Busy in Indiana: Ed Malik has been posting quite a bit from his corner of Indiana. The video above is from a house fire a week ago in South Haven. We also posted one from Gary, Indiana where firefighters returned to the building twice within an hour over the weekend. The second time the joint was rockin’. Click her for that.

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Fire in the Bronx:  Good early video from a third-alarm at 2070 Grand Concourse on Saturday evening.

Fire in Brooklyn: Vito Maggiolo alerted us to some good pre-arrival video of a fire on April 29 at a Con-Ed substation.

My favorite post from recent weeks: Check out this film from 1953 of firehouse life in Austin and some of the first black firefighters hired in the state of Texas.

Five alarms, four views: There are lots of videos posted on last weeks fire that burned townhomes under construction and threatened occupied buildings in Santa Clara, CA. We pulled out four to give you views from four sides of the fire.

Reputation issue 1 - Criminal charges for new recruit initiation: A very interesting story of three 20-something firefighters arrested after what appears to be a hazing attempt of a 16-year-old cadet in Hyde Park, Vermont. Read more.

Reputation issue 2 - Much more serious criminal charges for new recruit initiation (truly disgusting): The Paris Fire Brigade has at least a dozen firefighters charged after the initiation of a new recruit. Coming back from a gymnastics competition on a bus with 30 firefighters, police say the recruit was stripped, slapped and bitten. But the recruit protested and apparently the firefighters couldn’t allow that. So, according to police, several firefighters pinned the recruit while one raped him. Of course, you want to make sure the guy never forgets this, so someone shot video on their cell phone. Oh yes, news reports indicate a fire officer was there and failed to intervene. So sad. Here’s the story.

Reputation issue 3 - More details on the councilman versus the firefighters in Hillsdale, New Jersey: In case you missed our follow-up posting, as we figured there was more to the story between Hillsdale VFD and the councilman/fire commissioner who resigned after making comments about firefighters drinking. Check here for the departments policy on use of the firehouse bar and the details of the allegations.

Reputation issue 4 - Union VP in Hialeah, Florida speaks out on TV & STATter911.com about his Facebook page: Last week we posted the story about the complaints over, and investigation of, the personal Facebook postings of Eric Johnson. Not only has Firefighter Johnson gone on TV to defend his right to do his opinion off the clock, he has written a comment to STATter911.com saying he expects that the investigation will find that he has served the citizens of Hialeah well. Click here and scroll down.

Watch out for this, it could be coming to a city near you: We have pointed out on numerous occasions the trend across the country of city leaders suddenly claiming overtime abuse, even when there really is none, just because firefighters in many jurisdictions are legally making lots of extra money to provide minimum staffing. While there have been documented cases of abuse, often it has been because city leaders find it cheaper than hiring another firefighter. In Cleveland there has been some variation of this and a real close look and changing of policy on shift trading. But the latest newspaper story takes things a step further. It focuses on the part time jobs held by firefighters in the city and looks at how the rules are being followed. I have seen a definite pattern of these stories spawning similar ones in other jurisdictions. As I suggested long ago with the OT issue, it is probably a good idea to make sure your house is in order on secondary employment before the politicians and reporters come knocking. Here’s the Cleveland story.

New fire truck doesn’t fit in the old firehouse: We have seen this story before and it has happened again. Check out the details of a problem at an Alabama firehouse courtesy of Glenn Usdin’s FireTruckBlog.com.

Saying goodbye: Thanks to Mike Villanova for making sure we had video from Friday’s funeral for 12-year-old Kyle McGetrick of Barnegat, New Jersey. Kyle’s story touched firefighters all over the world. Click out.

The Oak Ridge boys’ video: A house fire in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Geezer on cougars & kittens: My friend the Firegeezer may have a tiger by the tail with this story from Fort Worth, Texas. Or at least some other cats. Bill is trying to get to the bottom of a vehicle that has the trappings of an ambulance, is registered to a chiropractor, has the name DFW Cougar & Kitten Rescue on the outside and a dance pole on the inside. Check it out.

Intentional radio interference may have delayed mutual aid: In Lebanon, Maine officials say they have been dealing with what appears to be intentional jamming of radio traffic. On Saturday it appears to have delayed notification of mutual aid for a fire. Click here.

