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So what do you think of this? TV investigative reporter uses hidden camera to capture LA County assistant chief having a liquid lunch.

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FirefighterCloseCalls.com brought this story to my attention. It’s about a Los Angeles County Fire Department assistant chief who is now under investigation because a TV news reporter says he caught the chief drinking on the job. It’s another reminder that cameras are everywhere.

In this case, I am very interested in the back story that I didn’t find mentioned. What prompted the reporter to do this? One would guess a tip came in from a colleague or possibly someone at the restaurant.

When I was in the news business, I always looked at the real need for a hidden camera (I will admit it usually made me feel a bit sleazy in the few times I used it). What is it going to get that I can’t get with a camera out in the open? What is the value of the story that it would help capture? What wrong are we going to help right by going this route?

I also felt similarly about ambush interviews and tried to do them only when there was no other way to get a public official to talk.

Now to the alcohol issue. Based on a story I posted on STATter911.com years ago about firefighters and drinking, I think I know what the reaction to this story is going to be and how it will be divided (if you have seen any of my presentations, you may know this answer). But I am curious if anything has changed since then. Let me know your thoughts on this story. Don’t be shy.

KCBS-TV:

Investigative reporter David Goldstein caught a high-ranking employee of LA County Fire allegedly drinking on the job.

Goldstein’s hidden cameras captured Vic Mesrobian, an assistant chief of County Fire’s information management department, drive off in a county fire vehicle and drink beer while on duty during lunch.

His formal title, Information Technology Manager, is a civilian position that pays $124,421.48 a year in taxpayer money.

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Posted by dave statter on February 24, 2013 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Los Angeles County Fire Department, News, Videos • Tagged: ambush interview, Assistant chief, Assistant Chief Vic Mesrobian, Command Fire Apparatus, Dave Statter, drinking, drinking on the job, EMS, EMT, fire, Fire Truck Blog, firefighter, firefighting, FireTruckBlog.com, hidden camera, Information Technology, Information Technology Manager, LA County, Los Angeles County, Los Angeles County Fire Department, lunch, paramedic, reputation management, restaurant, sellfiretrucks.com, STATter911.com

Raw video: House fire in Lakewood, California.

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No details on this house fire handled by the Los Angeles County Fire Department in Lakewood, California

Posted by dave statter on June 18, 2012 • Filed under: Uncategorized • Tagged: California, Command Fire Apparatus, Dave Statter, dwelling fire, EMS, EMT, fire, Fire Truck Blog, firefighter, firefighting, Fires, FireTruckBlog.com, Glenn Usdin, house fire, Lakewood, Los Angeles County, paramedic, sellfiretrucks.com, STATter911.com, structure fire

Quick Takes: March 21, 2011.

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Early video from Bossier Parish, Louisiana apartment fire: Citizen on the scene yesterday afternoon at the Reserve apartments before the arrival of the Benton Fire Department. Click here for much more video. Click here for more details on the fire.

Nine firefighters hurt in Calvert County, Maryland: We have details, lots of video and links to still pictures from the fire that started in a chimney late Saturday night in Huntingtown, Maryland. Two of the firefighters went to the burn unit. One has inhalation burns. Click here for our coverage. Christopher Naum at CommandSafety.com has a good before look at this mega-McMansion and diagrams the location for us. Click here.

FiretruckBlog.com’s Antique of the Week: Check out the video of this 1916 American LaFrance that Glenn Usdin posted.

A kiss is still a kiss, but Dave is looking for much more meaning: Please take a moment to view the pictures from last week’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Savannah, Georgia and what I had to say about them. The images may be the most encouraging thing I have seen in a long time when it comes to the reputation of firefighters. Click here. And join me in Indianapolis on Thursday in room 125-126 at 1:30 PM for my thoughts on how to manage your reputation when news moves at the speed of light. The session is called “The PIO Reporter: Telling Your Story in a World Where “Spin” Doesn’t Work”.

