Alameda's fire chief said he is bringing up funding for water rescue training at a budget meeting tonight. Michael D'Orazi, who took over as interim chief just a week ago, seems to be making the best moves possible to try and restore the reputation of his department, tattered yesterday when untrained and unequipped firefighters watched a man drown off shore. Here's what he told KGO-TV:
"I was troubled and disappointed obviously. I think it was a deeply regrettable incident that would have been unimaginable only a few years ago," said Alameda Fire Chief Michael D'Orazi.
"I know that yesterday, those crews – it was killing them to stand on those shores and not be able to do anything. But under the circumstance and because of the policy, they really didn't have a choice," said D'Orazi.
"The crews that were on the scene, we made sure that we had a chance to talk with them. But again, that is a pretty tough situation, when you are paid to do a job — you're a firefighter you want to act. You don't want to stand around and wait," said D'Oraz.
The good news is that Chief D'Orazi and his department have been straightforward about what the problems are. He says he is now working on a plan to quickly address them. It will be interesting to see the response from the political types who failed to fund the water rescue operations so this beach community has firefighters who are certified, along with the proper equipment.
This is an important lesson about cutting and just hoping for the best. It was clear the Alameda Fire Department had gone out of the water rescue business but only their firefighters knew it.
Smart fire chiefs are being up front about what reduced funding means. Those who try to say it's business as usual when they know it's not, just to please a boss, should pay close attention to this story. If you don't want your fire department to be the fall guy, standing on the beach watching a man drown, the expectations of the public and the politicians have to be lowered along with the funding.
In the public's eyes this story is simple. A man stood fully clothed in the neck deep frigid surf for more than an hour on Memorial Day off Crown Beach in Alameda, California. On shore are police and firefighters from Alameda. They did nothing but watch the man drown.
Sounds cold, but this is what the public saw and it's the truth.
Both the fire department and police department told reporters, that despite being an Island community, the firefighters and police officers aren't equipped or trained to conduct land-based water rescues. They rely on the U.S. Coast Guard. In this case the water was too shallow for the Coast Guard boat and the chopper arrived too late.
Here's what the fire department said to KGO-TV:
The Alameda Fire Department says budget constraints are preventing it from recertifying its firefighters in land-based water rescues. Without it, the city would be open to liability.
" Well, if I was off duty I would know what I would do, but I think you're asking me my on-duty response and I would have to stay within our policies and procedures because that's what's required by our department to do," Alameda Fire Div. Chief Ricci Zombeck said when asked by ABC7 if he would enter the water to save a drowning child.
First, most of us, in our hearts would say the right answer to this problem is you go in and get the guy or aynone else, including a child. It seems to be the overwhelming position of most comments I've read. If all works out well, it doesn't make the news (or you become heroes) and the chief officer gets a reprimand for violating policy.
But if things go wrong and a firefighter drowns, watch out. When it is learned the firefighter lost his life because of a lack of training and improper equipment, you have another big public relations problem on your hands and serious liability issues.
From an image standpoint, there are a lot of similarities to the Obion County, Tennessee story where the fire department arrived on the scene and refused to put out a fire in a home because the homeowner did not pay his subscription fee. Similar situations have happened for decades. So why did that one become such a big story? Because the fire department was actually on the scene and stood around doing nothing while a TV camera was rolling. The fire department also took the hit and failed to to tell the story of how it had been working with other departments to try and change the subscription system. Besides putting water on the fire they should have made their case, putting the blame where it belonged, on the political leaders. In addition, the Internet amplifies these stories in a way that didn't previously occur.
Alameda is also a case that is making its way around the world via the Internet because, once again, the firefighters were standing there doing nothing. The outrage is just beginning.
In my opinion, the solution to this problem in Alameda should have happened long ago. Without funding for training and equipment, the fire department (and police) should have made it known to the community they are not in the water rescue business. Period. And since that is not part of their duties they shouldn't have been dispatched to this call. At the most, a chief officer could have driven by and determined if this was something within the department's capabilities. If not, move on. Without proper training and gear the firefighters are no better than civilians. In fact, a civilian nurse, who is apparently a rescue swimmer retrieved the body. In this case, the public had the skills the fire department didn't.
Instead, the fire department was set up to fail by those who hold the purse strings.
