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Another sex in firehouse story. This time the public breaks in to do it. Louisville, KY firefighters talk about a very unusual day at work.

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wave3.com-Louisville News, Weather

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The noise woke Louisville Fire Department firefighters around 4:00 Saturday morning. At first they thought the trash hauler for the dumpster had come early. Sgt. Douglas Hepner went to investigate. As he slid down the pole he saw a man jump through a firehouse window from the outside and start running through the station. That sparked an all hands search through the firehouse for the intruder. This story ends in a way that I am sure will be legend in the Louisville Fire Department for decades to come.

Matt McCutcheon, WAVE-TV:

“It looked like he jumped head first through the window. The glass shattered and he came in head first and I just saw him take off running,” said Hepner.

“Once we found out the intruder was still in the firehouse, all members searched the firehouse very rapidly and that’s when I came across him,” Davenport said.

Down a long hallway they found him in the locker room.

“That’s where I found him sitting on the floor,” Davenport said. He actually made the odd discovery.

A police report said Nicholas Gonzales, 27, was found in the midst of a sex act when he was found.

“He never even acknowledged I was there,” said Davenport. “He continued his lewd act and that’s when I grabbed him by his shirt and drug him out.”

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Radio traffic: Man trapped in burning car near closed fire station. Brown-out controversy in Lexington, KY.

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Click player again after commercial to hear radio traffic and watch report.

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In Lexington, Kentucky yesterday afternoon, a 53-year-old man was trapped in a burning car one block from a fire station closed for the day because of budget cuts. Recently the fire chief said the brown-outs will continue to 2014.

WLEX-TV:

On the police radio tape, you hear officers repeatedly telling the dispatcher to tell firefighters to step it up, that the fire was spreading, and it was just too big and difficult to fight with fire extinguishers.

The good Samaritans say the victim was extremely lucky the accident happened near a nursing home that was equipped with plenty of fire extinguishers.  If not, they believe the 53-year-old man would have burned to death because the fire was spreading so quickly before firefighters arrived more than seven minutes later.

Fire Station No. 7, located just a block away, was closed due to city ordered brown-outs.

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Raw video: House fire in Louisville, KY.

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Video in three parts from  of a house fire at 38th Street and Herman Avenue in Louisville, Kentucky. The first part was uploaded to YouTube on November 8 but I could find no details on when the fire occurred.

Helmet-cam video: House fire in Meade County, KY.

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Helmet-cam video from perseus65yahoo’s channel at YouTube of a house fire on Monday in Meade County, Kentucky.  The photographer begins firefighting and ventilation around the 2:00 mark.

Video shot with by my helmet cam.  Just keep in mind that I am a fire photographer and not a fire fighter so don’t judge my attempt at firefighting to harshly. Rhodilia, Payneville and Battletown Fire Departments.

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Lexington, KY firefighters help shield family from gunfire after their car collided with pumper. Story emerging from basketball celebration chaos.

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You will have to click play again after the commercial to watch this story.

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A story out of Lexington has emerged surrounding the “celebration” following Kentucky winning the NCAA Championship. According to WLEX-TV shots were fired on Limestone around 2:00 AM on April 3 that put a number of people in danger. Firefighters from Station 11 were dealing with a minor collision involving their rig. They were talking with the family involved when one of the firefighters saw a flash.

From WLEX-TV:

Someone fired a gun at least six times, about forty feet away, in their direction.

“There was a lot of panic. Mostly coming from the other side of the street. So we was trying to figure out who we needed to grab, who was screaming, where the shots were coming from, who had been shot,” Lt. Jamie Tinsley remembers.

McClain threw himself on the little boy standing nearby.  Firefighter Shawn Holloway pulled a woman out of her car, who was frozen with fear. Lieutenants Kevin Austin and Jamie Tinsley moved the rest of the family behind their engine.

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A firefighter dance party. Series of videos from Kentucky’s Avawam VFD highlights some other skills.

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I have no idea what to make of this, but I thought it would be a break from our more somber posts on STATter911.com. In Perry County, Kentucky, firefighters with the Avawam Volunteer Fire & Rescue are showing of some skills other than firefighting. On the YouTube Channel whiteboycandanceavfd have posted 10 videos featuring their dancing skills and even some dance instruction. Here are three of the clips.

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UPDATE – Dashcam-video & radio traffic: Milton, KY Chief Jason Long’s response during tornado that leveled firehouse.

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Previous coverage

Close-up video of damage to Engine 8536

As we reported on Friday, Milton Fire & Rescue in Kentucky had it's Station 2 destroyed by a tornado. Since 2008 we have been sharing some of the dash-cam videos from Milton Chief Jason Long here on STATter911.com. During the tornado warning Chief Long was rolling the video once again as the storm came into Milton. It's in four six eight parts.

