A young kid with a camera captured this video as firefighters in Loudoun County, Virginia pulled up to the scene of two closely built single family homes of lightweight construction burning on Saturday just before 5:00 PM. Three firefighters received minor injuries. Two other homes were damaged. The news reports don’t say, but I am imagine from melted siding.
I know this is nothing new to any of you who fight fires in suburbia (and it isn’t new to me), but how sad is it that there is such a large fire loss from a daytime fire. We can thank the great “progress” our nation’s home builders have made with construction techniques over the last 30 years for outcomes like this one. Scenes repeated all over the country every day. Disposable homes thanks to political leaders who choose the big money over protecting the people who elected them (yes I know, what a shock!).
Owning your own detached single family home used to mean, short of an explosion, you really didn’t have to worry about the fire safety of your neighbors. As I know many of you will tell me, this isn’t bad. They are lucky three or four homes weren’t cooking when firefighters arrived on Saturday. Maybe because these homes aren’t built quite as close to one another as other developments.
Folks in South Riding and all of the South Ridings across the country should be outraged. They should demand their political leaders say no to the home builders and stop them from building homes like this unless they include residential sprinklers. Of course that isn’t going to happen.
Below is raw video taken a little later in the operation.
And at the bottom of the page is a story I did in July, 2007 with Keith Brower, the current Loudoun County fire chief, when he was fire marshal. It compares two house fires that occurred on the same day. One of the homes was made the old fashioned way and the other was built like the homes in South Riding.
And by the way, would everyone please stop giving the youngster who was taking the video grief (I am talking about the people you hear on the video)? Lighten up and give the kid a break. I guess I am just grouchy tonight.
The 4:49 p.m. fire, which began in a home at 43341 Nicklaus Lane, caused an estimated $1 million in damage, according to Mary Maguire, public affairs officer for Loudoun Fire-Rescue Services.
ThA total of 22 occupants of the four affected homes were temporarily displaced by the blaze. Twelve of those occupants from two homes were able to return once electrical service was restored, Maguire said.
According to fire and emergency officials, the fire started when a resident carried a container of oil that had overheated on the stove to the garage and left it there. While it was sitting in the garage, the oil heated items in the garage to a smolder. When the garage door was opened, the incoming oxygen fueled the smoldering fire, causing it to spread quickly.
UPDATE – Shortly after we posted the video above the owner of the clip received a request from local firefighters to make the video private until after Lt. Kampmeyer's funeral. She has honored that request.
Arrangements for Colby FD Lt. Jamison Kampmeyer:
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, March 9, 2012, at St Bernard's Catholic Church, Abbotsford. Father Daniel Hackel will officiate.
Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery, Colby. Members of the Marathon County Sherriff's Department, Colby Volunteer Fire Department and the Marathon County Honor Guard will serve as pallbearers. Visitation will be held from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 8, 2012, at St Bernard's Catholic Church, Abbotsford and on Friday from 9:30 a.m. until service time at the church.
“There's a lot of confusion right now as to why it had to happen,” (Abbotsford Fire Chief Jody) Apfelbeck said.
The fire chief said while attacking flames from inside the theater, the call went out to crews to get out of the building but some didn’t get the warning in time.
“The roof collapsed, trapping three firefighters inside. One firefighter, Jamison Kampmeyer of Colby, a volunteer with the Colby fire Department and a deputy with the Marathon County Sheriff's Department was fatally injured,” Apfelbeck said.
These are pictures are from Julie Miklaszewicz who runs RVing Outpost, LLC – On-Line Store!. Julie was on the scene of the Abby Theater fire in Abbotsford, Wisconsin on Sunday before the first firefighters arrived. She was also there through the collapse that killed Colby FD Lt. Jamison Kampmeyer and injured four other firefighters.
Julie has given us permission to use these photos and has many more pictures from the fire on her Facebook page.
NOTE: There apparently have been some issues with the release of the name of the firefighter killed when a theater roof collapsed in Abbotsford, Wisconsin on Sunday. According to news reports, this morning, before the name was officially released, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker posted condolences to Jamison Kampmeyer's family via social media. Some news organizations used that as confirmation, though later in the day Governor Walker's post had been removed. We decided to wait until there was official confirmation, which WEAU-TV reports has now occurred.
We now know the name of the firefighter who died in a devastating fire in Clark County.
The Marathon County Administrator's Office says Jamison Kampmeyer died. He worked for the Marathon County Sheriff's Department since April, 2004. He has three kids, the youngest being 4-months-old.
Authorities have not yet released the name however Governor Scott Walker sent out his condolences over social media to the family of Marathon County Deputy Sheriff Jamison Kampmeyer Monday morning. Around 8:00 a.m., the Governor wrote "Our prayers are with family of Marathon Co Deputy Sheriff Jamison Kampmeyer who died as a volunteer fire fighter."
A firefighter who died Sunday during a fire in Abbotsford was also a Marathon County Sheriff’s Deputy, and had been with the department since 2004. Jamison Kampmeyer died while fighting a fire at the Abby Theatre in Abbotsford. Three other firefighters were also injured when the structure’s roof collapsed.
The County has not released the man’s name; however Gov. Scott Walker posted condolences to the man’s family this morning on Facebook.
A press conference is expected to be held today to announce the identity of a firefighter from the Colby Fire Department who died yesterday after the collapse of a snow covered roof during a fire in the Abby Theater in Abbotsford, Wisconsin. Below is the latest information.
