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Read letter from Fraternal Order of Police Chairman Kristopher Baumann and D.C. Firefighters Association President Edward Smith to the Office of the Inspector General

Alan Suderman, Washington City Paper’s Loose Lips:

D.C. police and firefighters union officials are asking for an investigation into what they say was a giant blaze involving three dumpsters and an abandoned car’s worth of personnel records, including medical files containing private information.

In a letter sent to the Office of the Inspector General today, the heads of the two unions say that last Friday around 5 p.m., a D.C. fire engine company was dispatched to the city’s fire department training academy to put out three dumpster fires. After the firefighters started putting out the fires, they realized that some of the documents were personnel files of cops and firefighters, the letter says.

The letter continues: “In addition to the burning documents, there were unburned documents scattered on the ground throughout the training facility and unburned documents in an abandoned car. Members of FEMS were able to identify their own training and medical records in the documents in the abandoned car.”

Video & pictures on this page from IAFF Local 36.

Andrea Noble, The Washington Times:

The responding firefighters expressed their concerns to Deputy Fire Chief Michael Willis and took several pictures and videos to document the incident before leaving the scene. Some of the documents shown in the photos appear to be training academy documents from 1997.

At 11 p.m., firefighters were called back to the training academy to extinguish a fire in an abandoned car that was located next to the trash bins that earlier had been ablaze.

“In an apparent effort to assuage their concerns, they were told all of the documents on the ground had been picked up and placed in the car,” the union leaders wrote. 

Liz Farmer, Washington Examiner:

A fire department spokesman said the matter “is currently under investigation.”

The documents, not all of which were successfully destroyed, contained private information such as medical records and Social Security numbers, the letter says.

The unions are asking Willoughby to investigate the incident on the grounds that the files may have been improperly handled, possibly violating personnel privacy. The letter also notes the fire could have destroyed “potential evidence.”

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Video by Johnny V. Clements.

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This is video of a two-alarm fire on Sunday at the Wyndbridge apartments in New Berlin, Wisconsin. It happened around noon.

Below is the story about the fire from WITI-TV’s Jeremy Ross. It seems to be a fine story about the wind whipped fire that left about 20 people without a home. It even mentions the building had a sprinkler system but that the fire got into the attic where there are no sprinklers.

My beef with this story is about what reporter Ross brings up in the tag to his live report and at the end of the article on WITI-TV’s website.

They (firefighters) say they responded to the call for help in about six minutes. Some neighbors disputed that time – estimating it took between 15 to 20 minutes.

I am all for reporters holding fire departments and other government officials accountable for response times and other performance factors. If it did actually take as much as 20 minutes to get to the scene, I would think a reporter wouldn’t want to save that fact until the end of the story, but would have that important information right at the top. In the news business you don’t want to bury the lead.

Jeremy Ross didn’t highlight that information because all indications are he didn’t know for sure how long it took firefighters to get to the scene. He did what many reporters would do in that situation and just put on what both sides had to say. Fair and balanced, right? I don’t think so and here’s why.

It’s the reporter’s job to confirm facts. Ross was unable to do that and just repeated statements from both sides. Specific times and/or documentation from the fire department (which may be difficult on a weekend) would provide some clarity to this issue.

It is the reporter’s job to put things in perspective. Again Ross failed at that task. He should have, at the very least, explained to his audience that the point-of-view of a victim or untrained witness on the subject of response times to an emergency scene is often skewed by emotions. From my experience, both as a reporter and a firefighter, it’s a claim made much of the time by the public but fails to hold up to scrutiny in a large majority of the cases.

Response time is an extremely important element to the image of a fire department and the relationship it has with the citizens it serves. When a reporter questions it, chiefs and PIOs shouldn’t take it lightly. Be armed with specifics, including documentation. Be aggressive in getting the facts out. I know a number of PIOs who arrive on the scene routinely armed with that information, just in case. If the response time was long, be ready to deal with it, explaining why and what you are doing to correct the situation.

