Quick takes
Picture of the day: Grant Mishoe at SConFire.com has a series of pictures and details on a fire in Aiken County, SC. Click here to read details.
Video of the day: From Chicago, news coverage of an extra-alarm fire at a rehab clinic on the Northwest Side. Read more.
With furloughs looming, volunteers directed to fill-in for career FFs: The directive issued Thursday by Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department Chief Lawrence Sedgwick Jr. wants volunteers to take over as career staff is moved out of their stations to cover for firefighters on leave elsewhere. The goal is to cut overtime for the entire fiscal year. Sources say the plan will also be used to help cover for firefighter furloughs. Unions are expecting County Executive Jack Johnson to announce furloughs that could mean as much as 56 hours of time off for each county employee. Click here for our coverage and a look at the directive from the chief.
The volunteers who will be filling-in believe the end is near: Meanwhile, back at the firehouse, Prince George’s County volunteers say their sources of funding have been cut off by the county. We’re getting a lot of comments on our coverage of a new way for the county to hand out state grant money. Read the story and the comments.
On this topic, Gazette.net has caught up with our August 14 story about the county ordering the volunteers to stop billing for ambulance service. And they have taken it a step further. The article includes quotes from the volunteer association president saying, “You’re shutting us down slowly but surely”, and the public safety director who had only recently learned some VFDs were billing, “Shame on us for not knowing [sooner]”. Read more.
I know we are PGFD-centric today. Just a lot going on.
FDNY FF accused of being part of a robbery ring: FF Ricardo Louis of Engine 275 in Queens joined the department in 2005. Prosecutors say he joined another organization in 2007. It was a gang that stole money and drugs from drug dealers and held up businesses. A cop is accused of being the driver and lookout for the gang. Read the details.
Tallahassee plans to cut two ladder trucks and a tanker: The plan is to not staff those units full-time as the number of on-duty firefighters shrinks from 59 to 52. The union vows to fight the plan. Read more, including comments from the fire chief.
Car chase and fire destroys music store: In Lebanon, MO a van being chased by sheriff’s deputies crashed and burned inside a music store. An early picture and the story, here.
Close, but no cigar for the old guy with the fire service website: In an entry yesterday, FireGeezer quotes me and my prediction that some day soon we will see a rescue video where both the rescuer and the rescuee have cameras rolling. Bill has the video of a skydiver’s helmet-cam catching his own rescue. But alas, no video from the other side. Check it out.