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UPDATE – Must listen to radio traffic & damage video: Tornado destroys Kentucky firehouse. Milton Fire & Rescue Station 2 hit this afternoon. Department featured in videos on STATter911.com.

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Trimble County fire & rescue live audio

UPDATE

This is a message this evening on Facebook from Milton Fire & Rescue Chief Jason Long:

We lost a Station, an Engine, fish fry trailer, ice trailer, gear, radios, pagers, ETC. We had one member inside and he was not hurt. The only part left standing was the small part he was in. WE WILL REBUILD AND WE WILL NOT STOP OUR EFFORTS AT PROTECTING THIS COUNTY. Great job by all people involved. I could not be prouder of this county for the way it has handled this day. Thank you to everybody, I am very proud. Thank you to all thos who have requested to help us in our time of need. I can't say thanks enough.

EARLIER COVERAGE

Above is a picture from Milton Fire & Rescue's website of what Station 2 used to look like. The firehouse, in Trimble County, Kentuky near the Ohio River, was reported to be leveled this afternoon by what has been described as a tornado.

Here's what the Courier-Journal is reporting:

There were no injuries because no one was inside the station on Ky. 421 near Kings Ridge Road, said firefighter recruit Joey McQueary, who was answering phones at the department’s main station.

McQueary said the department is all-volunteer and all fire personnel were at headquarters when the other station was hit.

Radio traffic from Radioman911 on JustinTV as tornadoes are spotted approaching and hitting Milton Fire & Rescue Station 2. Firefighter describes station destroyed at 5:26.

On January 22 we showed you video of Milton Fire & Rescue handling a house fire on Palmyra Road. In fact, since 2008 we have featured a series of dash-cam videos from Milton Chief Jason Long (June, 2009 and August, 2008).

We are glad all the firefighters are safe and wish Chief Long and the department a speedy recovery from today's storms.

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Click here for Milton Fire & Rescue's Facebbook page.

Dash-cam video & audio: House fire in Milton, Kentucky.

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This is dash-cam video from Chief Jason Long of Milton Fire and Rescue in Milton, Kentucky. We have previously run video from this all volunteer department with two stations protecting about 3500 people in an area of 65 square miles along the Ohio River.

For those of us in urban areas, the video is a reminder of what can be the reality of rural firefighting where there are often long response times with limited staffing. 

The chief arrives at 5:30 in the first video, with an ambulance already on the scene but has to wait for suppression forces to arrive. Water is flowing a little after 4:00 on part 2.

Here are details about the fire yesterday from miltonfireandrescue.org:

At 1:12 p.m., Milton Fire & Rescue was dispatched to the report of a structure fire at 1283 Palmyra Rd. Car 8501 arrived on scene and found a fully engulfed two story residence. Crews from Milton, Bedford, Westside, and Ghent worked for several ours to extinguish the fire. There were no injuries in the fire and there was nobody home at the time of the fire. The fire appears to be unintentional and cause has yet to be determined. 8501 in Command.

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Busted: Driver of ambulance running red lights & siren on pet calls in Louisville, Kentucky.

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Steven Lowery says he was on an emergency run Monday evening. A report of a dog that had been struck at Preston and Cooper Chapel. To get there he turned on the lights and sirens of his ambulance that is part of his firm called Metro Medical. Here's what Lowery told WDRB-TV about Metro Medical:

"It's Metro Medical. We do drug testing. We also do emergency critical care, pet transportation,"

Behind the drug testing mobile/pet ambulance (wouldn't it be nice if he added pet detective too?) was someone authorized to use lights and siren. But Officer Dale Elliott says he couldn't get Lowery to stop and gave up … for the moment. The officer eventually caught up with the ambulance at Lowery's home where he arrested Lowery and impounded the rig.

As for the call that Lowery was on, pet ambulances suffer the same problem that the ones carrying humans do. Lowery says it was a false call.

Raw video: House fire in Central City, Kentucky.

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The title page on this video describes it as "Central City Fire Department action after initial knockdown North Second Street Fire July 10, 2011".  There are a number of Central City Fire Departments in the United States. Looking at the insignias on the equipment, this appears to be the Central City Fire Department in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. The video is by Michael Central.

Pre-arrival video: Double-fatal house fire in Logansport, Kentucky. News crew arrives before firefighters.

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In Logansport, Kentucky this morning a videographer with the local newspaper reached the scene of a house fire shortly before the first fire truck. Two people were still inside the home. According to C. Josh Givens at the Banner-Republican, the call at 424 Horseshoe Bend Road was dispatched just before 6:00 AM. One of the neighbors on the scene was a former firefighter:

“I knew right away when I saw the smoke, something was not right," said Greg Lack, who served for 22 years as a firefighter with Lewisburg and Russellville Fire Departments in Logan County. “The windows were swelled out when I approached the house, and I called out to anyone inside, but there was no answer. I really wanted to go inside, but with no equipment …"

Firefighters with MFD made entry into the house at 6:17 a.m., and the male victim was pulled from the residence at 6:29 a.m.

