June 17, 2013
Driver killed in horrific crash after slamming into Yonkers fire station - NY
A man was thrown from his car and killed Sunday afternoon after his vehicle hit a pole and a Yonkers fire house, according to authorities.
Pattie Savone owns a restaurant across the street from Yonkers Fire Station 14. “We heard the impact. I guess it sounded like an explosion,” said Savone. “And we ran outside and we called 9-1-1 and the first thing I noticed was the damaged car across the street, and then the walls to fire station and then I noticed that there was someone lying in the middle of the street.”
Witnesses said the car was going southbound on Central Park Avenue in Yonkers when it drove up on the curb in the front of the fire station shortly before 3 p.m.. No firefighters or pedestrians were injured.
“Usually Central Avenue at that time of the afternoon, it’s always congested. That there’s no other cars involved, miraculously, I don’t know how that happened,” said Savone.
The accident shut down traffic both ways on Central Park Avenue until just after 8 p.m. Sunday.
Yonker’s resident Raymond Reece described the Honda as it lay in pieces next to the fire station. “The car was shredded, half of it was shredded,” he said.
While the pole stayed upright, part of a car port wall of the fire house was damaged. Firefighters built wood supports to maintain the stability of that part of the building.
Yonkers police did not release the name of the driver Sunday night.
by Allison Kaden Reporter / http://pix11.com/
June 17, 2013
State audit criticizes Sylvan Beach fire surplus - NY
The Sylvan Beach Fire District’s cash surplus for 2012 was more than half the size of this year’s budget, according to an audit released Thursday by the state Comptroller’s Office.
The state’s report said the $100,000 surplus — compared to the $189,944 budget for 2013 — points to a need for more oversight by the Board of Fire Commissioners and gave 12 recommendations.
“If district officials had been monitoring their budgets, they might have realized their budgets were not based on actual expenditures and might not have accumulated such an excess of fund balance,” the report states.
Board of Fire Commissioners Chairman Allen Jackson said the surplus grew over a few years and “we were planning on using that if we had to buy something, which we were figuring we would.”
Of that surplus, $70,000 will be used to buy an EMS truck, Jackson said. The purchase became necessary when the district’s only EMS vehicle broke down after 11 years of use about eight months ago, he said.
That purchase was not budgeted for 2013 but was approved by voters in March, the report states.
“There’s no money missing,” Jackson said. “It’s just we put it in different places.”
Among the report’s findings:
* The secretary-treasurer has not filed an annual financial report with the state since 2007.
* The secretary-treasurer does not properly track cash balances and does not maintain revenue or expenditure ledgers. “The only records prepared are monthly reports.”
* The board does not perform annual audits of the secretary-treasurer as authorized by the town.
* Salaries for the secretary-treasurer, bookkeeper/grant writer and cleaner were not found in the meeting minutes. The first two positions are salaried while the cleaner is paid hourly, but does not complete a time sheet. “The secretary-treasurer calls the cleaner for her hours before contacting the private payroll contractor.”
* The fire district has no code of ethics and investment policy.
Click here to view full audit.
Jackson said the district already has begun to meet the recommendations, which he outlined in his response to the audit. For example, the district has adopted a code of ethics and investment policy and employees now fill out timesheets, he said.
“We’ve been doing it the way we’ve been doing it for 50 years,” Jackson said. “They want us to modernize it up a little bit … so we’re going to have to go with what they want. We’re willing to accept it.”
By NED CAMPBELL / Observer-Dispatch
June 17, 2013
Lessons Learned:
Firefighters Reflect on Chemung River Rescue - NY
ELMIRA, N.Y. -- Nearly three weeks after an 8-year-old boy almost drowned in the Chemung River yet made a miraculous recovery, those who helped save him still remember it like it was yesterday.
On Sunday, WETM sat down with Jim Sincock and Ben Hagan, two firefighters who had vital roles in saving Shaun Fuller's life.
The men say a lot of it had to do with being in the right place at the right time.
Sincock says all the trucks happened to be at headquarters when they learned the boy was missing, and Hagan just happened to be driving near Grove Street when the call came out over his pager.
Sincock, who administered CPR, gave breaths while Hagan did chest compressions.
Both men are fathers. On this father's day, they say when it comes to saving lives, an instinct kicks in.
“The 911 dispatchers reference an age, and it's a young kid, it's just a different mindset,” Hagan says. “And I don't know if you necessarily have to be a dad to feel that way. It’s just a completely different mindset when you know you have the chance to save a child.”
“We train and train and train,” says Sincock. “And like I said, there isn't a fireman in the department or any department across New York State or the country for that matter, who wouldn't do what we did that day.”
Of course, both men say many other firefighters, police, Erway employees and emergency responders helped save Shaun.
They say the fact that local fire departments have been training together lately really helped all the different agencies that responded work together effectively.
Reported by: Erica Brecher / wetmtv.com
June 17, 2013
Lessons Learned:
Reviewing Lessons Learned From Tenn. Mulch Fire
Mulch burned on a 9-acre site in the city's center for a week last year. The April fire fouled air, killed fish and temporarily shut down businesses.
Knoxville firefighters, working in continuous shifts, trained hoses on the massive burning piles at Shamrock Organic Products, 2501 Ailor Ave.
Center-city neighborhoods fell under a code red air quality rating. The Red Cross opened a shelter to protect people living near the fire. It took a week, but the fire eventually was extinguished.
When the smoke cleared, the News Sentinel reviewed city records and Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero ordered an internal report, delivered June 20, 2012, that found shortcomings and suggested policy changes.
Public records show that nearly a year later, Shamrock owner Randy Greaves has completed requirements listed in Rogero's report.
"It's a relief to have the fire behind me," Greaves said.
When he thinks of the fire, Greaves also thinks of 2011 storms that created a federal disaster area here and brought thousands of tons of blown-over tree debris to his lot.
"I don't think about the fire as much as I do the storm," he said.
storms and fire
The heavens used East Tennessee for batting practice over a week in April 2011, sending two storms with heavy wind, downpours, tornadoes and baseball-sized hail.
Some cars driving around Knoxville today still look like golf balls, covered in pockmarks.
Once the storms passed, hail-damage repair shops arrived to pull dents out of body panels. Roofers were backlogged. And all the downed trees that city crews removed in Knoxville went to one place: Shamrock.
Greaves said his volume received doubled to 50,000 tons. His contract with the city for mulch grinding stated that Shamrock must take what the city brings. But he couldn't grind the wadded trunks and branches quickly enough to keep up with incoming loads. Debris piled up.
"We were victimized, just as the city was," Greaves said, "by an act of God."
The piles remained on the site as he churned through the stumps and logs.
On April 15, 2012, the debris caught fire on a breezy spring morning. A call to the Knoxville Fire Department was made.
"By the time we got to it, the whole side of the mountain of mulch was glowing red," KFD spokesman D.J. Corcoran said. "And the wind was feeding it."
Smoke blew north and east across Knoxville for the first few days, then shifted. Plumes of woodsmoke, both sweet and acrid, raked west and south like a fog.
"We closed," said Jim Campbell, administrator at Knoxville Neurology Clinic at 2200 Sutherland Ave., four-tenths of a mile west of Shamrock. "It started blowing this way, and we just couldn't have patients."
Fire Department crews worked the scene 24 hours a day and earned $60,000 in overtime while spraying $38,000 worth of water on the flames at 90,000 gallons an hour.
McGhee Tyson Airport sent a firetruck; its foam spray, tailored for blanketing runway fires, could not penetrate mounds of woody embers. Greaves' crews drove heavy equipment atop the piles to spread them out -- a dangerous maneuver because of the potential for a mound collapse.
The water eventually drained to Third Creek, which a Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency biologist said became dark as coffee. The agency counted more than 1,100 fish dead.
No fire cause was determined, but investigations found a number of measures that could have prevented or lessened its severity.
Overloaded
Decomposing brush generates enough heat to cause steam, sometimes enough to catch fire. Crews had been called to Shamrock more than 150 times in 10 years.
Incident reports are written whenever crews are called. The News Sentinel found a report from October 2011 on a Shamrock call that described the site as "overburdened."
But such incident reports were simply filed without review, the News Sentinel reported.
Now Knoxville Fire Department Deputy Chief Roger Byrd searches fire incident reports for patterns across the city, under a directive from Rogero.
"He looks at them and sees if there's a pattern, and if he does, he further investigates," Corcoran said.
A report from Rogero's administration found other areas to improve. Piles were too high at the site. A berm surrounding the facility had been compromised, allowing runoff to spill into the creek. A pile of brush and mulch, called a hybrid pile, created greater risk for future fires. Safety equipment needed to be installed, as well as other demands. If Shamrock becomes overloaded, then the city will send brush elsewhere.
Greaves has answered each requirement, he and Knoxville Public Service Director David Brace said.
"It's been a process, and there have been expectations communicated from the city and from the law director," Brace said. "And Mr. Greaves has had to work to meet those expectations."
The frequent inspections implemented after the fire now occur monthly.
"Everything that was designated by the fire protection plan has been completed," said Capt. John Rodgers in the Knoxville Fire Department's Fire Prevention Bureau. On April 30, Rodgers wrote in a report, "in my opinion, hybrid pile eliminated."
The word "eliminated" was underlined twice.
Greaves' mulch piles are under 20 feet, by city orders. They're spaced out. A fence surrounds his lot, as does a berm.
Heat-sensing cameras monitor the site for flare-ups, triggering an automated call when one is detected. They were tested, calibrated and tested again before being put in operation.
"We've done everything we've been asked to do," Greaves said.
With all the additions to his lot, and new rules, at least one subtraction has been made.
Not a single branch from those 2011 storms remains among the mulch.
GERALD WITT / THE KNOXVILLE NEWS-SENTINEL, TENN
June 17, 2013
EMS Study Links Stress with Sleeping, Drinking Habits of Medics
A survey of 256 paramedics at Austin-Travis County EMS has shown a connection between their mental health and off-duty sleep and drinking habits, including that medics with clinically significant symptoms of depression or post-traumatic stress disorder were more likely to endorse getting drunk at least once in the previous three months.
The anonymous, voluntary survey is an early foray for the agency to explore the behavioral health of paramedics, a population that EMS psychologist Marc Kruse said is virtually unstudied. The effort is aimed at studying the prevalence of behavioral health problems among medics, as well as figuring out ways the agency can help improve their health.
Kruse, who conducted the survey during the spring of 2012, plans to present some of the results at a Research Society on Alcoholism meeting in Orlando, Fla., this month. In the fall, he plans to replicate the survey with medics at the Wake County Department of Emergency Medical Services in North Carolina to gauge whether his findings in Austin are comparable.
Kruse declined to provide the survey questions but said some were designed to screen for symptoms of depression and PTSD, and some examined strategies medics use to cope with stress, such as food and substances. The survey also asked about off-duty sleep patterns and alcohol use during the previous three months.
Of 320 eligible paramedics, about 80 percent participated in the survey. The average age of participants was 37, and about two-thirds reported having more than five years of experience working for the agency. Nineteen percent were women.
One study looked at drinking, and a presentation of the research that Kruse provided reports finding "relatively modest" alcohol use among paramedics but a strong relationship between signs of heavy drinking and using substances to cope with distress. Medics experiencing clinically significant symptoms of depression or PTSD were more likely to endorse getting drunk once in the previous three months, according to the study.
About 1 in 5 of the paramedics who completed the survey said he or she did not drink alcohol during the previous three months. According to the survey, 81 percent of paramedics who reported drinking consumed 3.2 drinks twice a week, on average.
About 53 percent of drinkers reported getting drunk an average of once a month in the three months before the survey, according to the study. Meanwhile, 65 percent of drinkers reported binge drinking -- more than five drinks in a sitting for men and more than four drinks for women -- a little less than twice a month, on average.
Drinking to the point of getting drunk and binge drinking were significantly correlated with symptoms of depression and PTSD, using substances to cope with distress and reduced off-duty sleep.
Kruse also has used the survey to research how the amount of sleep medics get off-duty affects their mental health. While medics reported an average of 6.3 hours of sleep while off-duty, medics who said they got less sleep, 5.5 hours, also reported severe depression symptoms.
The study found that reduced off-duty sleep is significantly associated with higher PTSD symptoms, lower life satisfaction, lower psychological resilience, higher occupational tress, higher burnout, getting drunk more often, and using substances and food to deal with stress.
Medics work a variety of schedules in a 48-hour workweek, EMS Director Ernie Rodriguez said. Some cover four 12-hour shifts in a row, and within that workweek medics could rotate between stations with varying call volumes.
"Our field staff and our commanders get exposed to, really, some stressful and very traumatic experiences," Kruse said. "Every time the tone goes off, they have an opportunity to interact with somebody as they're dying or their life is being forever transformed."
Asked whether he found any of the results of this study surprising, Kruse said he and others involved in research based on the survey, including researchers at the University of Texas and Paul Hinchey, the agency's medical director, weren't sure what to expect.
Kruse said there are no outside studies with which to compare the results of the survey, though anecdotally he said they seem to be similar to what medics at other agencies experience.
Rodriguez said that's why it will be important to extend the study beyond the city's system.
"What kinds of best practices can we glean from each other?" he said.
CIARA O'ROURKE / SOURCE: AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN
June 17, 2013
Some Fire Vehicles Topping 100 mph - OH
Seven Columbus fire supervisors raced to emergencies at more than 100 mph this year, an internal investigation has determined.
That didn't violate the Fire Division's policy, and they likely won't be disciplined. But the incidents have sparked a debate among city officials about how fast is too fast when responding to emergencies.
Fire administrators launched the investigation despite strong objections from fire union officials. The city's new GPS tracking system had flagged SUVs driven by firefighters serving in the role of battalion chief who drove between 101 and 113 mph a total of 13 times in a two-month span, according to documents obtained by The Dispatch through a public-records request.
Battalion Chief Jack Reall, who also is the president of the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 67, was one of those whom investigators questioned after he was clocked driving his Ford Interceptor SUV at 108 mph in February.
Reall has said that any discipline arising from the GPS units has to be approved by the union through contract bargaining. He did not return a call last week seeking comment.
The city has agreed to midterm bargaining with the union, while Safety Director Mitchell J. Brown has instructed his staff to develop standards for speed and other data reported by the GPS units, such as idling times and routes traveled.
The Fire Division's current policy allows firefighters to exceed the speed limit as long as road and weather conditions are favorable. Fire Chief Gregory A. Paxton has informally suggested during administration meetings that no fire vehicle should travel more than 90 mph, according to statements one battalion chief made during the investigation.
"The 90 mph statement was information that may be considered when a more-formal policy is developed," Battalion Chief Patrick Ferguson said in an email response. "It is our understanding that formal discussions about the policy is being handled by city leaders and IAFF Local 67."
Everyone involved agrees that vehicles should travel reasonable speeds based on the time of day, the amount of traffic and weather conditions.
Many firefighters, including Reall and Ferguson, have argued that every second matters when lives are at stake.
"The issue boils down to how fast does the public want us to respond?" Ferguson said. "If you're having a heart attack or some emergency, do you want us to get there by going the speed limit or going as fast as we reasonably can?"
Fire administrators argue that speeding makes a negligible difference, especially for those serving as battalion chiefs, who carry little or no lifesaving equipment and usually are not the first to arrive at an emergency. They also argue that most fire apparatus, such as engines and ladder trucks, can't reach speeds of more than 90 mph anyway.
"The battalion chiefs play a very critical role in managing logistics and running the scene at an emergency," said Mike Halloran, an assistant city attorney and a firefighter. "I think like everything else firefighters do, they have to balance risk with benefit, and those responding to a scene do so safely by using their training and relying on their protocols."
Halloran said safety has to be "the top priority."
The Ford Interceptor SUVs the battalion chiefs drive have 304-horsepower, V-6 engines rated for speeds up to 131 mph.
State law allows emergency vehicles to reach any speed necessary as long as there is "due regard for the safety of all persons and property upon the highway." Fire departments across the state treat speeding differently.
In Akron, fire vehicles may go no more than 5 mph over the speed limit. In Youngstown, it's 10 mph.
Youngstown Fire Chief John J. O'Neill Jr. said traveling faster than 10 mph over the speed limit makes little difference in response times.
Dayton mirrors Columbus, allowing firefighters to speed at any rate as long as conditions are favorable.
Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman said through his spokesman that he is awaiting a recommendation from Safety Director Brown before he comments. It was Coleman who pushed for the GPS units to reduce fuel costs, pollution and misuse of vehicles. The mayor said he grew tired of seeing news-media reports of workers' driving their vehicles to unauthorized locations and sometimes leaving them idling while they ate lunch.
