FFs strike; Mayday in Chicago; Sex scandal in MD; Photographer arrested; Paint factory burns; Shattering glass ceiling; Videos from UT, MA, IN, NJ, CT
(Updated at 7:59 PM)
Old video of the day: Our vintage films have been Chicago oriented because of a bunch of recent postings of videos to YouTube. This one is a 5-11 with specials on District Boulevard on May 27, 1973.
FFs two hour strike
In Sydney, Australia firefighters have called for a brief strike. Here is the story from The Sydney Morning Herald:
Firefighters across Sydney have called a snap two-hour stopwork from midday Friday.
The NSW Fire Brigade Employees Union says the strike follows the state government’s repeated demand for firefighters to accept the new award bargaining round.
Union secretary Simon Flynn says the government is effectively asking firefighters to take a pay cut.
“Michael Costa has forced firefighters to take this action by demanding that any pay rise above 2.5 per cent is funded by cuts to our conditions,” Mr Flynn said in statement.
“Michael Costa’s pigheadedness is putting the safety of the community at risk as only skeleton crews will be available to respond to fire calls for this time (midday to 2pm) in Sydney.
“Firefighters are disgusted that politicians enjoyed a 6.7 per cent pay rise without trading away any of their lavish perks.
“Costa continues to insist that firefighters and other public servants must tighten their belts at a time when working families are finding the cost of food and other necessities harder and harder to meet.”
Mr Flynn said the NSW government has predicted a surplus of more than half a billion dollars and could afford a pay rise that matches cost of living increases.
He said firefighters would congregate with their fire trucks at the corner of Pottinger Street and Hickson Road at 1pm.
Houston firefighter on life support
TV Station KPRC is reporting that Firefighter Brandon Everett is on life support. Firefighter Everett, 26, was critically injured during a house fire on Monday. Reports are his face piece dislodged when he was hit by part of the ceiling. Read the story. The Secret List.
Mayday in Chicago
A TV station reports a Chicago firefighter called a “mayday” around 6:00 AM at a house fire on the South Side. The firefighter was reported to be temporarily trapped on the second floor and was removed through a window. The firefighter was said to be conscious during the incident. Read the story. Watch video of live coverage during “mayday” (picture is very dark).
Here is a better video from another TV station.
The Chicago Sun-Times has more:
The blaze was elevated to a second-alarm when a mayday was called for a firefighter trapped in the building, Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langford said.
“The firefighter became disoriented, but was able to get to a window,” Langford said. “It happens sometimes in a fire.”
Another photographer arrested
A Herald-News photographer in Paterson, NJ, who says police kept her a block and a half from a house fire, and watched the public being allowed to pass in front of her, was arrested on Tuesday. Here are excerpts from The Record:
A lawyer for North Jersey Media Group, which publishes the Herald News and The Record, vowed to fight the charge.
“There’s no wrongdoing on the photographer’s part, and we’re going to vigorously defend her,” said Dina Sforza, corporate counsel.
In his complaint-summons, Officer Eddy Pichardo wrote that he arrested Barbaro after she allegedly disregarded his instructions not to cross what he referred to as “crime scene tape.”
Pichardo wrote, “The area in question was the scene of a house fire which was not yet cleared to the general public by the Fire Department.”
A photograph taken by Barbaro immediately before her arrest shows Pichardo blocking her while two pedestrians were walking behind him on Sassafras Street in the direction of the fire.
Fire station burns
The fire station in Paulette, TN burned Tuesday morning. Read the story on Firehouse.com. Watch the video.
NJ warehouse fire
3-alarms in Perth Amboy for a warehouse fire early this morning. More video here. Read the story.
Utah fire
A 4-alarm fire destroyed a vacant building that once housed a night club in Salt Lake City Wednesday night. FireGeezer has more links.
Old arms factory fire
In Bridgeport, CT a suspicious 3-alarm fire Wednesday at the abandoned Remington Arms factory. Read details.
Paint factory burns
At least 10 people have been hurt in a paint factory fire in Karachi, Pakistan today. Read the story. Watch more clips.
Sex scandal in Anne Arundel
As we first told you late yesterday, the Anne Arundel County Fire Department is being sued over allegations that the now-dead president of the Odenton Volunteer Fire Company molested two teen members. They claim that higher-ups at both the county
and company level failed to act when told of the problem. The president committed suicide after being arrested with a male prostitute. Read the story.
Women rising in MD
Also in Anne Arundel County, Michele DeLalla is the first woman to became a division chief. Click here to read the story.
In Prince George’s County, checking with some other PGFD old timers, the best we can tell is that Kathryn Fortgang is the first woman to be a volunteer chief in the county. She was recently elected by the members of the Accokeek VFD (Station 824). There have been female assistant and deputy chiefs, but apparently no chiefs until now (I am sure if our memories are faulty, someone will quickly correct us).
Chief Kathryn Fortgang from accokeekvfd.com
Rhode Island fire in historic carriage house
A fire late Wednesday night at an historic building in Newport went to 3-alarms. Watch the story. Read the story.
Houston FF wins his second lawsuit
Charles Julian first beat the Houston Fire Department in court over being passed over for promotion because at age 56 he was too old. Now he has won a second suit for retaliation, age and race discrimination after being demoted from the promotion he got after winning the first suit. More details.
More comments on seat belts
We are still getting comments about the seat belt and door issues with the case of the firefighter who fell off the fire engine in Bladensburg, MD. Check it out.
Catching up
A few things from some local fires that we haven’t been able to get to until know. DCFD.com has three good photo gallery’s you should see. From the tire fire in Northeast there are pictures from both Jarrid Gaston and Vito Maggiolo. DC Fire & EMS Department’s photographer Maggiolo also has some images from the strip club fire on Wisconsin Avenue, NW.
The Accokeek VFD has pictures from the latest arson just down the street from the fire house.
Worcester, MA 3rd-alarm
A fire early Wednesday morning started in a vacant building and spread to two others. Details and more video, here.
IN fire
No date for this house fire on Ash Street in Hobart, Indiana.
Helmet-cam on NJ 3rd-alarm
This is from Monday’s fire on Wright Street in Newark.
New Zealand garage fire
Good quality video from Wainuiomata, New Zealand on Wednesday.
Bicyclist rescued
In Portland, Oregon firefighters rescue a woman who drove her bike down a ravine in a cemetery.
Who you gonna call? … the latest chapter
In Salem, CT it was the fire department to the rescue to save this deer on an icy pond Tuesday morning. Read more.