Clark County officials in central Wisconsin say a Colby firefighter died while helping fire crews from nearby Abbotsford battle a fire Sunday afternoon.
The towns are just west of Wausau.
The fire gutted the historic Abby Theatre in downtown Abbotsford.
The Abbotsford fire chief says the roof of the theatre was weighed down by snow, and collapsed during the fire.
The fire, reported at about noon, inflicted "substantial damage" to the theater in the 200 block of North First Street, Apfelbeck said. The four exterior walls were left standing, but the "roof completely collapsed," he said.
"There was a lot of heat, a lot of smoke," said Apfelbeck, soot coating his clothes and face, after most of the fire had been extinguished. "It was a bad fire."
Apfelbeck said the collapsed ceiling trapped three firefighters inside. The other two firefighters suffered injuries from falling bricks, he said.
We regret to advise you that a Firefighter from the Colby (WI) FD was killed in the Line of Duty this afternoon-while on a mutual aid fire call. The fire was in the Abby Theater in Abbotsford and is reportedly a major loss-it started around noon. At some point during the operation, several Firefighters were injured when the roof collapsed. EMS units as well as a medical helicopter transported.
Four firefighters battling the blaze were transported to the emergency room in Marshfield, including one who was airlifted by the Spirit helicopter, according to Abbotsford fire chief Jody Apfelbeck.
The ceiling caved in while firefighters were inside the theatre and an unspecified number of them were trapped, he said.
The Clark County Coroner says one of the four firefighters injured when the roof of the Abby Theatre collapsed, has died.
He isn't releasing a name at this time. NewsChannel 7 has learned a press conference is scheduled for tomorrow. A location and time have not been released.
On this page are a series of pre-arrival videos from a fire late Tuesday afternoon in a sawdust storage building at Carris Reels Company on Randolph Street in Enfield, Connecticut. Witnesses say there was an initial explosion and on the videos you will hear and see a number of other blasts.
The explosion occurred in a building used to store sawdust around 5:15 p.m., said Bill Ferguson, production manager for Carris Reels.
The storage building was rebuilt in the 1970s, and stores trailers which are filled with sawdust via a pipe from the main plant, said Mark Zarcaro, public information officer for the Enfield fire departments.
MAKE SURE YOU LISTEN to the interesting narration from htfdfire.com on the video immediately below discussing the response time and actions of the responding departments. In his description posted with the video he congratulates "everyone for saving the concrete walls and flooring!!" and writes, "THIS is why there are PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS and PAID Departments!! ."
Below that are two higher quality pre-arrival videos, also showing the early firefighting operations.
This morning the DC Firefighters Burn Foundation posted this picture and update on the Foundation's Facebook page with the latest on Bladensburg VFD's Firefighter Kevin O'Toole. They report that Firefighter O'Toole was up and around a bit today and will go for a second round of skin grafts tomorrow. As we reported late last night Firefighter Ethan Sorrell was brought home from the burn unit by Bladensburg's Truck 809 and is back with his family in North Carolina.
Photo by Billy McNeel of Firefighter Sorrell's radio on display at this afternoon's press conference.
At a press conference this afternoon, PGFD announced that an investigation shows the fire Friday night on 57th Avenue that injured seven firefighters was deliberately set.
Here's a press release from PGFD Chief Spokesman Mark Brady:
A fire occurred on Friday, February 24, 2012, at 9:11 P.M., in which 7 firefighters were injured and treated at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Six of those injured have been released, with 1 remaining in the Burn Unit. A Press Conference was held at the Fire/EMS Departments Cranford-Graves Fire Services Building in Landover Hills. The purpose was to bring everyone up to date with the firefighter injuries and announce the cause and origin of the fire.
Prince George’s County Fire Chief Marc Bashoor was elated to announce that Bladensburg Volunteer Fire Fighter Ethan Sorrell has been released from the hospital. Ethan was released on Tuesday evening. He was injured in the fire on Friday evening, February 24, 2012. Bladensburg Volunteer Chief Randy Kuenzil informed Chief Bashoor that Sorrell will have a follow up appointment next week. Sorrell returned home with his parents to North Carolina for about a week or until his follow up visit next week.
Upon his return he will more than likely reside at the Bladensburg Fire/EMS Station and make follow-up medical appointments and spending most of his time at the Burn Unit with his fellow firefighter, Kevin O’Toole. He remains in "Critical" but "Stable" condition. Kevin is undergoing medical procedures and skin graph surgeries and is expected to remain in the Burn Unit for up six weeks.
Photo by PGFD's Mark Brady.
As with any fire of this magnitude, a complete and thorough investigation into the cause and origin is conducted. This particular investigation involved investigators from the Prince George’s County Fire/Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Department’s Office of the Fire Marshal; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; County Police Department; and the State’s Attorney’s Office. Investigators have worked around the clock since the incident occurred to determine the cause and origin of the fire.
The investigative team has determined the fire that occurred at 6404 57th Avenue in Riverdale is the result of arson, the area of origin is the basement. The house next door, 6402 57th Avenue, where a previously unreported fire occurred on an earlier date, is also being investigated as arson. Investigators reached this conclusion based on evidence collected at the scene of both fires. Because this is an open and on-going criminal investigation, evidence cannot and will not be discussed.
Prince George’s County Fire Chief Marc S. Bashoor stated, “We will leave no stone unturned. Every resource available to us will be used to find the person(s) responsible for setting this fire. Once the responsible person(s) have been identified, we will work with the State’s Attorney to ensure they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
States Attorney Angela Alsobrooks spoke and stated, "I am impressed with the case that investigators have put together and agree with the Fire Chief in that we will prosecute the responsible person to the fullest extent of the Law."
