Thursday, October 15, 2009
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Quick takes
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Medic unit overturns in Baltimore: Michael "FirePix1075" Schwartzberg's video. Click here for his pictures. This is his description of last night's crash- Two Baltimore City Fire Department EMS personnel were injured Wednesday, Oct 14 when their medic unit was involved in a collision downtown. BCFD Medic 23, using Reserve Medic 64, was headed westbound on Lexington Avenue shortly before 11 p.m. when it was involved in a collision with a Volvo passenger car at the St. Paul Street intersection. The medic unit skidded more than 120 feet and turned onto its driver's side, with the crew able to self-extricate through the passenger side door. Several trees on the sidewalk were knocked over and the glass window of a nearby store was cracked as a result of the collision. The medic unit was towed to the city's Biddle Street facility where personnel will evaluate the apparatus, however a BCFD staff member said the Ford F450 was likely totaled.
Programming note - STATter911.com gets a face lift: If all goes well there will be a new look to the blog this afternoon. There will now also be advertising on STATter911.com. Remember the best way to access us is via http://www.statter911.com/. Stay tuned.
NIOSH reports firefighter who died on rescue dive was drunk: You may recall the story we told you in August, 2008 when Tiverton, Rhode Island Firefighter Gerald Leduc died while scuba diving in an attempt to rescue a missing boater. NIOSH reports Leduc's alcohol level was .25 and that he also had an underlying heart condition. Two firefighters urged him not to dive that day. Leduc had responded to the call during a day off. Click here to read the story. Watch the story. Read the NIOSH report.
NIOSH report on LODD of Dale City VFD's Cecilia Turnbough: NIOSH echoes some of what we previously have heard from Prince William County, Virginia officials after Turnbough's death last year in the maze during her training to become a firefighter. The major issues cited revolve around providing proper medical evaluations. Read the report. Firefighter Nation also has a summary.
No driver means destroyed home: The chief of the South Bay Fire Department in Cicero, New York says they are going to make changes after it took 20 minutes to get water on a house fire on September 18. Twelve minutes were lost because the department had six volunteers at the station but no driver. Syracuse.com has a detailed article on how the call was handled, along with a timeline. Click here.
Pittsburgh firefighters have something to Crowe about: Russell Crowe that is. WTAE-TV reports the actor, who is in Pittsburgh filming a movie, had the van he was being filmed in with Elizabeth Banks hit by a fire truck. The station is showing a picture of Engine 32 on its website-
The fire truck was pulling out of the Deutschtown Fire Station at about 2 p.m. when it clipped and knocked the front end off a van parked in the street.
Crowe and his co-star, Elizabeth Banks, both emerged from the van unscathed. No one was injured in the accident. A worker at a local bar said everyone was laughing about it, and that Crowe waved back at her when she waved at him.
Man drives blazing vehicle past fire station: In Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania a man, believed by police to be drunk, rode past the firehouse with the engine of his van on fire. The firefighters soon got him to stop and dragged him out of the smoke filled vehicle. Click here to read and watch the story.
What's in a name?: In San Bernardino the firefighters' union and a group of the department's commanders are on opposite sides of a city council race. The chiefs picked a name for its group that union officials think is too similar to theirs and will confuse voters. The union is planning to take the chiefs to court to try and get a name change. Click here.
Heated budget battle underway, chief puts in his papers: We have been keeping you informed of the proposal to cut staffing on ladder trucks and possibly close companies by Milwaukee Fire Department Chief Douglas Holton. When and if it happens, Holton won't be around to see the results. Yesterday, Chief Holton announced his retirement to take a new job. Click here.
Estimated $45 million dollar settlement in Lousiville's OT cases: This is another one we have been following. Details of the recent settlement to the 9-year battle were announced in a series of meetings with current firefighters and retirees. They all seem to have smiles on their faces. Read more.
$100,000 in department funds gone. Arrest made: That's the story from the Briarcliffe Fire Company in Darby Township, PA (Delaware County). Read the details.
Diversity conference in Alexandria: The George Washington Masonic Memorial is the site today and tomorrow of the 2009 Virginia Equity-Diversity Conference. According to a press release, "The Equity-Diversity conference will be represented by Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel from across the nation". U.S. Fire Administrator Kelvin Cochran is listed as a panelist for a town hall meeting to discuss various issues. Click here to read more.
Helmet-cam takes you into the middle of this one: Credit to Firefighter Spot for finding this video. Posted on October 10 of a house fire handled by Miami Dade. Well worth watching. Part 2 is here.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Milwaukee fire chief leaves in the middle of heated budget battle. Douglas Holton to retire next month for college position.
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Picture from Milwaukee Fire Department website.Watch Chief Holton's announcement
From the AP:
The Milwaukee fire chief will retire from the department next month.
Chief Douglas Holton says he plans to become the associate dean of Human and Protective Services at Madison Area Technical College.
He joined the department in 1978 and left in 2003 to become the first black chief in St. Paul, Minn. When he returned to Milwaukee in 2007, he became the city's first black chief.
