Glenn Usdin's FireTruckBlog.com looks at some rigs destroyed by fire including the one above at a bruh fire in Kent, Connecticut yesterday and a possible arson at a firehous in Tennessee. Click here.
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Raw video: Two-alarm commercial fire in Richmond, British Columbia. Interior attack abandoned.
2 commentsNicely shot, good quality video from a fire on Saturday in Richmond, B.C. The fire damaged or destroyed three businesses among a dozen in a commercial strip at Voyageur Way and Simpson Road. The video shows interior operations that were later abandoned. The fire was reported around 6:00 AM. Here is part of the description with the video.
Blocked doors and unnapropriate stowage slowed down the fire crew's offensive attack. Flames spread inside the structure and through the roof within 30 minutes.
Is Maine's Sun-Journal trying just a little too hard to get on Jay Leno's stupid headlines section?
Bill Rohrer of Newsworking.org was at this three-alarm fire in Slatington, Pennylvania in Lehigh County yesterday afternoon. The fire was reported just after noon at 562 West Franklin Street. Here's some of what Bill wrote:
Ladder 24 arrives on scene first and has heavy smoke and fire from a 2.5 story duplex. Both homes (560 – 562) have heavy fire at the front of the building.
Engine 29 (Walnutport) arrives second behind the ladder and Deputy 29 (Wentz) has 30 feet flames. His crew comes right in and backs-up Ladder 24 which is a quint and they lead off with the heaviest hand lines.
The second alarm was transmitted upon arrival. Engine 16 (Neffs) brings a second supply line in from Washington St.
As the fire threatens the duplex on the Delta side, a third alarm is transmitted at 12:30. The fire extended into that duplex via the attic. Crews from Lehigh Twp. 47 went to the roof and vented 454 and 456 while 3 handlines were stretched into 456 and one line into 454. The crews here contained the fire to the attics of both homes.
News reports indicate a postal worker brought an elderly woman to safety before firefighters arrived. Here's more.
Velarde, New Mexico chief arrested for disorderly conduct while in command. Sheriff’s deputies claim fire wasn’t out of control but chief was.
5 commentsA fire chief from New Mexico was arrested at the scene of a fire he was commanding on Tuesday and charged with disorderly conduct. The Sante Fe New Mexican reports that 53-year-old Eddie Velarde of the Velarde VFD in Rio Arriba County called in multiple police and fire agencies to a several acre brush fire and erroneously claimed people were trapped in buildings. Here's more from the paper's Geoff Grammer:
"He was calling for a mass evacuation (of surrounding residents) with all these agencies responding under the false belief that this was a much larger emergency," (Sheriff's Department spokesman Jake) Arnold said. "Numerous times at the scene, he was yelling about people being trapped when the fire was nowhere near any structure."
Lt. Adam Archuleta, according to Arnold, eventually stepped in and told Velarde he was taking over the situation, and the small grass fire was put out within 10 minutes. The arrest, sheriff's officials say, was the only way to stop Velarde from continuing to cause so much disorder at the scene of a minor fire.
The fire covered an estimated 2 to 3 acres, destroyed two abandoned structures and damaged the exterior of a third structure. No injuries were reported, and the cause of the blaze is unknown.
Sometime in the late 1970s Winfield Kelly decided it was an insult to refer to Prince George's County as "PG County" or just "PG." County Executive Kelly was the first of many to try and get us to stop saying "PG". To this day I can't understand why the shorthand is a slight to the people who live in the county.
Being a somewhat rebellious county employee I always made sure I used "PG Fire" and not "Prince George's" when talking on the mutual aid channel as a dispatcher.
I couldn't get away with it in my TV job starting sometime in the late 90s, almost 20 years after Winfield Kelly left office. Someone convinced management that it was politically incorrect to call it "PG". If that is so, why does the fire department to this day use the logo "PGFD"?
Is it also an affront to the residents of the District of Columbia to hear the Nation's Capital referred to by people all across the country as "DC"?
Which is a roundabout way to bring you the story by my friend Melanie Alnwick at WTTG-TV (having watched the station since the days of Captain Tugg I can't bring myself to say or write the more recent "Fox 5"). The story is about an identity crisis for the District of Columbia Fire & EMS Department.
