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Dear mayor: An open letter to mayors and other political leaders from The Secret List. An effort to explain the fire department to those who hold the purse strings during these tough times. Click here for Billy Goldfeder’s back to basics explanation and watch the video above that accompanies the letter.

Driver of Oklahoma ambulance tells his story: EMT-B Paul Franks gives new details about the confrontation he and his partner, Critical Care Paramedic Maurice White Jr., had with OHP Trooper Daniel Martin had on May 26. Among other things, Franks tells how Trooper Bryan Iker defused the situation. We have the story and the raw video of the interview, plus links to all of our previous coverage. Click here.

Lawsuit over Virginia fireworks mishap: A very interesting story in today’s Washington Post on the lawsuit filed after people were seriously injured at the July 4, 2007 fireworks display in Vienna, Virginia. It provides a lot of inside information on a dispute between Vienna and Fairfax County officials over the safety of the display. Click here for the article by Tom Jackman. Here is the YouTube video. Click here and here for our previous coverage (our video links on the 2007 stories are no longer active).

Four-alarms in Baltimore County: Another garden-apartment fire in Baltimore County and Michael Schwartzberg has the video, pictures and details. We have links to news coverage, including the collapse of part of the roof of one building. Click here.

Three-alarms in Washington, DC: Three homes burned in Northeast on Thursday morning. We have raw video from DC Fire & EMS Department’s Vito Maggiolo and Alan Etter along with our news coverage. Click here.

It’s dyn-o-mite: No, we are not channeling Jimmie Walker. It really was dynamite in Cleveland yesterday. Found in a garage, the decision was made to burn the explosives in place. Firefighter Nation has the video and the story.

Collective bargaining bill gets governor’s veto: Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter has vetoed the bill that would give firefighters collective bargaining rights. Grand Junction Firefighters Association President Kevin Kuhlman said, “He stood in front of our local and state union in December 2006 and said if a collective bargaining measure came across his desk, he’d sign it.” Read more from the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel.

High dollar fire loss in such a small package: The Firegeezer shows how a vehicle fire can surpass the dollars loss of a burned out apartment building. Click here for his story and video.

Missed a couple: It was pointed out to me in my list of PGFD stories in the Gazette yesterday I failed to mention the one on the unit citation received for the arson investigation at Spring Hill Lake and a story about a teen saving a family from a fire. The Gazette, the STATter911.com of Prince George’s County, only better.

Demoted battalion chief sues: Click here for the story out of Colorado Springs where Pamela Butler was the first black female to become a battalion chief. Butler’s suit claims sexual discrimination. Read more.

Don’t miss a moment of STATter911.com: We are trying to make it even easier for you to follow STATter911.com. Click here or the links on the left side of this page to find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn or Firefighter Nation. And there is also home delivery.

Third generation fire service veteran put to sleep after celebration: He came out of retirement to have his picture taken one more time in front of the rigs and to party again with the guys. Once the gathering was done, so was Sparky III. It wasn’t a bad thing. After all, how many of us get to attend our own wake? The story of an old fire dog who, like his ancestors, entertained and educated thousands of children in and around Fayetteville, Arkansas.

They say the neon lights are bright: I don’t think it’s the lights that are illuminating the sky in this Steve Skipton photo from Camden, NJ’s Broadway around 8:45 PM on Wednesday. Here’s Steve’s account from PhillyFireNews.com where you can find a lot more pictures - Battalion 1 (Matyjasik) arrived on scene with heavy smoke showing from a two story store front with apartments above, requested the second alarm on arrival. Command reported heavy fire on the second floor with fire extending to the exposure. Using all hands with multiple hand lines. One firefighter transported by UMDNJ EMS Camden for a minor burn.

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Watch story from WJZ-TV

WMAR-TV coverage (check video at :20 for the collapse of the edge of the roof of one of the buildings)

Video from Michael “FirePix1075″ Schwartzberg. Click here for his still pictures. Below is Michael’s account of the fire:

On Thursday night, June 4, 2009, Baltimore County, MD firefighters were called to 236 St David Court in Cockeysville for a reported apartment fire. While units were en route, fire dispatch notified them that several calls were being received for thre fire. BCoFD Engine 17 arrived to find heavy fire blowing through the roof of a 3-story garden apt building. The fire eventually spread to attached exposures.