LUCAS SULLIVAN SOURCE: THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH, OHIO
June 17, 2013
Volunteer fire department building burns down - KY
OHIO CO., KY (WFIE) - A fire destroyed the Dundee Volunteer Fire Department in Ohio County around 7:00 Saturday night.
14 News is told the department has 17 firefighters on its roster. Many of them gathered on Sunday to show their support for each other and the community.
"Of course, there was nothing we could do. All of our equipment was inside," Fire chief Danny Pogue says.
Chief Pogue says Saturday night's fire was reported by a passerby who saw smoke coming from the building. Nearby fire agencies quickly coming to put the fire out.
He tells 14 News that the building, which has been home to the department since 1978, is a total loss.
"It was terrible. It was one of the worst days of my life," says Becky Pogue, firefighter and treasurer for the department.
Chief Pogue says the cause of the fire is still under investigation. He says the truck is plugged into a wall outlet to charge equipment like flashlights and cameras on the vehicle.
"I believe that something along those lines malfunctioned inside that truck is what caused this fire," Chief Pogue says.
Fire officials say calls of support from the community have been coming in, many people offering a helping hand.
"Firefighters from other community departments were here and it was just like a brotherhood," said Becky Pogue.
The chief says other departments are stepping in to cover the Dundee community.
But those 14 News talked with have high hopes that the department will soon be up and running again.
"We'll be back in operation. It's just going to take time," Chief Pogue says.
Chief Pogue tells 14 News that state fire officials are still working to determine the official cause of the fire.
Posted by Kara Mattingly / By Laura McNut / 14news.com
June 17, 2013
Family loses home; firefighter injured - TX
Robin Rodriguez was just getting off work Sunday when she got the phone call - your house is on fire, her brother told her.
"Everything we own, everything - clothes, IDs, pictures - my son was crying that his brand new shoes were burned," Rodriguez said, staring at her charred home through the glare of flashing lights.
No one was home at the time of the fire at 8:19 p.m. Her husband, Daniel Rodriguez, and four children, ages 10 months to 9 years old, were on their way to pick Robin Rodriguez up from work.
A firefighter was injured, however, while battling a fire at the house at Loma Vista Avenue and North East Street, said Victoria Assistant Fire Chief Tracy Fox.
The firefighter suffered minor injuries when he fell through the floor of the burning home, Fox said. His name was not released.
Battalion Chief Clifton Bayer said the man was transported to Citizens Medical Center to be evaluated.
The home likely is a total loss, Bayer said, with much of the structure destroyed by fire, smoke and water damage.
The family stayed at a hotel provided by the American Red Cross Crossroads Chapter on Sunday night but will be looking for a place to live.
Crews arrived at 8:22 p.m. Bayer said it took 25 minutes to get the fire under control.
"Everything we put into the house - it is all gone," Robin Rodriguez said. "It is just gone. The only thing we have is the clothes on our back."
Story by Caty Hirst / victoriaadvocate.com
June 15, 2013
Massive Blaze Engulfs Indianapolis Building - IN
Firefighters work to put out a large building fire Saturday, June 15, 2013 in Indianapolis. An estimated 150 firefighters were battling the blaze Saturday afternoon in the building about one mile southwest of the city's downtown. AP Photo/The Indianapolis Star, Adam Wolffbrandt
Firefighters spray water on a large fire Saturday, June 15, 2013 in Indianapolis.
AP Photo/The Indianapolis Star, Matt Detrich
An estimated 150 firefighters were battling the blaze Saturday afternoon in the building about one mile southwest of the city's downtown.
AP Photo/The Indianapolis Star, Matt Detrich
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A fire engulfed a sprawling mixed-use building near downtown Indianapolis filled with tires and wooden pallets Saturday, producing a towering pillar of black smoke that prompted the evacuation of a five-block area surrounding the structure, authorities said.
Capt. Rita Burris of the Indianapolis Fire Department said about 100 firefighters from six departments were battling the fire that was consuming the two-story brick building about one mile southwest of the city's downtown.
The building was rocked by numerous explosions that Burris said are believed to have been small propane tanks exploding from the heat of the fire.
She said the building houses tire- and pallet-recycling businesses, a bicycle shop and storage facilities, but none were believed to have been open when the fire was reported Saturday afternoon.
The blaze produced such a large plume of black smoke that firefighters ordered the evacuation of a five-block area around the building due to the health threat posed by the smoke, Burris said.
"We've got tires, we've got pallets and we've got siding made of materials that are producing thick, black smoke — a lot of toxins. It's thick, black smoke," she said.
Early Saturday evening, Burris said crews were probably hours away from bringing the fire under control and that firefighters might order additional evacuations if the wind shifted. The fire was reported about 1 p.m. EDT and was still burning seven hours later.
She said the only injury has been a firefighter who hurt his knee at the scene.
Because of the scope of the fire, crews had to ask the local water department twice to boost water pressure so that they could get enough water to start dousing the flames, Burris said.
Fire crews were expected to remain at the scene through Saturday night working to put out the fire. Once the fire is out, Burris said crews will remain on the scene for several days to make sure the blaze doesn't ignite again.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police spokesman Chris Wilburn said the businesses inside the building contain about 85,000 tires, 60,000 wood pallets and a 500-gallon propane tank that's about one-quarter full. He said firefighters were directing water toward the tank to prevent it from exploding.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was at the scene monitoring air quality, while officials from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the local health department have also responded, Wilburn said.
Reserve officers were called to the scene Saturday to help with the evacuation and move residents from their homes to shelters.
"At this point they're doing the best they can to get it under control," Wilburn said.
RICK CALLAHAN / ASSOCIATED PRESS
June 15, 2013
BEE HIVES CATCH FIRE - FFs STUNG - CA
Two firefighters, a beekeeper and (presumably) a lot of angry bees had a very bad day after some hives caught fire.
City News Service reports that firefighters were dispatched to the 8300 block of La Tuna Canyon Road at 10:42 a.m. today. They had the fire out within 37 minutes of their arrival, Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles City Fire Department told CNS.
However, in putting out the fire, two firefighers were "repeatedly stung" and a male beekeeper suffered burns to his arm and face. He was taken to a hospital in "fair condition." It's not known if the firefighters also had to be hospitalized.
Somehow the hives, located in the foothills east of the San Fernando Valley, caught fire. A burning vehicle may have sparked the blaze, firefighters at the scene said. The fire burned one-half acre of brush before it was put out.
It's not known if a "smoker," a common apiary tool, sparked the fire. Per Beekeeping.com, "The smoker is used to produce smoke which causes the bees to consume honey, reducing their tendency to fly and sting. Smoke also directs bees away from areas of the hive being worked... The ideal smoker fuel remains lit, burns slowly, and produces cool, white smoke." Done right, it does not produce embers, according to the site.
firefighterclosecalls.com
June 15, 2013
City Needs More Money to Fix Radio System - CA
Oakland (Calif.) officials are asking for $3 million in upgrades for its police-fire communications system, which has been plagued with problems ever since it was first turned on in August 2011. In one case, the P25 trunked radio system failed during a city visit by President Obama, jeopardizing coordination of police officers. The city hired a consultant last year to analyze the radio system and find the source of the problems. The consultant claimed that several AT&T cellular towers in the city were interfering with the Harris Corp. 800 MHz radio system, creating dead zones. Several AT&T towers were turned off or re-tuned, but overall system problems continued. Now city officials say that support systems for the radio network are 15 years old and are degrading system performance. They propose replacing power supplies, generators and fans, and making $1.6 million of comm center upgrades. In a letter to the city’s administrator, they also ask that the city’s usual competitive bidding process be waived to allow direct purchases. In the meantime, the city’s Information Technology department is investigating if the city should join a new regional, two-county, 700 MHz trunked radio network.
911dispatch.com
June 11, 2013
White Powder Sent To FDNY Headquarters Deemed Not Hazardous - NY
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - A suspicious package has been sent to the headquarters of the New York City Fire Department in Brooklyn, but police have determined a white powder found inside is no threat.
The NYPD said around 1:30 Monday afternoon that the white powder mailed to FDNY headquarters at MetroTech Center in Brooklyn is not hazardous.
Police spokesman Paul Browne told WCBS 880's Rich Lamb that it’s not yet known exactly what the powder was, but that it was accompanied by a letter about the dangers of asbestos.
FDNY sources told Lamb that an envelope containing white powder was mailed to a member of the department at the Fire Prevention section.
Members of the bomb squad and the NYPD Emergency Services Unit answered the call to check out the suspicious envelope, Lamb reported.
The NYPD has specially trained personnel who wear head-to-toe Tyvec suits in such situations, Lamb reported.
The powder will likely still be sent to labs for additional testing.
At the moment, there is no word on what the powder may be, but after the recent Ricin incidents, extra caution was taken, Lamb reported.
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/
June 11, 2013
Residents: New Firehouses On Long Island Are Too Lavish - NY
POINT LOOKOUT, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — They volunteer and save lives, and now firefighters on Long Island have asked communities to upgrade old, out-of-date firehouses.
But as CBS 2’s Carolyn Gusoff reported Monday, critics said some of the new firehouses are actually more like mansions.
The big, new firehouses are paid for with taxpayers’ dollars, cut some people have said they are over the top.
“Humongous,” one resident said. “It’s beyond what’s necessary.”
Many of the 126 Long Island fire districts have recently rebuilt — in the 30,000 square-foot range. Westhampton Beach just gave the nod to a $15 million doubling of its aging firehouse.
Some residents, grateful for the brave lifesaving work of volunteer firemen, have been questioning on the Internet why headquarters have to be so big.
Internet posts ask:
“Why must LI have mansions as firehouses?”
“It’s not being ungrateful, but why is the firehouse the nicest house in town?”
“An outrage: state of the art gyms, 5-star restaurant kitchens, flat screens, marble floors, elaborate bars!”
The debate has fire officials in Point Lookout hoping there will not be a backlash. They’re asking for $7 million to replace firehouses built when ambulances were the size of vans and fire trucks had open backs.
Bigger apparatus, and mandates, mean firehouses have to be bigger. And fire officials said volunteers deserve some comforts.
“We want to offer some amenities for the guys when they’re hanging out — you know, big screen TV, a company room — but some of these big firehouses are, they’re huge,” said Lido and Point Lookout Fire Commissioner Chas Thompson.
And many residents said they don’t mind footing the bill.
“I trust that these guys know what they need, and they don’t think they would frivolously put something out there that we don’t need,” one resident said.
“The firemen deserve what they need to get the job done,” another said.
“The people who complain are not the people who get woken up at 3 in the morning to fight a fire,” a third said.
There is no gym in the Point Lookout firehouse plan – just showers and room for trucks to fight fires.
Fire officials said the $350 per year in taxes is still a bargain.
The vote on new firehouses in Point Lookout and Lido is set for July 9.
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/
June 11, 2013
FF BURNED AT HOUSE FIRE - FL
A firefighter was treated for burns after rushing into what authorities called a suspicious fire Tuesday morning at a house in Dunedin.
The firefighter, who was not identified, has been with Dunedin Fire Rescue for five years, a spokesperson said.
Deputies and crews responded to 1965 Sourwood Boulevard around 8:30 a.m. and found the front of the home engulfed in flames. A woman who lives there had managed to get out safely, but firefighters didn't know that, and at least one went inside to help her get out.
"When we get the message that there's someone inside, we gear up and go inside," Dunedin Deputy Chief Trip Barrs said. "The gear is very good, but with some of the temperatures we encounter, the gear's just not able to protect us fully."
The injured firefighter suffered first- and second-degree burns to his face and legs.
The woman who escaped the home was taken to Mease Dunedin Hospital. A neighbor was evaluated for smoke inhalation, then released by paramedics at the scene.
Two dogs and three birds were rescued from the house.
Investigators from the State Fire Marshal's Office and Pinellas County Sheriff's Office are investigating the fire. They did not say why they believe the fire to be suspicious.
firefighterclosecalls.com
June 11, 2013
Fire District Reviews Safety Policies in Wake of Accident - CA
MORAGA -- The Moraga-Orinda Fire District is reviewing safety policies in the wake of an investigation into a December multicar crash that sent three Moraga-Orinda Fire District firefighters and one motorist to the hospital.
Released June 5, the investigative report deconstructs what happened that stormy morning on a rain-soaked Highway 24 when Capt. Michael Rattery and firefighters Kelly Morris and Stephen Rogness were hit by a car as they tended to a four-vehicle accident. A motorist exiting his car after hitting a fire engine already at the scene was also struck. None of the four had life-threatening injuries.
Authored by private consultant and Lawrence Livermore National Lab Fire Marshal John Sharry, and reviewed by a peer committee, the report praises firefighters, paramedics and a quick-thinking captain whose decision to move an ambulance away from the initial crash scene kept it from being struck by another vehicle.
But it also points out several policy and operating deficiencies that contributed to an already bad situation on a section of freeway between Orinda and the Caldecott Tunnel fire officials say is an accident hot spot.
Those deficiencies include issues with establishing temporary traffic controls such as signs warning motorists they were approaching an accident; limited traffic control information on district training sheets and a lack of adherence to safety policies, including not wearing a "retroreflective" vests required of firefighters at incidents on or near roadways unless they're fighting a fire.
"MOFD doesn't have a formal policy about operations on the highway," Sharry said. "I don't believe that the district gave adequate guidance to its members for the dangers of operating on the highway."
The report's findings and recommendations include:
--Adopting a formal policy on freeway operations. Sharry said the district has three policies that deal mostly with rescue, but not with traffic management. The report recommended reviewing certain guidelines about blocking an accident scene, and said the placement of a fire engine that day was a factor in the accident because it partially obstructed a lane.
--Providing advance motorist warning of accident scenes. Sharry recommended the district work with Caltrans to provide electronic signs alerting drivers of incident ahead of them. Sharry said motorists approaching the December accident scene on the partially flooded highway had no warning of the fire engine sitting in the middle of the road.
--Crafting guidelines about safeguarding civilians or "patients" in addition to firefighters at an area of activity such as a highway accident.
The district updates policies on vehicle accident responses on an as-needed basis, said Stephen Healy, MOFD division chief-operations, in an e-mail. Firefighter-paramedics also receive vehicle accident response training and participate in annual simulations.
Fire Chief Randy Bradley said the district is embracing the report's recommendations, and is working with the firefighter's union to address each one. Fire officials are also meeting with Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol about traffic control.
JENNIFER MODENESSI / SOURCE: CONTRA COSTA TIMES
June 11, 2013
Firefighter Escapes Injury in Fire Engine Rollover - KA
An 18-year-old Kansas firefighter -- wearing a seatbelt -- suffered only minor injuries Sunday night when the fire truck she was driving rolled over in Reno County.
Candace Weins was driving the District 3 fire engine when she lost control after applying the brakes, according to KAKE.com.
The young driver told officers she began to apply the brakes to slow down when the front wheels began to turn. The truck left the roadway and she over-corrected, veering into the other lane. The truck rolled once into the ditch.
The engine sustained extensive damage in the 9:30 p.m. crash.
Weins was taken to the hospital for a check-up.
EMSWORLD.COM NEWS
June 11, 2013
DUI wreck injuries 1st responders and others - SC
NORTH CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - Authorities have released dash camera video of an alleged DUI wreck that injured several people
in North Charleston on Saturday. The video shows emergency personnel on scene at 3940 Ashley Phosphate Road attending to a wreck that happened earlier. A car, which authorities say was driven by Felix Garcia-Romero, can be seen crashing into a car and several people including two emergency responders. Later in the video, a police officer can be seen questioning Garcia-Romero.
Officials with the North Charleston Fire Department say one of responders injured in the accident remains in the hospital.
Engineer Darin Kingery, a 12-year veteran with the department suffered multiple fractures following the early Saturday morning crash. Kingery is in the Intensive Care Unit at the Medical University of South Carolina. According to NCFD officials, a second firefighter, Joshua Sader, who's been with the department for six months, was treated and released the night of the crash. Garcia-Romero, who is accused of injuring the responders and four other victims, is facing $300,000 in citations after crashing through an accident scene on 3940 Ashley Phosphate Road. North Charleston police say the 27-year-old man is charged with three felony counts of driving under the influence after sending a firefighter, paramedic, and four others to the hospital. He remained behind bars at the Charleston County Detention Center Monday after he was issued a $300,000 bond over the weekend.