As for the reporter, if a citizen had told you, without any corroborating evidence, that a firefighter stole all my belongings while fighting the fire and the fire chief said that didn’t happen, would that be a part of your story? I think you would do a lot more homework on that claim before it ended up on the air. And more homework was needed on the response time information.  Don’t take your responsibility as a reporter lightly when the story has the potential to seriously impact the image of an individual or an institution.

People can say anything and make any sort of wild claims. And they often do. Just look at the crap that comes across Facebook every hour. The difference between journalism and social media, is being able to help the reader or the viewer separate fact from fiction.

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WRC-TV in Washington aired a story last night about a 911 call for trouble breathing in Montgomery County, Maryland where the call taker fell asleep. The News4 I-Team story by Tisha Thompson and Rick Yarborough says the dispatcher is a veteran uniformed firefighter who was in the 17th hour of a 24-hour shift on overtime and can be heard snoring on the recording of that 911 call (above).

From WRC-TV:

“The employee was immediately removed from the floor by his supervisor that night and placed on administrative leave with pay pending the inquiry,” Montgomery County Assistant Fire Chief Scott Graham said.

The News4 I-Team found Montgomery County dispatchers work twice as long as other dispatchers in the D.C. area. In Fairfax County, dispatchers work 12.5-hour shifts.  In Prince George’s County they work a 12-hour shift.  The District has a 10-hour shift.

(IAFF Local 1664 Vice President Jeffrey) Buddle said while a 24-hour shift “may seem like a long shift to someone who’s not used to that schedule, it’s something that’s just normal for a firefighter to work.”

Both he and Graham say this is the first time someone has fallen asleep during a 24-hour shift.

 Click here to read the entire story

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Read about demotion of Battalion Chief Richard Sterne here & here

Previous coverage of Chief Ellerbe

Previous coverage of beer incident

Battalion Chief Kevin Sloan told The Washington Times’ Andrea Noble that Chief Kenneth Ellerbe’s actions are “a classic example of workplace bullying”. Chief Sloan says that he was transferred from operations to the logistics division a week ago, less than four hours after finding Lt. Henry Dent not guilty on charges related to the beer Chief Ellerbe found in a refrigerator at the quarters of Engine 9 last year.

Kevin Sloan said in an article posted this evening on the paper’s website, “It’s not ethical, it’s not moral. It’s retaliatory action.”

Chief Sloan’s case has similarities to the demotion of Battalion Chief Richard Sterne in April after Sterne reduced the penalties against two other firefighters connected to the beer incident.

According to Noble, while Chief Sterne was notified his demotion was directly related to his handling of the disciplinary, Chief Sloan was not given an explanation for his sudden transfer.

From The Washington Times:

As part of Chief Sloan’s findings, he determined that Lt. Dent was not present at the fire station when the beer was delivered, so he could not be held accountable for accepting a gift. He also ruled that when Lt. Dent was notified by another firefighter that there was still beer in the station refrigerator, he told the firefighter to get rid of it but did not have enough time to check to ensure the order was followed through before Chief Ellerbe arrived.

Chief Sloan said the investigation was unusual and that evidence in the case went missing. In one instance, when he requested copies of taped interviews with witnesses the administration simply sent him paper photocopies of CDs, rather than the CDs themselves.

“For the rank and file, this takes away a fair, equitable disciplinary trial for the members,” Chief Sloan said. 

According to the article department spokesman Lon Walls refused to comment because the case is a personnel matter, but did say Chief Ellerbe has the final authority in the disciplinary process.

Read the entire article by Andrea Noble of The Washington Times

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A fire this morning has shut down the 3rd Street Tunnel under The Mall near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. The fire on a school bus that was being towed is now out. Drivers and passengers in the tunnel were forced to abandon their vehicles and DC Fire & EMS Department crews evaluated many for smoke inhalation. Some, including police officers who assisted in the evacuation of the tunnel, have been transported.

A second alarm and mass casualty task force were dispatched.

WTOP Radio:

Drivers are being escorted back to their cars after a school bus fire inside the 3rd Street Tunnel in Southwest closed the tunnel, forcing people to evacuate.

