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Live coverage: Large tornado outbreak in Oklahoma City area. Two Moore schools leveled with missing & trapped children.

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Live updates from KFOR-TV

Oklahoma City Fire live 

A meteorolgist at KFOR-TV said a short time ago the devastation from today’s tornadoes in Oklahoma will dwarf the infamous May 3, 1999 tornado outbreak. KFOR-TV’s live coverage of the aftermath, and the continuing outbreak is above.

Particularly hard hit is Moore, Oklahoma where there are reports of two schools leveled, with searches of those schools continuing.

AP:

Authorities say an elementary school in an Oklahoma City suburb took a direct hit from a mile-wide tornado.

Gary Knight with the Oklahoma City Police Department says there is no word of injuries from the elementary school. Knight says the school suffered “extensive damage” on Monday afternoon. He did not say which school was hit.

Neighborhoods in Moore, Okla., are flattened and blown apart, with shards of wood and pieces of insulation strewn everywhere. Television footage also showed first responders picking through rubble and twisted metal in the suburb south of Oklahoma City.

There were no immediate reports of injuries.

The suburb of Moore was hit hard by a tornado in 1999. The storm had the highest winds ever recorded near the earth’s surface. 

More from AP:

A mile-wide tornado churned through the Oklahoma City suburbs, destroying homes for the second day in a row Monday, as part of a severe weather outbreak that was expected to spread in other parts of the Plains and Midwest.

A massive black-and-blue cloud dragged across the landscape just south of Will Rogers World Airport.

Television video showed debris from homes and businesses being carried aloft as the twister rolled through Moore, a community on the south side of Oklahoma City. There were no immediate reports of injuries. 

In advance of the storm, the Oklahoma House of Representatives stopped work so Capitol employees could take shelter in the basement. Television and radio broadcasters urged residents to take shelter because the storm’s strength and size.

“We’re just waiting to see what happens. It’s a mile-wide tornado. It’s still grinding out,” said Mark Meyers, a spokesman for the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office. “We are currently on standby for tornado response. Whatever happens, we’ll be ready to respond.”

The strongest winds on earth — 302 mph — were recorded near Moore during a tornado May 3, 1999.

The Storm Prediction Center in Norman had predicted a major outbreak of severe weather Monday in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.


Storms on Sunday killed two people near Shawnee, about 35 miles southeast of Oklahoma City. Gov. Mary Fallin earlier Monday took a tour of the areas hardest hit and she expressed concern that, with power out, Oklahomans might not receive warnings about the new round of storms.

Pottawatomie County Sheriff Mike Booth said a 79-year-old man, who was later identified as Glen Irish, was found dead Sunday out in the open at Steelman Estates, a mobile home park near Shawnee. The state medical examiner’s office said Monday that a 76-year-old man, Billy Hutchinson, was found dead in a vehicle.

The office said both men lived in Shawnee, but the city wasn’t hit by the tornado and it wasn’t immediately clear if either or both lived in the mobile home park, which is near the city.

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Posted by on May 20, 2013 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Breaking News, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, HazMat, Major Incidents, Mass Casualty Incident, must see video, News, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

UPDATED – Live video & radio traffic, videos of explosion, initial radio traffic: 3 or 4 firefighters still missing in West, TX fertilizer plant explosion. One police officer/firefighter found in hospital. Latest estimate 5 to 15 people dead & more than 100 injured.

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Dallas News | myFOXdfw.com

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The number of people dead following the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas last night is still unclear, with varying reports coming from different officials and news organizations. What is consistent in the reporting is that firefighters and paramedics are among the dead and unaccounted for.

A briefing at 8:30 local time again confirmed again there are missing firefighters. At the briefing it was also reported that a police officer/volunteer firefighter initially reported as missing as found this morning at a Waco hospital suffering serious injuries.

Here is the latest.

DallasNews.com:

Update at 8:30 a.m. Thursday: Sgt W. Patrick Swanton, the Waco police spokesman handling media briefings in West, said at a press conference a little after 8:20 this morning that search and rescue teams are still looking for survivors.

That “is good news to me,” he said. That means authorities have “not gotten to the point of no return.”
Swanton did not update the number of those injured or killed, and he did not release names of any of the casualties. He repeated the earlier figure of five to 15 people killed but said that’s based on “very limited” information from “folks at the scene,” including local, state and federal officials.

One emergency worker who had been reported as missing, a constable serving as a volunteer firefighter, has been found hospitalized with “serious” injuries. Three or four first responders, among the first to fight the fire before the fertilizer plant exploded shortly before 8 p.m. Wednesday, remain missing, Swanton said.

Swanton also said a “small amount” of looting was reported overnight.

KWTX-TV:

Rescuers continued working Thursday morning in West in spite of a cold rain after a long night of door-to-door searches for victims of a Wednesday night explosion that killed between 5 and 15 people and injured more than 100 more.

Six firefighters and two paramedics are confirmed dead and seven nursing home residents were missing after the blast according to West EMS Director Dr. George Smith, who said earlier Wednesday night as many as 60 or 70 people may have died in the blast at West Fertilizer.

One police officer who was reported missing was located Thursday morning at Waco hospital where he was being treated for several injuries.

Smith said early Thursday morning he expects more bodies will be found during the search of damaged and destroyed homes.

WFAA-TV:

At 4:15 a.m., West, Texas EMS director Dr. George Smith confirmed that two paramedics lost their lives in Tuesday night’s explosion at West Fertilizer Company. He said six firefighters remained unaccounted for.

A Facebook page was established in memory of several firefighters who reportedly perished in the blast.

“This is a crime scene,” Sgt. Swanton said. “Until we know that it is an industrial accident, we will work it as a crime scene.”

Waco Tribune & Herald:

UPDATE, 8:40 a.m.: Officials say three or four West volunteer firefighters remain missing as they believe between five and 15 were killed in the explosion at West Fertilizer Co.

One law enforcement official who was presumed missing has been found and is being treated for significant injuries at a hospital, said Waco police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton.

Search and rescue efforts are still ongoing in the neighborhood closest to the plant and Swanton said there has been reports of possible looting.

KDFW-TV:

A major explosion occurred Wednesday night at a fertilizer plant in the  city of West, near Hillsboro in north-central Texas – killing between five and  15  people and injuring at least 160 more.

Waco Police Spokesperson Sgt. William Patrick Swanton said a fire began  Wednesday evening at the West Fertilizer plant. Fifty minutes later, an  explosion was reported in a frantic radio call from the scene of the fire at the  plant at 1471 Jerry Mashek Dr. just off Interstate 35.

NBC News:

At least five to 15 people were killed and more than 160 wounded when a large fertilizer plant explosion rocked a small Texas town late Wednesday, destroying dozens of homes under a cloud of toxic smoke, police said.

Between three and five firefighters were still missing, Waco, Texas, police Sgt. William Patrick Swanton told reporters early Thursday.

Firefighters, including local volunteers, were battling a blaze at the time of the blast, which caused a ground tremor equivalent to a magnitude-2.1 earthquake, the USGS said. In Amarillo, Texas, a seismograph recorded the blast with a magnitude of 2.5, Swanton said.

