Update on 2 PA LODDs; Rough start for tillers in Tampa; Bucks Co. 911 director out, workers suspended; Entire department charged with arson
(Updated at 7:20 PM)
Another PA LODD
A fire this morning in Delaware County, PA has killed Lt. Nicholas Picozzi Jr. and injured three others. It happened at a house fire in Upper Chichester. The picture above is from KYW-TV.
Here is what Philly.com is reporting:
A firefighter battling a house fire in Upper Chichester has died, officials said.
Lt. Nicholas Picozzi Jr., 36, is the second Delaware County firefighter to die in five months.
Picozzi was married with two children and was a member of the Lower Chichester Fire Department for seven years.
Three firefighters were injured. They were Assistant Chief Ken Dawson, of Green Ridge Fire Department, who was still being treated in the burn unit of Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland. Lt. Chris Durbano from the Lower Chichester volunteer fire department and firefighter Tom Morgan Jr. of Green Ridge Fire Department were released after treatment.
After the fire, firefighters who knew the victim met with crisis-management counselors from Delaware County.
Fire companies from all over southern Delaware County and even from northern Delaware were fighting the blaze, which broke out in a two-story home on the 100 block of Moser Street.
Charred windows upstairs and downstairs suggested that the fire had spread to both floors.
The image below from WCAU-TV.
Earlier PA LODD — Chief writes about his brother
From Chief Billy Goldfeder and The Secret List:
We deeply regret to inform you that 21 year old Pine Township (PA) Firefighter Brad Holmes has died in the Line of Duty, passing away this morning after being burned over 75 percent of his body in a house fire last Friday that also took the life of a civilian.
FF Holmes (who is also the President of the FC) is the brother of the Pine Township’s Fire Chief, Chris Holmes and the son of their Assistant Chief, Joe Holmes.
FF Holmes and Firefighter Scott King were doing a search and attempted rescue into the burning duplex. Conditions in the building rapidly deteriorated and the Firefighters became trapped on the second floor….and they were rescued by a rapid intervention team. FF King has been discharged from the hospital.
On the Pine Township Engine Company website Chief Chris Holmes wrote this about his brother:
This morning my brave little brother lost his fight against his burns he sustatined last Friday trying to rescue a woman from her apartment, he was 21. Brad is and will always be my HERO. And to all the supporters out there I send you my deepest appreciation and love. Your support has helped myself and my family deal with this tragic event. I cannot tell you how much this means to myself, my family and my department, there is a lost for words. There are so many brothers and sisters out there that we never knew we had.
Brad, Rest in Peace Little Brother, I LOVE YOU FOREVER…
Your Admirer and Loving Brother. Chris….
Tiller come back in Tampa has a rough start
For the first time in 15 years the city of Tampa has need for a tillerman. Read this article from TBO.com to find out what happened when they tried to show off the new truck to some old timers. Here are excerpts:
The coming out party for a brand new Tampa Fire Rescue tiller truck was spoiled this week when a couple of retired firefighters — including former fire Chief Pete Botto — hopped into the $886,000 truck and jackknifed it, causing about $5,800 damage.
“As far as I can tell in driving it,” Botto said this afternoon, “you used to be able to swing the old tillers out wide. These don’t swing out the way the others did.” He said he might have jumped the gun in hopping into the cab and taking off.
“We were just so gung-ho to get out there and drive it,” he said.
He said one of the last times he drove a tiller truck was the day it snowed in Tampa, in January 1977. “They were a little different back then,” he said. “This one not set up the way the old ones were.”
The new truck is “smoother in a lot of ways, but I remember a tiller ladder we used to drive, you could take that son of a gun in all directions. We took them on these old streets. We had to turn those things into pretzels to get them in and set up.”
Still, the new truck with its Tampa Bay Buccaneers lettering and red and pewter color scheme is something to see.
“I’ll tell you, it is a beautiful truck,” he said. “You don’t know how awful I feel.”
Fire rescue Capt. Bill Wade said the department likely will have to pay for the damage, which is mostly cosmetic body work. Initial reports that it would cost $7,500 to fix were overstated, Wade said. The manufacturer assessed the damage Wednesday and lowered the estimate, he said.
Wade said the event Tuesday was set up to host retirees who had driven tiller trucks years ago, get them to reminisce about the old days and give pointers on how to drive the unique vehicle, which is has steering mechanisms in the front and back.