According to a release, North Charleston Fire Department and Charleston County EMS responded to a collision at 3940 Ashley Phosphate Road at 1:44 a.m. where a disabled car was in the street following a collision with another car. A police report states a black Honda traveling northbound, crossed over into southbound traffic in order to avoid hitting the fire truck, which NCFD officials say was placed on the roadway in a defensive position, that was blocking traffic. According to authorities, the Honda then hit the Chevy and then struck five pedestrians, including the two responders.
hydr ozkan
June 11, 2013
Audit shows critical shortages in Fire Department fleet- DC
WASHINGTON, DC - A new audit of the D.C Fire Department’s fleet of vehicles shows a critical lack of reserve pumper and ladder trucks with just over half of the ambulances owned by the city available for service.
The audit was ordered by D.C. City Councilman Tommy Wells after FOX 5 revealed the fleet numbers given to the city council last February were false.
After taking weeks to count all of the vehicles in its fleet and determining their readiness the D.C. Fire Department now admits it doesn’t have nearly the ambulances and pumper trucks it claimed to have last February.
City Councilman Tommy Wells says there is money in the budget to purchase new vehicles but he is now more concerned with staffing.
Just before he appeared before the D.C. City Council’s Judiciary Committee last February, Fire Chief Kenneth Ellerbe and his staff told the council it had 398 vehicles in its fleet including 29 ladder trucks, 106 ambulances and 64 pumpers.
Numbers we now know were false.
In a new report obtained by FOX 5 the fire department now admits it has far fewer vehicles with many of them out of service.
In fact an audit now shows the department has available for service:
56 out of 96 ambulances
37 out of 53 pumpers
And 18 out of 26 ladder trucks.
Those numbers concern Tommy Wells.
"I am putting a whole lot of scrutiny on the maintenance and availability of these vehicles, that's why we got the audit report and i am going to require another audit report as they acquire and fix vehicles and I will stay on this like a laser beam, they must be accountable to the public for the vehicles they have and the vehicles they have been budgeted for”, said wells.
As chairman of the City Council’s Judiciary Committee, Wells points out the fire department has been given 18 million dollars for new equipment but has been slow to spend it.
"This is why I am putting the focus on the fire department right now we need to be assured that we have the vehicles ready and available that we need to keep the city safe", he said.
An opinion shared by the firefighters union.
"It calls into question our ability to answer calls on a daily basis”, said union Second Vice President Dabney Hudson, “we are coming up on summertime, summers here, we had our first little heat wave the other day, it’s our busy time of the year and we run significantly more calls in the next four to five months".
Even more concerning for Wells is the fire chief's re-deployment plan which would put more ambulances on the street during peak afternoon and evening hours.
"They are way behind in hiring paramedics, way behind in hiring the staffing they need and that's why I am very, very skeptical about the new staffing proposal they have", said wells.
According to the fire department’s numbers there are currently 17 ambulances in reserve.
A number the union says should be doubled.
On Monday Morning Tommy Wells says he went to the Office of Unified Communications to listen to 911 calls and see the staffing levels for himself.
Wells says, as of 10:30 he was astounded to see only three out of 39 ambulances were available for service and all of them were in northwest.
By Paul Wagner / myfoxdc.com
June 11, 2013
LODD:
Smokejumper Luke Sheehy killed in Modoc County - CA
A smokejumper killed Monday while fighting a small lightning-strike fire in the Modoc National Forest has been identified as Luke Sheehy of Susanville.
Sheehy, 28, was a member of the California Smokejumpers based in Redding, the U.S. Forest Service said in a statement released this morning.
The forest service said Sheehy was struck by a falling portion of a tree as he battled the Saddle Back Fire in the South Warner Wilderness, about 15 miles southeast of Alturas.
The incident occurred just before 5 p.m.
Efforts to resuscitate Sheehy were unsuccessful. He was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Alturas, where he was pronounced dead, the forest service said.
"Our hearts go out to the family and friends of this brave young smokejumper who lost his life yesterday working with his team to control a blaze on the Modoc National Forest," U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell said. "We are launching a full review into the cause of his death to learn everything we can to prevent future tragedies like this."
The Saddle Back Fire is one of several dozen lighting-sparked fires that began at various national forests throughout Northern California on Sunday and Monday. It was first reported at 3 p.m. Monday, and several forest service firefighters remain on scene suppressing the fire, the agency said.
By Record Searchlight staff / redding.com
June 11, 2013
Millions Left Sitting in Volunteer Firefighters Fund Again - TX
The state legislature has approved more funding for volunteer fire departments, but far less than what’s sitting in the account is headed to firefighters.
Lawmakers in Austin have decided again that Texas volunteer fire departments cannot have all of the money in a special fund that was set-up specifically to help them.
The final budget deal approved by state legislators would give volunteer fire departments $10 million of additional assistance more than the last two years. But the decision leaves tens of millions more sitting in the state’s volunteer fire department assistance fund.
“The volunteers could really use that equipment and training right now. It's not helpful after the fire, after the accident,” said Republican State Rep. David Simpson, Dist. 7 from Longview.
In May, an NBC 5 investigation revealed more than 1,600 fire departments have asked for help from the Volunteer Fire Department Fund, but they’ve been turned down because lawmakers have not allowed the fund’s administrators, the Texas Forest Service, to tap into all the money.
The money is collected from a tax on insurance policies that has raised about $30 million a year.
Among the departments waiting for funding – the West Volunteer Fire Department that lost five firefighters in a giant fertilizer plant explosion last April.
The fire department in West operates on a budget of not much more than $10,000 a year and has relied on past assistance from the state to purchase new trucks, equipment and training,
In all, there are $86 million in unfunded requests from Texas volunteer fire departments, despite the fact that there is plenty of money in the fund. By next year, the state comptroller’s office estimates $90 million is expected to be in the account.
But instead of giving all of the money firefighters, the legislature has decided the forest service can only give out about $18 million a year to fire departments over the next two years.
The legislature did take steps to reduce the size of the insurance policy tax in future years, so there won’t be $30 million more piling up in the firefighter fund each year down the road. But that still doesn’t get the rest of the money in the fund to fire departments who say they need more help now.
“The money is there and we’re taxing with misrepresentation,” said Simpson.
Simpson tried to pass amendments that would get more money to the fire departments and said his fellow Republicans are to blame for the fact that firefighters won’t see more of the money collected to help them.
“I'd say, ‘Look at the Appropriations Committee. Look at the leadership of the House and Senate,’" said Simpson.
NBC 5 went to Austin talk with some of the key legislative committee members who made the final budget decisions.
Rep. John Otto led the negotiations on the issue. His staff told NBC 5 Investigates he wasn’t in. When asked if Otto could answer questions in an email, his chief of staff responded, “Not at this time.”
Rep. Myra Crownover’s office said she was not available to talk on camera, but she did email a statement saying, “We increased appropriations by $10 million for volunteer firefighters in this budget. I think that is certainly a step in the right direction.”
NBC 5 also paid a visit to the Office of Finance Committee Chair, Sen. Tommy Williams. In a statement Williams said, "Nobody gets everything. Funding volunteer fire departments had to be weighed along with other potentially life and death items, like Medicaid funding, nursing home funding..."
"The predicament of volunteer fire departments highlights the difficulty we face in prioritizing limited resources among so many worthy and necessary needs,” Williams said.
But because the money was collected specifically for fire departments, some firefighters and state legislators feel it’s dishonest to taxpayers to use it for anything else.
“The money is earmarked for us, why is it just sitting there?” asked Capt. Jonathan Reed with the Briar Volunteer Fire Department in Tarrant County.
“We're lying to them. We're not being people of integrity,” said Simpson.
By Scott Friedman / nbcdfw.com
June 11, 2013
Firefighter injured in two-alarm house fire - CA
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — A firefighter was injured in a two-alarm fire after stairs beneath him gave way in a vacant house fire.
ABC reported that the fire, which began at about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, displaced seven adults and a child.
The fire was knocked down by about 4:14 a.m. and the firefighter hurt his knee, according to the report. The firefighter was transported to San Francisco General Hospital and the extent of his injures has not yet been released, according to the report.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, according to fire officials.
By FireRescue1 Staff
June 10, 2013
Lowell fire truck drifts downhill, hits 2 cars, building - MA
LOWELL -- An errant fire truck struck two parked vehicles and a building early Saturday morning after it drifted downhill while parked outside a fire-alarm call that turned out to be a false alarm.
Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Winward, who was at the scene, said no firefighters were in Ladder 2 when it drifted downhill and struck an SUV and a truck before hitting a garage on McIntyre Street near Middlesex Street about 5:30 a.m. No one was hurt.
"We're still investigating what happened," Winward said.
Police said the vehicles that were struck were a Land Rover SUV and a Buick Skylark.
The impact knocked about two dozen bricks off the facade of an automobile mechanic's garage at McIntyre and Middlesex streets.
Winward said a building inspector examined that damage and determined it was only to the building's brick veneer. There did not appear to be any structural damage to the building.
Ladder 2 was on McIntyre Street, a short street that runs uphill from Middlesex Street to Marshall Terrace, for a report of an activated fire alarm.
The garage was closed Saturday and Sunday. No one there could be reached for comment.
By Robert Mills / lowellsun.com
June 10, 2013
2 injured in townhouse blaze - CA
marinij
FAIRFAX, Calif. — A late-night blaze gutted a Fairfax townhouse Sunday night, sending two residents to the hospital for treatment of burns and smoke inhalation.
Ross Valley Battalion Chief Jim Hanson said an aggressive attack by firefighters prevented substantial damage to residences adjoining the burning unit at 4 Penny Lane in the Canon Village complex off Sir Francis Drake Boulevard.
Capt. Gavin Illingworth, based at the Fairfax station, immediately called a second alarm after arriving shortly after 10 p.m. to find flames shooting from the "entire front of the building," Hanson reported.
"Our guys did an aggressive attack," Hanson said. "They just did a terrific job."
Fire crews knocked down the blaze in 27 minutes. Quenching the fire required "extensive work on the roof of the building" to make sure it didn't spread, he added.
A countywide investigation team was called in to assist in determining how the fire started.
In all, 11 engines and three ambulances convened. Several people were treated and released at the scene after inhaling smoke, and neighbors on either side of the charred unit were displaced.
Damage was substantial. "It was heavy," Hanson said. "It will have to be gutted and rebuilt." Townhouse units in the complex are valued at more than $500,000.
Marin Independent Journal
June 10, 2013
Irate Motorist Points Gun at Detroit Firefighters - MI
An irate motorist who apparently didn't want to take a detour is accused of aiming a gun at Detroit firefighters early Sunday.
"I was around the corner taking off my fire gear when I heard our driver yell, 'Gun!'" firefighter Bruce McMurtry of Engine 56 told The Detroit News. "Nobody flinched or ran. We were basically like, if it's going to happen, it's going to happen."
Crews had been on the scene of the house fire for about an hour when the resident drove up to encounter hoses spread on the street.
Firefighters told the man to drive around the block because driving over the hoses could damage the equipment, the paper reported.
"No shots fired, but he was pretty adamant the way he was waving the gun out window and aiming at people," McMurtry said.
As the crew stood still, the man drove over the hose lines and parked at a nearby home.
Firefighters reported the incident, and the man was arrested.
FIREHOUSE.COM NEWS
June 10, 2013
FDNY EMTs Wrestle Gun Away from Patient at Hospital, Treat Injured Police Officer - NY
EMT Brendon Hernandez (left) and EMT Jean Altidor.
FDNY EMTs Brendon Hernandez and Jean Altidor were praised by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly on June 10, after EMT Hernandez wrestled a gun away from a patient who shot a police officer outside Harlem Hospital and the pair quickly aided the injured officer.
“I was scared for our safety, for people passing by and the police officers,” EMT Hernandez said. “I just wanted to get the gun out of there and not make anything worse.”
The EMTs were called to 116th Street and Lexington Avenue at around 5 a.m. to evaluate a 42-year-old man who was violent and threatening to attack people. Police later identified the patient as Guiteau Idore.
Police arrested Mr. Idore, and EMTs Hernandez and Altidor transported him to Harlem Hospital for psychiatric evaluation. One police officer came with the EMS members in the ambulance and the other escorted them in a police vehicle.
When they arrived at the hospital, the officer in the ambulance began to remove Mr. Idore when he tried to flee.
Both police officers, identified by the NYPD as Officers John Chiodi and Fausto Gomez, grabbed Mr. Idore and were on either side of him to walk up the ramp into the hospital.
“I just kept telling him, ‘relax, relax,’” EMT Altidor said, who remained in front of the officers and patient.
He calmed down for a bit, according to the EMTs, but then began to struggle again.
Although he was handcuffed behind his back, he was able to remove one of the police officers’ guns and fired the weapon twice, according to police. He struck Officer Gomez one time on his left foot.
EMT Hernandez was turning off the ambulance and removing the key when he looked in the vehicle’s rear view mirror and police struggling with the man. He said he then heard popping sounds.
“I ran over, froze for a second, then just grabbed the gun,” EMT Hernandez said. Then, without any firearm experience, he figured out how to clear the gun’s chamber and emptied the magazine.
EMT Altidor said he saw the police officer was injured and immediately tended to his wounds. EMT Hernandez then turned over the weapon to police and grabbed a stretcher to aid the officer.
Although Commissioner Kelly said the EMTs “did an outstanding job.” The partners were not thinking about their heroism after the event. Their overnight shift was over and EMT Hernandez said: “I just want to go home.”
SOURCE: FDNY
June 10, 2013
Firefighter injured in train station blaze - FL
HIALEAH, Fla. — A firefighter was injured after a fire broke out at a train station Sunday night.
NBC Miami reported that the fire happened in the main engine compartment of one of the trains and that passengers and those in the station were evacuated as firefighters were called to the scene.
Firefighters quickly put out the blaze before it spread to any other train cars, but one firefighter received minor burns and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, according to the report. No one else was reported injured and officials haven’t said what caused the fire, according to the report.
By FireRescue1 Staff
June 10, 2013
Fire flares up with crews on roof of Calif. strip mall - CA
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Firefighters sawed through a metal gate to enter a strip mall Monday morning as they responded to a commercial building fire.
NBC LA reported that the fire was reported around 6 a.m. and damaged at least one unit of a Hollywood strip mall. Firefighters used a circular saw to cut through the metal gate and entered the building, which was not occupied, according to the report.
Crews were on the roof when fire shot through a hole in the structure, sending black smoke above the neighborhood, according to the report. After white smoke cleared, aerial video showed a hole in the roof of one unit and the fire appeared to be knocked down by 6:45 a.m.
By FireRescue1 Staff
June 09, 2013
FIRE APPARATUS BURNS IN FIREHOUSE - MI
A fire truck burst into flames early Sunday inside Plymouth’s Fire Station No. 2, totaling a rig and equipment valued at more than $500,000.
The fire station, which is attached to Plymouth City Hall on Main Street, was so badly damaged it can’t be used. The equipment stored there has been relocated to Plymouth Township’s recently closed Fire Station No. 2, at the corner of Wilcox and Schoolcraft roads.
“The cause and origin aren’t known yet,” said Plymouth City Manager Paul Sincock. “The Michigan State Police are conducting the investigation.”
No one was injured in the blaze. Police officers scrambled to save a second fire truck and ambulance that were parked inside.
The fire department serves the cities of Plymouth and Northville and operates on a paid-on-call basis, meaning firefighters respond when alarms come in, but they don’t staff the firehouses around the clock. Plymouth police officers stationed down the hall from the garage where the trucks were parked smelled smoke about 4 a.m. and went to check, Sincock said.
“They got to the apparatus bay of the fire department and it was full of smoke,” Sincock said.
The officers quickly called for a fire crew and hurried the other vehicles out as the fire raged. The truck, a Pierce mini-pumper, was only about a year old. It cost about $400,000, but the equipment on it could push the replacement cost above $500,000, Sincock said.
The firehouse was built in 1982 and renovated in late 2011. It was boarded up and can’t be used after the fire, Sincock said.
Sincock said the fire likely was caused by some type of mechanical failure, though the state police will make the final determination. The station has 24-hour video surveillance, so it’s unlikely anyone would have sneaked in to start it intentionally, Sincock said.
City officials expect to meet with insurance adjustors early this week.
The station that the fire department will use now was closed about 18 months ago by Plymouth Township and remains in great shape. The change won’t affect the department’s ability to respond to emergencies, Sincock said.
firefighterclosecalls.com
June 09, 2013
Fire Authority Considers Cuts to Meet Shortfall - CA
MODESTO -- Two and a half years after a celebrated three-way merger of fire agencies, the Modesto Regional Fire Authority -- without a chief at the moment -- is talking about layoffs and leaving some stations dark to save money.
Firefighters, already responding to emergencies slower than they would like, would take even longer, say officials staring at a $1.8 million budget gap. They blame the city of Modesto's financial mess for most of the problem.