I think it was sometime in the late 1990s (could have been later) that those on the EMS side of the house convinced me I was not being very accurate in my reporting when I talked about the "DC Fire Department" or the "DC Fire Chief". The issue wasn't "DC". The agency's name had been changed to include "EMS" and I wasn't keeping up with the times in my reports. I tried to ignore the complaint because it was easier to say "DC Fire". I was also somewhat of a traditionalist. And I could argue "DC Fire" was the term most people, including the citizens, used and understood. But in the end, I realized they were right and I was wrong. It was the correct name and it described accurately the role of the agency.
Melanie's story is about the a more recent name change. At some point after the move to the "District of Columbia Fire & EMS Department" the bureaucrats in the District government started referring to the agency by the acronym FEMS. It made it easier for the government's internal communications and has been slowly creeping into its external communications like the city website.
I never once said "FEMS" on the air or wrote it in my copy for the Internet, even though people like City Council member Phil Mendelson use it all of the time in public hearings. The reason I never used it is because those watching the TV report would be scratching their heads asking what the hell I was talking about. I'd be willing to bet good money that if you stopped 100 people randomly on the streets of DC almost no one could tell you what FEMS is.
That hasn't stopped the new administration in the city from starting to push the name FEMS. That's what Melanie's story is about.
Good luck to them. I think the city will need a giant advertising budget if they want the public to understand FEMS and start identifying fire and EMS services by that name. It might be real confusing for tourists. But that is just my opinion after covering the department and the city for more than three decades. For all I know the administration of Mayor Vincent Gray has done focus groups that indicate FEMS is the answer and is a short way to communicate the mission of the agency. (After this column was posted, the unsolicited reaction I've received from those not associated with fire and EMS has been consistant. All believe it may a better name for a product associated with women than a way to identify first responders. It would be interesting to learn whether an unbiased focus group produces similar results.)
Still, I can't imagine when we will hear the first citizen say, "Call FEMS I'm having a heart attack" or "Call FEMS the house is on fire". The public understands "fire", "ambulance", "911" and possibly "EMS". FEMS will probably take a lot of training. Just remember, 35-years later and many of us are still calling it "PG".
Firefighter Spot found this video of a house fire a week ago in Wicomico County, Maryland near Parsonsburg. WBOC-TV reports the fire was started by a child playing with matches. The video is by Billy Adkins of Fire in the Hole Photography. You can find still pictures here.
UPDATE: Ad agency pulls controversial 9-11 poster involving FDNY firefighter/model who wasn’t there. Another lesson in public relations.
3 commentsIn the video above two lawyers debate the merits of a potential lawsuit by Firefighter Keiley.
Previous coverage of this story from STATter911.com
"We issue a sincere and deep apology to Firefighter [Robert] Keiley and this ad will not run again." The New York Post reports those are the words of John Barker, president of the Barker/DZP ad agency. It is a reversal for the agency that originally stood on the ground that a standard modeling waiver signed by Keiley allowed the agency to use his image as it saw fit. (Keep reading for my views on how a firm in the business of influencing the public could be so tone deaf in figuring out how to handle something like this.)
Here are more in excerpts from the latest New York Post article by Jamie Schram:
The Post reported today that Keiley — who joined New York's Bravest only in 2004 — was working as a model when he posed for what he thought would be used for a run-of-the-mill fire-prevention ad.
He appeared in generic firefighter gear and gripped a helmet for the shot — not the photo of the destroyed Twin Towers that was "put" into his hands with Photoshop software for the Worby Groner Edelman & Napoli Bern ad.
"It's an insult to the Fire Department. It's an insult to all the families who lost people that day," said Keiley, 34, an ex-cop who now works out of an engine company in Flatbush, Brooklyn.
Keily had threatened to sue.
I find it fascinating that even people in the image business couldn't effectively deal with this bad news right from the start. While it is possible they may have been legally and technically correct, they weren't going to win the hearts and minds of the public with the agency's initial statement about Firefighter Keiley signing the release. With the emotions that surround 9-11 I doubt that this ad was wise even if it wasn't a real firefighter as the model.