 

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Posted by on April 17, 2013 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Breaking News, Command & Leadership, Dispatch & Communications, Emergency Communications, EMS Dispatch, EMS Health & Safety, EMS Topics, fire, Fire Dispatch, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fireground Audio, Fires, HazMat, Major Incidents, Mass Casualty Incident, News, Patient Management, Rescues, Special Operations, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

UPDATED: 3 confirmed bomb blasts in Boston. 2 near finish line of Marathon. 1 at JFK library. At least 2 dead & 23 injured. Listen to Boston FD live.

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CBS Boston Live Stream

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My Fox Boston live

Listen Live: Boston Fire Department 

Boston Police Department Twitter

4:50 PM:

According to Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis there was a third explosion at the JFK library. No unexploded devices found. Relatives looking for victims can call 617 635 4500.  Witnesses should call 800 494 TIPS.

4:32 PM:

Boston Police Department have scheduled a press conference at 4:45 PM at the Westin Hotel. Boston Police also looking for video of the finish line.

News reports indicate there were other possible unexploded devices that the police bomb squad handled. CBS reports one unexploded device handled by bomb squad. Bombs were in trash cans.

4:07 PM:

Official word from Boston Police Department Twitter feed at 4:07 PM is that two people have died and 23 are injured after two bomb blasts at the finish line of the Boston Marathon a few seconds apart.

Boston PD began Tweeting on this at 3:40 PM about 50 minutes after the explosions occurred. Below are the intitial tweets.

 

AP: 

Boston police say there’s been a third explosion in the city, following two blasts near the finish line of the Boston Marathon that killed two people and injured many others.

Police Commissioner Edward Davis says authorities aren’t certain that the explosion at the JFK Library was related to the other blasts, but they’re treating them as if they are.

David says there are no injuries stemming from the third explosion.

He urged people to stay indoors and not congregate in large groups.

The Boston Marathon said that bombs caused the two explosions and that organizers were working with authorities to determine what happened. The Boston Police Department said two people were killed and 23 others injured.

Competitors and race volunteers were crying as they fled the chaos. Bloody spectators were being carried to the medical tent that had been set up to care for fatigued runners. Authorities went onto the course to carry away the injured while stragglers in the 26.2-mile race were rerouted away from the smoking site.

Roupen Bastajian, a 35-year-old state trooper from Greenville, R.I., had just finished the race when they put the heat blanket wrap on him and he heard the first blast.

“I started running toward the blast. And there were people all over the floor,” he said. “We started grabbing tourniquets and started tying legs. A lot of people amputated. … At least 25 to 30 people have at least one leg missing, or an ankle missing, or two legs missing.”

A Boston police officer was wheeled from the course with a leg injury that was bleeding.

There are a lot of people down,” said one man, whose bib No. 17528 identified him as Frank Deruyter of North Carolina. He was not injured, but marathon workers were carrying one woman, who did not appear to be a runner, to the medical area as blood gushed from her leg.

Smoke rose from the blasts, fluttering through the national flags lining the route of the world’s oldest and most prestigious marathon. TV helicopter footage showed blood staining the pavement in the popular shopping and tourist area known as the Back Bay.

“There are people who are really, really bloody,” said Laura McLean, a runner from Toronto, who was in the medical tent being treated for dehydration when she was pulled out to make room for victims of the explosions. “They were pulling them into the medical tent.”

Cherie Falgoust was waiting for her husband, who was running the race.

“I was expecting my husband any minute,” she said. “I don’t know what this building is … it just blew. Just a big bomb, a loud boom, and then glass everywhere. Something hit my head. I don’t know what it was. I just ducked.”

Runners who had not finished the race were diverted straight down Commonwealth Avenue and into a family meeting area, according to an emergency plan that had been in place. 

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Posted by on April 15, 2013 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Breaking News, Dispatch & Communications, Emergency Communications, EMS Dispatch, EMS Health & Safety, EMS Topics, Fire Dispatch, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fireground Audio, Fires, Major Incidents, Mass Casualty Incident, must see video, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

UPDATED WITH INITIAL RADIO TRAFFIC: Hostage situation ended. Hostage taker dead. Police officer with hand wound. Firefighter hostages superficial wounds from flash bang.

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Atlanta News, Weather, Traffic, and Sports | FOX 5

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More live coverage from WXIA-TV (Still has live feed from scene)

WSB-TV live

LATEST 7:46 PM: Suspect dead. Four firefighters & police officer minor injuries. Superficial wounds to firefighters from flash-bang. Officer shot in hand or arm. Police moved in because they thought firefighters were in danger.

Police say firefighters will be back home with their families tonight. Below is the initial radio traffic from Engine 10 who says gunman wants his utilities turned back on. Audio from firefighterdispatch.

 

EARLIER:

Loud explosion heard at scene around 7:35 PM. Reporters say it sounded like flash-bang, followed by possible gun shot. Roadway cleared and ambulance left scene at 7:40 PM. Second ambulance left scene at 7:43 PM/

 

MyFoxAtlanta: 

A gunman is holding four firefighters hostage in Gwinnett County, authorities say.

A SWAT team was on the scene at 2440 Walnut Grove Way in Suwanee, according to the Gwinnett County Police Department. 

Police say that the firefighters were apparently responding to the home on a medical call. 

“They arrived at the scene. They went in and began to do what they do every day when they were taken hostage,” said Captain Tommy Rutledge of the Gwinnett County Fire Department. 

There were originally five hostages, but one firefighter was let go to move the fire truck, according to Rutledge. 

WXIA-TV:

The accused gunman originally took five firefighters hostage however he let one leave to take the responding fire engine back to the station.

According to Captain Rutledge of the Gwinnett County Fire Department, authorities believed they were responding to a medical call. The firefighters are now being held in the house on Walnut Grove Way in Suwanee.


AJC.com:

Neighbor Jaime Gossan said that she and her husband live three doors down from the home where the firefighters are being held. She said her husband saw the firefighters enter the home, and later saw SWAT officers — some 30 or more — surround the house. She said that her husband, who is still in the house, also saw a robot go up to the house.

Gwinnett County police have a robot equipped with microphone and speaker through which they can talk to barricaded suspects.

A Comcast cable truck was allowed into the subdivision at about 6:15 p.m., possibly to cut the cable to the house. Authorities said earlier they were concerned about what the man may be seeing or hearing on the news.

WSB-TV:

Fire officials told Kavanaugh the man faked a heart attack to get them to the home. It is unclear what motivated the gunman to hold the firefighters hostage.

The firefighters involved are cross-trained as emergency medical technicians, Gwinnett Fire Capt. Tommy Rutledge told Kavanaugh.

“This was a typical emergency response; No indication that anything would go wrong and firefighters went in with their multiple equipment to perform patient care ans meet the need of the person who is inside,” he said.

The chief said he has not been given any indication that the firefighters have been harmed. He said police have been in communication with the gunman.

