Thirty pets die in house fire: This overnight fire is from a week ago in Lodi, New Jersey. The family escaped, but their reptiles, birds and cats didn’t. There is more video- Part 2, Part 3. Read more about the fire.
Look to your right and check out our video player. Two new stories added by wusa9.com’s Emily Cyr are the 21st fire in a series of arsons in a small area of Tampa and a house fire in Lewes, Delaware. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Oh, come on! My people at their worst: In my opinion Firegeezer Bill Schumm wasn’t worked up enough in his criticism of a TV reporter going after an EMS crew in Omaha, Nebraska. I would dub this “exclusive” story “trivial pursuit” or “Seinfeld’ (a show about nothing). The reporter’s investigative efforts came about because someone heard an 11-year-old boy’s voice come across an Omaha Fire Rescue frequency on the scanner in the newsroom. What was the shocking reason behind this incident worthy of multiple stories by the TV station and an internal investigation? The boy was riding with his sick grandmother to the hospital. Obviously scared, one of the crew members let Joey Roth get on the radio and provide the status of the unit, saying they were on the way to the hospital. It was an effort to calm the boy’s nerves that seemed to work. I hate to tell the reporter in Omaha this isn’t the same as the air traffic controller who put his son on the radio directing pilots during take offs and landings at one of the busiest airports in the country. Give the crew member a medal for innovative thinking and let’s move on. Here’s Bill’s original story and here’s an updated story with remarks from the union president.
My gut tells me this isn’t going to be one of the women who proposition him: Remember Chicago Fire Commissioner John Brooks and his most interesting quote when confronted by a reporter over a sexual harassment complaint?
“I have never sexually harassed any woman or man in my life. I do not proposition women. I don’t have to. Women usually proposition me. God has blessed me like that”.
The lady’s man has another woman after him. But she’s a former prosecutor at the state and federal level and associate circuit judge who has been appointed to look at the validity of the complaint against Brooks. Read the latest.
Fighting to get his job back in DeKalb County: Tony Motes was just a few months short of being eligible to retire as a fire captain in DeKalb County, Georgia. But Motes got fired first, along with four others over the botched call to help a woman whose house caught fire. In a hearing appealing his firing, Motes said 911 didn’t pass along all of the information. Here’s the latest on this story.
Federal court throws out firefighter’s suit over sign about mayor: You may recall the story from Edison, New Jersey about the firefighter (and son of the union president) who ended up with five days off because of a sign on his vehicle, parked on fire department property, saying Mayor Jun Choi lies (it was election season and Choi lost). A U.S. District Court judge has thrown out the suit Peter Yackel filed after he received a five-day suspension from Chief Norman Jensen. Read the details.
A real mess: In Florida, the Destin Fire Control District has fire commissioners pointing fingers at each other and one of them releasing very detailed information about test scores on promotion exams. The issue is how much “chief’s points” count in deciding who gets to be lieutenant and captain. Kim Brown, the commissioner who is pushing the issue, shot back at another commissioner , “I’m messing with morale? Do you know where the morale in this department is?” Here is more from theDestinlog.com.
A dozen firefighters arrested in less than 15 months: The Albuquerque Fire Department is dealing with the 12th arrest of a firefighter on alcohol related charges since the start of last year. Knowing they have a problem, the department just finished classes dealing with the issue. Here’s the story.
Handing out money in Georgia: Another hefty award in the latest in a series of sexual harassment lawsuits in Decatur County, Georgia. Read the story.
Also on STATter911 …
- The quote of the week comes from Chicago’s fire commissioner. Read the reaction of John Brooks to sexual harassment claims. – March 6, 2010
- Quick Takes – March 10, 2010
- UPDATE: Sex charge at one Spotsylvania firehouse leads arrest at another. – July 14, 2010
- Quick Takes – May 8, 2010
oops maybe we shouldn’t have included sound on this video?
“Firefighters from Lodi and nine other towns fought the fire, which burned until about 4 a.m. because of the construction of the home”, said Lodi Fire Chief Greg Telep. It’s not the construction of the home that was the problem, it was the lack of hustle displayed by the folks who showed up dressed as firefighters. Well into the fire lots of windows are still intact. You can see a single firefighters slowly breaking one pane at a time.
“The home is a balloon frame structure, which has no fire barriers, allowing fire to go up the walls”, said Lodi Fire Official Paul Wanco. Yup, that’s what happens in balloon frames … So you need to get a hand line into each level along with firefighters carrying 6′ hooks. Open the walls and ceilings and hit the fire. keep opening up until the fire is out. While the folks inside are doing their thing, lay the aerial into a valley on the roof and start cutting. Continue to cut, pull and expand the opening until the fire is out.
“It gets in the walls and you can’t find it,” he said. “We had quite a bit of manpower, but it was a real hard fire to catch.”
The manpower needs to get inside with hose, tools and TIC’s, locate the fire and put water on it. The few who thought about venturing inside the structure only made it one or two steps inside the front and back doors and just inside the 2nd floor front window. If you are not willing to quickly move in and attack this type of fire, you are in the wrong profession. Firefighting is not easy and is dangerous even when done correctly. This fire was painful for me to watch. Thank God the occupants self evacuated and the adult male had the guts to take a feed and locate and rescue the kid’s dogs. The F.D. should have given him PPE, a hook and a hand line … he probably would have accomplished more than the entire group of spectators and slow movers who showed up dressed as firefighters.
“Firefighters evacuated neighbor Jennifer Perito, who said the fire kept shooting back up each time it looked as if it was under control.” Are they going to give medals for valor to these FF’s who evacuated a neighbor from the warmth of her home which wasn’t on fire?
Train as if your life depends on it … Be safe …
That’s the best they can do for news in Omaha? It’s not like it’s exactly a crime free paradise out there. Not only did they get the facts wrong, they use crappy old scanners too!
The Edison story is interesting. I seem to remember several years back when the president of the DC FF union was disciplined for having a bumper sticker on his car. DC Fire, It’s Not Just a Job, It’s a Joke”.
As I recall that one went to court and his discipline was thrown out because it was seen as retaliation for his union activity. I think there was also a First Amendment issue as well. I’m surprised that this suit was tossed out by the court.
When I started we would have done that with two engines and a truck. They would have debated if we should bring the ambo. We need to understand construction principles, fire behavior, fire attack, btu’s, etc. before the bell rings.
TIC’s are nice, great tool, but they do not replace common sense and a general understanding and feel for what is going on. Unfortunately some people have the feel or instinct and others have all of the classes you would ever need. Few personnel have the education, experience, and understanding of the gravity of the situation at hand. We do not have the volume of fires that we once did. Without the calls it is hard to get good guys seasoned. We just had a fire and the new Lt. had never been in a fire that had a second line pulled! He seemed to have the unique ability to be off, detailed, driving, Kelly day, etc. when we had a good fire. He is my project until I retire or one of us gets moved. He is also coming to the realization what it is going to take to replace the relics. Probably half of the Chiefs and Captains in the city can go in the next two years or so.
I believe we will see more of this happening as the “Relics” as I was just referred to, retire. I would bet 50% of our actual fire knowledge is held by ten percent of the people.
Be Safe.
Amen 30+ You said what I was thinking. You can’t find experience in a book.
The Tic is the best tool in the fire service that has come in a long time