A firefighter was injured early Saturday while fighting a blaze in a Rockville home that caused more than $1 million in damage and displaced three adults.
Assistant Chief Scott Graham of Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Services said 70 firefighters were dispatched at 12:36 a.m. to 10107 Lakestone Place. Firefighters found heavy fire on the second floor and going through the roof.
A firefighter suffered minor injuries when a ceiling collapsed, and she was transported to a local hospital.
Firefighters were forced to evacuate the home and fight the two-alarm blaze from outside.
The Red Cross assisted the three displaced adults.
Doug Fuller posted this video to his YouTube account today. If you haven’t seen it before, you will want to. Doug says it is from Springfield, Massachusetts in 1991 and it was taken by the fire department videographer.
As we have been telling you it has been a busy week in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Last night PGFD had it’s third two-alarm fire in less than two days (links to those fires and other newsworthy PGFD incidents this week are below).
The significance of last night’s fire at 3107 Good Hope Avenue is that it was the second one at the seven-story building in Hillcrest Heights in 11 days. The previous fire, also a second-alarm, was on March 29.
In both cases PGFD officials determined the alarm system in the building was not operating properly. Last night’s fire was in a fourth floor unit and the cause is still under investigation.
The March 29 fire was in the afternoon in a ground floor storage room. That fire had extended via a pipe chase into the ceiling. There were no injuries in either fire.
Here are some details about the alarm problems from PGFD Chief Spokesman Mark Brady’s press release:
The buildings fire alarm system did not activate and residents banged on doors to alert other residents of the danger.
This building has a history of fire code violations and was most recently citied for an inoperable fire alarm system after a 2-alarm fire on March 29, 2010. Follow-up inspections have been performed since then by the Office of the Fire Marshal and the Department of Environmental Resources. Necessary repairs to the building were not completed from the March 29 fire and as a result a wing of the first floor was declared uninhabitable.
Another citation and correction order were issued after last nights fire due to the buildings fire alarm system being inoperable. Complex management must maintain a constant vigil over the building and call the Fire/EMS Department and check-in every hour until repairs are made.
(NOTE: Following the posting of this story Friday night, IAFF Local 734 released a response to the comments by Baltimore City Fire Department PIO Kevin Cartwright. There is a link above to read that statement.)
As STATter911.com reported early this morning, not only was Squad 40, the engine company from the fire station next door, on another run at the time of the fire at 3910 Liberty Heights Avenue that seriously injured Firefighter/Paramedic Jeff Novack (seen in picture to the left from the North Penn Fire Company website), so was Engine 46, the second due engine. Third due Engine 20, from Walbrook, also wasn’t available because of the city’s policy to close fire companies each shift due to serious budget problems.
This afternoon, IAFF Local 734 issued a press release indicating the injuries to its member and three civilians were impacted by the rotating closures:
We should all be thankful that this event was not as bad as it could have been, despite the Firehouse Roulette that the Blake Administration carried over from the Dixon Administration. Hopefully this shines a light to the Mayor and City Council.
Contacted shortly after the union’s statement was released, Chief Jim Clack told STATter911.com he was aware of its contents. Chief Clack added in an email, “Right now I am focused on helping our severely injured firefighter recover from his injuries. There will be a full investigation into all the factors that resulted in life threatening injuries to one of our bravest and we will learn from it.”
President Bob Sledgeski made statements similar to those in the news release in interviews with at least two Baltimore TV reporters. Baltimore City Fire Department PIO Kevin Cartwright went beyond Chief Clack’s remarks and responded to the union’s allegations in at least one TV interview. Here is more from WBAL-TV’s website:
“The claim that this firefighter suffered injuries because we were not appropriate or adequate or had insufficient units on the scene — I question that,” said Fire Department spokesman Kevin Cartwright.
Cartwright said the city is staring down a $121 million budget deficit and that every department is affected, but he said the Fire Department still has the tools and manpower to do its job effectively.
The fire union disagreed.
“Our Fire Department isn’t getting less busy and they’re also using the fire apparatus and our members to help support the EMS system, which is fine. The problem is, we don’t have the resources to do everything for everybody all the time,” Sledgeski said.
Cartwright said there’s no data to support the union’s theory that the rotating closures of four fire stations per day have negatively affected public safety.
“We have very dedicated and committed members. Every time we get a call, we’re going to respond and we’re going to be there as fast as we can,” he said.
The Novacks from the North Penn Fire Company website.
FF/PM Novack is reported to be in serious but stable condition at the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center. He has multiple broken bones along with 2nd and 3rd degree burns to his arms.
The press release from Local 734 is providing more details into the firefighter’s actions on Tuesday night as the crew from Truck 12 arrived from the firehouse next door and went to work well before an engine crew arrived. The press release is also critical of statements made by the PIO at the scene of the fire:
Upon their arrival, they encountered a three story apartment building, with fire in a 2nd floor apartment and people trapped on the 3rd Floor. FFPM Novack, and the other men from Truck 12, without hesitation or thoughts of their own safety, entered the burning building to do their job, save people’s lives. FFPM Novack located and removed one victim from the third floor. Outside, he turned the victim over to awaiting BCFD Paramedics. He then returned to the building to search for more victims. At this time, about 9:14pm, the first arriving Engine, Engine 52 from Mondawmin, arrived on the scene and began to extinguish the fire. While searching the 3rd floor again, FFPM Novack became trapped by the fast moving fire. He used his portable radio and transmitted a MAYDAY distress call. Unfortunately, before he could be assisted by the Rapid Intervention Team (a Team of Firefighters on scene dedicated to rescue any Firefighter in distress) he was forced to hang out of a 3rd floor window. There he transmitted another MAYDAY, but the fire was growing too fast. FFPM Novack was forced to jump from that 3rd floor window, or he would have died. Despite other information released by Fire Department officials, he was on the 3rd floor not the 2nd, and he did not fall, he jumped, after saving lives! If more time was spent on the facts then there would be fewer discrepancies.
The Houston Fire Department has been under a lot of scrutiny over the number of women firefighters in the department and how they are treated. Just yesterday morning we were telling you about conflicting issues as city officials try to follow Mayor Annise Parker’s wishes for resolving the mess at Station 54 over the graffiti incident involving Firefighter Jane Draycott (click here and scroll down).
Houston’s first all-female fire crew made history Thursday night, operating a fire pumper truck and hitting the streets together for the first time.
“We joked about this amongst ourselves,” said Captain Bonnie Richter, a 14 -ear veteran of the Houston Fire Department. “I think it’s pretty cool between us, but it shouldn’t be different for anyone else.”
Richter was joined on shift by three other women, who either through rotation or prior scheduling, found themselves in the glare of history at Fire Station 10.