This is a reason why it is good for the deciders (thank you George W. Bush), including fire chiefs, to have people who will provide an honest view of how actions and decisions look to those on the outside. While I saw it as inevitable this ad would be pulled as soon as I read the first paragraph, people who had a stake in producing it might have been too invested in their work to see how this was playing.
Interestingly, the ad agency has figured out the ad must go, but Worby Groner Edelman & Napoli Bern are still in the defend at all cost mode. From the New York Post:
But law firm senior partner Marc Bern insisted it did nothing wrong.
"It was all appropriate, due to the release signed by [Keiley]," he said. "We are trying to help the victims of 9/11."
Below is the complete statement released yesterday from the ad agency, Barker/DZP.
Our agency sincerely apologies for any pain caused by this ad, featured in today’s New York Post.
When creating the ad, we purchased stock photography of an actor dressed as a firefighter, and we obtained all required model releases and real property owner releases, specifically including use for any purpose (such as advertising) as well all rights regarding the manipulation and/or alteration of the image. This is standard procedure for advertising agencies. At no time did we have any idea—or could we have had any knowledge–that the person in the photo, Robert Keiley, was an actual firefighter, much less a New York City firefighter. This unfortunate coincidence makes the ad into something we never intended it to be.
The intent of the ad is very positive: making the heroes of 9/11 aware that funds are now available to help them through the Zadroga Act. It was never our intention to offend anyone with this effort, quite the opposite in fact.
We hold all firefighters in the highest regard, and believe all New York City firefighters are heroes. While our mistake was entirely inadvertent, we understand why the ad has caused hurt, we regret its use, and we accept responsibility. Our client was uninvolved in the selection of this photo and had no knowledge of any of these details. Out of respect for all parties involved, Barker/DZP has voluntarily withdrawn from this assignment.
We sincerely apologize to Firefighter Keiley, as well as the New York City Fire Department, and the brave firefighters who fearlessly served their city and gave their lives on 9/11.
John Barker
President
Barker/DZP
New York, NY
March 28, 2011
Video: Friday’s NFFF/FDIC 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
4 commentsClick here to learn how to host a 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb in your community
Sign up for the April 6 climb at CFSI in Washington, DC
I offer this as an antidote to that sleazy 9-11 ad story I sent your way this morning. Above is a look at Friday's 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb inside Lucas Oil Stadium.
As part of my work with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, I have been pushing the climbs as a way to honor the firefighters we lost 10-years-ago. To be honest, while I had heard a lot from firefighters who have hosted and organized climbs, I had never seen one until Friday at FDIC. The video doesn't quite do justice to this wonderful way to join together to remember the fallen and raise money to help their survivors and others. There is another climb next week (April 6) at CFSI in Washington, DC.
Rather than me trying to explain what a great experience and event a 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb is, read what was posted yesterday on the Average Jake Firefighter Blog run by Robert and Daniel Owens:
Of all of the times I have been to FDIC and all of the classes, and events I have been to I rarely have any regrets when I leave. This year I left with a HUGE regret. The 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb, was probably one of the best displays of brotherhood, I have ever witnessed. I regret not participating, I watched and was moved by the imagery of the brothers and sisters with pictures of the 343 making the long walk up the Lucas Oil Stadium steps, and I immediately regretted not doing it. I kind of felt like a scum bag. I use FDIC for a lot of things, learning, teaching, and relaxing. I felt selfish for not giving up one night of drinking, or a day of taking it easy to memorialize our fallen brothers. I hear there is one coming to DC, and I hear they may be one coming to other locations close to me. I will definitely be participating in one of them, and I hope FDIC does one again next year so that I can participate.
A must read story: FDNY firefighter/model who wasn’t there blows whistle on law firm’s WTC ad.
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Firefighter Robert Keiley is livid. Keiley, who moonlights as a model, was shocked last week to find his image on a flier at a fundraising event for the World Police Fire Games. The ad shows the soot-stained Keily holding a picture of the World Trade Center remains. In bold letters at the top it says "I was there". It is followed by the words "And now, Worby Groner Edelman & Napoli Bern is there for me."
