My local fire department has been taking a beating over the last month all across the country. Its crazed fire marshals are accused of tyranny, power-tripping, and being domestic terrorists. And those are some of the nice comments. 

So what awful thing did the FMs from the Fairfax County (VA) Fire & Rescue Department do? They did their jobs.

If you are not aware, on July 24th the fire marshals arrested two bartenders they caught in the act of lighting a bottle containing a flammable liquid and a wick. The bartenders are accused of then using what some might call a Molotov cocktail as a source of ignition for their fire breathing demonstration. It’s a trick they’ve apparently done for years at Jimmy’s in Herndon.

I say good job by the fire marshals. A crowded bar is not the place for anyone to play with fire. 

There are many videos on YouTube showing off similar skills of  ”talented” bartenders from the United States and around the world. In June I posted one to go with a story of a bartender in New York’s Chinatown who was arrested after his flaming bar tricks showed up on “The Real Housewives of New York”. In fact, one of the videos I found was from a big city bar I am familiar with. I sent the link to that city’s fire chief, who forwarded it to his fire marshal, who I am told is now a regular visitor to the bar.

So, I am glad my tax dollars were put to good use in Herndon that night. But I am apparently in the minority. Most who have written about this believe the arrests are another example of the “nanny-state”.

The owner of the bar seems to be quite politically connected. Some of our local leaders are now looking closely at the work of the fire marshals. Everyone seems outraged the bartenders were charged with felonies that could result in 45-years in prison.

Once again, I say good. From what I see there are too many bartenders playing these little fire games for their customers. Even if convicted, I am sure these guys weren’t going to jail, but an example needs to be set.

The local prosecutor pretty quickly dropped the felony charges, but the outrage over the actions of the fire marshals continues. The latest to give us his views is the man who represented the 7th District of Georgia in the U. S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003 and was the Libertarian Party nominee for President in 2008, Bob Barr.

Bob Barr thinks the person who originally tipped the fire marshals to the bartenders’ antics is a “busy-body”. Well Bob, then I guess I am also a “busy-body”. Not only did I rat out a bar doing similar stupid bartender tricks, I have called fire departments on locked exit doors at public facilities and even brought the fire marshal of the Nation’s Capital to a grossly overcrowded restaurant at the very moment Barack Obama was being sworn in. (Before the words “So help me God” were spoken Chief Gary Palmer, another “domestic terrorist”, had the restaurant cleared, doors unlocked and the manager’s head swimming.)

Mr. Barr, would I have been a “busy-body” if, at around 10:00 PM on February 20, 2003 I had been a customer in The Station nightclub, noticed the band Great White setting up their pyrotechnics and called in the West Warwick, Rhode Island authorities?

I am sure a person with views similar to yours would have looked at me as a party-pooper or being, as you call it, ”freedom unfriendly”. If someone at The Station had been able to make such a call that night I am certain there would have been some other unpopular fire marshals. There also would have been 100 lives saved.

By the way, here’s the video from The Station I would like you to watch. After a few viewings let me know what you think about open flames in a nightclub or bar. Maybe we could set you up to talk to some of the relatives of the people whose faces you will see about your definition of “freedom”.

Mr. Barr, you accuse Fairfax County officials of wanting to “arrest as many average, law-abiding citizens as possible in order to ensure as little fun as possible”. I’m sorry, but I just don’t look at playing with fire like this as ”fun”. I see it as a potentially lethal activity. I also see my local fire marshals as heroes for trying to put a stop to it.

Hobart, Indiana apartment fire: Fire at dawn on Tuesday with people jumping, including a woman who is eight-and-a-half months pregnant. You can read details here.

With the wonders of nature all around him this where Dave points his camera.

And Dave also hiked barefoot five miles through two foot snow drifts just to get to school each day: I just want you to know I left the warmth of my rustic cabin at Grant Grove in California’s Kings Canyon National Forest and hiked in the dark through bear infested woods in air that is almost too thin for human survival to get to the Internet connection at the John Muir Lodge so I can bring you today’s pearls of wisdom. I hope you appreciate me more now and stop sending those nasty comments. When  my son Sam and I checked out the lodge earlier in the evening we found 15 or so people hunched over computers in the warmth of WIFI hotspot. We both had the same observation as we walked out. It was all men. Not one woman was geeky enough to do this in such a spectacular location with beauty all around you. I am particularly geeky because the only shot I am sending you from here is the one to the left. Apparently someone needed a little medical attention around 8:00 PM. We will be in nearby Sequoia National Forest the next two days.