In addition to criminal charges related to arson, there could be criminal charges stemming from the injuries to the firefighters.
We are asking for the community‘s involvement and assistance in helping to identify the person(s) responsible for setting these fires. If you have information about either of these incidents, call Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). You may also send your tips, SECURELY and ANONYMOUSLY, via TEXT MESSAGE by typing "PGPD" plus your message, and sending it from your cell phone to "CRIMES" (274637). If your information leads the capture of any of these fugitives, you may be eligible for a CASH REWARD up to $1,000.
The Prince George’s County Arson Tip Line will also accept information at 301-77-ARSON, or email 77ARSON@co.pg.md.us.
This picture was posted to Facebook this evening by Bladensburg VFD Captain Kyle Schultz showing Firefighter Ethan Sorrell being released from the Medstar Burn Unit at the Washington Hospital Center. Sorrell was brought home on Truck 809, the rig that took him to the fire on 57th Avenue Friday night when he was burned.
Bladensburg VFD Firefighter Kevin O'Toole remains at the burn unit and is expected to do for some time due to burns over 40% of his body.
Earlier today PGFD Chief Spokesman Mark Brady issued this press release outlining the three pronged investigation Chief Marc Bashoor has ordered looking into Friday night's fire that injured seven firefighters:
Prince George's County Fire Chief Marc S. Bashoor has stated that he will ensure a thorough and complete investigation into the incident that resulted in seven firefighters being injured. On Friday evening, February 24, 2012, firefighters responded to 911 reports of a house fire at 6404 57th Avenue in Riverdale. Two of the injured firefighters remain hospitalized in the Burn Unit at Medstar at the Washington Hospital Center.
In order to discover the chain of events and circumstances which contributed to the outcome of this incident, Fire Chief Bashoor has issued a high-priority directive for the Department to immediately embark on a thorough investigation which will involve three parallel, ongoing and interrelated disciplines:
• Determination of Cause and Origin – as is customarily conducted under the direction of our Office of the Fire Marshall.
• An Operational Review and After Action Report – Conducted under the direction of our Emergency Services Command.
• A Thorough Safety Audit of the Incident – by a Safety Investigation Team (SIT), this will be conducted under the direction of the Risk Management and Safety Office, by both internal and external partners that the Fire Chief will select.
Fire Chief Bashoor wrote to members of the Fire/EMS Department, "If we are to truly learn from this experience, we MUST first be honest with ourselves and honest and forthcoming with information that these teams will need."
It is important to note that all three Investigative Teams will be regularly communicating their progress. The SIT will be selected from both internal and external resources to assure independent verification of fact.
Bashoor stated. "It is my intent to leave no stone un-turned and no question un-asked as we seek to discover the contributing factors that precipitated this incident. As Fire Chief, I commit to you that each of these inquests will be open and honest. I further commit that the eventual findings will be promptly released in the form of a written After Action Report." He concluded, "This After Action Report will serve to benefit not only firefighters in Prince George's County but will be made available to all fire departments to assist them in avoiding similar circumstances."
An annoucemnt concernng the cause and origin of the fire is ecpected within the next 24 to 48 hours.
Officials now say five students have been injured in a shooting at Chardon High School.
Three of the victims–all said to be students–were taken to Metro by Life Flight. Two of the victims were taken to Hillcrest Hospital.
The victims were found in three locations inside the school.
The gunman–also believed to be a student–is in custody. The sheriff says the teen turned himself in to bystanders off site from the school in Chardon Township.
From the AP:
A gunman opened fire inside a high school's cafeteria at the start of the school day Monday, wounding four students, officials said. A suspect was in custody.
FBI agent Scott Wilson said there was one suspected shooter. He wouldn't discuss the extent of the students' injuries.
The shooting was reported around 7:30 a.m. at the 1,100-student Chardon High School about 30 miles east of Cleveland, said Civil Deputy Erin Knife of the Geauga County Sheriff's Office.
Television news footage showed anxious parents escorting children away from a school building, and ambulances could be seen outside.
"We don't have any status updates on the students," Chardon schools spokeswoman Ellen Ondrey told The Associated Press. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to them. We are very concerned."
A spokeswoman for Cleveland's MetroHealth System said a medical helicopter was dispatched to the high school. Angela Kiska, of the Cleveland Clinic, told WJW-TV in Cleveland that two of the victims were transported to Hillcrest Hospital.
Bob Herp, a Chardon trauma nurse, was at a command scene at a local Wal-Mart store where he told WEWS-TV helicopters were on the ground.
From WKYC-TV.
Ondrey said all classes in the district were cancelled.
Students at the high school and middle school had already started their day when the shooting happened, but bus runs for elementary school children were stopped, Ondrey said.
Parents of high school students were told to go to Maple Elementary School to pick up their children.
"We want to make clear that the students are safe," she said, advising parents not to rush to pick up students because the area is "extremely congested. The lines are very long."
Previous coverage of this story here, here and here
Photos and information from PGFD Chief Spokesman Mark Brady:
Parents of three volunteer firefighters injured in a house fire on Friday evening spoke to members of the media today to personally describe their sons medical status.
Parents of the three firefighters; McClary, Sorrell and O’Toole, County Fire Chief Bashoor and Bladensburg Volunteer Chief Randy Kuenzli all spoke.