Cost-saving options include smaller crews and pulling out of the fire station at the Modesto Airport. Because airlines can't operate without federally mandated firefighters standing by, the airport would consider contracting with a private firm or other nearby fire agencies to keep from losing six daily flights to San Francisco.
"It's going to get ugly," predicted Vito Chiesa, chairman of the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors.
The mood was gloomy when fire administrators unveiled a list of potential cuts Wednesday. But all partners eventually said they're committed to finding solutions.
"We want this (merger) to work," said Tom Burns, authority chairman and Salida's representative on the three-person board. "There are some speed bumps we'll have to navigate, but we'll get through it. Don't take our caution as saying we need to break it apart."
Consolidation welcomed
Spirits were high in January 2011 when stations in Modesto and Salida united with the county's fire warden office to create the Modesto Regional Fire Authority, charged with protecting 43 percent of the county's population. Consolidation helped eliminate some office and support functions, saving a combined $1 million the first year.
But it wasn't long before the authority was scrambling to keep from getting sucked into Modesto's financial bog.
To save money, the city cut dozens of fire service positions. Regular payroll went down, but overtime soared far over budget when the authority was forced to call firefighters back on duty to meet mandated staffing minimums of three people per engine.
Last year, more than half of the city's 201 employees making more than $100,000 were firefighters -- 104 of them, all because of overtime pay. One engineer with a base salary of $83,173 more than doubled his paycheck to $171,708.
Other problems, some linked to the region's slow recovery from the recession, have opened an $11.8 million shortfall in the city's proposed general fund budget for the fiscal year starting July 1. City Council members soon will decide how to counter the red ink.
Mayor Garrad Marsh proposes spending $121,000 more than last year on the fire authority. But that's a dismal $757,000 less than the authority needs to cover rising obligations that the city set in motion long ago, including a pay raise for firefighters and higher retirement and workers compensation costs.
Marsh for months has floated the idea of asking voters for a sales tax increase to benefit public safety. Results of a survey unveiled Tuesday suggested public support, but some City Council members prefer boosting the economy in other ways, or cutting costs.
Meanwhile, the fire authority twists in the wind.
It's not the end of the world if Modesto can't get its act together, said Supervisor Bill O'Brien, the county's representative on the fire board. He noted bylaws saying that service levels simply would be reduced for any of the three agencies that fail to honor financial obligations.
Talk of reducing fire investigations in Modesto alone didn't sit well with Councilwoman Stephanie Burnside, the city's representative. "I'm hearing a lot of 'his, mine, yours.' I thought we were well beyond all that, and I'm a little disappointed," she said. "We should be much further along in this marriage."
Raises promised
Burnside walks a fine line, defending Modesto at the fire board while sticking up for the authority at the City Council. She is chairwoman of the council's finance committee and was its only member voting "no" on Marsh's proposed budget because it doesn't address the fire shortfall.
City leaders have had five years to prepare for firefighter raises since signing a labor agreement in 2008, said Burnside, who was elected in 2010; a 2.5 percent increase is scheduled for July. "We knew those were coming," she said.
Reducing services in Modesto, without hurting Salida or affecting services provided by the fire authority to the rest of the county, is harder than it sounds for a partnership trying to act like a united agency. "We have to consider what's best as a region," Burnside said, "not just a tiny piece of the pie."
Modesto provides nearly 84 percent of the fire authority's $30 million revenue, the county contributes 12 percent and Salida 4 percent. But each agency has an equal voice on the three-person fire board.
If the authority lays off firefighters, it could lose a $1.8 million federal grant paying the salaries of nine firefighters for two years, and it might have to repay the money for violating terms of the grant. Other cost-cutting options considered by the authority also could doom the grant, such as pulling out of the airport's fire station and reducing staffing at the downtown Salida station from three people to two.
And some cuts might require deals with the firefighters' labor union. "We're open for discussing options," said Modesto City Firefighters Association President Tim Tietjen.
'Brownouts' tried before
A few years ago, the city resorted to "brownouts," or closing a station for about a day at a time, dispersing firefighters assigned there among other stations to fill staffing gaps. That saved from paying overtime but proved to be a "scheduling nightmare," Division Chief Sean Slamon said.
Despite rocky times, all representatives say the merger remains a good idea. Some among 16 other fire agencies throughout the county may be interested in joining someday, Burns said.
"MRFA is a good thing for the people of this area, absolutely," O'Brien said. "We're working through the bumps."
The Modesto Regional Fire Authority Board will consider service reductions and other cuts in a proposed budget at 1:30 p.m. June 26 at 3705 Oakdale Road, Modesto.
GARTH STAPLEY / THE MODESTO BEE
June 09, 2013
FF SUFFERS CARDIAC ARREST AT SCENE - FLOWN OUT - OH
Greenville and Darke County medics were dispatched to the scene of a fire on reports of a fire fighter down earlier tonight.
Fire crews were battling a shed fire at 1364 N. Hickory Dr. in Greenville, when medics were dispatched to the scene for a medical emergency, according to a press release from the City of Greenville.
Dispatch records indicate the medics were called to the scene for a cardiac arrest.
The firefighter was removed from the scene by Greenville Township Rescue crews and then taken by CareFlight to Miami Valley Hospital from the helipad at the county sheriff’s office, said fire officials.
The name and the condition of the fire fighter has not been released at this time.
The shed fire at the residence was contained, firefighters said.
firefighterclosecalls.com
June 09, 2013
FDNY Groupies Barred from Stations, Take Feelings Online - NY
She was hot for the FDNY.
Christine Cuocolo, 34, started out as a typical firefighter “buff,” one of legions of groupies to the hunky heroes.
But her desire to get close to the smoke eaters spiraled into a “Fatal Attraction”-like nightmare.
Cuocolo, a Midtown IRS employee, created several social-media identities, including FDNY Chicky, batcavesfiregirl 26 — a reference to the Engine Co. 26 nickname, Bat Cave — and midtownsixtyfive girl, for Engine Co. 65.
She joined a mushrooming number of online groups that honor the Bravest, such as Support FDNY, FDNY Midtown, and NYC Fire Wire. The groups, whose memberships have skyrocketed since 9/11, follow the Fire Department with the same intensity as young Justin Bieber fans.
Some buffs listen to scanners and chase sirens, taking spectacular action shots of blazes to display as trophies. “You guys are sooo awesome,” a female fan recently cooed on one page.
Cuocolo, who showed off a scanner, crafted YouTube videos and slide shows lovingly depicting her favorite engine companies.
She brought plates of cookies to firehouses to “show support because I respect them,” Cuocolo told The Post.
She also confessed to crushes on firefighters at Engine 65 on 43rd Street off Sixth Avenue — and a desire to date them.
“Yeah, I did at one time,” she said in a tiny, child-like voice. “It was a couple [firefighters]. I don’t remember who right now.”
But Cuocolo popped by so often — she also brought flowers and memorial plaques for the fallen — the crews grew uneasy. FDNY rules permit visitors inside firehouses only during “open houses”; they can’t just hang out.
When the firefighters finally told Cuocolo to stop the surprise visits and Facebook postings, her adoration twisted into obsession and fury, fellow buffs and firefighters said.
Cuocolo, the daughter of an ex-NYPD cop-turned-private investigator, dug up information on some firefighters and posted photos of their wives and children. At least one firefighter demanded she remove them.
Joni Heiden, a factory worker from Wisconsin who administers several fire-buff Facebook pages, e-mailed and spoke by phone with Cuocolo. Heiden saved disturbing messages texted from Cuocolo’s cellphone and written under her Facebook accounts.
One text message sent in December referred to firefighters by first names. “I hate Tommy Chris I want to hit them in the head with a . . . a halligan,” it said, citing the ax-like prying tool that rescuers use.
In March, another text mentioned three firefighters: “Im so sick of 65 house and tommy danny chris i want to shove a halligan up each of there asses.” Another message said, “F--k fdny engine 65 there a bunch of fags.”
The FDNY Chicky page on Jan. 2 displayed a photo of Engine 65 with the big letters “F U” taped or Photoshopped on the windshield.
Amid the escalating animosity came a scare. On April 23, a misspelled message appeared on Facebook under the name of an Indiana buff, Scott Main.
“i enjoy threating firefighter lifes the most import is i take out every fdny firefighter im going to start with 65 house,” it read. Another mentioned a “pipe bomb,” court records state.
The chilling words sparked a joint investigation by the NYPD and State Police, which traced the threats to the Rochester home of “Firefighter Battista,” a buff whom Cuocolo had befriended on Facebook.
Gary Battista, 36, who is not a firefighter, was busted last month on charges of making terroristic threats and computer trespass. Battista signed a statement admitting he posted the threats on Main’s Facebook page to get back at him for hurting Cuocolo, who claimed he beat her.
Main, 35, who met Cuocolo online, came to New York, and wooed her by claiming he was a firefighter, she said.
“He had the gear to prove it,” Cuocolo told The Post.
She gleefully modeled the bunker pants with suspenders for a set of photos that were posted online.
But she later says she learned Main had fished the gear from a Dumpster.
“He pretended to be a firefighter. He never was one,” she said.
Cuocolo, a divorced mother of three, left Main less than a month after they got together, she said. According to a police report, she accused him of hitting her in the face and chest at a Times Square McDonald’s on April 18. She called cops, who charged Main with assault and harassment. Main could not be reached for comment.
Cuocolo acknowledges that she then gave Main’s Facebook password to Battista, but she denies that she knew he’d post a threat. Both Battista, who spent a month in the upstate Monroe County jail, and Main have been released on their own recognizance pending hearings.
Firefighters pity Cuocolo. “I think she’s just a person who needs some help. She is not very mature and is easily manipulated,” one said.
Firefighters told The Post that Cuocolo was no longer welcome at Engine 65 because of her bizarre behavior.
“If she were to come by the firehouse again the guys have been instructed not to let her in and to call the cops,” a firefighter told The Post.
They take some blame for being kind to the tourists and “regulars” who flock to Manhattan firehouses. Their warmth can be misinterpreted.
“Some mistake our niceness for something more than it is,” one said. “Some people don’t realize it’s a job. They think it’s our job to entertain them. These people are interfering.”
Fanning the flames, he said, are TV shows like “Rescue Me” and movies like “Backdraft,” in which William Baldwin and Jennifer Jason Leigh tryst in the fire station.
“Some people think that’s what happens, but it does not,” the married dad said.
Occasionally, though, it does. The Bravest have been wary of “badge bunnies” and “badge bangers,” women who seek to hook up with heroes, since an August 2004 scandal in which a Staten Island woman, Jennifer Swanton, 35, had sex with three firefighters inside Engine 75/Ladder 33 in The Bronx. The FDNY later removed beds, video games and TVs from all firehouses.
Now, even home-baked gifts go in the trash, said another Midtown firefighter. Told that Cuocolo had made a crack about putting Ex-Lax in her dough, as one buff reported, the firefighter said:
“That’s why you never eat open cookies. You say no, and sometimes they go crazy. So you just say, ‘Thank you, Thank you.’ ”
SUSAN EDELMAN AND CANDICE M. GIOVE / SOURCE: NEW YORK TIMES
June 09, 2013
Early morning crash tips Greenwood ambulance, sends four to hospital - WI
WQOW-TV prepared the above video report:
TOWN OF WESTON — Four people were injured in a Saturday morning crash that tipped over a Greenwood ambulance and resulted in the arrest of one man on charges of drunken driving.
A car driven by Kevin Colby, 35, of Loyal blew through a stop sign at the intersection of highways H and 73 in the Clark County town of Weston at about 4 a.m., striking a Greenwood ambulance returning from a call, according to the Clark County Sheriff’s Department.
Both occupants of the vehicle along with two emergency medical technicians in the ambulance were transported to Ministry Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Marshfield, police said. Colby was arrested after he was treated for his injuries and released from the hospital.
Angela Colby, 35 of Loyal, a passenger in Kevin Colby’s vehicle, was listed in good condition Saturday night, according to a nurse supervisor at the hospital.
Roberta Hansen, 50, and Denet Oldham, 48, both EMTs from Greenwood, were in the back of the ambulance at the time of the crash. They were treated for their injuries and released.
The crash is being investigated by the Wisconsin State Patrol and the Clark County Sheriff’s Department.
Written by / News-Herald Media Staff
June 8, 2013
Fire Consumes Home, One Firefighter Treated, Two Pets Lost - NY
New City Assistant Fire Chief James Avaras said flames were shooting into the air when firefighters arrived at 290 Phillips Hill Road in New City just after 10 a.m. Monday morning.
“The house was fully involved on our arrival,” said Avaras. “The guys did a phenomenal job with that kind of heat.”
Avaras said everyone was accounted for and and two pets were rescued, a dog and a bird, but two dogs died in the fire. Firefighters from New City and West Havertstraw were treated for heat exhaustion and taken to Nyack Hospital.
Avaras said the blaze at the two-story home of about 4,500 square feet was difficult to fight because of its location. The house situated at the top of a long driveway was 1800 feet away from the nearest fire hydrant. Hoses were stretched from the fire hydrant. Avaras said Phillips Hill Road does not have an adequate number of hydrants.
Firefighters continued to battle hot spots in the shell of the house that remained. More than two hours after the fire was reported, heavy smoke still poured from the shell of the house and the four walls while firefighters poured water on them. At about 12:30 p.m., Avaras said the fire was pretty much under control although he expected firefighters to be there for much of the day. The cause was unknown but Avaras said it was possible a gas line was involved and an Orange & Rockland crew was called in to shut it off.
“There was a gas line that was wide open,” he said. “We couldn’t control it.”
The house is on a parcel of property shared with another house and a cottage neither of which appeared to have fire damage. Joan Falk, owner of the other house, said she was not immediately aware of the fire and did not know who called 911.
“I heard some popping noises,” she said. “I thought it was firecrackers or something. It looked like it started in the center of the house and went through the roof.”
80 firefighters from across Rockland County responded to the fire. Volunteers from the New City, Nanuet, Hillcrest, West Haverstraw, West Nyack, Congers, Orangeburg, Spring Valley and Havertstraw fire departments and members of the New City Ambulance and Spring Hill EMS. Clarkstown police provided traffic control, directing drivers away from the large section of Phillips Hill Road that was lined with emergency vehicles.
Posted by Robin Traum (Editor) / http://newcity.patch.com/
June 08, 2013
FF AND MEDIC STRUCK ON ROADWAY FF CRITICALLY INJURED
This morning while on scene of a motor vehicle crash, a North Charleston Firefighter/Engineer, a Charleston County Paramedic and four bystanders were struck by another vehicle that was driven through the scene. In all, five civilians, the Paramedic and the Firefighter were transported to area hospitals. This crash happened around 0145 Hours and the second crash happened 15 minutes later.
Numerous emergency vehicles were blocking and diverting but the drunk driver slammed right through.
While the Paramedic was treated and released overnight, the NCFD Firefighter remains at MUSC with multiple fractures and related serious injuries. He has been through 1 surgery already, is medically sedated and additional surgeries will be required.. One additional Firefighter was assessed and released from MUSC. The driver of the second vehicle was arrested by North Charleston Police and charged with DUI. They identified the driver as Felix Garcia Romera who was charged with three counts of felony driving under the influence.
firefighterclosecalls.com
June 08, 2013
Chicago Fire Department Ambulance Drives into Shootout - IL
An ambulance happened upon a West Side shootout early Saturday morning that left two men in critical condition.
The ambulance was eastbound about 12:15 a.m. in the 3500 block of West Lake Street in the East Garfield Park neighborhood -- not responding to a call -- when the paramedics saw men ducking behind cars and firing guns, Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said from outside John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County overnight.
Paramedics called a "10-1" over the radio, a term used to signal that a police officer, paramedic or firefighter is in distress and in immediate need of help.
"There were definitely bullets flying," Langford said.
Other responding firefighters and ambulances were told to hang back until the shooting stopped, Langford said.
"We have to hold until police get there, it's not safe," Langford said. "They called for help and police responded."
Two men were shot one in the head, the other in the chest and both taken to Stroger hospital. The ambulance that rolled into the scene was one of two that ended up transporting the men shot.
No fire department personnel were injured and it didn't appear that anyone was firing toward the ambulances, and the ambulances weren't damaged during the shooting.
Police taped off much of Lake Street west of Homan Avenue toward St. Louis Avenue, including the vacant lots on the north side of Lake Street. Green Line trains rumbled overhead as investigators searched the desolate block for evidence.
People scattered after the shooting and nobody lingered at the crime scene. A small crowd could be heard about a block west outside a small bar, partying next to a car.