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June 16 update: Paramedic White says Trooper Martin should have badge and gun taken away

Watch raw interview with EMT-B Paul Franks

More STATter911.com coverage: Trooper’s lawyer says medic is danger to the community; Dash cam video released; Fox News interviews EMS crew & Trooper Martin; Trooper on administrative leave; No charges filed by DA; EMT-B Paul Franks speaks out; Read statements from Toopers Martin & Iker; Troopers identified; Statements from witnesses and the patient; Reaction from police officers; Statements from EMS crew.

KWTV-TV reporter Dave Jordan, who did the initial story about the confrontation between a Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper and a Creek Nation ambulance crew, now has another first. Jordan interviewed EMT-B Paul Franks who was driving the ambulance on May 26 when the incident occurred in Paden, Oklahoma.

Franks said he felt compelled to come forward after reading the statement by Trooper Daniel Martin. He refers to the some of the comments as “outright lies”.

Martin’s statement indicates that Franks gave the trooper the finger after failing to yield to Martin’s vehicle. Here are excerpts from Jordan’s story filed on KWTV-TV’s website:

Franks said it never happened, and if anything, Martin was the aggressor.

District Attorney Cook has not said when or if he will file any charges against anyone involved in the confrontation.

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Video above shot by DC Fire & EMS Department photographer Vito Maggiolo.

Watch 9NEWS NOW report from Lindsey Mastis (or here)

A fire this morning began in a home at 2210 Douglas Street, NE and spread to the houses on both sides. DC Fire & EMS Department PIO Alan Etter provides the account below:

Dispatched at 9:56 AM, this fire grew to three alarms and resulted in the total destruction of two homes and the serious damage of another. Firefighters arrived to heavy fire showing from the rear of a two story single family home. It was clear the fire had spread significantly to homes on either side. It took firefighters about an hour to bring the blaze under control. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Damage is estimated in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Video above shot by DC Fire & EMS Department PIO Alan Etter.

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Structure fire in Kentucky: This is Part 1 of 5 parts of a video of a fire on Tuesday in Milton, KY. Click here for the other clips from the assistant chief of the Milton Fire & Rescue Department.

PGFD on shutting down the Cheverly firehouse and much more: We first mentioned this possibility on April 6 and, despite concerns by town officials, the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department keeps talking about the idea of closing Station 822, sooner or later. The latest story is in the Gazette. The Gazette is all over PGFD, posting articles on ambulance billing and budget concerns for the volunteers and an update on a possible compromise in the Brandywine VFD new station dispute.

The end of the bottomless cup and the topless servers was intentional: That’s the ruling of fire investigators looking into the blaze yesterday at a topless coffee shop in Maine. Read and watch the story.

What Ike didn’t get, fire did: Five alarms at a seaside condo complex in Galveston, Texas that had been ravaged by Hurricane Ike. Raw video, pictures and details are here.

See, we aren’t all bad: A Florida news photographer who happens to work for the same company I do had his priorities straight when he happened on to a truck fire with a man trapped and burning up. Check it out.

Residents don’t rally behind firefighters: Disappointment in Lehigh Acres, Florida over the turn out from the public in an effort to save 30 firefighting jobs. Click here to read and watch the story.

Medics do it all: They help track down the suspect and treat the victim of a mugging. Firegeezer has the story from Georgia.

Fire chief put on leave accused of violating city policy: But just what policy has been broken has not been make public in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. We may have to wait until a June 17 hearing. Read more.

Atlanta disputes meaning of insurance rating: Sounds like a battle of semantics between Atlanta and state fire commissioners over whether insurance rates will go up due to the shrinking city fire department. Read more here and here.

Deferred raises in last budget won’t help avoid layoffs in this one: In Columbus, Ohio there is talk of 238 firefighter layoffs if voters don’t approve a tax increase in August. Click here for the story.

And then there were 12: The list is out of semifinalists in the search for a Brevard County, Florida fire chief. Click here to see if your name is on it.

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Raw video from helicopter from KHOU-TV

From the AP:

A fire has destroyed at least 60 condos in a Galveston, Texas, beachfront development that was being rebuilt after being damaged by Hurricane Ike.