“We’re going to do the same job that we came to do this morning. It’s not going to be different for us,” added Richter.
The all-female crew responded to emergency calls in their district hours after Mayor Annise Parker announced the unprecedented assignments during her State of the City address.
Members of the crew said they hoped not to be singled out for any special recognition, calling themselves no different from anyone else.
Tire & muffler shop burns: A fire at 6708 Northeast 23rd Street in Oklahoma City on Wednesday. This is one of many videos from around the country added each weekday by WUSA9.com’s Emily Cyr. They all can be found in our video player over here >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
More on injured Baltimore firefighter: There is a nice article from his native Montgomery County, Pennsylvania that profiles Jeffrey Novack who was seriously injured in Wednesday night’s fire next to the firehouse in the 3900 block of Liberty Heights Avenue. Firefighter Novack, assigned to Truck 12, was forced to bail out of a third floor apartment after rescuing residents. He is in a medically-induced coma to treat burns and other injuries. Sources indicate the two closest engines were on other runs, and the third was closed due to staffing issues. Here is our previous coverage of the fire, including fireground audio of the mayday. Sources indicate this version of the audio, besides compacting the time by removing dead air, misses some key radio transmissions.
Is this a trend? Baltimore police halt CompStat (or ComStat) meetings: This is the famous crime fighting method started by Jack Maple, who brought it to NYPD from New York’s Transit Police in the early 1990s. Since then, police departments and other government agencies, including fire departments, have adopted it as a way to measure performance. Now comes word that the Baltimore City Police Department, which embraced its version of the statistics based management tool more than a decade ago, has suspended the meetings. There are concerns that it has evolved into nothing more than a weekly finger-pointing beat-down session (the fictional version was shown regularly on The Wire) that requires too much prep time by managers. The Baltimore Sun reports on a New York study that showed more than 100 retired high-ranking officers believe it creates intense pressure to manipulate crime figures. Here’ the story.
All PGFD, all the time: There was a time that some people claimed that was our motto here at STATter911.com. Still, this has been a newsworthy few days in Prince George’s Countyl. Here’s what’s been keeping Mark Brady busy-
Governor makes escape from fire followed by lawmakers: A celebration for new members of the Maryland legislature at an Annapolis, Maryland bar last night came to an end when fire broke out. The Baltimore Sun tells the story that Governor Martin O’Malley’s security detail may have been the first to realize the place was burning. Here’s the article.
Facebook shooting threat by firefighter against politician leads to trouble: We have been telling you about the problems in Clark County, Nevada and how County Commissioner Steve Sisolak is leading the charge to cut OT and compensation for firefighters. Sisolak is also concerned about on-duty MD fund raising. Now comes word of the Facebook posting by City of Las Vegas Firefighter Joy Sager saying she wanted ”to shoot Sisolak in the (groin)”. The mayor has called for justice. Sager, involved in the charity work, has written an apology. Read Sager’s letter. Here’s the story.
The fine print in the grant that will help Flint has some worried: Flint, Michigan is getting a SAFER grant to rehire firefighters recently let go and others. But can the troubled city meet the staffing requirements of the grant? Read the details.
An ounce of prevention is apparently not worth much in this budget cycle: What did that Franklin guy know anyway? It isn’t like he and his most famous saying about fires had to face a massive recession like we have dealt with. The latest budget proposal in Mesa, Arizona calls for the elimination of the entire fire prevention and life-safety education units. Read more.
Citizen says it is just fine to cut fire department minimum staffing: This column in a California newspaper shows the perception firefighters are often up against when it comes to budget cuts. In it, a man named Bob Moss explains why he didn’t sign a petition by Palo Alto firefighters to freeze staffing levels. Here is an excerpt-
Fact: The proposal on the table is to cut the required number of firefighters on engines by no more than one person. There will still be plenty of staff to respond to 911 calls. Cutting the number of people on an engine, say from 4 to 3, will have no impact on 911 response times — it may even be a bit faster as it will take less time for three people to get onto the engine than four.
Code thieves?: Thieves who stole radios and other equipment worth as much as $20,000 from an Edmond, Oklahoma fire truck being serviced also got the map book with the codes that allow access to gated communities. Read the story.
Fired DeKalb County captain reinstated: Tony Motes, one of those fired after a botched response to a house fire that turned fatal, won his appeal. Read what it means.
Fallout over gas company’s union negotiation in Fall River: There is debate in the Massachusetts town over whether the installation of locking devices on critical valve shut offs by New England Gas will impact its reponse to help fire crews with gas shut downs in an emergency. The company is doing this to prevent tampering during union troubles. Here’s the story.
Just before 2:00 this afternoon Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department crews responded to Precision Cycle Works in Beltsville. According to PGFD Chief Spokesman Mark Brady, the first firefighters on the scene in the 11300 block of Old Baltimore Pike encountered heavy smoke conditions. Brady wrote in a press release there was “stored ammunition going off and automotive oils and chemicals exploding”. Brady said despite several attempts, conditions never allowed for an interior attack.
Read the smoke: Photo above and below from Beltsville fire by Billy McNeel.
For the second time in about 12 hours a second-alarm was sounded in the county. Master streams were used in an effort to keep the fire from spreading to adjoining warehouses.
Photo of Central Avenue crash by PGFD's Mark Brady. Click image for more.
Other firefighters in the county were busy with a serious car crash around 10:00 this morning on Central Avenue at Watkins Park Drive in Largo. According to Brady, “ The collision was so violent that one car was cut in half with the rear end of the vehicle coming to rest 30 yards away from the point of impact. The adult female driver of this vehicle was ejected and sustained critical, life threatening, injuries.”
The second vehicle wound up about 75 yards away and landed on its roof. An adult female driver with serious injuries had to be extricated from that vehicle.
A day earlier PGFD made the news when a firefighter from Kentland VFD revived a choking infant as the crew returned from a large brush fire. Click here to watch that story.
Firefighters remained on the scene Thursday morning following a fire at a Greenbelt, Maryland townhouse complex. The first 911 call reporting the fire in the 7800 block of Jacobs Drive came in around 1:45 AM.
Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department Engine 835 went on the scene reporting heavy fire from the rear of a townhouse. In a press release PGFD Chief Spokesman Mark Brady wrote “the fire involved a row of five, 2-story, with terrace level, townhomes of lightweight construction and non-sprinklered.”
