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Come see us in Baltimore: As I first told you Sunday, FireGeezer Bill Schumm has made me an honorary Geezer for a couple of days. Bill has booth #743 at Firehouse Expo. I will be spending time this afternoon and Friday afternoon at the FireGeezer booth. Bill and I are also doing Chief Billy Goldfeder’s radio show Through the Smoke on Friday at noon from room 310. Please join us.
Chicago video brings comments: As I had hoped, a lively discussion is underway in our comments section following the posting of a video from last month showing a confrontation between a Chicago ambulance crew and the video makers. Click her to see the video and join in on the conversation.
Court paves the way for layoffs in Detroit and Pontiac: From mlive.com -
The Michigan Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled against two firefighter unions seeking to prevent layoffs in Pontiac and Detroit.
The court ruled 4-3 that an Oakland County judge was wrong to grant an injunction in 2006, stopping Pontiac’s plan to lay off 28 of 117 firefighter.
Fire in PA: A series of pictures sent to STATter 911 from a fire Wednesday morning in McKeesport. Click here for the story.
Still chewing the fat on this one: The labor unrest over the firing of an overweight firefighter in the UK has brought both sides together for talks. Click here.
Fire Wednesday morning in a duplex on Hopkins Alley in McKeesport, PA. These pictures are from Chris Bearly, McKeesport Ambulance Rescue Service.
We are told that the call was dispatched as a fire in a vacant building. McKeesport Fire Dept. and McKeesport Ambulance arrived to find an occupied duplex with heavy fire on Side B.
A recall of off-duty firefighters was requested as well as mutual aid from Glassport #1 VFD.
No reports of injuries.
You won’t believe what you will see and hear Through the Smoke: Clearly the people behind Firehouse.com have lost their minds. Friday’s edition of Chief Billy Goldfeder’s Through the Smoke podcast will be coming to you from Firehouse Expo at Baltimore’s Convention Center and will feature Bill Schumm and Dave Statter. Yes, FireGeezer and STATter 911 get to move up from the lounge to the main room. A live audience is welcomed for this event. It’s in room 310 at noon.
Hands on pictures: Some shots yesterday at Firehouse Expo training in Montgomery County.
Hands off my camera: With cameras everywhere now, have you ever ordered a member of the public or the press to stop shooting video or pictures? A video from Chicago has STATter 911 asking some questions. Click here.
The Lawrence Woltz: Click here for Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department Chief Spokesman Mark Brady’s pictures and account from yesterday’s dedication of Fire Boat 858. Click here for a look back at the career of the first PGFD chief.
Prince William County’s 911 issues: From Virginia, The Washington Post tells us Fire Chief Kevin McGee has outlined problems with Verizon that caused four 911 outages in two months:
During those times, people tried to reach 911 and could not get through, McGee said. In May, residents watched fire engulf a neighbor’s home. One morning, 16 calls went unanswered. On another day, a man needing an ambulance drove himself to a hospital in a neighboring county after trying to call for help from a home telephone and on his cellphone, McGee said.
Bodybuilder isn’t coming back until doctor says so: That’s the response from Boston FF Albert Arroyo’s lawyer after Arroyo was ordered to return to work this past Monday. The latest on this controversial disability retirement.
Two CA FFs arrested on arson charges: 29-year-old Christopher Furtado and 23-year-old Teddy Lee, were volunteer firefighters with the Laton Volunteer Fire Department. Now the two men have been charged in connection with 30 different fires in both Fresno and Kings Counties. Read more. Watch story.
We’re No Heroes: FossilMedic Mike Ward discusses one of my favorite documentaries about the fire service. It is called We’re No Heroes and it was filmed by Paul and Holly Fine, who were then working at Channel 7. It follows the firefighters at DCFD’s Engine 16 and Truck 3. Mike also has interesting observations about some more recent photography inside a firehouse. Click here.
Is this a battle you would fight? Seeking your comments on a topic near and dear to Dave.
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Let’s get my bias on this issue right out in the open. I am of the belief, having investigated it, reported on it and experienced it, if I am standing on public property I can shoot pictures of anything I want that is in public view.
Having been told countless times to shut down our cameras from law enforcement officers on the street, private security, the general public and even, occasionally, people in fire and EMS, I know there is no law that gives any of these people the right to order a journalist, or the general public, to do such a thing.
I have received such assurances from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the U.S. Marines, the U.S. Secret Service and other agencies. In general, there is nothing that gives anyone the authority in this situation to order me to stop taking pictures or to confiscate my equipment (by the way, there is nothing I am saying here that should be construed as legal advice).
