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Raw video of explosion here & here
Above is a follow-up story by WNBC-TV which answers the questions many of our readers have been asking about the possible backdraft on Sunday that injured five firefighters in Harrison, New Jersey. There has been lots of discussion over a woman seen in the videos handling a hose and a man on a ladder, both without PPE. This story verifies the answers provided by other readers that these were volunteer firefighters who responded directly to the scene. The answer in the news story comes from union officials who talk about the severe cuts the Harrison Fire Department has faced and its possible impact on this fire and explosion.
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Also on STATter911 …
- UPDATE – Must see video: Five firefighters injured in explosion, described as backdraft, at Harrison, NJ 5-alarm fire. – March 10, 2013
- More must see video from Harrison, NJ: Another view of possible backdraft along with conditions prior to explosion. – March 11, 2013
- UPDATED – Must see video: Explosion at Tulsa, OK school fire injures eight firefighters. – September 5, 2012
- Baltimore union confirms two firefighters behind toilet based artwork of mayor & fire chief. Dispute within IAFF local over handling of the incident. – August 7, 2012
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“Do more with less” seems to be the modern mantra of America, at least political-leadership America. When faced with shortages of manpower or equipment, as we see in this video, I guess we should just be prepared to go defensive at the outset. When the people get tired of losing buildings, perhaps then something will be done.
Fortunately no lives were lost in Harrison, but unfortunately it often takes loss of life to open people’s eyes. And even more unfortunate is the fact that loss of firefighter lives doesn’t accomplish much…”they were doing their job”-type attitude. God help us!!
unfortunately when a civilian loses their life, we “didn’t do our job”, and there are “experts” who want to point out “what we did wrong”.
Well, “doing a good deed” or being under-staffed is no excuse for a vollie to be in civies on a hoseline, especially the guy on the ladder. Where can I buy one of those pink jackets for fireground work?
So these folks were from East Harrison? Not the city (Harrison) where the fire is? What are they doing there? If you are not ready to go, then don’t go!
Gee, they couldn’t have happened to be in the area shopping or whatever when the fire started, started watching the operation (like most FFs would probably do) and started humping some hose when they perceived help was needed? I think the video said they were from East Newark.
In one of the news videos it was mentioned that the St.Patrick’s Day parade had to be re-routed due to the fire, so perhaps people had been in the area to attend that?
Hey Mark Too, what do you mean by waiting??And Mark, unions? FDNY? Your post just shows how absolutely clueless you really are. When you guys stop commenting from your couch maybe someone will listen. In the meantime take your bullshit somewhere else
I think you might be the clueless one here. You ask me what I meant by “waiting”, but my post didn’t contain the word “waiting” or anything similar. It appears that your “union” and “FDNY” are directed at somebody else, so why didn’t you address them directly to that person?
It did not look like they were short handed.
It appears to be vented because two trunks are shooting water down on the building. And a lot of smoke coming out of the roof.
In York, Pa. we have paid FF’s going into building wearing tee shirts and shorts.
Pretty sure that was after the explosion.
This was before explosion they were helping out, that’s what makes it more dangerous, not being in ppe, just lucky this time…
But what about the chief officers that was on the roof, in the earlier post, and his FFs that had no SCBA. Damn, C’mon people.
While I agree that the guy on the ladder shouldn’t of been in that position wearing no PPE (even that was a little too extreme for me) especially being in the line of fire for the explosion. Basically the point I’m trying to make is your telling me you’ve never been a little “laxed” in the PPE department while operating on scene? Your 100% geared up 100% of the time? I say thats BS, unfortunately for the two volunteer firefighters in this video they were caught on video. I work EMS and I’ve stretched lines quite a few times or fed the line for the initial attack team and once backup arrived I moved out of the way. People just need to stop sitting back and nit picking every little thing and just be thankful no one was killed or seriously injured.
There is so much fire equipment in NJ all they needed was to make a telephone call. There is at least 30 ladder trucks within 10 miles of Harrison. They just didn’t want to call any volunteer departments.
You are wrong in not wanting to call volunteer departments. There were at least 4 volunteer departments at the scene and working this fire. They were North Arlington, Lyndhurst, East Newark and Secaucus.
Staffing is a problem in Harrison.