WTOP’s Neal Augenstein, who is on the scene, says about 60 people were removed from the tunnel after the fire was reported around 10:30 a.m.

 Image via IAFF Local 36 Twitter feed.

D.C. Fire and EMS spokesperson Lon Walls says the bus was on a tow truck when the fire broke out. He says the blaze has been brought under control.

Police evacuated drivers who were behind the bus after smoke from it began wafting back.

One woman tells WTOP the incident brought on an asthma attack. 

WUSA-TV:

An empty school bus that was being towed caught fire in the northbound side of the 3rd Street Tunnel. The northbound and southbound sides of the 3rd St Tunnel are closed.

The fire was reported at approximately 10:30 a.m. Monday. Between 40 and 50 cars were in the tunnel at the time, say authorities, and the tunnel was filled with smoke. Some of the fumes from the fire made it into the ventilation system at the nearby D.C. courthouse.

 Image via IAFF Local 36 Twitter feed.

About 30 people who abandoned their vehicles in the tunnel are waiting for a Metrobus to shelter them. The people describe a boom, followed by smoke and flames. the same people are praising police for their fast evacuation. There were no major injuries but at least one asthma attack.

DC Police are escorting people back to the tunnel via police cruisers to get their vehicles.

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Image from Brian Hopkins, WJLA-TV.

Firefighter Joseph Graffagnino (l) and Firefighter Robert Beddia.

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Read about the Deutsche Bank scandal here, here and here

Almost five years after the deaths of FDNY firefighters Joseph Graffagnino and Robert Beddia word comes that Graffagnino’s widow has reached a $10 million settlement with the city and the contractor over safety issues at the Deutsche Bank building. The building caught fire on August 18, 2007 while it was in the process of being demolished after being damaged in the September 11th attacks. The two firefighters became trapped in a stairwell. Firefighter Beddia’s family previously reached a reported $6 million settlement.

Gregg B. Smith, New York Daily News:

Nearly five years after the tragedy, Bovis Lend Lease has agreed to pay Joseph  Graffagnino’s widow, Linda, and her two small children $9 million, while the  city has signed off on covering another $1 million, documents obtained by the  Daily News show.

The settlement still must be approved by a Manhattan Supreme Court justice,  which is expected at a hearing set for Monday.

The settlement will mark the final chapter in a painful saga that exposed  outrageous incompetence by the contractors tasked with tearing down the wrecked  office tower and their government overseers.

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Theresa, New York  veteran volunteer Lance Willix was struck by a Jefferson County sheriff’s vehicle and seriously injured while directing traffic at the scene of a collision Friday evening.

WWNY-TV:

“We were involved in traffic control and at that time, one of my fire police on scene was actually struck by a vehicle,” said Theresa Fire Chief Mark Savage.

It was driven by a Jefferson County sheriff’s deputy.

In a statement overnight, sheriff’s deputies said “Early indications are that obstructed views due to vehicle congestion at the accident scene may have contributed” to the deputy’s vehicle striking the firefighter.

WatertownDailyTimes.com:

Mr. Savage said he was only a few feet away from Mr. Willix, 67, Theresa, when he was hit. “I heard the impact,” Mr. Savage said. “I turned around and there he was. All I could do was try to keep him still.”

Mr. Willix was taken by helicopter to Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, where a nursing supervisor said he was listed in fair condition late Friday. 

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NWCN.com:

Ten units responded to the blaze at The Village at Multnomah Condominiums, located at 9731 SW 40th Avenue in Portland, which broke out shortly after 4 p.m.

One firefighter fell through the roof while trying to fight the fire. From Sky-8, two other firefighters could be seen crawling over, peering into the hole, and then giving the “okay” signal. Fire dispatch radios also indicated the firefighter was okay.

Two firefighters were transported to an area hospital with burns on their knees and heat exhaustion, Corah said. A number of other people were being treated outside the apartment building for smoke inhalation.

KOIN-TV:

Portland firefighters were called to The Village at Multnomah condominiums, at 7937 S.W. 40th Ave. in Portland, sometime before 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. Responders quickly called a second alarm on this fire.