Brady says an aggressive interior attack was mounted trying to cut off the spread of the fire. A task force and second alarm brought additional firefighters and equipment to the scene. Brady added:
The fire continued to grow in intensity extending both horizontally and vertically. Wooden decks attached to the rear of the structures collapsed. Fire Incident Commanders understood the deck collapse to be an indication of a weakening structural integrity and ordered all firefighters to evacuate the structure and take a defensive position on the exterior. Within 10 minutes of ensuring the safety of all personnel a significant collapse occurred in the second townhouse. Firefighters continued to work on extinguishing the fire from the safety of the exterior and had the fire knocked down in about 1 hour.
Fire investigators say the majority of the damage was to 3 of the 5 townhomes in the row and estimate the loss to be $600,000.
At least 20 people, including 2 infants, are displaced, but there were no injuries to any of the residents. One firefighter suffered a minor knee injury but didn’t need immediate treatment.
Early video from Tampa: Watch the initial attack on a house fire yesterday at 4906 Wishart Boulevard. Investigators say smoking materials caused the fire.
Close call in Baltimore: It sounds like Truck 12′s crew was by themselves for a bit last night when fire broke out across Berwyn Avenue from the firehouse. Two firefighters were hospitalized. One in serious but stable condition after bailing out of a burning apartment. We have fireground audio and more.
Two-alarm fire in Prince George's County, Maryland overnight. WUSA9.com's Ava-Joye Burnett snapped some pictures as fire damaged three townhomes on Jacobs Drive in Greenbelt. Click the image for more.
Houston has a problem that may take the wisdom of Solomon: Mayor Annise Parker made it clear she wants a “complete house cleaning” at Station 54 after lengthy investigations failed to determine who was responsible for the racial and sexual graffii that targeted two female firefighters. This was the same station where a “team building” exercise in January to welcome back Firefighter Jane Draycott went so bad the fire chief stepped down. Despite the mayor saying yesterday, “We’re going to break up the culture at that station and we’re going to move on”, the Houston Chronicle reports the city attorney and acting fire chief are indicating not so fast. City Attorney Arturo Michel points out what the mayor wants is “not going to happen” because essentially Draycott’s shift mates have already been moved to other shifts and fire stations. Draycott’s attorney doesn’t believe enough has been done to pave the way to bring the firefighter back to the airport station. Meanwhile, the union president points out nine months of investigations essentially exonerated the firefighters and officers of Station 54. And you wonder why Phil Boriskie, the former chief, was glad to take a demotion and get back to firefighting. Here’s the latest.
Lawsuit in Chicago after family finds the body firefighters failed to locate: A lawsuit has been filed by relatives of a man Chicago firefighters failed to locate after a fire a year ago. Read more.
Reporter takes on firefighters in Missouri after they failed to find woman’s body: Calling what happened to Gloria Banks in Northwoods, Missouri an “undignified way to go”, KMOV-TV reporter Mark Schnyder has some pointed comments for the Northeast Ambulance and Fire Protection District. This was the story we first alerted you to yesterday of the woman found in the bathtub hours after firefighters initially left the scene of a house fire. In his blog Schnyder writes, “What an embarrassment for the fire department… but what bothers me more is that someone’s loved one was left inside a burned out building and no one seemed to care enough to find out she was there… in her tub… covered in debris.” Click here to read more.
Wine man whines about firefighters: In St. Helena, California wine maker Dario Sattui writes to the local paper saying firefighters have it good, too good. Check it out.
Why did the firefighter cross the road?Apparently to kill the chicken: No, the next riddle is not why did the chicken wear red suspenders, but it might as well be with this silly story. Much is being made in Lower Merion, Pennsylvania about the police officer, when confronted with a large chicken “terrorizing” a neighborhood, called in his buddy the bow and arrow toting firefighter. The firefighter ended up having a nice dinner, but the meal turned out to be someone’s pet (I don’t recall this transgression coming up in the recent report on firefighters behaving badly … clearly we overlooked something). Click here to find out if someone can turn this bad turn of events into chicken salad.
Kentland firefighter saves infant: Before they could get to the patient, the choking baby came to them. Click above for the details on a life saved in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
One Baltimore firefighter is in serious but stable condition with burns to his hands and other injuries after jumping from a burning third floor apartment Wednesday evening. A second firefighter had minor injuries. Baltimore fire officials say both firefighters are from Truck 12.
Truck 12 didn’t have to go far to take in this fire. The firehouse it shares with Squad 40 is at 3906 Liberty Heights Avenue. The fire was next door at 3910 Liberty Heights Avenue. Baltimore City Fire Department Chief Jim Clack confirms that Squad 40 was on a medical call at the time the fire was reported.
Several civilians were injured, including one with burns. A second alarm and four medic units were dispatched to the scene. Chief Clack says the crews did a great job under very difficult conditions.
Investigators are looking into the possibility this fire was intentionally set.
3910 Liberty Heights Avenue on the left. The firehouse on the right. Berwyn Avenue runs between them. Click the image for more.
Boston’s fire chief says four people have been rescued from a fire at a 10-story condominium building.
They were being evaluated at a hospital Wednesday afternoon, but there was no immediate word on their conditions.
Chief Ronald Keating says the building was evacuated, but it’s not clear how many of its 174 residents were home when the fire broke out early Wednesday afternoon.
Keating says investigators believe the fire began in a seventh-floor unit. Smoke spread to the eighth floor, but the fire was soon brought under control.
Fire Commissioner Roderick Fraser said one firefighter was taken to a hospital with chest pains.
The building is Boston’s Back Bay section. Keating says the building had no sprinklers because it was built before they were required.
Two from Washington State – TV crew stumbles onto house fire & a rekindle: A reporter and photographer from KOMO-TV in Seattle spotted the smoke and beat the firefighters from Marysville, Washington to the scene of this house fire on Saturday. Read more in this account from the reporter. Click here for an extended version of the video above showing much more of the firefighting operations. About 25 miles to the south on I-5, there was a house fire around 7:30 Monday night in Lynwood that left a man critically burned. Firefighters saved the man’s reptiles but reported the house was full of debris. Some of that debris wasn’t completely extinguished and about 2:00 Tuesday morning the fire took off again. Watch the story.
Big Love meets Backdraft: That’s one way to describe the story unfolding in twin polygamous communities along the Arizona – Utah border. Investigators say a central figure in their fraud and misuse of funds probe is the fire chief for the two towns. His home and four fire stations were among the places raided yesterday. Here’s what we put together on the story.
A former Martin County (FL) firefighter and his twin brother are accused of stealing drugs from an ambulance parked at a hospital. Security cameras caught the theft. Click the image to read the story and watch the video.
Primary & secondary searches fail to turn up elderly woman, eventually found in the bathtub: Firefighters in Northwoods, Missouri didn’t find the body of Gail Banks until her godson went looking for her hours after the fire at her home was extinguished. Read and watch this story.
