Now there are four. Today, another DC Fire & EMS recruit is being treated for a bacterial skin infection. Because of the new case, the training academy is scheduled for decontamination again tonight. This time, according to a department news release, “with a more potent antibacterial cleaning agent”.

Only in the case reported a week ago have officials received confirmation that they are dealing with a staph infection. Dr. Michael Williams, the department’s medical director, said Thursday he did not know if this is MRSA, the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

New story: House explosion in Irvington, NJ kills a person, destroys one home and damages at least 5 others around 7:30 a.m. The image above is from WNBC-TV. Here are their details.

Video of the day: The only information with the above video is that it is the St. Louis Fire Department. Click here to see the other 4 short videos from this fire.

Paramedic who evaluated DC recruit candidate is put on leave pending investigation. Was sent for retraining this week.

Matt Cella at The Washington Times has the story of the veteran DC paramedic who has been suspended (or as a DC Fire & EMS spokesman clarifies, “Put on administrative leave with pay”), following the death of a 23-year-old man who wanted to be a firefighter. As we reported on Monday, Eric Allen was transported by a basic-life-support ambulance after becoming ill following agility tests at the DC Fire & EMS Training Academy. Cella reports that Allen had a heart rate of 150 to 200 beats per minute. STATter 911 has learned officials are also concerned about the possibility that irregularities in Allen’s EKG may have been missed and that they are trying to find out why ALS care was not started.

STATter 911 has also learned that the medic was sent for two days of retraining this week. While union officials tell STATter 911 this is a situation that should be handled by re-education and not discipline, other sources in the department indicate they are moving toward the possibility of termination.

DC Fire & EMS recruit has staph infection and others may have it

In the image above, the current class of recruits at the DC Fire & EMS Training Academy are put through the paces. Three of those recruits are now being treated with antibiotics and the training academy has been scrubbed down because of staph. Details here.

Truck crew claims delayed alarm in the District

Go to the website for DC Fire’s Engine 30 and Truck 17 by clicking the image above. You can then read Truck 17′s claim that the city’s Office of Unified Communications (OUC or 911 center) delayed dispatching a house fire on Tuesday. According to the website’s account, the truck crew was able to make it to the scene before any other crews were sent. Because a neighbor believed there was someone inside the house, the truck crew mounted a search without the aid of an engine company. It turned out that no one was home.

Earlier this year, 9NEWS NOW reported on delays in dispatching calls at the 911 center. We should remind you, that the account by Truck 17 does not include any response or information from OUC’s perspective.

Infant was critically burned in this 5-alarm fire

Above, Thursday afternoon in Sandusky, Ohio. For video before the fire department got on the scene, check this out.

Report into 2 LODDs in Winnipeg not publicly released, but details discussed

The CBC (whose picture is above) said details from the report of the February deaths of Captain Tom Nichols and Captain Harold Lessard could be too upsetting to the families and other firefighters. For that reason, officials did not release it, but discussed some fo the findings, including recommending changes in the national building code and the fire department’s operations and training. Read the story here.

Opinions on the Boston situation and addressing the issue head on in Minnesota

Views from the president of the Boston Municipal Research Bureau and from Chief Billy Goldfeder on the LODDs and the reports of alcohol and drugs found during the autopsies.

On this subject, have you seen what the City Council did in New Ulm, Minnesota? Well worth reading considering what happened in Boston.

Speaking of opinions

You will get the idea where Dr. Harry Carter is going, just by the opening lines of his take on the Charleston, SC situation: “My friends, the time has come to take off the gloves with regard to the situation in Charleston, S.C. I am simply amazed that Mayor Joe Riley does not get it.”

Read it here.

A new dispute between Riverdale VFD and PGFD

In case you missed this one, that we added late Thursday, here are details into the war of words following last week’s two-alarm fire in College Park.

Also from yesterday, details on the hydrant testing

Here is the link to the midnight hydrant testing at the site of the 4-alarm fire in DC’s Adams Morgan neighborhood.

The Lucky Chinese restaurant isn’t

The above raw video is from Tuesday morning’s three-alarm fire in Elizabeth, NJ. No firefighters were injured.

A mess in Mesa

The store owner had just made a deal to sell the business and retire. Now there is nothing left of this Arizona 7-11 and service station.

Also in AZ, another all-hazards fire department

Who you going to call when 100,000 bees attack? You guessed it. Click here to see the video from Glendale, Arizona.

Fire trucks on the outside, asbestos on the inside

The picture above from the Daily News tells the story in Dedham, Massachusetts. But in case you’d like to learn more, click here.

Around the web

WithTheCommand.com’s lead story is on fire and EMS in Florida trying to get help following property tax cuts.

FireGeezer updates the bizarre reaction in Etna, Maine to that boring YouTube video. Hope he understands it. I don’t. Also, he has the video voyeur firefighter from Florida. Plus, a tribute to Joey Bishop (I wish I could get away with writing about that stuff … son of a gun).