Arrangements for Firefighter Christopher Wheatley: Firefighter Close Calls has all the details on how the Chicago Fire Department will say goodbye to Firefighter/Paramedic Wheatley.

Alarmed in Haverhill, Massachusetts about alarms that don’t work: A Boston TV station is reporting that dozens of red master boxes in commercial structures in Haverhill that were supposed to be alerting the fire department have not been working properly for two years, but the businesses weren’t notified. Here’s the story (thanks to our friend Emily Cyr).

New study says four is better than three: San Diego State University released its study yesterday saying that four firefighters on an engine company is the safest and most  effective way to deal with California wildfires.  Click here to read the study. Read more from SignOnSanDiego.com.

Attorney explains shoplifting charge against Houston FD’s Jane Draycott: As we told you yesterday the female firefighter who made headlines after saying she found racist and sexist graffiti sprawled in the women’s locker room at a Houston fire station has been charged with shoplifting while in uniform. Now comes word from her lawyer about the pressure Jane Draycott has been facing that may have triggered this most recent incident. Here’s the story.

Back home again for an educational opportunity: We mentioned it before, but there is still room available at Brunacini’s Hazard Zone Management Conference that will take place at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana on October 18th to 20th, 2010.  Click here to register and learn details about the conference.

Roof operations in Detroit: This January house fire video has been making the rounds, including The Bravest Online and Firefighter Spot, so I thought I would join in after it was sent along by one of our very loyal readers.

See STATter911.com previous coverage of this story

About a month ago we told you that both the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office and Tampa Fire Rescue officials had been pushing for felony charges after their investigations into the really stupid radio station turkey fryer stunt last fall that set fire to a van and left a firefighter injured. But Hillsborough State’s Attorney Mark Ober has decided not to file charges against the people involved with M.J. Morning Show on WFLZ.

TBO.com reports that the radio crew will have to take part in a pre-trial diversion program:

Mark Ober announced that instead of facing misdemeanor charges, Todd Schnitt, host of the “The MJ Morning Show” on WFLZ, 93.3 FM, and two other members of his crew will have to enter a pre-trial diversion program for first-time offenders.

Schnitt, the two other employees and station owner Clear Channel Radio will donate at least $15,000 to Tampa Bay area charities that support fire and burn victims.

They also will engage in a four-week public service campaign to support those charities. The campaign will include five recorded announcements per day voiced by members of the show and a live broadcast from an event sponsored by or benefitting such a charity that would include interviews with victims, parents, volunteers and firefighters.

The station also will provide links to charities on its website.

Each member of the show also will have to perform 10 hours of community service at one of the charities.

Despite skating on these charges and being grateful, the attorney for the radio station went on the offensive questioning whether the Tampa firefighter was actually injured at the scene. The attorney cites conflicting reports about how the injury occurred.  Maybe I don’t have enough insight into this, but I am not sure how slipping and falling and pulling a hose line are mutually exclusive. But according to WTSP-TV reporter Mike Deeson, the State’s Attorney report backs the claim from the lawyer. Deeson also says at the end of the video above that Tampa Fire Rescue officials who previously had gone public with their complaints about Ober’s handling of the case have now been “muzzled”. Here’s more: 

While the WFLZ radio personalities were worried about being arrested for arson the morning of the fire, State Attorney Mark Ober says while these actions were irresponsible outrageous and offensive, it does not fit the legal definition of arson. However, Ober says it does violate the Hillsborough County Ordinance for open burning without a permit, which is a second degree misdemeanor.

We asked M.J.’s attorney, John Fitzgibbons, if this had been a John Doe, would the outcome be the same? He said, “Absolutely.”

And while internal memos show the program director of the radio station said people will either laugh or die, so it will be good on TV, Fitzgibbons and the Clear Channel attorney have been saying it was a waste of time to pursue criminal charges.

However, the State Fire Marshal’s Office disagrees. John Corbett points to the fact that a Tampa firefighter was injured in the incident. Corbett says it is not a waste of time to investigate any time a public safety official is injured.

