Quint 7 went on location with flames from the first floor “b” side of a 2 1/2. Battalion 1 assumed command and reported a working fire in a large vacant 2 1/2. Command specialcalled for an extra company which was Engine 1. The Deputy Chief assumed command and ordered all firefighters out of the structure. After a short exterior attack, firefighters were allowed back inside to finish extinguishing the fire.
STATter911.com regular reader Clark de Bear alerted us to this video. It was shot yesterday afternoon at a two-alarm house fire on Furnace Road in Washington Township, Pennsylvania (Lehigh County). Shortly after the 2:00 mark it appears part of the roof gives way almost taking a firefighter with it. No further information.
In Logansport, Kentucky this morning a videographer with the local newspaper reached the scene of a house fire shortly before the first fire truck. Two people were still inside the home. According to C. Josh Givens at the Banner-Republican, the call at 424 Horseshoe Bend Road was dispatched just before 6:00 AM. One of the neighbors on the scene was a former firefighter:
“I knew right away when I saw the smoke, something was not right," said Greg Lack, who served for 22 years as a firefighter with Lewisburg and Russellville Fire Departments in Logan County. “The windows were swelled out when I approached the house, and I called out to anyone inside, but there was no answer. I really wanted to go inside, but with no equipment …"
Firefighters with MFD made entry into the house at 6:17 a.m., and the male victim was pulled from the residence at 6:29 a.m.
Eighty-year-old Homer Elder and 39-year-old Shannon Stampler were both pronounced dead by the Butler County Coroner at 7:03 AM.
To get us back in the fire news business, here's video from a vacant restaurant fire in Detroit early this morning. It once housed the well known "Rhino Club".
It has been more than 40-hours since my last post to STATter911.com. I think that's the longest I have gone without adding news to the blog since we began more than four years ago. I didn't suddenly take a vacation on a remote island without Internet. The reason, as many of you have noted, is that the whole Fire/EMS Blogs system went down yesterday morning.
I know many of you are probably saying good, it's about time someone shut down this trash heap. We got him off TV and now a year later he is gone from the Internet. Time to celebrate. I don't blame you. I feel the same way about me.
My best guess on why the blog network went down is that Fireboy, just back from his first fire, recently discovered porn and somehow brought a virus into his blog on the same network and it corrupted the whole system. But those who know more about these things than I do (virtually everyone) tell me there was a denial-of-service attack that brought down the servers. I still like my story better.
So, for better or worse, we are back (but there are still some issues causing it to go down every once in a while).
Now I have some catching up to do. Here's a list and links to some of the stories that we didn't get to while you were gone:
The discovery of a memo that seems to contradict statements by the interim fire chief and others there was no funding for water-rescue recertification for firefighters in Alameda, California. Click here to read the details.
In addition to the lawsuit claiming firefighters sodomized a teen as part of a hazing ritual at the Piermont Fire Department in Rockland County, New York, there are criminal charges against three firefighter. Read more.
A man claims that forcible sodomy is a "prerequisite" for volunteers at the Piermont Fire Department. He says that when his teen-age son volunteered, firefighters "forcibly caused [him] to engage in acts of sodomy, all against his will and consent," and that this "ritual" is "a prerequisite" for all people who want to join.
Mark Bernstein sued the Village of Piermont and three named firefighters in Federal Court, on behalf of his 17-year-old son.
Bernstein claims the village knew about the hazing ritual and "took no steps to prevent this rite of passage and as such acquiesced in its implementation."
He claims that when his son volunteered for the force, in August 2010, he was "battered, physically restrained, pushed, shoved and forced into submission," and that the sexual abuse left him "physically and psychologically ill." It caused him to seek medical and psychological treatment and has left him "permanently damaged."
The father says every prospective firefighter is subjected to this hazing and that Piermont "manifested a deliberate indifference to these violations of civil rights" and created "a receptive atmosphere for the various acts of pedophilia performed by the co-defendants."
The complaint states: "(S)ometime prior to Aug. 14, 2010, and on occasions too numerous to mention, the defendant the Village of Piermont promulgated, fostered and implemented a policy whereby new arrivals ('initiates') into the position of volunteer firefighter would be subject to a form of 'hazing' whereby fellow firefighters would restrain the initiate's movements, depriving him of his freedom of movement, expose their genitals to the said initiate, and attempt to forcibly cause the initiate to place his hand upon and/or fondle the genitals of various members of the Piermont Fire Department, and/or force the said initiate against his will by dint of duress to sodomize an existing firefighter.