Firefighter Spot brings up an older Detroit close call from a warehouse fire. Watch at about 2 minutes into the video.

I forgot to mention earlier in the week that DCFD.com has an update on Chief Steve Reid who has been home recuperating from two surgeries. I finally talked to Steve on Thursday and he sounds like he is getting his strength back.

Watch Thursday’s 6:00 p.m. report

It isn’t just schools and hospital dealing with staph outbreaks.

Three recruits of DC Fire and EMS are being treated for the infection. Department Medical Director Doctor Michael Williams says he has confirmed one case of staph and two likely cases. What Dr. Williams says he doesn’t know is if this is MRSA, the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

The first case was reported last week. A recruit discovered skin irritation on his elbow. Williams says since then the training academy in Southwest has been decontaminated.

Now, with two more recruits reporting irritations on their elbows, the department is considering a second round of cleaning.

Because of the close quarters, and the shared equipment, it is not unusual for training academies like DC’s to be hit with a spreading infection. Last year, the Prince George’s County Police Department had a difficult time ridding its facility of staph. Nine recruits and three instructors were infected and the class was given a two week break before it was brought under control.

So far, DC is not talking about shutting down the recruit class. The first recruit is already back in class, on antibiotics and with his elbow covered.

Pipeline explosion overnight

The video above was shot in Port Arthur, Texas after a 2:00 a.m. explosion of a pipeline owned by Dow Chemical. Some details here.

Picture of the night: Midnight hydrant testing with Routley and Finamore

They waited for the midnight hour. Under the cover of darkness, early this morning, DC Fire & EMS, working with the DC Water & Sewer Authority (WASA), flowed water out of multiple hydrants near the recent 4-alarm fire in Adams Morgan. The two agencies have been at odds over just how much water was available to fight the fire on Adams Mill Road. Consulting with DC Fire & EMS Chief Dennis Rubin are two experienced chiefs: Gordon Routley, who is leading the investigative team following the Charleston fire and Nick Finamore who retired as a deputy chief with PGFD and is currently a volunteer division chief with the same department. More pictures and details can be found here.

All ride-alongs suspended by PGFD after burning incident and more issues between Riverdale VFD and the county

STATter 911 has the order from Monday banning ride-alongs county wide. A spokesperson confirms this was done because of the Riverdale incident and other concerns. See the story here.

Also, there are hard feelings between Riverdale and the county over last week’s two-alarm fire in College Park. The details are here.

Later this week, STATter 911 will have new information about the September incident where the 17-year-old boy received second-degree burns after being set on fire inside the Riverdale Volunteer Fire Department.

Video of the day: Another flashover

Not quite as visually dramatic as yesterday’s flashover video, but still interesting. No date on this house fire in Summit, Il. Firefighters were trying to make the second floor after being told that an elderly man was trapped in the fire. Click the image above to see part 1. The flashover occurs around 6 minutes in. Click here for part 2, where there is still active fire.

Airport roof fire

Here is what the AP has on the fire Wednesday night at Reagan National Airport:

A construction fire on a roof at Reagan National Airport led to the brief evacuation of a terminal Wednesday night, but no one was injured and the building was undamaged, an airport official said.

The fire was in an area where workers are resurfacing a facade, Hamilton said.

First female battalion chief in Baltimore City

Laura Shiloh (above, in a Baltimore Sun photo) has gone where no other woman has in the Baltimore City Fire Department. The 20-year veteran is the first female battalion chief. Details from The Sun.

Video that shut down fire department

We told you yesterday about FireGeezer finding the story of the Etna, Maine Fire Department being shut down because the chief likes to post response videos on YouTube. The video had been taken down by the time the story broke. It is now up. Look above (Warning: There is no bad language and it isn’t likely that you will find it disturbing. Boring yes. But not disturbing.)

More from BC

This 3-alarm fire (above) in Surrey is from December 27, 2006. It is one of a series of videos from fires in British Columbia recently posted.

And finally … when firemen were firemen

I’ve been a little slow in posting the old videos. I have plenty of them gathered, but news keeps getting in the way of writing them up. So to make up for it, I have two for you from New York. The top one is firefighting in Buffalo in 1961. The bottom is FDNY in the very early 1900s. Enjoy.

Jerry Engle from probiedays.net

More turmoil between the Riverdale Volunteer Fire Department and the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department. This time, over last week’s two-alarm fire in College Park. Firefighter Jerry Engle from Riverdale (PGFD Station 7) is in a war of words with PGFD Chief Spokesman Mark Brady. It is playing out in the University of Maryland student newspaper, The Diamondback.

The issue is over the word “rescue” and Engle’s belief that Brady does not represent the volunteers of the county. Engle, a former member of the Kentland Volunteer Fire Department (PGFD Station 33), wrote a book called “Probie Days” which went into his experiences as a Kentland Volunteer.