Smoke could be seen from as far away as Interstate 5 and Southwest Capitol Highway.  

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Allen Carlyle on the left and Shane Cranfield on the right.

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Previous STATter911.com coverage of this story here & here

Salisbury Post:

Two former East Spencer firefighters and a former police officer were found not guilty this week during a non-jury trial five months after a junior firefighter was shocked with a stun gun.

The incident was said to have occurred at a department Christmas party. The two firefighters — former Chief Shane Cranfield and former Assistant Chief Allen Carlyle — were accused of using a stun gun on junior firefighter John Resino, 18.

According to arrest warrants, the stun gun came from former East Spencer Police Officer James Lambeth.

WBTV-TV:

“I want to say thank you to all my true friends who stood behind me,” Shane Cranfield told WBTV Tuesday afternoon.  When asked if had been confident about the outcome, Cranfield said “I had my doubts, I knew I didn’t do it, but I still.”

Cranfield said he believed inconsistencies in Resino’s story led to the not guilty verdict.  Even though he was found not guilty, Cranfield said the accusations have taken their toll.

“I have lost my position as the Chief of the East Spencer fire department, as well as my part time paid position. My reputation, career, and life have been ran threw the mud and destroyed.  I have been blacked balled throughout the county and shunned by people I have known for years and considered to be my brothers. Along with me, two other people, firefighter Alan Carlyle and officer James Lambeth, have also faced the same ridicule and public embarrassment as myself.”

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Last week’s stories on controvesy over Hillsdale, NJ firehouse bar here & here

When we brought you the stories last week about the controversy over alcohol inside New Jersey’s Hillsdale VFD many commented that bars in firehouse is really just an issue in the Northeast portion of the country. But this story is from Yuma County, Colorado and involves the long time practice of having kegs of beer stocked inside the Wauneta Volunteer Fire Department for use by the firefighters.

In New Jersey, the fire department prevailed after a city councilman/fire commissioner expressed concerns in a public meeting about the liability of firefighters drinking. The bar remains and the councilman is gone.

In Colorado, a couple who had been involved with the department and originally purchased the kegs years ago, won the battle. With the help of a Denver TV station, Dean and Sue Jarrett were able to get the leaders of the department to back down and reverse the policy of having beer in the firehouse and allowing firefighters to drink at meetings and after calls.

Dean Jarrett, who had been a 28-year member and treasurer of WVFD, told KCNC-TV investigative reporter Brian Maass, that his position on this changed when he saw volunteers drinking during a CPR class at the firehouse. Jarrett also told Maass, “Without a doubt, people have showed up visibly impaired (at fires)”.

Sue Jarrett, who made it clear she was going to fight this over the long haul, told the reporter, “And they have taken something admirable and they’ve turned it into their own personal man cave. We’re going to do what we want. Leave us alone. And they are putting people in jeopardy.”

Despite the board voting unanimously on May 7 to remove the kegs, as in Hillsdale, New Jersey, there are a lot of people who didn’t have a big problem with beer for firefighters. Among them Fire Chief Jeff Gallegos. Here’s some of what he said to the TV station:

“I don’t have a big problem with it. If we’ve had a few beers we’re not going to jump on the truck and drive it. I don’t think we have that big an issue. People don’t feel we should be told what we can and can’t do when we’re volunteering our time.”

And the policy had support from top elected officials:

State Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray, who represents the area, contacted CBS4 to say he had no problem with kegs in the firehouse noting that the nearest liquor stores are in Wray, 15 miles away, making it difficult for firefighters to pick up beers after they’ve been out on a call, especially if its late at night after the liquor stores have closed.

Brophy called Jarrett and his wife “professional cranks” who had alienated the community for years. 

The TV station also contacted Ron Graton, Executive Director of the Colorado State Fire Fighters Association, who seemed to stake out some middle ground on the issue:

“We feel that having alcohol in the fire station is an issue of local control. We do feel it leads to many issues that complicate the fire fighting aspect.”

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