Coincidentally, at the very same time, there is a presentation scheduled on social media in rooms 134-135. The host is THE Fire Critic, Rhett Fleitz. As loyal readers know, we have taken a very special interest here at STATter911.com in the career of Lt. Fleitz and always look for ways to promote his work. That’s why we have no problem publicizing this competing session, once again. We also did it in a language that most firefighters in the United States speak and understand. If you click here you will see that THE Fire Critic has a different view on this topic. But, as always, we take the high road when it comes to Rhett. And as a public service, here’s a tip if you aren’t certain you are in the correct room on Thursday. If you just hear a voice and no one is visibile behind the podium, that will be Rhett’s presentation.

Speaking of images: Two people in the fire service who are always worth listening to have some rather serious thoughts about the image that may be presented by the 9-11 Museum. Read the column in Human Events by Bobby Halton and Frank Ricci.

And on the topic of 9-11: The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation is holding a 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb at Lucas Oil Stadium during FDIC. It starts at 11:30 AM Friday morning. You can sign up now. The event is limited to the first 343 firefighters. Click here. You can also host your own 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb for the upcoming 10th anniversary of the attacks. Click here for details.

“Just because you’re a first responder, it doesn’t give you the excuse to drive like a maniac”: The quote from the Village of Chester, New York police chief after Kiryas Joel ambulance corps member Menachem Kramer was cited for 21 traffic violations following his response to an accident a month ago. Police say Kramer’s 1999 Tahoe forced a police officer’s vehicle off the road. From RecordOnline.com- “According to the report, Kramer drove at excessive speeds, as well as down the center of Brookside Avenue, forcing cars in the turning lanes to quickly veer out of the way — some into the path of oncoming traffic.” Police say the incident was already clearing when Kramer was responding.

Big one tips in Germany: A Bronto Skylift with a reach of almost 300 feet failed to make a turn on a roadway in Germany. Firegeezer has that story.

USAR teams back home: The teams from Fairfax County and Los Angeles County returned home from the mission to Japan. Click here and here for stories.

Union billboards its complaints: In Lancaster, Pennsylvania a recent no confidence vote in the chief has been followed by a billboard asking the citizens about safety. Here’s the story.

Woman who fled to Nigeria after deadly day care fire is coming back to Houston: Houston’s fire chief apologized to the families who lost children after a fire in a day care center. Fire investigators and the Harris County District Attorney battled over an arrest warrant while Jessica Tata left the country. We told you Saturday that Tata had turned herself into authorities in her native Nigeria. Now there is official word she is returning to Houston and should be back by tonight. Read more.

Last week’s fire in Howard County, Maryland: While traveling the last few days I failed to link to Doug Walton’s photos from Friday’s apartment fire in Columbia that left two firefighters injured. Check out Doug’s coverage.

Montgomery County, Maryland house fire: Jeff Krauss has a series of photos to go with the one to the left from a house fire Sunday afternoon on Whites Ford Way in Potomac. An 87-year-old man is reported in critical condition with burns and smoke inhalation. An 85-year-old woman suffered smoke inhalation and a firefighter had was burned on the shoulder.

Volunteer recruitment in Nebraska: Last week’s volunteer summit in Washington hosted by the IAFC is already making news back home. One of those who attended and is dealing with recruitment issues is featured in a story from the Omaha area. Click here.

Tulsa, Oklahoma apartment fire: This was a fire just before dawn on Sunday at the Monaco Park Apartments.