PETER NICKEAS / SOURCE: CHICAGO TRIBUNE
June 07, 2013
911 Worker’s Error Delayed Response to Crash That Killed Girl, Officials Say - NY
Emergency medical workers were delayed in responding to a car crash in Manhattan that left a 4-year-old girl dead because a 911 dispatcher failed to see an incoming report on his computer for several minutes, fire officials said on Friday.
Officials, however, could not explain why the dispatcher did not see the call, which caused a delay of roughly four minutes in sending out an ambulance.
But fire officials vigorously disputed any suggestion that the delay was reflective of a wider problem with New York City’s new 911 system, saying it was a mistake made by one person.
“The person responsible for reading that screen did not read that screen,” Fire Commissioner Salvatore J. Cassano told reporters at a news conference. “Somebody made a mistake, and we are looking into it.”
The girl, Ariel Russo, suffered grievous injuries on Tuesday when she was struck on a sidewalk on the Upper West Side by a sport utility vehicle being driven by an unlicensed teenager fleeing the police. However, according to both witnesses and city officials, she was alive when an ambulance finally arrived.
“I don’t know if the four minutes would have made any difference,” Mr. Cassano said.
Ariel’s grandmother was injured in the crash but survived.
The admission of human error comes as the Bloomberg administration fends off criticism of the rollout of a new, more advanced 911 dispatching system.
In recent weeks, just as a new $88 million dispatch relay system is coming online, emergency operators in New York City have been forced on multiple occasions to resort to using pen and paper to record 911 calls and dispatch emergency workers after their computer system went dark.
City officials have said those problems have not resulted in any delays in response times.
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, speaking on his weekly radio show, said errors were to be expected whenever any new technology was used.
“You wish you didn’t have bugs, but that’s the real world,” Mr. Bloomberg said.
The overhaul of the 911 system, a $2 billion project meant to replace systems that are decades old, is enormously complex; it requires bringing new technology online even as parts of the old network remain, while ensuring that all components work together, city officials said. One major piece was completed in 2011, when a new system for 911 operators came online.
Operators electronically relay information from callers to either police, fire or E.M.S. dispatchers — each group has traditionally had its own system. At the end of May, the dispatch relay used by the Police Department was the first of the new systems to become operational. It was tested for six months before it went live, officials said. With an average of 30,000 calls coming in a day, there has been no noticeable change in the average response time, officials said.
The upgraded fire and E.M.S. dispatch relays are expected to be operational in the coming months.
Deputy Mayor Caswell F. Holloway, who has helped lead the 911 overhaul, bristled at any suggestion that the new system was not working properly. “The replacement of the 911 system is probably the most important public safety telecommunications project we have undertaken,” he said.
While he would have preferred for it to have taken less time to put into effect, Mr. Holloway said there was a “zero tolerance” for mistakes.
Fire officials scheduled the news conference after The Daily News reported on delays in responding to the fatal crash.
The officials repeatedly emphasized that the delay was not a technical one and that it was unrelated to the new system.
Mr. Cassano said any suggestion that the delay was because of a technical error was “just very irresponsible.”
Officials said the first call to 911 came in at 8:15 a.m. on Tuesday. It was promptly forwarded to a dispatcher and appeared on that person’s screen two seconds later.
Then, for reasons that have yet to be explained, it sat there until 8:19.
At that point, another dispatcher noticed it and an ambulance was sent, arriving at the scene roughly four minutes later.
Traffic on a police scanner that morning, however, painted a chaotic scene as one of the first police officers at the site of the crash grew more and more frustrated by his failure to communicate with the dispatcher.
Using a police term for ambulance, the officer repeatedly asked, “Where is the bus?” according to both emergency officials and someone who monitored the conversation over the scanner as it unfolded. The dispatcher on the other end sounded confused and nervous and could not provide an immediate answer.
The officer grew more frustrated, saying he had a semiconscious little girl in desperate need of help.
In the heat of the moment, one fire official said, it is not uncommon for the first responders to grow anxious when a life is on the line. Minutes have a way of seeming like an eternity, the official said.
After the ambulance arrived, the girl was taken to St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, where she was pronounced dead.
By MARC SANTORA and NATE SCHWEBER / nytimes.com
June 07, 2013
Update:
One of 13 firefighters injured in hotel fire speaks out - TX
HOUSTON -- For the first time, we are hearing from one of the 13 Houston firefighters injured in Friday's fire at the Southwest Inn motel.
Marcus Hernandez was one of the five firefighters who was identified as injured from last week's deadly fire in southwest Houston. He is an engineer operator and paramedic assigned to Station 3 who could have gotten more time off but instead chose to get to work.
In his two decades with the Houston Fire Department, Hernandez has stocked his ambulance more times than he can remember. On Thursday, it had more meaning.
"For me, it really helps to be here," he said. Thursday was Hernandez's first shift back since the day he'll never forget.
"I still smell the smoke," he said.
Last Friday, the paramedic was one of the 150 HFD personnel who responded to the fire at the Southwest Inn.
"It was that sick feeling that you know where you need to be and you pray for the best," he said.
His crew, Medic 3, was posted for what seemed like forever waiting on a seriously injured firefighter to be rescued from the burning building.
"We weren't going to go anywhere until we had somebody on our stretcher," Hernandez said.
All the while, Hernandez was inhaling the thick smoke.
"I was coughing up a lot of soot," he said.
He got his patient -- his fallen brother -- to the hospital and then it was his turn for treatment. While three firefighters, including the one he transported, remain in the hospital, he was in only a few hours. And he's grateful to get back to those who need his help.
"I felt very lucky because I was a lot closer than I really expected to be," Hernandez said. "And I'm glad that I was there to take care of my brother that had fallen,"
Hernandez spent three years as a firefighter before becoming a paramedic and noted this was his first time ever to have smoke inhalation. He is appreciative of all the community support and plans to head to one of the private funerals not long after getting off his 24-hour shift at 6:30am Friday.
INVESTIGATORS ASKING FOR HELP
The cause of the fire at the Southwest Inn is still under investigation. The Houston Fire Department Arson Division is taking the lead, with assistance from the State Fire Marshal's Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Houston Police Department.
An HFD spokesperson tells us that Arson investigators are now seeking witnesses to the tragic blaze. Anyone who has information that may help investigators is urged to call 713-247-8900.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Firefighters are not the types of people who sit still while others are in need. They've started selling T-shirts with the names of each of the fallen firefighters emblazoned on the back. One-hundred percent of proceeds go to the 100 Club. The 100 Club is supporting the victims and families. Anyone interested in donating can do so online at the100club.org.
Jessica Willey / abclocal.go.com
June 07, 2013
Discrepancies in Firefighter Pay Account Probed - NJ
Galloway Township is investigating discrepancies in the account that pays its volunteer firefighters about $130,000 a year.
Township manager Arch Liston said members of the township's fire companies said the individual companies may have misreported how long each firefighter served.
The township funds the "Length of Service Award Program" with about $130,000 a year and each firefighter receives a stipend based on the number of years he or she has served.
Liston said the township has hired former police officer James Bruennenstuhl to review the matter. He will paid no more than $1,000 for the review, Liston said.
A final report is expected to be released by the end of the month, he said.
JOEL LANDAU / THE PRESS OF ATLANTIC CITY, PLEASANTVILLE, N.J.
June 07, 2013
3 killed as medical helicopter crashes in elementary school parking lot - KY
Three people were killed when a medical helicopter crashed in Kentucky late Thursday night, officials said.
The Air Evac Lifeteam aircraft crashed in the parking lot of an elementary school at about 11:30 p.m. ET in Clay County shortly after transferring a patient to a hospital in Laurel County, NBC station WLEX-TV reported.
The school was not damaged, but a power line was hit. Witnesses said there was fog in the area at the time.
Air Evac confirmed the fatalities in a statement on its Facebook page.
“We are devastated at the loss of these crew members who we consider family,” it said.
“We have no details regarding the cause of the accident but will be working with the NTSB in coming days as they conduct their investigation,” it added.
The crew members were based in Manchester, Ky.
By Ian Johnston, Staff Writer, NBC News
June 06, 2013
Oswego firefighter cuts will undermine safety - NY
Members of The Oswego Fire Department conduct cold water rescue training in January 2012 in Oswego Harbor. On Monday, June 10, 2013, the Oswego Common Council will consider a budget that eliminates four vacant firefighter positions. (Submitted photo)
On June 10, the Oswego Common Council will consider a resolution that will result in the elimination of positions within the fire department. There are currently four newly created vacancies that were included in the 2013 budget, and anticipated to be filled. These positions are now on the chopping block.
This comes as a surprise, based on the fact that we recently suffered cuts to daily staffing and made concessions through contract negotiations to accommodate the 2013 budget. Specifically, we were forced to come up with a plan to hold the line on payroll and reduce the amount of overtime expenditures by 50 percent.
Without the replacement of these positions, the plan that was put in place at the close of the 2013 budget process to operate the department safely will be undermined. If these position are eliminated by the common council, it will again cause the department to rely on overtime to keep our staffing at its minimum. This is a burden that the current budget cannot absorb, and would likely result in the need for a further decrease in daily staffing.
The most important factor in our ability to protect the lives and property of the city of Oswego is our daily staffing. Daily staffing, at the beginning of 2013, was cut from 12 to 11, despite the Oswego Firefighters Association's serious concern that we already responded to structure fires with fewer personnel than what accepted industry standards call for. A daily staffing that if reduced further would inevitably result in a less aggressive approach in structural firefighting. Whether it be a structure fire, simultaneous alarms or resource-heavy river rescues , available staffing has the largest impact on the outcomes.
Use any of the recent structure fires in the city as an example. With 11 members on duty and one ambulance on a call, it leaves nine members able to respond to a fire. Of that nine, two members will be operating fire apparatus and one will be incident command. This leaves six members with the task of advancing a hose line to the seat of the fire, performing a search of the building to locate trapped occupants, providing ventilation to allow the hose line to be advanced, and establishing a water supply. Have a second ambulance out on a call and you are left with four members to accomplish the same amount of tasks, all of which need to be performed immediately upon arrival at a fire.
We are already spread dangerously thin, sometimes barely able to satisfy the OSHA mandated two in/two out requirement. Any further reduction in staffing will result in necessary tasks that do not get done at the scene of the next fire, putting our crews and the lives and property we protect in jeopardy.
The members of the Firefighters Association made many concessions during collective bargaining necessary to stay within the confines of the budget and continue to operate safely. Most notably our membership agreed to take a zero-percent cost-of-living increase for the next three years, reduced the number of firefighters that could be off at any one time to three, reduced the amount of leave time for all members, reduced the amount of overtime paid to a member forced to work over their shift, and we changed our shift schedule to hopefully lessen the overall opportunity for holdover overtime. We also agreed to a long-term plan to reduce health insurance costs.
I believe we have shown that we are not only dedicated to the citizens of Oswego as first responders, but also as a part of the equation that has worked diligently to maintain our services with less cost to our constituents. Simply put, we were told to come up with a plan to operate safely within the budget , we took staffing cuts and made concessions to do so, now the budget is being reduced further, which will cause the plan to fail, and ultimately result in more cuts to the services we provide.
We ask the members of the Common Council and the mayor to fill these positions and continue to work with this department to find responsible ways to control costs, while not jeopardizing our ability to provide ample protection for our city. Please contact your elected leaders and tell them we have cut enough.
By John Geraci / John Geraci is president of the Oswego Firefighters Association. / blog.syracuse.com
June 06, 2013
Civilians Suffer Minor Injuries in Fire Truck, Car Crash - GA
Two injuries were reported early Thursday when a fire truck and car collided in Walton County.
The wreck, which happened before 4:30 a.m. on Ga. 138 near Forester Cemetery Road, was the second crash this week involving a metro Atlanta fire truck.
The state Department of Transportation reported that two motorists in the car were hurt, but that no firefighters were seriously injured in Thursday's wreck.
That wasn't the case Tuesday night, when six Clayton County firefighters were hurt when their truck collided with a tractor-trailer on Old Dixie Highway.
One of those injured firefighters remained hospitalized Wednesday; the others had been treated and released.
MIKE MORRIS / THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION
June 06, 2013
Frager's fire burns historic hardware store - DC
WTOPradio
D.C. Fire investigators remain on the scene of last night's 4-alarm fire, hours after flames erupted at the Pennsylvania Avenue SE staple.
The store, which was established in 1920, is a popular spot for presidents and is often an area to stage political events.
John Weintraub, one of the owners of Frager's, says the fire started in a lumber area on the 11th Street side of the store. He says a customer alerted store employees to smoke coming from the area.
"I grabbed a fire extinguisher, but once I got out there, flames were shooting up the side of the building," Weintraub said.
Two hundred firefighters and 50 trucks were called in to fight the blaze that eventually reduced the historic store to ashes. The fire wasn't declared under control until about 11 p.m. Wednesday, several hours after it originally broke out.
Two of the firefighters who fought the fire suffered minor injuries.
Neighbors and longtime residents of both Capitol Hill and Washington as a whole have taken to the streets and to Twitter to mourn the loss of a neighborhood staple.
"Frager's just had everything," Capitol Hill resident Ronanta Hewitt said. "It's really sad that it burned right before my eyes."
Meanwhile, Frager's employees said on their Twitter page that they're grateful for the work of the firefighters and the community.
Thick smoke was visible all over the region; from Arlington National Cemetery, Nationals Park, Logan Circle, and even Tenleytown and far Northwest D.C.
On Thursday, fire officials said it may be weeks until the cause of the fire is known.
Store employees were on hand to greet and hug customers.
"We're going to be able to continue their salary for while so they're not going to be out on the street,” Weintraub says. “We're hopefully going to rebuild."
By Jenny Doren, Sam Ford, Robert Lyles / wjla.com
June 06, 2013
LODD's:
2 EMTs, Teresa Ann Davis, Randall Whiddon and a patient were killed in an ambulance crash - GA
OCILLA, Ga. — An ambulance with its lights and sirens on collided Thursday with a semitrailer on a Georgia highway, killing the two medics and the patient on board, authorities said.
The Georgia State Patrol said in a news release that the wreck happened around 5 a.m. Thursday on state Highway 32, near the small town of Ocilla in south Georgia.
Authorities said the Coffee County ambulance was heading east with its lights and siren activated when the westbound semi jack-knifed across the centerline and into the path of the ambulance. The ambulance struck the left side of the semi.
The State Patrol says the patient was Charles Arvin Smith, 65, of Tifton. The emergency medical technicians were identified as Teresa Ann Davis, 44, of Axson, who was driving the ambulance; and Randall Whiddon, 56, of Ashburn, who was riding in the front passenger seat.
Thunderstorms were occurring over parts of Georgia early Thursday morning, though it was not immediately clear if weather was a factor in the crash.
The State Patrol identified the semi driver as Rockwell Lott of Tifton. It wasn't immediately known if he was hurt.
The crash scene is about 180 miles south of Atlanta.
The Associated Press
June 06, 2013
Grieving firefighter guarding body of fallen HFD comrade becomes victim of theft - TX
SUGAR LAND, Texas—A Sugar Land police officer and his fellow colleagues chipped in to help a grieving firefighter whose car was broken into. What made this offense sink to a new low, is the victim was guarding the body of one of his fallen comrades.
“It was a burglary of a motor vehicle call,” said Matthew Shockey, a Sugar Land police officer. Shockey thought he was going to an ordinary call when he was dispatched to Settegast-Kopf Funeral Home on 15015 Southwest Freeway early Tuesday. But it wasn’t.
“I got there and it was a fire fighter, he was in full dress uniform, if you will,” Officer Shockey said.
The off-duty firefighter was volunteering his time, guarding the body of one of Houston’s fallen heroes, 24-year-old Anne Sullivan. That’s when someone broke into his car.
“He has several duffle bags taken, along with a computer bag,” Shockey said.
An iPad mini, a laptop and tools were also stolen.
“He had it in the car, because he was leaving the funeral home and going straight from there to where he works,” said the officer.
Officer Shockey knew the firefighter was already distraught, and this break-in was just too much for him.
“If that wasn’t enough, they just lost four firefighters, so they’re already grieving and it’s a somber time,” said the officer.
He wanted to cheer up the fire fighter.
“I don’t ever use Facebook, but there are some contacts on Facebook, and social media has its places,” he said.
Shockey decided to raise money on PayPal so he could replace what was taken.
“I felt real bad for him and so at that point, I kind of thought ‘let’s set up a donation for him, do it anonymously,’” said the officer.
But he didn’t raise enough money. So Shockey went into his own pocket and paid to replace the items himself.
