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Pictures from the Jacksonville Fire Museum

Firefighter's first hand account of the fire

Reporter's account of the fire

Newsreel account of fire

The Roosevelt Hotel burned a little more than 48 years ago in Jacksonville, Florida. While I was vaguely aware of the fire I had never seen this footage before. It is more than 11 minutes of film, apparently shot by local TV crews on Sunday, December 29, 1963. The fire left 22 people dead and injured more than 100, including 20 Jacksonville firefighters. Among the dead was Assistant Fire Chief James Romedy, who apparently suffered a heart attack while directing rescue efforts. The film was uploaded yesterday to the YouTube Channel for IAFF Local 122. The union dedicated it to Chief Romedy.

Spend a few minutes watching the film, particularly the daring ladder rescues with ground ladders used to extend the reach of the ladder trucks. One of the ground ladders comes crashing down at 3:55 in the film.

This fire occurred a little more than a month after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The hotel was packed with guests in town for the Gator Bowl held the day before the fire, where the University of North Carolina beat the Air Force Academy 35-0.

Here's a summary of the fire from the Jacksonville Fire Museum's website: 

 The fire started shortly before 7:30 am in the ballroom ceiling on the first floor of the 13-story, 300 room luxury hotel. Firefighters arrived on scene to find people hanging out of windows by tied-together bed linens. The United States Navy suppled eight helicopters for rescuing victims trapped higher than aerial ladders could reach. These victims were air lifted to neighboring parking garages for treatment by rescue personnel. A Second Alarm was struck at 7:47am, followed by a Third Alarm at 7:50. A Fourth and General Alarm was sounded at 7:57am.

The fire was extinguished within two hours. In all, 475 people were rescued. 21 people were found dead in their beds during a secondary search of the hotel.

Among the distinguished guests in the hotel at the time were Norm Sloan, the head basketball coach at the University of Florida, and 1963 Miss America Donna Axum. Axum was treated for smoke inhalation and burns to her throat and nose. She was bed ridden for several days.

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This was a case of safety inspectors seeing a picture in the newspaper of a fire inspector doing his job and not liking what they were seeing.

Toby Rey, a veteran firefighter, has spent the last six years in the fire marshal's office in Santa Rosa, California. One part of his job, according to The Press-Democrat, is "to ensure solar panels on roofs comply with setbacks designed to keep firefighters safe."

In August, a picture of Rey was made the front page of The Press Democrat to help illustrate a story looking at conflicts that arise as Rey and others enforce the new solar panel rules (here's the August article).

When folks from Cal-OSHA saw the picture they noticed that Rey was 24-feet off the ground on the roof with no safety equipment. They issued the fire department a $2700 fine that Rey thinks is ridiculous and his bosses are trying to deal with.

Here's more an excerpt the article by Kevin McCallum:

When firefighters fight fires, they are exempt from Cal-OSHA rules regarding heights and other risk inherent in doing their jobs, said Dean Frye, a Cal-OSHA spokesman. But inspections fall under the same requirements that apply to anyone doing construction.

In this case, a harness or other fall protection measure has to be worn by employees “whose work exposes them to falling in excess of 7½ feet from the perimeter of a structure” or other unprotected edges or steep slopes, according to the code.

Rey said he knows what kinds of roof surfaces to avoid, noting he did not go on a tile roof that same day because of the risk of slipping.

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No details on when or where in Milwaukee this fire was. I do like the firefighter who provides prevention material to the neighbors while the house is still belching smoke. You certainly have them thinking about that topic. Talk about striking when the iron's hot.

Click here for more of our continuing coverage of Tragedy Averted at 30 Rock

I would like to tell you that STATter911.com has an enormous influence in the world of news. That, like Reggie Jackson, we are the straw that stirs the drink. Not with the Yankees, of course, but in our sphere, which is the giant media industrial complex.