Posted by dave statter on March 21, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, EMS Health & Safety, EMS Topics, Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Houston Fire Department, IAFC, IAFF, Los Angeles County Fire Department, Major Incidents, Mass Casualty Incident, Montgomery County Fire Rescue Service (MD), National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, News, Quick takes, Videos • Tagged: 9-11, 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb, 9-11 Museum, Benton, Bobby Halton, Bossier Parish, Bronto Skylift, Columbia, Command Fire Apparatus, Dave Statter, Doug Walton, earthquake, EMS, EMT, Fairfax County, FDIC, Fire Truck Blog, firefighter, FireTruckBlog.com, Frank Ricci, Georgia, Germany, Glenn Usdin, Howard County, Howard County Fire, Japan Tsunami, Los Angeles County, Louisiana, Lucas Oil Stadium, Maryland, Memorial Stair Climb, paramedic, sellfiretrucks.com, STATter911.com, USAR

Raw video: U.S. search & rescue teams in action in Japan.

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Previous STATter911.com coverage of U.S. teams in Japan

From WUSA9.com/CNN:

Days after the earthquake and tsunami struck Japan, more than 7,500 people are still missing, and the number could likely rise.

Search and rescue teams are on hand in some areas– helping with the hunt for survivors.

The relieved mayor of Ofunato greets U.S. and British rescue teams as they start their first full day of operations, but his city’s condition could lie beyond their reach.

The tsunami came through Ofunato’s narrow inlet with such force a tugboat was thrown several blocks, and cars were violently scattered for miles.

“The first thing is we find a place to search. We have map grids that are set up by the local emergency managers in the area. They give us an area to search. We split it up. We take coordinates. We go through the buildings, search it building by building- standing up or laying down,” said Fairfax Co. Urban Search and Rescue Capt. Sam Gray.

The teams fan out, through mountains of rubble and teetering buildings, using every tool they brought.

Rescuers got word there was a note posted on a house that there was someone alive inside. They had the dog teams check it out, but the dogs didn’t detect the scene of anyone alive.

“If you can hear me, knock three times!” yelled one of the rescue team members.

Listening devices and audio signal yielded nothing.

Residents who did escape the tsunami are in shock.

It was initially thought Tomuko Shida lost her husband in the disaster, but a translator says, “Her husband already died. She had stored in a box…She put it in a really high place. And when the storm came, she couldn’t reach the box. She ran away first.”

She’s still looking for her husband’s remains.

For those who did lose loved ones in this disaster, the final casualty count here may never be known.

“The way we’re operating now there’s still plenty of opportunity to find live victims. But as time goes on, those opportunities diminish,” says Battalion Chief Chris Schaff of Virginia Task Force 1.

In many of these places, rescuers say they rely on local citizens, flagging them down to come and get a loved one out of a building or out of a pile of rubble.

One team member said that in Ofunato, whole families might have gone missing, and there might not be anyone even looking for them.

Posted by dave statter on March 16, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, EMS Health & Safety, EMS Topics, Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Japan earthquake & tsunami, Los Angeles County Fire Department, Major Incidents, Mass Casualty Incident, News, Rescues, Special Operations, Videos • Tagged: CA TF-2, California, California Task Force 2, CATF 2, Chris Schaff, Command Fire Apparatus, Dave Statter, deployment, earhtquake, EMS, EMT, Fairfax County, Fire Truck Blog, firefighter, Fires, FireTruckBlog.com, Glenn Usdin, Haiti, Jpan, Los Angeles County, mobilization, Navy, Ofunato, paramedic, sellfiretrucks.com, Soma, STATter911.com, tsunami, U.S. Navy, USAID, USAR, VATF1, Virginia Task Force 1

Japan update: Fairfax County battalion chief describes operations. Photos of VATF-1 in action. Local rescuers find 70-year-old woman trapped for four days.

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STATter911.com previous coverage of Japan earthquake & USAR teams

More pictures from U.S. teams in Japan from WUSA9.com

From Emily Cyr at WUSA9.com:

The 74 members of Virginia Task Force 1 deployed to Japan are seeing the devastation first hand.

Fairfax Co. Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Chris Schaff joined 9NEWS NOW by phone Tuesday morning. He said half the team was resting after searching for survivors, while the other half was preparing to take over.