According to an "exclusive" story by the New York Post's Reuven Fenton and Jennifer Fermino, Worby Groner Edelman & Napoli Bern is a "controversial law firm specializing in 9/11 lawsuits". Robert Keiley is an FDNY firefighter. But he wasn't at the World Trade Center on 9-11 or in the days after the attack. Keiley didn't join FDNY until 2004.
Keiley told the Post he thought he was posing for a fire prevention ad. He says the original photo, before it was altered, showed him holding a helmet and not the picture.
Keiley is thinking of filing a law suit but the ad agency, Barker/DZP, told the Post he signed his rights away in a release. The law firm told reporters to call the ad agency for comment.
Here's more from the Post:
"It's an insult to the Fire Department. It's an insult to all the families who lost people that day," said Keiley, 34, an ex-cop who now works out of an engine company in Flatbush, Brooklyn.
"It makes me look like I'm cashing in on 9/11, saying I was there even though I was never there, and that I'm sick and possibly suing, trying to get a chunk of money."
WTC-disaster law firm Worby Groner raised eyebrows in May when news surfaced that its lawyers were ready to take home a third or more of a settlement negotiated on behalf of sickened Ground Zero workers.
An angry federal judge said the arrangement gave too much money to the legal team and too little to sick workers — and the firm reduced its fees.
Keiley said that in one of his most painful moments since the ad surfaced, he had to call his best friend, whose brother died in 9/11, to tell him he had nothing to do with it.
At the bottom, in tiny letters, the ad stated, "This is an actor portrayal of a potential Zadroga claimant," referring to sick 9/11 workers who could receive aid under the federal James Zadroga Act.
Read entire New York Post article
(Special thanks to loyal STATter911.com reader & friend Dave Levy for sending this our way.)
Early video of explosion & fire at apartment complex in Canada: At least seven people were injured and seven missing after a Sunday morning explosion at an apartment complex in the Ontario community of Woodstock. In the video above it appears police use a ladder to make the initial search of a top floor unit in the side D exposure. Click here for raw video of an afternoon briefing by Woodstock Police. Click here for news coverage and more video of the incident.
Fireground audio & video of mayday with firefighters trapped: Apparently there were only minor injuries after a collapse trapped four firefighters at a fire in a bar and upstairs apartments on Sunday morning in Leslie, Michigan. Click here for our coverage.
FDIC roundup: Click here for a variety of scenes from Indianapolis. They include the piper's version of the mile-high club (trust me, it's clean), some mustache envy and Dave with a CHiP on his shoulder (or at least in the seat next to him). I should have a couple of more videos from NFFF events (9-11 Memorial Stair Climb and Stop, Drop, Rock 'n' Roll) that I will be posted today and tomorrow.
1923 rig: Click here to check out Glenn Usdin's Antique of the Week at his FireTruckBlog.com site.
Putting the wet high voltage stuff on the red stuff: Scientists think using water may be old school when it comes to fighting fires. The generator on the rig may be more important than the pump. You may find this shocking but they are looking at the use of flame snuffing bolts of electricity as an extinguishing agent. Here's the story.
Union won't pull controversial ad: Despite a Republican state senator calling it “tasteless” and “appalling”, the IAFF in Oklahoma won't stop showing an ad that asks citizens to oppose a bill that would change how contract disputes are handled for firefighters and police. The controversy is over using an image of the bombed Murrah Federal building. Read more.
The Russians Are Coming, the Russians are Coming: Something about Firegeezer's story of a fire in a former Russian submarine in Providence, Rhode Island makes me think of the 1966 movie starring Carl Reiner and Alan Arkin. Click here for Bill's version.
Consultant's report due on problems at Haverhill Fire Department: Accusations of sick leave abuse and the Massachusetts EMS training scandal are some of the issues the Haverhill Fire Department has been facing. An outside analysis of the department was ordered by the city. A draft report should be ready by the end of the week. Here's more.
Two-alarm house fire at home of cop just five-days from retirement: Paul Bassett on the scene of Friday's fire at 205 Adriana Street in Saddle Brook, New Jersey. The fire was at the home of a Garfield, New Jersey police officer. Craig Roselli is scheduled to retire from the force this week. Read more about the fire.