"Sixth: That upon information and belief, the aforementioned exercise of what the defendant The Village of Piermont deemed to be 'hazing' was done to each and every named individual defendant herein and further deemed to be a ritual utilized as a 'rite of passage,' a prerequisite in acceptance into the Village of Piermont Fire Department".
The father and son seek damages for battery, civil rights violations and outrage. They are represented by Richard Gilbert with Levine & Gilbert of New York, N.Y.
Piermont, on the west bank of the Hudson River, is a town of about 2,600. Its median household income of $88,000 is 61 percent higher than the state average, according to city-data.com. Its fire department apparently is all-volunteer. The town budget for fire protection is extremely low; the village has no official website. It decided to create an official website 2½ years ago but the site is still under construction, according to an Internet search this morning (Thursday).
The latest from Alameda, California and the drowning on May 30th of Raymond Zack where police officers and firefighters were ordered not to go into the water.
The tapes revealed a 1 hour, 15 minute effort by dispatchers to track down a boat to help rescue Zack, only to be turned down by nearby departments, including the Coast Guard, whose boat could not enter the shallow waters. A capable boat was finally found nearly an hour after the first call for help.
Throughout the incident, which began at 11:30 a.m., police and firefighters remained on the beach until a passer-by pulled Zack's body to shore at 12:30 p.m. Zack was pronounced dead a short time later at Alameda Hospital.
Officers remained on the beach because Zack was suicidal and potentially violent, police said. But they also said the 911 tapes help show their efforts to save Zack's life.
As those 9-1-1 calls came in, at least 10 Alameda firefighters and police officers watched from the shore. The first responders never went into the water because they say they were not trained to help with water rescues.
As they stood by, newly-released dispatch logs show how other rescue workers scrambled to respond.
The Coast Guard told a dispatcher it would take 40 minutes for its boat to arrive. The Alameda County Sheriff's Department said it didn't have a boat in the water.
It was May 1 of this year at 3:00 in the morning when Orange County, Fire Rescue Engine 58 was responding to a reported car crash with entrapment. Along the way the fire engine came quite close to a Cadillac that didn't yield to the emergency vehicle. After doing so the fire engine hit the median and was damaged. Chief Carl Plaugher told WFTV-TV he had no choice but to discipline the driver and officer after being alerted to video from the rig's Drive-cam.
Lt. Thomas Veal, who was called a hero after his actions at a Christmas Day fire, has been demoted. Fire officials say Veal, now a firefighter, was reduced in rank because he failed to properly supervise the driver, was not wearing his seatbelt (reported to be a second infraction for Veal) and he flipped the bird to the driver of the car.
Engineer David Jordan was fired for putting the community and the firefighters on his rig at risk.
Speaking to WESH-TV, Felix Benitez, an IAFF Local 1365 trustee, said, "We have to be the professionals and the calm ones. We need to be cautious when getting to an emergency, so we don't create another emergency."
According to Division Chief Vince Preston, "We felt it was so egregious that ah, the driver really in an act of road rage really was unacceptable so he was dismissed and the Lieutenant was demoted".
On May 1st, a drive camera positioned on and in the Fire Engine No. 58 shows the driver of the fire truck getting close to a vehicle in front of him. Officials say the fire truck engineer who was driving made an aggressive move, pushing the car almost off the road, then taking the fire truck up a median.
Investigators said Jordan nearly hits the car several times, even though he has room to go around the car.
The car then gets into the left turn lane, which investigators said, by law it should have pulled off on the right shoulder and stopped for the emergency vehicle. Still, the right two lanes are clear for the fire truck to pass. Instead, Jordan swerves left, cutting off the car, so the lieutenant can flip off the driver, fire officials said.
Fire officials said the fire truck hit a curb after nearly hitting the car, which could have caused a crash and injured or killed the four firefighters on board and people nearby.
“It's a very strong case of we're not going to tolerate that here,” said Morrow.
Jordan had been with the fire department for 22 years and Veal had been with the department for 10. To make matters worse for Veal, officials said he wasn't wearing his seat belt and that was the second time the cameras caught him without one in a year's time.
The firefighters have until Monday to appeal the firing and demotion, officials said.
I thought I had seen enough video from last night's fire at the Alice Mills in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, but as usual Matt Gregoire changed my mind. This is a bit earlier in the operation than we showed you before (though Corey Welch had some great shots). Matt, with Providence Fire Films and SNEFireNews.com, also has radio traffic to go with the pictures.
