Archives for steve-reid

Cedar Rapids Fire Department Press Release from December 8 fire

In Cedar Rapids, Iowa a helmet-cam is making news. Cedar Rapids Fire Department Captain Rick Halleran got permission to try one out. A fire on December 8 was captured via the camera and is now the focus of an article in the Cedar Rapids Gazette.

Fire Critic Rhett Fleitz also posted this video and gives his view of how the fireground was handled (I am sure Cedar Rapids Chief Steve Reid had opening night jitters over whether their film would get a good review from the Roger Ebert of the fire service).

Here's what Jeff Raasch at thegazette.com had to say (Thanks to John Halbrook & Tim Nemmers for passing this one on to STATter911.com):

Rookie firefighters in Cedar Rapids have another training aid available after a recent garage fire was captured on video.

The 17-minute video follows Capt. Rick Halleran on Dec. 8 as firefighters work to control the fire at 430 20^th St. NW. The captivating footage, shot from Halleran’s helmet, offers a rare firsthand glimpse at some of the tactics firefighters use to extinguish fires.

“We always talk about as a crew bringing the pieces of the puzzle together, and this video does a great job of showing that,” Halleran said.

Halleran said he and other firefighters had seen videos shot from helmet cameras on the Internet, and they got permission from Fire Department administrators to try it themselves.

Firefighters agree that the video will be a very valuable training tool in Cedar Rapids, and possibly other jurisdictions. Halleran called it a “textbook” firefight.

“The big thing we talk about in training is having a coordinated attack,” Halleran said. “Now, you actually have the visuals and the audio.”

Fire Department spokesman Greg Buelow said no medical calls would ever be filmed. He said the helmet camera might be rolling again in the future, if the administration approves.

Buelow said some people who watch the video may question the firefighters’ strategy, but he cautioned any rush to judgment. He said firefighters are trained on how to coordinate the attack and must follow strict regulations.

“This is a great learning tool,” Buelow said. “I hope people appreciate it.”

Posted by dave statter on December 21, 2010 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Cameras & firefighters, EMS & police, Command & Leadership, Customer Service, EMS Topics, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fireground Audio, Fires, News, Social Media, Reputation Management, News Media, Videos • Tagged: Cedar Rapids, Cedar Rapids Fire Department, Cedar Rapids Gazette, Command Fire Apparatus, Dave Statter, Fire Truck Blog, firefighter, Firegeezer, FireTruckBlog.com, Glenn Usdin, Greg Buelow, helmet-cam, Iowa, paramedic, Rick Halleran, STATter911.com, Steve Reid, video

Quick Takes

7 comments

Steering the rig: It is drill day at STATter911.com. Do your know your apparatus? See how these steering and driving tips from the Los Angeles Fire Department apply today. Click here for Part 2.

Firefighter handcuffed & put in cell, but it is the sheriff’s deputy who is facing charges: An interesting turn of events in that dispute in Colorado between the Lake County Sheriff’s Department and Leadville/Lake County Fire Rescue. The prosecutor has decided not to file charges against Battalion Captain Dan Dailey in connection with that March 27 EMS run at the Lake County Jail. Instead, Deputy Steve James has been charged for interfering with the work of Captain Dailey. Read the details.

Click the image for the slideshow from yesterday's house fire in Glen Echo, Maryland. The link for the raw video is to the right.

Raw video from Maryland house fire: WUSA9.com’s Greg Guise and Bruce Leshan were on the scene of yesterday’s house fire in Glen Echo. Here’s the video.

Read report into Los Angeles Fire Department disciplinary problems: “Despite repeated vows to reform the way it handles costly discrimination and misconduct complaints, the Los Angeles Fire Department relies on a disciplinary system plagued by poor documentation, uneven punishment and a lack of clear guidelines, according to a new city audit.” That’s the summary by the Los Angeles Times of the new 220-page audit and report. Click here to read the entire report and here for the article.

Street racing firefighters said to be behind deaths in North Carolina: Our friends at FireNews.net have the follow-up story in the deaths of two Blowing Rock firefighters last month. Indications now are the pair were racing with firefighters from out of town.

Questions about another DeKalb County fire: Too early to tell which way this one will go, but the damage was done long ago on the PR front and DeKalb just can’t catch a break. Neighbors claim they had trouble getting through to 911 to report a house fire this week. They also insist firefighters couldn’t find the hydrant behind bushes across the street, delaying a water supply. The fire department says there are indications the times by the neighbors are wrong and that there was no delay with the water. Of course this comes in the wake of the fiasco that shook up the department after firefighters couldn’t find a burning home until it was way too late. Here’s the latest.

Retired firefighter volunteers to ride browned-out unit: A 53-year-old former Chicago area firefighter/paramedic makes a pitch to San Diego’s mayor to help staff units closed each day to save money. It will likely take more than this one guy to run as many as eight engines shut down each day. Check it out.

Firefighters picket taxpayers: Specifically Atlanta firefighters have been in the face of the Fulton County Taxpayer Association which is taking a strong stand over the pension benefits enjoyed by the firefighters. Here’s the story.

In Clark County, Nevada it never ends: The battle over overtime and overall compensation continues. The latest article has emails that the Las Vegas Sun reports shows the union resisting efforts to allow a promotional exam to fill vacant positions for engineers. Here’s the story.

Fire damages antique fire apparatus restorer’s shop: Firegeezer tells the story of this setback for Ken Soderbeck, whose Jackson, Michigan business has a world-wide reputation.

New fire chief in Cedar Rapids: Congratulations to our friend Stephen Reid, retired DC Fire & EMS Department deputy chief, who takes over as Cedar Rapids, Iowa chief on May 10. Here’s the story.

50-foot ladder raise: The second phase of our West Coast drill today is this demo by the San Francisco Fire Department recently posted to YouTube.