Saturday, May 31, 2008
Universal Studios burns; DC shift shift; Loudoun review team named; Report: Austin Lt. called it a "nothing call"; Help DC FF's Burn Foundation
(Update at 10:46 AM Sunday)
From the STATter 911 Archives: A Kensington, MD fire in January of 1976. A man set his own house on fire following a domestic dispute and then threatened to shoot at firefighters. He died in the fire.
New York burning ... at least Hollywood's version is. Massive fire at Universal Studios. Video catches roof collapse.
AP photo via Los Angeles TimesReports are that "New York Street" is among the areas that is burning at a large fire at Universal Studios in California. "New York Street" is a line of facades built to look like New York. Early reports are the pre-dawn fire started on a sound stage and spread.
Explosions have been reported and helicopters have brought in water drops as the fire spread through the back lot.
Already there are estimates that this fire, still burning three hours after it started, has caused tens of millions of dollars in damages. Firefighters were trying to protect a building housing a film vault. TV stations are reporting the King Kong exhibit has been destroyed.
A spokesperson said the theme park would open today, but that the studio tour would be affected by the fire.
Live coverage from KNBC-TV (while it lasts)
FireGeezer has also been updating this story
This is a 10:00 AM (EDT) report from AP:
A massive fire engulfed a back lot filled with movie sets at Universal Studios early Sunday, officials said.
The blaze broke out just before dawn on a sound stage, Los Angeles fire Capt. Frank Reynoso said. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
A thick column of smoke was seen rising thousands of feet into the air.
The fire was contained in the back lot and more than 100 firefighters were working to ensure the flames didn't spread to nearby brush, Reynoso said. Two firefighting helicopters were helping in the effort.
Fire Inspector Daryl Jacobs said at least one building had burned and as many as three blocks of movie facades were destroyed.
Though the fire was contained, it was still raging, Jacobs said.
"The facades are constructed of heavy timber and they tend to burn quite freely," he said.
CNN reported three studio sets and the Cyclone ride were damaged. Jacobs could not confirm the report.
Filming might have been going on at the time the fire broke out and there was at least one explosion, Reynoso said.
Universal City is nine miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
Alerting the police to check out a deadly fire
That's apparently what happened last week in Franklin, Ohio. Chief Billy Goldfeder of FirefighterCloseCalls.com spotted this one. Click here to see video. Click here to read more.
Don't forget to help the DC Firefighter's Burn Foundation
A reminder that Yvette Hess, one of my 9NEWS NOW colleagues, is part of a cycling team heading for a race cross country and in the process raising money for the DC Firefighter's Burn Foundation. Don't make me beg you. Just click here to learn more.
FireGeezer on New England fires
I am a little slower in posting this weekend due to some deadline issues on a project. If you are interested in updates on two big New England fires on Thursday and Friday, check out FireGeezer.
EMS unit shift change in DC
From the website of IAFF Local 36 (also on DCFD.com), an announcement of a change of shift for firefighters assigned to the ambulance:
Local-36 was notified today by Assistant Fire Chiefs Jeffery and Sa’Adah and Deputy Fire Chief Baker that the Department has rejected the memberships wishes and the direction for staffing EMS units will include 90-day assignments to transport units, on a 12-hour shift, with a 2-2-4 schedule. The Department hopes to implement it’s staffing plan June 22, 2008.
From the calls and emails we have received so far, this is not sitting well with many members of the DC Fire & EMS Department. Forgetting all of the other arguments for or against this schedule, I found interesting the one that points out this is not an eco-friendly plan. I guess in this case, doubling the amount of commutes to work, the "eco" could mean both "ecologically" and "economically".
Whether you are for or against this shift, the fact is with gasoline running between four and five dollars-per-gallon, the new shift will mean a financial hit for firefighters assigned to the 90-day tours.
This move addresses issues brought up in the final report of the Task Force on Emergency Medical Services. Specifically it comes under "Recommendation 4", and it looks like, by the time it is implemented, it will be three months behind the timetable listed in the report:
b) The Mayor and Chief shall work together to come with a recommendation to the Council to implement shorter shifts for all employees and other recommendations to ensure the goal of having alert and awake employees who can provide competent patient care.
c) The Chief shall establish, no later than March 31, 2008, and as available staff allows, a practice for assignment to transport duty in which employees are permanently assigned to ambulance service for periods of not less than 90 days, rather than intermittently with fire apparatus duty.
d) The Chief shall report, no later than March 31, 2008, on procedures for peak load staffing of transport units, that enable an adequate number of units to meet response time targets. The Chief shall also establish by the same date a procedure for dynamic deployment of units to provide coverage when any particular area of the District experiences a shortage of available units.
We have put in a request to DC Fire & EMS for comment.
Loudoun review team picked
One Loudoun County firefighter remains in the MedStar Burn Unit at the Washington Hospital in serious, but stable condition. Loudoun County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management officials have decided not to identify any of the firefighters injured in a house fire last Sunday, but they are making public the names of those who have been picked to review the incident.
The team leader is Division Chief Richie Bowers (Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service). Chief Bowers went to the scene to assist Loudoun County on Sunday, shortly after the fire occurred.
Chief Bowers will be joined by Battalion Chief Jennie Collins (Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue), Battalion Chief Scott McKay (Arlington County Fire and EMS), Battalion Chief Corey Parker, (Loudoun County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management), Captain Justin Green, (Loudoun County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management), Lieutenant Nicole Hankin, (Loudoun County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management), Technician Greg Moore, (Loudoun County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management), Firefighter/Medic Denise Gay, (Loudoun County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management), Fire Commissioner Bill McGann, (Loudoun County Fire-Rescue Commissioner and member of Hamilton Volunteer Fire Company #5).
Chiefs Bowers and Collins were part of the group that reviewed the LODD of Prince William County's Kyle Wilson. That report was nine months in the making. This one is expected to have a much shorter turn-around time. Here are some details from the press release issued Friday morning:
The team is tasked with obtaining all available incident facts/information and communicating a detailed, validated factual incident review report to the Loudoun County Fire and Rescue system. All information contained in the report will be factual documentation of the events leading up to the incident, the incident operation(s), the firefighter mayday(s) and incident mitigation to include treatment and transport of the injured personnel. The results of the findings and recommendations will be used as lessons learned for the Loudoun County Fire and Rescue system, the region, the State, and the National Fire Service.
The process is going to take time. Although a tentative schedule has been established, the timeline is not set in stone. Things may progress sooner or may take longer than anticipated. At this time, the tentative schedule is as follows:
Draft report – 30 to 45 days
Interim report – 45 to 60 days
Final report – 60 to 90 days
Historic Boston lobster company burns in 7-alarm fire
7-alarms overnight in Boston as the James Hook and Company burned. The fire in the landmark wholesale and retail food business was reported around 3:30 AM. There have been a number of collapses, including the rear of the structure falling into the harbor. No injuries have been reported.