Eighty-year-old Homer Elder and 39-year-old Shannon Stampler were both pronounced dead by the Butler County Coroner at 7:03 AM.

Read more details from the Banner-Republican

Floating restaurant becomes dinner cruise. Jeff Ruby’s Waterfront in Covington, KY floats away. Plans to stay open during flood hit a snag & a bridge.

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The management of Jeff Ruby’s Waterfront thought they had it all figured out. Instead of having their floating  restaurant in Covington, Kentucky shut down every time the Ohio River spilled its banks they bought a floating ramp five-years-ago that allowed staff and customers to come aboard. Because of this, unlike neighboring restaurants, Jeff Ruby’s Waterfront stayed open last night.

On Thursday, WCPO-TV in Cincinnati featured the fact that the restaurant would be open despite the high waters (see third video down). Some nice, free publicity. But the cameras returned last night, along with the live trucks, for a different kind of story.

Around 10:15 PM, the floating restaurant turned into a dinner cruise after the building broke free from its moorings. Luckily the cruise didn’t get very far and you have the news media to thank for that (sort of). The runaway restaurant hit the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge.  The bridge is named after a prominent local reporter (see, all of us aren’t bad).

The rescue operation was a slow one and the bridge had to be shut down until it was inspected. The man whose name is on the restaurant showed leadership and found a way to get on board to calm his customers (one of the customers was former Bengals wide receiver Cris Collingsworth). Jeff Ruby also faced the cameras after it was all over.

There is raw video of the Covington Fire Department’s rescue operation at the bottom of this post.

From WCPO-TV (WCPO also has more clips of its live, breaking news coverage of the incident):

The restaurant was lodged under the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge, which kept it from drifting down the river. Tugboats surrounding the restaurant kept it in place, as well.

Crews used ladders and ropes to rescue everyone on board. A walking board was placed on top of the ladders in an effort to evacuate more guests at a faster rate.  Authorities say the restaurant drifted about 100 yards from the dock.

People could only be rescued one at a time, which is why it took several hours to evacuate the boat. No injuries were reported.

From WKRC-TV:

Water rescue teams and Covington Police and Fire Departments immediately responded and were able to secure the boat. Then they had to get 83 people off the boat. They used a ladder from the shore to the boat because the ramps were no longer usable.

The people had to come down one by one on the ladder with life jackets on. Many women had to take off their high heels so they could walk on the runged ladder

From Cincinnati.com:

Restaurant owner Jeff Ruby said he went to the restaurant after hearing about the incident in phone calls from an assistant manager and his lawyer.

Ruby said they didn’t know what happened, but that once he got to the scene his priority was to get on the boat to be with his customers and employees. Once he managed to get on board, he went from table to table to meet with customers and said that everyone on board was very orderly.

Asked if the high water had anything to do with what happened, Ruby said,” We’ve been open in higher waters.”

Police indicated it could take several hours to get everyone off the boat, and about 25 had been removed by 12:30 a.m. By 1 a.m., most of the customers had been taken off, Ruby said.

The bridge was immediately closed to traffic. Ervin said it would remain closed until a state inspector could check out the bridge, since the boat had hit one of its supports.

Video: Glencoe, Kentucky house fire.

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Click the image for the video from Gallatin County News.

This is a house fire from Glencoe in Gallatin County, Kentucky posted yesterday to YouTube. Other than the one firefighter injured that you see on the video, we have no further details.

Where there’s Hope: Northern Kentucky Technical Rescue Team plucks German shepherd from Boone County pond.

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Photos from dog rescue scene

From NKY.com’s Patrick Reddy on Wednesday:

The Northern Kentucky Technical Rescue team pulled a German shepherd dog from an icy pond in Boone County this morning. 

Hope, a two-year-old German shepherd, was pulled from the icy water after falling through the ice of the pond near the 700 block of Richwood Road, Boone County.

Gary Erdman, 68, her owner, said he let the dog out for her morning run on the horse farm where he lives. When he called her to come back in he saw her in the middle of the pond, which is visible from his porch.

He ran down to the pond to rescue her. He said he got about 10 feet onto the ice when it gave way, submerging him up to his neck. He managed to get himself out of the pond and call 911.

Five frozen fire hydrants hamper Dayton, Kentucky firefighters. Two houses burn.

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From NKY.com:

Four people, including two small children, escaped a raging fire here Wednesday that destroyed two homes.

The blaze started at 820 Walnut St. about 9 a.m. It shot out all sides of the house, including the roof, and quickly spread to the home next door on the south side. It took five fire departments and more than two hours to contain.

Firefighters from five departments responded – Bellevue-Dayton, Southgate, Fort Thomas, Newport and Campbell County Central. (Bellevue-Dayton Fire Chief Denny) Lynn said they got a late start fighting the blaze because water in five hydrants closest to the house was frozen.