His retirement is effective Nov. 28. He starts his new job Dec. 1.
The college has one of the largest fire and police training programs in Wisconsin.
In a statement, Mayor Tom Barrett says Milwaukee's loss is the Madison Area Technical College's gain and he wishes Holton and his family the best.
From Larry Sandler at the Journal Sentinel:
Holton is departing in the middle of a heated controversy over firefighter staffing. For the fifth time in five years, the Milwaukee Professional Fire Fighters Association is battling a Barrett budget proposal to reduce crews, arguing that it would jeopardize safety.This time, the mayor's 2010 budget calls for slicing ladder truck crews from five firefighters to four in the last eight ladder companies that still have five-member crews; closing a ladder company and a pumper engine company; and slicing overtime to the point that one or two companies would be forced out of service every day.
But Barrett said the budget had nothing to do with the chief's departure, noting that Holton would remain in office through the end of council action on the spending plan.
WISN-TV has this reaction from a union official and the mayor:
"What's being left in the wake is a department that is decimated, a department that has been cut to the bone, and it has been done without the input of the front line firefighters," said Bobbie Webber of Local 215.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett released a statement commending Holton for his years of service with the Milwaukee Fire Department.
"Chief Holton has made difficult decisions and implemented initiatives that have led to increased public safety and confidence in Milwaukee’s great fire department. His leadership through difficult budgets has been key to ensuring that our citizens continue to receive the country’s highest quality fire and emergency medical services at a reasonable cost."
$45 million overtime settlement in Louisville, Kentucky presented today. Current firefighters & retirees hear details after 9-year battle.
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Courier-Journal photo by Scott Utterback.By Jessie Halladay at courierjournal.com:
Louisville firefighters and retirees involved in a nine-year legal battle over miscalculated pay could get at least $43.5 million if they agree to a tentative settlement that their representatives and metro government reached earlier this month.
Firefighters, both active and retired, began hearing details of the settlement in two meetings Wednesday. Two more are set for Thursday. They’re being told how much they would get under the deal, and asked to vote on whether or not they approve it.
After the first meeting, at 2 p.m. Wednesday, retired firefighter Bruce Cunningham said, “We’re happy, I think generally everybody’s happy” with the proposal.
If firefighters approve the deal, the metro council will also have to approve it.
The tentative settlement, which would resolve two lawsuits filed by firefighters, was reached during a mediation meeting on Oct. 5. But the cost of the settlement to Louisville had remained secret because of a confidentiality agreement.
The Courier-Journal was given details about the agreement by firefighters who attended the informational meetings Wednesday, but did not want to be identified, saying they’d been asked to honor the confidentiality agreement.
City officials would not confirm nor deny details in the settlement, also saying they are bound by the confidentiality agreement. The details won’t be officially released until the settlement is sent to the metro council for approval.
But according to sources at the meeting, the settlement would involve three payments — Dec. 1, and March 31 and July 15, 2010. The nearly 800 firefighters and retirees would be paid a portion of the $43.5 million based on their years of service, their salary and the number of hours worked. In addition, metro government would agree to pay $1.5 million in attorney fees.
It is unclear what the arrangement for any pension fund reimbursement would be.
Doug Steele, a lawyer representing the firefighters, said there was good turnout at Wednesday’s meetings.
“We’re very optimistic based on the reception,” Steele said. “It’s a very positive step toward a resolution.”
Craig Willman, fire union president, said officials are hoping for 100 percent agreement from those involved in the lawsuits.
“It puts an end to this thing,” Willman, who is a plaintiff in the suits, said of the tentative deal. “This thing’s long overdue, and it needs to be done.”
Greg Lentz, a retired sergeant, said he was “extremely happy” with the settlement offer.
“I’m glad to see it’s over,” Lentz said. “We work hard for our money and I think we deserve this.”
But Lentz expressed frustration with the amount of time it took to get to this point.
“I think the city was negligent,” he said. “I believe they thought of it as a game, that they never took it serious enough and to us as firefighters, it was very serious.”
Groups of firefighters exiting one of the afternoon meetings clustered in the halls of the Crowne Plaza hotel smiling and joking with each other. Many who would not give their names said they were happy with the settlement.
The crux of the dispute is the firefighter’s belief that they were underpaid because state incentive pay for training and longevity had not been included in calculations for overtime pay.
The suits also said that work over 40 hours should be calculated as overtime. Louisville firefighters work an average of 56 hours a week, with 16 hours of overtime. Previously, the city had not included those hours in the overtime calculations.
One of the lawsuits alleged that Louisville violated wage and hour laws with the miscalculation.
A year ago, the Kentucky Supreme Court denied the city’s request to overturn a ruling that firefighters were entitled to back pay for a five-year period in that case. Since that ruling, a judge has ruled that the city owes firefighters about $19.7 million in back pay.
The other lawsuit spans a 15-year period and centers on the argument that the miscalculation of pay violates the firefighter’s contract.