Last week, STATter 911 first alluded to reports of problems on the fireground at Hartwick Towers. This week, Riverdale VFD Chief Vince Harrison confirmed that reports were requested by county officials of those involved in a confrontation at the fire with one of the command officers. This includes firefighters from Riverdale and other stations. The dispute is over positions on the fireground and concerns about possible freelancing. STATter 911 hopes to have more details after we make further attempts to contact all of the parties involved.

There are already serious issues between PGFD and Riverdale. County investigators have mounted criminal and internal probes into an incident at Station 7 last month, where a 17-year-old boy was set on fire by two volunteers.

As for Engle’s complaints and Brady’s response, below is the article by reporter Steven Overly from diamondbackonline.com:

A difference in the definition of “rescue” left a squad of firefighters feeling slighted and generated conflicting statements about whether students were actually rescued from a burning Hartwick Tower apartment early Friday morning.

Firefighters in Riverdale said the response to the fire was also a bit hectic because the first fire department on the scene told others to standby because there was no visible fire. That agency was in front of the building, however, out of eyesight of the flames that burst through a window in the rear.

A very unusual sight very early Thursday morning in one of Washington, DC’s premiere nightspots. Adams Morgan became a giant laboratory, as DC Fire & EMS and the DC Water & Sewer Authority (WASA) tried to replicate the water flow during the 4-alarm fire on Adams Mill Road on October 1st. The fire was the latest problem in an ongoing dispute between the fire department and the water agency.

DC Fire & EMS Chief Dennis Rubin has contended that old, four and six-inch mains surrounding the fire building, along with a hydrant at a 16-inch main, nearby at 18th Street and Columbia Road, did not supply enough water to fight the fire. Firefighters were forced to get water from hydrants much further away. Rubin said at the time that fire crews created an above ground water main, with two runs of large diameter hose, each stretching 2,000 feet to Connecticut Avenue and Calvert Street.

WASA has insisted the hydrant on Columbia Road should have been adequate to fight the fire, providing 3500 gallons of water per minute. DC’s testing shortly after the fire showed the hydrant flowing at about half that amount.

Battalion Chief Kenneth Crosswhite said the early morning testing, at multiple hydrants, was done to show the actual conditions firefighters faced. Crosswhite said when the many hydrants were opened the morning of the fire, the water flow dropped dramatically.

WASA crews worked alongside DC firefighters preparing for the test. Chief Dennis Rubin brought in two experienced fire chiefs to consult on the project and look at the department’s actions during the fire. Gordon Routley is a former chief in Shreveport, LA and was an assistant chief in Phoenix, AZ. Routley, who watched the tests with Chief Rubin inside the mobile command post, is currently leading an investigation into the deaths of nine firefighters in Charleston, SC.

Nick Finamore retired in 1988 as a deputy chief of the Prince George’s County Fire Department and is currently a volunteer division chief in the same department. Finamore walked through the various locations watching the testing. He told STATter 911 the old water infrastructure presents a serious problem for firefighters.

Also monitoring the testing were Battalion Chief Mark Davis of the Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service, Chief Ty Dickerson of the College Park Volunteer Fire Department and Fred Brower of the Insurance Services Office.

We will bring you the results of the testing when they are available.

The order from Lt. Col. Robert Mcoy is very clear, “effective immediately, the Ride-Along Observer Program is suspended”. Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department Major Chauncey Bowers said Wednesday, the stopping of the program is a reaction to criminal and internal investigations currently underway at the Riverdale Volunteer Fire Department (PGFD Station 7) and other concerns.

In the email message sent to volunteer and career command officers on Monday, Lt. Col. McCoy wrote: “The Department has recently been involved in issues that require us to look at our current procedures. One procedure in particular is General Order 1-03, Ride Along Observer Program. We have personnel riding that do not meet the requirements of the program, are not abiding by the rules of the program, and the scrutiny and responsibility has decreased.”

As STATter 911 first reported last month, a 17-year-old boy from Pennsylvania, who was riding at the Riverdale station, was set on fire by two volunteer firefighters. Riverdale VFD Chief Vince Harrison said he suspended the two volunteers for 30 days after they ignited an alcohol-based disinfectant foam that had been sprayed on the teenager.

The incident was not immediately reported and the teen did not receive medical treatment until Prince George’s County fire investigators were told about it almost a week after it occurred. Sources tell STATter 911 the boy received second-degree burns to his back.

While Chief Harrison said again Tuesday night that Riverdale’s investigation has been completed, Major Bowers tells STATter 911 the county continues both internal and criminal probes into the matter.

According to Chief Harrison, he had suspended Riverdale’s ride-along program within days of the late September incident. Under PGFD rules in effect prior to the suspension, it appears the burned teen should not have been allowed to ride at Riverdale, because he was under 18 years of age and not a department member.