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Posted by on April 10, 2013 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Breaking News, EMS Health & Safety, EMS Topics, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Major Incidents, News • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

UPDATE – Must see video: Five firefighters injured in explosion, described as backdraft, at Harrison, NJ 5-alarm fire.

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Video above by T00LS. Video below by quake4ever2007,

UPDATE

WCBS-TV:

Five firefighters were hurt in a terrifying explosion and extra-alarm blaze in Harrison, N.J., Sunday afternoon.

.. when the fire was at its height, a dangerous backdraft was caught on video, CBS 2’s Steve Langford reported. Backdrafts are an explosive phenomenon, and they are one of the worst things that can go wrong in a firefight.

One of those badly hurt when the backdraft erupted was a battalion chief.

“When that glass blew out, he got it all in his face and his body,” said Harrison fire Capt. Robert Gillen. “He was bleeding profusely.”

WNYW-TV:

The blast sent firefighters flying into the air, said Harrison Fire Captain  Robert Gille.

“They were literally thrown out of the building by the smoke explosion.”

Five firefighters were rushed to an area hospital; two are being help for  further examination the captain said. At least one suffered bad cuts. 

EARLIER

WABC-TV:

Firefighters in Harrison, New Jersey are battling a five-alarm fire at an industrial building that has extended to adjoining buildings. 

The fire broke out Sunday on the 600 block of Frank E. Rodgers Avenue.

A number of firefighters were injured by flying debris when they were caught up in a partial backdraft explosion that blew out windows.

NJ.com:

The fire appeared to have started at 600-602 Frank E. Rodgers Blvd., a two-story building at the corner of Frank E. Rodgers Boulevard North and Davis Street. It then spread next door to 604-606 Frank E. Rodgers, a two-story residential building.

Harrison officials still have not commented on the fire.

After the explosion occurred, at least two firefighters stumbled out of the building and one of them collapsed on the ground.

EMS and other firefighters rushed to help them. They were both placed in ambulances. 
 

Posted by on March 10, 2013 • Filed under: Breaking News, Command & Leadership, EMS Health & Safety, EMS Topics, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fires, Major Incidents, Mass Casualty Incident, must see video, News, Uncategorized, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Radio traffic & video added: Baltimore City 4th alarm with collapse and mayday. Five firefighters injured.

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Listen live 

Recorded radio traffic of mayday via Alertpage

At Penn Lumber, 601 Pennsylvania Avenue in Baltimore City, there is currently a fourth alarm working with a collapse and a mayday. Five firefighters have been injured. All are now accounted for and are reported to have non-life threatening injuries. At least two firefighters were trapped after the collapse.

In the radio traffic in the player above, the evacutation order comes at about 11:55 into the incident followed by the mayday at 24:48.

Scott Dance, Baltimore Sun:

Conditions in the building worsened rapidly once firefighters responded, (PIO Kevin) Cartwright wrote in an email. The first-responding firefighters entered the building with hoses upon arriving, but “within moments,” the commanding officer ordered them to evacuate. As they were doing so, the building collapsed, trapping five firefighters.

All five were rescued and suffered non-life-threatening injuries. They were taken to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center for further evaluation, Cartwright wrote.

WBAL-TV:

After gaining entry into the building, fire commanders, within moments, ordered crews out due to the intensity of the fire, Cartwright said.

As firefighters evacuated the building it completely collapsed, trapping five firefighters. Cartwright said all five firefighters were rescued and were transported to Shock Trauma. Their conditions were not immediately available, but Cartwright said they suffered non-life threatening injuries.

WJZ-TV:

Firefighters are battling a four-alarm fire at Penn Lumber. Officials say the fire started around 5:40 p.m. Monday.

The three-story building is located on the 6-hundred block of Pennsylvania Avenue.

There are reports that five firefighters were injured, but the nature of their injuries is not known.

WMAR-TV:

What started as a 2 alarm fire, quickly went out of control as firefighters battled the blaze.

The three story Penn Lumber building has partially collapsed.
 

This is GoogleMaps image of Penn Lumber. Click here for map.

Posted by on February 4, 2013 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Baltimore City Fire Department, Breaking News, Command & Leadership, Dispatch & Communications, Emergency Communications, EMS Topics, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fireground Audio, Fires, Major Incidents, News • Tagged: , , ,

Raw video from Chicago 5-11 plus. Fire in multiple warehouse buildings in McKinley Park.

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Chicago News and Weather | FOX 32 News

Earlier live shot where police order TV crew to move

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Chicago Fire Media on Twitter 

Listen live via Radioman911.com

WGN-TV:

Fire crews continue to battle a blaze at an abandoned warehouse in Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood.

The 5-story building in the 3700 block of S. Ashland is a 5-alarm fire, according to the Chicago Fire Dept.

Around 50 fire companies and 170 crew members are on the scene.

The rear of the building has collapsed.

From Chicago Fire Media via Twitter at 10:10 PM CST:

This fire is now a 5 11 plus a special alarm for more trucks. This will be an extended operation. No injuries so far.

Rob Greer video via Facebook.

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Chicago Fire Department picture.

Posted by on January 22, 2013 • Filed under: Breaking News, Chicago Fire Department, Dispatch & Communications, Emergency Communications, EMS Topics, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fireground Audio, Fires, Major Incidents, News, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Webster update: Woman arrested & home raided in connection to guns used in ambush that killed & wounded firefighters.

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DemocratandChronicle article shows arrest of Dawn Nguyen.

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Previous coverage here, here, here, here, here, here & here

Click here for new details, arrest video & charging documents

A press conference is scheduled for 4:00 PM EST today to discuss new developments in the case. News reports say a Greece, New York woman is now in custody as part of the investigation into how William Spengler Jr., a convicted felon, obtained the guns used to ambush West Webster firefighters.

DemocratandChronicle:

Around 1:40 p.m., New York State Police, Webster Police and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives descended on the Alpine Road home, where Dawn Nguyen and her mother, Dawn Welsher, were staying.

Senior Investigator James Newell of the state police said Nguyen was charged with offering a false instrument for filing. He also said a federal charge is pending, though he did not specify.

“She purchased the weapons legally, and they were stolen,” Nguyen’s lawyer, Dave Palmiere, said Friday. He said Nguyen doesn’t recall whether she reported the guns stolen.

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Posted by on December 28, 2012 • Filed under: Breaking News, EMS Topics, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Fires, Major Incidents, News, Police • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

UPDATE: Firefighters identified. Four shot. Two dead at house fire in Webster, New York.

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Click here for West Webster Fire Department web site

Click here for radio transmissions from the shootings in Webster

UPDATE: At the 11:45 AM EST briefing Webster Police Chief Gerald Pickering identified the four firefighters shot this morning, including the two who died. All are members of the West Webster Fire Department. The two firefighters killed are:

Mike Chiapperini, who was also a lieutenant and PIO with the Webster Police Department

Tomasz Kaczowka, also a 911 worker.

The wounded are:

Joseph Hofstetter, also a career firefighter with the Rochester FD (was wounded in the pelvic area)

Theodore Scardino (wounded in left shoulder and right knee)

The gunman, who has not been identified, is dead at the scene from a gunshot wound. It is unclear if he was hit be police gunfire or the wound was self inflicted. A weapon has been recovered.