Click the image above for more of Travis J. Tritten’s photos of VATF-1 in action in Ofunato, Japan and additional details about the team’s initial missions.

“They have us doing search and rescue right along the shoreline where the tsunami came in, and actually working in that grid this morning and afternoon, and we’re going to push further down and closer to the coast tomorrow morning,” Chief Schaff said.

The team was also deployed to Haiti after the earthquake in January, 2010, where they made more than a dozen rescues.

Chief Schaff described how the conditions are different in Japan: “In Haiti, there’s not a whole lot of lumber they used to build, it’s mostly concrete. Here, there is a lot of lumber, so there is a lot of debris washed ashore. There’s houses that have been picked up and moved, as well as a lot of boats, large boats, that we’ve had moved a good distance from the shore, up on top of the houses and collapsed those houses. The crews are working in and around those, doing their search and rescue.”

At this point, they have not had an opportunity to rescue anyone, though Chief Schaff says the team is still very energetic.

Chief Schaff says they are also far enough away for the threat of nuclear radiation not be a concern. “We’ve got hazardous materials specialists that are also working with us from the team, and they’re keeping us abreast of the situation with the hazardous materials in the area we’re working in. That’s not a complication we’re dealing with right now, so we’re not really focusing that direction. However, we do have people that can take care of that should that need arise for us.”

A story from Soma, Japan by Susan Phillips WUSA9.com and AP:

Rescuers have found a 70-year-old woman alive four days after the disaster struck.

Osaka fire department spokesman Yuko Kotani says the woman was found inside her house that was washed away by the tsunami in northeastern Japan’s Iwate prefecture. The rescuers from Osaka, in western Japan, were sent to the area for disaster relief.

Kotani said the woman was conscious but suffering from hypothermia and is being treated at a hospital. She would not give the woman’s name.

Her rescue was a rare bit of news for Japanese traumatized by the disaster.

Posted by dave statter on March 15, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, EMS Health & Safety, EMS Topics, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Haiti Earthquake, Japan earthquake & tsunami, Los Angeles County Fire Department, Major Incidents, Mass Casualty Incident, News, Rescues, Special Operations, Videos • Tagged: CA TF-2, California, California Task Force 2, CATF 2, Chris Schaff, Command Fire Apparatus, Dave Statter, deployment, earhtquake, EMS, EMT, Fairfax County, Fire Truck Blog, firefighter, Fires, FireTruckBlog.com, Glenn Usdin, Haiti, Jpan, Los Angeles County, mobilization, paramedic, sellfiretrucks.com, Soma, STATter911.com, tsunami, USAID, USAR, VATF1, Virginia Task Force 1

Report from Japan: Virginia & California teams on the ground.

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My friend Ron Gardner (a former and great TV news anchor) in Idaho posted the above video on his Facebook page today. It is one of the many videos from Japan that gives you the close-up ground view as the tsunami obliterated towns. It gives you an idea of the task ahead for the search and rescue teams from the U.S. They are now in Japan. Firegeezer has a bunch more videos for you.

Below are some videos, courtesy of WUSA9.com, of the arrival of Virginia Task Force 1 (VATF-1 out of Fairfax County) and California Task Force 2 (CATF-2 out of Los Angeles County) in Japan. There they have met up with a British team. (Note: I am aware the audio on the last two videos is out of synch. It was fed to WUSA9.com that way.)

Here is some information contained in a press release from the Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department:

The team arrived at Misawa Air Base, Sunday, March 13, 2011, by commercial aircraft. Approximately 31 tons of equipment and supplies, including four inflatable boats, was transported separately by military airlift.

The self-contained, heavy task force of 74 personnel has technical search and rescue specialists, search and rescue canines, structural engineers, a medical component consisting of physicians and paramedics, and other critical support personnel. VATF-1 will travel to Ofunato, a seaport city of approximately 41,000, and establish a base of operations.