In September, the Kentucky Court of Appeals upheld a Jefferson Circuit Court ruling that says Louisville violated the contract by not including the incentive pay and other bonuses in calculations of overtime pay.
Steele has said the 15-year lawsuit could add $7.6 million, plus millions of dollars in interest, to the total owed to firefighters.
Both sides have cited payout figures that could exceed $60 million depending on what the courts ruled was due to firefighters in interest and other fees.
At the time, metro government officials said they would appeal the decision and would not negotiate with firefighters. But after the Oct. 5 mediation session was held, both sides confirmed the tentative agreement.
Kerri Richardson, a spokesman for Mayor Jerry Abramson, said the city is hopeful the proposal will resolve the dispute.
“We’ve worked hard with the leadership to come to an agreement,” Richardson said.
Bill Patteson, a spokesman for Jefferson County Attorney Michael O’Connell, said his office would not comment on any details of a possible settlement, citing the confidentiality agreement.
“We don’t have an agreement until the firefighters ratify and it’s approved by metro council,” Patteson said.
Another group made up of 135 retired firefighters who sued the city over the same issues, are not part of the settlement. That group, represented by attorney Ann Oldfather, is still negotiating with the city.
Labels: IAFF, Louisville, overtime
Quick takes
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Changes coming for STATter911.com: Over the next day or so this blog should look very different. New blogging software will be used and you will start seeing some advertising. The most important thing is that it will be the same lame content you have come to know and love. It will now be very important for you to access us through http://www.statter911.com/. The longer wusa9.com link may not be operating once the switch is made.
Union prez takes issue with the term "comedy act": IAFF Local 36's Ray Sneed says if the sprinkler demonstration that left a firefighter burned was a "comedy act" then Dennis Rubin was the "chief comedian". For his part DC Fire & EMS Department Chief Rubin stands by his assessment of the October 7 incident. We have some raw video and more from our interview with both gentlemen yesterday. Click here.
Dog saves the day for large family: A large family owes its escape from a fire in Beltsville, Maryland yesterday morning to smoke alarms and their dog. Read and watch the story.
Firehouse porn costs city $200,000: That's the settlement a female San Jose firefighter is getting after she reported hard-core porn at her firehouse. Read the story.
Firefighter accused of punching dog is still on the job: Over the past year there have been some bad doings between firefighters and dogs. There was the Los Angeles County assistant chief accused of beating a neighbor's dog and there was the Columbus firefighter who shot his two dogs to avoid paying kennel charges while on vacation. Now there is the Newport Beach, California firefighter suspected of punching his girlfriend's Chihuahua in the face resulting in the dog being euthanized. He is still on the job. So far no charges have been filed. Read the story.
Fire department to close. Firefighters could join public safety department: Leoni Township, Michigan is shutting down its fire department and putting it all in the hands of its public safety department that responds to both police and fire responses. The firefighters who are losing their jobs can negotiate to get a job in the public safety department. Click here for the story.
More from Milwaukee: Firefighters continue to fight proposed budget cuts. Here's the latest.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
DC union president takes issue with chief's "comedy act" remarks. Rubin stands by his assessment of sprinkler demo that went went wrong.
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Above, raw video from out interview with Chief Dennis Rubin on the problems with the October 7 sprinkler demonstration at Gallaudet University where a firefighter was burned. President Raymond Sneed of IAFF Local 36 follows Chief Rubin with his thoughts about the incident.
Previous coverage: Firefighter burned 10/9; Chief Rubin talks with Ed Comeau 10/12
DC Fire & EMS Department Chief Dennis Rubin's explanation that he is responsible for the errors that left one firefighter with minor burns during a sprinkler demonstration at Gallaudet University does not sit well with the head of the firefighters' union. President Raymond Sneed of IAFF Local 36 believes the chief taking the blame is not good enough and plans to present the issue to elected officials in the city. Sneed hopes they will review the performance of the fire chief and other top officials responsible for the demonstration.
Chief Rubin says he has learned a lesson and will not take things for granted in the future. Rubin echoed the remarks he made Monday during an interview for a fire service Internet podcast conducted by Ed Comeau. Comeau, with Campus-Firewatch.com, helped put on the October 7 demonstration.
Sneed's biggest complaint is with the chief's statement to Comeau that the mishap that brought burning plastic onto the gear of three firefighters and their efforts to extinguish it looked like a "comedy act". "It still in my mind looked like a comedy act", Chief Rubin said in a Tuesday interview with STATter911.com. "Firefighters to be fully involved and to not have a backup line. I am going to stand by that".
Sneed said if the chief is sticking by that statement then "he's the chief comedian because he staged it, he orchestrated it and he narrated it". Sneed added, "One of my members was hospitalized from this comedy act".
Video above is by Ed Comeau, Campus-Firewatch.com.