Another look at the Deutsche Bank fire: In August it will be five years since FDNY’s Robert Beddia and Joseph Graffagnino died. Martin J. Steadman in Eve’s Magazine is the latest to look at the twists and turns of this investigation and trial and makes his case on who is really to blame for this tragedy. Read the story.

New chief in Charleston: We alerted you Friday afternoon that Eugene, Oregon Deputy Chief Karen Brack is the new chief of the Charleston Fire Department. Grant Mishoe’s SCONFIRE.com has more.

Getting the bird from THE Fire Critic: That happens to me quite frequently. But this is an actual bird and an interesting rescue by LAFD caught on video. Click here.

Eight-year-old Batman moves from crime fighting to firefighting: It isn’t Bruce Wayne after all. Luke Purcell is really Batman. The boy was doing what he does most days after school, patrolling his Layton, Utah neighborhood in his Batman costume and his version of the Batmobile (his bike) when he saw smoke coming from the roof of a house. He’s credited with saving the day. Here’s the story.

Settlement in Baltimore fatal fire truck collision: This was the one where three civilians died on Park Heights Avenue after their vehicle was hit by Truck 27. Curt Varone at FireLawBlog.com has the details.

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 Nate Jobe of the North Hyde Park/Eden Fire Department on the left and Sydney Mclean-Lipinski on the right. In a press release, Vermont State Police said they did not have a processing photo of Joshua Kapusta.

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Read Vermont State Police press release

Vermont State Police arrested three Lamoille County, Vermont volunteer firefighters on unlawful restraint and simple assault charges after what police are calling a “practical joke” that was reported as hazing. The three firefighters charged are in their 20s and are from two different departments. The victim is 16-years-old and, according to police, was able to flee after being lured to the Hyde Park firehouse as part of training.

According to John Briggs & Mike Donoghue at the Burlington Free Press, the three firefighters are 25-year-old Sydney Mclean-Lipinski and 24-year-old Joshua Kapusta of the Hyde Park Town Fire Department and 21-year-old Nate Jobe of the North Hyde Park/Eden Fire Department. (Read more about both departments here.)

Vermont State Police says the boy had welts and marks on him but was not hospitalized.

Burlington Free Press:

Detective Sgt. Jake Zorn said the three suspects are accused of shooting the boy with Airsoft guns and attempting to tackle and handcuff him March 23. Airsoft guns are replica firearms that fire plastic pellets or BBs. 

The firefighters planned to “restrain the juvenile with handcuffs and ropes, then take the juvenile for a ride in the back of a truck on bumpy roads where they would leave him in a remote part of the Town of Eden,” state police said in a news release.  

The chief of the Hyde Park Town Fire Department could not be reached for comment. according to the paper. The North Hyde Park/Eden Fire Department chief says he is not aware of hazing ever occurring at his department.

The Burlington Free Press has an interesting quote from Facebook by a woman who says she knows the three firefighters:

The State Police and even the town select board should do more research before slandering the names of 3 people whom at times, risk their lives for the people of their town when called upon. They ask for no compensation, they do this because they love the job, they love the satisfaction they get from helping people. The select board needs to keep to their business and leave the Fire Department alone. Brotherhood for people who perform jobs such as firefighting is not built by coddling. You have to know that you can trust the people you are running into that burning building with wholeheartedly. I have seen my fair share of fire house pranks, this is tame in comparison.

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STATter911.com senior correspondent Sam Statter, earlier this evening, hosted the drawing for the STATter911.com 5th Anniversary Contest. Watch above to find out who won. Each winner receives a 3-day conference pass to Firehouse Expo 2012. I will be in contact with the winners by email.

Congratulations to the winners and thanks to all who entered. Your comments have been very helpful. I appreciate your support (and so does Sam).

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This is video from a fire Monday afternoon on Watercrest Drive in Stoney Creek, Ontario.

From thespec.com:

(Hamilton Fire Department spokesman Dave) Christopher said because the home is under construction it did not have all of the fire stops – things which would stop a blaze from progressing quickly through a house – that a home would regularly have.

The roof and flooring was unstable and because of this firefighters were not able to go into the home and had to battle the blaze from the outside.

The house — which is being constructed privately on the site and is not part of a larger development — was destroyed.

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FireCritic.com’s Rhett Fleitz found this helmet-cam video of a house fire around 4:30 AM yesterday in Jacksonville, Florida.