The call came in at 5:35 AM for a report of a house and vehicle fire. West Webster FD responded with one engine carrying two firefighters. Two other firefighters responded in their personal vehicles. When they arrived they were met with gunfire. Chief Pickering says it appears it was a trap. The firefighters were pinned down but one of the wounded firefighters was able to escape, apparently in his own vehicle.

An off-duty Greece, NY police officer, Jon Ritter, stopped to assist and was wounded by shrapnel.

Watch live video from near scene when available.

More live coverage.

WHAM-TV:

The fire started around 5:30 a.m. at 191 Lake Rd. near Bay Rd. and when the first responders arrived, a gunman opened fire on them.

In an afternoon press conference, Webster Police Chief Gerald Pickering said one of the firefighters was able to escape in his private vehicle, while the others remained pinned down for around an hour.

Democrat & Chronicle:

The dead are Lt. Mike Chiapperini, 43, a volunteer firefighter and the Webster Police Department’s public information officer, and Tomasz Kaczowka. Chiapperini led the fire department’s explorer program for high schoolers. Both men died at the scene. Kaczowka, in his early 20s, is also a 911 dispatcher. 

The injured firefighters are Joseph Hofsetter and Theodore Scardino. Hofsetter suffered a severe injury to his pelvis. Scardino was shot twice, injuring his shoulder and lung.

Outside the West Webster Fire Department on Gravel Road, fire district commissioners Pat Morris and Billy Gross described a somber scene inside. At 10:45, the flag outside was lowered to half-staff.

One of the firefighters shot, but not killed, was a Rochester firefighter who volunteers in Webster, the commissioners said. The department has about 125 volunteers. 

WHEC-TV:

One of the firefighters was able to escape on his own. The other three firefighters were pinned down at the scene and were rescued by SWAT team.

Monroe County Sheriff’s Deputies say that the shooter was found dead near the scene. They did recover a weapon. They believe the shooter acted alone.

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Still image from WHAM-TV live feed at 10:43 AM EST.

Posted by on December 24, 2012 • Filed under: Breaking News, Command & Leadership, EMS Health & Safety, EMS Topics, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fires, Major Incidents, News, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

UPDATED – Must see videos: BLEVE at shopping center in Amherst, VA. Propane tank rockets into building. Firefighter slightly hurt.

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Video above from PhonePix shows the moment of the BLEVE. There is quite a bit of screaming from inside the car.

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(Note: Special thanks to Tammy Fore and Blee Moffett for their assistance on this story.)

UPDATE AT 11:45 PM EST:

WSET-TV confirms the fire and explosions involved two 1000 gallon propane tanks at a shopping center near Sweet Briar College in Amherst, Virginia. By the description of the reporter, there was a BLEVE in one of those tanks around 9:00 PM EST that was captured on the videos we have been showing you. According to WSET-TV’s James Gherardi, one end of the tank blew into a dialysis center nearby and the other end rocketed 300 feet to the front of a restaurant. Firefighters had already evacuated the area. One firefighter had a cut to the face.

WSET.com – ABC13

Morgan Donnelly, WSLS-TV:

Amherst County investigators say a 1,000 gallon propane tank exploded, causing a massive fire in the Ambriar Shopping Center, near Amherst High School earlier this evening.

One firefighter was hurt, but not seriously.

Above is a still image from PhonePix’s video.

The blast knocked out electricity to Sweet Briar College, according to messages posted on the school’s Facebook and Twitter accounts. The college says Appalachian Power estimates power will be back on by morning.

Below is the long version of the video from PhonePix.  The audio is muted.

EARLIER:

We now have two videos of the explosion that occurred around 9:00 tonight at a shopping center in Amherst, Virginia. There is a report of at least one firefighter hurt. The clip above was posted to YouTube by PhonePix. It has the following from the description with the video and indicates there had been a previous explosion involving propane:

The actual explosion happens at the 2:27 mark. A propane tank had exploded about 2 minutes prior to the video peaking our interest as we got into the car to see what happened. As we got closer we saw that the propane tank behind the Dollar General had exploded and there were police cars and fire trucks everywhere. We sat watching the fire for a little while when the unthinkable happened. A second explosion occurred throwing flames up hundreds of feet into the air. The concussion was so strong that it shook the car and made me feel like i had gotten punched in the chest.

The video below that also captured the blast and was posted to Facebook by Travis Fulcher.

WSET-TV:

One firefighter has been injured with structural damage reported in an apparent explosion at the Ambriar Shopping Center Monday Night.

Crews from both Amherst and Lynchburg have arrived at the scene.

Witnesses describe “feeling” two explosions and seeing flames shoot into the sky.

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Gherardi

Posted by on December 17, 2012 • Filed under: Breaking News, EMS Health & Safety, EMS Topics, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fires, Major Incidents, must see video, News, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

UPDATED with extended audio – Emergency radio traffic from CT elementary school shooting. At least 26 dead, including 18 children.

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Above is a corrected clip from firefighterdispatch that includes the audio lost from the previous clip.

Below is the first two hours of audio from Radioman911TV.

AP:

A shooting at a Connecticut elementary school Friday left 27 people dead, including 18 children, an official said.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was still under way. Another official, speaking on condition of anonymity for the same reason, said the gunman at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown was killed and apparently had two guns.

Stephen Delgiadice said his 8-year-old daughter heard two big bangs and teachers told her to get in a corner. His daughter was fine.

“It’s alarming, especially in Newtown, Connecticut, which we always thought was the safest place in America,” he said.

The superintendent’s office said the district had locked down schools in Newtown, about 60 miles northeast of New York City. Schools in neighboring towns also were locked down as a precaution.

A dispatcher at the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps said a teacher had been shot in the foot and taken to Danbury Hospital. Andrea Rynn, a spokeswoman at the hospital, said it had three patients from the school but she did not have information on the extent or nature of their injuries.

State police said Newtown police called them around 9:40 a.m. A SWAT team was among the throngs of police to respond.

A photo posted by The Newtown Bee newspaper showed a group of young students — some crying, others looking visibly frightened — being escorted by adults through a parking lot in a line, hands on each other’s shoulders.

Mergim Bajraliu, 17, heard the gunshots echo from his home and raced to check on his 9-year-old sister at the school. He said his sister, who was fine, heard a scream come over the intercom at one point. He said teachers were shaking and crying as they came out of the building.

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Posted by on December 14, 2012 • Filed under: 911, 911 Audio, Breaking News, Command & Leadership, Dispatch & Communications, Emergency Communications, EMS Dispatch, EMS Health & Safety, fire, Fire Dispatch, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Major Incidents, Mass Casualty Incident, News, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

UPDATED with radio traffic – MCI: Wounded warriors injured & killed after ‘Hunt for Heroes’ parade trailer hit by train in Midland, Texas.

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AP:

Federal officials are heading  to West Texas to join investigators looking into why a freight train slammed  into a parade float carrying wounded veterans, killing four people and injuring  17 others.

