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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

Quick Takes

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More video from Baltimore fifth-alarm: A large, mostly vacant warehouse burned Sunday morning in the Clipper Mill Industrial Park along the JFX. Firefighters used the highway as a vantage point to lob water onto the fire. The video above is from Michael “FirePix1075″ Schwartzberg. His  still pictures can be seen here. We also have more details and news video posted. Click here for our coverage. Also, as we first mentioned while the fire was burning, the industrial park is where Firefighter Eric Schaefer died in 1995 after a wall collapse during a nine-alarm fire. The Sun’s Peter Hermann looks back at his coverage of that tragedy.

Fatal fire in Bailey’s Crossroads, Virginia: The way relatives describe it, firefighters weren’t likely to save 52-year-old Andy Wang from Saturday morning’s house fire on Paul Street, no matter how fast they got there. Wang’s nephew tells STATter911.com, he smelled smoke and traced it to a basement bedroom where he saw his uncle sitting on the bed on fire. The nephew made sure six other relatives escaped the house. The closest firehouse to Paul Street is Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department Station 410 about 1.3 miles away. At the end of last week, Fairfax County decided not to staff that station overnight following the collapse of the roof over the bay area two weeks ago. For much of the two weeks, Engine 410′s crew had been using the Rehab Unit outside the station as its quarters. The engine is now with Truck 410 at Station 428 during night time hours. The Seven Corners firehouse (AKA Buffalo Ridge) is about two miles further away from the house on Paul Street. Officials say it took five minutes for the first unit to arrive on the scene. Firefighters we have talked to are very eager to again have coverage within Bailey’s Crossroads 24-hours-a-day (they spend most of the daylight and early evening hours in the first-due). Spokesman Dan Schmidt says the hope of county fire officials is that most of the living area at the Bailey’s Crossroads firehouse can be occupied during the next week or two, with a tent outside for apparatus. Click here for the fireground audio from Sunday’s fire.

This sure is different – chief cites grant competition for not allowing newly promoted career captain to be volunteer firefighter: This is a really interesting article from Fargo, North Dakota. The Fargo Fire Department recently promoted Joe Mangin to captain, but Mangin was told to accept that position he would have to resign as a member of the Casselton Volunteer Fire Department (where he had previously been assistant chief). The reason given is that Casselton competes with Fargo for grant money. At least three other Fargo captains are volunteers in North Dakota departments, including two who are chiefs of their departments. The explanation is those departments don’t compete with Fargo for funding. Here’s the story (may require log in).

Steve Skipton and Ron Trout have lots of photos of the two-alarm fire at Philadelphia International Records. Click the image to take you to PhillyFireNews.com.

Steve Skipton and Ron Trout have lots of photos of the two-alarm fire at Philadelphia International Records. Click the image to take you to PhillyFireNews.com.

The Philadelphia sound is a little smoky: It is where Chubby Checker recorded “The Twist”. It is also where songwriters Gamble and Huff developed the Philadelphia sound. A fire severely damaged the offices of Philadelphia International Records on Broad Street Sunday morning (see picture at left). Firefighters did their best to save Gold Records on the walls and other memorabilia. Read more about this legendary company at Philly.com. I am assuming their knowledge of the music industry surpasses their understanding of the fire service, considering this line in the story – “More than 100 fire personnel from Ladder 5 and Battalion 1 at Broad and Christian Streets responded to the two-alarm blaze … “. Damn, that is one crowded firehouse. 

Lost ambulance reports: The Anne Arundel County Fire Department has been dealing for some time with lost ambulance reports from a now abandoned computer database and is also having problems with the software that replaced it. The impact includes failing to provided monthly patient-care reports to the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS). MIEMSS provides free software to the large majority of Maryland’s counties that does the same job. Here’s the story from The Capital in Annapolis.

Four-alarms in Orange, New Jersey: A fire Saturday damaged nine homes. We have lots of video.

Detroit report and more: NIOSH has released its report into the death of Detroit Firefighter Walter Harris inside a vacant home in November, 2008. We put a bunch of links up with the report to give you some perspective on the city’s unbelievable problems. This includes a wonderful compilation of pictures by Paul Bassett. Click here for all of that. Since we posted that entry, our friend Steve in New Jersey came up with the video of Firefighter Harris that I couldn’t find and a very touching article about Harris and Engine 23 two months after his death.

New York Rent-a-firefighter idea receives mixed reaction:  Suburban fire departments don’t seem to be in line asking for Syracuse firefighters to handle their calls. A look at the reaction to this potential money making idea by the Syracuse Fire Department.

Arrests in Texas church arsons: Firegeezer has the details on two people charged with setting as many as ten churches on fire east of Dallas. Click here.

FDNY firefighters honored: A group of Bronx firefighters already receiving recognition for their multiple rescues on Pelham Parkway. This is the one we told you about with the infant dangling from a window. Here’s the latest story.

Reverse Ricci now before the Supreme Court: 6000 African-Americans sued following a 1995 test for the Chicago Fire Department unfairly screened out minority applicants. Their case was thrown out because they may have waited too long to file suit. That issue and more is now before the Supreme Court in a case that had already been before Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Read the story.