The group took a moment from the Fourth Floor East Burn Unit at Medstar at the Washington Hospital Center and spoke near the front entrance to the hospital.
The mother of Riverdale Volunteer Fire Fighter Michael McClary spoke on his behalf and explained that he had been released yesterday. Fire Fighter McClary suffered injuries to his ribs and burns to both hands. Cheryl McClary emotionally stated, “We are very thankful and our hearts are still with the ones that are still in hospital.”
Jeff and Jane O'Toole.
Vann and Kathy Sorrell of Buies Creek, North Carolina, and Jeff and Jane O’Toole of Bethpage, New York, each spoke with members of the media. The parents, no strangers to the fire service, each described their sons current medical status and spoke highly of the care they are receiving at the Burn Unit. They also spoke highly of the support system provided by members of the fire service and the DC Firefighters Burn Foundation. Both injured firefighters remain in “Critical” and “Stable” condition. Their parents describe them as being in relatively good spirits and showing some signs of improvement. Each has a long road to recovery.
Vann and Kathy Sorrell.
Jeff O’Toole stated his son has at least 6 weeks in the Burn Unit with another 6 months of physical rehabilitation after that. Kevin O’Toole sustained burns over 40% of his body. He is scheduled for skin graph procedure on Monday. Kevin can communicate by talking.
Ethan Sorrell remains intubated, however, is conscious, and communicates by writing notes. He is scheduled for examinations tomorrow that can help determine the extent of his airway burns.
The Burn Units Medical Staff allowed Ethan to walk over to visit Kevin for a short period of time.
Mark Brady notes that both fathers, Vann Sorrell and Jeff O'Toole, are also firefighters.
PGFD Chief Marc Bashoor and Bladensburg VFD Chief Randy Kuenzli.
Notes: Bladensburg VFD Chief Randy Kuenzli confirms both Firefighter Ethan Sorrell and Firefighter Kevin O'Toole have connections to other departments in addition to Bladensburg VFD. Sorrell at the Buies Creek FD in North Carolina and O'Toole at the Bethpage FD on Long Island.
Also, this fire occurred on the same side of 57th Avenue just a few doors away from a November 2008 house fire that left two Riverdale VFD firefighters with burns after a flashover.
In addition, Mark Brady tells STATter911.com the annual banquet for Bladensburg VFD is tonight and that both firefighters have indicated to Chief Kuenzli they want the events to go on as scheduled and for everyone to enjoy themselves.
This fire was at 6318 57th Avenue on November 21, 2008. The flashover burned two firefighters from Riverdale. Picture by Tony George. See more pictures.
Bladensburg Volunteer Fire Fighter Ethan Sorrell, 21 years of age, remains in "Critical" condition with burns to his airway. Family members left Durham NC, last night to be with him today.
Bladensburg Volunteer Fire Fighter Kevin O’Toole, 22 years of age, was evaluated late last night/early this morning as being in "Critical" condition with 2nd and 3rd degree burns over 40% of his body. Family members from Long Island, NY, were en route last night to be with Kevin.
Riverdale Volunteer Fire Fighter Michael McLary, 19 years of age, continued to receive treatment for injuries to his upper body/ribs. His ribs are not fractured, however, bruised with possible cartilage damage. He may be released as early as today. Family members were with him last night.
Dozens of family, friends and fire service personnel have been at the hospital throughout the night with the injured firefighters and remain there today. The Burn Unit at the Washington Hospital Center, their Doctors and staff are the very best at what they do – treating burn patients.
The Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department sincerely appreciates the support provided by the DC Firefighters Burn Foundation. The Foundation is dedicated to assisting in the recovery and rehabilitation of injured firefighters and burn patients in the D.C. Metropolitan Area. Members of the Foundation were at the hospital before the first firefighter arrived and started support efforts for the injured firefighters, family and co-workers. Two of the injured firefighters have primary family members coming from out of town. The Foundation made accommodations for them at a nearby hotel and will continue to provide support for as long as is needed.
Firefighters that have been previously burned and treated at the Burn Unit become members of a fraternity. These firefighters return to the Burn Unit whenever a firefighter receives burn injuries and provide valuable insight to family, friends and co-workers about the treatment and recovery process. One of those fraternity members is Riverdale Volunteer Chief Chuck Ryan. He sustained critical burn injuries while on the job with DCFD. Ryan was at the Burn Unit overnight helping others to understand the treatment process that Bladensburg firefighters were receiving and what to expect in the days to come.
The volunteer leadership of Blandensburg, Riverdale, College Park as well as Fire Chief Marc Bashoor and the entire Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department acknowledge and are grateful the tremendous outpouring and offers of assistance from fire departments across the National Capitol Region. We are also inspired by the numerous well wishes, thoughts and prayers being offered from across the Country for our injured firefighters.
Prince George's County Fire Investigators continue their work to determine the cause and origin of the fire. The investigation is open and on-going. Fire loss to the vacant structure is estimated at $75,000.
Updates on the medical condition of the injured firefighters will be provided as additional information becomes available.
Prince George's County Fire Chief Marc S. Bashoor will be at the Washington Hospital Center and will make himself available for comment anytime after 9:30 am. Please contact me to make arrangements.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
911 centers in at least four states were getting calls today about an odor of gas that can be traced to an oil spill yesterday at a refinery in Paulsboro, New Jersey.
The spill occurred Thursday at 1:15 p.m. from an oil tank at the Paulsboro Refinery Company facility. Refinery personnel discovered the leak shortly before 1:30 p.m. Crews were able to contain the oil before it reached the Delaware River.