“The city of Tampa has not had a tiller truck for more than 15 years,” Wade said.
Bucks County 911 director gone, workers suspended after delayed call
You may recall the story of Brenda Orr the disabled Doylestown, PA woman who died in her burning room on January 29th. Within days of her death it was revealed that Bucks County 911 workers took 27 seconds to answer her call and then put her on hold for another 27 seconds before handling the emergency. It turned out there were plenty of people on duty to deal with the call.
On February 13 Bucks County officials held a press conference admitting the call was mishandled. They said letters were placed in the files of 911 call takers and supervisors. Now Bucks County Director of Emergency Communications Brent Wiggins is retiring. Also, three supervisors and six dispatchers have been suspended. Fou
r others have had disciplinary letters removed from their files after it was determined they were handling other calls when Orr dialed 911.
Read Christina Kristofic’s latest story in the Bucks County Courier Times.
In this case it is kind of hard to use the one bad apple excuse
That’s because the entire Irwinville, GA VFD has been charged with arson. All 6 members and two non-members, including Chief Rusty Thomas’ (that’s his name) ex-girlfriend. According to news reports the firefighters did it because they wanted to ride fast in their new fire engine. Sheriff’s deputies says the crew even burned a vacant house where the owner had denied them permission to use the structure for training. They were caught because on many of the calls it was the firefighters calling 911.
FireGeezer is on top of this one. Check out the video in the upper right corner of his page.
EDITOR’S NOTE: It took all of the willpower I have to take the high road on this and not run a headline in the biggest, boldfaced type saying: CHIEF RUSTY THOMAS CHARGED WITH ARSON! Now that would have made it everyone keep reading.
The “gravy train” in Los Angeles
Los Angeles Times columnist Sandy Banks says join the Los Angeles City Fire Department and stand in line for the “‘victim of discrimination’ gravy train”. Reacting to the most recent million dollar loss from the dog food incident, Banks looks at a long line of big payouts. Read the column.
Armed fire chief creates problem
In Hillsborough County, Florida the fire chief may be in violation of county policy because of a loaded gun in the chief’s car. Chief Bill Nesmith ended up in handcuffs Saturday after a domestic squabble. Here are excerpts from TBO.com’s story:
Nesmith, 59, was arrested Saturday night at his Indian Rocks Beach condo after his wife, Beverly, told Pinellas County deputies he threatened to kill her and then himself, an arrest report said.
Deputies evacuated neighboring condos as a precaution before Nesmith was called out of the home, sheriff’s spokesman Jim Bordner said.
He was released from the Pinellas County Jail on Sunday after posting $5,000 bail.
A .380 automatic handgun was found inside a Hillsborough County vehicle Nesmith drives and a .38-caliber revolver was found in his personal vehicle, Bordner said.
Both guns were loaded, he said.
Bringing weapons onto county property, including vehicles, is a violation of policy, County Administrator Pat Bean said.
“I will make certain someone talks to him,” she said. “We go from there. He will be treated the same as any other county employee.”
Wendy’s 911 audio
This is a story on the 911 calls made during Monday’s shooting in West Palm Beach, FL that took the life of Lt. Ray Vasquez.
Fire marshal no-show leads to FF arson charges being dropped
A volunteer firefighter may soon get her job back at the Mason County, WV 911 center after arson charges were dropped on Monday. Here is the story from WSAZ-TV:
A representative from the WV State Fire Marshal’s Office did not show up to a preliminary hearing Monday for volunteer firefighter and 911 operator Kim Blake, forcing prosecutors to drop an arson charge against her.
Blake and two other firefighters faced a charge of arson for a fire earlier this year in Mason. She has been on leave pending charges from her job as a 911 dispatcher.
Monday, the state fire marshal’s office representative did not show up to Blake’s hearing and the charge was dropped. State Fire Marshal Sterling Lewis told WSAZ his office never got a notice for the hearing.
Mason County Commissioner Rick Handley told WSAZ the county commission may meet as early as Monday to reinstate Blake. He says as long as there are no charges against her, the county commission would have to put her back to work. It was unclear Tuesday night if the prosecutor’s office will try to charge Blake again.
The two other firefighters involved in this case continue to face charges.
House fire in NY
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJgbeVnSNH8]
From Tuesday morning on Stewart Avenue in Newburgh.