What can the Alameda Fire Department do now from an image standpoint? This one will be tough to turn around, but here are my suggestions.
The division chief told the truth, which is a good start. But it should have been stronger. The fire chief should come out very clearly this is a situation we hate as much as the public and I am going to do everything in my power to change it (this should have happened immediately).
The only thing the fire department can hope for that might lessen this blow is that there is a long paper trail and concerted efforts by the chief to have firefighters trained and equipped to handle these hazards. This needs to get into the hands of reporters NOW so they can ask the questions of the people who made these decisions. If that paperwork doesn't exist, then the department and its chief are in for an even rougher ride. Good luck.
Oley Township, Pennsylvania house fire: Three-alarms were sounded yesterday afternoon on Fisher Mill Road. A man and woman were injured in the fire. Read details. Click here for a series of pictures.
Honoring a career of service to the Nation's Capital: How did a Pennsylvania boy who desperately wanted to join the FDNY get the IAFF Local 36 union hall in Northeast Washington named after him? We have the story behind the Kenneth M. Cox Building. Also, make sure your read the original reporting detailing a 1971 rescue involving Kenny and the crew from DCFD Truck 8. Click here.
Fairfax County harassment suits: This is a story we didn't get to last week and it upset some of our readers (no conspiracy, mostly because of a lack of time and forgetfulness on the editor's part). Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department has had lawsuits from two female firefighters who claimed they were sexually harassed by Lt. Timothy Young. In one case there has been a $250,000 judgment after the judge ruled Fairfax County tolerated the harassment. The Washington Post's Tom Jackman has the original story. And Curt Varone has a nice summary in his Fire Law blog. I will try to do better in the future.
A fire chief shows us how to handle the bad news: Check out my analysis of how Osceola County, Florida Chief Richard Collins dealt with the press after one of his firefighters was accused of staking out a place to burglarize while on an emergency call. Here it is.
New to FDNY: Glenn Usdin's FireTruckBlog.com is on the FDNY beat with videos of some new rigs. Click here.
Chicago mayday audio: Click here to listen to CFD dealing with a firefighter briefly trapped in a house fire.
Burning river of fuel at truck fire: Interesting video from above a truck fire in Monaco. It shows a blast rupturing the fuel tank. Watch the video.
Embarrassment power: Mike Legeros always asks some interesting questions on his Raleigh/Wake Firefighting Blog. As for answers, he usually doesn't have them. But he gets you thinking. Last week he looked at that training video where liquid fuel was apparently added to the fire and wants to know about the impact of shame and embarrassment. Click here for Mike's musings. Along the way you will see some other nice stuff.
Sex and the "horny firefighter": Bill Schumm's description after the latest chapter in a West Coast firehouse sex scandal. Of course we would never use that term here at STATter911.com. Check out Firegeezer.com.
Union president demoted from captain to firefighter: Johnson City, New York's Marty Meaney is fighting his demotion that came out of an investigation looking into tampering with breathing apparatus. Here are the details.
Quick knock in Baltimore: Arrival video by a citizen and the view from a TV chopper above show some fast work at a two-alarm fire in Mt. Vernon last week. Check it out.
Volunteer recruitment in PA: There is a lot of interest in trying to reverse the trend of a shortage of volunteer firefighters in many jurisdiction across the country. Dave Schwartz at Cheltenham Township Fire Department in Pennsylvania tells us about the department's efforts that include videos (here) and updates on the CTFD website (here) and Facebook page (here).
In Northeast Washington, the office building at 2120 Bladensburg Road owned by IAFF Local 36 officially became the Kenneth M. Cox Building yesterday. I say officially, because I have thought of it as the Kenneth M. Cox Building for quite a few decades. In my 25 years as a TV reporter it is probably the location I visited most often and the place where I found some of the richest and most interesting stories. And Kenny Cox is largely responsible for that. I would go as far to say that STATter911.com probably would not exist without Kenny. That in itself is an interesting comment considering Kenny usually can't even find the on button to his computer without help.
My friend Kenny Cox is full of such interesting contradictions. As the person who served as an elected official of IAFF Local 36 longer than anyone else (37 years) Kenny has been an extremely important player in the work of the union. But while Kenny's fingerprints were everywhere, he stayed out of the spotlight.