There have also been law enforcement and others who have ASKED me to stop taking pictures of something. If there is a sound reason, I have cooperated. Examples of this might be there are undercover officers operating in an area, or the person we are focusing on is a witness to a crime.
I know this is a long introduction to the video, but I wanted you to have a clear idea of my history on this topic. A story I did in March at Nationals Park will also give you some background.
The video above was apparently shot on Chicago’s North Side at the end of June. Two guys were shooting police and EMS response to a man down. The victim is described as a frequent flyer for police and EMS.
There is a lot to this story we don’t know. The camera starts and stops. We have only the view, in on screen titles, of the photographers. But the one thing that does seem clear is, that at more than one point, Chicago police officers and EMS personnel try to order the “citizen journalists” to shut down their cameras.
My questions for you in fire and EMS are the following:
Do you believe you have the right to order someone to stop such filming?
If so, what gives you that right?
Do you have any general orders that you believe gives you such authority?
If you read the comments with the video on YouTube, you will see that some people are accusing the picture takers of staging the downed man and of just being jerks (I know it may be a shock to you, but even I have been accused of that myself). Even if all of that was true, do the EMS crew and police have any right to order these guys to stop taking pictures?
Before you start claiming HIPAA gives them that right, you might want to do a little research.
Other than one article about this episode from WBBM radio, I haven’t been able to find any independent facts about the video. If you find more, let me know.
I look forward to your comments.
On a related note, I see this morning The Washington Post has a story on a photographer’s difficulties shooting at DC’s Union Station. This is a little different because the property is leased to a private entity, but I have been confronted by security many times at Union Station. Click here for the article.
Here are some pictures from some of the Firehouse Expo events on Tuesday in Montgomery County. They were taken at two classes, Command Competencies: Hands-On Reality Based Command Training – From the Front Seat to the Hot Seat! and NFPA #1403 Acquired Structure Training and Live Burns – Train to Survive!
I’ll write more about them later, but right now Blogger is acting up and I just want to get the pictures on.
Well before Kentland was the only thing to talk about in PGFD land: A ceremony naming a new fire boat after Chief Lawrence Woltz is being held this morning at the National Harbor complex. We have a little PGFD history lesson for those who want to know more about Chief Woltz and some of the early career – volunteer struggles in the county.
Apartment fire in WV: Pictures and details of a fire in Romney yesterday. Click here.
More on Maplewood, MO shooting: The St. Louis FD is covering for Maplewood FD as they mourn the loss of FF/PM Ryan Hummert. Click here for KSDK-TVs coverage of the tragedy and here for a number of St. Louis Post-Dispatch articles on the ambush. So far the remains of the gunman have not been found inside the burned home. FireGeezer also has more.
Baltimore bound: Like many of you, STATter 911 will be spending time in Baltimore this week for Firehouse Expo. I plan to be at the Convention Center on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. On Thursday and Friday, FireGeezer Bill Schumm has invited me to join his crew at booth #743. I expect to be there in the afternoon. So please stop by and chat. I am heading to Montgomery County today to watch some of the hands-on training.
Bodybuilder docked a days pay: Ordered back to work in Boston, FF Albert Arroyo was a no-show. Read the latest.
Admirable goal: In the UK new fire safety guidance for “landlords, managing agents, tenants and enforcers” has been announced. The hope is it will cut fire deaths by as much as 300 people each year. Seems extremely optimistic, but read for yourself and you be the judge.
An RC Cola and a moon pie, hold the RC Cola: The Royal Crown bottling company is being sued over an extension cord. Six horses died in a barn fire at a Kentucky race track on January 4. The suit, by a trainer, claims the fire was caused by the improper use of an extension cord for a vending machine. It was the third fire in just over four years at the track. Click here for more.
Honor Guard Academy: Interesting stuff going on in Fairfax City, VA this week. Chief Tom Owens of the City of Fairfax Fire Department is inviting the press out Wednesday to look at the training going on for honor guard units from around the country. Here is the first part of the press release:
The City of Fairfax Fire Department, in cooperation with The National Honor Guard Academy, is hosting a week long training program for Emergency Services Honor Guard Units starting Sunday, July 20th. More than two dozen Honor Guard Units from Law Enforcement, Fire and EMS Agencies from Northern Virginia and across the Nation are assembling in the City of Fairfax to sharpen the skills necessary to provide a fallen comrade the ultimate farewell.
From April, 1975, Chief Lawrence Woltz with John Fuston, then training division chief, in a Washington Star photo by Paul Schmick.