But Fitzgibbons questions whether the firefighter was really injured. He says, in one report, the firefighter indicates he was injured while pulling out the hose. Another he indicates a different injury, which is inconsistent. In addition, Fitzgibbons says there is a video that exists that indicates the firefighter wasn’t injured. The State Attorney report agrees with Fitzgibbons.

And while the report does note a history of M.J. fire-related incidents since 2002, Fitzgibbons says his client and the station did nothing wrong. He says radio stations have been engaged in stunts for years and he maintains WFLZ took precautions, but something went wrong.

 Early video as muffler shop burns in Chicago: Someone was rolling around 6:50 PM yesterday as the first engine arrived at Foster and Cicero (4801 W. Foster). There is later video of this 2-11 from our friend Steve Redick that you can find here.

Someone who gets it: If your idea of handling the news media at a fire or other emergency is to fill in the blanks of some script (At 3:30 PM our units arrived at 250 Main Street for a reported dwelling fire … ) you need to see this. In Buffalo, New York, Division Chief Scott Barry uses his moments in front of the cameras following a fire where two firefighters were hurt to tell a story and educate the public (and reporters) on the workings of his department. To me, this is effective communications and a great example for all of us. Take a look.

And now we know the rest of the story (or at least some of it): City officials are finally speaking out (as predicted, their initial silence stretched this story into another news cycle or two) about the apparent rift between police and firefighters in Daytona Beach. As we all figured, we were missing some elements behind memos from police that a firefighter told them to handle the EMS work at call were an 81-year-old woman was found on the floor. It turns out the firefighter in question is the union president. Part of the tension may have to do with the police chief accusing an unknown firefighter of witness intimidation in the case of a colleague arrested on a pair of sex charges. It is getting rather complicated to explain, so just read it yourself.

The welcoming committee: It says “Welcome to Baltimore”, but the message from the IAFF & FOP is a rather pointed one. Check it out.

What the tow truck operator spotted that the firefighters didn’t: This seems to happen once a year somewhere in the country. In Cleveland, Ohio firefighters missed the body in a burned out vehicle. Firegeezer has the story.

More than just pot growing accusations against FDNY member: The New York Daily News reports prosecutors claim that Firefighter Patrick Murray is a member of a gang known as “The Master Race”. Murray which is responsible for grow houses throughout Queens. His lawyer tells the paper, “He is not a member of any organization except the Fire Department of New York City.” Read the story.

Deadly moment captured on video: If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the video from Iran where a man was rolling off some video of a fire 10 days ago at a petrochemical plant when it suddenly exploded. Four people were killed. Click here.

Dave the video killer strikes again: Here is my advice for the day. If you are going to put your fire or other videos on YouTube, look at the clips with the same critical eye everyone else will BEFORE you hit the upload button. Think ahead a bit and project how you are going to defend any potentially controversial items on the video when the fire service community sees it on STATter911 or some other forum. If you are truly comfortable with the good, bad and the ugly that is on there then by all means post it. We know no fireground is perfect and there is always something to learn. But it doesn’t make a lot of sense to boldly put the videos out there and then have to take them down a day later because some people pointed out the obvious. My lecture is over (what a pompous pain this guy has become since he quit the reporter job). If you are wondering what the hell I am talking about click here and read the comments.

A social media dos and don’ts theme show: Similar to my advice above, when you are writing nasty things on Facebook about someone you work with or anything to do with your business you might want to think how this will play when your boss sees it. A woman who USED TO work for an ambulance service in New Zealand can now explain this concept better than I can. Here’s the story.

A payroll mess in Birmingham, Alabama: The way the mayor tells it police and firefighters are supposed to make the same annual wage but not the same hourly rate. Somehow that didn’t translate into practice and the council has given orders to reduce the salary of firefighters. It is also being linked to a federal case involving the city’s payroll computer. Firefighters are threatening legal action of their own. Check it out.

 Can my crew and I play through?: No details on where, but the fire department clearly showed up with more than a foursome when this golf cart caught fire. Pre-arrival video of this heartbreaking scene is here and here.

Fire department moves live power line at house fire: An interesting video from Buffalo during a house fire with rescue and water supply issues. The cameras rolled as a firefighter attempted to take care of the downed power line in front of the house. Watch the video.

Long Island house fire: Raw video from a recent house fire in Garden City Park.

9 firefighters reported hurt in Irvington, NJ: They were battling a three-alarm fire in a vacant house last night. Read the story.

