Gas main fire: In Somerset County, New Jersey firefighters spent a good portion of yesterday dealing with a burning gas line in Franklin Township. The fire started after a crew working on a drainage project struck the 6-inch plastic line around 10:40 AM. The fire destroyed two trucks and a backhoe belonging to the contractor. It also scorched power lines with about 115 customers losing power. The gas burned until about 2:00 PM. Read more about the fire. Pictures from the fire. Watch a video from one of the responding fire companies.
Videos ‘R Us (How do you make that backwards “R”?): We haven’t done a video roundup in months, but Emily Cyr loaded so many in the player to the right yesterday they just spilled over into the main blog. The best video shows drivers apparently doing self colonoscopies instead of realizing that towering geyser coming from the sheared off hydrant in Carson, California could have very well undermined the roadway as they drive through the flooded street. We also have fires from Michigan, Massachusetts, Illinois and California. And we added the awful looking aftermath video of Houston’s Engine 13 after it struck a bridge support injuring three firefighters yesterday. Click here to see all of the clips.
Whine by winemaker uncorks firefighter anger: Do you recall the letter to the editor we linked to last week from a Napa Valley winemaker? We ran the letter because our gut told us that this was not the last we would hear of Dario Sattui and his complaint that American Canyon, California firefighters are overpaid, underworked and have a great pension. We were right. A Santa Rosa firefighter called for a boycott of Sattui’s wines and the Internet is helping to fuel the backlash. Here’s the story. You can also read a couple of letters to the editor with a different view than Mr. Sattui’s.
More complaints and some regeneration work-arounds: Looking at our stats yesterday there seemed to be quite an interest in Boca Raton Chief Tom Wood’s guest column about DPF regeneration on newer rigs. Some writing in shared similar time-out problems and others had ideas on at least partial solutions. Click here and scroll down for the comments.
Arbitration panel orders drug testing and a big pay raise in Boston: Four years of a bitter standoff between firefighters and Mayor Thomas Menino apparently have come to an end. An arbitration panel gives the firefighters a 19-percent pay raise over four-years (retroactive to July 1, 2006). At the same time there will now be random drug and alcohol testing. The raise is significantly more than other city workers, including police, have received. Here’s the story.
Chief loses buggy after stopping to help at crash scene: A Cal Fire battalion chief stopped to help at the scene of a traffic collision near El Cajon yesterday. One of the people involved in the crash jumped in and took off with the pickup truck. It was soon recovered undamaged. Here’s some more info.
Flint firefighters are at their breaking point: That’s the contention in the headline and story from WJRT-TV after two firefighters were hurt in weekend fires. There have been more than 100 fires so far this month in Flint. The city has been operating with 23 fewer firefighters after last month’s layoffs. That could soon change. Read and watch the story.
Geezer on fire: While many of his fellow bloggers are hard at work in Indianapolis (see below) Bill was posting like crazy yesterday. Just click and scroll.
How the local media views FDIC: Check out the story from WISH-TV. Or you can go right to the source at FireEngineering. com. And don’t forget the bloggers gathering Friday night. You will find details and various reports from Indianapolis from many of the other folks who cohabitate with us at FireEMSblogs.com.
Network looks at shrinking volunteer force: ABC News is the latest with a story about the nation’s dwindling resource of volunteer firefighters. Click here.
Two Texas firefighters return to the job after lengthy battles. One is sent home: We told you yesterday about the return of Houston’s Jane Draycott nine-months after the graffiti incident at Station 54. Her return was apparently uneventful. You can read more here.
Things weren’t as easy in Beaumont where James Mathews has been fighting to get his job back since an arrest in 2008. He won an arbitration, but was sent home hours after his return to the department yesterday. Here is the latest.
Market fire in the Philippines: This is from Cabadbaran City, a city in the province of Agusan del Norte, where faulty wiring is blamed for starting the fire that destroyed the Cabadbaran City Public Market early yesterday morning. Read more about the fire.