At 10:30 AM today, the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department’s new fire boat, stationed at the massive National Harbor complex on the Potomac, will be officially commissioned the Lawrence Woltz. For many that will be just a name. For those too young or unfamiliar with PGFD history, here is some of the story that goes with that name.
Chief Lawrence Woltz was the first fire chief of Prince George’s County when the county was granted a charter form of government in 1970. Chief Woltz had been the acting director of the fire service since 1969 and was the county’s first fire marshal in 1954.
Larry Woltz’s connection to the fire service in the county goes back to 1935 when he became a volunteer at Bladensburg and then later at College Park. He had also been the assistant fire chief at Bolling Air Force Base, back when they actually had planes taking off and landing on the east side of the Potomac.
From the Prince George’s County website’s history of PGFD.
But it is the six years from 1969 until his retirement in 1975 that Chief Woltz is best remembered. Those were probably some of the most difficult years for the department, illustrated by the often public battles between the growing IAFF Local 1619 and the individual volunteer fire departments that had lost a lot of control in the new form of government.
Larry Woltz was stuck in the middle. He once told a reporter that leading the combination department was “like trying to make a snowball out of a ball of jello”.
January 16, 1975 fire at 922 Palmer Road. From STATter 911 archives.
Just four months before Chief Woltz announced his retirement, a multi-alarm fire at 922 Palmer Road in Oxon Hill injured 17 firefighters and caused $1.5 million damage as it spread to two adjacent buildings. Cries that the fire was mismanaged by volunteer firefighters, who were led by Oxon Hill VFD Chief Perrow Willis, prompted County Executive Winfield Kelly to order an investigation.
The report from the Palmer Road fire brought county legislation setting experience and training standards for volunteer firefighters in Prince George’s County. The report was released a month before Chief Woltz announced his retirement.
Woltz told reporters the retirement came on orders of his physician who was treating the 56-year-old fire chief for “hypertension, anxiety and worry”. Larry Woltz lived another 28 years. Unfortunately the same can’t be said for his successor, Frank Briguglio, who died in office from a heart attack at age 58, after less than three years running the department.
A firefighter suffering smoke inhalation from Palmer Road fire. A Washington Star photo by Ray Lustig.
From a personal standpoint, while I was a volunteer for a about a year under Chief Woltz’s leadership, and was on the Palmer Road fire, I only got to know him after he retired. I had many pleasant conversations with Chief Woltz at numerous fire department functions.
My favorite moments were late in his life, when he would call me up once or twice a year looking for a new stash of our “Get Out Alive” fire safety brochures. Until not long before he died in 2003, Larry Woltz was still the fire marshal, trying to make sure his fellow senior citizens were safe.
March 6, 1975 Washington Post article by Harold Logan on the report from the Palmer Road fire. Double click to enlarge.
April 14, 1975 Washington Star article by Lance Gay on Chief Woltz’s retirement.
Pictures and details of an apartment fire yesterday in Romney, WV, courtesy of Mineral County Office of Emergency Management Director Marc Bashoor:
Mineral County units from Burlington, Fort Ashby, Keyser, and New Creek spent five hours assisting units from Hampshire and Hardy County fight a fire in a large occupied apartment building Monday in Romney (HampshireCounty). Romney units attempted an aggressive interior attack, but were driven back by collapsing ceilings and roofing materials. Firefighters withdrew to a defensive operation, operating over a dozen exterior lines before the first (and only) ladder truck from Keyser could arrive (approximately 30 mountain miles away).
With temperatures hovering around 95 degrees, EMS units set up several rehabilitation areas, while at least one firefighter was transported to the hospital for heat related issues. The Red Cross was assisting Hampshire County officials with relocating occupants and providing comfort for firefighters.
This was the 2nd fire of the day for Hampshire County, with many of the County’s units still operating at a body shop fire in the Augusta area.
Missouri FF/PM shot and killed. Ryan Hummert had just short of one year on the Maplewood Fire Department.
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Top picture is of FF/PM Ryan Hummert shot and killed in Maplewood, MO this morning. Bottom image from the murder scene.
Click here for press conference, scene raw video and other video from KSDK.com
Click here for St. Louis Post-Dispatch story
The mayor of Maplewood, MO confirms FF/PM Ryan Hummert was killed and two police officers were wounded after responding to a car fire. Maplewood is eight miles west of St. Louis.
Hummert had been with the department just short of a year and is the son of a former mayor of Maplewood.
The story is still unfolding as the suspect is believed to be inside a burning house.