While enroute to Japan, VATF-1 stopped in Los Angeles, California, and joined with California Task Force 2 (CATF-2) for the trip to Misawa Air Base. Both teams will be working under the direction of the Tokyo Fire Department.

Posted by dave statter on March 14, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, EMS Health & Safety, EMS Topics, Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, HazMat, Japan earthquake & tsunami, Los Angeles County Fire Department, Major Incidents, News, Rescues, Special Operations, Videos • Tagged: CA TF-2, California, California Task Force 2, CATF 2, Command Fire Apparatus, Dave Statter, deployment, earhtquake, EMS, EMT, Fairfax County, Fire Truck Blog, firefighter, Fires, FireTruckBlog.com, Glenn Usdin, Haiti, Jpan, Los Angeles County, mobilization, paramedic, sellfiretrucks.com, STATter911.com, tsunami, USAID, USAR, VATF1, Virginia Task Force 1

Early video: Garage fire in Valinda, California.

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Flying Lion Productions

Flying Lion Productions arrived on the scene before Los Angeles County Engine 26 at this garage fire.

Posted by dave statter on October 24, 2010 • Filed under: Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fires, Los Angeles County Fire Department, Videos • Tagged: California, Dave Statter, EMS, EMT, firefighter, LAFD, Los Angeles County, Los Angeles County Fire Department, paramedic, STATter911.com, Valinda

NEW INFO ADDED: Fairfax County team in Haiti helps in the rescue of a neighbor. Silver Spring, Maryland man tells his story of being trapped under the Hotel Montana.

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Virginia Task Force 2 out of Virginia Beach is also in Haiti. Click here and here to follow their work.

Click here and scroll down for our previous coverage on the earthquake in Haiti

Read more on the rescue of Rick Santos

VAFireNews.com is also keeping tabs on Virginia USAR teams

Ohio team sits on the ground for another day after flight is canceled

The latest number we have on people found alive buried under earthquake rubble in Port au Prince, Haiti by Virginia Task Force 1 is 14. The hard and sometimes frustrating work by all of the USAR teams continues as the hours slip away.

In the video above is one of the survivors from the Hotel Montana. There, the crew from Fairfax County joined colleagues from France in searching for those who could still be alive. One of those they found was a neighbor from the Washington area, Rick Santos. Santos, from Silver Spring, Maryland, is the President and CEO of IMA/World Health.

Here is some more information that Fairfax County officials distributed Sunday morning to various interested parties:

The two teams from Virginia Task Force 1 (USA-1 & USA-5) are now combined into one. Apparently this was necessary due to transportation and fuel issues, but has helped in the management of the resources and enhanced the team’s capabilities.
The last live victim removed by VA-TF 1 involved a 26-hour operation at the University of Port-au-Prince. It was completed at 9:00 PM Saturday. The patient was in critical condition.
The operation at the Hotel Montana has been completed.
Satellite telephone reliability is a continuing problem, but the radio system has worked well.
VA-TF 1 along with CA-TF 2, FL-TF 1, and FL-TF 2 are still working out of the U.S. Embassy.
NY-TF 1 and VA-TF 2 are set up at the airport.
It is possible, but not certain, that teams could be used for “humanitarian efforts” once things switch to a recovery operation.

News reports here and here indicate California Task Force 2 located six victims in the rubble at two different locations. The video above and below follows their work at a collapsed building where the team heard tapping within the debris.

Here are excerpts from a Sunday CNN article with more details on the work by USAR teams:

Even now, survivors still emerge from under mounds of concrete. By Saturday, American search teams had pulled out 22 people from collapsed buildings.

Early Sunday, a man and a teenage girl were found alive in the rubble of a grocery store housed in a three-story building that had collapsed. A joint New York police and fire urban rescue team found them. Both were taken to a U.N. hospital at Port-au-Prince’s airport, where the girl, about 13, was treated for leg injuries and the man treated for undetermined injuries.

The team was trying to reach three others who were still trapped, according to a statement Sunday from New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne. The five survived on the grocery store’s inventory of food and water, authorities said.