I admit that probably isn't the case and it is just wishful thinking on my part. Though, we were the first to point out an important fact about an earth shattering … actually, make that ear shattering … story that rocketed across the news landscape on Tuesday evening.

I know many of you will long remember where you were and exactly what you were doing when NBC's Brian Williams delivered the news with the damn fire alarm sounding in the studio at 30 Rock. We all sat on the edge of our seats, in tears, fearing for Brian's safety.

I know what I was doing. I wasn't watching NBC Nightly News (sorry Brian). But I do remember exactly what I was doing when I first became aware of this tragic incident about an hour after it occurred. I was searching for the usual fire porno that makes this website so beloved in the fire service. That's when I came across the video of the event that horrified a nation.

What I noticed as I read stories about the ordeal at 30 Rock is that not one article mentioned Brian Williams' checkered past, which I thought, using the instinct that only comes from being a washed-up, has-been newsman, quite relevant to the story. 

So, I posted the video and became the first to remind people that Brian Williams had been a volunteer firefighter as a teenager. I also mentioned that there will be some in the STATter911.com audience who will criticize him for not setting a good example to the public in staying put while the fire alarm sounded (though I did try to come to his defense a bit in our comments section).

That point was picked up (with a little help from me) by two people whose blogs actually do have a lot of influence in the media world, Al Tompkins of The Poynter Institute and Jim Romenesko, formerly with Poynter, now at JimRomenesko.com..

It was interesting that many stories the next day suddenly mentioned Brian's firefighter past. But it wasn't until last night that this aspect of the story became big news when it was picked up by our real newscast of record, The Daily Show.

Did Daily News anchor Jon Stewart mention which news organization first uncovered this crucial part of the story that's gripping the nation? Well, actually no.

Did Brian Williams, who shared with me his inner most personal thoughts about being a volunteer firefighter when we both worked the mean streets of Washington as reporters almost 30-years-ago, write to STATter911.com to answer some of the criticism from our readers? The answer again, sadly, is no.

Did Brian Williams, instead, make an appearance on The Daily Show? That answer would be yes, with an explanation.

Now for that explanation. Here's why Williams went on Stewart's show but dissed Statter. It has to do with all of the appearances by Brian Williams in recent years on shows like SNL and 30 Rock?

Brian Williams has finally learned that news is not really his strong point (I tried to convince him, unlike me, he had no future in the business back in 1983). But he has a knack for comedy and loves doing it. In addition, Brian Williams secretly craves the prestige and influence that goes with Jon Stewart's job.

I will go a step further and predict when the investigation into this near catastrophe at 30 Rock is completed you will find the fingerprints of one man and one man only all over that fire alarm. Brian Williams pulled that alarm not only to get his mug on The Daily Show but to have something for his resume reel to put him in a better position to slide right into the anchor seat when this Walter Cronkite of the 21st Century, Jon Stewart, decides to step down as America's most trusted newsman. I rest my case. 

At least two teachers are dead and 46 others have been injured from a fire on Saturday at the Baraim Al-Watan all-girls school in Saudi Arabia’s coastal city of Jeddah.

From the website France 24:

As the fire ate its way through the three-storey building from an underground level, girls dangled themselves from windowsills on the top floor before dropping to the ground in a bid to save themselves from the flames.

 

According to media reports, emergency rescue teams managed to help evacuate more than 840 students and employees from the structure, which houses a pre-primary, primary and middle school.

 

The incident has triggered criticism of how emergency situations are dealt with in Saudi Arabia, and prompted several parents to demand improved safety standards for the country’s public and private schools.

 

Habitat for Humanity International opposes residential sprinklers in 2008

Tennessee Habitat homes burn not long after sprinkler opposition

You may recall the story we ran in 2008 about Habitat for Humanity International supporting the National Association of Home Builders in opposing residential sprinklers. At the time Elizabeth Blake, senior vice president of advocacy, government affairs and legal with Habitat for Humanity said, "Our affiliates build all across the country and around the world. Mandating fire sprinklers fails to recognize their varying needs, and runs the risk of requiring something that may be impractical for some of our partner families. Habitat's mission is to provide simple, decent and affordable shelter for families. Each home we don't build due to an added and unjustified regulatory requirement such as this can leave yet another family in substandard housing."