Details from our sister station KSDK-TV:
Tracy Panus, a spokesperson for the St. Louis County Police Department, said officials did not know the status of a suspect inside a burning home on Zephyr, off of Big Bend in Maplewood, eight miles west of St. Louis.
Black smoke could be seen rising above a tree line where a home was burning at 10:30a.m.
Lamira Martin, who lives across the street from the home, said live on NewsChannel 5 that the home was an “inferno” and that she heard possible explosions around 10:30 a.m.
NewsChannel 5 crews saw an armored vehicle from the St. Louis County tactical unit heading towards the home, and then they spotted black smoke.
Media crews were kept away from the scene and television helicopters were not allowed to fly in the area.
The Maplewood Fire Department said Ryan Hummert, 22, a paramedic and firefighter was shot and killed after he got out of his fire truck at the scene of the car fire, across the street from the burning home around 5:40 a.m.
Hummert started working for the department in August 2007. He was a 2004 graduate of Rockwood Summit High School and was the son of former Maplewood Mayor Andy Hummert and his mother, Jackie Hummert.
Eric Clark from St. Mary’s Hospital in Richmond Heights confirmed an injured police officer was treated for a gunshot wound to the shoulder in the emergency room. Clark would did not release the officer’s agency affiliation.
The Mayor of Maplewood said a second police officer was injured in the shooting and was being treated at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
Panus said the initial call came out as a car fire to the Maplewood Fire Department around 5:40 a.m.
While at the scene of the car fire, NewsChannel 5 crews heard shots fired and a home across the street from the burning car also caught on fire.
St. Louis County police have not released the exact sequence of events.
The tactical unit and bomb squad from the St. Louis County police department took control of the scene at 8:30 a.m and surrounded the burning home.
Linda Mattus, who lives nearby told NewsChannel 5, police came to her door and told her a police officer had been shot and she needed to evacuate her home. Mattus said she was told it could be hours until she is let back in her home.
Big Bend was closed from Manchester to Dale. There is no word on when the street will reopen.
Donations in honor of Hummert may be mailed to Backstoppers at 10411 Clayton Rd., suite 5A in St. Louis 63131.
More from DC. This is from Friday’s three-alarm fire at 222 Longfellow Street, NW. It includes a close call fro a firefighter working on the roof. Again, PIO Alan Etter supplies the pictures and the details below:
At 2:39 PM on July 18th, Fire & EMS was dispatched to the report of a house fire in the 200 block of Longfellow Street, Northwest. First arriving companies found heavy fire visible in the rear and through the roof of 222 Longfellow, and the fire was spreading quickly to adjoining homes. A second alarm was quickly called for as firefighters began an aggressive suppression operation. Early in the operation, a firefighter fell a short distance through the roof into the attic area, but was quickly recovered and found to have only minor injuries. He was transported to MedStar for observation. Firefighters continued the firefighter and quickly learned the fire had spread to three exposure buildings in addition to the fire building. A third alarm was called for because of high heat and the need to rotate firefighters consistently. After approximately 45 minutes, the bulk of the fire was contained and under control within one hour. Severe damage was done to four homes on Longfellow Street, and three homes across the alley on Kansas Avenue suffered considerable damage from radiant heat.
There were no civilian injuries, but several were displaced. The cause of the fire remains undetermined.
An injured construction worker pumps his fist in the air as Firefighter Chris Smith helps lower home to the ground from the top of a building under construction. It happened this morning in downtown Washington. DC Fire & EMS Department PIO Alan Etter took the pictures and wrote the information below:
At 7:31 AM, Fire & EMS responded for the report of a badly injured construction worker at 1999 K Street, Northwest. First responders encountered a man who had fallen a distance of about 15 feet and had suffered a severe compound fracture to his right ankle. He was conscious and alert, but it was clear a high angle rescue assignment would be necessary to remove the man from the site. The victim had fallen on top of the building under construction, so firefighters first had to get to him, immobilize him in a stokes basket and then, utilizing a heavy duty construction crane that was already on site, lower the man to the street level for transport. Firefighter Chris Smith of Rescue Squad 1 accompanied the man down the nearly 100 feet to the street. As the 49-year-old patient was being lowered, he pumped his fist into the air several times, indicating to his coworkers that he was alright. Once on the ground, medics took over treatment and transported quickly to GW Hospital. The cause of the man’s fall was under investigation.
Maryland’s Montgomery County Fire & Rescue has been trying various ways to communicate its message. The latest is the department’s own Facebook page sent to us by Bill Delaney. Check it out.
STATter 911 joins the FireGeezer crew: Read details of our joint appearance at Firehouse Expo here. The good news from FossilMedic Mike Ward is that the booth is near the restrooms. A must for geezers.
