JUST AS ONE BLACK EYE STARTS CLEARING UP, the British Navy finds a new one.  Today a fire broke out on the survey ship HMS Echo, injuring two sailors.  The ship has lost power and is requiring a tow.

HMS Echo

The BBC has the early report HERE.

THE NOW-FAMED GLOBE THEATER BURNED DOWN IN 1613. 

The first Globe Theatre was an Elizabethan theatre where several of Shakespeare’s plays were originally staged. It was built around 1598 in London’s Bankside district, but it burned down in 1613, after a cannon shot during a performance of “Henry VIII” ignited the thatched roof of the gallery. It was rebuilt immediately, this time with a tiled roof, and reopened in the following July. Puritans closed it and all other theaters in 1642, and it was demolished soon after.

There were actually three Globes:

1. The original Globe Theatre, built in 1599 by the playing company to which Shakespeare belonged, and destroyed by fire in 1613.
2. The Globe Theatre was rebuilt in 1614, closed in 1642, and demolished in 1644.
3. A modern reconstruction of the original Globe, named “Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre”, opened in 1997.

Read more about them HERE.

THE CITY OF EAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS has been notable during the past 10 years for its inability to maintain law and order.  As a result, honest citizens and businesses have fled the city leaving behind a criminal sub-culture that has destroyed its viability.

Currently, the emergency ambulance service in the city is being provided by a private concern, MedStar Ambulance.  However, the persistent threats to the well-being of the ambulance crews has caused a recruiting problem for the company and they have also reduced service throughout the city from ALS to Basic.

Now, when the ambulance is dispatched to a scene with a potential problem, they call for police assistance and wait for it before they enter the scene.  For some reason, the police consider this to be a harassment to their work priorities and are threatening to arrest the ambulance crews if they don’t immediately begin patient care before the police officers arrive.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has the STORY.

Firegeezer notes that East St. Louis gained some notoriety several years ago when the police advised motorists to not stop at red lights because of the high potential for violence.

EARLIER THIS WEEK IT WAS TIRES.  Now it’s seafood.  In the latest move against Chinese imports, the Food and Drug Administration yesterday effectively blocked the sale of five types of farm-raised seafood from China because of repeated instances of contamination from unapproved animal drugs and food additives.  The seafood named in the F.D.A.’s “import alert” are shrimp; catfish; eel; basa, which are similar to catfish; and dace, similar to carp.

For some reason, the Government always thinks that the Chinese will change their ways and practices.  They never do.

The full story is HERE.

This comes after THIS REPORT earlier this month that told of Chinese fish farms using water contaminated with raw sewage, and then compensating by covering the fish with pesticides and dangerous drugs.

IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE CHARLESTON tragedy, there has been an active dialogue throughout the Fire & Rescue community about building construction and building codes.  Firegeezer asked Jim Featherstone - code name LightRock - if he would pen something relevant for us.

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Where Are The Firewalls ?

Last week, there was another of what has become seemingly commonplace in Northern Virginia: A fire involving several townhouses. In this case, the fire occurred in Gainesville, VA, which is located in rapidly growing western Prince William County, about 30 miles west of Washington, DC. As the photo that accompanies this column clearly illustrates, at least 4 townhouses quickly became involved. Despite rapid and, from all reports, competent response from local fire department units, preliminary damage estimates approach $1.5 million.

In discussing this fire with some of my friends and business associates – many who have been members of the firefighting community in the DC metropolitan area for 20 to 30 (or even more) years, one recurring theme was that fires like this used to be rare but are now becoming a far more frequent occurrence.

Back in the prime of my firefighting and fire chiefing days during the 1980’s and into the early ‘90’s, we used to have lots of townhouse fires. Yet, in most all cases (unless the buildings were under construction) these fires typically involved a single unit or address, with the occasional and minor extension to an adjoining unit. I can remember many a townhouse that was reduced to the proverbial smoldering heap, but we typically were able – in the lingo of the day – “keep it between the walls.”

Today, there are more firefighters and fire trucks than there were 15-20 years ago. Training is more extensive. Tools and equipment are first rate. There is more emphasis than ever on incident command, organization and safety. Despite this, it seems that — at least in Northern Virginia and the DC area generally — the firefighting balance of power has shifted.

Why is this?

I’m putting my money on a combination of “modern” building codes and materials. First and foremost, the masonry firewalls Continue Reading »

THE CAR WAS BUILT IN FRANCE IN 1884 and still runs.  It’s a steamer with a top speed of 38 mph and is believed to be the car that won the first automobile race.

Read more about it HERE.

THE EXPLOSION AT Demag Riggers and Cranes in Williston, Vermont on Tuesday that killed a worker was caused by powerful fireworks stored in a safe, Williston police said.

Anthony Boisvert, 20, was using a cutting torch Tuesday to open the industrial safe when it exploded.   The police have been able to trace back the contents of the safe which was abandoned over 10 years ago.

The Burlington Free Press tells the STORY.

