Quick takes
Analyze this: Two-years-ago this week a man tried to rob a liquor store at Frederick, Maryland’s Antietam Village Center. Things didn’t go as planned and the hold-up man ended up firing shots and setting a fire. As you can imagine it was a hectic and tense afternoon. The City of Frederick Police Department had its post incident analysis of the incident completed in August, 2007. The Frederick News-Post recently obtained the report. You can read it here. Click here and here for 911 calls and police and fire department radio transmissions. The photo above is by Sam Yu.
A NY local enforces two-hat rule: The thrust by IAFF Local 1772 in Jamestown isn’t that its members are volunteering in a jurisdiction where the IAFF has a local. There are mostly all-volunteer departments around Jamestown. From two newspaper articles, the focus appears to be on the possibility firefighters could be hurt while volunteering and/or not being up to the demands needed to properly serve the citizens of Jamestown. As you can imagine, there is already a lively discussion in our comments section. Read more.
Ouch!!: Check out this video of a police officer, a fire extinguisher and a truck fire.
Helmet-cam on the loose after OK tornado: We have the raw video and a news story about an Edmond, Oklahoma firefighters who fired up the video camera following a tornado hitting his community. Click here.
Carter on NIOSH: It was a long time in the making, but Harry Carter is not disappointed with NIOSH’s efforts in its report on the Charleston Sofa Super Store tragedy. Click here for the commentary.
Staying cool under fire: An interesting study of soldiers in combat could have some meaning for firefighters. According to Reuters, “Soldiers who perform best under extreme stress have higher levels of chemicals that dampen the fear response, a finding that could lead to new drugs or training strategies to help others cope better … “. Read the article.
Looking back at 6-alarm Toronto propane facility fire and explosions: The radio traffic from last summer’s incident that sent fire balls into the sky and left a deputy chief and a worker dead. Click here.
A closer look at new fire chief: The Baltimore Sun profiles Bill Goddard as he takes over in Howard County, MD. Read the story.
So close, yet so far: The New York Times looks at a potential FDNY recruit who was supposed to start in January. Read the article.
You can’t blame this one on the Super Bowl: Atlanta closed six fire stations on Saturday after 13 firefighters called in sick. Less than half the number that were sick on Super Bowl Sunday. Click here to read the story. Watch video here and here. The second video is on the controversy over the Atlanta City Council’s discretionary fund and complaints that it could be used to keep fire companies open.
The politics of budget cuts: Los Angeles City Council candidates answer reporter questions on how they would handle cutting from pubic safety budgets and salaries. Read the interviews.
NY plane crash: Just in case you haven’t seen it by now, we have some early video from neighbors to the Erie County plane crash, along with links to the fireground radio transmissions. Click here.
Replacing a 44-year-old fire engine: The Honey Pot Active Volunteer Department of Nanticoke, PA is due for an upgrade. Read the details.
Moon over Anchorage: Beyond the hint I just gave you, I am not even going to begin to explain the bizarre set of circumstances faced by some firefighters in Alaska. I will let Firegeezer do that for you.
