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Bus fire: The only information with this one was that it happened in Canada.

Permanent time-out for chief of department that had a temporary one: More troubles for Florida's Minneola Fire Department. This was the fire department where the city manager ordered a time-out for firefighters and shut the place down for 48-hours so they could all learn to get along (read the report). Now the same city manager, Sam Oppelaar, has fired Chief David Dobrzykowski, saying the chief was insubordinate and didn't follow protocol. Apparently there have been a number of disputes between the two men with the most recent being an apparent unauthorized trip for the chief and two firefighters to take a look at a used fire truck in Tampa. Here's the story. Click here for a detailed story on the history between the chief and the city manager.

From worst to first? DC report says not yet: Two years ago the DC inspector general issued a scathing report about the treatment city fire and EMS crews provided to dying former New York Times reporter David Rosenbaum. Since then, the administration of Mayor Adrian Fenty and Chief Dennis Rubin has pointed to great progress in EMS after decades of neglect. According to the Examiner's Bill Myers (in an article we missed earlier in the week), the inspector general has taken another look at EMS and DC and doesn't like what he sees. Here's an excerpt from the article:

The D.C. inspector general reported in a recent audit, obtained by The Examiner, that the D.C. Fire and Emergency Management System, the city's main rescue service: Hasn't established anything like a quality "medical assurance" program to protect the health and welfare of District citizens; Still suffers from "excessive turnover in key management positions"; And still doesn't have enough staffers to coordinate rescue services for the city's some 600,000 some citizens.

The council chairman and the fire chief: For those who like fireworks, there is a pretty good chance you will see some today at a DC City Council hearing. We say that because the sparks seem to fly each time Committee on Public Safety and Judiciary Chairman Phil Mendelson questions DC Fire & EMS Chief Dennis Rubin. The two just don't seem to communicate without a great deal of tension in the air. We last saw it September 16 at a hearing on the city's water woes chaired by another council member. (Click here and start watching at about 2:01.) You may recall the heated confrontation during Mendelson's look at the Puerto Rico fire engine/ambulance give away. Phil Mendelson's hearing at 9:00 AM today is another look at the fire department's problems with water at the mansion fire on July 29.

Speaking of DC water problems: The Washington Post finally goes a little more in depth into the issues between the fire department and the DC Water & Sewer Authority (subject of the council hearings above). Read the article by Theola Labbe-DeBose and Allison Klein. It's a good re-cap with details from the September 16 hearing, but there is not much we haven't already told you about. Something important they did get that we couldn't put our hands on are more details about the list we first showed you in August of now 40 areas of concern in the city where the water supply may not be adequate. Click here.

Interesting to note during that September 16 hearing, Council member Jim Graham, for the first time, had some questions for the fire department and WASA about the 2007 report into the Adams Mill Road fire by consultant J. Gordon Routley. You may recall that we reported Routley was supposed to testify before Mr. Graham's committee and present his report on December 10, 2007. We still don't know for sure why Routley never appeared, and his report was never officially presented to the council. What may be most interesting. is that the best we can determine, no one on the council has ever publicly questioned Routley, Chief Rubin or WASA about this ominous statement in the report: "The condition of the water system infrastructure is highly questionable ... ".

PGFD in the news: The Gazette's Daniel Valentine takes a closer look at the recent upswing in volunteer applications being handled by Prince George's County. The article features an interview with the vice-chairman of the Prince George's County Fire Commission, Vince Harrison. Click here. We have been trying to interview Vince Harrison since July in an effort to get his version of an incident at PGFD's Station 821.

PGFD Tower 824 wrecks: Tower 824 from Accokeek was responding on a box alarm at 2600 Brinkley Road in Oxon Hill Wednesday night at 9:15 PM when the rig collided with the rear of a car. Spokesman Mark Brady says it happened on Indian Head Highway at The Mall. Brady says two firefighters went to the hospital for a check-up. No word on damage.

EMS crew runs over man they were coming to aid: In St. Petersburg, Florida, Rescue 5 responded to a report of a man bleeding about a block from the station. What the crew didn't know was the homeless man was lying on the ramp in front of the ambulance's bay door. Read the story.

One you will want to see: An Atlanta TV crew during a report on the aftermath of the flooding was in the middle of an interview on Wednesday when an explosion shook the neighborhood. A house nearby blew up. Click here to see the story.

More slinging in Boston: We told you about the claims that firefighters were behind the testing of an alarm system at Mayor Menino's campaign headquarters on election day. Now comes a complaint claiming that an on-duty fire captain was using a fire department vehicle to take senior citizens to the polls. So far no one seems to know if its true. Watch the report.

Arsonists caught on video: Virginia Beach fire investigators quickly publicized security camera video of two men who set a storage facility on fire. Watch the video and read details on yesterday's two-alarm fire.

The latest from Jericho, Arkansas: Firegeezer has the latest installment.

More on bee attack: EMS1.com has an in-depth look at the Africanized honey bee attack in Texas that we briefly mentioned. Firefighters and an ambulance crew were stung when they tried to help an 83-year-old man. Here's the story and a bee primer for first responders.

# posted by Dave Statter @ 12:30 AM