Arrangements in Bridgeport: There have been some changes in the original plans for the funerals of Lt. Steven Velasquez and Firefighter Michael Baik. Firefighter Close Calls has the update.

“Six-Million Dollar Mini Taj Mahal”: That’s how one political leader describes Cape Coral, Florida’s newest fire station. There’s much debate over the city’s priorities in fire department spending. Here’s the story.

Late firefighter’s transgender spouse regrets appearance on Jerry Springer show: If you are trying to keep up with the sad saga from Wharton, Texas and the dispute over the sex of a firefighter’s widow, click here for the latest.

Firefighter saves same cat twice: Coweta County, Georgia firefighter Jim Cadenhead thought his efforts to rescue a flea-ridden cat from a 40-foot well would have been wasted if the cat was then euthanized. Cadenhead stepped up to the plate a second time and adopted the cat from the animal shelter just in time. Here’s more.

Walkout of fire departments avoided in West Virginia: It seems West Virginia officials have  settled some of the insurance coverage issues to keep fire departments from shutting down. Click here for the latest. 

Newark firefighter falls out of rig: A left turn while responding left one New Jersey firefighter with lacerations and neck injuries after he fell out of the truck and into the street. Here’s more.

Recruit accused in abductions: In Raleigh, North Carolina a recruit is being terminated after his arrest in two different cases where women were abducted. Read the story.

City to appeal judge’s decision adding name to 9-11 Memorial: A judge believes the name of retired FDNY Captain James Corrigan should be placed alongside the names of former colleagues in the fire department section of the National 9/11 Memorial. Corrigan died while working as a Fire and Life Safety Coordinator for the World Trade Center when he was killed. Mayor Michael Bloomberg says the city will appeal that decision. Here’s the latest.

Train vs. ambulance: Firegeezer has the story of one from Vancouver Island that could have been a lot worse.

Los Angeles explosion raw video: The video of the explosion that left three firefighters and a TV photographer injured has been sitting in the STATter911.com video player since yesterday morning (thanks to WUSA9.com’s Emily Cyr). Click the image above if you haven’t seen it. Emily cut out the sound because of some language issues. Here’s a longer versions with the shots leading up to and after the blast. Being on the road yesterday I didn’t have time to write about the fire at a firm that makes titanium golf clubs, but Bill Schumm did at Firegeezer.

Seven hours to change a flat: The Memphis Fire Department found out the hard way that the city no longer had anyone under contract to change tires on its fire trucks. Here’s the story.

Firehouse water battle leads to chief’s arrest: Assistant Chief Jason Ober faces assault, harassment and disorderly conduct charges when a water battle went awry at the Richland Township Fire Department in Cambria County, Pennsylvania. News accounts indicate firefighters were cleaning up from an event around 3:00 AM on June 27. They had been throwing water at each other and dunking people in a tub of ice water that held the beer. As Ober was carried toward the tub he broke free and broke bad leaving one firefighter bloodied. Read details. 

Mayor thinks laid off firefighters could be source of female candidates: The mayor of Haverhill, Massachusetts has his eye on 23 recently laid-off firefighters from Lawrence, specifically the two women who lost their jobs. Mayor James Fiorentini, sensitive to the fact his department is all male, says he is asking for a ruling on gender specific hiring. Read more.

I guess this is one where you can’t say they will come down from the tree when they get hungry: It wasn’t a cat stuck in a tree that brought out firefighters in the U.K. This time it was a little boy about 40-feet above the ground. Here are the details.

Click the image to watch story from Peggy Fox, WUSA9.com.

From Peggy Fox, WUSA9.com:

It was a night of unwanted sexual taunting and touching in the place where she volunteers. The Station 1 firehouse with the Spotsylvania Fire and Rescue Department.

“If you don’t get hold of it and follow it up with criminal charges and prosecution it’s just going to run rampant,” says Lt. Col. Michael Timm with the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Department.

The 17-year-old female volunteer firefighter told a detective that two of her male counterparts, one a juvenile, and another 20 year old Steven Tyler Perry, made up a ruse to get her out of her sleeping quarters. They, they tried to get her take her clothes off.

“She held her ground. was adamant she was not going to disrobe. They pursued it, physically restrained her, wet her down with a hose, physically put her in the shower. She may have been very scared,” said Timm.