Raw helicopter video at daylight from WCVB-TV
It has been busy in the Boston area. Yesterday afternoon 4-alarms were needed in Peabody, MA to try and get a handle on a fire running the roof of a large apartment building. FireGeezer has been on top of that one.
"This is really a nothing call. That's why I did it. I mean, it'd have been different if it was a box alarm or, you know, baby chokin' or something."
The story from Austin, Texas was bad enough for Lt. Michael Pooler. Fired for putting his food order ahead of an emergency call, IAFF Local 975 Secretary Palmer Buck said that Pooler would appeal his firing.
But now these statements, reported to be made by Pooler to investigators, put a different light on the case. Note that the statements were made, not in the heat of the situation, but three-months after the incident occurred. Here are excerpts from the latest article on statesman.com:
An Austin firefighter fired after he delayed a response for two minutes while making a food run told investigators that he did so because he thought, "This is really a nothing call," according to documents obtained today.
"That's why I did it," Lt. Michael Pooler told investigators. "I mean, it'd have been different if it was a box alarm (structure fire call) or, you know, baby chokin' or something."
Officials with the fire department's professional standards office interviewed Pooler in March, three months after the Jan. 4 call for a 77-year-old patient in respiratory distress at Austin Regional Clinic near Far West Boulevard.
Acting Fire Chief Jim Evans fired Pooler on Friday, saying that his actions demonstrated "a shocking neglect of duty."
According to transcripts of the interview, Pooler told investigators that he had never before delayed calls by ordering food. Documents show he ordered breakfast at the Burger House, which is next door to the Northwest Austin fire station on Spicewood Springs Road where he worked.
He also said that he "was hurrying" back to the fire engine.
Another firefighter told investigators that three other firefighters "were sitting there waiting" in the fire engine and that dispatchers tried to check their status at least once.
Inflation problem in Louisiana
In River Ridge, the fire chief has been suspended after it was determined his son had apparently been writing some fiction in official reports. Eric Kramer is the treasurer who is facing allegations that he inflated the number of firefighters responding on calls. Two weeks after that story surfaced Chief Steve Kramer has been relieved of duty. Click here for the details.
MD apartment fire
Raw video of an apartment fire in Frederick County, MD late Wednesday night is available from the Frederick News Post.
Click here to see the fire on Waverly Drive
Fundraiser for DC Firefighter's Burn Foundation
Talking to some firefighters from Loudoun County this week, once again, I heard nothing but praise over how the DC Firefighter's Burn Foundation has reached out to the firefighters who were burned Sunday and their families.
It's the same story I heard from Montgomery County when three firefighter wound up in the MedStar Burn Unit at the Washington Hospital Center. It is also what I saw up close with my own eyes when four DC firefighters were injured last October.
So, with that in mind, let me tell you about one of my colleagues at the TV station, Yvette Hess . Yvette is embarking on a journey, and in the process, is raising money for the DC Firefighter's Burn Foundation. Click here to read more.
I am very slow in getting this one out, so please, if you are so inclined, respond promptly (otherwise Yvette is going to kick my butt). Click here to make a donation.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Chopper crash; Capt. lives in jail; Injured cop backs FF; Topless again; PGFD volunteers fight cuts; NJ chief arrested; Burn Foundation fundraiser
(Updated at 1:15 PM)
From the STATter 911 Archives: The Washington Post front Metro section front page on April 24, 1978. Scroll to the bottom of today's entry to read about this group of Fairfax County firefighters who were a self-described pain in the side of management.
Helicopter crash at MI hospital
From Grand Rapids, MI a helicopter crashed and burned on the roof top landing pad of Spectrum hospital. Reports are the tail hit a radio tower. WZZM-TV reports the pilot and passenger survived with minor injury.
The station has one of its remote cameras on the hospital roof top. It was knocked onto its side and didn't catch the crash, but provides a close-up of the smoke.
Click here for live coverage on wusa9.com.
Fundraiser for DC Firefighter's Burn Foundation
One of my colleagues at the TV station, Yvette Hess (get the picture now), is embarking on a journey, and in the process, is raising money for the DC Firefighter's Burn Foundation. Click here to read more.
I am very slow in getting this one out, so please, if you are so inclined, respond promptly (otherwise Yvette is going to kick my butt). Click here to make a donation.
Cardiac arrest survival rates in the Nation's Capital are a problem
"It's a clear indicator that the system in the District is not performing up to the [de facto national] standard of care."
"If you improve cardiac arrest survival rates," then the EMS system will have been improved.
Those are the words of Gregg C. Lord, associate director of the National Emergency Medical Services Preparedness Initiative at George Washington University from a front-page story in today's Washington Post.
Here are a few more excerpts from Elissa Silverman's article:
Only one in eight cardiac arrest patients transported by District ambulances make it to an emergency room with a pulse. Across the river in Arlington County and Alexandria, the rate is twice as high.
Michael Williams, chief medical officer for D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services, said that the District's rate is "too low" and that he has plans to boost the numbers, including training all D.C. government workers in CPR. But he said those plans are contingent on his department receiving supplemental funding. That money, which was approved by the D.C. Council this month but has not been disbursed, is also needed to address other shortcomings in the District's approach to emergency care.
NJ fire captain's home is a jail cell
When not working for the Paterson, NJ Fire Department, Captain Thomas Alala spends much of his off-duty time in jail in Pennsylvania. Here are excerpts from Newsday.com:
The 42-year-old Alala, who helped pull Sept. 11 victims out of the ruins of the World Trade Center, has been convicted of drunken driving three times.
The last conviction came after he crashed his motorcycle near Bethlehem, Pa., two years ago. Last month, he was sentenced to a year in prison but given 72 hours off every week so he keep working 24-hour shifts at the fire house some 70 miles away.
But acting Fire Director Glenn Brown says Alala never told the department about his conviction.
Brown says he could be disciplined, or fired, for that
And across the pond, a somewhat similar story
In this case, a police sergeant is trying to help a fire crew chief keep his job, despite the cop having to be hospitalized following a brawl with the drunken firefighter. Excerpts from an article on NEWS.scotsman.com:
Michael Goodman, who is the crew chief at Crewe Toll Fire Station in Edinburgh, faced the sack after admitting struggling violently with four police officers following a day's drinking at a rugby tournament. The 37-year-old was given 100 hours community service at Selkirk Sheriff Court earlier this month.
Passing sentence on Goodman, Sheriff Kevin Drummond said he hoped the police officer's generous response which was made public by the procurator fiscal would be taken into account by his bosses.
Goodman attended a disciplinary meeting of Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service in Edinburgh on Tuesday.
A spokeswoman said: "He's still employed with us at the moment and an inquiry is going on to discover what actually happened on the night in question."