FDIC roundup: Bagpipes at 25,000 feet; Buy a Nano & help the NFFF; Dave gets frisked by a VA deputy sheriff; A well deserved award & more.
8 commentsI guess if you were complaining about that crying baby in seat 15A this isn't going to put you in a better mood. But if, instead, you want to bask in the afterglow of a successful and enjoyable stay in Indy the video above will fit right in. The firefighters and others aboard this Southwest Airlines flight received a special treat. That's John Flynn, a member of the Palm Beach County Firefighter Pipes & Drums Corps. The video is from the FirefighterNation.com and Go Forward Media team.
My flight back on Saturday was a bit quieter, but carried quite a few returning from FDIC. I am just catching up and checking the web for some things at FDIC that I missed while shooting and editing videos for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.
While I knew about it, I didn't get to see my friend Brian Kazmierzak receive the Fire Engineering/ISFSI George D. Post Instructor of the Year Award (above). Brian is the division chief for training and safety with Indiana's Clay Fire Territory. I have come to know Brian quite well in his role as director of operations at The Secret List and Firefighter Close calls. Taking a cue from Bobby Halton, I would describe him as the brains behind the moustache (sorry Billy, but it was too good to pass up). Congratulations Brian!
Speaking of Goldfeder, after Billy's run-in at NFFF's Stop, Drop, Rock 'n' Roll with Roanoke's Captain Willie Wines Jr., a walrus at the Indianapolis Zoo committed suicide because he didn't think he could compete with these two. We should have some video up of Stop, Drop, Rock 'n' Roll in the next couple of days. Auctioneer and NFFF board member Goldfeder brought in more than $30,000 with the live auction.
NFFF also walked away from FDIC with a $10,000 check from Streamlight. In the video above you can see how to support NFFF by buying Streamlight's special little Red Nano Light with the NFFF logo. It's on sale at The Fire Store from the Witmer Public Safety Group.
One of the highlights of FDIC for me was watching the 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb on Friday (video to follow, soon). I had been involved in a very small way with my work for NFFF in helping with the publicity for this event. So, I was very aware of what this was all about and how it would work. But being there and watching it up close is a very different thing. You should think about sponsoring one in your community to honor the upcoming tenth anniversary of the loss of 343 firefighters. Click here for details. Also, there is another 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb on April 6 at CFSI in Washington. Sign up here.
I needed an assistant in shooting the stair climb event. The picture above is by THE Fire Critic, Rhett Fleitz.
Lt. Fleitz was detailed to my command by his supervisor and father, Captain Wines. As you can imagine neither of us was very happy with this arrangement. We somehow got through it. The picture above, taken by Bill Carey, was shot during the event. There is something very odd about the photo, considering we were both standing. Can't put my finger on it. Is it possible Rhett has been heightening?
And then there is this picture (above). Somehow I was seated at a table with this guy for dinner Friday night. I was just there to have a meal with my friends Billy Hayes, Mike Brooks and some folks from Columbia Southern University. Erik says he's a deputy sheriff in Bedford County, Virginia. I am assuming he wanted the photo because he's a big STATter911.com fan (who isn't? …I mean, besides Fleitz). It was strange, after dinner people from other tables kept coming up wanting their pictures taken with Erik. Must be a very popular sheriff's department.
We have seen this before in Europe where firefighters go a bit further in their protests against the government.. In fact, in Brussels the firefighters used the foam tactic in January of last year. The firefighters are demanding staffing, training and better working conditions.Imagine what these firefighters would do if they went after their pensions and pay.
In Galveston County, Texas last night, a Dickinson fire truck on the way to a wires arcing call slid off a crumbling, freshly paved road into a ditch and turned onto its side. The chief of the department called it a "slow roll". One firefighter was hurt.
There is much more apparatus news for you at Glenn Usdin's FireTruckBlog.com. The featured article today is video of Pierce's new Dash CF unveiled yesterday at FDIC in Indianapolis. Click here for that story, some used rigs for sale and the rest of what's happening in the world of apparatus.