They finally found two – one about a block away, and one about three blocks away – that worked.

“That hampered our efforts big-time,” Lynn said. “In my 35 years, I have not seen that many hydrants frozen. We’re talking to the water company to try and figure out what happened.”

Lynn said one firefighter from Southgate was hit by some falling debris from one of the homes, but his helmet protected him and he was back on the job minutes later.

Click here for still pictures from the fire

Quick Takes: December 1, 2010

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The Fire Critic finds his own must see video: Rhett Fleitz posted this first last night on FireCritic.com. It is from a week ago at 22 SE 9th Drive in Pendleton, Oregon. At the :35 mark the firefighter on the porch roof taking out a window finds it warming up very quickly and is engulfed in flames for a moment. There were no injuries reported. Also from the Fire Critic (my wife came up with and likes the name Fire Cricket better), Rhett shows us just how out of touch with reality he can be with his very first effort at directing a video. The feature stars the two people he most admires and wants to be like when and if he grows up. Please take a look. Rhett produced this video because he is feeling a little left out of the conversation these days and doesn’t think his fellow bloggers pay enough attention to him. Please cheer him up by clicking here and letting him know how much you like his video (even if you really don’t).

Who knew there was a Blue Ball Fire Company outside of Pennsylvania?: This one is in Freeport, New York and it’s fire chief has been suspended for thirty days. All because of blue balls. Blue plastic balls found by Freeport’s mayor in the cab of a fire truck. It is an interesting and unusual story. You don’t want to miss it. Click here.

Collapse video: In case you missed it there is good video of a wall collapse during a fire at a truck parts store with apartments above in Stroud Township, Pennsylvania. There were also some small explosions. Check it out.

Bracing for layoffs in Camden, New Jersey: It’s a busy fire department in a run down city with lots to burn. They haven’t had a recruit class in more than four years. But the plan right now is to lay off 30 percent of the firefighters plus gut the police department. Here’s the latest.

Another house fire in Kosciusko, Mississippi: This is the third one we’ve posted in a month with raw video from Kosyonline.com. Watch the video.

The anonymity of the Internet: Regular reader John Sachen sent this one along and while it is not specifically fire or EMS related it is well worth reading. It is titled, Online Anonymity Breeds Contempt. The New York Times op-ed piece by Julie Zhuo includes this line, “Morality, Plato argues, comes from full disclosure; without accountability for our actions we would all behave unjustly.” The column points out there is no accountability with the anonymity the Internet can provide and society may not be the better for that. Check it out.

Another look at the face in the coat story: Firegeezer has more on the story we mentioned on Monday about the Weymouth, Massachusetts firefighter who says that’s the face of his fallen Marine brother that suddenly appeared on the back of his turnout coat.

Budget trumps need to recruit paramedics: In Montgomery County, Maryland the County Council clearly said no to a plan to raise the pay for paramedics to get it closer to what others in the region are paying. Chief Richard Bowers pointed out that only ten of the last 2600 applicants had ALS training. Here’s more.

Union fighting 24/48 shift change: In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania the mayor says she can save lots of money by moving firefighters to a 24 hours on and 48 hours off shift and cut 12 positions in the process. The issue is said to be $1.6 million dollars in OT. The union has been strongly against this and has scheduled a press conference for later today. Here’s more.

Union president disciplined for refusing to work 72-hours straight: In Winchester, Kentucky a letter of reprimand has been ordered by the Winchester City Commission for a firefighter who refused to work three days straight during a busy period. Raymond Patrick, the union president in Winchester, declined a supervisor’s order last month to keep working though a second extra 24-hour shift. Here’s the story.

Firefighter arson problem isn’t just the U.S.: In Canada the RCMP say an arson ring just busted involved three people who had been volunteer firefighters at the time the fires were set. Here’s the story from Doaktown in New Brunswick.

Six-alarms in Orange County, California: A large health care office building in Tustin is no more after fire raced through it yesterday morning. Click here to watch the video and read the story

Raw video from Prince George’s County, Maryland restaurant fire: The Pizza Hut in Upper Marlboro was heavily damaged around 4:30 yesterday morning. This is Morningside VFD video. Click here for a WUSA9.com slide show.

Quick Takes

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Jersey City third alarm: A fire yesterday at 83 Bleecker Street. Five firefighters were taken to the hospital for heat exhaustion or smoke inhalation. Four families were left homeless. Click here for all five parts of the video and here for more details

Tarrytown, New York volunteer firefighter killed trying to save worker: Firefighter John Kelly tried to save a Tarrytown worker who collapsed inside a manhole behind a fire station. Kelly also went down and by the time his fellow firefighters could get to both men they were dead. Here’s our coverage.