“We dropped it off last night, I tried to be anonymous. It was people from all agencies that donated,” Shockey said.
Shockey raised close to a thousand dollars so far. He’s trying to raise $1,300, which is the money he spent. The rest of the money donated will go to the 100 Club.
The officer wants people to know that the story isn’t about him. It’s about the crook who was cold during a time of mourning. No suspect has been arrested.
by Malini Basu/ KHOU 11 News
June 06, 2013
Thieves ransack volunteer fire department in Liberty County - TX
HOUSTON—The Moss Bluff Volunteer Fire Department in Liberty County is reeling after thieves ransacked the station.
John Wilson has been a volunteer firefighter for 40 years and the chief of the Moss Bluff station in Liberty County for 17 years.
On Monday night, he made a shocking discovery.
“I come in to find the hoods up, the doors open, had the hoses hanging off the trucks,” said Wilson.
The small station on County Road 133 South was ransacked. Every fire engine and rescue vehicle was stripped of radiators, brass fittings, batteries, pumps, even ladders.
A generator was taken, and copper wiring was stolen from an A/C unit and an alarm system that Wilson said had been broken.
He believes all of these items will be sold at scrap yards.
“There was no insurance on building to take care of trucks. Everything we do, it’s all volunteer.”
Wilson said it will take the Moss Bluff station at least a year, if not longer, to replace everything that was stolen, and he said the station will soon begin to plan fundraisers.
Cpt. Ken DeFoor with the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office had a few choice words about the incident.
“For someone to come in and steal from a fire department—who, every single day puts their lives on the line just like the Houston firefighters – it would take a sick mind for someone to come in and do something like this,” he said.
The cost of the damage hasn’t been tallied, but is expected to be several thousand dollars.
DeFoor said he believes several people were involved in the burglary and that a large truck was likely used to haul the items away.
Deputies have taken fingerprints from the scene and are offering a $4,000 reward to anyone with information leading to an arrest and conviction.
The other dozen volunteer stations in Liberty County will handle their calls.
If you have information you can call the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office at 936-336-4500.
by Rekha Muddaraj / KHOU 11 News
June 05, 2013
Lessons Learned:
Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation Report - MA
Career fire fighter dies during fire-fighting operations at a multi-family residential structure fire
June 05, 2013
Swan song for Greene’s last all-volunteer rescue squad? - NY
GREENVILLE — It’s a scenario the Greenville Rescue Squad never wants to see: An ambulance call that can’t be answered because there are no available volunteers to dispatch the ambulance.
Out of 335 calls, this happened 66 times last year, forcing the rescue squad to seek out a mutual aid call to Coxsackie, Durham, or Cairo to respond to the call, Danielle Powell, Greenville Rescue Squad chief administrator, said. The Greenville Town Board has agreed to set up a two-person committee chaired by councilmen Richard Bear and Ken Stern to study the implementation of a paid system or hybrid system to staff the ambulance.
A paid system would make sure the ambulance is always available to go out on a call, Powell said.
An early estimate would see a part-time paid staff make approximately $10 per hour and work in 12 or 24 hours shifts each week, Powell said. “We don’t want to get into benefits and retirement.”
Powell estimates it would take approximately 18 people in two-person crews to fill all the shifts that need to be covered. This would cost approximately $225,000, Powell said.
“We would cover about two-thirds of the cost,” Powell said.
The rest of the cost of the paid staff would be passed on to town taxpayers.
Town Supervisor Paul Macko said something needs to be done about the rescue squad. “We don’t want our residents to go without services,” Macko said.
Macko and board considered setting up a district similar to a fire district. Macko estimated taxes would go up approximately $93 on a $100,000 house in the area covered by the district.
Powell plans to hold several meetings with the rescue squad’s attorney, Bear, Stern and the town’s attorney.
The Greenville Rescue Squad is the last all-volunteer rescue squad in the county, Powell said.
After 42 years, this era may come to an end as the Greenville Rescue Squad struggles to make ends meet. Last year the squad lost approximately $60,000 Powell said.
“We’re really hurting,” Powell said. “We work with a good billing agency. In Greenville we get all of our paperwork done.”
The squad is also finding increasingly hard to find volunteers in tough economic times, Powell said. “In these economic times EMS people want to get paid,” she said. She noted how adjacent towns that pay EMS people provide tough competition.
If the Greenville Rescue Squad switches to a paid system, it must find a new home, because the fire department will not be able to house a paid staff, Powell said.
The state Health Department has specific regulations for bathrooms and showers that the facilities at the firehouse can’t meet, forcing the squad to look at other options, Powell said.
The rescue squad is looking at options for housing the ambulance. Possible options include renting an apartment or considering buildings recommended by the town, she said.
A “hybrid system,” in which a paid staff ensures the ambulance is always staffed while volunteers come in to help out, is also being considered, Powell said.
“Down the road it will have to go to a paid system, but we would like to encourage volunteers to come in,” Powell said. “It will be difficult for our agency, because we only have one ambulance, but were willing to try the hybrid system to see if it can work for us.”
The board brought up concerns about the impact on the rescue squad from a contentious proposal that would see Greene County provide countywide ambulance service. She reassured the board that the plan for a countywide ambulance service is at least five to 10 years off. “It may not even happen,” Powell said.
One of the plans being considered would see the county provide one ambulance to serve the valley towns and one ambulance to serve the mountain towns, Powell said.
Powell is grateful the town is listening to her concerns. “We went to the town because we need help after 42 years,” she said. “We went to the town looking for help, and they were very receptive to our needs, and what the town needs. They’re willing to work with us, and we appreciate that more than anything.”
Charles Benninger, assistant chief of the Greenville Rescue Squad, said the paid system is the right thing to do. “It’s the right thing to do for the residents of our town.”
EMT Anthony Scirico also supports the proposal. “I think it’s something that needs to be done,” Scirico said. “The numbers speak for themselves.”
By Brian Hubert For Hudson-Catskill NewspapersBy Brian Hubert For Hudson-Catskill Newspapers
June 05, 2013
Lessons Learned:
Report into the fatal East Madison Street fire - PA
A series of mistakes and misjudgments by fire personnel contributed to the injuries suffered by seven Prince George’s County firefighters when a fireball blew through a burning house last year, according to a 301-page report issued Monday by the county’s Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department. After an exhaustive 15-month safety investigation, the report identifies a litany of factors that contributed to the severity and number of injuries in the February 2012 fire — including how fire personnel assessed the blaze’s dangers, critical strategic and tactical decisions once firefighters entered the condemned house, and problems with protective gear. The comprehensive review, ordered last year by Fire Chief Marc S. Bashoor in the wake of the serious breach of firefighter safety, also identifies deficiencies in training, accountability, and command and control “at all levels,” and it includes 46 recommendations “so future incidents do not have similar or worse outcomes.”
the washington post
June 05, 2013
Update:
Screaming fire captain faces no discipline - FL
MIAMI — A fire captain whose screaming rant became a sensation on YouTube and sparked a fire-service debate on handling citizen journalists earlier this year will face no punishment for his actions.
CBS Miami reported that the video showed Miami Dade Fire Capt. Greg Smart screaming, pushing and attempting to block a photographer from taking a video of a fire rescue helicopter landing and taking off.
Photographer and blogger Taylor Hardy was seen standing outside the perimeter for the landing zone and was told he could not record because it was “personal information,” according to the report.
“You’re leaving right now, turn around and walk away, you’re leaving right now,” Smart screamed at Hardy.
After the incident, Hardy filed a complaint that Smart was preventing him from recording at the scene and hoped they would take disciplinary action, according to the report.
A review of the report, written by Chief P.O. Albury, said the charge was “not sustained” because “at no time did Capt. Smart state that the complainant couldn’t film.”
“I have coached Capt. Smart referencing this event,” Albury wrote. “He was under a great deal of stress on this call and acted in an aggressive nature when challenged by the bystander. I feel that he and I have come to an understanding as to the expected behavior when dealing with the public. Capt. Smart agrees that he overreacted and caused embarrassment not only to himself but to the department. I feel that in the future he will have a different perspective as to how we need to act regardless of the severity of the call.”
The only suggestion Albury had for Smart was to take a voluntary stress management class, according to the report.
“The appropriate action was taken based upon the outcome of the investigation,” said Chief Arthur Holmes, Jr., assistant chief of operations.
By FireRescue1 Staff
June 05, 2013
Providers File Class Action Suit Over Pay Issue - PA
A South Park man claims in a proposed federal class action lawsuit filed Tuesday that Tri Community South Emergency Medical Services has refused to pay him overtime since the Bethel Park-based organization hired him as a paramedic in 2011.
James Ryne Hatcher, age unavailable, claims he puts in an average of 10 hours of unpaid overtime weekly, including teaching CPR classes. He is suing on behalf of himself and at least 30 hourly employees he claims have been denied overtime pay in the last three years.
Tri Community South EMS is jointly owned and operated by Bethel Park, South Park and Upper St. Clair. An organization spokeswoman couldn't be reached for comment.
BRIAN BOWLING / SOURCE: THE PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
June 05, 2013
U.S. Labor Department Investigates EMS Dept. - NC
SNOW HILL -- The U.S. Department of Labor has called for an investigation of Greene County's Emergency Medical Services.
A May 31 letter from the Wage and Hour Division and addressed to Emergency Management Director Randy Skinner states the DOL wants to determine whether the EMS department is in compliance with federal regulations.
The investigation will cover a two-year period from the last completed payroll.
A meeting is scheduled with the DOL investigator, Zulma Rivera Toler of the New Bern office, on June 24. Skinner, Interim County Manager Richard Hicks, Finance Officer Sandy Barss and possibly Sandra Harrell, accounting technician who works with payroll.
A list of records and other information -- including a list of current and former employees, position titles and duties, and original payroll and time records -- is requested to be available at the meeting.
Michael D'Aquino of the DOL's Office of Public Affairs said in an email he could only confirm an investigation was being conducted with Greene County's EMS department.
He added, "Wage Hour does not disclose the reason for our investigations, but we do conduct both (federally-)directed and complaint-based investigations."
Hicks said he believes a complaint was likely filed with the DOL.
"You may be perfectly fine," he said, "But I would suspect, they're going to find something. ... So I don't anticipate anything positive from that (meeting)."
Low salaries have been a sore but frequently mentioned subject at Board of Commissioners' meetings, mainly because employees have not received a raise in four years.
Department of Social Services Director Christy Nash told the board Monday night she has nine positions to fill, and she has lost qualified employees mainly because of low salaries.
Skinner said the only complaints he has heard are about low wages.
However, Hicks said there have been a number of complaints by employees, particularly concerning flex pay.
Flex pay is referred to as "Chinese overtime" by EMS employees in and out of the county, according to former Hookerton EMT Susan Blizzard.
Barss said certain employees qualify for flex time instead of overtime for working more than 40 hours a week.
"There is an actual formula," she said, "that is in the Fair Labor Standards Law that's how we compute their flex pay."
Full-time EMS employees generally work 48 hours and 72 hours a week, alternately. Their monthly pay is determined by dividing the annual salary by 12 months, then determining the weekly and hourly pay.
Flex pay divides that hourly pay in half and multiplies it by the number of hours worked over 40. The total is calculated for each week in the month and is added to the regular monthly salary.
The amount of hourly flex pay varies depending on the employee's annual salary, but the total pay per hour must be more than minimum wage, Barss said.
The amount for overtime pay could be as low as around $3 per hour, according to examples Barss gave.
Three requirements must be met to receive flex pay. The employee must have a guaranteed weekly salary, the hours must fluctuate week to week and the regular hourly rate used to determine the half-time overtime rate must be at least minimum wage, which is currently $7.25.
MARGARET FISHER / SOURCE: THE FREE PRESS, KINSTON, N.C.
June 05, 2013
Outrage Grows Over Rap Video Shot At Willow Oak Firehouse - CA
YOLO COUNTY (CBS13) — Outrage is growing over a video showing a local firefighter taking part in a racy rap video that was made on the taxpayers’ dime.
Assistant Yolo County counsel Dan Cederborg tells CBS13 he doesn’t think the music video that a Willow Oak fire captain performed in while on duty, using the district’s equipment and building without county approval is a big deal.
He refused to comment on camera on the incident.
The firefighter, known as Captain Marcus, recently teamed up with local rapper Ninevah to produce the song “Fire in the Sky.”
Initially, Marcus tried to dodge our cameras, but later apologized for the video, saying he acted alone.
But Cederborg downplayed the captain’s actions, saying he only went down the street and didn’t spend that much time with the rapper.
Marcus’ boss, Fire Chief Kim Timothy wasn’t apologetic, but defensive, claiming the firefighters rights were violated by CBS13’s cameras.
“I don’t want to comment on it until we make a decision internally,” Timothy said.
County residents disagree with the attorney’s assessment.
“That property, all those fire trucks belong to all of us,” said resident Tim Hickerson.
At this point, we still don’t know if there will be any discipline.
Reporting Ron Jones / sacramento.cbslocal.com
June 05, 2013
Ambulance destroyed in Knightstown fire - IN
WRTV
Indianapolis Star
KNIGHTSTOWN, Ind. - An ambulance service in Henry County must now rely on help from surrounding communities after a fire destroyed one of its rigs.
The fire broke out around noon Tuesday at the Southwest District Ambulance Service building in Knightstown, and one of the ambulances was parked inside.
Investigators said they think the fire started in the engine compartment of the ambulance then spread to the building.
EMS Chief Bill Windsor said he had pulled the ambulance out to clean it earlier in the morning, but it had been parked and turned off inside the ambulance bay for about 15 minutes when the fire was spotted.
Another EMS member was inside the building and saw the smoke.
"He kept going over to our ambulance bay. When he got over there, the new ambulance that we got in November was dripping fire out from underneath the cab portion of it," Windsor said. "He said he hurriedly called 911 and got the fire department started."
Surrounding fire and EMS agencies will help as first responders until the destroyed ambulance can be replaced.
A number of volunteer departments responded to help Knightstown firefighters put out the fire, and U.S. 40 was closed in both directions near the building as crews fought the blaze.
Julie Pursley / TheIndyChannel.com Staff
June 05, 2013
Hamilton firefighters rallying after station closure - OH
HAMILTON, Ohio - Fire Station 27 in Hamilton is permanently closed after budget cuts, and firefighters rallied against the decision.
Hamilton firefighters hung flyers on residents' doors Tuesday explaining budgets cuts and go as far as to say the City of Hamilton's politicians are putting lives and property in jeopardy.
The flyer also asks residents to support public safety and lists the names and numbers of city council members and the city manager.
City council voted to cut six firefighters during a meeting in May. The vote came after the city and firefighters union both rejected a fact-finder's report regarding a new collective bargaining agreement.
The union president said he thought both sides would go back to the negotiating table before a final vote was cast.
"I know the economy is putting a squeeze on everybody, but why do they have to cut the most basic safety features of any city?” said Lynn Ingles, Hamilton resident. “I just think there are other ways they could do it."
Hamilton firefighters said the closure would increase response times to the entire southeast portion of the city and also negatively impact fire service citywide.
"Our members are dedicated to serving and protecting the people of Hamilton," said Eric Abney, Local 20 President. "We have worked diligently through the recession and helped the city do more with less. The city has shown disregard for firefighters at almost every juncture. But, to permanently shutter a firehouse only serves to further weaken the public safety of this city. The firefighters have tried to help out, but this is enough. Hamilton deserves better. Hamilton deserves safety.” Fire Station 27 has served the people of Hamilton in its current location since 1911.
Firefighters from several generations gathered Tuesday night to remember the good times and good work that was done out of Fire House 27 over the years.
"I wish somewhere along the line there would be a miracle, it's happening all over," said retired firefighter Melvin Hingsbergen.
Many in the group were concerned to see it go.
"This is the only one in this neck of the woods to protect this area, and that in a way worries me a little bit," said John Keller, also a retired firefighter.
The city manager says the fire service provided to citizens will be the same as its been for the past six months, as the city used brown outs to limit costs.
By: WCPO Digital Staff / wcpo.com
June 05, 2013
Clayton Co. firefighters hurt in crash with tractor-trailer - GA
The Georgia State Patrol is investigating a wreck involving a fire truck and a tractor trailer that sent six firefighters to the hospital, one of whom was airlifted.
CLAYTON COUNTY — Six Clayton County firefighters were injured after their fire truck crashed into a tractor-trailer Tuesday night.
The Georgia State Patrol's Gordy Wright tells WSB the tractor-trailer was trying to turn left from Old Dixie Highway onto Central Avenue when the fire truck traveled into the northbound lane and was hit.