From the Charlotte Fire Department's YouTube Channel:
A first alarm assignment arrived at 401 East 15th Street shortly after 1600 on March 16th, 2011 to find heavy smoke and fire issuing from this self ventilated single family dwelling. Ladder 1 commenced an aggressive interior attack from the rear of the structure, and in conjunction with the balance of the assignment, brought the fire under control in approximately 20 minutes. The Fire Investigation Task Force self dispatched and determined the fire to be incendiary in origin. There were no injuries reported.
The Charlotte Fire Department is one of a number of departments that uses the Internet and social media to tell its own story and is part of the presentation I will be giving at FDIC today at 1:30 PM in room 125-126. Other topics include communicating with the public when there is a major emergency in your community and when there is bad news that impacts your department's reputation. I hope to see you there.
A house fire on Friday night on Main Street in Colchester, Vermont. The video is from the Colchester Center VFC. Here's the description with the video:
A passing firefighter from a nearby department saw this house on fire and called it in. Thanks to a quick response and aggressive fire attack, the fire was quickly knocked down. House was a two-story balloon construction home. No one was home at the time of the fire, and there were no injuries.
Tokyo Fire Department video: Firefighters in action at reactor No. 3 at Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant.
2 commentsExcerpt of description from NDTV:
The Japanese fire department released a video on Wednesday showing firefighters in protective suits spraying water into the troubled No. 3 reactor at the stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant.
The video which was filmed last Friday shows members of the elite "Hyper Rescue" team of the Tokyo fire Department, during the first water injection mission.
FDIC Day 1: Welcoming committee greets world famous blogger. Groupies show up at hotel. More on Friday’s 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb.
11 comments
For the fictional account of these events read IronFiremen.com's hallucinations
I thought it was the welcoming committee. Firefighters coming to see the world famous fire blogger on his arrival in Indianapolis. Once I got my huge ego in check I realized it was just a stuck elevator in the hotel where I am staying. Ladder 13 and Squad 13 handled it quickly.
Not much of a story, except for the people stuck on the elevator. I am told one is a Vancouver, Washington firefighter who had already had a rough start to his FDIC trip, with airline issues including lost luggage. Not his day.
Apparently not mine either. Toward the end of the video above you will see a shot of those same two guys who seem to stalk me where ever I go these days.They just showed up in the lobby. Weird. If these are the groupies you get from a fire blog, I want out. I've alerted the authorities.
The event, supported by FDIC/Fire Engineering and the Pennwell Corporation, will pay tribute to the 343 firefighters who died on September 11, 2001.
Much more important than all of this is clarification on the time for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb during FDIC. It will be this Friday at the Lucas Oil Stadium at 1:00 PM.
Every climber will asked to climb the equivalent of 110 stories at the stadium. The climb is limited to 343 peoplle. You can register here. Or stop by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation booth #9900 in Lucas Oil Stadium starting Thursday and booth #342 in the Convention Center.
Priorities: Holley, New York volunteer accused of leaving his own toddlers home alone to answer ambulance call.
7 comments
WHEC-TV coverage
Holley Volunteer Ambulance, Inc.
Richard Fiorito, a driver for Holley Volunteer Ambulance, has been charged with endangering his own children, a four-year-old girl and a two-year-old boy. According to WHEC-TV, Fiorito left them home alone while he answered an emergency call Friday night. The TV station says Chief William Murphy of the Holley Police Department and Fiorito both confirm that it was Fiorito's ex, the mother of the children who turned him in. Here's more:
Fiorito says she heard his voice on the radio Friday night (she's with the Holley Fire Department) and got suspicious. Fiorito says she called his mother to see if she was looking after the children (which she wasn't). Then he says she came by his apartment and found no one there. That's when she called 911.
Chief Murphy says Fiorito is sorry for what he's accused of doing (and what he admitted to doing). "He stated that it's the stupidest thing he's ever done and he feels terrible about the whole matter," the chief said.