The Department of Environmental Protection says the spill is not expected to impact the Delaware River local drinking water supplies. Numerous residents in Salem County , Delaware County, Delaware and Maryland have complained about the smell caused by the spill. Despite this, the DEP says air monitoring indicates the odor should not cause any major health effects.
Emergency management officials believe an oil spill at a New Jersey refinery is responsible for gas odors that have been reported in Lancaster and York counties.
Randall Gockley, Lancaster County's Emergency Management Coordinator, said the county's 911 center received several reports of the odor throughout Friday morning and afternoon.
He said fire companies were sent to investigate, but found no gas leaks.
"What people are smelling is the fumes. They are attempting to control it, but the wind is blowing it toward us," said Elise Armacost, a Baltimore County police spokeswoman.
Armacost emphasized that the smell was not a public health hazard and would likely dissipate when the wind changed direction.
(Kevin of Del. EMA) Wison said the New Castle County 911 center has received numerous calls about the odor this morning and is asking that people refrain from calling 911 for petroleum odors unless they believe a true emergency exists.
Delmarva Power said it was experiencing a high volume of gas odor complaints because of the oil spill, which is similar to natural gas.
Delmarva is asking natural gas customers in northern New Castle County to recognize that there is a strong outside odor emanating from this oil spill.
On Wednesday, a Eurocopter AS350 operated by the State of Para Fire Department in Brazil broke apart after an emergency landing. There was video rolling when this occurred.
Helicopter landed due to excessive vibration, which continued as ground resonance which shook the aircraft to bits. 4POB all got out safely – the commander, the second pilot, a doctor and a nurse.
Remember the controversy last Memorial Day weekend over the drowning in Alameda, California when firefighters weren't allowed to go into the water after Raymond Zack because of a lack of training and/or certification by the firefighters? A somewhat similar incident that happened before the Alameda drowning is making headlines in the United Kingdom as part of a coroner's inquest this week.
It happened at Walpole Park in Gosport, England last March. Forty-one-year-old Simon Burgess drowned.
Testimony indicates the firefighters who arrived to see Burgess face down in the water decided from a distance there were no signs of life and waited 11 minutes for a water rescue team. They cited health and safety rules that prevent firefighters from entering water more than ankle deep. The firefighter in charge also ordered others not to go into the water.
How have we got to the stage where our emergency services are so straitjacketed by rules and regulations that they cannot walk into three feet of water to save a man’s life?
It would be easy to blame the fire chief for behaving like a fool, yet he was following a set of procedures that simply defy rational understanding.
A fire chief ordered a policeman and a paramedic to leave a drowning man in a 3ft deep lake 'because they thought he was already dead', an inquest heard.
Police Constable Tony Jones and paramedic Robert Wallace volunteered to jump into the lake but were given strict orders not to do so by fire station watch manager Tony Nicholls.
Adhering to force policy not to enter water more than 'half a boot' deep unless in a life-critical situation, he ordered his crew not to retrieve the body and to wait for the water rescue team, based at Fareham, which arrived at 12.31pm.
Deborah Coles, the control room manager at Hampshire Fire and Rescue, told the inquest that she took the call from Hughes at 12.17pm and, within a minute, had sent a fire appliance, a water rescue trained crew and a water support unit. She told the inquest, "The specialist teams are there to deal with water which is over half a boot in depth. At 12.20pm, the fire crew confirmed attendance and at 12.25 they told us a male was floating face down." She went on, "The water support unit arrived at 12.31pm. At 12.46, we received a message requesting our press officer attend the scene. At 12.52, an update came in saying a male had been recovered, and at 12.58 he was taken to hospital." Burgess was pronounced dead at 13.42.
After the hearing, Mr Burgess's father, David, said: "We will never know if Simon could have been saved, if he had been pulled from the water as soon as the emergency services arrived on the scene or if it was already too late for him.
"When a loved one is involved in an incident like this, you can only hope that everything possible is done to save them regardless of how small the chances of success are."
The picture above is from Elliot J. Goodman from yesterday's funeral for Paramedic Joshua Weissman of the Alexandria Fire Department. Below is some of the television news coverage.
In the video above, ABC7/WJLA-TV reporter Greta Kruez talked with Donald Whitacre about his son Zach who was killed this morning. Father and son were aboard Gore Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department Tanker 14 at 4:00 this morning shuttling water to a house fire in Capon Bridge, West Virginia.
Donald was behind the wheel. West Virginia State Police, according to numerous news reports, say Zach was riding in the back of the 1986 Ford when it hit an icy spot and slid into an embankment.
Zach was at least the third generation of his family involved in the fire department. He joined about a year ago.
The Frederick County Fire & Rescue Department has updated the earlier statement to include this information:
Memorial contributions may be made to Gore Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department
P.O. Box 146, Gore VIrginia 22637
A 21-year-old volunteer firefighter from the Gore Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company in Virginia was killed early Monday when the 12-hundred gallon tanker truck he was riding on overturned while fetching water to fight a house fire in neighboring Capon Bridge West Virginia.
Zachary Whitacre was thrown from the rear of the truck, which was being driven by his father Doug Whitacre, according to West Virginia State Police.
The pair had just delivered water to fight a fire on Timber Ridge Road which broke about at about 3:30 a.m. Monday. The Whitakers were going to Capon Bridge to get another load of water when Doug Whitacre lost control on U.S. Route 50 and the truck overturned after hitting a steep bank. A police press released noted icy conditions at the time.