County commissioner who criticized firefighter pay gets more security: In Clark County, Nevada Steve Sisolak has been leading the charge over firefighter overtime and compensation. Sisolak says the number of harassing phone calls is increasing. Read more.
Fire chief says no: Corning, New York Chief Stephen Monroe is retiring after 10-years as chief because some of the things he has been asked to do by the city manager conflict with his style of principle-based leadership. The chief is not going into detail publicly but the thought is much of it has to do with budget cutting. Firegeezer has this interesting story.
South Carolina firefighters charged with arson: A 21-year-old and two 16-year-old volunteers from Cowpens have been arrested. Their chief talks about the arrests. Here’s the story.
Airport firefighting crew may be cut: The talk is that one of three fire stations could close as budget cutting comes to Lambert Airport in St. Louis. Read the details.
Marcia Martinek took this picture of firefighters protesting in Lake County on Monday. Click the image to read her article.
Timing is everything: A success story in the case of a one-year-old child who stopped breathing yesterday in Prince George’s County, Maryland. A Kentland VFD engine crew, just back from a three-hour brush fire, was sent on the call. Before they got very far, the call came to them as a car blocked the engine’s path. Inside was the child. Firefighter/EMT Fred Caramiello was able to quickly dislodge an obstruction and get the choking infant breathing again. Click here to read the press release from PGFD Chief Spokesman Mark Brady.
The brotherhood: My blogging brother Rhett Fleitz, who I seem to be willing to throw under the bus at a moment’s notice, takes a look at what the term brotherhood means for firefighters. Check it out at The Fire Critic.
Leadership- A Question of Character: As you would expect, Ben May in his Firehouse.com column goes a lot deeper than shallow Dave did in his recent posting about leadership and honesty. Ben looks at Osceola County Fire Rescue where, besides honesty, they talk about things like patience, kindness, humility, respectfulness, selflessness, forgiveness, accountability, and commitment. Here’s Ben’s column and an interesting view of servant leadership.
Firefighters didn’t find the body of Gloria Banks in the bathtub of her burned out home until four-hours after they initially left the scene Tuesday morning. The firefighters returned to the home at 7115 Groveland Drive around 10:00 AM because Quincy Harris, the godson of the 80-year-old woman, visited both the Northwoods Police Department and the Northeast Ambulance and Fire Protection District, after learning of the fire, wondering what hospital Banks had been taken to.
Family photo of Gloria Banks provided to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Gloria Banks’ body was found beneath debris from the collapsed bathroom ceiling. The fire is believed to have started in an attic fan.
Elizabethe Holland a St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter, writes the incident commander, Northeast Deputy Chief Bilal Olushola, couldn’t be reached for comment and that ”Deputy Chief Kevin McPike, who was also at the scene, said he could not comment”. A captain who had gone into the home during the fire did speak about the incident. Here are excerpts from Holland’s report:
“I had to round them up and tell them,” said Harris, 36, of Dellwood. “That’s unbelievable that they couldn’t find the body. Who’s to say she wasn’t living still? … I’m going to get some answers. You miss a body? How do you miss a body?”
Northeast Capt. Phil Boling, one of the firefighters who went into the house, said the crew conducted two searches before leaving. Boling said the home was difficult to search because it was full of debris. Banks’ godson and a neighbor confirmed that the house was jammed with clothing and other items. They referred to Banks, a retired St. Louis Public Schools teacher, as a “pack rat.”
Boling added that by the time firefighters arrived, there was significant structural damage, including a hole in the floor that trapped a Jennings firefighter by the leg. He also said firefighters were never able to confirm from neighbors whether anyone was in the house.
Northwoods Alderwoman Marvalda Jones lives on Banks’ street and took dinner to her several hours before the fire. Jones said some initially thought an ambulance at the scene had left with Banks. Neighbors later learned, however, that the ambulance had transported a firefighter. So just before the firetrucks left, Jones said she told a Northeast firefighter that she feared Banks might still be inside. Jones said she didn’t press it because she thought Banks might be with her godson — until she saw Harris show up to try to find her.
“They should have looked harder,” Jones said.
Harris said he raced to the house about 8:15 a.m. after he saw a text message about the fire that a friend had sent earlier. He said he arrived to find the front door wide open.
Government agencies in twin polygamous communities along the Utah-Arizona border were served Tuesday with search warrants seeking evidence on suspected misuse of public funds, authorities said.
Photo by Mark Havnes, Salt Lake Tribune
The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office said warrants were served at fire stations and private residences in Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah.
“There’s an investigation being conducted by the county attorney’s office at this time for a possible misuse of public funds and fraudulent schemes at the fire department and possibly the city government,” Sheriff Tom Sheahan told The Associated Press.
Sheahan said the allegations were specific to City Manager David Darger and Fire Chief Jake Barlow, both in Colorado City. Telephones messages left for the two officials were not immediately returned.
No one was arrested, and Sheahan said officers were expected to wrap up the searches later in the day.
Investigators were looking for documents and computers files, including financial records at both the offices and homes of Barlow and Darger, Sheahan said.
The twin communities are home to members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, an embattled religious sect that follows Warren Jeffs, a church leader serving prison time after being convicted of rape as an accomplice in the marriage of a 14-year-old follower to her 19-year-old cousin.
Management of the twin towns and the FLDS have been under increasing scrutiny since 2005, following allegations of an increase in underage marriages and misuse of a church property trust.
Five warrants were served in Colorado City — three at fire stations and one each at the homes of Darger and Barlow. The lone Utah warrant was served on the Hildale fire station.
Sheahan said officers had to forcibly enter one home after residents refused requests from police to open the doors.
A Washington County Sheriff's Office vehicle ata Hildale, Utah fire station today. Photo by Jud Burkett, The Spectrum
Salt Lake City attorney Rod Parker, who represents the FLDS, said he had not yet seen the warrants and was unclear about the scope of information being sought.
The FLDS founded the twin towns in the mid-20th century, and its members make up the majority of residents, operate most businesses and work in all levels of city government and services.
The FLDS practice polygamy in arranged marriages, a tradition tied to the early theology of the mainstream Mormon church. Mormons denounced the practice in the 1890s.
The faith is engaged in a protracted legal battle with the attorneys general of Utah and Arizona for control of the $110 million church trust.
Jeffs, 53, resigned as president of the FLDS church in 2007 but is believed to remains the faith’s ecclesiastical leader.
He is currently in Mohave County Jail awaiting two criminal trials related to the underage marriage of sect girls. He is already serving two consecutive sentences of five years to life on the Utah conviction of rape as an accomplice.