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WGCL-TV:

Atlanta fire officials said they received the 911 call about the fire at 8:40 p.m. Tuesday.

Russell Evans lives across the street from TP Studios. Evans said he heard the fire before he saw it.

“I started filming the fire and the explosion. I though the tower where senior citizens live at was on fire. I found out it was Tyler Perry Studio,” said Evans.

Atlanta fire officials initially said multiple buildings were engulfed in flames when they arrived.

AP:

Atlanta fire officials say they have put out a 4-alarm blaze at Tyler Perry Studios that damaged a building at the complex.

Atlanta Fire Department spokesman Capt. Jolyon Bundrige says there were no reports of injuries from the fire that started before 9 p.m. Tuesday. Officials said in a news release it was extinguished about an hour later.

He says the cause of the fire and the amount of damage to the complex was not immediately known

4-Alarm Fire Damages Tyler Perry Studios: MyFoxATLANTA.com

A spokesman for Tyler Perry did not immediately comment Tuesday evening. The studio’s website says the complex includes a 200,000-square-foot studio, five sound stages and a 400-seat theater in southwest Atlanta.

In March, pop star Cee Lo performed for donors at a fundraiser for President Barack Obama at the studios.

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During yesterday’s inaugural Hero Rush event in Clarksburg, Maryland participants saw smoke in a distance. These three videos show you what people saw up close.

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News coverage can be found here and here (the second article has a good aerial shot showing which homes were lost).

The pre-arrival video above is from a kid who lives in the neighborhood in Chesapeake, Virginia where five single-family homes were destroyed by a fire on April 12. This video and Part Two, at the bottom of this page, were posted yesterday to YouTube.

The clip in the center is another neighbor’s early video shot just after the arrival of the first engine and truck in the 600 block of Sweet Leaf Place.

While I have gone through a lot, but not all of the coverage, what I couldn’t find was any real outrage that five homes were lost just like that. Except for one article, there was no mention that the construction of the houses may have been a contributing factor in such a loss.

I know it was a windy day, but I don’t recall seeing many fires like this one 35-years-ago. Now they seem to happen all of the time in similarly built neighborhoods. In fact I’ve seen quite a few all over the Commonwealth of Virginia. Funny how you don’t see this happen in the older neighborhoods that were built before lightweight construction.

But what am I saying? I am so sorry for even bringing that up. Clearly I am being unpatriotic (once again). Let me explain.

According to the people who build these homes, when you look at these videos, what you really are looking at is the cost of freedom. It’s a sacrifice these homeowners made so you and I can live free.

If the government required residential sprinklers, better home separation and fire barriers on the outside wall assemblies, that would be un-American. Remember, it should be every homeowners right to have a fire start in their home and then spread to their neighbor’s homes two and three doors away. It’s right up there with mom and apple pie.

I think the home builders lobbyists in Washington and their affiliates all over this great land should start putting up American flags in front of the shells of houses that were lost like these as a way to remind us of this important freedom they hold so dear. Don’t forget, the home builders are fighting hard for you and me and especially the nation’s firefighters.

The building lobby, after losing the battle for one of our freedoms four decades ago, when smoke alarms were added to the code said, “Never again”. And they have fought valiantly and bravely to protect us ever since. We know they know what’s best for us.

So, from the reaction to this fire, I guess, the indoctrination is complete. We now just accept disposable homes as a way of life. Silly me. What was there really to be outraged about? What was I thinking?

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One of the stubborn ones. A car fire posted to YouTube yesterday from North Broad Street in Meriden, Connecticut.

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Click here to register for Wednesday’s climb (even if you can’t climb, sign up & someone will carry the name of one of the FDNY 343 for you)

The video above is from Friday’s 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb at FDIC. Please take a moment to watch it. I think it really captures the event.

Then watch the video below with my friend Brian Brush explaining why firefighters climb these 110 flights.

Once you do that click here and sign up for Wednesday morning’s climb at the Hilton Washington as part of the CFSI gathering. The Washington event is also open to the public.

Even if you can’t be in Washington or are unable to climb, you can sign up and someone will carry the name of one of the 343 FDNY firefighters killed on 9-11 for you.

Again, listen to Brian’s talk below to find out why your $25 donation is so important.

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