In the clip above you see and hear when some of the early arriving companies are ordered to pull back and the emphasis shifts to exposure coverage (including hosing down the fire trucks).
I've said this before, those who are want to make nice looking fire films that your audience will enjoy watching should check out the videos from Matt and Corey.
At about 8:30 pm, Tuesday, June 7, 2011, Prince George's County Firefighters and Paramedics from the New Carrollton area were alerted to an apartment building fire in the Southern Walk apartment complex.
Three City of New Carrollton Police Officers were on assignment in the area when a citizen flagged them down and reported the fire. The three officers immediately responded a short distance to the scene and reported the fire to their dispatcher. They entered the building and started to alert residents, unaware of the fire, to get out. Unable to advance beyond the second floor landing they evacuated themselves and started to assist residents outside.
Firefighters from West Lanham Hills arrived at 5328 85th Avenue, a 3-story in the front/4-story in the rear apartment building, and reported heavy fire showing from the second level rear side. Residents on upper floors were unable to escape through the interior stairwell due to high heat and thick smoke and retreated to balconies and windows and yelled for help. An EMS Task Force and a Second Alarm were sounded bringing additional resources to the scene.
The fire extended through the upper floors and eventually into the roof before it was brought under control. It required 40 minutes to do so.
An adult female with an infant were rescued from a top floor bedroom window by a volunteer firefighter from Kentland Fire/EMS Station 833 using a ground ladder. The pair were handed over to paramedics and deemed to be not injured. Firefighters effected the rescues of six other residents from the upper floor balconies using ground ladders.
There were nearly 100 firefighters, paramedics, EMT's and support staff that responded on 40 pieces of apparatus.
Four residents were transported to area hospitals with minor illnesses or injuries. Ten additional residents were evaluated and treated on the scene but did not require hospitalization.
Sixty families from four apartment buildings, approximately 120 residents, will be displaced. Two buildings damaged by the fire, two others because utilities have been shut off. The County Citizen Services Unit and the Red Cross will be assisting those displaced.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Fire loss is still being tabulated.
Above is Corey Welch's video from the fire first reported around 7:30 PM at the giant complex that once housed the Alice Mills Rubber Manufacturing Plant. Alice Mills was once the largest rubber goods factory in the world. The plant dates back to 1899. News reports indicate two firefighters were hospitalized for dehydration.
Fire Chief Gary Lataille said 10 to 15 departments from Rhode Island and Massachusetts were called in to help battle the seven-alarm blaze. While the fiire appeared to be small at first, according to Mayor Leo T. Fontaine, the fire quickly spread to engulf the 180,000-square-foot mill structure.
Lataille said that with the river bordering one side of the complex, and a huge parking lot bordering another, he determined early that the best strategy was to contain the fire so it would not spread to houses along River Street and to let it burn completely to the ground..
"By the looks of things, the fire is cooperating," he said, as crowds watched various walls come crashing down at various intervals. There were also at least two explosions.
This is a video from September, 2010 as a Manchester, England firefighter walks away while part of a wall comes crashing down. It is now being released as part of a safety video. Here's more from Sky News:
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service boss Steve McGuirk said: "Our crew and the police are diligently attending this incident, where a derelict property is on fire.
"But who could have predicted the front of the house would collapse in this way? It is frighteningly close and this firefighter could so easily have been killed.
Batallion 1 had two, 2 story woodframe dwellings fully involved. All-hands to work on arrival, fire extended to the "B" exposure. Companies were battling water supply issues. NJSP were notified for possible fire impingement onto Interstate 676.
The story that is causing the biggest image problem for firefighters right now is, of course, the Alameda, California incident where no one would help a drowning man. As bad as that one is, it isn't completely of the firefighters' making. There is plenty of blame to go around. The firefighters were set up to fail when no one properly dealt with the training and equipment issues or let the public know the fire department was no longer in the water rescue business (not that there aren't some legitimate arguments about the decision making at the scene).
Now comes news from Northampton, Massachusetts that in some ways tops the Alameda story in that this is a case where union officials have posted a big kick me sign on the backs of its members. IAFF Local 108 has filed a grievance after Northampton Chief Brian Duggan ordered an engine company to stay in service and help salvage some belongings from the snow damaged home of an elderly man.
According to Gazettenet.com's Dan Crowley, the grievance stems from a February 24, 2011 incident where 77-year-old Dan Masloski's home was condemned and demolished by order of city officials. Crowley reports neither the union's president or lawyer could be reached for comment, but according to the complaint the fire chief's order "changed the job duties" without giving Local 108 a chance to negotiate.