In 2008, Texas authorities raided an FLDS ranch in Eldorado. More than 430 children were temporarily in state custody after the raid, which also resulted in the filing of criminal charges adjacent a dozen sect men, including Jeffs.
It was unclear how the fire department would respond to emergencies while the operation was underway, said Barlow, reached by telephone.
“They will not let the volunteers into the stations or the offices where they are taking information,” said Barlow, reached by telephone. “This is over the top for anything they have the right to do. They are interfering with the public safety of thousands of people. I’m trusting that the staff and battalion chief have it under control.”
However, investigators had fire personnel move their equipment outside the buildings so they could respond to any calls that may come in.
Barlow said that over the past two years the department has complied with numerous subpoenas for information by Arizona authorities based on an unspecified allegation.
The warrants apparently authorized removal of computers and records and, while the investigation was launched by Arizona officials, were signed by judges in both states, said Rod Parker, a Salt Lake City attorney. Parker does not represent the fire department but has represented other FLDS members in court matters.
The Colorado City Fire Department serves the Utah side of the community through an interlocal agreement. In addition to the main station, there are three substations — two in Colorado City and a third in Hildale. The fire department has about six full-time staff and 100 trained volunteer emergency medical technicians, firefighters and paramedics.
Onlookers, including some of the department’s volunteer firefighters, gathered outside the main station this morning, photographing and videotaping the operation. Many other residents were driving by the station.
“We’ve always been good for the county and the state and now they want us to go away,” said Brian Meldrum, a volunteer firefighter.
Glen Jeffs, also a volunteer firefighter, said authorities were “on a fishing trip looking for something.”
25 dead and four missing in mine explosion: We have the latest details from overnight in Raleigh County, West Virginia. Click here.
It is out of here: This mural in the back of a bay at a Vancouver, B.C. firehouse was ordered removed after the local civil liberties association found it offensive. Yes, you read that correctly. A civil liberties group wanted it banished. As I recall, the ACLU in Washington defended a firefighter who posted an "offensive" cartoon in the fire station. Anyway, click the image to read more.
Colorado firefighters protest arrest: About three dozen firefighters showed up at the Lake County courthouse yesterday to express their displeasure over the handcuffing of Battalion Captain Dan Dailey during an EMS call inside the Lake County jail. Still no details on last night’s scheduled meeting about the ongoing dispute over who will provide fire and EMS coverage in the area. No decision has been made on pursuing charges against Capt. Dailey. Here is more from the Denver Post. Our previous coverage is here and here.
Burned Illinois firefighter pays respects at wake: Brought in by ambulance, Karra Kopas was at last night’s wake for Village of Homewood Firefighter Brian Carey. Read more. Watch the story.
More on the taunting and firefighter assault in Pennsylvania: Click here to watch the story about the ugly scene in Penn Hills. A member of the Thad Stevens VFD was attacked walking home from the firehouse following a taunting and rock throwing incident during a firehouse cook out.
Massachusetts deputy chief just watches it burn: After making sure everyone was out, Weymouth Fire Department Deputy Chief Joseph Davis could do nothing more than wait for the first fire engine to arrive. With the closest fire company closed and another on a call, the chief believe the delay allowed the fire to spread significantly. Here’s the story.
The Maine squeeze: Sanford Fire Marshal Peter Cutrer is pushing back in the battle with home builders over residential sprinklers. He is fighting fire with fires. Two of them, to be exact. Firegeezer has the story.
Rescue teams planned to search again for four workers missing in a coal mine where a massive explosion killed 25 in the worst U.S. mining disaster in more than two decades, though officials said Tuesday that the chances were slim that the miners survived.
Click the image for more photos by Rick Barbero at the Register Herald.
The suspended rescue mission would resume after bore holes could be drilled to allow for toxic gases to be ventilated from Massey Energy Co.’s sprawling Upper Big Branch mine about 30 miles south of Charleston, state and federal safety officials said.
“All we have left is hope, and we’re going to continue to do what we can,” Kevin Stricklin, an administrator for the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration, said at a news conference. “But I’m just trying to be honest with everybody and say that the situation does look dire.”
Though the cause of the blast was not known, the operation run by Massey subsidiary Performance Coal Co. has a history of violations for not properly ventilating highly combustible methane gas, safety officials said.
Stricklin said officials had hoped some of the missing survived the blast Monday afternoon and were able to reach airtight chambers stocked with food, water and enough oxygen for them to live for four days. However, rescue teams checked one of two nearby and it was empty. The buildup of toxic methane gas — a constant problem at the mine — and of carbon monoxide prevented teams from reaching other chambers, officials said.
A total of 29 miners were in the area during a shift change when the blast happened, officials said. Some may have died in the blast and others when they breathed in the gas-filled air, Stricklin said. Seven bodies had been recovered and identified, but the other 18 have not, said Gov. Joe Manchin, who returned to the state after being out of town. Names weren’t released publicly.
“Everybody’s just heartbroken over this and the impact on these families,” said mine safety director Joe Main, who was headed to West Virginia.
It is the most people killed in a U.S. mine since 1984, when 27 died in a fire at Emery Mining Corp.’s mine in Orangeville, Utah. If the four missing bring the total to 29, it would be the most killed in a U.S. mine since a 1970 explosion killed 38 at Finley Coal Co., in Hyden, Ky.
After a record low 34 deaths last year, Main said he and others believed coal mining had turned the corner on preventing fatal accidents.
“There’s always danger. There’s so many ways you can get hurt, or your life taken,” said Gary Williams, a miner and pastor of a church near the southern West Virginia mine. “It’s not something you dread every day, but there’s always that danger. But for this area, it’s the only way you’re going to make a living.”
Manchin said the explosion was massive and that the situation looks bleak, but that miracles can happen and pointed to the 2006 Sago Mine explosion that killed 12.
Crews found miner Randal McCloy Jr. alive after he was trapped for more than 40 hours in an atmosphere poisoned with carbon monoxide.
In Monday’s blast, nine miners were leaving on a vehicle that takes them in and out of the mine’s long shaft when a crew ahead of them felt a blast of air and went back to investigate, Stricklin said.
They found nine workers, seven of whom were dead. Others were hurt or missing about a mile and a half inside the mine, though there was some confusion over how many. Others made it out, Manchin said.
Massey Energy, a publicly traded company based in Richmond, Va., has 2.2 billion tons of coal reserves in southern West Virginia, eastern Kentucky, southwest Virginia and Tennessee. It ranks among the nation’s top five coal producers and is among the industry’s most profitable. It has a spotty safety record.
In the past year, federal inspectors fined the company more than $382,000 for repeated serious violations involving its ventilation plan and equipment at Upper Big Branch. The violations also cover failing to follow the plan, allowing combustible coal dust to pile up, and having improper firefighting equipment.