Fire Chief Mike Vaerla Sr. says welding contractors working on the renovations accidentally started the fire at the Maravilla Condos on Wednesday afternoon.

The development along the Gulf of Mexico was damaged during Hurricane Ike last summer and many of its 164 units still were being rebuilt.

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Click here for raw video and news stories

From WTSP-TV:

What started as an average day heading out on a story, very quickly turned into anything but.

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House fire in Seymour, CT: This fire occurred Monday on Great Hill Road.

Lots of new information about the Oklahoma cops vs. EMS confrontation video: We have the written statements from the two OHP troopers seen in the video with the Creek Nation ambulance crew. There is also a statement from Paramedic Maurice White Jr.’s attorney. Richard O’Carroll, in his interview on TV, is asking why the troopers have not been suspended and wants the dash cam video released. One of the troopers states he shut off the camera in his car after arriving on the scene.

Also, an Atlanta medic wants a boycott of Oklahoma products. Click here for all of the links.

I had a brief conversation with District 24 District Attorney Max Cook on Tuesday. He explained that the initial and primary focus of the ongoing investigation is to determine if any charges will be brought against the EMS crew. While it is not the current priority, Cook would not rule out the possibility his office could look to see if there is any merit to claims the troopers interfered with EMS providers.

Topless coffee shop now without a top (this really should be the lead story): I am only running this story because I know how much firefighters love their …. uhm … coffee. In February, a coffee shop in Vassalboro, Maine sparked controversy when it opened with a topless theme. By the way, that doesn’t mean there were no lids on the coffee cups. The name of the place seems to be appropriate … the Grandview Coffee Shop (I guess it also adds new meaning when you order a grande). The roof of the place burned off early this morning. The best video …. of the fire (what were you thinking?) … is here. Here is a previous story on the controversy. The owner had been thinking of turning the joint into a strip club. I wonder if that is because there were too many close calls with the hot coffee. Need to check the workers comp board to see if there is a pattern of such injuries. Click here for much more on the history of this unique business.

Firegeezer Bill, who is drawn to these type stories, has exposed some issues that I may have overlooked. In other words, I challenged him to come up with some better and classier coverage. He met me half way. Click here.

Do you hear what I hear?: In Sycamore, Illinois the chief is bugged. And so is the assistant chief. Or at least police claim they were bugged by a former union president who is charged with felony eavesdropping. Read what is known about the case.

Youthful indiscretion or something more? Should prior arson arrest as a firefighter bar you from canteen work?: An interesting story from Philadelphia. Two men who respond to fires aboard the Salvation Army canteen unit and have a fire service website, were arrested almost a decade ago and accused of setting three small fires. At the time they were firefighters in South Windsor, CT. They ended up being convicted of reckless endangerment. WTXF-TV’s Jeff Cole questions whether these men should be allowed behind the fire lines. Check out the video and you be the judge.

Firefighter arsonists: With at least four cases in the state since March the Ohio Fire Academy talks to a reporter about the problem. Click here for the story. Now here is my question on the topic. Are there a lot more cases of firefighter setting fires than there were a few years back? Or, is it the Internet that allows us all to be more aware of what has always been going on?

NFL Players Association office burns: The fire on 20th Street in Northwest Washington may have started from a candle in the executive director’s office. Read more.

Free training and fundraiser: The Fairfax Firefighters Emerald Society is offering Air Track Management with John Taylor on June 11 and 12 in Mt. Vernon, Virginia. Click here for the details. The event is also being used as a fundraiser for a City of Manassas firefighter who is very ill. We have previously mentioned the plight of 32-year-old Firefighter Zygimantas Zalys who was recently diagnosed with liver and pancreatic cancer. Donations can be made to IAFF Local 4466, Attn: “Z” Fund, P.O. Box 505, Manassas, Virginia, 20108. There is also a Facebook page with information.

Chicago 3-11 with wall collapse: Steve Redick on the scene of this one. Click here.