Witnesses described a harrowing  scene Thursday afternoon as the Union Pacific locomotive bore down on the  decorated flatbed truck as it tried to clear the rail crossing on its way to an  honorary banquet.

The train was sounding its horn  and people on the flatbed truck — mostly wounded veterans and their spouses — were scrambling to jump off before the collision around 4:40 p.m. in Midland,  according to witnesses and Union Pacific spokesman Tom Lange.

A preliminary investigation  indicates the crossing gate and lights were working, Lange said, though he  didn’t know if the train crew saw the float approaching.

Two people died at the scene,  while two others died at Midland  Memorial Hospital, City of Midland spokesman Ryan  Stout said. Six people remained hospitalized Thursday night, including at  least one in critical condition; the other 11 people injured have been treated  and released, hospital officials said.

About two dozen veterans and  their spouses had been sitting in chairs on the float, set up on the back of a  flatbed tractor-trailer decorated with American flags and signs identifying each  veteran. Many seemed to panic as the locomotive’s horn sounded, said Patricia  Howle, who was waiting in her car at a nearby traffic light as the train  approached.

“I was on the phone, and I just  started screaming,” she told The  Associated Press late Thursday night. “The truck was on the other side of  the train, but I did see the panic on the faces of the people and saw some of  them jump off.”

The float was among two flatbed  tractor-trailers carrying veterans and their spouses. Police said the first  truck safely crossed the railroad tracks, but the second truck’s trailer was  still on the crossing as the train approached.

“The train honked its horn, but  the 18-wheeler could not go anywhere because of the other one being right in  front of it,” said Daniel  Quinonez, who was in traffic that had been stopped by sheriff’s deputies to  allow the parade to pass.

“It was a horrible accident to  watch happen right in front of me. I just saw the people on the semi-truck’s  trailer panic, and many started to jump off the trailer. But it was too late for  many of them because the train impacted the trailer so fast,” he told the  AP.

Several police vehicles remained  at the crash scene late Thursday night. Flood lights illuminated the wreck as  investigators in reflective vests and hard hats carefully took measurements of  the site, which was cordoned off by yellow police tape.

The parade had been scheduled to  end at a “Hunt for Heroes” banquet honoring the veterans. The wounded service  members were then going to be treated to a deer-hunting trip this weekend. The  events were canceled.

The events were organized by  Show Of Support, a local veterans group. Its president, Terry  Johnson, did not immediately return an email for comment and his phone  number was unlisted; the phone rang unanswered at the group’s offices.

Stout, also the police  department’s spokesman, said he had no information about the individuals who  died or the driver of the truck.

Lange said Union Pacific is  offering help to the community and victims’ families, as well as peer-to-peer  counseling for the train crew, who did not sustain any injuries.

“There is going to be a very  thorough investigation,” Lange said. “It’s obviously a very tragic  incident.”

The National  Transportation Safety Board also is investigating, NTSB spokesman Peter  Knudson said.

Secretary of Defense Leon  Panetta “was deeply saddened by news of the tragic accident involving veterans  heroes and their spouses in Midland,” Pentagon  spokesman George  Little said in a statement. “His thoughts and prayers are with the families  of the victims, with those injured in this incident, and with the entire  community.”

Midland is about 320 miles west  of Dallas.

Posted by on November 15, 2012 • Filed under: Breaking News, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Mass Casualty Incident, News • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

UPDATE Hurricane Sandy: Live video of crane collapse at Manhattan high-rise. FDNY second alarm. Listen live.

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CBS 2 image.

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More views of crane collapse

Listen live to Manhattan fire alarm

FDNY Incidents on Facebook reports a 2nd Alarm for this incident at 157 W 57th Street and has additional pictures.

Listening to FDNY, you will hear reports of other crane issues following the collapse on W. 57th Street. I am guessing it has made people a bit nervous. There are also a number of reports of scaffolding collapses in Manhattan.

Below is live video of the crane from WNBC-TV.

View more videos at: http://nbcnewyork.com.

WABC-TV:

A crane has partially collapsed at 157 W 57th Street near Carnegie Hall. Authorities are concerned that it may now plummet to the street.

The incident began around 2:30 p.m. No reports of injuries at this time. Construction in New York has been suspended for the storm so it is unclear if anyone would have been on the job site.

Officials say there is not much they can do about the crane as it dangles from the 65-story building.   They are keeping people far away from the area just in case the crane plunges to the ground.

WCBS-TV:

The top of the 75-foot high crane could be seen dangling down from the high-rise, which is under construction.

So far, no word of any injuries. 

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Posted by on October 29, 2012 • Filed under: Breaking News, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, FDNY, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Major Incidents, News • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

UPDATE: PGPD Officer Kevin Bowden killed in off-duty cruiser crash on Route 5 in Clinton, MD.

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UPDATE at 6:20 PM EDT:

Prince George’s County Police have confirmed the death of PGPD Officer Kevin Bowden who was killed this afternoon in his take-home cruiser in an off-duty crash on Route 5 in Clinton, Maryland. Officer Bowden was 28-years-old and had been on the police department for six-years. He leaves behind two young children.

EARLIER:

Manny Fantis, WUSA9.com:

A Prince George’s County Police officer is in critical condition after he crashed his cruiser, emergency crews reported.

He crashed the car into a pole at Branch Avenue and Surrats Road in Clinton.

It happened at around 3:30 p.m, when crews were called out for a vehicle collision between one marked cruiser and another civilian vehicle.

One officer was transported and one civilian was transported to a local hospital. 

WRC-TV/NBC4.com:

The accident occurred at Route 5 (Branch Avenue) and Surratts Road in Clinton. Branch Avenue is closed in both directions.

This is the second serious crash involving a Prince George’s County officer in three months. Officer Adrian Morris, 23, died after his cruiser ran off Interstate 95 while he and his partner were pursuing theft suspects Aug. 20.

Matt Zapotosky, The Washington Post:

Julie Parker, a Prince George’s County police spokeswoman, said the officer was headed northbound on Branch Avenue when the crash occurred about 3 p.m. near the intersection with Surratts Road. She said the officer and a civilian driver were taken to a nearby hospital, though she declined to specify the extent of their injuries.

It remains unclear what caused the crash, which Parker said involved just the two vehicles. Police are holding a news conference at the hospital at about 6 p.m. to provide more details, Parker said.

Official Tweets – latest first:

@PGPDNEWS Police Chief Magaw announces the death of #PGPD #Police Officer Kevin Bowden after a car crash on Branch Ave. 6:19 PM

@PGPDNEWS #PGPD will hold a press conference in front of the Southern MD Hospital ER at 6:15 pm in reference to the officer involved accident. 5:22 PM

@PGPDNEWS Please contact PIO at the top of the hill at the corner of the Colony South Hotel for all media requests 4:58 PM

@PGPDNEWS officer involved in serious accident on Branch Ave/Surrats Rd. Media staging area at Colony South hotel parking lot. 4:03 PM

@PGFDPIO Critical MVC involving County Police at Branch Ave and Surrats Rd in Clinton. Contact Police PIO for Updates 3:15 PM

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Posted by on October 18, 2012 • Filed under: Breaking News, EMS Topics, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Major Incidents, News, PGFD, PGFD (MD), Police, Uncategorized • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

UPDATED – Listen to fire, EMS & police as they arrive on scene at Aurora, Colorado movie theater massacre.