I am not sure the officer will be speaking on this chief's behalf
And now comes the story from Memorial Day of a New Jersey fire chief arrested after a confrontation with a police corporal during a fire call. The officer didn't like how Penns Grove Chief Joseph Grasso was interacting with residents of a senior citizen high-rise during an alarm bells call.
Council member wants to reverse Charleston chief's parting promotions & transfers
Some are suspiscious that promotions and transfers a month before he leaves, is a way for Chief Rusty Thomas to reward supporters and punish others. Excerpts from the Post & Courier:
A member of Charleston City Council plans to call an emergency meeting in an attempt to rescind a flurry of last-minute promotions and transfers made Wednesday by Fire Chief Rusty Thomas in his waning days in office.
The Rev. Jimmy Gallant, chairman of council's Public Safety Committee, said Thomas had no business messing with the Fire Department's pecking order and assignments so close to his planned June 27 departure.
Thomas promoted 16 firefighters, including three captains who rose to the rank of battalion chief.
Six engineers were promoted to captains, and seven men became engineers. A number of transfers also are planned, though city officials said a final list was still in the works late Wednesday.
Mayor Joe Riley and other city officials said the promotions process was fair and professional. The personnel changes had been in the works for several months and were needed to fill key vacancies and keep the Fire Department running until a new fire chief is hired, Riley said. City officials acknowledged that the new chief could reverse these moves, so the promotions were made on a one-year, probationary basis.
Gallant said such important decisions should have been left to the incoming chief, and that doing them now reeks of retribution. "It looks like (Thomas) is getting even. That is dead wrong. It is totally out of order."
Going topless, once again, in Durham
You may recall from last week a truck that didn't make it under the Gregson Street railroad overpass in Durham, NC. That happened on May 19.
The one above occurred on May 24. And if you click here you can see one from April 14.
The same thing has happened more than 30 times since 2000. As this video shows, and I didn't see last time, there are warning lights and a sign. But obviously that just isn't working.
What was Albert Einstein's famous definition of insanity? Oh yes, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
That said, I am sure no matter how many bells, lights and whistles they put out there, some idiot will miss them.
"Chief in training" hopes to shape up Colorado department
David Anderson doesn't have much experience in being a chief. But he admits, at the moment, the Gateway Fire Department isn't much of a fire department. More from the Grand Junction Sentinel:
The Gateway Fire Department’s bunker gear and breathing apparatus are hand-me-downs from fire departments across the state.
One of the department’s fire engines lacks brakes and can not be driven safely to a shop for repair. Two others, a 500-gallon pumper truck and a well-worn brush truck, are machines used up and cast off by the Grand Junction Fire Department.
During a recent response to a vehicle crash along Colorado Highway 141, the only access road to the community of Gateway and the Gateway Canyons Resort, Fire Chief David Anderson had no other tools at his disposal than an old tire iron to pry out the trapped driver.
The department is staffed by a band of eight active volunteers with minimal skills. Last week, the troop had its first structure-fire training.
“Truthfully, at night if we were to have a structure fire, I don’t even know who would show up,” Anderson said.
A former employee of LifeCare Ambulance, the 50-year-old Anderson describes himself as a “fire chief in training.”
The department averages four and a half calls a month and is in need of rebuilding from the ground up.
“When I first got here, I scrounged parts off everything to put one good truck together,” he said while giving a tour of the department’s one station, which shares space with Gateway’s post office, community center and public library.
Mini-pumpers have volunteers taking issue to the max
As we reported earlier this month, volunteer firefighters in Prince George's County are in a big battle over some small fire engines. County Chief Lawrence Sedgwick told them the county will no longer maintain and provide fuel and insurance for mini-pumpers and some other vehicles.
In a meeting Tuesday night, the volunteers voted to ignore Chief Sedgwick's cost-cutting moves (as we previously reported some other cost-saving methods were dropped after protests by the volunteers and the municipal governments in the county).
According to sources we talked to yesterday, while the plan is to run the mini-pumpers anyway, using money controlled by the county fire commission, it is tempered by concerns that they avoid operational suspensions that could come for defying Chief Sedgwick's orders.
left">Here is more in excerpts from gazette.net:
‘‘We want to bring this to a head and take it to the county executive,” Donald Strine, president of the county’s fire commission, which oversees volunteer firefighters, told volunteers who voted Tuesday to ignore the plans.
Volunteers did not cite any specific risks posed by the loss of so-called mini-pumpers, which they say require less manpower and can be more efficient.
Fire service spokesman Mark E. Brady said the matter is under review and involves ‘‘policy that will be handled ‘internally’ and not played out in a public forum.”
Smaller pumper trucks were mothballed at stations in Accokeek, Bunker Hill, Kentland, Ritchie and West Lanham Hills, though each has larger fire engines in service.
Brady could not provide figures on fuel-cost savings.
Strine plans to discuss the matter with county officials at a meeting scheduled for today.
‘‘I’m confident that after this meeting, we will resolve some of these issues,” said Vernon Herron, deputy chief administrative officer for public safety.
‘‘The chief would not issue an order that would impact public safety,” Herron said. ‘‘Our volunteers provide a very valuable service, just as our paid members do.”
By the way, when we reported this on May 5, we told you about the strong public protest by the Accokeek VFD (PGFD Station 824) on its website. The station was concerned because of its need for the mini-pumper at a large area of federal property along the Potomac River with narrow access. What we failed to notice is the county's response a few days later that acknowledges these special circumstances and seems to have addressed part of Accokeek's issue. ory.php?65
396">Click here for more.Find out how many calls are run by mini-pumpers in PGFD annual report .com/news/columnist/blogs/uploaded_images/PGFD-Annual-report-783046.jpg">
You know, on STATter 911 I have talked about the Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department in at least 213 different entries over the last year. You would think I would even get one mention in the department's 2007 Annual Report.
While I haven't had a chance to look closely at the content, it's a pretty slick looking, eye-catching product, designed by Jeff Callaway. If they won't mention me in their report, maybe they will let be borrow Jeff for a redesign of STATter 911.
One of the things you will find in the report are run statistics for 2007.
By the way, I do have a 1977 PGFD Annual Report that I will someday soon get around to scanning.
In the meantime, click here to see the latest effort.
If my ciphering is correct, there were 4018 responses by mini-pumpers last year. Accokeek had the least with 88 and, of course, Kentland (PGFD Station 833) had the most with 3255.
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It may be almost heaven, but it has the same problem recruiting volunteer firefighters as you will find most everywhere else. Click here to read the concerns of the West Virginia State Fire Marshal.
Airport fire and EMS in the Czech Repulic
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This video shows off airport fire and EMS equipment in Prague.
STATter 911 Archives: A look back at staffing issues in Fairfax County 30-years-ago
You may recall last November we took a look back at labor issues in Fairfax County in 1978 that centered around staffing and training. The headline read "The members of this organization are totally fed up".