While they did not have authorization to speak publicly about the new order, a number of volunteer chief officers in Prince George’s County have told STATter 911 they are concerned the suspension of the program will have an adverse effect on recruitment efforts.

Note: Later this week STATter 911 will have new information on the burning incident at Riverdale VFD.

Below is a copy of the email sent by Lt. Col. McCoy (we did edit out email addresses):

From: McCoy, Robert H.
Sent: Monday, October 15, 2007 7:04 AM
Subject: General Order 1-3 Review

Robert H. McCoy, Jr., Lieutenant Colonel Deputy Fire Chief of Operations
Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department Emergency Operations Command
9201 Basil Ct. Suite 452
Largo, Maryland 20774

Video of the day (maybe even the week, or month)

Above is almost 15 minutes of raw video from a house fire one month ago in Terre Haute, Indiana. If you haven’t seen it, make sure you do. Just a bit of a flashover as crews make an interior attack.

Blueprint for the future of the City of Charleston Fire Department

The Phase 1 report from the Post Incident Assessment and Review Team, led by Gordon Routley is now out. Read the entire report, here.

Deadly truck crash and fire taped by man who witnessed the wreck

A motorist on Route 78 in New Jersey, Monday, was right behind the trucks that crashed and burned. His video is above.

Not a fire or EMS video, but it could have been

In the video above, a police officer saves the day for a woman caught on the tracks in SC.

Arson can be a difficult crime to solve, but some firebugs/shutterbugs make it easier

Similar to the radio station video, the video above is one of arsonists caught in the act. But in this case, the firebugs took the video themselves, didn’t hide their faces and then posted it on YouTube. Who says arson is a difficult crime to solve?

The location appears to be just outside a building on a college campus (by the sounds, somewhere near railroad tracks). All I know for sure is it was posted by mikeyg, who has another video posted from inside a fraternity house.

Speaking of videos and elsewhere on the web

Look at this story that FireGeezer found from Etna, Maine. The whole fire department is shut down because the chief posted a half-dozen response videos on YouTube.

WithTheCommand.com has a bunch of interesting stories including an update on the deadly tunnel crash in CA, a fire department closed in FL, and a dentist with a fire truck in NJ.

VAFireNews.com has a lot of pictures from a technical rescue in Chesterfield and much more.

Firehouse.com has the investigation into the Orlando Fire Department’s possible misuse of grant money.

Expect both SConFire.com and Firefight Hourly to be all over the Charleston report today.

FirefightingNews.com has some melted ice cream in PA.

Firefighter Spot has some car fire videos and pictures and is dabbling in politics.

And finally … dog gets down and low and firefighters get him out

Cat lovers will tell you how much smarter cats are than dogs (full disclosure, I’m allergic to both). But read the story of Jackson, a 3-year-old Newfoundland. He figured out how to find breathable air as the house burned around him.

The Phase 1 report from the Post Incident Assessment and Review Team, led by Gordon Routley, has now been released. It touches on every aspect of the department including operations, staffing, equipment, training, inspections, communications, fiscal oversight, minority recruitment and public education.

Read entire 38 page Charleston report here

WFAA-TV’s coverage of this fire (above) in Johnson County, Texas, on Monday, can be seen by clicking the image above.

DC Attorney General officially confirms what we first reported 3 months ago, that city will appeal reinstatement of EMS worker.

As STATter 911 told you on July 12th, an administrative law judge overturned the firing of DC EMS worker Selena Walker. Walker drove dying New York Times reporter David Rosenbaum to the hospital in January of 2006. While they wouldn’t provide an official answer in July, the DC Office of the Attorney General now tells the Washington Times that an appeal will be filed in DC Superior Court.

An inspector general’s report into the incident found that first responders and Howard University Hospital failed to diagnose Rosenbaum’s head injury. The report also said that Walker drove David Rosenbaum to Howard University Hospital, instead of the closer Sibley Hospital, so Walker could be close to an errand she needed to run.

Reporter finds man who made mystery rescue

There was a bit of a mystery at the 2-alarm fire in Calverton, MD on Saturday (seen in the Beltsville VFD picture above). 911 was talking to a man who was in a wheelchair and trapped in the apartment where the fire started. Firefighters went in to find the man, but they soon discovered he was already outside. All the man knew was that he had been picked up by a very large man. 9NEWS NOW reporter Cindy Pena found that big guy. Marlin Brown is a Navy man and Iraq war veteran and a very humble hero. Watch Cindy’s story here.

More on man who died taking DC agility test

9NEWS NOW reporter Bruce Johnson went to the DC Fire & EMS Department Training Academy on Monday to learn more about the death of Eric Allen. The 23-year-old died after taking the physical agility test in his effort to become a DC firefighter. See Bruce’s report, here.