Methane is one of the great dangers of coal mining, and federal records say the Eagle coal seam releases up to 2 million cubic feet of methane gas into the Upper Big Branch mine every 24 hours, which is a large amount, said Dennis O’Dell, health and safety director for the United Mine Workers labor union.
In mines, giant fans are used to keep the colorless, odorless gas concentrations below certain levels. If concentrations are allowed to build up, the gas can explode with a spark roughly similar to the static charge created by walking across a carpet in winter, as at the Sago mine, also in West Virginia.
Since then, federal and state regulators have required mine operators to store extra oxygen supplies. Upper Big Branch uses containers that can generate about an hour of breathable air, and all miners carry a container on their belts besides the stockpiles inside the mine. Upper Big Branch has had three other fatalities in the last dozen years.
Most families were sequestered in a building at the mine, the entrance guarded by bright lights, state troopers and hordes of ambulances.
Upper Big Branch has 19 openings and roughly 7-foot ceilings. Inside, it’s crisscrossed with railroad tracks used for hauling people and equipment. It is located in a mine-laced swath of Raleigh and Boone counties that is the heart of West Virginia’s coal country.
The seam produced 1.2 million tons of coal in 2009, according to the mine safety agency, and has about 200 employees.
Road trip to Detroit: Chicago’s Steve Redick made one of his regular trips to Detroit and returned, as usual, with lots of video. The clip above, with fireground audio, chronicles the 3-day visit. You can see Steve’s still images from Detroit here. On the same page you will find links for Steve’s books on rigs in and around Chicago.
Click the image for more pictures from Emmitsburg's Vigilant Hose Company.
Investigators make arrest in Emmitsburg fire: If you haven’t checked in over the weekend you may not have seen all of the early pictures and video from Saturday morning’s fire in the heart of Emmitsburg. The 150-year-old apartment building (former hotel) that houses Stavros Pizza burned. While early news reports indicated careless smoking was to blame, one resident is under arrest, charged with starting the fire during a suicide attempt. In fact, you can hear people talking about a man in custody on one of the fire videos we posted. Click here and here for our coverage.
Must see video of arsonists in the act: Some determined men caught in the act of setting a Fort Worth business on fire last week. Click here for the video. Also, firefighters who were trapped and injured in that fire tell about their escape. Click here to read and watch that story.
What’s up Doc? The answer may not be good for your blood pressure: Neil Coplan, an FDNY doctor who occasionally visited fire scenes, receives a $95,000-a-year disability pension because of a heart ailment. The pension was awarded under the same provision that presumes an active firefighter’s heart problems are job related. This one isn’t sitting too well with some people. Read more.
It seems to never end in Flint: WJRT-TV reports there were eight fires Saturday night and early Sunday morning for a total of 20 in three days in Flint, Michigan. One battalion chief says fatigue is setting in for firefighters as they handle this 12-day arson spree with fewer Flint firefighters and reduced resources from neighbors. Click here to watch and here, to read the TV station’s latest story. Here’s our coverage of fires earlier in the weekend, including an arrest in a Friday evening blaze.
Fire report from Prince William County, VA: Click the image to read a report from OWL VFD Chief Jim McAllister on a Woodbridge townhouse fire Sunday evening.
More from the battleground in Colorado over fire and EMS: Today is the day that more developments are expected in Leadville and Lake County over the nasty dispute between the fire department and the Sheriff’s department over who will provide fire and EMS coverage. Firefighters are scheduled to protest at the courthouse this afternoon over the arrest by sheriff’s deputies of a top fire official who had responded to an EMS call at the county jail. This evening there is a special joint meeting of Leadville and Lake County leaders to discuss the incident. Here is the latest. Click here and here for our previous coverage.
No charges in collision of two rigs in Houston that left bicyclist dead: The Houston Police Department has decided not to file criminal charges in the wreck a year ago between Ladder 16 and Engine 7 that took the life of a woman on a bicycle. The final decision is now up to the District Attorney. Read the details. Here is our coverage on the day of the collision.
Houston fire station closed: Speaking of Ladder 16, it has been moved to Station 8 following the closing of Station 16. KTRK-TV reports the building has been shuttered. Not a lot of details other than a report that problems with ceramic tiles coming loose has brought questions about the structural integrity of the firehouse. Here’s more.
A study in fire spread: That’s what Firegeezer calls his look at a fire in West Bend, Wisconsin. Take a look.
5-alarms in Nashville: Five homes were damaged or destroyed in the fire late Thursday night. Check it out.
Blast levels New Jersey home visited earlier by gas workers: In South Amboy two people were hurt in an apparent natural gas explosion that destroyed a home on Friday. The gas company confirms one its people had visited the house 45-minutes earlier, responding to a report of a leak. Here’s the story.
Was anyone on OT during boot drive?: The latest issue in Clark County, Nevada is over collecting money for MD during work hours. The question has also been brought up about overtime money being spent during the boot drive. Click here for the details.
The mature probie: An interesting article about New York’s Syosset Fire Department. Josh Stewart writes about the trend toward volunteers joining the department later in life. Here’s the story.
A five-alarm blaze in Nashville has destroyed three houses and damaged two others. (The homes are on Wilburn Street between I-24 and Ellington Parkway.)
Assistant Fire Chief Kim Lawson told WSMV-TV the homes in the north side neighborhood are very close together.
Authorities said the fire began in a vacant house that had caught fire before.
Lawson said the fire hydrant was directly in front of a burning house and firefighters couldn’t get to it because of the heat and flames. They had to use water in the pumpers’ tanks and had trouble getting adequate pressure.
The station reported there were no deaths or injuries, but 23 people were displaced. Two of the homes had been separated into apartments.
The fire broke out around 11 p.m. Thursday and firefighters were still on the scene at dawn Friday.
The Vigilant Hose Company, just four doors down from the fire, has a slideshow of early pictures and ones taken throughout the day. Click the image above.
A resident of a historic building in Emmitsburg is accused of setting fire to his apartment while trying to commit suicide.
The state fire marshal’s office says the fire early Saturday at the 19th-century building on East Main Street caused $1 million in damage. The building is a former hotel that was converted into 17 apartment units.
Forty-three-year-old John Bushman has been charged with arson and malicious burning. Fire marshals say Bushman was detained after an investigation revealed he had threatened to burn the building down, and he was charged late Saturday after he revealed to investigators that he set the fire.