Toronto explosion lifts rig and injures FFs: We have gathered a lot of material on Sunday’s explosion and fire in Toronto. Click here to see it.
Last weekend on the job is a memorable one for Milwaukee FF: Captain Brian Reynolds was just a few days short of his retirement after 20-years and made the news. He and his partner stopped and tackled a knife wielding man who had just robbed a convenience store. Watch the video. Read the story.
EMS in New Jersey: An article in today’s Star-Ledger looks at how various municipalities are handling EMS as budgets tighten. Some like Hackensack are outsourcing and others are consolidating into a county-wide system. Read more.
Aiming to put STATter 911 out of business: Everybody’s doing it. The latest blog on the emergency services beat comes from the Clark County, Washington 911 center. They will be updating the citizenry on major fires and other emergencies. Click here for the details.
There is a lesson in there: Firegeezer has a story from St. Louis that is not at all about the fire department. It is about the police chief and some interesting stuff going on with impounded vehicles. A lesson in ethics and examples of how not to deal with the press. Click here.
James John Ferreira: Our condolences to the friends and family of J.J. Ferreira, a member of Branchville VFD in Prince George’s County. He passed away at his home on Wednesday. Click here for funeral arrangements and details on the fund for his family.
“Man Allegedly Breaks Into Rat Infested Fire Station”: That’s the headline on a Florida TV station’s story about a burglary at a Melbourne fire station the TV folks had recently featured because of its rat problem. Click here for more.
Two YouTube videos of the smoke from a transformer fire at an apartment building in Toronto Sunday morning. Neighbors say all appeared normal when the first firefighters arrived on a call for the smell of smoke in the building. Then an explosion shook the area. More on the 5-alarm fire from City News where you can also find a video report:
The blaze was caused by an exploding hydro vault inside the building.
The building sustained “severe structural damage,” (Fire Chief Bill) Stewart described.
“I can tell you that the explosion was severe. It’s lifted the pavement at the front of the structure. Our fire vehicle first on arriving was actually lifted by the explosion,” he added.
A structural engineer from the City has been called in to look at the building, and Toronto Hydro will be monitoring the air as a precautionary measure.
A resident had smelled smoke and called 911.
When crews first arrived, everything appeared normal.
“All of a sudden there was an explosion, and with that explosion came the fireball and that ruled in the six firefighters being injured,” Stewart outlined.
“When the explosion went it certainly was significant. It’s moved vehicles on the parking levels. It’s blown fire doors off the lower levels. It’s blown any grading that was in the building garage door out.”
Six fire fighters were taken to hospital, three suffering from smoke inhalation. The other three had 2nd degree burns. (Canada.com reports 9 firefighters taken to the hospital)
One citizen, who had left his unit, was also treated for smoke inhalation. None of the injuries were life-threatening.
Fire crews are currently conducting a floor-by-floor search of the smoke-filled building. It’s 21 storeys high, with approximately 10 units per floor.
“The parking levels were charred with smoke and all the floors of the building were charred with smoke. The occupants could not obviously evacuate,” Stewart said.
Someone recently wrote into our comments section about “snide remarks” I made when congratulating Vito Maggiolo on becoming an honorary fire chief in the District of Columbia. I indicated I would try to do better (But does that just mean I will try to provide a better quality of snide remarks?).
Clearly I am incorrigible. The headline above proves it. Bill Schumm, the retired Fairfax County, VA fire captain who runs FireGeezer, made a wonderful offer a few days ago. Bill is manning a FireGeezer booth at Firehouse Expo on Thursday through Saturday. It is booth #743. He invited STATter 911 to join the geezer crowd.
I had expected to just wander the floor aimlessly as I did last year, but now Bill has given STATter 911 a place to hang its hat.
I did pause for a second, worried the youthful image I transmit might be soiled by hanging out at a place with a big sign saying FireGeezer. My wife then told me to look in the mirror and get real.
So please make sure you get by booth #743, which will be staffed by the FireGeezer crowd (including Bill, LightRock, FossilMedic). The hours are from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Thursday and Friday and from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM on Saturday.
STATter 911 expects to be there after 2:00 PM on Thursday and Friday. I also plan to watch some of the hands-on training in Montgomery County on Tuesday and check out some of the pre-conference program in Baltimore on Wednesday. Hope to see you.
Oh yes, I almost forgot. There will be free Geritol samples for all at booth #743.