1997 LODD report added: I couldn’t put my hands on it the other day, but I have now uploaded the report done after the 1997 fire at 400 Kennedy Street, NW that killed DC’s Sgt. John Carter. A STATter911.com reader in Montreal had borrowed my copy, scanned it and sent me a disc a while back, but I had forgotten about it. It is now with the story posted the other day on the 10th anniversary of the deaths of Firefighter Louis Matthews and Firefighter Anthony Phillips that occurred 17-months after John Carter died. Click here.

And finally … for men only: Don’t mean to be sexist, but if you are a woman this next story is likely to make you a bit unhappy. So men, do you want to live long? You can eat right, exercise and do all of those important things. But there may be an easier way that sounds like a lot more fun. Click here and I will show you what I mean (or here). Just don’t tell my wife what I am up to.

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Read more details about the fire

An overnight fire on the South Side of Chicago destroyed a restaurant and a clothing store. One firefighter was struck in the chest with a brick after a wall collapse. He was in good condition.

The video above is from Steve Redick.

A before shot from Google Maps Street View. Click the image to tour the area.

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Bus fire: I believe this is in Atlanta. Here is the description with the clip – “AmeriGroup Bus catches fire and stops at Intersection of Mt Vernon and Abernathy Road 6/1/2009.”

UPDATED – Read statements from OHP troopers and paramedic’s attorney. Was an obscene gesture behind the confrontation between police and EMS in Oklahoma? For the first time we learn what the troopers have to say about the incident: Statements from two Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers about the May 24 run in with an ambulance crew in Paden, OK have been released. Trooper Daniel Martin believed the driver of the ambulance raised his middle finger when warned about his driving. Click here for the latest including the statements.

Firefighter who slugged politician is suspended without pay: Firefighter David McGillis didn’t like Selectman Christopher Flynn’s views on potential firefighter layoffs in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. It resulted in Flynn getting slugged. McGillis, who has apologized for his actions, will now be suspended without pay for a month because of the incident. Criminal charges are also pending. Here is the latest. Previous coverage is here.

Injured firefighter in court as former firefighter faces arson charges: In Berkeley County, WV, FF Kenneth Ayers, recovering from serious injuries at a barn fire, came to a bond hearing for James Blackford, a former volunteer firefighter accused of setting the fire. Ayers sat with Blackford’s parents who are long-time friends. Read and watch the story.

Fire chief files complaint about 911: In Erie County, Pennsylvania the chief of the Fairfield Hose Company isn’t happy how the 911 center responded to a recent house fire. Read the details.

This might get their attention about budget cuts – no fireworks: With his firefighting force cut in half since 1970, including losing 21 on-call firefighters since 2003, the Abington, Massachusetts fire chief says he can’t in good conscience approve this year’s July 4th town fireworks display. Read the story.

More on the dam rescue in Virginia: I asked O.W.L. VFD Assistant Chief Jim McAllister to give us the fire department’s account of Sunday’s operation on the Occoquan River. Click here to read it. Also, watch a more detailed story with the helicopter crews that that plucked the two fishermen off the top of the 72-foot dam. Here is our previous coverage.

Reno officials say layoffs and closings are up to unions: If the public safety unions in Reno, Nevada don’t give wage concessions city officials say they are ready to close a fire station and begin layoffs. Read more.

Cancer and the fire service: Over at Firegeezer’s site, Mike Ward takes a closer look at the controversy surrounding the Tri-Data report on cancer and firefighting. Check it out.

20 hurt in zoo train derailment: Problems at the Louisville Zoo yesterday. Fourteen children and six adults were injured when the engine and three cars of a train turned over. Click here to read the story and here to watch it.

Firefighter’s home catches fire: A Wilmington, NC fire captain’s home burned in New Hanover County. Gene Powell was able to get everyone out safely. Read the story.

Careful or you could get into trouble: A man in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, under arrest in a holding cell, decided to add to his rap sheet and set off the fire alarm and sprinkler system. Click here.

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June 16 update: Paramedic White says Trooper Martin should have badge and gun taken away

More STATter911.com coverage: Trooper’s lawyer says medic is danger to the community; Dash cam video released; Fox News interviews EMS crew & Trooper Martin; Trooper on administrative leave; No charges filed by DA; EMT-B Paul Franks speaks out; Read statements from Toopers Martin & Iker; Troopers identified; Statements from witnesses and the patient; Reaction from police officers; Statements from EMS crew.