Now, we have found this April 24, 1978 article written by Jody Beck that is a companion piece involving many of the same players from the 1978 TV stories.
Double click the images for a larger size and click here to watch the videos from May 9 and August 10, 1978.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Trains collide in MA; To-go meal costs FF his job; Raided firehouse voted out; Plywood plant fire spreads; STATter 911 Archives quiz
(Updated at 7:28 PM)
A STATter 911 Archives quiz: Who are these men and why aren't they smiling? For the answer, scroll to the bottom of this entry.
Breaking news: Commuter trains collide in MA
The top one is from NECN. Click to play. At the bottom is a WHDH-TV imageIt's a bad day for Green Lines. First, there was a derailment this morning on the CTA Green Line in Chicago (scroll down).
Now, from Newton, MA, two commuter trains have collided on the MBTA Green Line. At 7:30 PM, looking at a live feed from my desk at WBZ-TV's helicopter shots, it appears there is still extrication going on at the head end of one of the trains. The crash apparently occurred just before 6:00 PM.
One train ran into the rear of another. They were both west bound, heading away from Boston. There has been at least one person flown on a medevac helicopter.
Watch live chopper from WFXT-TV
Click here for WBZ-TV's coverage
Excerpts below from Boston.com:
A trolley car on the D branch of the Green Line smashed into another car from behind this afternoon, injuring multiple people. The operator of one the trolleys is still trapped, the MBTA said.
The operator's injuries "appear to be very serious,” said Joe Pesaturo, spokesman for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
Pesaturo said one two-car trolley rear-ended the second as both headed westbound, away from Boston.
The collision occurred on the way into the Woodland station. The trolley that was rear-ended was just emerging from a scheduled stop-light when it was hit from behind, he said. The operator who was trapped was the one in the train in the rear, Pesaturo said.
Because it was during rush hour, just before 6 p.m., passenger volume was heavy, he said.
Aerial pictures of the scene shown by local TV stations showed smashed trolley cars, rescue vehicles clustering at the scene, Medflight helicopters landing on a nearby golf course, and injured people being placed on stretchers.
Loudoun update
The only new information from Loudoun County officials is the firefighter still in the burn unit remains in serious, but stable condition.
Click here to see our previous coverage of Sunday's fire.
CTA derailment with injuries
There are reports of 24 people injured when a Chicago Transit Authority train derail this morning on the Green Line. The injuries are reported to be minor.
Lieutenant out to lunch is now out of a job
When every second counts, two-minutes can be a long time. That's how long Austin, Texas officials say the delay was when Lieutenant Michael Pooler picked up his food from a restaurant on January 4 instead of immediately responding to a woman suffering respiratory distress at a local clinic. Here are excerpts from an article at statesman.com:
Before jumping onto an Austin firetruck and rushing to a woman in respiratory distress earlier this year, officials say, firefighter Michael Pooler decided to make a quick stop.
He went to the Burger House next door.
The food run delayed the Austin Fire Department's response to the call by two minutes and led acting Fire Chief Jim Evans to fire Pooler.
Evans said in a disciplinary memo released Tuesday that Pooler demonstrated "a shocking neglect of duty" in the Jan. 4 incident.
"Immediate response to 911 calls is the very essence of what it means to be an Austin firefighter. ... Because of his selfish and highly unprofessional actions, he has no right to remain an Austin firefighter," the memo said.
Fire Department spokeswoman Michelle DeCrane said paramedics from Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services reached the patient before firefighters and canceled the firefighter response.
The patient's condition is not known.
DeCrane said the 911 call originated from an Austin Regional Clinic near Far West Boulevard and MoPac Boulevard (Loop 1). In an audio recording of the call, a clinic employee told a dispatcher that the patient was a 77-year-old woman who was having difficulty talking and breathing at the same time.
Pooler, a 12-year veteran of the Fire Department, declined through a union representative to comment on the firing, which happened after a hearing Friday. He does not have an attorney, said Palmer Buck, secretary for the Austin Association of Professional Firefighters.
Buck said Pooler plans to appeal the firing.
Raided PA fire company voted out
The latest on the Colwyn Fire Department, whose riding members walked out after the social club side was raided by state officials. Tuesday night, the Colwyn Boro Council voted to get rid of its own fire department. The department has been around for 105 years.
Click here to read the story and watch video of the tense meeting.
Another version of the story is here.
The great escape
A family in California's Santa Cruz Mountains decides it's time to go. While it's easy to be judgmental, sitting in safety on the other side of the country, it appears this family really doesn't have a clue. Here, we tell people to have an escape plan from your house. There, they need an escape plan from the community. The young boy seems to have it most together, urging his parents to quit fooling around and just leave.
FireGeezer has been following the fires.
Worst fires ever in Prince George, B.C. and a close call for FFs
Click here for Vancouver Sun article
Click here for video of still images
A fire in a plywood plant Monday evening sent embers that burned at least two other buildings in Prince George, B.C. There was also a close call for firefighters who made the initial attack. Excerpts from the Prince George Citizen:
Prince George Fire Chief Jeff Rowland said conditions were just right for the largest fire in Prince George history at Canfor's North Central Plywoods mill in the BCR Site.
"It's a huge building and there's a lot of sawdust, and it's just right for a fire to take off," Rowland said Tuesday. "We thought we had the fire controlled. I was in the building about a minute before it took off. It was clear, we knew where the fire was, and the guys that were on the roof said a minute later the fire rolled out both ends of the building. In two minutes we had to get nine people off that roof.
"Captain Mark Hill, noting the roof was comprised of different layers of various materials, said the situation was "a bit scary," both for the Canfor employees who started fighting the fire, and for the 16 Prince George firefighters in attendance.
Hill and the crew thought they contained the blaze after cutting a trench in the roof, a procedure he said stops fires nine times out of 10. This time, however, the flames got behind them. "As the roof fell in in front of us it also started to fall in behind us," said Hill, who likened the noise to a "jet engine taking off."
We lost some gear, we just dropped everything and ran. The assistant chief was the last guy, I was the second last guy. We made sure everybody was off and safe. We were lucky we had an escape route.
"The 16-year firefighting veteran credits the crew for working hard, long hours. "It's what we train for. I know it's (matter of life and death) probably in the back of the mind of every firefighter. It's just one of those things you really don't have time to think about. You make sure what you've trained for all these years is put into practice and you make sure everybody goes home safe at the end of the day.
City clean-up crew does the job and lets the FFs clean-up
That isn't your standard issue fire hose. And these Tampa employees aren't members of the fire department. They are part of the Clean City Department.
The two were driving around in their 2500-gallon tanker and heard a woman screaming on Tuesday morning. She was screaming because the Alamo Hotel was on fire. The men grabbed the line and went to work. They are credited with keeping the fire from spreading through the single-story building.