Perry is charged with a felony count of custodial indecent liberties.

Lt. Timm believes that the juvenile coming forward, gave another, older female volunteer courage to do the same to report an incident that happened here at the Chancellor fire station number 10.

Sixty-two-year old John Broadrup is charged with sexual battery after allegedly groping a 42 year old woman volunteer he was training.

“He made some sexually suggestive comments and then touched her inappropriately,” said Timm.

A longtime woman volunteer firefighter with Chancellor said when she heard about the charge against Broadrup, quote, “It’s about time.” She didn’t want to give her name or go on camera, but said she would not be surprised if more women came forward with similar accusations.

Raw video from two-alarm fire in Frederick, Maryland: This is from around 7:00 Wednesday evening on South Carroll Street. Click the image for the video. Firefighters were pulled from the building about 15-minutes after attempting an interior attack. Eventually the roof and a wall of this Civil War era building collapsed. You can read more about the fire at WUSA9.com.

Raw video from a tragic and controversial fire that occurred 16-years-ago: Someone uploaded to YouTube the amateur video shot in Edmonston, Maryland during a 1994 house fire that took the lives of a pregnant woman and two children. The Emerson Street fire is one of the most controversial in PGFD history after an order by the incident commander that firefighters were not to enter the burning home, despite bing told people were trapped. Dave has been debating with himself for a month over whether to rehash this painful episode, but where he wimped out others forged ahead. Click here for the video and details. 

I think they made their point about the dangers of fireworks: In California, Jeff Granberry, the Redding Fire Department’s fire prevention specialist (and recent firefighter of the year), was demonstrating the dangers of fireworks for the news media (I am guessing you already know where this story is going). Granberry lit a roman candle that then malfunctioned. Despite wearing eye protection and protective clothing, Granberry suffered minor burns to an eye and his face. Read more.

UPDATE & correction to the Boise ladder crash: Boise Fire Department officials say they are looking at a “malfunctioning rear steering unit” that caused a ladder truck to swing wide and heavily damage a police department SUV and another vehicle on Tuesday. STATter911.com originally reported that this was a tiller truck. We were wrong. A source who asked not to be identified tells us, “It was a Pierce rear-mount platform with All Steer rear steering.  The suspicion is that there was a glitch in the automated rear steering, but all of that is under investigation.”

Last October the department did have a tiller problem. That was when Truck 5 left the firehouse and sideswiped a pickup because no one was in the tiller seat. Here are details of the most recent crash. Click here for the October story.

Fire engine driver says he’s not guilty in cow stampede case: A not guilty plea from U.K. Firefighter Julian Lawford accused of starting a cow stampede with the siren on his fire truck. The cows crushed and killed a 75-year-old farmer. Here’s the latest.

Midland, PA firefighter charged in death of motorcyclist: Investigators say there was no emergency call when Jonathan Hogue “responded” with lights and sirens, speeding and passing cars last August. With a friend in the car, Hogue’s vehicle struck a motorcycle and two cars. The motorcyclist was killed. Firegeezer has the update.

Charges against one FDNY firefighter dropped in bar brawl: The prosecutor says Firefighter Michael Reilly was trying to be a peacemaker during the now infamous fight at a Brooklyn bar that included as many as 11 firefighters. At the same time Firefighter Ryan Warnock was indicted on two misdemeanor counts for the January melee at the Salty Dog in Bay Ridge. Here are details.

Baltimore firefighters take to the streets: Firefighters and cops showed up at a fundraiser in Mt. Vernon last night for  Baltimore City Councilman Bill Cole. They carried signs claiming the City Council turned its back on them by reducing pension benefits. Here’s the story.

A day at the races: Make sure you sign up for the July 17th event at Gateway International Speedway in St. Louis supporting the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Click here for the details.

Citizen provides play-by-play of five-alarm fire in Brooklyn: Decent pictures from the fire in Bushwick at a kitchen cabinet warehouse that caught fire Thursday around 6:00 PM. The best part, as usual, is listening to the volunteer “reporter” provide the narration and do the interviews. More on the fire from the union news team at WCBS-TV. Aerial view here.

Click here to view the embedded video.

$350,000 dollar car burns in Brooklyn: It’s not often you get that kind of loss on a car fire. Here’s the video and some rather profane commentary as a Lamborghini Murcielago burned on Saturday. Read details. 