The union may be technically correct with its grievance and its officials may feel there is a tactical reason to file this at a time when they are in contract negotiations. Having been a shop steward and on the executive board of a union, I understand those issues. But did anyone think how such a grievance looks?
Even if they prevail in arbitration with this complaint, firefighters aren't going to win in the eyes of the public. When you state very clearly that you don't think it's your duty to help save the belongings of a senior citizen, you play right into the hands of all of those across the country who have been going after the salaries and benefits of firefighters.
I am far from anti-union or anti-firefighter, but those who are will have a field day with this story.
The demolition project cost Northampton approximately $15,000 as Masloski did not have homeowner's insurance or the financial means to pay for the work. At the time, Building Commissioner Louis Hasbrouck said the city would try to save many of Masloski's possessions, which included old tools, a hand-carved cigar store Indian, an antique Dr. Pepper sign and an old record player. The salvaged items also included an unused Whirlpool washing machine that Masloski won in a contest years ago.
"The building commissioner asked if an engine company could assist, which I assigned," Duggan said. "They were there for the demo and could be pulled away" in an emergency.
Duggan said he viewed the task as "protecting property and salvage," something firefighters do routinely.
"The (firefighters union) sees it as a change in the fabric of what their job description and role is," he said. "The city's perspective is it's salvage of a person's property who really needed assistance. I share the view that this is a project of saving someone's property as we do with fire, flooding, etc."
By now you have likely seen the video from Friday's house fire from 16th Street and Lincoln Avenue in Milwaukee that forced a lieutenant and firefighter to bail out of the attic as conditions rapidly changed. Firefighter John Kokalj left first after suffering second-degree burns. Lt. Chris Schutte was right behind him. Schutte injured his pelvis. A third member of the crew, Jason Rodriguez, found another escape route and was unharmed.
Above is the interview with the firefighters. It includes cell phone video of the firefighters' escape taken by an off duty firefighter from another jurisdiction. There is another video of the bailout that can be found here. Below are two clips from later in the fire. Here's an excerpt from WTMJ-TV's story:
"I just dove head first as if i was jumping into the lake," said Schutte. "I didn't look to see where I was going. I didn't look to see if there was a porch. None of that mattered. The only thing that mattered was getting away from the heat."
The temperature inside reached a few hundred degrees, they couldn't see and the ceiling was falling all around them. They knew they were in danger and they needed to get out fast.
"Mayday, mayday, mayday engine 31, mayday" yelled Lt. Schutte into communication radio.
They could no longer find the stairs but they found their way to a window. Both fell about 10 feet onto a porch.
Last week I gave you my analysis, for what it's worth, of the dance New York Congressman Anthony Weiner was playing with the press over a picture on Weiner's Twitter account showing a close-up of a man's bulging underwear. It was clear to most everyone watching the coverage that, no matter what the real story was, Weiner was doing great harm to his image.
If he was, as he originally said, a victim of hacking, Weiner was prolonging this story with vague answers and arrogance, in addition to trying to put the blame on the news media.
But, like many others watching the spectacle, I suspected this was an attempt at covering up and avoiding the truth. Just another example of making a bad situation worse. Today, Rep. Anthony Weiner did what he should have done from the start and admitted his wrong doing. In a press conference this afternoon, Weiner said that he concocted the story in an effort to hide the fact that he tried to send the racy picture to a young woman in Bellingham, Washington.
He also said he had several "inappropriate conversations" that he described as "explicit in nature" with six other women over three years – including after he married his wife, Huma Abedin, an aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. He said he had not met any of the women.
"I have made terrible mistakes that have hurt the people that I cared about the most, and I am terribly sorry," said Weiner, who held back tears as he made his comments. He added: "I am deeply ashamed of my terrible judgment and my actions."
"If you're looking for some kind of deep explanation for this, I don't have one except to say that I'm very sorry," he said.
Even though the Weiner affair has nothing to do with fire or EMS, I share it because there are great lessons for anyone who is in the public eye. Many fire departments and chiefs have done exactly what Anthony Weiner has done. And I am not talking about sending racy pictures over the Internet. The tendency to run, hide and avoid telling the truth when bad news hits is universal.
Coming clean is never an easy step. Especially when it involves sex. But it is essential if you want to do the least harm to yourself or your organization. The digital age has made sure nothing is secret (or sacred) anymore. The truth will get out. And if big enough or salacious enough, it will be plastered across the Internet with lightning speed.