Zachary Whitacre, a graduate of James Wood High School, was in training to become a full member of the Gore Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company, a spokesman for the Gore Volunteers said. In addition to his father, his grandfather was also a member of the fire company.
"Everybody is still kind of in shock and dealing with the emotions of it," said fellow volunteer Page Whitacre, who is not related to the victim.
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.
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.
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.
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."
The Toledo Fire Department issued a brief report after investigating how a January 13 fire in an apartment building was handled. The report was ordered following the discovery of the body of 35-year-old Delano Fleming after the 12-unit building was demolished. The fire was reported at 3:45 AM at 3125 Meadowbrook Court.
According to the report, the fire started on the second floor and was rapidly extending to the third floor and attic. Firefighters rescued four children and an adult from the second floor and conducted a "high risk search" of the third floor without water. An adult on the third floor was also brought out safely.
A first floor search had not been completed when the order to evacuate came at 4:07. Left unchecked were apartment 37 and apartment 38, where Fleming lived. Firefighters were given indication by neighbors that everyone was accounted for but went back into the building after new information was received. Details from the Toledo Blade:
While the building was still burning, crews were told that “someone may be in the apartment on the left,” which was apartment 37.
Two firefighters and the on-scene commander went into the building to search 37. One firefighter went into 38 — which had an open door, the report states.
“It was dark and he [the firefighter] felt some heat in the hall near the bedrooms. He was unable to see any furniture from his position due to the darkness,” the report, prepared by Deputy Chief Gary Martin, states. “He did not search the apartment because of the belief that everyone was accounted for and they were inside to check apartment 37.”
“At that time, we still didn’t have any information that anyone else was missing, other than to go back after they were pulled out to check 37,” said Lieutenant Hertzfeld.
Jason Low, STATter911.com reader and a firefighter at Redwood Meadows Emergency Services in for Redwood Meadows Emergency Services in Alberta, Canada sent us this information about a fire last night at a service station:
Redwood Meadows Emergency Services (RMES) along with mutual aid partners from Cochrane, Springbank, Elbow Valley, Priddis, Madden, and Langdon all worked together to extinguish a gas/service station that caught fire at 8:20pm MST Monday night. Initial reports are that a car being worked on inside the service bays contained gasoline fumes which were ignited by the overhead heater. One person sustained minor injuries.
Bragg Creek's commercial district is comprised largely of unsprinklered wooden structures. The fact that this was held to the building of origin and did not spread to the very close by strip shopping mall and another gas station can be directly attributed to effective water (tanker) shuttles and frequent pre-plan/table-top exercises by RMES.
A Bragg Creek gas station has been destroyed by a gas-fed fire, despite desperate attempts by fire crews to contain the blaze.
Firefighters spent hours battling an inferno Monday night, sparked inside a garage at the Bragg Creek Husky station on the corner of Highway 22 and Highway 22X.
Residents reported that gas inside the southwest station ignited sometime after 8 p.m.
Rob Evans, deputy fire chief with Redwood Meadows, said the blaze could have been far worse.
“Crews did a great job of saving it from going into the newer mall in Bragg Creek, as well as the old mall, “ he said.
Propane tanks in a cage outside of the gas station were whistling, said Evans — venting and ready to blow.
Evans said the preliminary cause of the fire is gasoline vapours from a vehicle being worked on in the shop at the time, ignited by a unit heater in the ceiling.
This video was uploaded to YouTube in September. Judging by the low number of views it has received, it must have not been noticed by the fire service media (that would include the editor of this site). One of our loyal readers pointed it out to us yesterday.
It is from a fire last February 4 at a home on Sixth Avenue in New Hyde Park, New York (Nassau County). Six firefighters were hurt and one of them, Firefighter Max Devane, had to be rescued from the basement. The firefighter is removed from the home at 6:40 in the video above.
Nassau County Fire Marshal Vincent McManus says two of the firefighters were in serious condition, while the other four were treated at area hospitals and released.
McManus says the firefighters were carrying a hose into the basement of the home when a sudden eruption of flames knocked them over.
Three of the firefighters immediately escaped up the stairs. One climbed out a basement window and the most seriously injured was rescued by colleagues.
Max required five weeks of hospitalization and rehabilitation to recover from his injuries and is continuing his recovery at home. Max was forced to withdraw from his college classes and has missed an entire semester of school due to his hospitalization and ongoing recovery.
Also hospitalized after the fire was Firefighter Sean Carton.
"We take what we learn and try to not let it happen again," he said. "Hopefully our guys learned a lesson from that."
The fire department took suggestions from a state inquiry conducted on the basement fire and has instituted new procedures to deal with such situations, Willers said.
Below is additional video shot after Firefighter Devane was removed.
Since we first reported the story on Sunday about a Nova Scotia man who was fatally injured in a skiing accident at Sugarloaf Ski Resort in Maine last week, like me, many of you have been waiting to hear the other side of the story. Some key information has been missing and it's possible some of those answers may come today.
So far, we only know the details provided by David Morse's widow Dana, a nurse practitioner, who says paramedics left her on the side of the road when she asked to be allowed in the patient compartment for what she believed were her husband's dying moments. In addition, Dana Morse has strongly criticized the care provided by the ambulance crew.
Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington, Maine, which runs Northstar Ambulance service, indicated it did not know about Dana Morse's complaint when contacted by the Chronicle Herald last weekend. Since then, the hospital has not been doing itself any favors by not releasing any information about the incident.