The answer to the STATter 911 Archives quiz
The answer as to why those men weren't smiling is that they had been offered jobs with the Prince George's County Fire Department and then were told never mind. The article is from January 26, 1978. It is interesting reading.
The problem was the racial make-up of the class. Twenty-two white males in a county that was then 25% black. In the end, they got their jobs.
The good news is that Prince George's County learned its lesson and never again made the mistake of offering jobs to a class of recruits and then rescinding the offers. In fact, if you read this article by Eugene L. Meyer, you will see that County Executive Winfield Kelly said, "This will never happen again in Prince George's County". Wrong!
Well, at least they waited 22-years before another county executive gave a similar order. At that point, if my memory is correct, one of the members of the 1978 class had become fire chief.
To read more about the 2000-2001 case, click here and here. In each, you will have to scroll down to the article heading Fire Department. They are in alphabetical order.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Loudoun - only 1 still in hospital; Engine burns during pump test; Donna goes bye-bye; Vandals hit IAFF Memorial in CO; Fatal VA crash
(Updated at 5:00 PM)
Picture of the day: Actually from quite a few days ago (May 19). A Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority engine burns during a pump test. Click here for a series of pictures and the details.
Loudoun update
As of 4:30 PM, Loudoun County Fire, Rescue & Emergency Management spokesperson Mary Maguire says only one firefighter remains hospitalized. That firefighter is in serious, but stable condition with "significant burns" at the MedStar Burn Unit at the Washington Hospital Center.
If you missed it yesterday, we have the first, detailed official accounting of what happened, along with the cause of the fire and more on the construction of the home. Click here to see it.
Loudoun County has so far decided against releasing the names or photographs of the injured firefighters. The only station assignment they have listed are for the two volunteers (Sterling VFC and Loudoun Rescue). IAFF Local 3756 reported the four career firefighters hurt were operating on Tower 606 and Reserve Engine 6.
Donna returns .... actually he leaves
Remember Frederick Cross, AKA Donna Clark, the self-appointed chief of one of the stranger fire departments you are ever likely to encounter. Well Bill Schumm does.
Bill has been on Donna's trail since last year. That trail seems to now have Donna riding off into the sunset and away from Seligman, AZ. FireGeezer has stories on Donna's departure and on a fire engine with a hell of a story to tell, now for sale on eBay.
Memorial in CO vandalized
About $10,000 damage was done by vandals to the IAFF Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial in Colorado Springs. The images are from KOAA.com. Above, a memorial plaque had to be removed after someone attempted to pry it from the wall. Below, one of a number of lights that had been smashed.
Click here to watch the story.
VA fire engine crash kills two
Two people in a pick-truck were killed in a collision with a fire engine in Botetourt County on Monday. The image above is from WSLS.com. FireGeezer is on top of this one.
Other links:
Where's the fire?
No location where this one occurred. Here's the caption:
Police Cruiser hits deer at high speed on way to fire. Police dash cam:The fire department had received a call about a possible structure fire. The police Sgt. was on his way to assist them.The fire did not lead to any fatalities, however, the Dodge Charger did. This video was taken from the dash cam in the Police Charger.
Lawrence burning
A house fire early Monday morning in Lawrence, MA. Click the image above to watch the story. There were collapse and hydrant issues.
House fire in Detroit
This is another Steve Redick production. From May 18 at Seneca and Edsel Ford Service Drive.
Old video of the day
This is an Unsolved Mysteries look at the November 29, 1988 blast that killed six Kansas City, MO firefighters handling an overnight blaze at a construction site. This originally aired in 1996 and new leads brought indictments in 1997. Here is an article about the case.
Last September FireGeezer wrote about this tragedy and fighting fires involving explosives after an ANFO blast in Mexico.
From the STATter 911 Archives
This is the reverse of the July 1, 1971 recruitment flier listing the requirements and qualifications necessary to become a fireman in Baltimore City. Double click it to enlarge. The flier clearly says the test is open only to men between 18 and 30. I also have a notice from Baltimore County from about the same time period. It shows the starting salary as $414 less in the county, but you can apply up until age 35. The city required you to live within 30-road miles of the city limits. The county allowed "any reasonable distance that will permit the member to report for duty at the designated report time".
Airport fire engine burns. MWAA pumper had already been scheduled for replacement.
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) Engine 327 had a bad day on May 19. It was undergoing a pump test behind Fairfax County Station 415 (Chantilly) when it failed spectacularly. But it wasn't the pump that failed.
The rig is a 1990 Pierce Arrow that was stationed at Reagan National Airport. Sources familiar with the fire say it began due to a break in a high pressure transmission fluid line. The fluid then sprayed on the engine or exhaust and ignited.
The sources say fire extinguishers were originally put on the fire, but the crew from Engine 415 had to gear up and pull a line to put it out.
MWAA Fire Chief Gary Mesaris tells STATter 911 that the incident is "Unfortunate, but that a replacement for the fire engine had already been on order".
Monday, May 26, 2008
Cause & sequence of events listed in VA fire that hurt 6; Kentland on the little screen; Arlington in print; NJ coin laundry burns
(Updated at 8:30 PM)
Video of the day: A coin laundry on fire at 2:50 this morning in South Bound Brook, NJ
Six firefighters hurt in Loudoun County fire. Two remain at burn unit. Cause of fire, sequence of events, and construction details have been released. Press release provides hospital status on all and details on volunteers hurt.
For more pictures, video, copy of press release and other details, click here
Smoking materials left on the back deck caused Sunday's fire in Loudoun County, VA that injured six firefighters.
Chief Fire Marshal Keith Brower says the best information on the sequence of events is that the fire rapidly expanded as crews were working on the second floor. Brower tells STATter 911 there was possibly a flashover, followed by a mayday call. It appears, at this point, the roof collapsed after the firefighters got out.
Click the link above for more details from Keith Brower, including confirmation of details on the home's construction.
Two firefighters remain at the MedStar Burn Unit of the Washington Hospital Center. All other firefighters are out of the hospital.
A press release issued just short of 24-hours after the incident occurred, confirms that all four of the firefighters who spent Sunday night in the hospital are career firefighters. There is no information as to their assignments (IAFF Local 3756 reports two from Tower 606 and two from Reserve Engine 6).
The release does say that a volunteer firefighter from Sterling VFC was the one treated and released yesterday. Also, a volunteer from Loudoun Rescue was the person treated at the scene.
At 10:30 this morning, my conversation with the spokesperson for Loudoun County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management indicates that they will not be releasing the identities of the firefighters, the companies they were assigned to, or any specifics about injuries. Again, it wasn't until 9:00 Sunday night that we were able to get them to confirm there were firefighters in the burn unit.