Watch WFAA-TV’s early helicopter video and report

Watch WFAA-TV’s updated report as crews move in to extiguish fire

From AP:

Two people were injured by a fire that burned two trucks and sent thick black smoke into the sky for more than an hour Monday at a salt water storage plant south of Fort Worth.

Keene is a community of about 5,200 in central Johnson County, about 25 miles south of Fort Worth.

DC Fire & EMS is reporting that a 23-year-old Maryland man died this morning after becoming ill during a Sunday physical agility test at the department’s training academy in Southwest.

Eric Allen of Temple Hills was in the try-out stages in his effort to become a DC firefighter. Spokesman Alan Etter tells STATter 911 that Allen had reported to the academy early Sunday morning for a series of physical tests to determine if he was qualified to be a recruit. Battaltion Chief Kenneth Crosswhite says vital signs are routinely taken before and after the tests.

According to a department press release, Eric Allen became ill after “completing a stair climbing exercise in the facility’s hose tower building”. The department says a paramedic examined Allen, who was having trouble breathing. This was at about 10:00 AM. Chief Crosswhite says a basic-life-support ambulance took Allen to Greater Southeast Community Hospital a few miles from the training facility.

According to Etter, Eric Allen’s condition worsened and he was flown by helicopter to Medstar. He died around 8:30 this morning.

In a statement, DC Fire & EMS Chief Dennis Rubin said, “Our most sincere condolences go to his family.” Rubin added, “We are ready to assist them in any way we can.”

An investigation is now underway involving DC Fire & EMS, the Metropolitan Police Department and the Office of the Medical Examiner.

Eric Allen got to this point in the hiring process from a written entrance examination taken back in April of 2006.

Picture of the day: No, the picture above, from delmarvanow.com is not one of those 30-year-old pictures we often run on STATter 911. These are Pocomoke firefighters on Maryland’s Eastern Short just yesterday. Takes you back, doesn’t it. Click here for the explanation. Check the comments at the bottom of the story and you will see someone is already complaining.

Lot of comments about the crash of RE 335

Our comments section has been working overtime handling the reaction to Friday’s wreck of Rescue Engine 335 from Reagan National Airport. Some of the comments might make you angry, others might make you think. The common theme is that everyone is grateful the injuries don’t appear to be life threatening. Read the comments here.

Henrico County, VA ladder truck and car collide leaving man dead

The driver of a car is dead and 3 firefighters were hurt in Henrico County on Sunday. See the story, here.

4-alarms in Trenton, NJ

At least 7 rowhouses damaged or destroyed in the overnight fire. The images above from WPVI-TV in Philadelphia. Details here. FireGeezer is also on this one, with a photo gallery and a link to a short video.

Philly warehouse fire

Above, more from WPVI-TV here. A vacant warehouse fire in Philadelphia on Sunday. Details here. Some video here.

Out like Flint update

About 6 weeks back we showed you the study of injuries that occurred while operating at vacant structure fires in Flint, Michigan. Now, Jamie Thompson at FireRescue1 has a closer look at how Flint is dealing with this.

Forensic evidence in harassment case

In Oak Lawn, IL attorneys are trying to settle a 4-year-old harassment case filed by a female firefighter. Not the most pleasant reading.

Arlington County firefighters and paramedics protest treatment of those suffering PTSD following Pentagon attack, along with others seeking disability pensions.

Firefighters and medics showed up Saturday morning at the meeting of the Arlington County Board of Supervisors. More than a dozen testified about difficulties getting health and retirement benefits. Some of them, like Firefighter Ray Buettner (pictured above), say they have been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) following their response to the Pentagon. See STATter 911′s coverage, here.

Raw video from Metro drill involving DC, MD and VA

STATter 911 has ten minutes of raw video from Saturday’s drill at the Yellow Line bridge crossing the Potomac. Also, the hydrants adjacent to the bridge, were fixed in time for the drill.

Another BC video

Click the image above to see another good quality video from British Columbia. No date on this apartment building fire in Port Coquitlam.

Slow video day

After a busy few days, the new videos are slow in coming today. No info on what department was doing the training in the video above.

Can’t tell you much about this one

I don’t know where the video above was taken, or what is burning, but it looks like a lot of fire.

And finally … you wonder why they won’t get out of your way

There used to be many reasons why drivers wouldn’t pull over for a fire truck or ambulance. Now it is likely they don’t want to let you through because they are shooting a video for YouTube. See above.

Arlington County firefighters and paramedics protest treatment of those suffering following Pentagon attack, along with others seeking disability pensions.

Firefighters and medics showed up Saturday morning at the meeting of the Arlington County Board of Supervisors. More than a dozen testified about difficulties getting health and retirement benefits. Some of them, like Firefighter Ray Buettner (pictured above), say they have been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) following their response to the Pentagon. See STATter 911′s coverage, here.

Raw video from Metro drill involving DC, MD and VA

STATter 911 has ten minutes of raw video from Saturday’s drill at the Yellow Line bridge crossing the Potomac. Also, the hydrants adjacent to the bridge, were fixed in time for the drill. See video and story, here.