Asked about his thoughts as he watched the burning Plexiglas draft curtain from the unsprinklered side of the mock dorm room fall onto his firefighters, Chief Rubin said, "Those are my guys. Those are humans. Those are flesh and blood and the last thing I wanted to see is even a scratch on their bodies."
Multiple alarms in Union County, New Jersey. Video from fire in Westfield.
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Here's the description with this fire on Monday (sorry for the caps):
CREWS FROM UNION COUNTY HAD THEIR HANDS FULL WITH THIS STUBBORN FIRE. UNION COUNTY MUTUAL AID TASK FORCE WAS ACTIVATED BRINGING UNITS TO THE SCENE FROM PLAINFIELD, CRANFORD, ROSELLE, SCOTCH PLAINS, GARWOOD, MOUTAINSIDE, AND ADDITIONAL M/A TO COVER. INITIAL CREWS MADE AN INTERIOR ATTACK, CREWS WERE EVACUATED FROM THE BUILDING. AS M/A ARRIVED INTERIOR OPERATIONS CONTINUED AFTER KNOCKING DOWN THE FIRE FROM THE EXTERIOR AND APPEARED TO HAVE THE FIRE VIA INTERIOR. FIRE STILL MANAGED TO SURVIVE IN THE REAR 2ND FLOOR CEILINGS.
Quick takes
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Firehouse.com now has a view from what the chief saw during last Wednesday's sprinkler demonstration. The chief told his interviewer that many of the blog comments he read about the incident that left a firefighter with minor burns were over the top, but that some comments were very accurate in their criticism. No word on which blog he reads. New details and links to our coverage below. Chief Rubin takes responsibility and likens sprinkler demonstration errors to a "comedy act": Chief Dennis Rubin cited for Campus-Firewatch.com's Ed Comeau a series of errors that were made during last Wednesday's sprinkler demonstration at Gallaudet University that resulted in a firefighter being burned. These include no safety officer, no briefing, no checklist and no backup line. The chief takes responsibility for the event that he says looked like a "comedy act". We have details on the chief's remarks, his recorded phone interview with Comeau and a new video on Firehouse.com that shows the demonstration from Chief Rubin's point of view. The chief also says he is going to write an article about the episode for a fire service magazine. Click here.
More on Rip Van Winkle: A lot of people have been shaking their heads over the story from Ross Township, PA we first brought you Sunday night. This was about the man who was sound asleep in a burning house for 2 hours and 20 minutes after firefighters arrived to put out the fire. Click here for the latest and most detailed article yet on how this occurred.
Video from West Virginia fire: In Wayne, West Virginia a family owned supermarket burned yesterday morning. Click here for some raw video and here to watch the story.
Milwaukee chief says reducing ladder staffing won't affect public safety: The plan is to take staffing on the last eight ladder companies with five firefighters down to four, closing a ladder company and an engine company, and instituting brownouts of one or two engine companies a day to cut overtime. An alderman has asked firefighters to take a pay freeze instead. Pointing out that only 2-percent of the responses are structure fires, Chief Doug Holton disputes the union's contention that four-person crews are unsafe. I couldn't find clarity in the articles I read on the chief's position on whether the closing of companies would impact safety. Here is the latest from the Journal Sentinel. As always you can find the view of a front line Milwaukee firefighter at thehousewatch.com.
Former union president who beat prostitution charge loses election: A recount didn't help Darren Bates retain his seat on Iowa's Council Bluffs City Council. Bates, a former Omaha fire captain, was acquitted on a charge of soliciting a prostitute earlier this year. Here's the update.
Car plunges 225 feet off cliff. Two elderly men survive: One was able to go for help after the fall off Point Loma in the San Diego area. Click here and here for the story.
Off-duty firefighter tries to save man whose car was hit by a train: An off-duty Marshfield, Wisconsin firefighter tells the story of his unsuccessful attempt to get a 79-year-old man out of the path of a train. The man, who Jeff Barth had met moments earlier in a convenience store, is in intensive care. Click here to watch the interview with Barth. Read the story.
Efficiency and money savings cited in proposal to close four NC fire stations: Click here for the story from Wake County, North Carolina.
Maryland town goes dry. Fire departments pitch in: Mt. Savage in Western Maryland has run out of water. Fire company tankers are replenishing the supply. Click here for the details.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Chief Dennis Rubin takes full responsibility for sprinkler demo mishap. No briefing or backup line. "The Rube" thought it looked like a comedy act.
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Click here to watch the sprinkler demonstration from Chief Rubin's point of view.Read Paul Peluso's article at Firehouse.com
Listen to Chief Rubin's interview
STATter911.com and 9NEWS NOW have been trying since Thursday to find out details of what went wrong during a sprinkler demonstration in the District of Columbia a day earlier. The gear worn by three firefighters caught fire during the public display at Gallaudet University. One of those firefighters, a sergeant with the DC Fire & EMS Department's Engine 6, spent the night in the MedStar Burn Unit of the Washington Hospital Center.
