Quick Takes: January 10, 2011
Trust me, take the time to watch this: This is raw video from Judy’s Bar on Ambergris Caye, the largest island in Belize. I am sure some of what you see here will give you pause. But if I am looking at it right, in the end what was already burning was destroyed and the exposure (the market) was saved.
Don’t let this happen to you: In case you missed it Friday, I took a look at the ousting of Detroit’s Fire Commissioner James Mack and his deputy. There are a lot of lessons to be learned. The firings came after some very basic things in dealing with the public, the news media and the boss weren’t done. Click here.
Three alarms in Pottsville, Pennsylvania: This is the fire from last week where a firefighter who slipped on the ice was hit in the face with a hose. We have raw video and a lot of details about the fire.
Sand trap for fire engine: Glenn Usdin’s FireTruckBlog.com takes a trip to Hawaii for video of a fire engine being pulled from a sand hazard. Click here for that one. Also, if you missed it, you will want to check out the two engines heavily damaged in Stratford, Connecticut after a pair of big rigs came barreling through a crash scene on a snowy I-95 Friday. The fire engines did the job they were supposed to do.
Glenn comes face to face with the Tiger: Speaking of Glenn Usdin, Tiger Schmittendorf has booked him for his Firefighter Storytellers netcast Wednesday at 9:00 PM. Chief Usdin will talk about his long career in the fire service, selling fire trucks and taking pictures. Check out Firefighter Storytellers.
ARV debate quite heated in Memphis: I missed this last week as the union and the Memphis fire director go at it over alternative response vehicles in the form of SUVs to cut back on the use of the big rigs for medical calls. Check it out.
Garage fire in Massena, New York: Click here for the raw video.
Sprinkler issue at restaurant has officials calling for fire chief’s head: The latest trouble in Haverhill, Massachusetts has Chief Richard Borden on the hot seat because of a lawsuit over whether a local establishment needed a sprinkler system. The judge sided with the restaurant and not many are siding with the chief. Read the story.
Father crashes head-on into ambulance carrying daughter: Firegeezer has the story of a dad in Pennsylvania racing home because his four-year-old daughter was having seizures.
Condolences to our friends in Roanoke, Virginia: Our FireEMSBlogs.com colleagues Willie Wines at IronFiremen.com and Rhett Fleitz at FireCritic.com pay tribute to retired Battalion Chief Bobbie Slayton. Chief Slayton died Saturday following a stroke. He had been on the department for more than 44-years and was extremely well thought of by Willie and Rhett. Click here and here to learn more about Chief Slayton and details on the viewing and funeral.
No animals or firefighters were harmed in this firehouse prank: From Calgary, a rather elaborate plot against a captain.