Picture of the day: Above, are some of the 17 firefighters and 1 police officer burned in Bangalore. The Hindu, India’s national newspaper, says they were fighting a fire in a lubricant shop on Friday night. The paper reports the fire was under control when a spark ignited an open vat of oil. The first article talks about the fire and the second focuses on the lack of protective equipment and the treatment of the firefighters at local hospitals. Sadly, it seems nothing like the burn speciality units available in the U.S.

Video of the day #1: Click the image above to see three minutes of raw video of a multi-truck crash and fire in a Southern California highway tunnel. FireGeezer was on top of this while I was still sleeping. He has the details, other videos and pictures.

Video of the day #2: We ran a lot of old video from the Vancouver area this week. Above is a fresh one. Short video, but a lot of fire at a furniture store. Some details here.

Boy saves family from Charles County, MD house fire

The picture above from the La Plata Volunteer Fire Department’s website. The site has more pictures and an account of the early Friday morning fire. The Washington Post has the story of how the 12-year-old boy living at the home on Dr. Samuel Mudd Road in
Waldorf, saved his parents and two younger brothers.

Baltimore County helmet cam action

The video above is from the Middle River VFC, Company 22. It is some exterior operations at a 25 box (Hyde Park) on October 6.

Around the web

SConFire.com has the shot above from Anderson County, along with more SC news.

WithTheCommand.com has the story of the Texas judge apparently cleared of suspicion of arson along with a fire in Wayne County, PA.

Firefighter Nation keeps growing and along with its forums, has great videos.

VAFireNews.com has the details of the ambulance contract being dropped in Richmond and lots more.

Firefighter Spot has pictures of a late September fire at a Brooklyn hi-rise and more.

FirefightingNews.com’s lead story is a CT townhouse fire.

Fairfax County’s 5th Battalion Training Blog has a RIT question as its latest entry.

Maryland Fire News is another source of pictures and info.

Old video of the day

Above, a house fire from Shreveport, LA 5 years ago.

And finally, who needs Dalmatians?

For that matter, who needs a Federal Q when you have the Cocker Spaniel in the video above?

Motorists traveling the 14th Street Bridge complex between Virginia and Washington, D.C. had an interesting view Saturday morning. An occupied Metro train sat in the middle of the Yellow Line bridge crossing the Potomac River, with what appeared to be smoke pouring out of one end of the train.

This was all part of a training exercise involving firefighters, EMS workers, Metro workers and police, from the District of Columbia, Virginia and Maryland.

After confirming power had been cut, firefighters with fire and rescue equipment traveled along the tracks to put out the fire and “rescue” the “victims”. Many of the “victims” were brought to a triage area set up in East Potomac Park.

The dry standpipe system along the tracks was charged. A fire engine hooked up to the hydrant directly under the bridge on the DC side. As STATter 911 first reported last week, that hydrant had apparently been out of service for years. It was one of four nearby hydrants in East Potomac Park and West Potomac Park found to be broken during citywide hydrant testing earlier this year. The National Park Service says its crews finished working on two of the hydrants on Tuesday and will fix the other two in November.

Photo from St. Mary’s Today.

Career medics in St. Mary’s

St. Mary’s Today has details on a paid medic scheduled to be hired in St. Mary’s County. Ken Rossignol sees it as the first of many.

Watch 9NEW NOW’s Cindy Pena’s report

Lots of ladders in the photo above shot by Mike Frantel. More pictures can be seen on diamondbackonline.com, along with the college paper’s coverage of the overnight fire at Hartwick Towers. Reports that alarm bells didn’t work complicated the evacuation during the fire.

Here is an excerpt from The Diamondback’s coverage:

A fire ripped through a third floor apartment in Hartwick Towers downtown early Friday morning, leaving several evacuated residents displaced for the night.

Residents of the six-story condominium complex, which is not equipped with sprinklers, described a chaotic scene after the fire broke out. No fire alarms sounded, residents said, and they banged on doors to urge neighbors to evacuate. Brady said that when firefighters arrived, a “hectic evacuation” was underway.

Firefighter injured in Australian explosion

A firefighter suffered respiratory burns after an explosion during a fire in a factory in the western suburbs of Melbourne. Watch video of the fire, here. Click the photo above to see a slide show or click here for details on the fire.

NH fire department to remain “top heavy”

“Top heavy” is the description of the town manager in Hampton, NH. But selectmen voted to back the chief and keep 2 deputy chief positions in the budget.

Woman thanks firefighter who rescued her from burning apartment

Eversole endowment

Details on the Yvorra Leadership Development Foundation’s newly created Chief John M. Eversole Endowment for Hazardous Materials Responders can be found here. Chief Eversole (pictured above), of the Chicago Fire Department, was the chair of the IAFC Hazardous Materials Committee and much more. He died in May of this year.