Nearly 30 international rescue teams continued to comb the disaster areas for more survivors.

Posted by dave statter on January 17, 2010 • Filed under: Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Haiti Earthquake, Los Angeles County Fire Department, Major Incidents, Mass Casualty Incident, News, Videos • Tagged: CA - TF2, California, California Task Force 2, CATF 2, day care center, debris, earthquake, Fairfax County, Haiti, Hotel Montana, IMA/World Health, Los Angeles County, Maryland, Port Au Prince, Rick Santos, rubble, Silver Spring, urban search and rescue, USAR, VA - TF2, VA- TF1, VATF 2, VATF-1, Virginia, Virginia Beach, Virginia Task Force 1, Virginia Task Force 2

Fairfax County & Los Angeles USAR teams to Haiti. Firefighters are gathering for earthquake response.

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Virginia Task Force 1 website

California Task Force 2 website

Click here for slideshow of Fairfax County’s team preparing for departure

Not unexpected this evening, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced it is sending a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to Haiti. This will include firefighters from Fairfax County and Los Angeles County. The two urban search and rescue (USAR) teams have been activated and are gathering personnel and equipment.

According to USAID, the USAR teams have as many as 72 personnel, 6 search and rescue canines and up to 48 tons of rescue equipment.

Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department spokesman Dan Schmidt tells STATter911.com that as of 10:30 PM EST flight arrangements have not been finalized. Approximately ninety-percent of the 72-member team is made up of county firefighters. Civilian doctors, structural engineers and canine handlers are also part of the team.

The firefighters are at the department’s training academy loading the team’s 90,000 pounds of equipment.

The department, as it has in the past, will set up its family support group to keep relatives notified of the team’s location and progress through conference calls and other means.

Members of the Fairfax team have responded to disasters all over the world including two previous trips to Haiti for a school collapse and a hurricane.

Posted by dave statter on January 12, 2010 • Filed under: Command & Leadership, Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department, Haiti Earthquake, Major Incidents, News, Special Operations • Tagged: earthquake, Fairfax County, Haiti, Los Angeles County, urban search and rescue, USAID, USAR

Quick Takes

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Judge orders New Haven to promote firefighters: Operating under the instructions from a Supreme Court decision, a U.S. Distict Court judge has ordered the promotion of 14 firefighters. The judgement officially finds the City of New Haven violated the rights of a group of white firefighters after two promotional exams were tossed out five-years-ago. New Haven officials say they will follow the order “as soon as practical”. Watch the video above and read the latest on this closely watched case.

NEW- EMS crew officially passed over for fire company: The conflict between New Jersey’s Quakertown Fire Company and Quakertown VEMS came to light for most of us after a passing incident between a firetruck and an ambulance went bad (click here & scroll down for previous coverage). A recent Tri-Data study determined the fire company was best at providing EMS for Franklin Township. Now Franklin Township has made it official. Read the latest.

It never ends in Bourne: The last we looked at the troubles in Bourne, Massachusetts, selectmen had launched their own investigation into the ongoing troubles surround Lt. Kelli Weeks. But now that the investigation is underway, firefighters are not happy statements are being taken under oath and are concerned about repercussions. Click here for the latest story. Click here for our previous stories and updates on the Bourne Fire Department.

Los Angeles County chief says 21-years is enough: Chief P. Michael Freeman is not the longest serving chief in Los Angeles County’s history. It would take another 6-years to reach that record. But Chief Freeman says it is time to go. Already allowed to serve beyond the normal mandatory retirement age of 60, the chief says he wants to spend more time with his family. Chief Freeman came to Southern California after 24-years with the Dallas Fire Department. Read more.

Chief Gene Doherty of the Revere Fire Department is in trouble with his mayor after letting a firefighter use Ladder 2 for a ride to the chapel.