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More live TV coverage

More radio traffic at Alertpage Inc.

Listen to first 30 minutes of Aurora PD radio traffic only

Listen to first 30 minutes of Aurora FD radio traffic only

As I am sure most of you know by now there was a mass shooting early this morning at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado that left at least 14 12 people dead and 50 38 injured.

Above is a combination of the initial radio traffic from both police and fire in Aurora. It comes from Radioman911.com. In addition there are seperate links to the first 30 minutes of the police and fire radio traffic. For additional fire and radio traffic from this incident check out Alertpage Inc.

Immediately below is live coverage from KUSA-TV.

Below is early cell phone video shot as people fled the theater.

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Posted by on July 20, 2012 • Filed under: Breaking News, Command & Leadership, Dispatch & Communications, Emergency Communications, EMS Dispatch, EMS Topics, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, News, Police, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Live picture & fireground audio: Fifth-alarm at PA’s old Hersheypark Arena.

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Photos

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Watch live video

A fifth-alarm has been sounded (at 2:45 PM EDT) for a fire in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania at the old Hersheypark Arena. Reports indicate workers had been on the roof prior to the fire breaking out.

WGAL-TV (where you will also find video):

Firefighters are battling  a blaze on the roof of the old Hersheypark arena.

Crews were called to the historic facility about 1:15 p.m. 

The hot weather as well as the curved roof are hampering fire crews, according to Derry Township police. 

AP:

Fire crews from Palmyra and Campbelltown were dispatched at 1:10 p.m.  Thursday to help Dauphin County companies battle a reported fire at the old  Hersheypark Arena in Derry Township.

The building was being evacuated and  there was heavy smoke coming from the roof about 1:15 p.m., according to a  witness at the scene.

Trucks from Mount Joy, Elizabethtown and Manheim also responded to the  four-alarm fire.

The arena, which is used primarily for youth hockey, is  under going renovations that included repairing the roof. And workers today were  putting in a new ice surface.

The historic sports venue opened in 1936.  For many years, it was home to the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League.  Lebanon Valley College plays its home hockey games there.

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Posted by on July 5, 2012 • Filed under: Breaking News, Command & Leadership, Dispatch & Communications, EMS Topics, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fireground Audio, Fires, Major Incidents, News, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Fireground audio & morning update: Seven firefighters hurt in Prince George’s County, MD when high winds send ‘blowtorch’ through home. Two from Bladensburg admitted to burn center. Both critical.

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Listen to fireground audio from ScanMD.org (More from ScanMD.org)

For names of injured firefighters & update, click here

Bladensburg VFD

Riverdale VFD

PGFD PIO blog

UPDATE 8:30 AM:

The only update we have seen since Mark Brady's press release at 1:00 AM is that both firefighters from Bladensburg admitted to the burn center are listed as critical but stable and the Riverdale firefighter with broken ribs is in good condition.

From WRC-TV this morning:

Brady said that the home appeared to be vacant, though a car was parked in the driveway. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation and loss estimates were not immediately available

The fire broke out shortly after 9 p.m. Friday at a single-family, single-story home in the 6400 block of 57th Street in Riverdale. Investigators say that firefighters were trying to enter the building when a rush of air from the rear of the house created a fireball that engulfed the respondents. According to Prince George's Fire Spokesman Mark Brady, the sudden rush of air was caused by either a door or window being open or broken out.

Approximately 1:00 AM update from PGFD chief spokesman Mark Brady:

Seven Prince George’s County Firefighters were injured as they battled a house fire in Riverdale.  At about 9:11 pm, Friday, February 24, firefighters were alerted to a house fire in the 6400 block of 57th Avenue.  The engine from Riverdale and the truck from Bladensburg were the first to arrive and encountered a 1-story, with basement, single family home with fire on both levels. 

Preliminary reports indicate that firefighters had initiated an interior attack on the fire when a sudden rush of air, fanned by high winds, entered from the rear of the house either from a door or window being opened or broken out.  The sudden addition of a large amount of fresh air into the fire environment created a “fire ball’ inside engulfing the firefighters.  Firefighters did all they could do to escape the untenable conditions that consumed the structure interior.

Incident commanders immediately called for additional resources by requesting an EMS Task Force and a Fire Task Force as well as ordering the evacuation tones to be sounded.   There were about 65 firefighters, paramedics and incident commanders on the scene.

Photo by Billy McNeel. 

Firefighters and EMS personnel went to the aid of the injured firefighters and prepared them for transport to the Burn Unit at the Washington Hospital Center.  The injuries included burns, fractures and lacerations.

Another team of firefighters regrouped outside and re-entered the structure and had the fire extinguished in about 25 minutes after arrival. 

Of the seven firefighters transported; four, 3 from Riverdale and 1 from College Park, will be released and sent home tonight. 

The most seriously injured firefighters are two from the Bladensburg Fire/EMS Station #809 that were part of the first arriving truck company.  

Bladensburg Volunteer Firefighter #1 is listed in “Critical” condition suffering from burn injuries to his upper body.

Bladensburg Volunteer Firefighter #2 is listed in “Serious” condition with 2nd and 3rd degree burns to 30% of his body.

The third firefighter being admitted is from Riverdale Fire/EMS Station #807.  Riverdale Volunteer Firefighter #1 is hospitalized with fractured ribs.

Dozens of fire service members as well as family and friends are with the injured firefighters at the Washington Hospital Center including Fire Chief Marc S. Bashoor, Riverdale Volunteer Fire Chief Chucky Ryan and Bladensburg Volunteer Chief Randy Kuenzli.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation and fire loss estimates are not yet available.  This is a vacant structure although firefighters believed the house may have been occupied as a car was parked in the driveway.

The Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department will fully investigate this incident and review all aspects of the operations from a safety perspective.
 
Updates concerning the medical status and the cause and origin of the fire will be made as information becomes available.
 

Earlier coverage:

UPDATE: According to TV news reports at 11:00 PM, PGFD chief spokesman Mark Brady says a fireball, fueled by high winds, went through the home forcing the firefighters to bail out. Brady said it was like a "blowtorch".

Some firefighters were burned and others were hurt exiting the home. The injuries range from burns, to lacerations and fractures.

Brady told reporters on the scene one firefighter has potentially life threatening burns.

According to Brady, the injured firefighters are volunteers from Riverdale (Station 807) and Bladensburg (Station 809).

The Washington Post:

A sudden rush of air into the structure caused “blowtorch or furnace-type conditions” that forced the firefighters out of the house, Brady said. “They couldn’t do anything about it.” Wind gusts were measured at more than 40 mph around that time.

Injuries included burns, cuts and fractures, Brady said. One firefighter was in critical condition, he said. The firefighters were being treated at a burn unit, he said.