Watch KWTV-TV story on the troopers’ statements and the interview with medic’s attorney

Watch KOKI-TV’s story

Atlanta medic wants boycott of Oklahoma products because of confrontation

UPDATE- I had a brief conversation with District 24 District Attorney Max Cook on Tuesday. He explained that the initial and primary focus of the ongoing investigation is to determine if any charges will be brought against the EMS crew. While it is not the current priority, Cook would not rule out the possibility his office could look to see if there is any merit to claims the OHP troopers interfered with EMS providers.

For the first time we are hearing the police version of events leading up to the dramatic May 24 confrontation caught on video between the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and a Creek Nation ambulance crew. Trooper Daniel Martin believed the driver of that ambulance, EMT-B Paul Franks, had raised his middle finger toward the trooper.

Paramedic Maurice White Jr., tending to the patient, had indicated in his account that Franks had thrown up his hands in surprise.

The statements from Martin and Trooper Bryan Iker were given to the District Attorney’s Office in Okfuskee County and were released on Monday by OHP.

As had been reported before, Trooper Martin was responding with lights and siren to assist the Okfuskee County Sheriff’s Office with a stolen-vehicle. Creek Nation officials previously confirmed the ambulance was not using its emergency equipment.

In Martin’s statement he indicates the ambulance didn’t yield and instead pulled out in front of him. In their accounts, released last week, the EMS crew reported they did not hear the siren and could not see the trooper who was close to the back of the ambulance. Both sides agree that Martin came over the radio telling Franks he should be more observant.

Here are excerpts from an article in today’s Tulsa World where reporter Manny Gamallo tells the rest of the story:

In his report, White said Franks threw up his hands in surprise when they received the radio call from Martin, urging them to check their rear-view mirrors.

Martin said that if he were allowed to speak with Franks uninterrupted, the confrontation would not have happened.

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UPDATE – This video has now been removed by YouTube for “terms of use violations”. So, nevermind!

I admit I don’t know what to make of this one. Jason Thomas at Firefighter Spot (lots of good fire videos) found this on YouTube. It was posted Sunday under the title MIAMI DADE FIREFIGHTER GETS KNOCKED OUT!!!!

Jason wants to know more about this clip. I would too. It shows a man wearing a Miami-Dade Fire Rescue t-shirt taking a punch and falling to the ground. Superjustice1985, who posted it, only wrote, “had to delete the rest for reasons”. When the video stops it looks like the man on the ground is about to get stomped.

This may or may not be fire department related and it could all be a hoax. Please let me know if you have any info, either by posting in the comments section or emailing me at dstatter@wusa9.com.

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Raw video & pictures of dramatic rescue at Virginia dam: The boat these two men had been fishing from is 75-feet below at the bottom of the Occoquan River dam. Two helicopter crews came in and rescued the men from their very precarious perch. The picture and video come from the O.W.L. VFD. Click here to see our coverage.

Air France plane missing: Contact was lost with the jet over the Atlantic on a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. It is Air France Flight 447, an Airbus A330, with 228 people on board. Check out WUSA9.com for the latest.

FF accused of slugging politician over possible layoffs: In Bridgewater, Massachusetts on Friday morning, a 44-year-old firefighter and a 26-year-old town selectman were in Barrett’s Ale House. One of them came out with a welt on his check. It wasn’t the firefighter. Apparently a discussion over possible firefighter layoffs didn’t go well. Since our original post on this story the firefighter has admitted he threw the punch and is apologizing. Click here for all of the details.

The latest from the Oklahoma incident: It seems to be THE most talked about topic at the moment in the world of EMS and law enforcement. We have posted about 200 comments and that is small potatoes compared to the more than 7,000 comments on a YouTube video of last Sunday’s confrontation in Peden, Oklahoma. That video had about 300 views when I embedded it Wednesday morning after learning about the incident from Firefighter Close Calls. It is now near 1 million views. I’d like to credit STATter911.com with providing the sizable viewing audience, but it is really the other way around. The person who uploaded the video provided links to STATter911.com on Friday and since then we have been seeing some record traffic passing through the blog. The most recent information is from our Friday night posting where the two OHP troopers were officially identified and Paramedic Maurice White Jr. wrote a comment to a TV station website. Click here.