If Anthony Weiner had come forward as soon as this picture became an issue with the admissions he made today, there are many in the public who would have been disappointed in him. There is no doubt people would suddenly look at him in a new light as a sex fiend of some sort. And that is happening right now (and probably was during Weiner's week of denials).
But now, in addition to the sex issues, Weiner is an admitted liar who was willing to blame others for his own sin, to try and save his own skin.
Weiner's feet were being held to the fire by more revelations uncovered by the news media. Another development that was not unexpected. But still, it took great guts on the part of Anthony Weiner to stand up there today and not only tell the truth about the picture, but to reveal other details that are harmful to him and those he is close to.
And, more important, Weiner did it the right way, facing the cameras and answering the questions (getting it all out and behind you). But he also had no choice if he was going to try and salvage his career. Brad Phillips at mrmediatraining.com makes some very intersting points about today's perfomance being one of Weiner trying to save his own future in Congress versus truly doing the right thing for the right reasons (Read Weiner Press Conference: Responsiblity Without Sacrifice). I am of the belief, while not perfect, he did pretty well considering the hand he dealt himself.
It just would have been a lot easier task of reputation rebuilding if Weiner's credibility were not jeopardized in the process. Think of how those on-camera statements from last week are going to look up against what he said today. Think of how the cover-up actions of the last week will stand up in an announced ethics probe by the House of Representatives.
I wish I could tell you who originally said this, but it is a statement that is so true and applies to the Weiner debacle and many of the reputation issues fire departments deal with: Bad news doesn't get better with age.
At the very beginning of the video above, taken by a bystander, there appears to be fire showing out of only one set of windows of a five story apartment building with stores on the ground floor. It isn't very long before the building is well involved. The apartment building at Washington Avenue and St. John's Place was vacant and scheduled for renovation.
One firefighter was injured by bricks that fell during a collapse late in the operation. Video from that mishap is in the WABC-TV video below. More video and details in this story by WCBS-TV and from Bill Schumm at Firegeezer.
A massive fire consumed every inch of the building at 816 Washington Avenue. The building was vacant and under construction, closed except for a store on the first floor.
The blaze grew to four alarms and traveled from building to building down Washington Avenue.
Three buildings down, at St. John’s Place, a section of the fire ravaged wall buckles and crumbled with such force that bricks were sent flying.
Even though firefighters were standing back a full 100 feet, they weren’t back far enough – one brick struck one of New York’s Bravest, breaking the firefighter’s cheekbone.
Three alarms in Vancouver, BC: A large $6 million home burned Friday at Angus and Granville.
Joint funeral set in San Francisco: Saint Mary’s Cathedral at 1111 Gough St. in San Francisco will be the site of a joint funeral for firefighter Anthony Valerio and Lt. Vincent Perez. Firefighter Valerio died Saturday following the fire Thursday that had taken the life of Lt. Perez. Services are tenatively scheduled for 12:30 PM. Firefighter Close Calls tells us that San Francisco Fire Fighters Local 798 has established trust accounts at the San Francisco Fire Credit Union. Donations can be made to SFFCU, 3201 California St., San Francisco, CA 94118. Condolence messages can be sent to Fire Station 26, 80 Digby St., San Francisco, CA 94131. Click here, here & here for previous coverage.
Stratford, Connecticut's woes continue: Glenn Usdin's FireTruckBlog.com has an update on the fire department in Stratford trying to recover from January's wrecks on I-95 that took out two pumpers. Here's the latest.
Chiefs make more than governors: The Washington Examiner takes a look at what fire and police chiefs make in and around the Nation's Capital. Click here.
Seven years in Bret Tarver death: Christopher Benitez gets a seven-year sentence, minus 699 days already served, for negligent homicide in the 2001 Phoenix supermarket blaze where Firefighter Bret Tarver died. Here's more.
The controversy continues in Alameda, California: Alameda County disputes the Alameda Police Department's statement about a mutual aid request to assist in the water rescue that never happened. Here's that story. Some Alameda citizens have been adding their thoughts to our comments section as the discussion continues over an incident that has, as expected, become an enormous image problem for firefighters. Click here, here & here.
Remembering Mark Falkenhan & others: The Maryland Fire-Rescue Services Memorial Foundation held its annual ceremony yesterday at the Maryland Emergency Services Memorial Park in Annapolis. Mark Falkenhan's name was added to the Wall of Honor. Falkenhan, a member of both Lutherville VFC and Middle River Rescue Company in Baltimore County, died during an apartment fire in January. Anne Arundel County Fire Department Chief John Robert Ray was the keynote speaker. Jim Brown from MIEMSS took the picture to the right.