Kenny's ideas and words have been heard by many in speeches and during hearings in the District Building and on Capitol Hill. But those words rarely came out of Kenny's mouth.
In the 1970s Kenny Cox won an extremely important First Amendment case for the union, fighting the punishment he received for criticizing the administration over a fatal fire near the quarters of a company closed due to budget cuts. He spoke to a reporter while on-duty at the scene of the fire. Yet, despite a federal judge confirming his right to speak his mind, the name Kenny Cox was rarely in the newspaper. Kenny was the main point of contact for reporters looking to find out Local 36's view of the world, but he wouldn't let you quote him. I believe my only on-camera interview with Kenny is in the video at the top of this page and it occurred yesterday.
And this quiet and deeply religious man also has an absolutely devilish side that often comes out in his deadpan sense of humor and as an instigator of practical jokes.
While I've been intrigued about all of these interesting aspects of Kenny's personality, the characteristics that meant the most to a young TV reporter hungry for a good story were his honesty, credibility and decency.
If Kenny Cox told me something, I knew I could rely on it. The truth was the truth with Kenny, even when it wasn't the best of news for the union. He knew his credibility was the most important commodity in being an effective advocate for the firefighters of the District of Columbia.
And the many union presidents that passed through during Kenny's tenure also realized the treasure they had in Kenny Cox. As Bill Mould said yesterday during the dedication ceremony, "I often felt like the guy who sits on the ventriloquist's lap". It seemed to be a universal feeling among all of the former union heads, even though there isn't a dummy among them. Still, a cynical ex-reporter wanted to know if Cox drafted their speeches for the event, considering each of them rarely ventured out on union business without Kenny's words in their pockets.
Kenny will be the first to tell you that there are many, many others who helped guide Local 36 through the late 20th and early 21st Century. And there were. But Kenny's ability to work the halls of Congress on both sides of the aisle and at the same time deal with the politics in the District Building was somewhat unique. Especially considering that DC's mayors and council members hated when the union went to Congress to get help on District issues.
One such effort was 30-years-ago when Cox used the influence of a Virginia congressman and others to convince Mayor Marion Barry that firing the recruits of Class 275, who had all just left other jobs to be DC firefighters, was a really bad idea. Four members of that class, all now chief officers of the department, made a special presentation to Kenny.
While younger members may know some of what Kenny Cox has meant to the local, it is unlikely they know much about Kenny as a firefighter. There were quite a few long retired firefighters and officers at the ceremony yesterday who told those stories. Among those was Kenny's close friend, and former lieutenant at Truck 8, Larry Beardmore. Beardmore is from a family of legendary firefighters, including his brothers Tex and Johnny, who I knew very well from my days in Prince George's County.
About five-years-ago I ran across film of a May, 1972 event at the District Building with Mayor Walter Washington. There was no description of the event, but I immediately recognized a young Kenny Cox sitting with a group of firefighters. Another part of the film showed an interview with an officer whose face bore a strong resemblance to the Beardmores I knew. From a story I had heard from Kenny years before about Larry Beardmore grabbing three young children out of a burning apartment building, I figured this must be Truck 8 getting the "Company of the Year" award. I was correct.
While I actually first heard of that amazing rescue and Larry's Gold Medal of Valor while I was in PG in the 70s, I really never knew much about Kenny's role at that fire until I pushed for further details after finding the clip. Kenny and Firefighter Barrett Payne each received Silver Medals for their actions on January 21, 1971 at 4307 3rd Street, SE.
Engine 25 had gone to the address on a local alarm for a bush on fire just after midnight but found fire showing out of a picture window on the first floor and rapidly extending to the the second and third floors. I strongly encourage you to read the entire report (here) written by Larry Beardmore. Here is some of what Larry wrote about Kenny's actions (click the image below to increase its size):
Yesterday Larry and Kenny both described it as a "routine fire" and just laughed at a washed up TV news guy as he tried to elicit something of substance about the incident. But make sure you listen to the few usable words from Beardmore at the end of the video above. They are important.
And since we are talking about family, let's not forget Kenny's high school sweetheart Marti. They will be married 48-years next January. Or his children Ken Jr. and Michelle Lyn and grandchildren Taylor Lyn and Ethan. Michelle, who sings each year at the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Memorial Weekend, did a moving tribute to her dad during the dedication ceremony.
