LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK, FIREFIGHTERS WERE ABLE to prevent the fire in a church rectory from getting into the sanctuary Sunday night.

Newsday photos

A fire began last night in a trailer that was used to store clothing donations and spread into the rectory.  The Wyandanch, L.I., blaze was reported shortly after 10 pm last night and kept several responding departments busy throughout the night.

Newsday has the STORY.

A MISSISAUGA, ONTARIO, FIRE ENGINE was positioned in the left shoulder of Hwy. 401 and working an auto accident when a 43-yr.-old man drove his car into the rear of the fire engine around 9:30 pm last night.

CityNews photo

Police say he has life-threatening injuries and that they suspect alcohol was involved.  None of the firefighters were hurt.

“We caught it just in time. Really, it could have been a whole lot worse. I think God was looking after the place … There were a lot of things that could have gone up really easily in here.”

THOSE WERE THE WORDS OF CATHY EDGE, a Wellington, New Zealand parishioner who was tending her church while the Vicar was away.  Arriving to open up the St. Anne’s of Ward Church in Northland Monday morning, she found it filled with smoke and a fire on the altar.

After using some kneelers to bat down the flames and a jug of water to dowse them, she ran next door to call for help.  The Kaori Fire Station officer said  the 1930’s brick and wooden building would have been destroyed if she had not caught it in time.

It was determined that a candle had lit an advent wreath over the altar and the smoldering wreath later dropped down onto it.

The Dominion Post has the complete STORY.

IT’S COMING SOON…..TO A BLACKBERRY NEAR YOU.

Scientists at Britain’s Ministry of Defence Science and Technology Laboratory have come up with a solution for making electronic gadgets completely waterproof, using a type of coating that repels liquids. The technology has, up until now, been used for military gear, but the makers of Ion-Mask are already in discussion with three cell phone manufacturers with a view to using the coating on their products.

The technology works by bonding a protective layer to the device using a plasma - a gas that has been electronically charged. The chemical properties of the layer allow it to repel water and oil. It was developed for treating soldiers’ uniforms, so they would repel toxic vapours and liquids in a chemical or biological attack.

If you had one of these Blackberrys now, you could stand in the shower and read the full story in the London Telegraph HERE.

A FORT HALL, IDAHO, AMBULANCE CREW DECIDED TO LEAVE the motor running on their ambulance while they were inside tthe local rec. center working out. 

You guessed the rest.  Now the department’s only 4WD unit is wrecked.  KIDK has the STORY.

IN THE D. C. SUBURB OF COTTAGE CITY, MARYLAND, a 19-yr.-old woman remembered that she had left her wallet in her father’s auto-supply shop that was now closed for the weekend.

Inexplicably, she decided that the best way to get into the store was to pull a Santa and drop down the chimney.  (Nobody told her about the damper? …. FG)  Needless to say, she became stuck partway down and her boyfriend (only slightly smarter because he told her to do it …..FG) called the Prince George’s County FRD for assistance.

They had to break the chimney apart inside the building to get to her.  Except for a heavy coating of soot, she appears to be ok after the incident.  No report on if she has her wallet back yet.

WTTG Ch. 5 has the VIDEO.

A FAST-MOVING FIRE THAT QUICKLY ENVELOPED an entire 36-unit apartment building in Oak Forest, Illinois, Saturday night is being investigated as an arson.  The rapid spread and intensity of the fire are what makes it suspicious.

CLTV image

Two adults and one child perished in the fire, however they have not been positively identified because they were burned beyond recognition.  They are believed to have been residents of a second-floor unit, but they were found on the first floor under two feet of debris because the entire second floor had collapsed.  Autopsies will begin today.

The fire began around 10:50 Saturday night and gutted the entire building.  Other than the three fatalities, everybody appears to have escaped unharmed primarily because of the building fire alarms.

It took the 150 FF’s on the scene three hours to extinguish the fire.  They were able to confine it to the building of origin.

Witnesses told police they saw two men leaving the building, and the two were later taken into custody for questioning.  Nobody has been charged, though.

CLTV has a good VIDEO.
The Chicago Sun-Times has the STORY.

Sun-Times photos

Rose Parade Update

Tomorrow morning will bring us what is one of the most unique and popular parade events in the world, the Tournament of Roses Parade from Pasadena, California.

As always, Firegeezer wants you to be able to take advantage of the best situation to enjoy the spectacle if you’re watching it on television.  How often have you been so frustrated and angry and the horrible tv coverage that NBC gives the parade?  They spend all of their time running endless streams of commercials and talking about upcoming programs on their network.  You only see a few of the floats and you never get to hear any of the bands because the self-centered oafs are constantly talking about themselves.

Well, here’s a public secret that I’m going to pass along to you.  Home & Garden television network (HGTV) also broadcasts the entire parade.  But they do it without any commercials - none - and no useless chatter.  They talk about the floats and the bands, etc., where they come from and that sort of thing.  But you get to see the whole parade.  This is the fourth year they’ve done that, I think.  I stumbled across it two years ago and believe me, it’s a dream compared to the disgusting production that NBC gives the event.

So now you know….. spread the word.  The parade starts at 8 am Pacific, 11 Eastern.  Oh, yeah…..this year’s Grand Marshal will be Chef Emeril Lagasse.  What a hoot.

Bam !

Ok, let’s get the equipment checked out.  I’m going to start the coffee.

THE EAST KINGSTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE, FIRE DEPARTMENT is in turmoil this weekend after the Town Selectmen voted to not renew the Fire Chief’s contract.

Alan Mazur has served in the department for 24 years, the last 11 as Chief.  Earlier this year the town voted to make the Fire Chief’s position a full-time job, the only one on the fire department.  When the Selectmen offered the position to him they stipulated that Mazur complete the First Responder medical training within the calendar year and then the EMT intermediate course in the second year.  Mazur has not completed the first responder training.

The department’s firefighters are upset about his dismissal and have expressed their displeasure quite loudly.  Seventeen of the twenty-four members have resigned in protest, effective Dec. 31, leaving the department decimated.  The Selectmen are holding firm because of the failure to comply with his contract.  They believe that as the only full-time firefighter, he should have a minimum of EMT training.

In addition to the Fire Chief’s position, which pays $49,000 yr., there are two volunteer chief officers and 22 call firemen.

The Manchester Union Leader has the STORY.
TV9 WMUR has a VIDEO.

The Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will join officials and researchers from across the nation and around the globe for “Putting First Responders First,” the 2008 Homeland Security S&T Stakeholders Conference West, to be held January 14–17 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

The conference will highlight the technology needs of police, fire, and emergency management personnel at all levels of government—in the United States and internationally. An impressive speakers list includes DHS Under Secretary for Science and Technology Jay Cohen and Executive Director of the California OHS Matthew Bettenhausen. Researchers will be presenting from major laboratories, universities, private companies, and a host of other agencies and organizations.

To register, visit: www.ndia.org/meetings/8690. Media are welcome, and free exhibit hall passes are available for first responders.