Earlier:
Our friend Wayne Powell, who is now in “retired” status with Vigilant Hose Company of Emmitsburg, has provided a much more detailed account than we had previously of the fire early Saturday morning that destroyed a landmark building in the heart of town. Here are excerpts from Wayne’s account:
Fire units were alerted at 0559 hours to a reported building fire with people trapped in an apartment building on the Square (southeast corner) above a popular Pizza Restaurant known as Stavro’s and which many from around the country and beyond have visited. Being Easter Weekend, all NETC classes had ended yesterday. For those who admire good “truck work” – in the photos you’ll note multiple ground ladders were placed around the building in addition to the 5 aerials which were quickly summoned to the scene where 4 were actively used.
President Frank Davis of Vigilant Hose Company (the community’s all volunteer fire department // which is located 4 doors west of the fire building) was out back of the fire station, while it was still dark out, cleaning up items from a major 2-day fund-raiser, VHC’s annual Easter Seafood Bonanza, when his pager alerted for the fire – he looked up at the rear portion of the building (easily seen from the fire station’s rear parking lot) and nothing was obvious. Upon reaching the station’s front overhead doors he could see the glow reflecting on windows across the street plus smoke started coming into the firehouse as the overhead doors were going up. He quickly radioed in that he had fire showing (designated the sides, etc.) and immediately requested that a 2nd alarm be transmitted.
The fully occupied 145-year old unsprinklered (pre-existing) building had fire extending out windows on the South Seton Avenue side (Side D) and as apparatus was arriving fire began extending out the front (Side A) meaning that the main interior stairwell had already become compromised as it was heavily involved in fire. Fortunately, there were no deaths and only one injury (a civilian with a cut to the hand) and equally amazing was that the structure did not collapse during the fire as had been potentially feared by generations of area firefighters. As can be seen in the photos heavy fire conditions were present as fire personnel arrived.
The circa 1865 fire building, whose construction was completed at the end of the Great Civil War, sits at the corner of East Main Street (MD Route 140) and South Seton Avenue (the road that passes in front of NETC). The “Old Hotel on the Square” as it commonly known today went by various names over the years – Eagle Hotel, Slagle Hotel and Western Maryland Hotel – and had always been of special concern to firefighters as well as state and local fire marshals for decades due to limited egress and its construction. Used in the modern era for rental apartments, all or nearly all of those displaced today reportedly had no insurance.
Although fought via aggressive interior firefighting efforts, operations were shifted from offensive to defensive given the age of the building and the numerous structural renovations that have occurred over the years. Authorities from the Frederick County Sheriffs Office (trained in fire investigations) plus fire investigators from the Frederick County Department of Fire and Rescue Services and the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office worked together to determine the actual cause of the fire and further interactions. The building was condemned by building inspectors with further review by structural inspectors planned to determine structure stability. A civilian living in the building is credited with saving lives by her actions of quickly alerting residents.
A malicious attack of a Fort Worth gardening supply has been caught on surveillance video.
The store, known as Hydro-Expo, is located in west Fort Worth. The building was set on fire early Wednesday morning.
Store surveillance cameras show two people dressed in hazardous materials suits jumping out of a pickup truck and dousing the building with what appears to be a flammable liquid and propane tanks before lighting the building on fire.
Fort Worth Fire Department spokesman Timothy Hardeman says the fire is bizarre, but the suspects knew what they were doing. “They were determined. Their motive was clear. They wanted to destroy this business.”
Hydro-Expo co-owner David Underwood is in shock over the fire. “We can’t believe someone would do this to us. It was such an intentional act. It was awful.”
Three firefighters were injured fighting the fire. Hardeman says they are eager to get the arsonists off the street. “Our investigators are determined, not just because it was firefighters that were hurt. But because this is a public safety matter.”
This isn’t the fire time the business was a target. On March 17 another attempt was made to burn down the building. Fort Worth Fire officials say that fire didn’t get a chance to spread.
It is where Seton Avenue and Main Street meet in the heart of Emmitsburg, Maryland. On the southeast corner of that intersection is an old three story apartment building (four in the rear) with balconies on Side A atop the entrance. Side C is the entrance to Stavros Pizza.
It is a building any of you who have spent time down the street at the National Fire Academy have passed many times. Probably on your way to and from the Ott house, just three doors down on the southwest side of that intersection (which, of course, is next to the Vigilant Hose Company).
Karen Gardner at The Frederick News-Post reports the fire was discovered at about 6:00 AM and was caused by a second-floor resident of who fell asleep while smoking a cigarette. There are 16 apartments in the building.
Click the image for more pictures of the Hotel Slagle.
The building got its start as the Hotel Slagle in 1859. Here’s more on the fire from Gardner’s article:
Fire companies from Adams and Franklin counties in Pennsylvania and Carroll, Frederick and Washington counties battled the blaze. Thirty-five pieces of equipment and 125 firefighters were involved. The fire was out by 9 a.m., but smoke continued to billow from the roof for much of the day.
Soot covered much of the large, three-story building, and heat caused the glass in many of the windows to break. The building had a gable roof and balconies on all three stories. Rafters poked out of the roof shingles.
There was another fire in Flint, Michigan. It happened yesterday evening at Avenue A and East Taylor Street. In the last 10 days there have been close to 50 fires in the city.
As we previously mentioned, mutual aid companies, feeling the pressure of the increased responses at a time when Flint is providing less, are reconsidering their agreements with the city. Click here and here to read those stories.
After a fire broke out Friday evening, police announced there is a suspect in custody, but they don’t believe that man is responsible for the arson spree.
Flint police are confirming they have one man in custody, and they are calling him an arson suspect. He was arrested shortly after the flames broke out.
The flames were first spotted around 7 p.m. at an abandoned home near the intersection of Avenue A and East Taylor Street.
Another view of last night’s fire.
Flint Public Safety Director Alvern Lock says at this point the man is suspected in Friday night’s fires.
They do not believe he is responsible for the recent string of arsons.
The flames were so intense that thick black smoke could be seen for miles across the city.
“This fire is completely unrelated to the other fires that have happened,” Lock said.
Investigators say the fire was intentionally set. They said it likely started in a vacant house before spreading to another vacant home, and then to Lott’s house.
Firefighters hosed down a nearby home as the flames started to spread.
Mutual aid was called in to assist Flint fire, which used every available firefighter. Police arrested a suspect not to far from the scene.
We have been covering the ongoing dispute between Leadville/Lake County Fire Rescue (LLCFR) and the Lake County Sheriff’s Department that resulted in the handcuffing of Battalion Captain Dan Dailey. Now comes word of the impact this battle has on a neighbor to the south, Chaffee County.
Chaffee County Fire Protection District and LLCFR had a five-year mutual aid agreement that has expired. The renewal had been uncertain because Lake County has been trying to figure out what role the Sheriff’s Department will have in fire and EMS.