Despite pushing 70 and a body ravaged by serious spinal issues and Parkinson's Disease, Kenny Cox still works hard on behalf of Local 36.
Kenny didn't want the tribute yesterday and even threatened not to show up. I imagine he will be greatly embarrassed by what I have written here (not that the man who has given Dave Statter more fire department stories than anyone else is likely to read the blog). I say tough.
It is long overdue for Kenny Cox to come out of the shadows and be recognized publicly. I would make the case that not only are DC firefighters much better off for the work of Kenny Cox, but so are the citizens of and visitors to the District of Columbia. When it comes to anything fire related, Kenneth M. Cox is probably more responsible than any chief, union president, firefighter or political leader in ensuring the safety of everyone in the Nation's Capital.
Around 12:30 on Sunday morning a 2-11 Alarm and EMS Plan 1 were called for a fire in the 4200 block of West Hadden Avenue in Humboldt Park on Chicago's West Side. A mayday was called during the fire. Also, neighbors caught a teenaged girl who jumped from the one-and-a-half story single family home. A grandmother and grandson were found on the lawn in the rear of the house.
The 74-year-old grandmother suffered second degree burns to her face and her five-year-old grandson suffered from smoke inhalation, police said. The good Samaritan, Daniel Cole, said "The woman had a burnt forehead and legs and the baby had smoke coming out of his mouth."
A mayday was called when a firefighter was briefly trapped in a stairwell when it collapsed, (Fire Media Affairs spokesman Chief Joe) Roccasalva said. The firefighter suffered minor injuries but was not transported to a hospital, he said.
This was kind of an interesting view from a high-rise building in Monaco looking down on a burning truck. There are a number of small blasts as the fire consumes the truck. The one at 1:43 is followed by burning fuel that begins to travel down the street.
In the United Kingdom two new fire trucks have been sidelined for more than a year because they make so much noise the fire chiefs believe they pose health hazards. Glenn Usdin's FireTruckBlog.com has this unusual story.
Click above to watch story and interview with Chief Richard Collins.
At some point bad news will happen to almost every fire department and it will likely bring those pesky reporters to the door asking tough questions. This week it is Osceola County Fire Rescue's moment in the spotlight after Firefighter Douglas Werk was arrested and charged with breaking into the home of an elderly woman he had taken to the hospital and stealing her guns. This may be a pattern of behavior. WESH-TV reports, "Detectives said Werk may have been scouting out homes to burglarize" and that the firefighter was already on administrative duty after the Osceola County Sheriff's office investigated him for snooping around a different property in February.
The response by a fire chief faced with this situation is crucial to how quickly the issue can be put behind them and the department moves on trying to restore its reputation. Too often the chief won't talk to reporters or let anyone in his department come clean about what happened. "It's a personnel matter" or "it's under investigation" are some of the lame excuses used as cover to keep from telling the truth. Usually this makes a bad situation worse, stretching a one day story into multiple days and turning a small brush fire into a conflagration. What can be incinerated in that fire is the department's image and any good will it has built up in the community.
Osceola County Fire Rescue Chief Richard Collins apparently doesn't subscribe to the bar the doors and circle the wagons theory. While I have no idea what transpired with reporters prior to his TV interview about the arrest of Werk, the chief's on-camera performance was damn near perfect. Chief Collins not only talked about the arrest but confirmed the February investigation that prompted Werk's removal from the firehouse. Collins made it clear to WESH-TV that even the possibility of wrongdoing taints the department. Here are some quotes from the chief:
"If these allegations are proven and he is convicted, it's a disgrace to the community, it's a disgrace to our department and quite frankly it's a disgrace to our profession as firefighters."
"Our folks do a great job. The actions of this individual, if proven to be true, are not reflective of our department, our agency."
Contrast this leadership style to some of what we have shown you from elsewhere around the country. Do you recall the Long Island fire company that did everything it could to avoid talking to a reporter about a Confederate flag in the firehouse and then prolonged the story when the department eventually decided to have the flag removed? (Click here.)
How about the Obion County, Tennessee case that made news around the world after firefighters didn't put out a fire in the home of a man who wasn't on the department's subscription list? That chief actually had a good story to tell about the local fire chiefs trying to change the antiquated system. Instead of talking about that with a reporter, the department tried to have the local TV news crew removed from the scene. (Click here.)