A Plexiglas draft curtain set up to hold in the heat and smoke burned and dripped onto the firefighters sent in to put out the fire in the unsprinklered side of the demonstration.
While details have not been provided to us, Chief Dennis Rubin gave specific information about the errors made during the demonstration in an interview with one of the participants in the event, Ed Comeau with Campus-Firewatch.com. The recording of that interview was made public today during Comeau's podcast, Fire Marshal's Corner at Firehouse.com.
Paul Peluso with Firehouse.com has written an article based on the podcast. Here are excerpts:
"Some of the failures on our part -- and I'll take full responsibility -- had to do with the idea that we wanted to have a demonstration was impactful so that the equipment would work in a reasonable timeframe," Rubin said. "Next time we will need a draft curtain that will probably be something that is not as combustible."
Rubin said despite technical failures, not following NFPA 1403, the Standard on Live Fire Training Evolutions, is really where the demonstration went wrong.
"I don't believe we briefed the crew before they went into the structure and I think (that was) a recipe for near-disaster," he said.
"I stayed pretty busy doing some of the administrative tasks and 20/20 hindsight, I wish I would have had the chance to take a closer look, but we didn't have a checklist."
Rubin said another issue was that two hoselines were laid out, but only one was active.
"I thought one was a backup and one was an attack line, but that turned out to be incorrect. The backup line I thought I was looking at turned out to be the feeder line going into the sprinkler system. When it came time for a second crew -- which was not on location -- to wet down and protect the first crew; that simply wasn't there." (On the video Chief Rubin can be heard calling for the backup line that didn't exist.)
Comeau also pointed out that the firefighters went right into the flames, instead of attacking it from a distance.
"I think they wanted to demonstrate their bravery and skill and that was just the wrong place to do it," Rubin said. "The other horrifying part of the incident was that they were unaware of the fact that they were burning."
Rubin said that over the years he's been present for more than a hundred demonstration burns and that his department simply forgot the basics.
"We worked very hard for weeks to prepare for this event . . . It was the perfect setting on the perfect day," he said. "You can never let your guard down. I just feel horrible about it. Thank goodness it was very minor injuries, but it looked like a comedy act."
Also, Chief Rubin said in the interview that there was no safety officer in place for the event. The chief says he is going to make sure this does not happen again in his department. Chief Rubin told Ed Comeau he plans to write an article for a national fire service publication on the lessons learned from the demonstration.
We have expressed our concern to DC Fire & EMS Department Director of Communications Pete Piringer about not being able to interview Chief Rubin and not being provided similar details about the incident. Piringer reiterates that the chief has taken full responsibility for the errors made during the event. Piringer said the chief is currently out of town.
UPDATED - Quick takes
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Two for the price of one: This video has two back-to-back house fires from Gary, Indiana at opposite ends of town. Click here to read more about the fires.
UPDATED - Firefighters ordered to back out of fire man sleeps through: A man rolled off a bed onto the floor as a firefighter entered his room two hours after a house fire started in Ross Township, PA. The firefighter was quite startled. The man, now identified as Edward Stefanic, asked, "What are you doing breaking my windows?". Stefanic was taken to the hospital suffering from smoke inhalation. Much earlier, firefighters were ordered to abandon their interior attack because of the collapse of the roof. Here's the story and some added details and links.
Prostitution ring pays numerous of visits to on-duty firefighter: A Nashville firefighter turned in his resignation after his name surfaced in a prostitution ring investigation. The firefighter admitted to using the firehouse for his sexual encounters. Read more.
NEW- Another reason to stop smoking: This is an odd one from Alcoa, Tennessee. A firefighter who went outside the firehouse for a smoke break reported to police his PPE, stashed next to a fire engine, was stolen when he got back inside. Read more.
The sprinkler demonstration causes quite a stir: With its play on many fire service websites, blasted out on The Secret List, shown on CNN, featured on LiveLeak.com and posted on scores of other websites, a lot of eyeballs around the world have seen last Wednesday's sprinkler demonstration in the District of Columbia. There are more than 100 comments posted with our entry offering a wide range of opinions. While some are quite pointed, my personal favorite is from Lt. T. Cosgrove Jones of the department's training academy. Lt. Jones doesn't like the anonymous finger pointing but sees value in the video, writing - "I would hope that a lesson is learned and the video is used as a training tool. I know we will use the video as a training tool." Having known Lt. Jones for some time, my guess is he will rethink his position once he knows I agree with him. Click here for the video and the comments.
Kentland crew honored: Firefighters from Kentland VFD were recognized by Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department Chief Eugene Jones for the April rescue of FF Daniel McGown at a Largo house fire. Read more.
Tired of the serious discussion and need a little comic relief: After reading all of those comments on the sprinkler video I know I needed it. The laughs are coming from a Detroit fire video that has its own live musical accompaniment. This isn't any dubbed in music from Backdraft or Ladder 49. And it isn't the Motown sound as we know it. But it is quite memorable. Click here for the clip that has now made my "Top 5" list of favorite videos I have posted on the blog. I just wonder what the firefighter on the roof was thinking.