Internal report on Seattle pump failure at fatal fire says it took seven minutes to get water: The Seattle Fire Department has issued a report on the fire in June that killed five people. The first arriving engine could not flow water because of an electronic keypad malfunction. Here’s the latest

Tour of Duty Run visits the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial: I’ve been reading about their run through 20 states in 31 days with a scheduled arrival in Manhattan on Saturday, September 11. It was nice to meet the group of Australian and U.S. firefighters and other first responders during their visit to Emmitsburg on Labor Day. Click here for some video I shot as part of my work with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, plus links to other news coverage of the event.

Dave loses it and goes after a former Congressman and Presidential candidate: I’m sorry that I needed to get on my soap box, but it appeared everyone was attacking the fire marshals of Fairfax County, Virginia for arresting two bartenders who were doing fire tricks inside a Herndon bar. Reading a blog by Georgia’s Bob Barr sent me over the top. Mr. Barr gives the indication that it is “fun” to play with fire in a bar and that anyone who thinks otherwise is a “busy-body” who is against “freedom”. If that’s the case, I guess you better sign me up as one those unfun, freedom-hating, busy-bodies. Read why I am proud to wear those labels.

Injured Kentucky firefighters believe staffing shortages contributed to injuries: With no overtime to fill vacant positions Lyndon firefighters believe trying to do more with less contributed to injuries last week during an apartment fire. Here’s the story. 

Fairfax County comes out on top for MDA: From Joel Kobersteen, communications director of IAFF Local 2068- “Thanks to the tremendous generosity of the citizens, visitors and employees of Fairfax County, IAFF Local 2068 was able to claim the crown as the highest raising Fill the Boot campaign in the United States.  Fairfax County collected an amazing $561,487.72 during their campaign, beating out Houston, Texas Local 341 who raised $489,081.00 during their campaign.”

Firefighters among those who lost homes in Colorado: At least four firefighters who are battling this 3500 acre blaze near Denver have lost their homes. Firegeezer has been following this one.

Quick Takes

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 Buffalo, New York house fire: A fire yesterday at 6 Keystone Avenue. Erie County Fire Wire has the fireground audio.

Beer in hand, returning from parade, firefighter crashed fire truck: DUI charges have now been filed against a 20-year-old firefighter from Pennsylvania’s North Bangor VFC after the Mack tanker he was driving overturned. Police say the friend in the crash with Zachary Romano had brought a 30-pack of Coors Light to the Tatamy Fire Parade. Read more.

Virginia firefighters say no to county control: In Albemarle County, volunteer fire and rescue companies are standing together in opposition to the idea of a county fire chief. Some political leaders say with Albemarle County paying the freight, they must have control over the money. Watch the story.

Fire captain explains to politician why he is not a “terrorist” at the same time a new skirmish develops in Stamford, Connecticut: In this ongoing career-volunteer battle, the Stamford Advocate is reporting IAFF Local 786 is “asking for a city lawmaker to resign following comments he made comparing the union’s frequent criticism of the city’s volunteer fire service to the way “Hamas lobs rockets into Israel.” While City Rep. Scott Mirkin defends his comments here, Capt. Philip Hayes has sent a letter to the editor explaining how offended he is by the comments. Also, there is once again controversy over volunteers from Long Ridge cancelling other firefighters before getting to the scene of a call. Here is the latest. Here’s some of our previous coverage of this issue.

Raw video from Burbank commercial fire: Good video from the air and the ground of Tuesday’s fire at an import/export business.

Firefighter talks about fall into burning basement: Click here for the hospital interview with Capt. Michael Long, a Camp Taylor, Kentucky firefighter who is recovering from serious burns after falling to the basement of a burning home Sunday night. Long’s brother-in-law was among those trying to get him out. Long’s wife was on the ambulance dealing with another injured firefighter when the drama was occurring.

Antique fire truck badly burns firefighter: Just seven-months ago Firefighter Josh Higgins moved from New Hampshire to start a new life in Sherman County, Oregon. Now he is in a burn center recovering from serious burns after becoming engulfed in flames while trying to fix a broken down antique fire engine on the side of the road. The rig belongs to the South Sherman Fire District. Here’s more.

Drive-thru fireFiregeezer has good video and details from a vehicle fire with exposures at a McDonald’s drive-thru window in Vancouver, Washington.

Quick Takes

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Kentucky house fire: Firefighter Spot (where you can find a riveting interview with my close, personal friend Rhett Fleitz … and to think I knew him when) discovered this recently posted video. Jason Thomas wasn’t sure about where or when, but I think it is from a January 2o09 house fire in Pleasure Ridge Park, Kentucky.

I didn’t feel a thing: No earthquake feeling for Dave. I’m in Emmitsburg for National Fallen Firefighters Foundation business and I was working on the blog when an earthquake hit Maryland around 5:00 this morning. Only 3.6, it was centered 45 miles south of here in Germantown. You can learn more about this minor shaking at wusa9.com. Listen to an interview with USGS.