Probably the best lessons on what not to do have come from the two previous fire commissioners in Detroit who were constantly seen running from or avoiding a reporter asking questions about difficult issues. In fact, Detroit had a case somewhat similar to Osceola's when a wallet stolen from a citizen's home ended up in a Detroit firehouse. Instead of putting that incident quickly behind them, the failure to do the right thing at almost every level of the department resulted in the very public firing of Commissioner James Mack and a deputy. (Click here.)
Look at these stories and then tell me who you think has the right idea about dealing with bad news.
This past Tuesday I gave a presentation for the IAFF-IAFC Labor Management Initiative sponsored by Virginia Professional Firefighters and we talked about these very issues. Anyone who has heard my talks knows my position: Get it out; Get it right; Get it behind you. I have a feeling the next group to hear me speak will likely see Chief Richard Collins pop up in the middle of my PowerPoint.
This is arrival video taken by a citizen at a two-alarm fire In Baltimore, Maryland yesterday afternoon. The fire was at 15 West Biddle Street in the Mount Vernon neighborhood. You will see a helicopter overhead pretty quickly. That is from WBAL-TV. Click here and here for reports that have the early chopper video included. One of two police officers who rushed into the building to make sure everyone was out suffered smoke inhalation.
You pull up to a large high-rise residence in the middle of the night to find fire on two floors. Instead of immediately going into that inferno you open a compartment on the rig and suddenly scores of little robotic helicopters fly out and into the building. If they could talk, the would yell to the firefighters, "Don't worry we've got it". If a victim is found, the robotic choppers would direct the firefighters in for the save.
Pei Zhang, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University thinks that is a possibility for the future of these hovering drones equipped with radios, gyroscopes, and compasses. Zhang believes it's a way to make firefighting safer.
From what little I know about these things, I have no doubt there are some very functional uses for technology like this that could help in some search situations. While I have lots of questions (as I am sure you do), let me start with just two. Who will be forcing the doors throughout the building so these electronic heroes can do their work? How well do you expect these gizmos to hold up or fly under the high temperatures of a fire.
That said, they look some real fun things to play with. Do you think I could do a product review?
DC Fire & EMS Department Chief Kenneth Ellerbe says he is still working with the union on a compromise solution over his previous order that "DCFD" was out and "FEMS" was in as the department's acronym. In an interview with Lou Chibbaro Jr. at WashingtonBlade.com Chief Ellerbe admits there are concerns about what FEMS means:
D.C. Fire Chief Kenneth Ellerbe acknowledged that his decision to postpone an order that firefighters place the initials “FEMS” on the shirts and jackets they wear while on duty was based, in part, on that acronym’s perception as a possible derogatory reference to gay men.
The chief told Chibbaro that they are working with IAFF Local 36 on a possible compromise logo that will reflect the important role of EMS in the department's mission.
Chibbaro also talked with openly gay firefighter Tim Bennett who says he's concerned about both losing the long tradition of "DCFD" and the negative connotation of FEMS. Bennett also related the following story to the Blade:
“I was speaking to another member,” Bennett told the Blade. “I’m not sure if he knows I’m gay or not, but he was just relating a story. He didn’t mean any offense by it, but he was saying how his grandmother heard about this and her quote was, ‘FEMS? What’s that sound like, a bunch of faggots?’”
“And I think that’s the kind of terms and judgments it will elicit,” said Bennett. “In the perfect world, that wouldn’t be the case, but unfortunately we’re not in a perfect world yet.”
It's been nearly two months since five D.C. firefighters were injured while fighting a house fire in Northeast. Thursday, the last of those firefighters was released from the hospital and his entire company came out to welcome him home.
"I already feel ten times better. The hospital staff takes care of you and they do a really good job. But, just to be out of the atmosphere of the hospital and be back outside feels great," said D.C. Firefighter Chuck Ryan.
"I can't believe how much he's come back from that night that he was burned," said D.C. Firefighter J.C. Carroll. "It's a tremendous showing of his will-power and love for the job."
Ryan, a D.C. Firefighter and the Chief of the Riverdale Volunteer Fire Department in Prince George's County, was badly burned when the roof collapsed while he was fighting a fire on April 8th, 2011. Four other firefighters were also injured, but Ryan was by far the worst. He had second and third degree burns over 30-percent of his body. Today, his arms, hands, legs, and feet are still covered in bandages. Still, Ryan says he is itching to get back to work.
