STATter 911

Click here and then scroll down for the latest fire and EMS news from STATter911.com

I wonder which fire restoration company they will hire?: In South St. Louis on Tuesday morning the building housing Gateway Cleaning & Restoration had a fire. The firm specializes in fire and flood cleanups. More details are here.

STATter911.com discovers some stations won't be staffed under new PGFD plan: STATter911.com spent time at PGFD's Station 841 in Calverton yesterday afternoon. We were there. Fire trucks and ambulances were there. But no firefighters. We watched as two ambulance calls within a half-mile of the station were handled by units that took eight or nine minutes to get to the neighborhood. This is a result of the new staffing plan that rotates out career firefighters from as many as six stations each day. Volunteers filled in at many of the stations, but not in Calverton where volunteer participation is limited. Click here to read and watch our story.

The volunteers of Boston are also staffing stations: Boston firefighters are refusing to follow orders and allow stations to be closed on a rotating basis. Off-duty firefighters staffed three stations that were part of yesterday's "brownout". Firegeezer has the story. Also, read more here.

Staffing lawsuit in Omaha: The firefighters are saying that having some engines operating with three is a violation of city codes and the union contract. Click here for details.

Update on Rhode Island LODD: It turns out Assistant Chief Allan “Pickles” LePage was found with a head wound in the bucket of the Kingston Fire Department's tower ladder about 20-feet in the air. There is thought that he hit his head on the sill of a station bay. He had been performing maintenance on the rig. Click here for more.

Tulsa using smaller trucks for medical calls: Video as the first two new trucks hit the street. Click here to read and watch the story.

Citizens say chief should go over failure to alert public to hazard: Controversy in California for City of Alameda Fire Chief David Kapler over the handling of a massive blaze three-months-ago at a vacant Army hospital. The issue is about what was and wasn't done after it was discovered the burning roof contained asbestos. Read the story.

Union says no to layoffs: In Cincinnati the union claims the city is still spending too much money, but at the same time wants firefighters to take furloughs. Read more.

Fire captain accused of torching his own car: It has been a common problem in this tough economy, but this time the person accused is a North Las Vegas captain. Click here.

Construction worker save woman: In Des Moines, Jason Oglesbee says he just happened to have the harness on when the crew he works with saw boaters in distress on Tuesday. They stepped into action trying to help the couple whose boat went over a dam on the Des Moines River. Oglesbee got the woman. The man she was with didn't make it. His body was found downstream by firefighters. Watch the story here and here. Read the story.

# posted by Dave Statter @ 1:21 AM