WHEC-TV also has Fiorito's statement to police, obtained from charging documents:
On Friday March 18 at or about 9:51 p.m. Holley ambulance received a call. At or about 10:05 p.m. I left and went to the ambulance base. My children were in bed sleeping. When I was at the hospital I received a call from (police) asking me who was with my kids. I told him (my friend) was. He asked me why she wouldn't come to the door and I told him she was probably asleep. He told me he would be waiting for me to come home. When I got back to the station I asked (my friend) to go to my house and go in through the back door so she could be seen in the house when I entered with police. I arrived home and let the police in. I know I was wrong and I screwed up. I should not have left my children home alone. I am sorry.
Charlie LeDuff finally catches up with Detroit’s Fire Commissioner. Fred Wheeler gives the reporter the silent treatment.
9 commentsPrevious Detroit coverage
Detroit & how to deal with the Charlie LeDuff's of the world will be part of the discussion in Room 125-126 on Thursday at 1:30 PM at FDIC.
I ask this week as I asked last week, when will they learn? Charlie LeDuff isn't going away. And either are the Detroit Fire Department's image problems if this is how they deal with the bad news.
It doesn't matter that you don't like Charlie LeDuff or any other reporter. A public official refusing to talk to reporters who have questions about legitimate stories is only asking to be ambushed. That's exactly what happened to Commissioner Fred Wheeler.
A public official who then gives that reporter the silent treatment while the reporter and a photographer are chasing after him down the street isn't going to look very good on television. That is also what happened to Commissioner Wheeler.
LeDuff wants answers about another broken down ambulance on an emergency call and information on whether Commissioner Wheeler is meeting the city's residency requirements for appointed officials.
If Commissioner Wheeler and anyone else guiding how the city responds to bad news hasn't figured it out yet, Charlie LeDuff probably isn't going away. The same old tactics for dealing with LeDuff aren't working. What was Einstein's quote about insanity?
Part of turning Detroit's major problems around is winning over the hearts and minds of the public and letting them know it is no longer business as usual. Stories like this don't give you much confidence that anything is really different.
If they can't get rid of LeDuff, someone better figure out how to deal with him. Here's a suggested start: answer the man's questions honestly and openly.
Regime change at Burtonsville VFD. Leadership resigns & takes demotions in battle with Montgomery County, Maryland.
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Read March 18th statement by Burtonsville VFD
STATter911.com previous coverage
Mike Ward at Firegeezer.com provides insight from thewatchdesk.com
A spokeswoman for the Burtonsville Volunteer Fire Department has told Gazette.net, "As of 0700 hours Sunday morning, we suffered the most devastating loss of leadership in the history of the department. Both our chief and our president have resigned, [and] the majority of our operating officers have resigned their positions as well."
This is the latest development in the battle between the leadership at Burtonsville and Montgomery County Chief Richard Bowers.
Here's more from the article by Jeremy Arias:
Burtonsville Volunteer Fire Chief Robert E. Ryan and four other senior volunteer officials resigned from their posts as Burtonsville volunteers Saturday while also requesting demotions from the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service that oversees both career and volunteer firefighters countywide.
The move came in response to county fire and rescue service Chief Richard R. Bowers' Feb. 24 decision to transfer command of the Burtonsville station to career firefighters following complaints that the station's volunteers were mistreating their career counterparts, even urinating on the door handles of career firefighters' vehicles, said county fire and rescue spokesman Assistant Chief Scott Graham. Volunteer officials contested the complaints, saying those that were found to be substantive had been investigated and dealt with while also arguing that Bowers' action was illegal, said Burtonsville Volunteer Firefighter Department spokeswoman Tami Bulla.
Since Saturday, a steady number of volunteers have shown up to help the department staff its emergency response vehicles, according to both Graham and Bulla.
At least two command-level volunteers, a captain and a lieutenant, remain active with the Burtonsville Volunteer Fire Department, Bulla said, but the long-term future of volunteers at the station is uncertain.
Thursday is the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire near New York’s Washington Square Park that killed 146 people. Yesterday CBS Sunday morning took a look at this American tragedy.
Glenn Usdin’s FireTruckBlog.com has the story of Phillip the Fire Truck who had his debut on the parade circuit last week thanks to some students at a Cleveland technical school. Also Glenn has fire trucks for sale. Below is one of the rigs. Click here for more videos.
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