“Now is the time to change. The eyes of the citizens are on us.”: The words of Spotsylvania County, Virginia County Administrator Doug Barnes as he announced new minimum training standards for firefighters. This comes following internal and external reports describing significant issues during a February 5 house fire where firefighters could not find a woman who was on the phone with 911. According to Barnes, “Our goal is to move away from on-the-job training for officers and incorporate other training mechanisms to bolster our officer development and training.”  Spotsylvania is also dealing with recent allegations of sexual misconduct at two volunteer stations. Dan Telvock with the Free Lance – Star broke all of these stories. Here’s his latest report.

Florida firefighter is shocked during ladder demo in front of campers: In Osceola County a firefighter received an electrical shock in front of 30 children at a camp when a ladder touched a power line. The firefighters were demonstrating their skills. The injured firefighter was flown to Orlando Regional Medical Center and is expected to survive. Read and watch the story.

Video of Minneapolis rescue: KSTP-TV shows video and talks to firefighters who helped rescue two men from a burning home early yesterday morning. Click here to read and watch the story.

Dozens dead in hotel fire in Iraq: When you hear 29 people died in Iraq (one report has it up to 40) an electrical short is not likely to be the first thing that comes to mind as the reason. But that’s been listed as the cause of a hotel fire Thursday night in the Kurdish city of Sulaimaniyah. Read more.

Deadly drive into house: Watch the story from Shelby County, Indiana where a motorist drove through a home with the vehicle catching fire, killing the driver.

Vehicle fire with exposures: A little situation in Galveston, Texas.

Quick Takes

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  Listen to 911 call from man stuck in wall while home is on fire: I am sure many of you considered the option of going through the drywall as a means of escape if fire trapped you in a room. A man in Keizer, Oregon did just that after he first fled to a bathroom when his home caught fire. The man became stuck in the wall, but was able to call 911 for help. Click the image to watch the story and click here to read about it. 

Resignation from firefighter who was in movie while on disability: On June 11 we told you the story of Lockport, New York’s Michael Collette. The firefighter came under scrutiny for his appearance as a security guard chasing after bad guys in a Keanu Reeves movie. That turn in the limelight cost Collette his job. He was out on disability from the fire department when the movie was shot in Buffalo. Collette has now resigned from the fire department, but still could face fraud charges. Click here to watch the story, including an interview Collette did about a month ago

When it rains it pours – - it never seems to end in Westbrook: The fire department in Westbrook, Maine has had lots of troubles in recent years. Despite a new chief, it doesn’t seem to be behind them yet. The department put three of its firefighters on leave in recent days because of a variety of legal problems. A call firefighter was suspended after a domestic violence arrest. While investigating the charge, police determined the roomate of that firefighter, a full-time Westbrook firefighter, was in possession of firearms. That is a no-no because the full-time firefighter has a 1983 felony robbery conviction. Unrelated to this is the suspension of another firefighter who has a protection order against him after being accused of harassing a social worker who works with his wife. Read the details

While we are at it, a former Westbrook firefighter was just sentenced yesterday to 18-years in prison after being convicted of arson. Click here to read and watch the story

About two weeks ago, one of two female firefighters who had sued the department for sexual harassment came back to the job. Those suits brought about “a rash of firings, resignations and discipline involving top administrators and rank-and-file firefighters”. Read more in the Portland Press Herald

Inspections found problems at New Jersey home where four died: Starting in January firefighters and inspectors discovered problems with the wiring inside a Paterson, New Jersey boarding house where four people died and three others were hurt in a fire early yesterday. Read details on the inspections. Firegeezer has more on the fire

No wonder it saves energy and money: When the quarters for Louisville, Kentucky’s Engine 6 was finished 15 months ago it was touted as being energy efficient. The chief told reporters, “We’re looking at about a third of the cost to utilize that system as it would to use traditional either gas or electric systems”. Well one reason for the savings may be that the air conditioning in the new firehouse just doesn’t work. After two grievances filed by firefighters over four hot weeks, the city has installed not so efficient window units. Read the story

 

Mayor’s home destroyed: The home of Somersworth, New Hampshire Mayor Lincoln Soldati burned on Tuesday. The fire went to four-alarms. Click here for more details and video

Quick Takes

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Pretty awesome early video from 4th alarm in Mt. Carmel, Pennsylvania: A neighbor was rolling well before the first alarm units arrived to this fire around 3:30 Sunday morning at 350 W. 4th Street. Make sure you take a close look at the video at 5:49 and 8:43.

Just when we thought things had calmed down between the fire chief and the councilmember: DC City Councilmember Phil Mendelson has asked the chief financial officer to look into how DC Fire & EMS Department Chief Dennis Rubin is overspending his budget. Mendelson wants action taken against Rubin that could include firing under the city’s ant-deficiency regulations. Read Bill Myers’ story from The Examiner. Click here to read the letter from Mendelson.