"Oh I'll be back. Absolutely. 100%. There's no question. I will be back," Ryan said. "I've made it back home. Now my mission is to make it back to work."
Firefighter Spot brought this to our attention this morning.The Fire Critic and others are already quite critical of what they see here. As usual, I will let you be the judge. I have a feeling this one won't be on YouTube for long.
A man is reported to be in serious condition after being rescued from his Coney Island home yesterday morning by the crew from FDNY's Ladder 161. It is one of 20 fire companies on the chopping block. Union officials say the ladder crew arrived on the scene within six-minutes of the fire at 3194 Bayview Avenue. Eight of the fire companies on the closing list are in Brooklyn. None of the articles had an official response from the city.
The 23-year-old man was trapped in a back room of the Bayview Ave. building in Coney Island when firefighters from Ladder 161 arrived about 6:30 a.m., officials said.
Lt. Edward Gonzalez and Firefighter Sean Connolly crawled through the flames to get to the 6-foot-2, 260-pound man.
"We climbed on our hands and knees past the fire," Gonzalez said.
"We got the window out and we were able to get the victim out safely,” said firefighter Sean Connolly.
“He was very lucky, this person was very lucky, I don't know what's going to happen in the future, I just know today this person made it," said Lt. Edward Gonzalez of Ladder 161.
"This person would clearly not be alive if Mayor Bloomberg had his way," said President Steve Cassidy of the Uniformed Firefighters Association, "What happened early this morning should show the administration that these companies are vital in every neighborhood and should not be closed."
Cassidy also said that the backup company, Ladder 169 arrived 6 and a half minutes after 161 and that if the were the primary responders, today's blaze could of had a far more bad outcome
This incident occurred on May 18 in Brush Prairie, Washington. According to the description with the video, neighbors noticed a deer that wouldn't leave the area around large rocks that formed a wall at a property line. It turned out to be a mother trying to get to her child who had fallen between the rocks. The baby deer was trapped and crying. B shift of Clark County Fire District 3 came to the rescue and carefully moved part of the rock pile. All the while the mother deer circled the area. It wasn't long before she was reunited with her baby. It's worth watching.
Prospect Heights firefighter/paramedics and police responded about 2:15 p.m. Tuesday to an attached garage fire in the 400 block of North Schoenbeck. Police arrived shortly before firefighters and reported the garage fully-involved. Firefighters reported a fully-involved garage fire with extension into a two-story home on the west side of Schoenbeck. High winds from the east were fanning the fire.
A man taking pictures fell into the rain swollen Potomac River in Georgetown last night. DC Fire & EMS Department photographer Vito Maggiolo was on the scene and shot the video above as firefighters brought the man to safety. According to spokesman Pete Piringer, the man was uninjured and declined treatment.
WIS-TV is reporting that a Fairfield County, South Carolina volunteer firefighter, who is a registered sex offender, has been jailed on charges of groping a legally blind woman whose fence caught fire on Saturday. The TV station reports the sexual assault occurred when Ralph Marthers brought a fire report to the woman's home.
"I laid the report on the table," said the victim. "He proceeded to put his hand down my shirt and pinched my left breast. I slapped his hand away, then he proceeded to put his hand up my gown, from the bottom and I slapped his hand away again."
"I looked over and he had his private parts in his hand… and I told him no and I used a few choice words and told him he better get out of my house before I shoot him."
Reporter Jody Barr asked the chief of the Community Volunteer Fire Department if officials knew that Marthers was on the state's sex offender registry after a 1997 conviction of committing a lewd act on a minor. The chief didn't comment on that. Marthers, 51, has been on the department for about 25 years. He was suspended after Monday's arrest.
For the second time in 10 days a volunteer with Chancellor Volunteer Fire & Rescue in Spotsylvania County, Virginia has been charged with a sex crime. The Spotsylvania County Sheriff says, as in the first case, a fire department vehicle was used as transportation when the sexual assault occurred.
In light of the new information Chancellor administrative chief Kevin Dillard told Amy Umble at Fredericksburg.com, "We would be doing a disservice to the citizens of the county if we didn't make drastic changes." Dillard described the situation as "sickening".