A 3rd ladder truck? Seriously? You idiots don’t have radios? They could have gotten 3 trucks from FDNY in the time they screwed around and allowed that to happen. Newark, Jersey City, etc. There has to be a million ladders within 30 minutes. What a crock.
This sounds more like the union trying to make a point–as mrguest stated–by not requesting more MA that they were short-handed and now they’re trying to blame anyone but the chief.
If you don’t have the manpower to do everything, you better prioritize your tactics. And that building and the smoke were begging for lots and lots of ventilation. That’s the IC\Chief. No one else.
If you don’t have the manpower, let it burn or call for it. Lack of manpower on the initial response? Maybe, but these videos show operations well under way.
Sounds more like the union trying to blame the chief for incompetence. Especially when it appears that the chief is the one who can’t even figure out how to wear a vest properly.
2 Ladder Trucks were on scene in under 5 minutes. First from East Newark, second from Kearny. Neither were placed anywhere near the main fire buildings. Shame on you Chiefs from Harrison, East Newark and Kearny!
Never Sacrifice your safety for your comfort
I am on the job in Jersey City I was not at this fire in Harrison but I was at several other fires out there in the last few months with that said Jersey City is called to go to fires in Hoboken North Hudson Bayonne Kearny edge water Elisabeth Secaucus. almost every time there is a fire in there towns. This is the problem all the city’s and towns around Jersey City CUT there fire departments to save money and chose to spend there money on other things. Jersey City did not CUT the fire department and did find ways to keep the staffing levels the same for the last 10 years or so. We have about 600 members. Is it fair to the tax payers of JERSEY CITY that they pay for a full staffed fire department that gets called out of town all the time to fight fires in every town around that cut there own manpower to save money. The point is all these citys save money on cuts and just depend on Jersey City to help put there fires out. The unions are just stating the facts. The facts are its not the fire chiefs fault it’s not the fire officers or firefighters in any of these towns it’s the fault of the towns administrations that CUT PUBLIC SAFETY. thank God no one was killed because it would have happen because of budget CUTS. That’s what happened. Because all the jobs needed to be done at a fire can not get done when u depend on mutual aide to get it done its to late. And look what happens. 5 Jersey City members could of died.
What about the 2 east newark guys in the door way and the 3 on the roof. They could have died also. Maybe next time they won’t wait 30 plus minutes to vent.
MrGuest i wouldn’t call them either, have you seen the videos from NJ fires?
those people helping are not on the East Newark Fire Department. and the fire is actually in the other corner . that is just exposures that is being protected
Those people are not East Newark Firefighters you are right. They were former FF’s. But they still should not be where they were. In video’s you see both East Newark Chiefs walk right by them and do nothing. I watched as one of the Chiefs handed the guy the nozzle. Nice job Chief you just authorized him to be there! Then the same Chief head to roof with no pack. Strike 2!!! Maybe at the next fire you will get strike 3 and get someone killed.
Maybe if East Newark didn’t remove their old chief they wouldn’t have had these problems. How did Kearny and Harrison miss the smoke pushing out of the bricks in the front? What about plywood on the windows?!
Are there any laws in New Jersey (or in the USA) that mandate staffing levels, training, or response times? Maybe this is the real problem. Maybe there needs to be a federal law requiring one fully staffed fire truck at 90% of all fires within 5 minutes for any city over 30,000 people.
Which would be better for Harrison? Ten thousand dollars spent on smoke detectors and fire extinguishers, or ten thousand spent to bolster the fire department budget? Maybe there needs to be a federal law requiring a smoke detector and fire extinguisher in every home.
There was 3 fully staffed engines, 2 ladders and a 2 man engine all one scene in under 5 minutes of report. No one talks about how this baby was burning for awhile before being reported. Oh and the windows being boarded up on the second floor from the inside!? Damn who’s fault is that!! Someone needs to step up.
Ne excuse for the East Newark Chiefs allowing civis on hose lines thats close. The Chief just watched and did nothing and the Dep handed the guy the nozzle. The Dep also got yelled at for the second fire in a row not wearing proper PPE by the Kearny Chief. These guys don’t understand safty and need to be removed. Time for Kearny to merge with Harrison and East Newark. Get rid of these vollys. Vollys are only as good as they want to be and the guys on top obviously have no clue!