Please read the note in our comments section for a personal view of Chief Eversole and his ties to the College Park VFD.

Video above is of a fire in a multiple space carport. It is from Phoenix, but no date is attached.

Video of the day: The fire above was at 3:00 this morning in Canton, Ohio. Called suspicious, it destroyed one home and damaged 6 others. Details here.

Crash and burn on I-95

STATter 911 has pictures and details of a deadly tractor-trailer fire on I-95 in Prince William County. It was thought that explosives were on board the truck.

Panel named in Boston following autopsy results

For the third time since he has taken office, Boston’s Mayor Thomas Menino has named an outside panel to look at the fire department. Details here.

Eversole endowment

Details on the Yvorra Leadership Development Foundation’s newly created Chief John M. Eversole Endowment for Hazardous Materials Responders can be found here. Chief Eversole (pictured above), of the Chicago Fire Department, was the chair of the IAFC Hazardous Materials Committee and much more. He died in May of this year.

Alexandria ceremony

Alexandria, VA Fire Chief Adam K. Thiel and his department invite you to attend the annual Fire Prevention Week memorial service and wreath laying ceremony to honor the men and women who have served the Alexandria community. It is scheduled for Friday at 11:00 a.m. The location is Ivy Hill Cemetery, 2823 King Street. There will be a luncheon at the First Baptist Church of Alexandria 2932 King Street following the ceremony.

Gas fed fire

Above, a work crew hit a natural has main in Cary, NC Wednesday morning. The fire burned for 6 hours. Details here.

Union video from press conference on Deutsche Bank investigations

The video above is from the Uniformed Firefighters Association and the Uniformed Fire Officers Association from this week’s press conference on the allegations of a cover up in the deadly Deutsche Bank fire. FireGeezer has been staying on top of this from the start and has more here.

We haven’t found a similar video showing the other side or a response to the allegations. Here is what the New York Times reported on that point:

“There is no truth to these allegations, none whatsoever,” said Francis X. Gribbon, the department’s chief spokesman.

Update on train derailment in Ohio

See last night’s 11:00 p.m. report from WKYC-TV in Cleveland on the Lake County derailment and fire. Click here to see the coverage from yesterday. Below are two more helicopter videos of the train derailment.

Firefighting in BC

The video above is from Coquitlam, BC. A house fire on July 12th. It is worth taking a look.

Man on fire mystery and unrelated off-duty death of hero firefighter

Two stories from the same community in California. A man in Capitola found burning, but no one is sure why. The firefighters who responded were covering -for the local crew who is mourning the death of a 42-year-old firefighter. Todd Litke, who had been involved in a 2002 rescue of a woman from her burning trailer, was discovered dead at his home by his colleagues. Foul play is not suspected.

One more video from Tacoma BLEVE

It may not be the biggest BLEVE ever caught on video, but it may have had the most cameras capturing it. The video above makes the 4th angle I’ve seen from Saturday’s blast. This one appears to come from a traffic camera and puts the time at 15:06:03.

From SConFire.com

Busy day for Grant Mishoe at SConFire.com with the crash of a ladder truck in North Charleston and updating an arson in a church that now isn’t arson.

NJ 3rd alarm

Click the image above to see video of a September 30th 3-alarm fire at 115 Grove Street in Roselle, NJ.

Another one from Vancouver, BC

Click the image above to see another of those good quality videos, recently posted on YouTube, of older fires from the Vancouver area. This was a 3-alarm fire in July of 2003, involving two homes.

Chalk one up for the dogs, in the dogs vs. cats battle

Thumper is the hero in this story, while fire investigators see the precious Princess as being responsible for the house fire.

And finally … you have heard of synchronized swimming, but how about synchronized firefighting?

In the video above, I fully expected to see judges holding up cards reading, 9.2, 9.7 and 10.

Passing along something I thought many of you will be interested in:

From: Mike Hildebrand and Greg Noll, et. al. (Reds, Rick & Steve)
To: Friends of Chief John Eversole

Mike Hildebrand and Greg Noll
Yvorra Leadership Development Foundation

I-95 crash photos provided by Assistant Chief Steve Chappell, Dale City VFD.

The call came in at 1357 hours Wednesday afternoon. The flat-bed tractor-trailer crashed under the Gordon Blvd. overpass on southbound I-95. Here is how the Potomac News explains what happened:

The driver of a tractor-trailer was killed and traffic was snarled after a 2 p.m. wreck on Interstate 95, north of Woodbridge.

Initial reports stated the truck was carrying either explosives or ammunition, but officials at the scene quickly determined that the cargo was an Army weapon barrel with no explosives.

Assistant Chief Steve Chappell of the Dale City Volunteer Fire Department took these pictures and provided them to STATter 911. Chief Chappell also gave us this description of the incident:

The first arriving units were met by eyewitnesses who explained the crash and their attempt to get the conscious driver out of the tractor cab. They were not successful and driven back due to the flames and heat

Units cleared the scene by 1600.