Some state affiliates of Habitat have not followed the International's lead and have embraced sprinklers have had them installed in Habitat homes. Apparently that's not the case in Maryland and firefighters are taking a stand. Here's the story from the AP (with special thanks to my former colleague Jessica Glasser for sending us the story):

Some western Maryland firefighters are refusing to help Habitat for Humanity build a house meant to honor them unless a sprinkler system is added to the plans.
           
The Herald-Mail newspaper of Hagerstown reports that the Washington County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association is standing firm to make a point.
           
Volunteer firefighter Blaine Snyder said Wednesday that sprinklers save lives. The fire and rescue association wants local governmental bodies to require them in new homes.
           
Washington County and the city of Hagerstown require sprinklers for some new construction but not for single-family detached homes like the "Heroes House" that Habitat is planning.
           
Local Habitat official Sherry Brown Cooper says the "Heroes House" project will proceed, with or without the fire and rescue association's help.

More videos of fire during Rihanna concert

Looking at the video above and numerous others from last night's concert by Rihanna at the American Airlines Center, a little talk between the Dallas Fire Department and arena officials about evacuation procedures i probably in order. Something caught fire in a light grid area above the stage (one news account has it as a light and wiring and another quoes a fire captain saying a chair was burning). Concert goers say the fire broke out after on-stage pyrotechnics (this video shows some of the fireworks).

Whatever the source and the material burning it is clear that they had a bit of fire burning overhead with not a small amount of embers dropping below and smoke starting to billow through the arena. Guess who they made sure got out of there right away? Here's how WDFW-TV describes it:

Rihanna, dressed in a floor-length, canary-colored gown with bejeweled black and white neckline, quickly exited the stage. The light was fully on fire at that point.

WFAA-TV has this account:

Rihanna "ran off the stage," according to Elizabeth Teller, who attended the event.

Guess whose safety, based on the videos I have seen, was not a priority during this fire? Listening to and watching the video above the first announcement to leave comes almost five minutes after that video began rolling and after someone had used a fire extinguisher on the fire.

The video immediately below begins just as the last chord of what turned out to be the final song of the night was played. It has a much closer view of the activity and flaming debris that was falling. And below that are more angles including an on scene report from a citizen journalist.

At some point later the fire alarm does kick in (you can hear it on this video).

A five-minute or longer decision making progress when fire is burning above an audience in a packed arena seems a bit excessive and potentially dangerous to me.

Previous coverage of this story

One thing the lawyers for the company that owned the TV station where I used to work drummed into our heads was what to do if you made a mistake in a story. The answer was pretty basic and pretty smart, clearly correct the record and apologize immediately. It won't always make all problems vanish but it sets you in the right direction for cutting your losses and getting the problem behind you. And more important, it's the right thing to do.

But too often organizations don't see that as an important first step when it is very clear someone has screwed up. Some lawyers or bosses will tell you to just shut up.

Spalding County, Georgia Captain Lee Slaughter told ABC's 20/20 that's exactly what happened when he learned one of his firefighters, Terrence Reid, had taken and distributed cell phone video of a dead woman who was in an automobile collision last July 17. The victim was Dayna Kempson and, as I am sure most of you know, that video eventually found its way to Kempson's father. Jeff Kempson went public with the story in October.

Reid was fired and Slaughter was one of seven firefighters disciplined because of Reid's actions. But according to Jeff Kempson, the apology from Captain Slaughter (in the video above) is the only official one the Kempsons have received. Congratulations to Captain Slaughter for doing what is right even when those above him couldn't find the decency to do the same much earlier in this process. 