BALTIMORE MAYOR SHEILA DIXON said Wednesday that she plans to make additional changes in the leadership of the city’s Fire Department after a state agency charged that the department made “willful” violations of safety standards during a fatal training exercise.  In today’s Baltimore Sun HERE.

A SMALL KITCHEN FIRE IN A Maryland apartment pumps out enough CO to kill 3 young girls in their sleep.  Washington WTOP radio REPORTS.

HEAVY FLOODING IN ENGLAND, mainly in the North, has generated more than 7,300 rescue calls.  In what is described as the biggest rescue effort ever in peacetime, the Government has been accused of underestimating the scale of the flood rescue effort after new figures showed as many as 3,500 people have been rescued by the fire service in the past few days.  Read The Guardian HERE.

THE 5,200 ACRE MERCER CANYON fire in the rugged mountains west of Utah Lake has managed to barely stave off containment for three days, tying down about 200 fire fighters, vehicles and supporting aircraft.  Crews are aggresively setting backfires because the weather is expected to change for the worse.  Salt Lake Tribune story HERE.

SOUTH TAHOE WILDFIRE LEAVES retired battalion chief homeless.  The Nevada Appeal has an interview with him HERE.

TWO MEN HAVE BEEN KILLED by forest fires whipped up by Greece’s worst heatwave for more than a century, while firefighters efforts are hindered by exploding land mines remaining from World War II.  Reuters story HERE.

THE 2007 SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL BEERFEST is this weekend, June 29 - July 1.  The $20 admission includes a beer glass and 10 beer tickets (additional beer tix available @ $1).

They’re advertising more than 100 brands of beer for tasting and live music.  Check out their website HERE.

A FIRE BROKE OUT IN A CROWDED FITNESS center during lunch time in Stockholm today.  There were approx. 30 people inside at the time, some trapped in the showers.  So far, six people have been taken to the hospital, including two firefighters.

Fire officials say that they believe everyone was evacuated safely.  The area is still sequestered and the fire department is still operating on the scene.  The latest report from The Local is HERE.

The Expressen news site has a VIDEO HERE.  Click on the link that says “TV:  Gymmet Exploderar”  The headline is referring to the flashover that rolls out over the firefighters in front of the building.  (If you understand Swedish, tells us what they’re saying in the Comments)

THE FIRST JET AIRPLANE DESIGNED FOR forest fire tanker service has been temporarily grounded.

The DC-10, known as “Tanker 910,” raised some concern when it suddenly dropped 200 ft. and clipped some treetops while operating at a forest fire in Kern County, California.  There was some damage to the wings.

The plane has never been certified for use by the U. S. Forest Service because of its age and hours.  But the California Dept. of Forestry uses it for fires in State lands.  The tanker, based in Victorville and developed by a private partnership based in San Carlos, Calif., and Oklahoma, is the nation’s only wide body equipped to fight fires. It made its debut in 2006 and was hired recently by CAL FIRE for an exclusive contract worth $15 million over three years.

James Quigg photo

The DC-10 can carry 12,000 gallons of water or fire retardant — 10 times the volume of the standard propeller planes that make up the bulk of California’s firefighting air fleet.

The San Francisco Chronicle has more HERE.

WHILE WATCHING THE VIDEOS  of the Sofa Center fire in Charleston, one of the things that many firefighters noticed was an apparent absence of an Incident Command System (ICS).  What immediately jogged it into focus was the picture of the Fire Chief standing in front, talking into a portable radio.  There were no aides, no support staff, and no designated command post.

Perhaps these basic parts of a command structure were there and just didn't appear on the video.  But the Charleston Post & Courier did an investigation and found out that there really was no viable ICS incorporated into the Charleston FD’s standard procedure.

In an interview with the Assistant Chief, the Post & Courier reported that he, as incident commander, entered the fire building several times with the firefighters.  He also said that his actions were in accordance with CFD’s training and procedures.

The Fire Chief says that he does not even know if his department's policies align with federal and state guidelines.  Chief Thomas said Garvin acted in accordance with departmental firefighting policy, which allows the fire scene commander to actively participate in fighting a fire. "He can get into the fire," Thomas said. He said doing so does not compromise his commander's ability.

It will be interesting to see if the investigation of this fire is able to produce a set of those guidelines.  Two years ago the State Governor ordered all fire departments to see that their policies were in line with the National Incident Management System.  If Chief Thomas doesn't know what the NIMS is, then it follows that he ignored the Governor's orders. 

Does the Charleston Fire Dept. ever have drills designed to test their command system?  Several other of his public statements indicate a severe shortcoming with their operational command.  If you haven't yet read the story from Sunday's Post & Courier, I urge you to do so now.  It is HERE. What type of ICS does your department have?  What do you think about it now?  Do you train regularly with it?  Use the Comments section to tell us what you use and any thoughts you may have about this situation.And while you are here, take a moment to participate in our poll.  It will be open for 72 hours.