Garage explosion video: We have the full raw version with slo-mo and the short clip of an explosion as Lake Stevens, Washington firefighters stretch to a garage fire. Well worth seeing. Here it is.

Is checking for holes in your eyelids wrong?: The Fox TV station in Detroit certainly thinks so. Our audience isn’t so certain. I even have a few comments and questions about the story of two supervisors with Detroit EMS. One of the supervisors shown with her eyes shut is the wife of the city’s EMS chief. The chief responds to a reporter’s questions. Check out the story and the comments.

Fire engine taken out by flood waters: Shelby County, Tennessee Engine 69 was down for the count as the crew responded to one of many flood related calls on Saturday. Also, watch as a house (actually a portable classroom) outpaces cars and trucks on a highway. Plus more video of firefighters in action during the flooding. Click here.

Female sues lieutenant over sexual harassment. He claims she is just as raunchy: Pretty detailed sex talk coming from Reading, Massachusetts after a veteran female firefighter files suit. The lawyer for accused Lieutenant Richard Puopolo says that Firefighter Lisa Palermo ”gives as good as she gets”. Click here for all of the lurid details.

The house comes tumbling down: Within 30-minutes of a fire being reported in a 150-year-old wood frame house in North Attleboro, Massachusetts it was on the ground. Click here to see the collapse

They say comedy is tragedy plus time: Carol Burnett is credited with that quote (if you don’t know, ask Firegeezer who she is). Apparently 51-years is not enough time for me to have the slightest bit of fun with an absolutely wonderful film from a New Jersey volunteer fire department. A little interaction between a bay door and a fire truck is caught by the camera. It reminds us that bay door collisions are universal and have been happening since the first fire truck went behind closed doors. Here’s the film.

Thieves target fire stations: Two nearby firehouses have been hit in Kentucky. The men responsible for an attempted break-in of a storage shed in Rowan County were caught on video. It shows the three men in masks and hoods. It is believed an alarm system scared them off. In Lewis County a generator and other equipment were taken.

At least 11 dead in fiery crash in Kentucky. Big rig and van collide on I-65 near Munfordville.

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Firegeezer has the view from the ground

From the AP:

State police say the death toll has risen to 11 in a fiery crash between a tractor-trailer and a church van on northbound Interstate 65 in south-central Kentucky.

State police Trooper Charles Swiney says two children survived the crash.

A pastor for the family in the van says they were Mennonites from Kentucky on their way to a wedding in Iowa. Authorities say the truck driver was also killed.

Officials say the tractor-trailer crossed the median and struck the van head-on around 5:30 a.m. CDT near Munfordville.

Pastor Leroy Kauffman with the Marrowbone Christian Brotherhood in Burkesville says the two surviving children were taken to a nearby hospital.

Nanny walks through flames to save child. A remarkable story from Shelby County, Kentucky.

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This story from Shelbyville, KY is from WAVE-TV via CNN and Emily Cyr at WUSA9.com:

A Shelby County nanny is being hailed a hero. 22-year-old Alyson Myatt is at University Hospital, recovering from severe burns after she saved a 5-year-old’s life.

Around 6:20 a.m. on March 23, Myatt was sleeping in a downstairs bedroom at a home on Golden Rod where she is a live-in nanny for 5-year-old Aiden Hawes, whose father was out of town.

“I just heard a big boom. I thought it was Aiden,” Myatt said.

After hearing the boom, Myatt immediately sprinted upstairs – barefoot. When she got to the hallway, she was met by flames on the carpet.

“I was calling him. He said, ‘Aly, I’m in here. I’m in my room underneath my covers.’ I was like okay and I ran there, grabbed him and ran out,” said Myatt.

Myatt said her focus was rescuing Aiden. At the time, she didn’t even think about getting burned.

“After I ran off the carpet, my feet were just … it was like I was walking on goo ’cause all the skin. My feet were just burned off,” Myatt described.

Myatt then ran out of the house with Aiden, drove to a neighbor’s house to call 911. Although Myatt suffered burns to her hands, legs and feet, she said Aiden was not injured.

“I’m just happy Aiden is okay,” said Myatt. “I care for that kid a lot.”

“The boy, probably, without her wouldn’t have been able to survive until we arrived,” said Chief Willard Tucker of the Shelbyville Fire Department.

Tucker believes Myatt ran through 400 degree flames to reach and rescue Aiden, something he believes a lot of people would not have done.

According to Tucker, the fire started in the attic near the fan in the bathroom. Tucker said three hours before the fire, Myatt noticed there was something wrong with the fan. She contacted the Aiden’s father about the problem, but they both thought it was not serious.

Tucker advises if you are worried about an appliance or anything else in your home, contact the fire department.

Quick Takes

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Watch out, this could be a firing offense: This text-to-movie animation “educates” the public on when not to call 911. It is the type of video that cost a South Carolina firefighter his job. See the story below.