I don't blame them, I wouldn't want to associate with me either: I have been doing a number of talks about social media and its impact on the fire service. Maybe I should look at the emotional toll it can take on those who are left in the dust when their attempts to "follow" or "friend" someone are rebuffed. I write this with fresh first hand knowledge. I've been snubbed. I have been "blocked" on Twitter as if I was one of those services that "follow" you offering a good time (usually a little more direct than that). After "following" more than 800 people and organizations, the Columbia South Carolina's Association of Professional Firefighters (CFFA) are the first to "block" me (you always remember your first). Now I know how devastated all those women I have "blocked" must feel when I turn down what they are selling. Who can fault CFFA for not wanting to expose their followers to the junk that is on this blog? I actually admire them for doing this, because as Groucho Marx famously wrote, "I wouldn't want to belong to a club that would have me as a member".
UPDATED- Ugly statistic from West Virginia: State Fire Marshal Sterling Lewis told WOWK-TV that so far this year 30 firefighters have been arrested and charged with arson. "What my worst nightmare is, I'll get that 3 and 4 o'clock call from the arson hot line that a firefighter has died, and another firefighter set the fire." Read the story. Watch the story.
Firefighter makes the rescue, but first he has to dock the boat: An interesting story from Florida where an off-duty firefighter spots an apartment fire while out on his boat. Check it out.
Gunfire and scuffle punctuate deadly Houston fire: Firegeezer has the story of a house fire with three children trapped and bars on the windows. Firefighters were able to save one of the children, despite an uncle walking around with a gun. That same man is said to have gotten into a fight with a news photographer. Click here.
More from Houston where the FD and ATF weren't reading from the same playbook: Early on Saturday, the Houston Chronicle quoted District Chief Tommy Dowdy as saying two persons of interest were in custody for a string of fires in vacant buildings. Later on Saturday, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms held a press conference saying that was not the case. Here's the story.
Weekend videos: We posted another one from Thursday's house fire in Waterbury, CT and a three-alarm fire in Marlborough, MA.
Mother of fallen firefighter wants chief to resign: In Racine, Missouri there are problems between the mother of a firefighter killed storm spotting and the chief of the department. The dispute at the Seneca Area Fire Protection District is making the local papers. Click here.
Veteran Nashville firefighter resigns after admitting to sex in fire station. Name surfaced in probe of prostitution ring.
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By Nicole Young at the Tennessean.com:A Nashville firefighter has admitted to investigators that he paid women to have sex with him at the Murfreesboro Pike fire hall where he worked, Metro Police said Friday.
Terry Canady, a 23-year veteran firefighter, resigned from the department on Thursday.
He will keep his department benefits and has taken an early service pension, said Nashville Fire Department spokeswoman Kim Lawson.
"Chief (Steve) Halford has requested a thorough review into the matter," Lawson said. The review will begin Monday.
"We will be looking to see if anyone knew this was going on," she said. "But we have received no information regarding the involvement of any other employees."
Metro Police spokesman Don Aaron said Canady is not facing any criminal charges right now.
"At best, he'd be guilty of a misdemeanor for which a citation could be issued," Aaron said. "But the police department did not witness this and there's no evidence other than what people have said."
Canady admitted to calling prostitutes and receiving services from them as recently as last summer, Aaron said.
Investigators say the women he called were involved in a family prostitution ring. Teresa West, 45, of Nashville, and her son and daughter, Casey West, 20, and Diana West, 22, were charged in federal court with using a minor for commercial sex in August.
The mother also is charged in state court with trafficking for sexual servitude and promoting prostitution.
Though a federal investigation has focused on underage girls' being involved in West's business, police do not believe any of the women who visited Canady were underage.
Lawson says she worries about how Canady's actions will affect the department.
"We have a very good and very hardworking fire department and for an employee to do something like this is an embarrassment," she said. "To our knowledge, nothing like this has ever happened at the fire department before."
Two fire engines are housed at the station where Canady worked, along with a staff of about six to eight people who work 24-hour shifts with 48 hours off.
Investigators did not say where in the building or when the sex acts occurred.
Lawson said she wasn't aware of any past disciplinary actions in Canady's file.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Man sleeps through & survives 2 hours in house fire that firefighters were forced to abandon. A must read story from Ross Township, Pennsylvania.
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Click here for video from fire
Detailed article from Post-Gazette
Image and story from KDKA-TV:
A man survived a two-story home fire in Ross Township early Sunday morning after being trapped for over two hours in the flames.
According to officials at the scene, the fire started around 2:35 a.m. at 135 Buckhill Road.
Firefighters were informed of two individuals in the home that was fully engulfed. An elderly woman was accounted for, but her adult son was not.
Due to the intense heat, firefighters were ordered to evacuate the house.
At 5:10 a.m., firefighters found the son in the house alive. He was transported to an area hospital and his condition is not known at this time.