Mark Brady's Tweets

WUSA9.com:

Seven firefighters were injured while responding to a house fire in the 6300 block of 57th Ave. in Riverdale on Friday night, according to a tweet by the Prince George County Fire Department.

A one story home with a basement had heavy fire, with flames blown into the firefighters' faces by gusting winds. EMS personnel are on the scene. The firefighters, all volunteers, have injuries ranging from minor to serious.

ABC7/WJLA.com:

Seven PGFD firefighters have been injured, most of them seriously, in a residential fire in Riverdale, according to a spokesperson for the Prince George's County Fire Department.

The fire was in a single-family, one-story home with a basement in the 6400 block of 57th Ave. The fire was reportedly heavy and something went wrong.

A medevac helicopter and several ambulances were requested.

WRC-TV:

Seven firefighters were injured, and most suffered serious injuries, according to Brady. Some could be life-threatening.

The home appeared to be vacant, Brady said.

Posted by on February 24, 2012 • Filed under: Breaking News, EMS Topics, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fires, Major Incidents, Mass Casualty Incident, News, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Alexandria (VA) Fire Department Paramedic Joshua Weissman dies after fall off of I-395 bridge. Watch raw video of press conference.

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Radio traffic from car fire and rescue of paramedic

Previous coverage of this story

Alexandria Fire Department Paramedic Joshua Weissman has died at the Washington Hospital Center following his fall last night off a bridge carrying I-395 over Four Mile Run creek in Arlington.

Here is the official statement from the City of Alexandria:

It is with great sadness that Alexandria Fire Chief Adam K. Thiel announced the death of Paramedic Joshua Weissman at 4:25pm on Thursday, February 9.

While responding to a car fire on Interstate 395 near Glebe Road on the evening of February 8, Paramedic Weissman fell from the roadway, where he suffered a severe head injury. He was rescued by City of Alexandria and Arlington County Firefighters and Paramedics, with assistance from the City of Alexandria and Arlington County Police Departments and the Virginia State Police. Despite valiant efforts by the medical team at the Washington Hospital Center, Paramedic Weissman’s injuries proved to be fatal.

Joshua Weissman, 33, of Bristow, VA. was a seven-year veteran of the Alexandria Fire Department, and was hired in April 2006.

Kari Pugh at Inside Nova has a description of how Paramedic Weissman fell from Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller:

An Alexandria ambulance parked on I-395 northbound, alongside the HOV lanes, to reach the burning vehicle.

According to Geller, there is a three-foot gap between two cement barriers separating the lanes.  Geller said Weissman was climbing over one barrier to get to the HOV lanes when he fell about 30 feet into the creek. He suffered severe head injuries in the fall.

From the Ithaca Journal via WUSA9.com an article by Liz Lawyer and Megan Goldschmidt:

 A firefighter and paramedic, formerly of Ithaca, died Thursday after falling from a highway overpass while responding to a car fire in northern Virginia.

Joshua Weissman, 33, of Bristow, Va., a firefighter for the Alexandria Fire Department, responded to a car fire on Interstate 395 Wednesday night in Shirlington, Va. State police said two cement barriers with a 3-foot gap between separate the lanes.

Weissman fell 30 feet to the creek below the interstate. He was pulled from the creek by fellow firefighters and taken to Washington Hospital Center, where he died late Thursday afternoon of a severe head injury, Alexandria Fire Department officials said.

Weissman was a seven-year veteran of the Alexandria Fire Department. Fire officials say the last time an employee was seriously injured while on duty was 15 years ago.

Weissman worked at one time for Bangs Ambulance as a first responder. He joined the Cayuga Heights Fire Department as a teenager.

Cayuga Heights Fire Chief George Tamborelle described Weissman as dedicated to the profession. He even met his wife at the fire department.

"He was completely dedicated to helping others from the time he was 16," Tamborelle said. "All he's wanted to do was be a firefighter and a paramedic, and he's done that."

Thursday morning, Tamborelle said, "Josh is absolutely caring; you have to know Josh to really understand it. He is really a friend. He'd do anything for anybody. I know you say that about people, but with Josh it's so true. I probably wouldn't be chief if it wasn't for him."

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Posted by on February 9, 2012 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Alexandria Fire Department, Breaking News, Command & Leadership, EMS Dispatch, EMS Health & Safety, EMS Topics, Major Incidents, News • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Pompano Beach Firefighter William Elliott dies in fall from aerial ladder. Occurred during drill at Station 61.

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From WSVN-TV:

According to Pompano Beach Fire Rescue, the 50-year-old Pompano Beach firefighter was on top of a 90-foot-high ladder when he fell to the ground below at Fire Station 61, located at 2121 NW 3 Ave, at around 4 p.m. Friday.

Authorities are not sure what caused the firefighter to fall.

He was taken to North Broward Medical Center, but he did not survive the fall.

From Local 10.com:

Pompano Beach fire officials said the firefighter, identified as 50-year-old William Elliott, was rushed to North Broward Medical Center after the fall and was pronounced dead.

Sandra King, of Pompano Beach Fire Rescue, said Elliott was at the top of the ladder, and another firefighter was also on the ladder below him. The other firefighter said he just saw Elliott fall to the ground.

King said it is unclear whether Elliott was wearing a harness.

Posted by on January 6, 2012 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Breaking News, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, News, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

‘Person of interest’ brought in for questioning in Los Angeles arsons. 12 new fires overnight. 55 fires so far.

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Two recent LAFD Alerts:

FIRE's 1/2/2012

*UPDATE: * ARSON FIRES * A person of interest has been detained and is being questioned. It is too early to speculate if this person responsible for spree arson fires. – Erik Scott###
Posted by LAFD Media and Public Relations at 1/02/2012 03:55:00 AM 

FIRE's 1/2/2012

*UPDATE: * ARSON FIRES * A total of 55 fires of concern have broke out in the Los Angeles area over the last four days from 12/30/11 to 01/02/12. 45 fires in the Los Angeles area, nine in West Hollywood, and one in Burbank. – Erik Scott###
Posted by LAFD Media and Public Relations at 1/02/2012 04:57:00 AM  

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Posted by on January 2, 2012 • Filed under: Breaking News, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Fires, Major Incidents, News, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ohio voters side with firefighters & other government employees. Issue 2 rejected.

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From the AP:

Ohio’s new law limiting the collective bargaining abilities of 350,000 unionized public workers has been defeated after an expensive union-backed campaign that pitted firefighters, police officers and teachers against the state’s Republican establishment.

The law hadn’t taken effect yet. It was thrown out today amid high turnout in a year without a presidential election. Current union rules will stand until the GOP-controlled Legislature plots its next move.

Republican Gov. John Kasich traveled the state to promote retaining the law, which set new minimum contributions for public employee health care and retirement and banned strikes, among other provisions.

Supporters promoted the law as a means for local governments to save money and keep workers. Opponents said the union limits threatened public safety with little proof of cost savings.

Posted by on November 8, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Breaking News, Career - Volunteer Issues, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, News • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

UPDATED Live video & audio: Niagara Lubricant Company in Buffalo still burning nine hours after it started. Raw video added.