Getting paid just for showing your face: A man who didn't call the fire department in Colorado Springs, Colorado is upset over a $700 bill he received after firefighters showed up at the scene of a car crash. Their services were not needed. Firegeezer has the story.
Amazing Grace & Mickey Mouse ears: A most unusual firefighter funeral in Concord, New Hampshire as those remembering Robert Bottcher donned Mickey Mouse ears in tribute. Here's the story.
Restaurant critics?: Two suspicious fires early this morning at fast food restaurants in the Toledo, Ohio area. Here are the details.
Busy morning on Detroit's East Side: One dwelling fire at Joseph Campeau and Ferry and then two more homes burn at 3475 Garland Street.
A fire aorund 2:30 AM on Saturday at a vacant apartment buidling at Eichelberger Street and Ulena Avenue in South St. Louis. No injuries were reported. Read more.
The recent look by Glenn Usdin at a TV reporter ambushing a Long Island fire chief about commuting to Manhattan in a department SUV hit close to home for Mike Dallesandro (Michael P. Dallessandro & Associates: www.respondsmart.com). Glenn has posted a guest column by Mike looking at this very issue and some rules of engagement. Click here to read Mike's thoughts.
A second firefighter injured Thursday while battling a blaze in San Francisco's Diamond Heights neighborhood died this morning, the mayor's office said.
Anthony Valerio, 53, died this morning, two days after a fire at a four-story home at 133 Berkeley Way claimed the life of his colleague Lt. Vincent Perez, 48, Mayor Ed Lee said.
Lee said in a statement he was "deeply saddened" by the deaths and called the loss a "terrible tragedy" for the city.
"These two men have dedicated their lives to protecting the people of San Francisco for decades," Lee said.
Dozens of grim-faced firefighters from across the city flocked to the hospital to pay tribute to Valerio, whose death was yet another blow to the city, its firefighters and Engine Company 26.
The Diamond Heights station crew had already lost Lt. Vincent Perez, who died Thursday after being rushed to the hospital with Valerio and a third firefighter, Tracy Courtney. Courtney was released after being treated for minor burns and smoke inhalation.
There are new details from Thursday's fire in San Francisco that took the life of Lt. Vincent Perez and critically injured Firefighter Anthony Valerio. The two were part of the crew from Engine 26 inside a four story hillside home at 133 Berkeley Way in Diamond Heights. In the video above, union President Tom O'Connor says the two men were above the main body of fire when they were burned and mentions wind as a possible contributing factor behind the intense fire conditions.
Lt. Vincent Perez (l) and FF/PM Anthony Valerio.
According to an article by Jaxon Van Derbeken at the San Francisco Chronicle, Engine 26 arrived on the scene at 10:47 and Lt. perez soon could be heard coughing as he provided a situation report.
"We have an active fire, zero visibility, third floor," Perez said. The home's third floor is actually the ground level from the street, with two floors below it built into a hillside.
A scene commander, identified by firefighters as Battalion Chief Thomas Abbott, ordered a crew from Engine Company 24 to back up Perez's crew inside the building. For several minutes, however, scene commanders repeatedly tried to find the Engine 26 firefighters, without success.
Finally, what appeared to be the last communication from the doomed crew came over the radio. "This is 26, this is 26. … Battalion 6, what's your location?" said a muffled voice.
"Twenty-six, this is command, I need to know your …" came in reply.
"This is Engine 26, we're on the third…" At that point, the voice over the radio trailed off.
The paper reports it isn't clear exactly when the firefighters were injured. They were found alone.
The paper also confirms what an anonymous person posting a comment to STATter911.com reported, that the emergency alarm that went off around the time it was determined the firefighters were in trouble was an accidental activation from Engine 20. Engine 20 was still responding to the scene.
Sandersville's fire chief says the sanctuary of First Christian Church is a total loss after a major fire Friday.
Chief Russell Riner says the fire was reported around 11 a.m. at the church on East Church Street.
He said around 50 firefighters, from every department in Washington County and some from outside, responded to fight the blaze.
He said one firefighter was flown to Augusta for treatment of heat exhaustion and smoke inhalation. Two others were treated on the scene for dehydration
He said firefighters can't go into the church building, due to the severe damage. He said they're afraid the building could collapse.
But he said First Christian members were happy that the church stained glass was not damaged and could be salvaged.
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