Watch live coverage of the train derailment and fire in Lake County, Ohio

Watch taped report from earlier

Below is the running log of our sister station WKYC-TV in Cleveland of the details from the train derailment in Painesville, Ohio. The streaming coverage may alternate with the other big story, a school shooting in Cleveland or may be down as the chopper refuels.

4:31 p.m. Administrators say Lathrop Elementary school will remain closed Thursday.
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4:22 p.m. Carole Sullivan reports that a half mile radius around the derailment site has been evacuated. In total, some 1300 residents were told to evacuate using reverse 911. Those who chose to leave their homes are being taken to one of three shelters:

Central YMCA (Lake County YMCA) in Painesville

Painesville Sr. Center

Mentor Sr. Center

Firefighters say the fire have to burn itself out and for that reason it is impossible to determine how long the evacuations will last.
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4:15 p.m. Channel 3 News reporter, Carole Sullivan reports that according to CSX 30 railcars were involved in the derailment. Of those 30 cars, 8 of them contained a hazardous material. According to CSX: 6 of those cars were carrying ethanol, 1 car was carrying propane and one was carrying phthalic anhayeride. Experts on site say none of the substances in those 8 cars are considered toxic, but they are hazardous because of their flammability. CSX says the car carrying the propane is being monitored closely. It is not near the flames, but is under pressure and there is some concern it could explode. However, firefighters say the torrential rains and cool temperatures are helping to keep the situation under control.
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3:47 p.m. Additional information on road closures. Route 44 north & south closed between Rt. 2 and Rt. 84. Route 2 east and west closed between Heisley Road and Rt. 535.
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3:31 p.m. Lake County Central Dispatch says the derailment has made it very difficult to maneuver around the area. Drivers are being asked to avoid the following areas: Route 84, Route 44 and Route 2 near the Route 44 entrance. Alternative routes of Route 20 and I-90 are reportedly being backed up by extra traffic from the additional traffic. No other specific road closures are being reported.
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3:27 p.m. There are additional reports of school evacuations as a result of the train derailment. Hadden Elementary and Buckeye Elementary were also cleared as a precaution. Parents of children at those schools should pick them up at Riverside Auditorium.
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2:43 p.m. Channel 3 reporter Jeff Maynor says a couple dozen evacuees have been taken to the Lake County YMCA. These evacuees are residents from the homes and apartments nearest the derailment site. One of the evacuees told Jeff that she actually could see the derailment and fire from her balcony.
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2:22 p.m. A spokesman from the Painesville City Local Schools tells Channel 3 News that Painesville Police have ordered the evacuatioon of Lathrop Elementary School on Jackson Street. The evacuation involves approximately 340 students are involved. The students have been taken to Chestnut Elementary. A sign-out process has been established, parents need to go to Chestnut Elementary to pick up their children. Bus routes for the other schools in the district will run as usual. If buses are unable to deliver a child home because of street closures they will be returned to the home school where parents will be able to pick them up.
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2:03 p.m. According to unconfirmed reports to Channel 3 News, the material burning on the train is believed to be a non-hazardous alcohol.
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1:45 p.m. Per the Associated Press, police tell CNN that there are plans to evacuate about 75 homes near the derailment site. There have been no reports of injuries. Police were told the train was carrying alcohol, butane and glycerin. Firefighters say, considering the nature of the fire, they were letting the fire burn down a bit before moving in.
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1:10 p.m. Channel 3 News reporter, Carole Sullivan, reports from the scene that the train is a CSX train which was heading from Collinwood to Buffalo when it derailed. Authorities tell her that there were hazardous materials being carried on the train, but it is unknown at this time whether the cars involved in the derailment were carrying those hazardous materials.
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12:47 p.m. There have been no reports of evacuations at this time. Officials say hazardous materials teams have been put on stand-by because no one knows what the train was carrying at the time of the derailment. Train officials are on their way to the site, but are having trouble reaching it. From Chopper 3, you can see multiple intersections blocked in the area near the derailment site.
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12:34 p.m. Larry Greene with the Lake County Emergency Management Agency says the train was eastbound when it derailed and caught fire in the Heisley Road area in Mentor.
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12:15 p.m. Reports just coming into the Channel 3 newsroom indicate a train fire has mobilized firefighters and put Hazmat crews on stand-by in Lake County. Witnesses are reporting black billowing smoke; many have told us they heard a loud noise that may have been an explosion.

From Chopper 3, you can see a thick column of black smoke rising up from the scene. Several cars appear to be on fire.

There is no word yet on the cause of the fire. But there are reports of an explosion

The incident is near the tracks on Route 44 near the Painesville and Mentor border.

Channel 3 news crews are on the way. Keep it here for developing details.