Fire department shut down after claims of gay bashing and hazing: This story is from the San Antonio, Texas area. Bexar County has suspended the Camelot VFD after allegations from a former member who says he is gay. The chief says the man was terminated for stealing and not because of his sexual orientation. The department had previously been in trouble after allegations of hazing surfaced. Click here for details.

Remembering two firefighters from Washington, DC: On Sunday May 30, 1999 we were hosting a party for my brother-in-law’s graduation from law school. I had to leave the wife to handle all the set-up and details after getting an early morning phone call that a firefighter had died and others were critically burned at 3146 Cherry Lane, NE. Firefighter Anthony Phillips of Engine 10, known as “Sauce”, was pronounced dead shortly after the 12:17 AM fire. I was standing inside Engine 10 Monday afternoon when the announcement came over the vocal alarm that Firefighter Louis Matthews of Engine 26 had also died. Firefighter Joseph Morgan, who allowed me to later chronicle some of his recovery and battles with the bureaucracy, was given a 50-50 chance of survival. On Saturday, firefighters, family and friends gathered to remember Firefighters Phillips and Matthews. Click here for pictures, links to coverage from 1999 and the 258-page reconstruction committee report.

Motorcycles hit ladder truck in Maryland: The four bikes were leaving an event on Saturday for injured soldiers at Whites Ferry when Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Department Truck 31 came around the corner in the opposite direction. The lead motorcyclist hit the truck and then everyone went down. The truck was heading non-emergency to set up a helicopter landing zone for the event. They ended up needing a landing zone to medevac the biker who hit the truck. Two others were treated and released at a local hospital. There is minor damage to the rig, but it was routinely impounded for the investigation. Read more.

MD VFD confined to its first due: In case you missed it, the Boulevard Heights Volunteer Fire Department has been confined to its first due area. PGFD says the department’s responses are inadequate and it is not following the rules. Click here for our coverage.

Arson in New Hampshire: Firegeezer has a look at a busy weekend for firefighters in Manchester, NH with three separate set fires. Check it out.

Can pledge drives be far behind? Follow STATter911.com, join the fan club, subscribe to the videos, sign up for emails, and get linked: We are trying to make it even easier for you to follow STATter911.com. Click here or the links on the left side of this page to find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn or Firefighter Nation. Do it now so I don’t have to hire a telemarketing firm to start calling you each night at dinner time.

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All pictures and video courtesy of the O.W.L. Volunteer Fire Department.

Read U.S. Park Police press release

Watch 9NEWS NOW 11:00 PM report (or here)

Two men fishing on the Occoquan River in Fairfax County, Virginia suddenly found themselves fighting for their lives Sunday afternoon. Around 1:00 PM their boat’s engine developed mechanical problems and began drifting toward the dam. The men were able to grab onto a pole as the boat dropped the approximately 75-feet to the bottom of the dam. Firefighters from Prince William County and Fairfax County were then called to try and get the men to safety.

Helicopters from U.S. Park Police and the Fairfax County Police Department and arrived on the scene and developed a rescue plan, coordinating with ground units and those on the water in rescue boats. According to Officer Tim Schilling, who was aboard the Fairfax County chopper, they lowered life jackets and helmets to the men with the expectation that the U.S. Park Police helicopter would then lower a net to the stranded fishermen.

One of the men had a different idea. He let go of the pole he was holding onto and grabbed onto the rope used to lower the safety equipment. Schilling says his crew then had no choice but to drag the man along the water, away from the dam, and toward a waiting fire department boat.

Sgt. Ken Burchell of the U.S Park Police crew says they then moved in with the Billy Pugh net and were able to get the second man to safety.

Burchell and Schilling both called this a difficult rescue operation with little margin for error. Each figured they had one chance to make the rescue and worried that a mistake could result in the men falling over the dam.

Sgt. Burchell co-piloted Eagle 1 with Sgt. Kevin Chittick. Sgt. Mark Varanelli and Officer David Hurley, both Aviation Rescue Technicians, coordinated the rescue.

Officer Schilling and Officer Jon Kaminski handled the rescue end as Chuck Angle piloted the Fairfax County helicopter.