Appeals court sides with Prince George’s County on furloughs: A reversal of fortune for firefighters and police in Prince George’s County, Maryland. A federal appeals court sided with the county overturning a lower court ruling that furloughs that began in 2008 were illegal. Read more. 

WTOL-TV image from inside the firehouse in Edgerton, Ohio.

Town hall comes down on fire station, literally: In Edgerton, Ohio a storm last night lifted the town hall roof and brought it down onto the fire station roof slightly injuring a firefighter. Read the story. 

Another fire station damaged by storms: Fire Station 2 in Oak Brook, Illinois also suffered roof damage from a storm last night. Here’s more. 

Details from a mayday: On Friday a firefighter hitting hotspots at a York Township, Michigan house fire suddenly ended up in the basement. Read details of the efforts to rescue Firefighter Joe Yurkunas. 

Sprinkler law in Baltimore City to be signed today: Chief Jim Clack sent out this message this morning- 

At a press conference this morning at 9 AM, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake will sign a new fire sprinkler law for our city.  The law requires fire sprinklers in all new one and two family residential structures built here in Baltimore after July 1, 2010.  On that date, we believe Baltimore becomes the largest city in the United States to require residential sprinkler systems in newly constructed one and two family homes.  Experience from around the country where residential sprinklers are required tells us that this important public safety legislation will save many lives in the years ahead.  

Much of the credit for the new law goes to our Fire Marshal, Raymond O’Brocki and our Maryland State Fire Marshal, Mr. William Barnard. Both are true professionals. I know it takes a lot of courage to stand up to the lobbyists for the construction industry, but our elected officials decided this life safety effort was critical to achieving our goal of Zero Fire Deaths. I am extremely proud to serve with each and every one of them. 

Judge okays 9-11 settlement: From the New York Times- 

A federal judge formally approved a settlement on Wednesday between the city and workers who say their health was damaged during rescue and cleanup operations at ground zero, allowing the agreement to move forward to a vote by more than 10,000 plaintiffs. 

At least 95 percent of the workers — including firefighters and police officers, building janitors and volunteers — must approve the settlement by Sept. 30 for it to take effect. Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein of the United States District Court in Manhattan described the deal as “fair, adequate and reasonable” and urged the workers to accept it. 

New fire commissioner in Chicago: A 33-year-veteran and third-generation firefighter is the new man in charge. Read more about Robert Hoff. 

Firefighter fights back after being sued by chief and deputy chief: An update on a Halifax, Nova Scotia story where the brass is suing over what was said about them on the Internet by a firefighter. The firefighter says he is a whistleblower about safety issues. Read the details.

Above, a December 21, 2009 story from WIVB-TV

Excerpts from an article today in The Buffalo News by Thomas J. Prohaska:

The city is trying to terminate Firefighter Michael Collette, at least in part for acting in a movie while he was off work on disability.

Two sources with knowledge of the details of the case said Thursday that the state Workers’ Compensation Board is about to charge Collette with a Class E felony for allegedly defrauding the disability system.

Penalties would include repayment of all compensation benefits since the finding of fraud, and a lifetime ban from ever receiving such benefits again, said the officials, who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak on a confidential personnel matter.

Alderman Joseph C. Kibler, who serves on the board, said the reason for trying to fire Collette was “because of fraud. He was making money while on disability. . . . That’s a no-no.”

Collette said in an e-mail, “I can’t comment on what Mr. Kibler said and perhaps he should not be commenting either, as there has not been a hearing and I have not been terminated.”

It was believed he had a small part in the movie “Henry’s Crime,” starring Keanu Reeves, which filmed scenes in downtown Buffalo in December. Many in and out of City Hall were convinced by a photograph published in The Buffalo News or by videotape aired on two Buffalo television newscasts that Collette was the man playing a security guard in a bank robbery scene, filmed Dec. 16.

“Somebody on workers’ comp should not be in a full sprint down Main Street,” said the source, who insisted on anonymity.

Kibler said that was not Collette’s only source of outside income, but he wouldn’t disclose the others. However, it is known that Collette operates a transportation company, Mac Limousine, which provided service for the moviemakers while they were in Buffalo.

The city has been battling with Collette for more than a year. He went off active duty in March 2009, although he said he hurt his back moving a box of files in the firehouse in October 2008.