"The cab of the tractor-trailer struck the cab of the fire truck," said Wright.
The firefighter with the most severe injuries was airlifted to Atlanta Medical Center with several broken bones.
"Not sure of the call, but the lights and sirens were activated at the time of the crash," said Wright.
So far, no charges have been filed in the case but the investigation continues.
The firefighters’ names have not been released.
The driver of the tractor-trailer complained of injury but was not taken to the hospital, Wright said.
By Jennifer Griffies / wsbradio.com
June 04, 2013
Lack of hydrants hampers firefighters at New City blaze - NY
Firefighters work at the scene of a house fire in a wooded area of Philips Hill Road in New City. Alex Taylor/The Journal News
NEW CITY — Two dogs were killed and a firefighter slightly injured Monday morning in a blaze that destroyed a large, two-story home in a woodsy section of Phillips Hill Road.
New City Assistant Fire Chief James Avaras said firefighters were dispatched to 290 Phillips Hill Road shortly after 10 a.m. to find the house fully engulfed in flames and plumes of white smoke.
He said their efforts were initially hampered because of a broken gas line and a lack of water access.
Speaking by phone early Monday evening, homeowner Juliet Mwaniki called the fire “tragic.” She said she moved into the house with her husband in 1993 and rents out part of it, a cottage next door.
The 4,500-square-foot split-level home sits at the top of a long, curved driveway in a neighborhood of million-dollar homes. Firefighters had to stretch hose lines more than 1,800 feet to reach the nearest hydrant.
“Quite a delay,” Avaras said. “Phillips Hill Road does not have the adequate hydrants that should be there.”
Additional pumpers were brought in to help approximately 80 volunteers from New City, Congers, Haverstraw, Hillcrest, Pearl River, Spring Valley, West Haverstraw and West Nyack. Crews from Nanuet, Suffern and Theills provided standby.
Avaras said it was not clear what caused the blaze, but it’s possible the broken gas line was involved. Crews from Orange and Rockland Utilities Inc. were dispatched to shut it off.
Mwaniki said she is working with investigators, and does not think the fire was caused by a gas leak.
One volunteer was taken by ambulance to Nyack Hospital, where he was treated for heat exhaustion.
“The guys did a phenomenal job,” Avaras said. “It’s very difficult to fight a fire with that kind of heat and without any water. We did the best we could.”
The building’s roof collapsed as firefighters struggled to extinguish the flames. The fire was brought under control by 12:30 p.m., but not before the structure was reduced to a charred and smoking shell.
Fire crews remained at the scene for hours afterward to douse hot spots.
One resident, Lee Green, was at the scene, standing in the driveway and shouting that his dogs were trapped inside. Later, he could be seen talking with emergency officials as he sat on a stretcher.
“We have been devastated by the loss of our two beautiful and loved dogs and all of our worldly possessions,” Green said in an email to The Journal News.
Fire officials said no one else was seriously injured.
One dog and a bird were rescued unharmed from a cottage.
A neighbor, Joan Falk, said she did not realize there was a fire until the lights in her home went out. She heard a “pop” that sounded like a firecracker and stepped outside. Then she saw the flames.
“It’s just unreal,” Falk said. “Smoke must have been everywhere.”
Carolyn Sherwin, a spokeswoman for the Red Cross, said the agency was sending volunteers to offer assistance.
She said one adult and two children had been displaced, and possibly a second family that wasn’t home at the time.
Written by Alex Taylor / democratandchronicle.com<
June 04, 2013
2 KOKOMO, IN FFs INJURED AT FIRE - IL
Two Kokomo firefighters were injured in an early morning fire at a vacant house, Kokomo Fire Department Chief Pat O’Neill reported Monday.
District Chief Aaron Ashburn and Fire Capt. Ryan Smalley were treated and released at a local hospital, after being briefly pinned by falling masonry, O’Neill said.
“There were minor injuries to one, and a more significant injury to the other,” O’Neill said, adding that privacy concerns prevented him from offering additional information.
Both firefighters were inside a burning, vacant house at 1121 W. Park Ave. when a chimney collapsed. Other firefighters quickly rescued them, O’Neill said.
Initial reports indicated the house might be occupied, but firefighters didn’t find anyone inside the residence.
Battalion Chief Chris Hall said the fire remains under investigation by both the KFD and the Kokomo Police Department.
“It started in the living room or family area,” Hall said. “It was one of the homes that flooded back in April, and they had been remodeling it. They said they had a renter ready to move in.”
Hall said the fire didn’t appear to be methamphetamine related, but declined to offer further information.
Last year, the Kokomo Police Department had at least one officer train to do fire investigations, and the KPD is now involved with all fire investigations. The Indiana State Fire Marshal’s office has also been notified about the fire, Hall said.
firefighterclosecalls.com
June 04, 2013
Two Injured After Fire Truck, Car Collide - IL
Two women suffered injuries Monday after a their vehicle collided with a fire truck.
Two women suffered injuries Monday after a their vehicle collided with a fire truck.
The fire truck was responding to an emergency when witnesses say a Nissan Sentra turned in front of the truck at the intersection of Congress and Columbus. The impact sent the car careening into a light pole and a parked car.
The victims were transported to a local hospital, but witnesses say both women were responsive and seemed to be OK.
Crews had to cut off the doors of the vehicle in order to extract the two victims. A baby seat was in the back seat, but the child wasn't in the vehicle at the time of the crash.
The fire truck was headed to a call at a high rise building at 233 E. Wacker when the accident occurred.
Traffic was backed up while emergency crews tended to the accident.
nbcchicago.com
June 04, 2013
Ambulance destroyed in fire - IN
KNIGHTSTOWN, Ind. — An ambulance service in Henry County must now rely on help from surrounding communities after a fire destroyed one of its rigs.
The fire broke out around noon Tuesday at the Southwest District Ambulance Service building in Knightstown, and one of the ambulances was parked inside.
Investigators said they think the fire started in the engine compartment of the ambulance then spread to the building.
EMS Chief Bill Windsor said he had pulled the ambulance out to clean it earlier in the morning, but it had been parked and turned off inside the ambulance bay for about 15 minutes when the fire was spotted.
Another EMS member was inside the building and saw the smoke.
"He kept going over to our ambulance bay. When he got over there, the new ambulance that we got in November was dripping fire out from underneath the cab portion of it," Windsor said. "He said he hurriedly called 911 and got the fire department started."
Surrounding fire and EMS agencies will help as first responders until the destroyed ambulance can be replaced.
A number of volunteer departments responded to help Knightstown firefighters put out the fire, and U.S. 40 was closed in both directions near the building as crews fought the blaze.
By Julie Pursley / IndyChannel
June 03, 2013
EMS Dispatch System Went Down for 20 Minutes Friday, FDNY Says - NY
NEW YORK CITY — One day after the city's brand-new, problem-plagued 911 system went on the fritz, the EMS dispatch system went down for 20 minutes Friday, leaving ambulances across the city temporarily without computer communication access, the fire department said.
The city's EMS system went down on Friday from 12:30 p.m. to a little before 1 p.m., according to fire officials. During that time, responders used conference calls to speak directly with 911 dispatchers, rather than being dispatched via computer.
Fire Department officials said the outage did not impact response times.
The mayor's office confirmed that they had received reports of problems with the EMS dispatch systems Friday afternoon, but officials said the issue was not connected to the city's new $2.1 billion 911 emergency call system, which crashed twice in two days.
"It's not the same as the new NYPD system," said John McCarthy, a spokesman for the Bloomberg administration. "EMS is different from the NYPD iCAD system."
McCarthy added that the EMS system is "not related to the system that's been written about the last couple of days," but he did say that the EMS system is part of the overall 911 dispatch process.
The new 911 system crashed twice since coming online this week, going down for 16 minutes Wednesday during its first full day of operation. It was engineered to handle up to 50,000 calls per hour and was tested for nearly six months.
By Nicole Bode and Ben Fractenberg / dnainfo.com
June 03, 2013
Panelists: Budget crisis may be over, but long-term effects remain to be seen
The economy is showing signs of improvement, but fire departments now are starting to see the adverse effects of cuts made during the recession, according to panelists during a session on economic recovery hosted by the CFSI, earlier this month.
According to IAFC Executive Director Mark Light, 45% of fire departments across the country were forced to cut budgets during the economic downturn; another 25% relied more heavily on federal grants to fund staffing and services. At the same time, demands for service grew higher than pre-recession levels.
The departments that relied on grants may find their options limited in the future, as FEMA funding is threatened every year. This is, in part, because many legislators believe that public safety is a local concern, not a federal one, according to Kevin O’Connor, the IAFF’s assistant to the general president for governmental affairs.
The economic downturn has provided legislators an opportunity to “right-size” fire departments to pre-9/11 assistance levels, he said.
Part of the problem is legislators who don’t understand the fire service, according to panel moderator Bill Jenaway, chief of the King of Prussia (Pa.) Fire Department. Many representatives who sat on the Congressional Fire Services Caucus have lost their seats at greater rates than new members have joined.
Jenaway, who also serves as an elected official, said he consistently has heard three things from legislators:
Cut. Cut budgets, cut service and it will save money
If you can’t cut, demonstrate why you can’t cut.
Consolidate and share services. This will help you cut.
“Most successful fire departments outline infrastructure issues for officials, and why they need to be dealt with in the way you want to deal with them,” he said.
O’Connor believes that fire service advocates should encourage legislators to read NFPA’s annual fire-department needs assessment.
“Push it in the face of every elected official at every opportunity,” he said. “Government’s fundamental responsibility, at all levels, is public safety.”
Elected officials make decisions based on the aggregate, not just with fire departments in mind. Therefore, it’s important for the fire-service to speak with one voice to legislators, federal and local.
NVFC Chairman Phil Stittleburg would take it one step further, suggesting that fire departments coordinate with law enforcement for budget presentations, “instead of being in conflict.”
The impact on volunteers
Stittleburg said budget cuts have been felt as acutely — if not as publicly — in the volunteer sector. Fire-service volunteerism declined 8.5% between 2008 and 2011. And while there’s “no empirical evidence between that decline and the economy, there is common sense,” he said.
This decline primarily is due to what Stittleburg calls a decrease in discretionary time. Residents who worked one job had to take second jobs to pay the bills, and many single-income families had to become dual-income households.
“It’s tough to volunteer if your biggest concern is how to make your next mortgage payment,” he said.
The question facing departments now isn’t how to recruit more volunteers; it’s how to use the time that volunteers offer most effectively. Taping into the public for help with non-operational activities — for example, asking a retired school teacher to conduct public education — frees up volunteer firefighters for operations and training.
The volunteer sector still finds there is a major gap between capabilities and national standards. This is particularly true in rural areas, where there are fewer people to foot the bill for services.
“Sometimes we have to say ‘no,’” Stittleburg said. “We don’t want to create impression that we can provide a service that we can’t.”
Fire leadership must demonstrate to their communities the value added by volunteer fire departments, not in terms of costs but savings.
“When we aren’t fielding a team that’s properly equipped and trained, we’ve increased our potential for injury, decreased our effectiveness — the saves that should have been made aren’t going to made — and increased the cost of operation down the road,” Stittleburg said. “We’ve simply kicked the can down the road — at some point, the bill comes due.
There are two ways to demonstrate value, according to Jenaway: statistical modeling and anecdotal stories. But thanks to cuts made during the recession, data might be hard to come by.
“You need data to make decisions, but fire department cut a lot of those [support] positions during the recession to keep firefighters on the front line,” Light said.
That leaves anecdotes, which still are a powerful tool, Jenaway said.
“Nothing hits home more to an elected official than a vignette of a save in their hometown — that’s where they live and where they shop,” he said.
Purchasing power and delay dilemmas
Purchasing power and delay dilemmas
Another common cost-saving measure was to delay apparatus purchases. Most departments can’t catch up on the replacements that should have been made during the recession, and city officials are questioning the need to replace vehicles at the earlier timeframes.
“If there were no problems, [departments] just established a new replacement cycle,” Light said.
Light said more departments should look into the purchasing power of group purchasing organizations, or GPOs. Cost savings can be significant – “six-digit big,” Light said – when a rig can be produced in volume. In fact, Jenaway said departments in Pennsylvania have saved as much as 17% on apparatus through group purchasing.
Stittleburg suggested that fire departments not involved with a GPO look closer to home for apparatus savings.
“Take a better look at mutual-aid systems so as to not duplicate purchases,” he said.
Lisa Allegretti | Fire Chief / firechief.com
June 03, 2013
11 FDNY injured battling 3-alarm Bronx blaze - NY
Eleven firefighters were injured today battling a three-alarm blaze in the Bronx, fire officials said.
The fire started in the cockloft of a six story apartment building on West Gun Hill Road in Norwood, according to the FDNY.
Most of the injured Bravest suffered smoke inhalation and were taken to North Central Bronx Hospital for treatment, officials said.
One civilian suffered minor injuries and refused medical attention at the scene.
The FDNY said approximately 140 firefighters are on scene to help fight the raging fire, which caused the building’s roof to collapse, according to the FDNY.
By DANIEL PRENDERGAST / nypost.com
June 03, 2013
Lessons Learned:
In Tribute to San Francisco Fire Department LODD's Lieutenant Vincent A. Perez and Firefighter-Paramedic Anthony M. Valerio - CA
2 years ago today, Anthony "Tony" Valerio, a 53-year-old San Francisco Firefighter/Paramedic and Valerio's boss, 48-year-old SFFD Lieutenant Vince Perez, operated at a fire that resulted in their Line of Duty deaths. Both men from Engine Company 26 were veteran seasoned and well respected SFFD Firefighters. They died in that multi-level residential structure fire (4 story rear, on a deep slope) while searching for the seat of the fire.
Note: The residential structure where the fatalities occurred was built on a significantly sloped hillside common throughout the city. The fire floor was one floor below street level
firefighterclosecalls.com
June 03, 2013
Ex-NFL player crashes into HFD truck, injuring firefighter - TX
HOUSTON—A Houston firefighter was injured Monday morning when a former NFL player’s Range Rover slammed into his fire truck.
The fire truck was en route to a call and traveling on Highway 288 near Highway 59 around 2 a.m. when the SUV, driven by former linebacker Brian Iwuh, slammed into the back of it.
The firefighter and Iwuh were both taken to the hospital.
The firefighter was said to have non-life threatening injuries. Iwuh's condition was not known. He was not wearing a seatbelt.
Iwuh played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos.
by Tim Wetzel / KHOU 11 News
June 03, 2013
Sexual assault allegation at fire station being investigated - DC
WASHINGTON - D.C. police are conducting a sexual assault investigation which allegedly took place inside a firehouse.
The alleged victim is a female firefighter who says she was inappropriately touched while she slept early Friday morning at the 2225 M Street firehouse in Northwest D.C.
A police report reveals the victim says she felt an unknown suspect touching her inner thigh which woke her up.
The D.C. fire department is also conducting its own internal investigation to find out if the female firefighter’s report of the alleged incident to her immediate supervisors was then passed on to police and administrators within the fire department in a timely manner.
Four firefighters have been placed on administrative duties pending the result of the investigation.
The alleged victim remains on the job.
Local 36, which represent the firefighters involved, issued this statement:
"We are watching this situation closely and are concerned anytime there are such allegations. Local 36 represents all of the firefighters and urges the department to conduct a thorough investigation in a timely manner that is fair to all."
By Matt Ackland / myfoxdc.com
June 03, 2013
Drunk Wrong-Ways Head On Into Ambulance - CA
KGTV Ch. 10 posted the above video report:
A SUSPECTED DRUNK DRIVER was barreling the wrong way down a San Diego, Califorina, street late Sunday night and slammed into an oncoming fire department ambulance.
The wreck occurred just before midnight Pacific. According to police, the ambulance driver swerved in an attempt to avoid the crash but the two vehicles still collided with the ambulance having its right front wheel assembly and fender torn away.
The car continued for about 300 feet until it crashed into a fire hydrant and partially sheared it off. (see video below.)
The driver of the car was the only person injured. It wasn't reported whether there was a patient in the ambulance, so it can be presumed that there wasn't one.
Posted by firegeezer
June 03, 2013
Lessons Learned:
Mistakes contributed to injuries of 7 Prince George’s firefighters in house fire, report finds - MD
A series of mistakes and misjudgments by fire personnel contributed to the injuries suffered by seven Prince George’s County firefighters when a fireball blew through a burning house last year, according to a 301-page report issued Monday by the county’s Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department.
After an exhaustive 15-month safety investigation, the report identifies a litany of factors that contributed to the severity and number of injuries in the February 2012 fire — including how fire personnel assessed the blaze’s dangers, critical strategic and tactical decisions once firefighters entered the condemned house, and problems with protective gear.