Neighbors tell KDKA-TV that the house is over 100 years old and an original structure from a farm that dates back to last century.
Officials are still investigating the cause of the fire at this time.
More from WTAE-TV:
Perrysville Volunteer Fire Chief Eric Wissner said crews got the fire under control in about two hours. Crews then went back inside the house during salvage operations, at which time, they found a man in a first-floor bedroom. Authorities said the resident slept through the fire. He taken to UPMC-Mercy for smoke inhalation.
"He kicked the door in, and when he entered the room, the resident actually slid off the mattress onto the floor, which startled the firefighter (who was) not expecting so see anybody," said John Reubi, Ross Township's fire marshal.
Officials said the house had several additions, which helped shield the man's bedroom during the firefight.
Firefighter saves 92-year-old man from apartment fire. But first he had to dock his boat. The story from Florida.
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From his boat, an off-duty Bonita Springs firefighter saw plumes of smoke.
Jason Burgess acted immediately, docking his boat and running up to the second-floor apartment at the Shell Point retirement community, said Iona- McGregor Fire Rescue spokeswoman Lauri McMahon. Inside, was 92-year-old Herbert Hansen.
The fire that started on the lanai of Hansen’s condominium was tempered by sprinklers, she said. Burgess, 38, of Cape Coral, reportedly dragged the man from the flames, which started near the couch in the corner of the lanai.
Hansen suffered burns to his hands, legs and face and was taken by helicopter to Lee Memorial Hospital. As of Saturday evening, he remained in serious condition.
McMahon said Burgess only stayed until paramedics and Iona-McGregor firefighters arrived. He later got on his boat and left.
He couldn’t be reached for comment late Saturday.
“In the short time firefighter Burgess has been with us, he has showed exceptional qualities and I wouldn’t expect anything less. I’m extremely proud of him,” according to a statement from Bonita Springs Fire Chief Phil Kinsey, Jr.
“Know his character, it’s not surprising,” said Debbie Redfield, spokeswoman at Bonita Springs Fire Rescue.
Firefighters honored for saving one of their own. Kentland VFD crew & paramedics that rescued PGFD's Daniel McGown get recognition from fire chief.
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PGFD photo.
Previous STATter911.com coverage: Firefighter rescued, news coverage & raw video of aftermath-April 8; Fireground Audio-April 9; McGown leaves hospital-April 14; Man charged with setting fire-August 19
You may recall the April house fire in Largo, Maryland that seriously burned Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department's Daniel McGown. Firefighter McGown's PASS alerted other firefighters that he was down. After a stay in the MedStar Burn Unit of the Washington Hospital Center and weeks of recovery at home, FF McGown went back to full duty. Since then an arrest has been made of the person investigators say started the fire.
At the convention of the Prince George's County Volunteer Fire & Rescue association, PGFD Chief Eugene Jones recognized the firefighters from Kentland VFD who found McGown and brought him to safety. In addition, three career paramedics will be honored at another date.
Here is how PGFD Chief Spokesman Mark Brady described the rescue on his blog:
Firefighters from the first arriving engine company advanced hoselines through the front door and started to knock down the fire. Additional units arrived shortly after and initiated their assigned suppression duties. During this time, a firefighters’ Personal Accountability Safety System (PASS) sounded and was heard by a team of interior firefighters. Heavy fire conditions still consumed the first floor area as firefighters started to search for the source of the sounding PASS device. A downed firefighter was soon located in a room adjacent to the kitchen area and a MAYDAY was sounded. While one of the interior firefighters directed a hoseline to protect those assisting the downed firefighter from the rapidly extending fire, the firefighter that located the injured member was rapidly assessing his condition. The downed firefighter was found to be unconscious and suffering from burns to his face.
Here is Brady's list of those involved in saving FF McGown:
Volunteer Lieutenant Joe Brown, Kentland VFD, for locating the downed firefighter and initiating mayday call and rescue.
Volunteer Firefighter Timothy McCloskey, Kentland VFD, for protecting firefighters during rescue operations by directing a hoseline in the kitchen area and keeping the fire in check.
Volunteer Deputy Chief Pat Mann, Kentland VFD, for assisting in the rescue
Volunteer Fire Fighter Curtis Patterson, Kentland VFD, for assisting in the rescue
Volunteer Fire Fighter Tim Moore, Kentland VFD, for assisting in the rescue
Volunteer Fire Fighter Peter Johnson, Kentland VFD, for assisting in the rescue
Volunteer Chief Tony Kelleher – Incident Commander, Kentland VFD, for managing an intense incident that included a mayday and firefighter rescue during heavy fire conditions.
Paramedic Captain Danny Hughes, EMS Supervisor, for administering advanced life support including airway management and quickly transporting to the Burn Unit.
Fire Fighter/Medic Dan Robinson, Paramedic Unit 846, for administering advanced life support including airway management and quickly transporting to the Burn Unit.