From sources familiar with the conditions of the firefighters, while there are significant burn injuries to the firefighter seen exiting the second floor in flames (the one in serious condition), there are a lot of indications the PPE did its job and the injuries are somewhat less than initially thought.
Here is a bit of a chilling statistic. In less than seven-months, there have been at least ten firefighters from the Washington area sent to the Medstar Burn Unit with significant injuries. While I know Dr. Jordan and Dr. Jeng like to describe their unit as a mom and pop operation, I have complete confidence they will be able to make their house payments without the additional business from firefighters. Please keep safe.
We should also note it was on the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend in 1999 that DC Firefighters Louis Matthews and Anthony Phillips were killed at 3146 Cherry Road, NE. That fire almost killed Firefighter Joe Morgan. It was following Joe's story that I first got to meet some of the wonderful staff working at the Medstar Burn Unit.
Friday is the 9th anniversary of that tragic fire. Here is the link to the executive summary of the reconstruction report from Cherry Road.
Also, it turns out the person who took the video of the Loudoun County fire is an old acquaintance of mine. Tony Gil is a jazz singer. His 7-year-old daughter Annabelle had the quote of the day:
I really feel sad for them. I never seen firefighter be injured before. I always think they'd be okay.
Kentland: The trailer
No, not the kind of trailer they once talked about using to house the career EMS crew. This one is like the trailer you see in the movie theater. You know, the coming attractions.
Yes, Kentland is coming to a little screen near you. Later this year it will be part of the series The Battalion that you can view on the web.
I can only guess that the producers figured out what I quickly figured out after launching STATter 911. If you mention Kentland it attracts eyeballs. The eyeballs of those who love them and those hate them. There are a lot on both sides
Kentland VFD reports it is celebrating 13 years as an all-volunteer organization today.
I am curious how the crew from The Battalion got around the new Prince George's County ride-along rules that came out of the burning incident at Riverdale (PGFD Station 807) to spend the time necessary to shoot the webisodes.
Pentagon book is featured
This new book on the 9-11 firefighting efforts at the Pentagon is being featured by Michael Doyle of McClatchy Newspapers. Click here to read his article and see a video that includes radio communications and interviews with Arlington County firefighters. Here's how the article begins:
Remember the Pentagon.
It burned, too, dismembered by the same terrorists who brought down the twin towers of New York's World Trade Center. Circumstances, though, have rendered the Pentagon a Sept. 11 afterthought. It's the place that survived.
At the World Trade Center, 343 New York City firefighters died. At the Pentagon, every firefighter returned home. But not all came back safe and sound. The Arlington County Fire Department subsequently lost 9 percent of its force to health-related retirements.
But still.
The FDNY battalions marched into the World Trade Center and were entombed there. The Arlington crews subdued a different beast, smaller but still lethal, and in their victory they've remained largely anonymous.
Until now.
Six years on, the Arlington firefighters and their compatriots are getting the accounting they deserve.
In "Firefight: Inside the Battle to Save the Pentagon on 9/11," authors Patrick Creed and Rick Newman detail what happen- ed after American Airlines Flight 77 flew into the nation's military command center at 530 mph, killing 189 people, including the 64 people aboard the jet.
Fire prevention in Singapore
An interesting lesson on fire safety at the work place.Six FFs hurt in Virginia house fire. Two remain in burn unit. Cause of fire & sequence of events released.
(Click here for more fire & EMS news from STATter 911)
This picture and the others on this page are from neighbor Diana Stumm
Above is the early morning 9NEWS NOW report by Scott Broom. Click here for the 11:00 PM report from Brittany Morehouse.
Wednesday, June 4
While the Loudoun County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management has not officially identified any of its firefighters injured on May 25, the most seriously injured has been named as part of fundraising efforts.Firefighter John Earley is a career firefighter and is also a member of the Leesburg VFC. Leesburg Chief Ian Buchanan has asked STATter 911 to help get the word out about the John Earley Relief Fund. It is an effort to help FF Earley and his family during the long recovery that's ahead.
Checks can be mailed to:
The John Earley Relief Fund
c/o Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company
P.O. Box 23
Leesburg, VA 20178
If you go to the Leesburgfire.org you will find a way to pay by credit card.
On the site you will find details about a June 28 dance where the proceeds will go to the fund.
Also, there is a June 21 blood drive at Station 1 from 9:00 AM until 2:00 PM.
4:30 PM, Tuesday
Only one firefighter remains hospitalized at the MedStar Burn Unit of the Washington Hospital Center. The remaining firefighter is the one who suffered significant burns and at last word was in serious, but stable condition.
8:00 PM
Only two firefighters remain in the hospital. The firefighter who was at Lansdowne and one of the three firefighters at the burn unit have been allowed to go home.
One of the remaining firefighters at the burn unit is in serious, but stable condition with significant burns. The other is listed in stable condition.
Excerpts from a press release issued just before 5:00 PM:
“The road ahead is going to be challenging for our firefighters,” stated Loudoun County Fire-Rescue Chief Joseph Pozzo. “On behalf of the Loudoun County Fire-Rescue system, we wish to thank all who have extended their support and well wishes. Something of this magnitude has a far reaching impact on all of us within fire-rescue. It is comforting and reassuring to know that there are many out there who are standing by us during this time.”
Around 1:00 PM, Sunday, May 25, 2008, Loudoun County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management received a 9-1-1 call for a structure fire in the 43000 Block of Meadowood Court in Leesburg.
Fire and rescue personnel arrived on the scene to find heavy fire coming from the attic of the two-story single-family home and the fire was quickly spreading. Firefighters went to work to quickly to perform a search of the home and to initiate fire attack. However, with the fire spreading and conditions deteriorating rapidly, the firefighters were forced to escape from the home through a second-story window. In the process of escaping, four firefighters were injured.
The rest of the release has information from the previous release that you will find below, including the address for the DC Firefighter's Burn Foundation.
3:30 PM:
According to Loudoun County Fire Marshal Keith Brower, Sunday's fire that injured six firefighters was accidental. Brower said Monday afternoon it was caused by smoking materials left on the back deck.
According to Brower, once the wooded deck began to burn it spread "upward and inward". Damage to the home is estimated at $600,000.
Brower tells STATter 911 they are still working on the exact sequence of events leading to the firefighters being injured. At this point, Brower says the best information is that there was a sudden increase in the fire, possibly a flashover. The firefighters called a mayday and rapidly exited the home. It appears after they were out, the roof collapsed.
Brower confirms our earlier report the roof structure was a lightweight truss with gusset plates and the floors were help up by dimensional lumber (possibly 2 X 10s or 2 X 12s).
Brower believes the more substantial floor assembly may have prevented a more serious problem for the firefighters. He says, with no second floor collapse, it also made investigator's jobs easier in searching for the cause.