A very unusual situation in New Jersey leads to chief’s resignation: There are a lot of unanswered questions surrounding the Fair Haven fire chief’s plunge into the Navesink River Sunday night. It happened after Shaun Foley hit a pole while driving the chief’s vehicle. Foley was rescued after a 45-minute search that included the U.S. Coast Guard and New Jersey State Police. Foley, who faces drunk driving and other charges, has now resigned. Here’s the latest. And here’s what was reported earlier in the day.

Crack pipes found at fire that hurt ex-Knicks player: Dean Meminger was pulled unconscious from the burning Bronx home Sunday. Now there are reports crack pipes were found in the house, but a cause of the fire has not been listed. The 62-year-old former New York Knicks player is currently in critical but stable condition. Read details.

Family Dollar update from the expert: Our resident expert at Family Dollar store fires at FireEmsBlogs.com is Firegeezer Bill Schumm. So we leave the update to Monday’s fires in Rochester to the Geeze. Click here for the latest.

Posted by dave statter on November 25, 2009 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Bourne Fire Department, Command & Leadership, Courts, FDNY, Los Angeles County Fire Department, News • Tagged: Bourne, Chief Gene Doherty, Chief P. Michael Freeman, crack pipe, Dallas, Dean Meminger, discrimination, Fair Haven, Family Dollar, Firegeezer, Franklin Township, judegement, Kellli Weeks, Ladder 2, Los Angeles County, Navesink River, New Haven, New York Knicks, promotion, Quakertown Fire Company, Quakertown VEMS, retirement, Revere, Ricci, Shaun Foley, Tri-Data, wedding

Quick Takes

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Third alarm in Allentown, PA: This is from NewsWorking.org. Here’s some of what they wrote about the Wednesday morning blaze at 903 N. Penn Street- Engines 6, 4 (reserve E5), 9, 11 (acting Ladder 2), 10 (RIT) and Battalion 4 (Grim) respond on the box. Engine 6 arrives and reports heavy fire in a 3-story M/O/R. Crews stretch a handline and find fire on all floors of the house. BC 4 strikes the second alarm. Engines 14, 13, air 1 and Cars 40, 46, 47, 48 respond. The fire spread to the ‘Delta’ exposure on the third floor of 901 Penn Street, which is the End of Row (E/O/R). Chief 40 struck the third alarm, bringing in Engine 11 (reserve E8) and Truck 1. A may-day was called for a downed firefighter on the second floor of the original fire building around 0954 hrs activating the R.I.T. The firefighter was taken to the hospital (at 7:48 on the video) with minor injuries. the fire was declared under control at 1100 hrs by BC 4.

Station fire report questions aggressiveness of U.S. Forest Service. Forest Service fights back. Read entire report: Click here to read the complete report from Los Angeles County into the Station fire that took the lives of Captain Ted Hall and Firefighter Arnie Quinones. It has sparked a battle between the county and the U.S. Forest Service. The report says the federal agency should change its policy to allow night water drops and make better use of local resources during fires in the Angeles National Forest. The Forest Service points out when it did its own report into the fire Los Angeles County officials did not voice those concerns. Read more from the Los Angeles Times.

Charles Scott Doyle: A firefighter from Montgomery County Maryland who was injured while BASE jumping died yesterday. We told you about Scott Doyle shortly after his accident in May as firefighters worked to bring him home from Idaho. Click here for details on arrangements.

Lt. Kevin M. Kelley, Boston Fire Department

Lt. Kevin M. Kelley Avenue: Boston’s City Council unanimously passed a resolution to name a section of Huntington Avenue after Lt. Kelley who was killed when the ladder truck he was in wrecked in January. Read the story.

An idea that is spreading: A while ago we told you that the idea of replacing career firefighters with volunteers was being floated in Cumberland, Maryland. Yesterday it was the surprise suggestion from the mayor of La Crosse, Wisconsin. And now there is Johnson City, New York where the mayor wants to save money by recruiting volunteers to replace full time staff.