“With the recent events and displays of unprofessionalism by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, to renew this mutual aid agreement I feel would compromise the safety of my professional volunteer firefighters.”
“I am concerned with my firefighters’ safety if we continue to work with Lake County. I can’t have our firefighters worrying about being arrested for trying to do their job. I’m not going to play that game.”
Here are more excerpts from the article:
Wingert said because Lake County has chosen not to renew its contract with the City of Leadville and Leadville Fire-Rescue, the current agreement “cannot be renewed.”
Chaffee County Fire Protection District will need two separate agreements; one agreement with Lake County and one with Leadville Fire-Rescue.
He said the Chaffee County fire district is working with Leadville Fire-Rescue on a new mutual aid agreement. He said he is willing to negotiate with Lake County but does have some “issues” that need to be discussed.
Until a new mutual aid agreement is developed with Lake County, service could only be provided through Leadville Fire-Rescue.
Chaffee County Fire Protection District has four full-time paid personnel, one part-time paid staff member and about 75 professionally trained volunteer firefighters. The district responds from six fire stations and encompasses 1,000 square miles.
At least five people were killed and one person is still unaccounted for after a large fire destroyed the building housing McMahon’s Irish Pub and several apartments on Lake Street in south Minneapolis Friday morning.
Officials said two adults and two children died in the fire. The age of the fifth person who died wasn’t released.
Officials have not identified any of the victims, but friends said Ryan Richner died in the fire. The owner of the building said Richner lived in one of the apartments.
Raw video above shot about 35 minutes after the fire was reported.
“My friend’s apartment is upstairs,” one woman said. “He works for us. His name is Ryan and I can’t get a hold of him.”
“We’ve had a terrible loss here, and our deep concern is that it could be worse,” Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak said. “So right now, we need help from everybody in the public to bring forth any information they have about who could have been in that building.”
The rest of the videos from this person were shot later in the morning: Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5.
The fire started around 6 a.m. on the 3000 block of Lake Street. When firefighters arrived, fire was already coming out of five windows on the second floors. Crews attempted to enter the building, but had to leave because it was too hot and too dangerous.
Crews rescued one person from the burning building. A witness saw fire crews giving that person CPR on the road. That person was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center where he or she died. Officials have not released that person’s name.
Carrie Carlson, with the Red Cross, said six apartments were affected by the fire and said 15 people were living in those six apartments. That does not take into account any guests any of the residents may have had in the building at the time of the fire.
At 1:30 p.m., fire crews were still working to put out hot spots. The roof and the first floor of the building had collapsed. Officials said it could be days before crews can get into the building to check the structure because of the extensive fire and water damage.
Initially, investigators thought the fire started in one of the corners of the building on the second floor. It could be weeks before they have a final cause of the fire.
UPDATED – In Leadville, Colorado police are responding with the fire department to provide security on all calls. But wait until you learn who they are protecting firefighters from. Trust me when I tell you to read this story: This is one of the more interesting fire service dramas I have read about in quite a while. An on-duty battalion captain in Colorado’s Leadville/Lake County Fire Rescue was handcuffed and put into a holding cell by two sheriff’s deputies during an EMS call at the jail. One of the law enforcement officers has been very public about wanting the sheriff’s department to take over the fire department’s job. The Lake County Sheriff’s Department is saying Capt. Dan Dailey obstructed government operations by insisting on tending to a patient inside the county jail. Union and town officials believe this is a power grab by the sheriff’s department which has been pushing a “public safety officer” model. The town is using its police department now to “protect” the firefighters.
Update note – If you read the story last night we have added details from a new article in today’s Denver Post that has the mayor of Leadville saying the sheriff has ordered 911 to have deputies first check out all fire calls before dispatching the fire department. There is also a concise description of the current set-up and relationship between the fire department and Lake County. Click here to read our detailed coverage of this issue.
More warm and fuzzy feelings in the relationship with law enforcement: An ambulance crew in Petersburg, Virginia thought they were being helpful when they used they put the rig between a vehicle being chased by police and a group of pedestrians. The move halted the chase and resulted in an arrest by Virginia State Police. But it also brought a charge of reckless driving against the driver of the ambulance. Check out Firegeezer for this one.
Some suburbs telling Flint they are on their own: With an arsonist(s) on the loose, 30 plus fires, 23 layoffs and two closed fire stations in Flint, Michigan, all over the past eights days, at least three Genesee County fire companies are saying no. Burton Fire Chief Doug Halstead told the Flint Journal, “I can’t solve the city’s problems. I have taxpayers in Burton who are my first priority.” Read the story.
More budget cutting. More mutual aid woes: In Massachusetts, with more cuts looming, fire chiefs are concerned about their participation in MetroFire, a mutual aid pact between 34 cities and towns. Read the story.
Funeral arrangements for Firefighter Brian Carey & update on Firefighter Karra Kopas : In Illinois,Village of Homewood Fire Department’s Karra Kopas has undergone skin grafts and is now listed in fair condition following the house fire this week that killed fellow firefighter Brian Carey. Here is the latest. Also, funeral arrangements have been announced. Click here.
Chief feels “betrayed” by firefighters accused of arson in Pennsylvania: News reports indicate two more firefighters could face charges in Schuylkill County after the initial arrest of three members of the Friedensburg Fire Company. Investigators say the motive was boredom. The chief of the department tells reporters the arrests tear his heart out. Read the story. Watch the story.
Another discipline reversal in Westbrook, Maine: The Westbrook Fire & Rescue Department has been dealing with a lot of issues surrounding sexual harassment claims. Two of the latest stories have covered related firings and demotions that didn’t stick. The story today is about a firefighter who will be returned to the rank of lieutenant with back bay following his demotion in December. A firefighter fired around the same time won an arbitration on March 15 and will now get his job back. Here’s the update.
Transporting the big boss with a severe posterior nasal hemorrhage: In Howard County, Maryland, HowardFire.net alerts us to the EMS run to take County Executive Ken Ulman to the hospital yesterday. Ulman apparently suffered a drop in blood pressure from the nose bleed.
Dave is not suggesting this – but it did give me a chuckle: Jeff Harkey at FireNews.net and Dave Williams have been telling us about the billoard on I-26 in South Carolina. It is from the Home Builders Association of South Carolina and is clearly against the idea of mandatory residential sprinklers. One email that came in to STATter911.com this morning suggested the following tactic as a rebuttal:
… the local FD needs to go out and shoot the deck gun and a couple of 2 ½-inch hand lines over the top of the billboard and make a sign of their own: “WATER DAMAGE …. Your choice…
We are not condoning vandalism or making any suggestions. But I do like the humor behind it.
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