sheriff department’s frequency".

Kendleton, estimated population 537, has been having its share of problems with public safety officials, including the previous fire chief. More from KHOU-TV:

It seems officials in the city of Kendleton are having a tough time with the law. Just four months ago the former fire chief was arrested and charged with indecency with a child. And throughout the years, Fort Bend County, the Texas Rangers and even the FBI have made arrests in this tiny town.

In 2005, police Chief Charles Mann was sentenced to five years in federal prison after a huge scandal over speeding tickets. The chief and others were stealing traffic fine money.

A judge ordered Mann to pay back more than $500,000.

And now, Kendleton is once again without a fire chief.

Click the image above to see raw video #2 from KHOU-TV

"It's time to take it back"

That's the quote on gazette.net from Riverdale's Vince Harrison about the ongoing problems volunteer forces are claiming when dealing with Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department Chief Lawrence Sedgwick. Here are some excerpts from Daniel Valentine's article:

According to volunteers, Sedgwick’s tenure as chief has damaged volunteer department operations and recruitment. Volunteers said he has hampered their fundraising efforts, issued directives that hinder recruitment and retention, and refused to meet informally with the unpaid volunteers since taking the post in early 2005.

‘‘We’re a combination department. That’s the way it is,” said Bob Russell, president of the Prince George’s County Volunteer Fire & Rescue Association, a group that includes members from each volunteer company in the county. ‘‘If you can’t come to our meetings, that’s a problem.”

Mark Brady, a spokesman for the county fire department, declined to comment on the complaints.

‘‘These are internal issues that we’re not going to play out in the public forum,” he said.

Brady acknowledged in an earlier interview that Sedgwick does not attend the volunteer associations’ meetings, which is an informal council of all 40 companies and interested members. However, he said the fire chief meets regularly with the elected, all-volunteer Fire Commission that controls the department’s equipment budget, and also holds open-door monthly meetings on Saturdays to hear concerns.

‘‘He has a meeting with the leadership once a month and they discuss issues,” Brady said.

Vernon Herron, the county’s deputy chief administrative officer for public safety, who oversees the police and fire departments, attributed many of the issues to ‘‘a breakdown of communication,” and said the county plans to be more proactive in the future.

‘‘The challenge is that we need to maintain the integrity of our operation, while keeping within fiscal constraints,” said Herron, who said he plans to ‘‘stay engaged” with the volunteers.

‘‘It’s important that we stay together,” Herron said.

Volunteers have said they are considering hiring a lobbyist to work with the county on their issues, though some company officials warn they are near a breaking point on their agreement to provide fire services.

2nd fire in week takes out multiple homes on Staten Island

Two brief videos of a fire early Friday morning at Midland Beach on Staten Island. It started in a vacant home and damaged five others.

Monday morning two homes were damaged in a fire about three blocks away. Residents are on edge. Read more.

Fatal in Baltimore County

A woman is dead following a fire in a Cockeysville home just before 9:00 PM Friday night. Click here to see report from WJZ-TV and an interview with Division Chief Michael Robinson.

Five-alarms in IL

The video above from Steve Redick. It is of Thursday's five-alarm fire at an industrial complex in Franklin Park, IL. Click here for still pictures on Steve's site.

Victim and FFs wait for power company

It apparently took two hours to get the power cut after a tree trimmer in a bucket truck came in contact with power lines. It happened in Wheaton, MD yesterday, a day after severe storms tore through the area.

Gasoline price protest leads to arson

I have never been big about doing TV live shots from inside a bathroom (I know it may come as a shock to you that I still have a little dignity after 36 years in broadcasting). But if you click here, you will see just that as a reporter explains how a woman in Danville, California set fires in two service station bathrooms and a Starbucks (Hint: a lighter and a Duraflame log).

More interesting is the reason for the fires. The woman claims it was because of the high price of gasoline. It was about $4.30-a-gallon at the time of the arson spree.

No word on what the motive was for the attack on Starbucks. She may not have been finished with her work. When caught at a fast food restaurant she still had 8 logs with her.

Live ammo in fire wounds another FF

This time it is in Lexington, SC. A house fire Thursday afternoon left a firefighter with a wound to the abdomen. He is reported in stable condition and expected to make a full recovery. Click here fore more.

Budget cuts brings proposal of firehouse roulette with truck companies

Sadly this is something we will likely see more of. In Alameda, CA, the fire department has two ladder companies and five engine companies. In an effort to meet a 4% budget cut, the fire chief is thinking about closing a truck company when staffing levels fall. Read more.

Remembering Jack Gerhart

I am truly sorry that a prior family commitment is going to keep me from DC's Engine 17 on Saturday. That's when the house that Jack built is being dedicated in his honor. Jackson Gerhart didn't actually build the firehouse in Brookland, but he might as well have.

Jack's 32-year career was spent at 1227 Monroe Street, NE. Most of it behind the wheel. Saturday, Engine 17 officially becomes the Jackson H. Gerhart House.

Jack retired in 1994, but continued to volunteer in Shippensburg, PA, not far from his home town of Chambersburg. It was in Shippensburg on November 30, 2004 that Jack was gravely injured on a fireground and died 6-days later.

Jack had also been a member of the Hyattsville VFD in MD in the 1960s.

I first got to know Jack in his role as a long time official with IAFF Local 36 in DC.

Jack's passion was the history of the fire service and particularly DCFD. I recall a very excited exchange of emails with Jack after I discovered some 1940s photos of Engine 4 on the Library of Congress website.

Jack Gerhart's advice was sought by many. As you will read in the article below Jack was a mentor to Jim Seavey. For that act alone, someone needs to walk down the street and nominate Jack for sainthood.

Congratulations to Lt. Seavey and all of the others who worked so hard to make this happen. Please send pictures.

Here are some links to learn more about Jackson Gerhart and why he is being honored:

Details about Saturday's event from Engine 17's website

A nice article about the dedication on PublicOpinion.com

Click the image below to see a video remembering Jack.

Sad news for a former local chief with a national reputation

Quite a number of years ago I had breakfast with Ed Plaugher. It wasn't long after he took over as chief in Arlington County, VA, after a career in Fairfax County.

That morning, long before I interviewed him in front of the burning Pentagon on 9-11, Chief Plaugher was talking to me about the need for fire departments to be adequately prepared for domestic terrorism. He also was sounding the alarm about the inadequacy of current smoke alarm technology, sketching out his own ideas on a napkin.

Besides often being ahead of the rest of us in his thinking, I always found Ed Plaugher to be a hell of a nice guy. That's why we are particularly saddened to learn about the sudden loss of his wife Melody. Chief Billy Goldfeder has the details on funeral arrangements:

Many of you know retired Arlington County (VA) Fire Chief Ed Plaugher ...unfortunately it is with sincere regret that we advise you that Ed's wife, Melody, very unexpectedly passed away a few days ago. In addition to being our Director of Programs at the IAFC, Ed is former Chief of Arlington County but most importantly, an old friend and a very good man who has never lost focus in the mission of protecting Firefighters. Our sincerest and heartfelt condolences to Chief Plaugher and his family...and as per IAFC Headquarters, arrangements are as follows: Sunday, June 8, 6 - 8 pm Visitation at the Fairfax Memorial Park and Monday, June 9 10:30am Funeral at Fairfax Memorial Park which is located at 9902 Braddock Road, Fairfax, VA 22032

# posted by Dave Statter @ 9:45 AM