According to Umble, rescue lieutenant William Byrd is in the Rappahannock Regional Jail, held without bond, on charges of having sex with a minor and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.
Byrd is accused of having sexual contact with a 17-year-old student of the schools’ firefighter and EMS classes.
The investigation was delayed while a detective waited for copies of Byrd’s emails from yahoo.com, Timm said.
On May 14, volunteer firefighter Justin Baber was accused of statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl.
Umble wrote an article on May 17 listing some of the recent problems at Chancellor. Click here to read it.
Also from Umble's interview with Dillard:
"Maybe the right thing to do is to not allow people underage in the station, in light of what's happening, until we can get a better handle on this," he said.
The department also recently announced stricter rules regarding the response vehicles. Both Baber and Byrd are accused of using one of the department's Crown Victorias in their alleged crimes.
Glenn Usdin asks some interesting questions after a New York TV reporter ambushed the chief of the Holtsville Fire Department on Long Island as he was getting into the fire SUV in Central Park. The fire district allows the chief to commute the 53 miles to Manhattan for his job as a police officer using the fire department vehicle. The TV station questions whether that's proper.
I question whether what the TV station did is proper. It's not a question of whether they should do the story. My question is why need for an ambush interview?
It's one thing to go after a public official with camera crew in tow when they refuse to talk to you. Sometimes there is no other option. It is something completely different when your first choice is to run up rolling. It's cheap and automatically makes the person being interviewed look criminal. Pure grandstanding.
There probably are legitimate questions about the fire department's vehicle policy that warrant a news story. But I say shame on Fox5 New York for showing us all the sleazy side of TV news.
There is apparently a shortage of parking spaces for taxis in Calgary, Alberta's largest city. The cab drivers complain there are too few places to wait for fares. The solution has come in the form of a fire hydrant.
The taxi drivers will be allowed to park in front of almost half the fire plugs in Downtown Calgary. Interesting concept. Maybe the cabbies can do some flow testing while they are waiting for the next fare.
Cabbies will be required to stay in or adjacent to their vehicles.
They will be allowed to park in front of 90 of the 195 hydrants in the downtown, which offers the public more locations to search for a cab.
On the other hand, cabbies will essentially protect the hydrants from illegal parking, giving better assurance the fire department will have quick access to water in the case of a nearby blaze.
It's interesting there are no quotes from fire officials in any of the articles I've read about this plan. City manager of traffic Troy McLeod says the fire department supports the idea. Here's an excerpt from CalgarySun.com (there is also an interview with McLeod at this link):
Taxis will be allowed to park as long as the drivers are inside the cab or near the vehicle. If a fire truck heads towards a hydrant, the driver can move the taxi. McLeod said in essence cab drivers will act as "stewards" of the hydrants which normally get used as parking spots by the public.
Currently, 6,500 tickets are issued annually to unoccupied vehicles parked near hydrants, he said. "So it's 22 times more likely that the fire department would run into someone blocking a hydrant than if we had the taxi driver there," he said.
If I was reporting the story I'd still want to hear directly from the fire chief on his thoughts about this unusual idea.
Firefighter drowns saving kids: From13WMAZ.com- "A Central Georgia family is mourning the loss of Macon-Bibb County firefighter Michael Dewayne Jones.The 24-year-old drowned at Lake Tobesofkee Saturday evening.He jumped into the lake to rescue his sons, 5-year-old Joshua and 7-year-old Jarell, as well as a little girl who was also playing in the water."
TOP STORY: We have posted up close storm chaser video of the tornado that hit Joplin, Missouri early yesterday evening. Also, there is chilling audio from inside a convenience store as people crowded into a freezer when the tornado hit. The number of deaths is at 89 and expected to rise today. A hospital was among the buildings hit. Fire station damage is reported. We have emergency radio traffic from the first hour and a link to the live radio traffic to listen in on the search operation today. Click here and here for our coverage.
New Detroit commissioner impressive in round 1 with LeDuff: Former LAFD Assistant Chief Donald Austin is supposed to take over the Detroit Fire Department today. Chief Austin sat down with reporter Charlie LeDuff on Friday. There are not a lot of public officials who come off as poised and confidant in front of a camera as Chief Austin did. Based on that performance, I am guessing there is a very good chance the chief doesn't need my advice on going forward with dealing with LeDuff once the questions get quite a bit tougher. But that doesn't stop me from giving it anyway. Check it out.