2:15 PM:
A press release was issued this afternoon by Loudoun County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management with an update on the conditions of the firefighters. As warned by the department's spokesperson earlier in the day, the identities of the firefighters are not being officialy released, nor are the station assignments (the release does say where two injured volunteers are members). Here is a copy of the release:
Press Release
3 Firefighters Injured in Two-Alarm Fire Remain in Hospital
Three of the four career members of the Loudoun County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management who were hospitalized yesterday due to injuries sustained during a two-alarm fire on Meadowood Court, Sunday May 25 remain at the Washington Hospital Center Burn Center at this time.
One of the firefighters is listed in serious, but stable condition and the other two are listed in stable condition. The fourth firefighter is scheduled to be released from Lansdowne Campus of Inova Loudoun Hospital Center today.
The fifth firefighter, who was treated and released from the hospital yesterday, is a volunteer member of the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company. The sixth firefighter, who was checked out at the scene yesterday, is a volunteer member of Loudoun Rescue.
The cause of the fire, which resulted in extensive damage to the home, remains under investigation by the Loudoun County Fire Marshal’s Office.
Anyone interested in making a donation on behalf of the injured firefighters, may do so through the DC Firefighter Burn Foundation. Persons may make donations by check or through PayPal.
DC Firefighter's Burn Foundation
PO Box 71056
Washington, DC 20024
www.dcffburnfoundation.org
Previous coverage:
A house fire in Loudoun County, VA has injured six firefighters. Two of the firefighters were flown by helicopter to the MedStar Burn Unit at the Washington Hospital Center. A third was later taken by ground to the Burn Unit after initially being transported to Loudoun Hospital Center at Landsdowne. At 9:05 PM on Sunday, all three were reported in serious, but stable condition.
Two other firefighters with lesser injuries were also taken to the Landsdowne facility. One was being held overnight for observation. The other has been released.
Another firefighter was treated at the scene.
The injured are a mix of career and volunteer firefighters. Loudoun County officials did not release names of the firefighters, identify their companies, or provide any details on the injuries Sunday night. At 10:30 AM on Monday, Mary Maguire, a spokesperson for Loudoun County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management said this information was not likely to be released today.
It wasn't until about 8 hours after the incident occurred before Maguire could acknowledge the firefighters were being treated in the burn unit.
On its website, IAFF Local 3756 has a report from Secretary Nicole Hankin that two of the injured were on Tower 606 and the other two from Reserve Engine 6.
Mary Maguire said the house fire assignment was dispatched around 1:00 PM on Sunday to 43,238 Meadowood Court. The neighborhood is located east of the Town of Leesburg and north of Route 7.
Maguire said the first units went on the scene with fire in the attic and discovered a rapidly spreading fire on the second floor. No residents were home at the time of the fire.
Other than to say that the four who are currently hospitalized were all involved in interior firefighting when they were hurt and were forced to rapidly leave the structure, Loudoun County officials are declining to talk about what is known, so far, about the circumstances of the injuries.
The other two who were hurt were apparently injured later in the operation.
Sources familiar with the incident tell STATter 911 there was early word the roof came in as initial crews were operating on the second floor. Sources added on Monday that the exact timeline of when the roof collapsed is not yet clear. What is certain in all accounts is that conditions rapidly worsened forcing firefighters to retreat.
The most seriously injured firefighter was seen suddenly exiting a second floor window with flames all around him. Reports are his gear and facepiece suffered significant heat damage. According to sources the firefighter was able to talk with crews who treated him until the medevac helicopter arrived.
According to sources, the firefighter has significant burns, but the PPE seems to have worked well and the injuries are not quite as severe as originally thought.
Maguire did confirm while there was a mayday call, all firefighters made it out on their own and did not have to be rescued.
A second-alarm was dispatched.
While we initially reported the home is of lightweight construction, that is only partially correct. According to sources, the attic is a lightweight truss with gusset plates and failed pretty quickly. But the second floor is held up by solid beam, dimensional lumber.
The IAFF Local 3756 website has this statement from Chief Joseph Pozzo:
I ask that each of you keep our brothers and sisters in your thoughts and prayers during this time. This is going to be a long process for all of us and it is important that we work together to not only provide support to the families, but to support one another. We will provide updates on the events as they unfold through the Loudoun Career Firefighters Association website http://www.iaff3756.com/ and through the County's Email system. Updates will also be provided via the Tandberg System Monday, May 26 @ 9:00 AM. It is imperative that each of you stay focused on your own safety, too. Should you need any assistance, you may contact CISM at either 703-737-4110 or 703-777-0320.
Click here for more fire & EMS news from STATter 911
Sunday, May 25, 2008
New videos from IL & MI; Fire storm changes code; Dumpster fire & cuffs prompt probe; Fargo 911; Prom date arson; Video of IL EMT shooting
(Updated at 11:16 AM, Sunday. Scroll down for new videos)
From the STATter 911 Archives: This side shows you the benefits you received when you became a Baltimore City firefighter 37-years-ago. Next week we will show you the other side of the flier listing the requirements and qualifications for the job.
Programming note
Click here to learn about some changes to STATter 911. We are looking for your input.
Beltway baby: The interview
You may recall the must hear 911 call we posted from about two weeks ago of a baby being on the Capitol Beltway in Montgomery County, MD. It's the one where the father yells, "The baby is out" 25 times in about 35 seconds.
I thought it was among the best I have ever heard of a call taker taking control of an out of control situation. 9NEWS NOW has been trying to connect with Firefighter Matt Markett since it occurred and that has finally happened. The video above has the interview anchor Todd McDermott did with Markett.
Click here to see the interview
To hear the entire call, click here
Alberta makes building code changes in wake of fires
Following the fire storm last July in Edmonton there was an outcry over code issues that Fire Chief Randy Wolsey believes helped the fire spread to 100 new homes under construction. Well it appears someone was listening. One of the changes, putting drywall into exterior wall assemblies, was shown to be very effective in testing by NIST almost four years ago. (Click here for video of NIST testing. Click here for NIST fact sheet. There is also video of testing done in Canada, but I haven't been able to make it play.)
Here are excerpts from a Canwest News Service article on Canada.com:
The most talked-about change was the requirement that fire-resistant drywall be placed under vinyl sidings on homes within 1.2 metres of a property line, since the commonly used tar paper and wood-and-glue boards are potent fuel for flames.
But the homes in last July's blaze were actually spread farther apart.
Edmonton Fire Chief Randy Wolsey, who for years has pushed for quick reforms to building codes to better protect structures from fire, said other measures in Municipal Affairs Minister Ray Danyluk's wide-ranging reforms would have made a difference in last July's inferno.
"Could we have reduced that tragedy at MacEwan Green (in south Edmonton)? The answer is absolutely we could have, with better construction-site safety," the chief said.
Developers and builders will have to assure fire officials of safety measures such as security fences around large construction sites, and that fire blankets or other measures have been taken to cover highly flammable house frames when they're being built.