Check out the player to the right for the latest fire & EMS videos from around the country. Just today WUSA9.com‘s Emily Cyr added the story of 911 frequent fliers in Denver (relates well to the spoof video above),  the picture of Jesus that some think miraculously survived a fire and video from the Hampton, NH ocean front blaze. There is much more over here – >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Warning! Warning! Warning! This video that got a South Carolina firefighter fired has language that some might find offensive. Now that you have been warned, you can watch it by clicking the image.

Warning! Warning! Warning! This video that got a South Carolina firefighter fired has language that some might find offensive. Now that you have been warned, you can watch it by clicking the image.

LEAD STORY – Firefighter canned over YouTube video: It isn’t just the video you shoot at a fire or in the firehouse that can get you in trouble. Animation can also cost you your job. Most likely you have seen those text-to-movie videos from xtranormal.com (see above) that seem to be very popular with firefighters and others. One created by a South Carolina firefighter and posted on his Facebook page has resulted in his firing. WCSC-TV in Charleston has the dismissal letter issued to Firefighter Jason Brown by Colleton County Fire-Rescue Director Barry McRoy. It says in part, ”You [Brown] displayed poor judgment in producing a derogatory video depicting a member of this department with a physician which is implied to be at Colleton Medical Center.”  Brown told a reporter, “There was no malicious attack to anybody involved personally or countywide or any certain department ever.” Read the letter. Watch the story. Read the story.

 Ocean front block gone thanks to fire during storm: The Atlantic Coast storm helped drive a fire in Hampton, New Hampshire. It spread from the Surf Hotel to eight or nine other businesses along the ocean. Click here for our coverage.

The keep back 500 feet sign ignored with almost disastrous results: In Washington, DC last night a 14-year-old skateboarder latched onto the rear of Truck 11 as it was leaving a box alarm. It apparently didn’t work exactly how the teen anticipated. The rig ran over his foot. He is in Children’s Hospital with injuries that aren’t life-threatening.

A man and a five-year-old child were pulled from a fire on Toledo Place in Hyattsville, MD. PGFD says both were burned and CPR was being performed. Click the image to read more about the two-alarm fire or listen to the interview in our player near the top right of this page.

A man and young child were rescued by firefighters from this burning Hyattsville, Maryland apartment building this morning. Both were burned and CPR was being performed. PGFD called two-alarms to handle the fire. Click the image for details and check the video player at the upper right of this page for an interview from the scene.

Firefighter/union president made acting chief over higher ranking officer: One day he is a firefighter and the next day he is chief. In Nahant, Massachusetts a lieutenant is calling it a “bag job” in the move that makes Firefighter Kevin Howard the acting fire chief. Howard had to resign as union president to take the position. Read more.

Two firefighters charged in bar brawl: Three from FDNY turned themselves into police investigating the fight at a firefighter hang out in Brooklyn. Only twoof the firefighters were charged after police identified them on the surveillance video. The dispute started over a spilled drink. Click here for more.

Another off-duty bar brawl leads to suspension: This one is in Frankfort, Kentucky and it took an eight-hour personnel hearing to give a firefighter three months without pay. Brian Olds says he was trying to break up the fight, but the chief says Olds has a past with anger management issues that left him barred from the city’s contracted fitness facility. Here’s more.

Arrest in the Philly sound fire: A man described as so drunk it is amazing he didn’t pass out and die in the fire has now been charged in the blaze we told you about that destroyed the offices of Philadelphia International Records. Investigators say the man has no connection to the legendary recording company that brought us artists like Teddy Pendergrass and Patti LaBelle. Read more.

Firefighter charged in fatal collision: Firefighter Close Calls has the story of a firefighter being charged in a wreck with a fire engine  earlier this month that killed a 54-year-old man in Vaughan, Ontario.

Sheriff’s deputy makes grab: In Indiana, the Angola Fire Department is crediting Steuben County Sheriff’s  Corporal Chris Emerick with crawling in on his hands and knees armed with a flashlight to rescue a man from a burning home at Jimmerson Lake. Here’s the story.

The Urban Firefighter debuts: I was greatly disappointed when I  learned thehousewatch.com was about to handle its last alarm.  The writings of Erich Roden have been a favorite of mine. Whether I agree with what Erich has to say or not, I believe he is one of the most talented writers in today’s fire service. It would be easy to be almost condescending and say for a front line firefighter he’s a good writer. No, for a writer he’s a good writer and he makes me look like a hack (which I am). When I discovered Erich was putting his efforts to a new venture I got out of my depression. Continuing his partnership with Ray McCormack, whose articles constantly remind me that firefighting is more an art than a science, they have debuted Urban Firefighter Magazine. It is online. It is free. Check it out. Also, Firegeezer has his view on Urban Firefighter.

Urban FF Issue 1