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Listen to fireground audio live

Six minutes of raw video from Erie County Fire Wire have been added below.

From WGRZ-TV (updated at 2:10 PM EDT):

Buffalo firefighters say a massive industrial fire in the city's Black Rock neighborhood will have to burn itself out.

Firefighters continue to douse the flames with water and foam but acknowledge there is little more than can do, saying the fire will not be under control until it's burned out.

Buffalo Fire Commissioner Darnell Whitfield is expected to update the situation at 4:00 this afternoon. His news conference will be streamed live in the video window above.

The fire started just before 6 a.m. at Niagara Lubricant Company, Inc., located at 164 Chandler Street.

Foam trucks from the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport and the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station were called in to assist.

Over 100 firefighters are on the scene and continue to be rotated in and out of the area. One was taken to the hospital for a knee injury.

Nearby residents have not been asked to evacuate, however, they have been advised to keep their windows closed as thick, black smoke continues to billow through the area.

According to the Niagara Lubricant's web site, the company manufactures and packages lubricating oils, greases, industrial oils and tire care products.

Chandler Street has been closed to traffic and National Grid was on scene this morning to cut power to the immediate area.

As a precautionary measure, Buffalo Schools have diverted students from the Extended Learning Opportunity Program at School #94 to Riverside High School. At the end of the day, walkers will be taken by bus back to School #94 to head home. Students who normally take the bus will be transported home from Riverside.Parents with questions or concerns can call Riverside at 816-4360.

Several explosions could be heard at the scene, and the smoke could be seen from miles away. Fire crews were ordered out of the building around 6:15 a.m. after they learned the building housed several propane tanks.

Niagara Lubricant has about 35 employees. Leon Smith, one of the company's owners, says five generations of his family have worked there since its founding in 1923, and its products are distributed worldwide. The business is insured.

He said the fire department had given him no indication of the fire's cause.

Posted by on July 13, 2011 • Filed under: Breaking News, Buffalo Fire Department, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fires, Major Incidents, News, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Construction supervisor acquitted in Deutsche Bank fire. Two others still waiting for verdict.

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NEW YORK (AP) — A construction company supervisor was acquitted of manslaughter and all other charges Tuesday in a blaze that killed two firefighters at a condemned bank tower at ground zero.

Jurors delivered their verdict for Salvatore DePaola, but the panel was still deliberating for Jeffrey Melofchik. The judge hasn't yet rendered a verdict for a third defendant and the company.

"I haven't slept in four years," DePaola said after the verdict.

"There are people who didn't do their jobs and they should have been up here," he said, pointing a finger at the fire department.

A worker's careless smoking sparked an August 2007 blaze that tore through nine floors of the former bank building, which was being taken down after being damaged and contaminated with toxic debris in the Sept. 11 attacks.

Firefighters Robert Beddia, 53, and Joseph P. Graffagnino, 33, died after being trapped in black, choking smoke and running out of air in their oxygen tanks.

Prosecutors said the break in the firefighting pipe, called a standpipe, was the crucial factor in their deaths. With the standpipe useless, it took firefighters about an hour to get water on the flames, letting the blaze build into a lethal inferno, prosecutors said.

They said Alvo, DePaola and Melofchik knew the pipe had broken about eight months before, when workers took down some braces that were holding it to the basement ceiling. The supports were proving stubbornly hard to scrub of asbestos, and the bosses were under pressure to speed the cleanup to keep it from going over budget, prosecutors said.

So after the break, the men had a 42-foot section of standpipe cut up and carted away and did nothing to repair or flag it, though Melofchik continued to sign daily reports saying the building's fire-suppression system was working, prosecutors said.

"They did the thing that killed those firefighters," Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann told jurors in a closing argument. "The evidence … woven together, paints a mosaic of overwhelming guilt — that but for these wholly reckless acts, these firefighters would be alive today."

But defense lawyers said the men didn't recognize the pipe's importance, and the disaster was a product of a web of shortsighted regulating and hazards beyond their control.

"This was a horrible, perfect storm of bad circumstance," defense lawyer Edward J.M. Little said in a closing argument. The two firefighters, he said, "died horrible deaths, but it wasn't because of anything the defendants did."

After the blaze, it emerged that the fire department hadn't inspected the building for more than a year, though it was required to do so every 15 days.

Meanwhile, building, environmental and labor inspectors hadn't realized that some measures meant to contain toxins could thwart firefighting. Plywood stairwell barriers slowed firefighters' progress, and a fan system kept smoke in and pulled it down, instead of letting it rise and escape.

The city and Melofchik's employer, general contractor Bovis Lend Lease, acknowledged errors. In response, the Fire Department created dozens of inspection and auditing jobs, and Bovis agreed to finance a $10 million memorial fund for slain firefighters' families, among other responses.

Meanwhile, the building lingered for almost a decade as a grim reminder of the attacks. The last of it was finally removed in February..

Posted by on June 28, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Breaking News, Command & Leadership, Courts, EMS Topics, FDNY, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fires, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, Major Incidents, News • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

UPDATED: Firefighter in Muncie, Indiana reported killed at church fire. FF had been missing after roof collapse.

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TheStarPress.com reports a body, believed to be that of a firefighter, has been recovered after a fire at the Tabernacle of Praise Church on the south side of Muncie, Indiana. Indications are the firefighter was killed when the roof of the church at 2200 E.Fuson Road collapsed. The fire was reported at 3:55 PM.

From TheStarPress.com at 5:45 PM:

A Muncie firefighter has died in the southside church fire confirmed Delaware County deputy coroner Jim Clevenger. They are holding identity of firefighter until family is notified. They know where the firefighter is in the church but they can't reach him because of the fire.

From Chris Bergin via The StarPress.com.

More photos from the fire
Aerial video from TheIndyChannel.com
Aerial videos from WTHR

Earlier from The StarPress.com:

The Muncie Fire Department was leading efforts to battle the blaze with help from surrounding volunteer departments, who are bringing water to the site on tanker trucks.

The structure that collapsed and on fire was sanctuary. Firefighters are trying to prevent it from reaching the family fun center on the northside of the building. A church goer at scene reported the church was hand built by church members.

Radio dispatch indicated at 4:15 p.m. a firefight was missing after the roof collapsed

 

Posted by on June 15, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Breaking News, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fires, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, Major Incidents, News, Uncategorized • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Live coverage & public safety audio: Possible tornadoes moving through North Carolina.

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WRAL-TV's live stream, above, has been intermittent.

Today was identified as a high risk day for severe weather in North Carolina along the I-95 corridor. Storms are now firing in the Raleigh/Wake County area and damage is reported along with possible tornado sightings. A USAR deployment has been ordered for at least one possible tornado in the Raleigh.

You can watch and listen live through these links. 

WTVD-TV

Wake County police, fire & EMS

Wake County & Cary County fire & EMS

Posted by on April 16, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Breaking News, Command & Leadership, EMS Health & Safety, EMS Topics, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Major Incidents, Mass Casualty Incident, News, Patient Management, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,