As for those who continue to offer the constructive criticism about my flawed personality, I leave you with a reply I recently posted in the comments section:
Thanks for reminding me just how inadequate I am. See, you don’t have to get married to receive that kind of feedback, just start a blog.
Capt. Matt C. Burton and Engineer Scott P. Desmond in photos from the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.
Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of the deaths of Capt. Matt C. Burton and Engineer Scott P. Desmond of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District. The LODDs occurred during a house fire that also killed an elderly couple.
The team reviewing these deaths has issued its report. Findings include inadequate reporting of the emergency by the alarm company, understaffing (3 on the engine), a breakdown in the transfer of command,
initiation of positive pressure ventilation without proper exhaust openings or notification to the Incident Commander or interior crews and an inexperienced workforce.
Click above to read the entire report or you can see a summary that Bill Schumm has on FireGeezer.
At the end of May, my wife took our eight-year-old son on a trip she has been planning since before he was born. A rafting expedition on Utah’s Green River. Hillary has done a number of these trips on various rivers, but her goal has always been to share this experience with Sam. The people at Colorado River and Trails Expeditions said Sam was now old enough (her husband keeps pointing to the surgical scars on his neck and back as a wimpy excuse to avoid these trips).
Before the river expedition began, Hillary took Sam rapelling and rock climbing, led by a guide with a local company. The image above, that features Sam, was put together by a friend of Hillary’s, Suzanne Kubota.
Sam complained about the harness hurting and needed a little coaxing as he took those first few steps over the canyon wall, but in a few moments he relaxed and enjoyed his controlled drop of 90 feet. Enough so, that he was really into the second rapel of 120-feet.
Below are a couple pictures from their adventure. As a bonus for putting up with my proud father moment, I have added some interesting pictures from the Green River Fire Department that Hill and Sam took for me.
Looks like a very large bonfire
A lot of vinyl siding is sagging in Abbotsford, BC after Tuesday night’s fire at a four-story residential complex under construction. In the video above, you will see various collapses and two power flashes. Read more and watch some close-up video.
Houston Crane Collapse
Video from Friday’s collapse in Houston of one of the largest cranes in the world. Four people were killed and six injured.
Reserve a couple beds at the burn unit for these guys
When I first started doing STATter 911, about 14-months-ago, I was surprised to see just how many YouTube videos were added each day of young people playing with fire. The question I still have is were there always that many fascinated with fire or has the video camera/Internet combination inspired many of them to do their own special effects?
Here’s a duo who uploaded their arsonist training tape on Friday. Those who are easily offended by language or stupidity, don’t watch.
Baltimore County house fire has Dave reliving his childhood once again (best to skip this)
A little aftermath of a fire in Woodlawn Monday evening on Kelox Road. It is shot by Michael Schwartzberg.
Kelox Road is the street little STATter 911 used to take when walking from his home 6 blocks away to Gwynn Oak Amusement Park. It is also where he ducked behind a car, hiding from a parent passing by, when STATter 911 and friends skipped the last day of elementary school (1966?) to attend Report Card Day at Gwynn Oak. His very first of many truant days to come.
Sorry for the trip down memory lane. Sometimes you just have to confront your past. Beats therapy.
Oh yes, back to the fire. Michael has some still pictures shot a little earlier in the action, along with a very detailed account of the fire.
Barn fire in Ohio
Video and audio of response to a large barn fire aboard Andover VFD’s Engine 105.
Recruiting in VA
A Manassas VFC video.
Car fire
You can hear the house siren blaring in the background as this vehicle burns in Bolton, NY.
From The Battalion, The Series
While we haven’t had anyone take us up on the offer to provide an on the record view of Kentland VFD different from ones provided by Gordon Routley and Marc Bashoor, we have found a site where that has been done. As many of you know, and we previously publicized here, The Battalion, The Series, rode along with PGFD’s Station 833 and is currently featuring webisodes, alternating between DC and Kentland each week. A new episode was added this afternoon.
In his blog, executive producer David Furtado addressed the unfavorable press Kentland has received over the last week. Here’s what he wrote:
I’m sure some of you have seen the press about Kentland…don’t always believe what the press tells you..
Don’t believe what you read nor judge them from a tape from four years ago…no one knows the circumstances of that day…many departments have gotten in trouble for much worse and many have never been caught from way back when, when everyone could not afford a camera or have a phone with a built in camera. Could you imagine if cameras were around back…let’s say twenty years ago…
Remember..I’m the guy with the camera and I shoot reality.
I spent two weeks with these guys in May and all I saw was volunteers with a lot of hustle.
This is a department that receives awards for saving lives every year.