You have to ask yourself what were Slaughter's bosses and the Spalding County lawyers thinking. There was no doubt from the start that this was an enormous screw-up on the part of Firefighter Reid and the department. Knowing that, it seems to me that the one of the initial and most important steps in trying to make this right should have been to first privately and then publicly apologize to Dayna Kempson's family. Not doing so is a great insult on top of the injury the department already inflicted.

Here's more from the ABC News story:

Slaughter, as acting scene commander, was chastised in the investigators' report for not properly supervising the scene and for being unaware Reid was taking the video.

Slaughter agreed to speak to "20/20" to apologize to the Kempsons on behalf of the fire department. During the investigation, he said, he was prohibited from contacting the couple.

"We never got an opportunity to tell the family," he said, "that we're very sorry that this happened and we did not, or do not condone what his young man did."

The Kempsons said that's the first official apology they've received. They're still waiting for one from Terrence Reid.

If you view the clips that follow Captain Slaughter's apology you will see 20/20 focused on an aspect of the story that is similar to what I brought up the other day about a problem in Pasadena, Texas. In that case the fire chief discovered, despite handling the issue three years ago when a firefighter took nude pictures of his wife inside the fire station and posted them on the Internet, the offending pictures are sill on the web haunting the department.

Similarly, the video of Dayna Kempson is still on the Internet and probably always will be. The other clips are interviews with experts about the legalities of the Internet and tips on how Kempson's grandparents can try to make sure Dayna's children don't stumble upon those images.

Okay, which is it? Below is a list I put together from a quick scan of the Internet. It shows various versions of one of the most common phrases the fire service tells the public. As you will see there is clear lack of agreement over how long it takes a fire to double in size.

The countdown below starts at four-minutes and goes to a few seconds. These are all from fire department, government and commercial websites. That I can see, none of these claims shows a source to back up these seemingly authoritative statements.

I'm sure there are some fire service veterans reading this who can tell me where and how this "doubling in size" idea began. I am also sure I am not the first to ask this question. But If you can, please share with the class what study originally prompted this statement and the length of time that is correct.

"Statistically, a fire in a home doubles in size about every 4 minutes." – Town of Yarmouth (ME)

"A barn fire doubles in size every 3 minutes." –  FireTracker.ca

"A fire can double in size every 2-3 minutes." – Albemarle County Fire & Rescue (VA)

"Household fires double in size every two and half minutes!" – Hammond Security

"On average, a fire doubles in size every 2 minutes." – Addison FPD (IL)

"Time is the mortal enemy of firefighters, since fire doubles in size every 90 seconds." – brookshirescombat.com

"A fire doubles in size every minute." – safehome.com; Merengo FPD (IL)

" Rate of growth – a typical uncontrolled fire will double in size every 45 to 60 seconds." – University Apartments, Residence Life (Michigan State University) 

"Fires double in size every 30 seconds." – Iowa State University; Houston FD

"A home fire doubles in size every 30 seconds." – City of Phoenix

"A typical house fire doubles in size every 30 seconds. Using those figures, in 5 minutes, a small trash can fire will grow to over a 1000 square feet." – Parkersburg FD (WV)

"Fire doubles in size every 20 seconds." – Hawkeye Alarm; Chili FD (NY); Webco Security

"A fire doubles in size every 19 seconds!" - Community for Mental Health Central Michigan

"Fire Doubles in size every 18 seconds." – AmericanProtection.com

"Did you know that a fire can double in size every 10 to 20 seconds?" – Great Southern Wood Preserving

"Fire doubles in size every 14 seconds for the first 5 to 7 minutes." – Chesapeake FD (VA)

"A fire can double in size every 3 seconds". – Custom Security, Baton Rouge 

"Once flames break out a fire doubles in size every few seconds." – Amerigard.com

"Small fires double in size every few seconds." – Coon Rapids FD ((MN)

The last time I brought up this topic, I was accused of supporting a nanny state right here in my home county. This time I really have nothing to say. The video speaks for itself.