The comprehensive review, ordered last year by Fire Chief Marc S. Bashoor in the wake of the serious breach of firefighter safety, also identifies deficiencies in training, accountability, and command and control “at all levels,” and it includes 46 recommendations “so future incidents do not have similar or worse outcomes.”
“Training is a big part of it,” Bashoor said at a Monday afternoon press conference. “So is people following the rules and procedures.”
Seven volunteer firefighters were hurt in the blaze — two critically — when they were engulfed by a 300- to 400-degree jet of gas and smoke that shot up a flight of stairs and out of the house in what authorities described as a freak occurrence.
Bashoor called it a “near-miss incident” and said the two most critically injured firefighters could have died.
Ethan Sorrell suffered respiratory burns through his esophagus and down to his lungs but is answering fire calls again. Kevin O’Toole suffered second- and third-degree burns over 50 percent of his body and underwent 10 operations at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, where doctors grafted skin on his hands, knees, calves, arms, stomach, sides and shoulder. He was released 56 days after the fire at 6407 57th Ave. in Riverdale Heights but has not returned to riding: He will have another surgery — his 13th — in two weeks.
According to the safety investigation, some of the men who suffered injuries last year were wearing personal protective equipment that did not match, was too old or was not approved, including gloves that were known to shrink when exposed to high heat.
Among the other findings:
?The first company officers to arrive at the house did not complete “an effective size-up” by taking a “360-degree survey walk around the building” or fully evaluate environmental conditions, which included “significant sustained winds and gusts” that contributed to the fireball.
Despite sending word internally on the morning of the fire that high winds were expected, the information was not conveyed to all of the department’s decision makers.
No action plan to attack the fire was communicated.
Firefighters were “dangerously positioned above and in the outflow path of the fire,” which began in the walk-out basement of the vacant home and shot up an interior stairwell and through the first floor after the front door was opened. Sorrell and O’Toole were trapped in the fireball without the protection of a water-hose line.
When the routine fire turned into a life-threatening emergency, “a firefighter MAYDAY” was not transmitted effectively.
Produced by a 13-member group that included multiple department outsiders, including chiefs from other jurisdictions, the report takes pains to note that the investigative team “had months to examine the incident and develop recommendations. In contrast, the first arriving crews on the scene had only seconds to make critical incident decisions and take action.”
The report does not mention any fire personnel by name, identifying them by their company numbers and assignments.
“We’re not focusing on individual actions,” said Battalion Chief Sayshan Conver-White, an operational safety officer who co-chaired the safety investigation team. “It’s about identifying organizational aspects that can be improved.”
The recommendations include new training programs and procedures — some of which have already been implemented, Bashoor said.
“We are not going to be dwelling on our regrets or what coulda, woulda, shoulda happened,” he said.
Within days, the fire was ruled an arson. There have been no arrests; the front page of the new report notes a $5,000 reward for information about the incident. At the press conference, Bladensburg Volunteer Fire Department Chief Randy Kuenzli added $10,000 to the reward.
Sorrell, then 21, and O’Toole, then 22, were riding with Truck 809 from Bladensburg on the night of the fire. On Monday, both men were at the press conference, where officials played a chilling helmet-cam video from the incident mixed with dispatch recordings and radio chatter from the fire scene. The audio includes Sorrell screaming for help as O’Toole is trapped inside the house.
“There’s a lot of good that’s going to come from a bad incident,” Sorrell said. “They’re going to make it better and safer for us.”
By J. Freedom du Lac / washingtonpost.com<
June 03, 2013
Man Killed, Woman And Firefighter Injured In Bergenfield - NJ
The scene of a fire where a man was killed and a woman was injured in Bergenfield, N.J. (Credit: CBS 2)
A deadly extra-alarm fire led to an explosive discovery Sunday in Bergenfield, N.J.
Firefighters responded around 7:40 a.m. Sunday to a three-alarm in a Cape Cod-style home at 44 Luke Ave. in Bergenfield.
Officials said James Taylor, 58, died in the blaze. His 91-year-old mother was taken to Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck in an unknown condition, according to published reports.
A firefighter was also injured in the blaze. Bergenfield Fire Chief Michael Lopez told The Record that the firefighter was being treated for heat exhaustion.
Following the fire, the Bomb Squad was called to the scene after collectible firearms, ammunition and grenades were found inside the charred home.
Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli told The Record that the cause of the fire remains under investigation but does not appear to be suspicious. He said while explosives were found in the basement, he did not think the items played a role in the fire.
CBSNewYork/AP
June 02, 2013
Firefighter Injured by Collapse at Building Fire - MO
CARTHAGE, Mo. -- Fire gutted a building on the Carthage square on Saturday as fire crews from four departments battled the blaze and managed to keep it from spreading to an adjacent building.
The Sassy Spoon restaurant at 315 Grant St. was described as a total loss as a result of the fire that was reported around 3:15 p.m.
One fireman was taken to Mercy McCune-Brooks Hospital after he was injured when the roof and front of the restaurant building collapsed, according to Carthage police Sgt. Doug Dickey. He described the injuries as "not serious." The name of the firefighter was not being released on Saturday.
Fire crews from Carthage, Joplin, Webb City and Carterville battled the blaze and contained it to the single building, sparing McBride's Antique Store, which is just to the west. Windows were broken by the fire department including the main storefront window as crews pumped water inside to control the blaze.
"We think the other structure is no longer under any fire threat, but we are watching it," fire Chief Chris Thompson told the Globe shortly after 6 p.m.
Thompson said fire crews would continue watching the east wall of the restaurant building. He said the wall appeared bowed and unstable.
He described the restaurant building as a total loss. Investigators with the Missouri Division of Fire Safety will be trying to determine the cause of the fire. McBride's Antique Store sustained heavy smoke damage.
The restaurant building is owned by Ron Stiles, according to Carthage police Chief Greg Dagnan.
The restaurant and several other businesses had occupied the space for at least five years. Earlier, the building had been a sporting goods store and before that, it was Bee's Variety Store, owned by Jack and Sue Vandergriff. The couple also had owned the building to the west, said Sue Vandergriff, who is a Carthage historian.
She said the original building was one of the first on the Carthage square, built in 1861 and operated as a mercantile store that sold "everything from hoop skirts to harnesses."
That structure burned during the Civil War and was rebuilt by 1869.
In 1879, it became the McCrillis Brothers Hardware. The store had three full floors of merchandise and was billed as the largest hardware store in Southwest Missouri.
The Joplin Globe, Mo.
June 02, 2013
Man hijacks ambulance, crashes after speeding through Decatur - GA
WXIA-TV
The ambulance seen behind the bush in the center, left a trail of destruction through the neighborhood. (WSB-TV / Cronan)
DECATUR -- Authorities have caught the hospital patient they say stole an ambulance on Saturday afternoon with two firefighters on board.
Frank Ponquinette, 36, is in custody charged with two counts of kidnapping and interference with government property.
According to DeKalb County Fire Battalion Chief Christopher Morrison, Jr., a male EMT and a female paramedic were doing paperwork and restocking while parked outside in the bay at Emory Hospital when a Ponquinette, a hospital patient in a hospital gown jumped in and ordered the two firefighters to "be quiet and hold on."
After speeding through the streets of Decatur, Morrison Jr. said Ponquinette crashed the ambulance head on into a chiropractic clinic, taking out a power pole, electrical box and front porch. Nobody was in the building at the time of the collision, as it was closed.
During the ride, the EMT got on a tactical channel with his radio and called dispatch. He gave details of which major intersections they were traveling through.
Authorities say Ponquinette ran from the scene. Luckily, the EMT and paramedic only suffered very minor bruises. Both were taken to Atlanta Medical Center to be checked out and were released.
11Alive's Duffie Dixon spoke with Heather Guion, who lives in a nearby apartment.
"I saw a man staggering away from the wreck," she said. "I asked if he was okay and he said yes, but there were other people hurt. I turned to look at the crash and when I turned back around he was gone, not a scratch on him."
Authorities believe that was in fact Ponquinette. They say he ditched his hospital gown for some clothes he stole from a nearby apartment complex laundry room.
Ponquinette was later spotted and arrested at the Suburban Plaza shopping center at 2601 N. Decatur Road.
Holly Pennebaker / 11alive.com
June 02, 2013
With graves restored, memory of 8 fallen Dallas firefighters honored - TX
Tom White stood in Oakland Cemetery on Saturday morning as sweat cascaded down his brow.
As one of several volunteers who helped Dallas Fire-Rescue find and restore the gravesites of eight fallen firefighters, he recalled the difficult work of recent months.
“The vines were a trap, encasing all markers,” White said. “The graves themselves were buried in brush.”
In the afternoon, dozens of Station 44 firefighters, the retiree honor guard, color guard and families of the fallen men attended a service in their memory.
The ceremony came shortly after the deaths of Dallas firefighter Stanley Wilson and Capt. Kenny Harris.
Wilson, 51, died May 20 when he became trapped inside a burning building at the Hearthwood Condominiums in far northeast Dallas. He was a 28-year veteran of Dallas Fire-Rescue.
Harris, 52, lived in West and was off-duty from Dallas Fire-Rescue when he was killed as he fought the fire at the fertilizer plant that exploded April 17.
The department also honored the four firefighters who died Friday battling a motel fire in Houston.
Chief Louie Bright III addressed the “fire family” that had gathered to pay tribute.
“It took two firefighters to crawl on their stomachs to find their brother’s grave,” Bright said, referring to John Clark, the first Dallas firefighter to die in the line of duty.
Clark suffered exhaustion while fighting a house fire in 1902.
Paula Wilson, a relative of Clark, attended the service, which she said reconnected her to history.
“We’ve had pictures with no names,” Wilson said. “This service has filled in the blanks, the empty spaces and gaps.”
Most of Clark’s family members have died or live out of state, Wilson said. She was accompanied by her sister, Deborah Dillord.
“I’m so proud to know that all these men weren’t forgotten,” Dillord said. “Uncle John is dearly loved, even today.”
Before the ceremony, the 40-acre cemetery was mowed and cleared of poison ivy.
Small red Dallas Fire seals were placed on the eight graves. At the cemetery entrance, fire officials held scarlet and ivory signs with the fallen firefighters’ names. Families gathered around their loved ones’ signs, reuniting dozens of relatives.
“We never forget our own,” chaplain Elaine Maddox said. “The small fires that burn inside will never be squelched.”
By MONIQUE O. MADAN Staff writer / dallasnews.com
June 02, 2013
Houston Fire Department Line of Duty Deaths - TX
Captain EMT Matthew Renaud (35) of Station 51. He began his career with the Houston Fire Department in October of 2001.
Engineer Operator EMT Robert Bebee (41) of Station 51. He began his career with the Houston Fire Department in August of 2001.
Firefighter EMT Robert Garner (29) of Station 68. He began his career with the Houston Fire Department in October of 2010.
Probationary Firefighter Anne Sullivan (24) of Station 68. She graduated from Houston Fire Department Academy this past April and was assigned to Fire Station 68.
Our deepest thoughts and prayers are with not only those friends and family of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice today but also those who were injured and all members of our department.
Houston Fire Department / Public Affairs Office
June 01, 2013
2 PARAMEDICS INJURED WHEN AMBULANCE IS STOLEN, THE CRASHED INTO BUILDING - GA
Two DeKalb County fire paramedics escaped serious injury Saturday when they were taken on a wild, high speed ride in the back of a stolen ambulance that eventually crashed into a chiropractor’s office near Decatur.
The paramedics had just dropped a patient off at Emory University Hospital on Clifton Road shortly before 2 p.m. and were in the back of the ambulance completing their paperwork when “a patient came out of the hospital, dressed in a gown and rubber gloves, jumped in the front seat, locked the doors and took off in the unit,” DeKalb fire Battalion Chief Christopher Morrison Jr. told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The suspect drove the stolen ambulance at a high rate of speed for several miles before running off the road in the 1300 block of Church Street, tearing down a utility pole and finally coming to a stop inside a chiropractor’s office.
Morrison said the suspect then jumped from the wrecked ambulance and fled the scene on foot, running through a nearby apartment complex. He remained at large several hours after the incident.
Morrison said the two paramedics were hurt, and were taken to Atlanta Medical Center in stable condition, Morrison said.
He said the suspect “knew they were in the unit because he looked through the little window in the back and told them, ‘be quiet and hold on.’”
Morrison said that even though the paramedics, a male and a female firefighter, were caught by surprise and “jostled around,” one of them was able to radio the ambulance’s location throughout the incident.
“One of our EMTs used one of our tactical channels, and as they were crossing major streets, he was actually giving a description of the location, so 911 dispatch as well as police officers and firefighters, we could actually hear the locations they were at so in our efforts to find them, it gave us a play-by-play,” Morrison said.
The ambulance was a total loss, according to Morrison, and the chiropractic office sustained substantial damage.
“We have our technical rescue unit here shoring up the building to make sure it is stable before they move the ambulance out,” Morrison said. No one was inside the office when the accident happened, he said.
“You’ve been in this business long enough, nothing surprises you,” Morrison said. “When you think you’ve seen it all, something else happens.”
firefighterclosecalls.com
June 01, 2013
Three Firefighters Injured in Arson Hollywood Apartment Blaze - CA
HOLLYWOOD - The Los Angeles Fire Department battled a long and intensive fight in an intentionally set fire that scorched an apartment building in Hollywood, leaving three firefighters injured and 42 residents displaced.
Just before 11:00 AM on May 31, 2013 Los Angeles Firefighters responded to a Structure Fire at 5957 Barton Avenue, near Santa Monica Boulevard and Gower Street. They arrived on scene to find a two-story apartment building on a raised foundation with smoke billowing from small basement windows. Additional firefighters were quickly requested.
An aggressive attack ensued that was concentrated on the basement area near a laundry room and a simultaneous search was performed to ensure all residents and pets were safely out. Firefighters had a long and exhaustive battle ahead...
Flames continued to creep inside the walls and climb up pipe alleys, around 3" gaps in fire blocking in some places, and quietly across the attic of the structure. Firefighters thoroughly went through all 16 smoke charged apartment units using thermal imaging cameras to sense heat and flames hidden behind the walls, and remained on scene for hours suppressing stubborn hot-spots and flare-ups. In approximately two and a half hours 155 firefighters, under the command of Battalion Chief Charles Butler, were confident of a complete knock down of the blaze and performed a thorough overhaul and salvage of property. Then a list was created of resident's important belongings inside and firefighters searched through the debris to find them and bring them to the owners.
Several arson investigators remained on scene for hours carefully combing through debris, examining fire patterns, using highly trained K9's, and talking with bystanders. The cause of the fire was determined to be arson and it remains under active investigation.
The total estimated dollar loss was $1.2 million ($1,100,000 structure & $100,000 contents). The Department of Building and Safety, "Red Tagged" the structure, deeming it unsafe for entry. The Red Cross arranged temporary housing for the renters in a nearby shelter.
It is important to note that hard wired smoke alarms with battery backup, appropriate to city building code, provided the occupants early detection and allowed for safe self evacuation.
Three firefighters were injured: One suffered burns to his hands, another a laceration to his hand, both were transported to local hospitals. A third firefighter suffered heat exhaustion from the battle and was treated but did not require transport. No civilians were injured.
We strongly encourage anyone with information that may assist the investigative efforts to please contact the Arson Counter-Terrorism Section at (213) 893-9800.
Submitted by Erik Scott, Spokesman / Los Angeles Fire Department
June 01, 2013
Ambulance T-boned in downtown La Crosse - WI
WXOW-TV
A driver blew a red light early Friday in downtown La Crosse and T-boned an ambulance with two paramedics inside, authorities said.
The car was driving east on Jay Street about 2:20 a.m. when it ran a red light at Fourth Street and slammed into the Tri-State ambulance, knocking the vehicle onto its side, La Crosse police Sgt. Randy Rank said.
The ambulance was en route to a non-emergency call and not carrying a patient, Tri-State Ambulance Director of Operations Tom Tornstrom said. The two paramedics were not injured.
Another ambulance called to the scene transported the driver with non-life threatening injuries.
Police cited her for failure to obey a flashing red light but did not release her name under a new department policy to keep private the identities of most people in police reports.
The ambulance was new to Tri-State’s fleet and had about 500 miles on it.
“We’re evaluating whether it’s totaled,” Tornstrom said. “But we have plenty of spares.”
A Tri-State ambulance was totaled about five years ago when a drunken driver ran a red light at George and Clinton streets, Tornstrom said.
Tribune staff / lacrossetribune.com