These are guys that work a 24 for another department and then come and work for three days sometimes, and then go back for a 24 with their fire company.
I dont’ want to say what I saw while filming, but if Kentland Tower 33 didn’t show up on scene, this two story house would have gone off…enough said.
New Engle angle: Over the last few days we have been getting many emails about former Kentland VFD firefighter and author Jerry Engle. Quite a few people sent us information about assault charges filed against Engle the day after our interview. We’ve pieced together as much as we can about that story. Click here if you haven’t seen it.
Andrew Bashoor is back home: We got a call this afternoon from West Virginia as Marc and Laura Bashoor were bringing their son Andrew home from a rehabilitation hospital, six and half weeks after a traffic accident almost took Andrew’s life. Very good news.
Marc will be in town next Thursday to emcee the retirement dinner honoring PGFD’s Chauncey Bowers and Curtis Eaby. Congratulations to my friends Chauncey and Curtis, I am sorry I am going to miss the show. There are certainly a few things I’d like to say.
Bad week for a Kentucky FD: The Hustonville VFD’s chief has resigned after a DUI arrest and now the department is being criticized for being a late arrival at a fire in sight of the fire hall. Read and watch the story.
Permanently disabled bodybuilding firefighter ordered back to work: The latest in the case of Boston FD’s Albert Arroyo.
Weekend fire inspections at a price: Eight Chicago fire inspectors are being disciplined for taking what is being described as “tips” to conduct weekend inspections of sprinkler pumps. Read and watch the story.
Now its personal: The lead sentence on one story about the shootings on a fireground in Indianapolis reads – “Friday’s shootings at a fire scene raise questions about firefighter safety”. What are the photographers who were actually shot and apparently targeted, chopped liver?
Sorry, had to vent for a second. A WISH-TV photographer and another man I have seen identified as a freelance photographer and/or fire buff were wounded. An SCBA cylinder on the back of a firefighter was also hit. A man who lived across the street is now in custody. He apparently had words with the TV photographer before the shooting. Read more.
Actress says paparazzi used fire hoax: A lot of unanswered questions in this story about Maggie Gyllenhaal and her new baby. She is claiming the photographers called in a false alarm at her West Village building so she would have to come outside with the baby. The only article I can find is in a gossip column. If it’s true, is it being investigated? Where’s Paul Harvey when we need him.
Drowning response questions, answers and 911 call: In Palm Beach County, Florida, claims from relatives and friends that firefighters didn’t do everything they could to try and save a man who had drowned in a lake. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue says otherwise. Read the story and hear the 911 call.
“Big Whiskey” burns to the ground: That’s what Clint Eastwood called the home in Tuolumne County, CA, when he stayed there during the filming of Unforgiven. Michael J. Fox was a guest when filming Back to the Future III. The large home was destroyed by fire his morning. Details and a picture, here.
Strike up the band. Not strike the band: FireGeezer Bill Schumm has the story and video from a military review in Fort Riley, KS on Thursday that didn’t go so well. The casualty list includes three musicians, two sousaphones and a parachutist. Click here to learn more.
Damned if you do and damned if you don’t: Firefighters in the UK are accused of wasting taxpayers money on a bird rescue. Read the story.
Kenneth Anderson is the man who was reading his paper after having dinner at a booth along Side A of the Coffee House restaurant in Wilkesboro, NC Wednesday evening. The video shows very clearly what happened next. In fact the out of control minivan was captured on at least three different cameras as it sped into the restaurant. A well documented crash.
Anderson was treated and released for his injuries. The driver declined treatment. Read more.
Video above from Wayne Barrall at FITHP.net. Photos and Wayne’s story can be found here.
Story below from delmarvanow.com:
The burning of a vacant home on Old Stage Road this week marked the ninth arson in a two-month spree in the Laurel-Delmar area, yet the culprit is still at large.
The Delaware State Fire Marshal’s Office is still conducting an investigation. There are “people of interest,” but no real suspects, said Randall Lee, chief deputy fire marshal for Sussex County.
“We need enough probable cause to get a judge to sign a warrant and we don’t have that yet,” Lee said. “We’re certainly developing information and hoping that will lead to an arrest.”
The string of arsons started with three separate fires in Laurel on May 24 and one May 25. A week later, two more structures were burned in Delmar. The final three fires occurred during the course of a month starting June 21.
Fire officials are working with area fire departments and the Delaware State Police. They have also canvassed neighborhoods looking for information, Lee said.
Nationally, there were an estimated 31,000 arsons in 2006, according to the most recent report by the Massachusetts-based National Fire Protection Association.