Guards or surveillance cameras will have to monitor sites at off-hours, something former MacEwan Green resident Michael Hogan said might have saved his family's home from Edmonton's worst-ever residential arson, which began at an unfinished condo site.
"Nobody was there to raise (an) alarm until it was too late," Hogan said Friday, as he surveyed the construction of his replacement home at MacEwan Green.
Danyluk had suggested in July that Alberta would continue following the process of national building-code changes, which might not have been announced until 2010 and been in place until two or five years later.
The province, by doing it on its own, should be under the new codes early next year.
The rules will not affect existing homes, nor ones under construction.
Houses built near the property line will also be barred from having fully vented eaves, and will have tighter limits on the spacing.
A firehouse drill for rookies sparks an internal probe in Arlington, VA
The way some people tell the story, setting a firehouse dumpster or other items on fire for training was something that was done back in the day by station captains. But doing just that has two station captains and a fire investigator in hot water in Arlington County. Add to the mix a pair of handcuffs and a mock arrest and you have the ingredients for an internal investigation.
Steve Redick's videos from IL & MI
As many of you know, Steve Redick is a senior fire alarm operator for the Chicago Fire Department. He is also pretty handy with a camera. You can click here to see his gallery of stills and video. Here are three recent videos Steve alerted me to.
The top two are from a recent trip into Michigan. The first is from last Sunday. A vacant home in Highland Park, north of Detroit. The second is in Detroit at Bagley and Vinewood last Saturday.
Below is a 2-11 at a Chicago restaurant on May 3. Thanks Steve. As always, if you double click, the videos will double in size.
Fargo 911: Director jumps after being pushed
Kathy Colvin was the only director the Red River Regional Dispatch Center has known. Now Colvin has resigned less than an hour after the center's board gave her a no-confidence vote and had her put on paid leave.
When it was built in 2002, the center was believed to be the only joint 911 center to cross state lines, covering the cities of Fargo, ND and Moorhead, MN, along with Cass County, ND and Clay County, MN. Now there are issues of slow dispatch times, low morale and a third of the positions going unfilled.
High School prom date is motive behind fire
Police in Trenton, NJ say a family of 10 is homeless because the ex-girlfriend on one of the children was jealous. From Newsday.com:
Shanta Dargbeh of Bristol Township, Pennsylvania, faces 10 felony charges including aggravated arson.
Trenton police spokesman Detective Captain Joseph Juniak say the 19-year-old became upset when she learned that one of Stanley and Teresa Johnson-Davis' eight children may have taken another date to last weekend's Trenton High School prom.
Nine people who were home when the early morning fire consumed the house fled through back windows and down a fire escape. Two were treated for smoke inhalation.
Ambulance officials want meeting after EMT is shot. Watch video of East St. Louis shooting.
Click here to watch latest story
Click here to watch raw video of shooting
From KSDK-TV:
Days after an emergency medical technician was shot on the job, his boss at Medstar Ambulance has called for stricter rules on safety.
On Friday, community leaders in the Metro East will gather at Medstar to discuss improvements. A barbecue had already been planned to commemorate national EMS week, but now they're turning that event into an emergency meeting on safety.
It all stems from a shooting Monday night as a Medstar crew was leaving a different shooting scene in Washington Park.
The victim of the Washington Park shooting was in the back. Lydia Cravens' partner was in the front. Police believe the gunmen had followed them.
"I knew that I wasn't shot, but all I could think about was Pat," said Cravens. "I kept yelling out to Pat, 'Pat are you ok? Are you ok? Talk to me, Pat are you ok?'"
EMT Patrick Bierman had been shot twice, once in the arm and once in the chest. He remains listed in fair condition at the hospital, but his boss at Medstar Ambulance said this incident has him concerned about his crews.
"We need to get with the police officers and the mayors and the fire chiefs. And we need to talk about safety issues," said Charles Kelley, President of Medstar.
"Who would have thought ten years ago that we'd be talking about someone shooting at an ambulance going down the street?" said Kelley.
He said rules about safety need to change, too. Medstar officials would like to see police escorts for ambulances when possible.
Getting the word out
Police and fire officials in Virginia came together Thursday to remind motorists to give some room to emergency vehicles stopped along the road. The best spokesman for the campaign is Virginia State Trooper Justin Mahalik. He is still recovering form injuries received when a suspected drunk driver hit his cruiser on May 1. The police car burst into flames. Despite serious neck injuries, Mahalik pulled himself out of the wreckage and then saved a passenger in the front seat.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Programming note. Statter gets a subtle makeover?
We are hoping to bring you a new look to STATter 911 in the next week or so. Most of the blogs at wusa9.com were switched over to the new format with the debut today (Friday) of the new wusa9.com. Being the prima donna that I am, I wanted to make sure my hair and make-up are just right before we go live. Actually I just like being a pain to our webmaster and want to ensure everything works the way it is supposed to.
As with any change, there are good things and bad things. The absolute best part about the new look is that it will finally get rid of the wrap-around ads that have made you use frame in the middle to see STATter 911. That has been the biggest complaint about this site (with the exception that I am either anti-volunteer or anti-career firefighters ... people please make up your minds).
The web gurus (notice I avoided the word geeks ... I think it's like calling an EMT an ambulance driver) tell me there will be easy ways to comment, upload pictures and video and all of the other things you expect from a web site.
There are a couple of things I am not crazy about. For my taste the headline is way too small, the link section doesn't have enough spaces and so far, I can't embed the nice new video player wusa9.com debuted today (scroll down to the Getting the word out story on today's entry on Blogger). I will still be able to embed YouTube videos, but so far, none from LiveLeak. I am sure all of those issues will be worked out in the coming weeks.
Before we switch over I want you to have a preview and hear your input. Click here to see what today's entry looks like in the new blog (really not that much different). I realize if y0u are currently looking at us with the frames you won't see much difference. If that's the case just copy and paste this unbelievably long link into your browser: http://www.wusa9.com/life/community/persona.aspx?U=6afdb8aa45b444389a4c83c18383b609&plckController=PersonaBlog&plckScript=personaScript&plckElementId=personaDest&plckPersonaPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3a6afdb8aa45b444389a4c83c18383b609Post%3a2f3c7276-4b60-49d0-a9fe-cdf5faf75d15&plckCommentSortOrder=TimeStampAscending&sid=sitelife.wusa9.com
Feel free to comment below or send me an email at dstatter@wusa9.com.
Right now I am not as much interested in design and color as I am in making it easier for you to use.
One thing I am thinking about, with the frames gone, is possibly making everything a separate entry (like my man the FireGeezer does) and just do an occasional news digest reminding you what's below (in addition to the recent entry list on the right side). Let me know your thoughts on that idea, too.
My ultimate goal is to make STATter 911 more of a web site and less of a blog.
Thanks for reading.