Fire Fighter/Medic Jamieson Scarlata, Paramedic Unit 846, for administering advanced life support including airway management and quickly transporting to the Burn Unit.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
More from Connecticut fire. Video of Waterbury blaze.
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This is another video from a fire Thursday in Waterbury, Connecticut. The fire started around 1:00 PM in the three-story home under renovation. Read more about the fire here.
Here is the slide show we brought you earlier. A previous video has been removed.
Waterbury had another house fire early Friday morning. This one was in a vacant home and spread to exposures on either side. Click here.
Three alarms in Massachusetts. Fire in large multi-family home in Marlborough.
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This fire was reported around 10:00 last night on Lincoln Court in Marlborough, Massachusetts. ProvidenceFireVideos.com shot the video above. Reports indicate the initial callers described an explosion. Here is part of the description with the video:
Units arrived with heavy fire showing from the 2nd floor. Residents reported smelling gas the past few days. 3 alarms were quickly struck as fire took possession of the upper floors and forced firefighters to fight the fire from the exterior. It took over an hour to bring the blaze under control.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Another must see video, but for a different reason. Man plays accordian while Detroit burns.
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Bill Carey at Firefighter Nation proves that sometimes life is just a circus with the YouTube video above he discovered. The Nero of Detroit doesn't have a fiddle. He has an accordian (or the "cordeen", as Pete Barbuti used to say).
Quick takes
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UPDATE - DC sprinkler demo actually shows off PPE after 3 firefighters catch fire: A scary few moments during Wednesday's sprinkler demonstration at Gallaudet University. The gear of three DC firefighters began burning when a large clump of burning plastic dripped and fell on them. DC Fire & EMS Department now says the sergeant from Engine 6 was burned on the face and hand. He spent the night in the MedStar Burn Unit at the Washington Hospital Center and has been released. Click here to see the video.NAHB finds fault with Prince George's County sprinkler study: The National Association of Home Builders responded to STATter911.com yesterday about the new sprinkler study in Prince George's County. A spokesperson says the study is flawed because there is no smoke alarm data. Since we posted the response from NAHB, the PGFD and Maryland State Fire Marshal.Read more.
Really?: This is a paragraph in a Fire Prevention Week article from Indiana's News & Tribune. I am assuming the reporter just misunderstood something-
Lt. Andre Heal, of the Charlestown Fire Department, said that until the 1980s when air packs became more available, firefighters could not go inside burning homes.
Police looking into hazing incident in CT: Seven junior and senior members of the Quaker Hill Fire Company have been suspended while police in Waterford check out allegations that someone was tied up during a hazing incident. The fire chief says it was just horsing around. Watch the story. Read the story.
FDNY Commissioner to step down: Seventy-six-year-old Nicholas Scoppetta is leaving the Bloomberg administration at the end of the year. Read more.
Nine-year dispute with city is now over: Not a lot of details yet but the City of Louisville and its firefighters have reached an agreement over a long standing overtime dispute. Read the story.
Punches thrown then church burns: Check out the story from Tennessee where a 70-year-old church is destroyed by fire.
Fire department to charge for some services: In Ypsilanti, Michigan the council has voted to let the fire department start billing insurance companies for some services. Read more.
House fire in Connecticut: From Waterbury on Wednesday. Click here for a slideshow of the fire.
UPDATE - Firefighters catch fire during sprinkler demonstration. DC Fire & EMS now confirms one firefighter spent the night in the burn unit.
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Usually the biggest worry for a fire chief who has gathered the public and the press together for a sprinkler demonstration is whether the sprinkler head is going to activate as promised. Livingston Fire Protection Inc. made sure that wasn't a problem during Wednesday's demonstration using two side by side mock dorm rooms at Gallaudet University in the District of Columbia. It operated at just 12 seconds into the fire.
It was the fire on the unsprinklered side that occurred minutes earlier that caused a little excitement and had Chief Dennis Rubin asking for someone to put out the firefighters. At about 3:10 on the video above you will see a plastic barrier melt and drip down in a large flaming clump on the three firefighters who were extinguishing the fire.
It was much more obvious to the audience than to the firefighters themselves that something was amiss. All three had plastic burning on their PPE. It took a little more than 30 seconds before the fires were put out.
On Friday, DC Fire & EMS Department officials confirmed that a sergeant from Engine 6 was burned on the cheek and hand. He spent the night in the MedStar Burn Unit of the Washington Hospital Center and was released.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
New York Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta is stepping down. Leaves post at end of year.
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New York Daily News photo by Steven. Read more.
From the AP:
New York City's fire commissioner is leaving the department at the end of the year to pursue teaching opportunities.
Nicholas Scoppetta took over just months after the Sept. 11 terrorist attack that devastated the FDNY, killing 343. He said in a letter to staff Thursday that he took the post because he wanted to help the city recover from the tragedy. He said the biggest challenge of his job was to rebuild the ranks while preparing to respond to another attack.
Scoppetta met with Mayor Michael Bloomberg in August and told him he was leaving the FDNY regardless of the outcome of November's election.
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