While determining the level and quality of care provided to the patient may take some time, it seems the key point of the story that has made it newsworthy, whether Dana Morse was abandoned by the side of the road, should be an easy one to figure out, along with any explanation for those actions.
Rather than provide those answers in a timely fashion, the hospital and ambulance service have stretched this reputation issue into a whole week of news stories. OnlineSentinel.com reports the wait for the rest of the story may end today after Jill Gray, community relations manager for Franklin Memorial Hospital, indicated there could be a statement released about the internal review.
Among the stories this week are the one above from NECN where the reporter talked by phone to Dana Morse's sister.
Dana Morse told the Bangor Daily News on Tuesday she believes an investigation into the handling of her husband’s case will reveal it was even worse than depicted in The Chronicle Herald story, which she said was otherwise “completely accurate.”
“I will file a formal complaint to ensure the details are available for their investigation, as the printed details in The Chronicle Herald are not even touching the surface,” she wrote to the BDN in an email, adding, “I will not provide further comments [as] my focus is my boys.”
"We’ve got to get down to the facts about what happened,” Varone told the BDN in a Wednesday evening telephone interview. “Did the transporting EMS unit en route to a hospital leave a patient’s family member by the side of the road? If that did happen, what were the grounds? As a fire service leader, I’m struggling to come up with grounds to justify that. I’m not saying they didn’t have grounds, but we’d need to know what those grounds were.”
Varone said before the public knows what the hospital’s internal review finds, “it’s not helpful to speculate.” But he said it will be important for the hospital to release its findings openly, a step medical facilities are not often required to take.
“This is something that has captured the public’s attention, and the hospital, just like any other entity, has an obligation to tell the public, ‘This is what happened — we did an investigation and, you might not like what happened, but here are the results,’” Varone said.
Excellent points, as always, by Curt. In fact, a good way to stop that speculating would have been for the hospital to provide the key facts well before now. If it is bad news for the hospital and the ambulance service, delaying the inevitable is just making it worse. If the hospital has a defensible position, they have lost a lot of opportunities to share it and possibly prevent further erosion of the ambulance service's reputation.
Those who think that just by saying "it's under investigation", or the old standby, "we can't talk because it's a personnel matter", are enough to quiet things down and give you time, can just look at this story to see what really happens. Not talking usually does little to solve a serious image problem like this one.
In addition, Curt made a good point to the Bangor Daily News, that echoes something I said in the comments section following our original post last weekend:
“How could a couple of medics have gone through this ordeal — especially if it happened the way the widow said it happened — and not report it to their supervisors?”
An early warning system, especially with bad news traveling at the speed of light in the digital age, is crucial to dealing with reputation issues. When those in charge and those responsible for addressing the press and the public have to find out the potentially bad news first from a reporter, responding properly and promptly will be even more difficult.
Stuff happens. Make sure your people know that keeping it a secret will always make things much worse.
In Cornwall, New York (Orange County) firefighters are still dealing with a fire at a former mill that came in just before 11:00 this morning. Here are all eight parts from Paul Anderson's video (bmxking1504 on YouTube). The still frames below are from Anderson's video and show the fire's spread. The top one is what it looked like when he arrived and below it is how it appeared at the end of Part 4 (not yet sure of the time interval).
In the audio above the first unit went on the scene with "fire showing all over". At 3:47 Cornwall 1 advises, "This is going to be an exterior attack. Nobody in this building."
At 16:45 the announcement is made again that this is an exterior operation. At 17:20 there are a series of messages from command telling units to get off the roof and indications from command that those orders are not be followed fast enough.
At 27:00 command becomes aware there are other firefighters operating on the interior and again orders everyone out of the building.
At 28:45 command is told that there are eight firefighters operating in the building and the roof is about to collapse. Command orders again that this is a defensive operation and tells units to sound their air horns.
There is a significant collapse at 1:15 on Part 5.
A 911 call reporting the fire on Mill Street came in shortly before 11 a.m. and firefighters are still working at the site. Part of the building is still on fire, but officials say it is now under control.
The former mill is now being used to house seven businesses, which are now destroyed.
More than 20 businesses — tech companies, food companies, food, furniture and art supply firms — are housed in the former Firth carpet company complex.
150 firefighters from 14 are fire companies are battling the stubborn fire. The flames are working their way through the large series of connected buildings that once housed the Firth mill company of Cornwall.
At 4:01 PM on January 13, 1982 Air Florida Flight 90 crashed into the icy Potomac River during a Washington snow storm. Seventy-eight people, including four who were in their vehicles on the inbound 14th Street Bridge, died in the accident. Within a half-hour of the crash into the Potomac, the area’s subway system, Metro, suffered its first fatal accident. It happened just north of the 14th street bridge in a tunnel south of the Federal Triangle station. Three people were killed and 25 were injured.
The video above is a compilation of coverage from Channel 9 in Washington. In it you will see some of the video shot by my friend Bruce Bookholtz who was on the 14th Street Bridge as five survivors were plucked from the icy Potomac by the US Park Police Eagle helicopter crew of Donald Usher and Gene Windsor. Bookholtz and reporter John Goldsmith were at nearby National Airport just prior to the crash and captured a shot of Flight 90 before take off as part of their coverage of the snow storm.
The failure of the plane to be properly deiced, along with a cockpit crew inexperienced in winter weather operations contributed to the accident, according to the NTSB. The most significant factor leading directly to the crash was the failure of the crew to use the engine anti-ice system during ground operation and takeoff. This allowed the engine pressure ratio (EPR) thrust indicators to provide false high readings. Because of it, the crew did not provide enough power to keep the Boeing 737-200 airborne and it came down just 30 seconds after leaving the National Airport runway.