Selectmen are now investigating union allegations over issues with Lt. Kelli Weeks. Click the image for the latest from Bourne, Massachusetts.

Guilty plea for Pennsylvania firefighter who used firetruck to steal fuel while drunk: Forty-six-year-old Michael Gorr admits he was drinking when caught driving a firetruck up to the Upper Macungie Township municipal pumps and filling up some fuel containers for his own use. Apparently he had done this at least 10 other times. Gorr also had been charge with breaking into a south Allentown home. He is the second firefighter caught stealing fuel. Read more.

Probe into hidden account may force Baltimore to return cash to Washington: Do you recall the Baltimore Sun investigation in 2007 about breathing apparatus, some hidden accounts and unauthorized purchases by the training academy? It came under the administration of former chief William Goodwin. Now it appears Baltimore may have to return $164,000 in DHS grant money because of the mess. Click here for the details.

You light up my life … and the 911 lines: Video of a meteor streaking through the sky and getting attention in Utah and beyond.

Union opposes new chief: That’s the story from Robbinsville, New Jersey where the chief’s position will now have the title of director. Union officials says the person picked has never run a career department and doesn’t even have EMT. Here’s the story.

Three-alarm fire last month in Lynn, MA: This is from October 9 at 144 South Street.

Posted by dave statter on November 19, 2009 • Filed under: Baltimore City Fire Department, Boston Fire Department, Bourne Fire Department, Career - Volunteer Issues, fire, Firefighter Safety & Health, Fires, Funding & Staffing, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, Los Angeles County Fire Department, Montgomery County Fire Rescue Service (MD), News, Police, Reports, Videos, Wildland • Tagged: Allentown, Arnie Quinones, BASE jumping, Boston, Cumberland, DHS, fire, firefighter, grants, head injury, Huntington Avenue, Johnson City, Kevin M. Kelley, La Crosse, Ladder 26, Los Angeles County, Lynn, Maryland, Massachusetts, Meteor, metori, Michael Gorr, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Robbinsville, Scott Doyle, Station fire, Ted Hall, theft, U.S. Forest Service, Upper Macungie Township, Utah, Videos, wildfire, William Goodwin, Wisconsin

Quick Takes

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Convicted arsonist wins trust of fire department & becomes a member: An interesting investigative series of reports from Georgia and how a jail trustee whose job was to clean the firehouse suddenly was responding on calls. Click here to watch the stories.

A top L.A. County official gets demoted over creating fire department job for her son-in-law: In Los Angeles County the number two county official is accused of pulling some strings to get her son-in-law a fire department job at a salary 25 percent higher that the job should have paid. Sharon Harper has now been given a big demotion and salary cut for her efforts. Click here.

Is Boston’s union head facing rough waters?: As the Boston Herald puts it, Ed Kelly spent $150,000 of union money in an unsuccessful effort to unseat Tom Menino, the union is still without a contract after a three-year dispute with the mayor where the firefighters turned down a 14 percent raise over four years, and the contract goes to arbitration next month with the same mayor in place. Clearly the IAFF Local 718 president isn’t going to Disney World. The Herald is giving the indication some of the rank and file aren’t happy with the union leadership. According to the Herald, Kelly is offereing no regrets, saying, “The Boston firefighters stood together. Unfortunately our candidate did not win, but we showed that we are willing to stand up to get true reform.” Read more.

Can you hear me know?: Probably not with that siren blaring behind you. Cell phone use by a civilian may have contributed to a fire truck wreck in Christiana, Delaware. We have that story and another one from Delaware.

Jacksonville, Florida apartment fire: Video from a daylight apartment fire that trapped people and left a woman dead.

Some people who should have stayed in bed: Not a good day on the rails in Philadeplhia. Train evacuated of hundreds of commuters after it catches fire. Click here.

Fire departments closing: A look at economic and other impacts on volunteer fire departments in North Dakota.