Waiting for the real story from North Randall, Ohio: Something doesn't seem quite right when the reason for closing the local fire department starting yesterday is maintenance of fire & EMS equipment. A lot more questions than answers. Click here.
New truck goes in service early: FireTruckBlog.com with the story from Pittsburg, Kansas, where a major fire downtown has the fire department's brand new tower going in service a little early. Click here for the story and lots of video from the fire.
Early video & green line in action from Los Angeles: LAFD takes over from a neighbor during an overnight fire in multiple garages. Watch the video.
Multiple homes burning: Exposure problems in Vancouver, BC at a home already familiar to firefighters. Check out the video.
House fire in Wheeling, Illinois: Larry Shapiro video and pictures. Click here.
Push is on to get federal benefits for fire police: Currently fire police are not covered under the Public Safety Officers Benefit program. There is a bill in the House to correct that. Click here to learn more.
Citizen helps avert tragedy at the pump: Firegeezer has the story from Overland Park, Kansas of a very close call for a woman pumping gas and a man who forgets what gear he is in. Here's the story.
Firefighter waits for rapture: New York Magazine spent Saturday with a firefighter from Long Island who waited for the end that never came. Read more.
Magnesium shower for PGFD firefighters: A vehicle fire from May 16 in the Laurel, Maryland area on Mt. Pleasant Drive. The sparks fly at around 2:40 on the video.
Additional videos from Joplin will be added to video player in the right hand column
Note: As of 8:27 AM CDT the Joplin area is again under a severe thunderstorm warning with a reports of hail
Above is video from storm chasers Jeff and Kathryn Piotrowski of the tornado that leveled a large portion of Joplin, Missouri early yesterday evening (another view of the tornado is below). As of 6:00 AM CDT there are a report of 89 deaths and widespread damage. A large hospital was hit by the tornado. News reports indicate the roofs of two Joplin firehouses were blown off.
The clip above has little in the way of video, but the audio is chilling. Here's the description from Isaac Duncan:
The video i took while at Fastrip on east 20th street. We huddled in the back of the store until the glass got sucked out , then ran into the walk in storage fridge. Sorry for the lack of visuals but the audio is pretty telling of how intense the storm was. The tornado hits at around 1:20 seconds.
Duncan said the glass in the front of the store looked as though it shattered and was sucked out into the streets. So he and the others huddled inside of a large refrigerator, a cooler, in the store for shelter.
"During the whole thing it was a surreal moment," Duncan said. "A lot of people there were freaking out."
The tornado ripped through the store – and even part of the refrigerator.
"Basically the only thing left standing was the cooler that we were in," Duncan said. "Everything around it was gone. (The tornado) actually tore a few holes in the refrigerator. That's what we crawled out of."
Storm chasers in Joplin, Missouri were the first to tell STATter911.com a tornado this evening hit a hospital caused numerous injuries. The live radio link above is quite active on a signigifcant and widespread MCI. Below is the initial radio traffic from Jasper County.
Ryan Nicholls from the Springfield-Greene County Office of Emergency Management has said at least 24 people are dead after a tornado tore through Joplin, MO around 6p.m. Saturday.
National Weather Service Meteorologist Mike Griffin has said that Joplin was directly hit by a tornado that touched down in the center of the town.
Jonathan Miller, Springfield News-Leader. Click the image for the paper's coverage.
Authorities say a tornado has hit a Joplin hospital and caused the roofs of two city fire stations to collapse.
Jasper County Emergency Management Director Keith Stammer says a tornado hit the St. John's Regional Medical Center on the city's south side. He said there are multiple reports of injuries from the twister that struck around 6 p.m. Sunday.
The St. John's Regional Medical Center sustained major damage.There were reports of fires throughout the building and fears of an explosion occuring due to broken gas lines.
Starting at 20th and Rangeline a tornado destroyed countless buildings throughout the area.
At the 15th and Rangeline Walmart ambulances lined the street as emergency rescue officials across the Four-States have responded to rescue hundreds of residents trapped inside the building.
St. John's hospital was also hit hard by the tornado. One resident living nearly 45-miles away from the hospital says his yard is now full of debris from the hospital– medical supplies and x-rays.
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