The interaction of the crew and the failure of the pilot to heed warnings of the co-pilot have long been cited in the area of crew resource management for pilots and in other disciplines, including the fire service.
The Air Florida and Metro crashes were important to the fire service, particularly in the Washington, DC area, for another reason. There was little cooperation or coordination that day across jurisdictional lines. On the scene, working somewhat independently were DCFD, the Arlington County Fire Department, the National Airport Fire Department along with other resources. There was not a strong regional plan on how such disasters were to be handled, which brought much criticism.
Among the loudest critics was Channel 9 Editorial Director Rich Adams. Rich, who died in 1996, was also a columnist for Firehouse Magazine and member of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad. Rich did many on-air editorials prodding local fire service leaders to come up with better regional planning in the days and months that followed the twin disasters. Since the mid 1970s the Northern Virginia fire departments were working daily with an automatic aid policy. But that stopped at the Virginia state line. I urge you to listen to some of Rich's editorials related to the Air Florida and Metro incidents (above). Rich was an important voice in fire and EMS in the Nation's Capital and around the country.
Because of Rich and some progressive fire service leaders, the lessons learned from January 13, 1982, allowed for a much better response almost two decades later when the largest and longest DC area fire and EMS operation took place just south of the 14th Street Bridge. That, of course, was at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.
Another friend, Chester Panzer, then a videographer at Channel 7 and now at Channel 4, got the award-winning close-up video of the rescues. His account is above.
Some other notes from January 13, 1982
One story that wasn’t publicly known until I reported it on the 20th anniversary in 2002, is that the actions of another US Park Police pilot possibly saved the day. In 1982, US Park Police did not supply a snow plow for the hanger in Anacostia Park. Pilot Ron Galey took the call about the crash. As Usher and Windsor got the chopper ready. Galey jumped into his own snow plow equipped pickup truck and cleared a path for the helicopter’s take off. Without that effort, the helicopter may have arrived too late for the rescues.
Just short of 20-years later, Galey also took the call from National Airport’s tower for the notification that a jet had slammed into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.
There were a number of heroes that day. This includes Arland Williams, believed to be the sixth passenger who survived the initial impact. The other survivors say Williams repeatedly passed the life ring from the helicopter to his fellow survivors. Williams drowned by the time the helicopter came back for him. The inbound 14th Street span is now named for Arland Williams.
The other story from that day that has always touched me is of Roger Olian. Olian was then a sheet metal worker on his way home from his job at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. Olian saw the survivors flailing in the frigid waters before any rescuers arrived. Feeling he had to do something, Olian jumped in and swam toward the middle of the river. While he didn’t save anyone, the survivors all cited Olian’s act as giving them hope they soon would be rescued.
Olian’s actions were somewhat overshadowed by Lenny Skutnik who also jumped into the river. Skutnik grabbed survivor Priscilla Tirado who had been brought close to the shore by the helicopter, but couldn’t make it in on her own. Skutnik was recognized later that month during President Ronald Reagan’s State of the Union address. It began the tradition of honoring heroes during the event.
January 13, 1982 was more than three years before I started my television career. In fact, I was unemployed, having been fired as a traffic reporter for KIX-106 because I was concerned about a safety issue with the airplane we were using. But that day turned out to be my first day on the job at WTOP Radio where my wife Hillary Howard now works. If you care, that story of my live audition and hiring is in this month's Washingtonian Magazine, in an article by Cindy Rich titled Pre-Internet Citizen Journalism. You can click here to read it.
WJBK-TV reporter Alexis Wiley, who did a follow-up report Monday night on Saturday's deadly house fire in Detroit where police took 13 minutes to respond to an unruly crowd, said that firefighters were outraged. But is anyone else outraged and is any reporter going to ask the right questions and demand some answers about this incident?
I am sure this slow response isn't the fault of police officers not wanting to help firefighters in trouble. One of my Detroit friends tells me the cops on the street are taking the heat for this. They shouldn't be.
The indication from the police spokesperson over the weekend was that this was resource related, calling the response time "appropriate" based on call volume and travel time.
In this latest story, Alexis Wiley used the same audio we shared with you on Sunday and highlighted the same clips we noted of Chief 5 calling for help at various points. The Monday response from the Detroit Police Department is pretty much the same as on Saturday. Wiley reports a spokesperson told her, considering the runs that police were already handling and the travel times "13 minutes is pretty good".
"Pretty good". "Appropriate". For firefighters in trouble?
Isn't anyone going to ask the police would this be pretty good and appropriate if it were a police officer in trouble? Many of our readers have asked that in the comments section and on Facebook after learning of this incident and the one New Year's Eve where Medic 9 was broken down with gunfire all around them.
There are other questions that I would hope some reporter would ask. Did the fire dispatchers do their jobs properly and relay the urgency of the request to police? Did the police dispatchers prioritize the call properly when given to them? Does anybody care? Shouldn't Charlie LeDuff be stalking city officials until he gets answers to these questions?
I am not naive about the lack of resources Detroit has been dealing with across the board in public safety. It's horrible. But have the standards become so low that everyone accepts that this is a "pretty good" or "appropriate" response?
Shouldn't a firefighter, or paramedic in trouble call be given the same priority as a police officer in trouble call, or at least damn close to it?
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