FEMA under fire in a different way; Camera story brings lots of comments; Mall gathering; IL tanker fire; Chief’s stress cancels hearing

(Updated at 9:24 AM)

Who does FEMA call when disaster strikes?

The answer to that question is the DC Fire & EMS Department. Fire broke out this morning at FEMA Headquarters. No one was injured and the blaze was confined to a room on the first floor of the building at 500 C Street, SW. The fire was discovered at 7:30 AM.

DC Fire & EMS spokesman Alan Etter tells STATter 911 that there was active fire in one office and that the sprinkler system did activate.

Investigators are looking for the cause.

I assume FEMA won’t be using any of those old trailers for temporary office space (sorry).

In other FEMA news, Administrator R. David Paulison had to deny reports yesterday that he was resigning. The word that he was leaving somehow got around Washington. I even heard that news from some people attending the CFSI event on The Mall (scroll down for more on that gathering). Read more on Firehouse.com.

Shoot, don’t shoot

Recently, a well-respected, veteran fire photographer I know told me this story of his visit to the scene of a recent multi-alarm fire in a big city. My friend has asked to remain anonymous, so I have redacted his name and the name of the city:

As I started to take a picture, I heard “Sir!”, turned around, and one of two (name of department) officers (in plainclothes) said “We don’t take pictures of fires in (name of city).“ I said “excuse me”, not thinking I heard him correctly, and he said it again. I explained that the (fire department) PIO knew I was taking pictures and as long as I was clear of fireground ops had no problem with it, to which he replied, “I don’t care who said it was OK, I’m the police and I said it isn’t OK.” I politely asked him to explain that, and he replied, “The police decide when it’s OK to take pictures of fires here.”

My reply was, “Welcome to my world”. The reason for my response is that since I began working in a TV station almost 23 years ago I have often found those in authority trying to tell me what is okay and what is not okay for me to shoot. Usually it comes from someone in law enforcement. Sometimes it comes from those in fire and EMS. At times I get such instructions from the general public.

After September 11, 2001 the frequency of these orders, edicts, and sometimes threats, increased dramatically.

I write all of this because a little more than a week after my friend contacted me about his experience, I witnessed an even more interesting episode that has attracted attention from around the country. It happened Sunday night at the brand new Nationals Park.

I mentioned in my coverage of goings on outside the stadium that a visitor from Minnesota was told (or ordered, according to the person on the receiving end) by an officer from the Uniformed Division of the United States Secret Service to delete pictures he took of the new stadium while standing on a public sidewalk on South Capitol Street.

The reason: Mark Butler’s pictures looking inside the left field gate included the metal detectors and officers at the security checkpoint set up at each entrance because of the visit by President George W. Bush.

Mark Butler complied. Actually, apparently unknown to the officer, Mr. Butler only deleted some of the pictures and still had at least one shot left on his camera showing the stadium with the security apparatus.

Before and after Mr. Butler’s experience, photographer Greg Guise and I were approached by both uniformed and non-uniformed members of the Secret Service and were told (and asked) not to shoot the checkpoints. Since the long lines trying to get though security into the park was a significant part of the story Sunday night, we respectfully declined and questioned the officer and agent’s authority in such a situation (By the way, I clearly understand these gentlemen were likely just doing their jobs as they have been instructed to do by others).

The Sunday night story and the follow-up story focusing on the deletion of the pictures were mentioned in Marc Fisher’s column in The Washington Post and enough places around the web, that we have been swamped with comments from across the country. As of 1:00 AM there were 744 comments. The story must have hit home for a lot people, because that is way, way more input than I have ever received on a story (even topping some of my writings about a few controversial career vs. volunteer battles).

I fully understand and respect there are a great many people, including some regular readers of STATter 911, who believe that the security of our country trumps the right to take pictures of certain things. I have done stories on this in the past.

In 2004 and 2005 we sent an intern with a disposable camera to take pictures around Washington. While there was no problem with the Secret Service, there were many other police agencies who told us it is illegal to take pictures of certain buildings and even threatened to seize the camera.

In the end, the United States Department of Homeland Security made it very clear in a statement for those stories that there are no laws preventing picture taking from a public place in the Nation’s Capital. But they also reminded us that those who raise the attention of law enforcement by what they are photographing are likely to be challenged and questioned by an officer. We received similar statements from a number of other agencies, including the United States Marines. Only the Department of Transportation refused to officially acknowledge the right to take pictures of government buildings.

For those connected to fire and EMS, I am always interested in your views on this topic and how it relates to what you do . Feel free to leave comments below. Don’t worry, you won’t hurt my feelings.

Of course my timing is great in getting involved in this story. I have a previously scheduled talk for a group of police officers in a local jurisdiction this morning. The topic is dealing with those pesky reporters and photographers. This should be interesting.

Read the story and comments on wusa9.com

Watch the story from Nationals Park

Cherry blossom pink mixes with fire engine red

It is tourist season in Washington and those wandering near The Mall on Wednesday probably thought for a moment that the threat level had suddenly been elevated. Between the U.S. Capitol and Washington Monument there was a large contingent of fire and other emergency vehicles. But it was all for show.

Talking to the tourists and locals who took in the Fire and Emergency Showcase on the National Mall, it seemed to be
a very good show. Put in on by the Congressional Fire Services Institute and sponsored by the International Fire Service Training Association, it was a large scale public relations campaign aimed at the public and those who hold the purse strings three blocks to the east.

The event also included the first stop for the 2008 Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge. While no one thought for a moment I was ready for that event, DC Fire & EMS Chief Dennis Rubin did challenge me to try out the department’s new children’s slide provided by Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company. I did, but please take note that while he is the chief, I am the news reporter who puts the story together. That’s why you only see Chief Rubin’s slide and not mine.

Watch the 5:00 PM story from 9NEWS NOW

Watch the 7:00 PM story from 9NEWS NOW

Crash and burn of gasoline thanker in IL

Chicago Tribune photo by Benjamin Chernivsky of a gasoline tanker that overturned and burned on I-55 south of Chicago Wednesday afternoon. The driver has been hospitalized with third-degree burns. FireGeezer Bill Schumm has extensive coverage of the incident.

A one-year-old Geezer

Speaking of Bill Schumm, we failed to note, and so did he until today, that March 25 was FireGeezer’s one year anniversary on-line. Thankfully he is more prompt with his fire and EMS news.

Bill beat me to the web by about two months, but he immediately reached out to STATter 911 and has been a great partner in crime (or is it fire?). I have decided when my web site grows up, I want it to be just like his. Bill, a retired Fairfax County, VA captain has done some great investigative, armchair journalism in the last year.

So let’s lift a glass of any one of those many brands of beer he has shown us and say happy birthday to the Geeze.

Now, if I offer them twice as much as Bill is paying them, maybe I could get FossilMedic and LightRock to work for me. I wasn’t very good in math, could someone please tell me what two times nothing is?

Hearing on FD cuts canceled because of chief’s sick day

In Elyria, Ohio they have been dealing with cutbacks. But they weren’t dealing with it on Wednesday, because the chief wasn’t there. Lisa Roberson in the Chronicle-Telegram explains:

Wednesday’s much-anticipated public hearing to discuss staffing in the fire department was abruptly canceled hours before and, despite swirling rumors, it was not because Fire Chief John Zielinski is in the hospital.

Lotko has not set a new date for the meeting. But when it does happen, residents will likely hear Grace’s plan to realign the fire department by closing Fire Station No. 2 permanently and having civilians serve as dispatchers, as well as Zielinski’s call to hire 16 new firefighters and construct a fifth fire station.