But overall, the nation has experienced a significant decline in arsons. During a nine-year period starting in 1997, the number of incidents dropped from 78,500 to 31,000.
The number of deaths from intentional fires during the same period dropped from 445 to 305.
In Delaware, there were 17 arrests for first-degree arson and 26 arrests for second-degree arson in 2006, according to the state fire marshal’s most recent annual report.
Considered a felony in Delaware, a person can be charged with first-degree arson when the structure that was torched was occupied or could have been occupied. The maximum penalty is 15 years in jail. When the structure is vacant, an individual can be charged with second-degree arson and could serve up to eight years in jail.
While arson sprees are not common in the state, they do come in “spells,” said Lee, who recalled a rash of arsons in Dover a few years ago.
Nationally, intentional fires account for about 40 percent of blazes, said Douglas Williams who heads the arson investigation unit for Federal Emergency Management Agency U.S. Fire Administration National Fire Data Center.
Spite, revenge and vandalism were among the top reasons for arson, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. The report also notes that sometimes arson is used to conceal crimes such murder, embezzlement and burglary. Fraud is not as prevalent a motive for intentional fires.
“It’s an easy crime to get away with, regrettably,” Williams said.
The key is to determine if it’s a serial arsonist setting the fires or if it’s someone on a spree, Williams said. The danger rests in the possibility that the arsonist could move from abandoned and vacant structures and homes to occupied ones, he added.
According to a U.S. Fire Administration National Fire Data Center report, vacant and abandoned buildings are frequently targets and account for a large percentage of structural arson fires. Vacant and abandoned structures are eye candy for the arsonist.
Typically when owners abandon property, vandals may come and smash windows and remove boarded-up doorways to steal whatever is left inside. After the house has been virtually stripped, an arsonist could come along and torch the place.
Williams encouraged neighborhoods to watch for strange vehicles and people. He also advised for individuals to make note of strangers’ clothing, height weight and build.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office is urging anyone who has seen or heard anything about the arsons to call 302-856-5600 or Delaware CrimeStoppers at 1-800- TIP-3333.
A day after our interview with FF Jerry Engle about his role on the controversial videos from Kentland VFD, assault charges were brought against Engle. The charges were filed on Tuesday by a man who lives just a few doors from the Bladensburg firehouse where Engle is currently a volunteer firefighter. It appears there is no connection between the neighbor’s claims and the recent stories involving Engle.
From conversations with Engle, police sources in Bladensburg and Prince George’s County Fire & EMS Department officials, we have pieced together a rather unusual story.
The incident that sparked the charges happened on July 2. Jerry Engle tells STATter 911 he intervened on behalf of an approximately 6-year- old child who claimed that a 69-year-old man who lives near the firehouse had committed a crime involving that child. Engle confronted the man and held him until the Bladensburg Police Department arrived.
Sorting out the details, Bladensburg police officers did not find enough evidence to warrant an arrest and let the man go.
On Tuesday, the man who Engle had detained, filed charges of 2nd degree assault and false imprisonment. Court records show a summons was issued to Engle.
There is also a “peace order” that instructs Engle he shall not abuse, contact or enter the home of the person who filed the charges. The order expires on July 22.
Other fire and police sources generally confirm Engle’s account of the incident.
When contacted, Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department spokesman Mark Brady indicated no action is being taken against FF Engle:
The Fire/EMS Department reviews each charge brought against its membership and makes a decision to remove the person from public contact/emergency operations suspension based on the merits of the charges. In this particular case, the Fire/EMS Department is taking no action against Jerry Engle in relationship to criminal charges filed against him for this incident.
As for the Kentland VFD videos, where Engle had a bottle rocket launched off of his naked backside, Engle said so far there has been no disciplinary action concerning his role. FF Engle previously told us he deserved to be punished for the antics caught on tape.
A Dorchester County man and Salisbury firefighter faces criminal charges for allegedly impersonating a police officer during a traffic stop, the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office said this morning.
David Wayne Cox, 27, of Eldorado, was charged after he allegedly flashed a badge and told police he was a deputy with the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office during a July 13 traffic stop on Sharptown Road. It was later found that he was not a deputy, but a member of the volunteer fire police program in that county.
Police then searched Cox’s car and Dorchester County home and found various Maryland State Police-labeled equipment and handcuffs.
Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis will hold a news conference this morning to discuss the incident further.
Anyone with information about this case or the activities of Cox in relation to him impersonating a police officer is asked to contact the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office at 410-548-4891. Additionally, people can go to www.wicomicosheriff.com for any questions about how to handle being pulled over by a law enforcement officer.
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