AFTER FILING ITS CHAP. 11 BANKRUPTCY papers Monday, American LaFrance issued a press release done in a Q & A format explaining some of their actions and plans.  You can read the PR in its entirety HERE.

photo by Lee Wilson

Naturally, they only addressed the questions that they want to right now, but there is much that can be gleaned from the release.  The primary question for most Fire & Rescue people is, are they going to keep making fire apparatus?  They are emphatic in their public committment to remain in business and they say that they expect to have the assembly line in the main plant back up to full production beginning March 10.

They say that the “inventory problem” which caused them to slow down was a result of two factors.  One is their newly disclosed claim that when they purchased the firm two years ago from Freightliner the inventory was “not properly disclosed as obsolete.”  On the face of that statement, it appears that ALF considers that to be a litigable issue.

In addition, a newly-designed software from IBM that was developed to control their inventory records, flow and purchasing failed when it was put into use.  In their court papers ALF claims that IBM’s work on installing and transitioning to the new system contributed to inventory and production problems.  This claim has concerned IBM and they are not commenting on it just yet.

As part of the re-organization ALF will close its Lebanon, Pennsylvania, aerial refurbishment facility and combine it with their main aerial production plant in Ephrata, Pa.  That appears to be a common-sense decision anyway.

Also, they announced that they will be closing the ambulance manufacturing plant in Sanford, Florida, and discontinuing the construction of ambulances completely.  This is not surprising since the company has always been an apparatus builder.  The only reason they were building ambulances was to provide an additional sales outlet for Freightliner chassis.  That need is no longer there.

ALF photo

In an article yesterday in the Charleston Post & Courier it was told that a restructuring firm, Corporate Revitalization Partners, has been retained to get the business back on its feet.  They expect that by filing the Chap. 11 papers and providing a good restructuring plan, the major stockholder, Patriarch Partners, will infuse an additional $50 million into the business.  You will recall that LightRock has explained to us that holding companies are loathe to inject funds into a business unless they are assured that the investment will be returned in a timely manner with interest.

You can read the entire Post & Courier article HERE. 

Traditionalists that we are, fire and rescue people everywhere are hoping that this classic marque of the fire engine business is able to pull through this and remain a viable company.

Firegeezer will be watching it for you so that you can now turn your eye onto what’s going on at Seagrave.

A DAY-LONG WINDSTORM IN NORTH AND CENTRAL TEXAS yesterday whipped grass fires into fast-moving threats. 

Assoc. Press

The 50+ mph winds also brought down power lines and created havoc at the airports and on the highways. Several of the fires consumed over 1,000 acres and Parker County alone had 10 fires.  In one Wise County community 28 homes have been lost.

In Nolan County two volunteer firefighters were injured when an 18-wheeler driver whose vision was impaired by the smoke rear-ended their vehicle, according to the sheriff’s office. One firefighter on top of the truck was thrown off, breaking his arm, while the other was taken to the hospital with a head and eye injury.

Passersby stop to help herd cattle out of
the path of oncoming fire.  (WFAA image)

The governor activated the state’s Emergency Operations Center at its highest level and the highway department deployed fuel trucks  to refuel the fire engines on-site.

This follows Monday’s activities in the western part of the state where more than 10,000 acres burned.  The Weather Service says that the high wind conditions will remain through the end of the week.

The Houston Chronicle has a REPORT.
WFAA-TV Dallas has posted 12 VIDEOS.

You may have noticed that the past few weeks we have been posting the occasional “stolen ambulance” report.  Out there in the real world it happens even more frequently than we’ve been reporting, and I don’t understand why the ambulance operators aren’t starting to catch on yet.

Maybe it’s because so many of the EMS providers are private firms who don’t keep in touch with each other as much as they should.  I don’t know if that’s so, just speculating.  Last week we reported on one where the amb. firm, which doesn’t have a garage, had left its unit parked outside with the motor running all night so that it would be properly warmed if they got a call for service.  If that isn’t an invitation for trouble, I don’t know what is.  (Wouldn’t it be a lot more economically feasible to keep a 120 v. space heater in the back and plug it in while at home?)

This didn’t used to be as much of a problem as it is now.  But over the past 10 years or so, some states have adopted an unwritten policy of letting criminals roam loose instead of keeping them in jail.  And it is this unruly element that is largely responsible for these acts.

Just yesterday another ambulance was taken from a hospital emergency room entrance.  This time it was in Washington, Pennsylvania, by a cretin who was just looking for a free ride home.  Again, it was a unit operated by a small privately-owned firm.  In an interview with a Pittsburgh tv station, he said that “he will review procedures because of the incident. The owner said before the incident, they left the keys in the ignition because of the speed in which they work.”

I’ll leave it to you to decide if taking an ignition key out of your pocket before you climb into the cab really slows down the “speed in which they work.”  In the video report linked above, the owner of the 6-ambulance fleet says that he’s “never heard of an ambulance being stolen.”

But the point is, there is way too much carelessness going on.  Don’t put yourself in this situation where you’re justifying why you are suddenly missing your vehicle.  Think.  Act.  Prevent.

 Let’s check out the equipment now.  I’ll see to the coffee.

A COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, MOTHER IS EXPECTED to be charged this afternoon with murder and four counts of aggaravated arson.

Late Monday night the Springs police received a 9-1-1 call and went to the house where they found it charged with smoke.  They went inside and carried four children out just as the FD was arriving. 

KWGN image

The fire had already gone out and further searching disclosed an infant dead in its crib.  The four other children, ages 3, 5, 8 and 9, were suffering from severe burns.

The 25-yr.-old mother was found by the police about a block away walking around and suffering from undisclosed injuries.  She is under police guard at the hospital while charges are being prepared.  Police have not yet said what the circumstances were that instigated the quick warrant.

This past October the family’s father committed suicide inside the house.

The Colorado Springs Gazette has the full STORY.
KWGN Ch. 2 has a VIDEO REPORT.

THEY DON’T TELL US HOW THE WORD “GUIZER” is pronounced, but it sure looks like it could be the root word.

And when you see what these Guizers do for wintertime frivolity, well……..

The AFP tells us:

One of Britain’s most remote communities gathered Tuesday to celebrate its Viking heritage with a spectacular festival of fire and fancy dress.

During “Up-Helly-Aa”, hundreds of residents of the Shetland Islands off the north coast of Scotland dress up as Norsemen — complete with helmets and axes — for a day and night of raucous partying.

The high point is a torchlight parade led by the “Guizer Jarl” — a local person named head of the festival — in which an elaborately-crafted Viking longship is dragged through the town of Lerwick before being set on fire.

The celebrations then continue right through the night as the “guizers” — the locals who take part in the procession — tour local parties.

 
Guizer Jarl (AFP)

Does that sound like somebody on your shift?  They don’t say if the celebration ends up while watching the Super Bowl, but you can read about it HERE.
(See?  We also cover genealogy here.)

Morning Lineup

Shift Photo

Full Box Response

All Hands

FossilMedic points out where some help is needed:

Instantaneous Misinformation

Yesterday morning a Millsboro ambulance was T-boned at 6:15 am in Sussex County Delaware. The unit was returning from the hospital. Initial information provided to Billy Goldfeder, operator of FirefighterCloseCalls.com, was that the county paramedic who was riding in the back of the ambulance was killed. Looking at the intrusion into the patient care compartment of the ambulance made this assertion feasible.

Chuck Snyder / News Journal photo

Please note that this impact was at the weakest point of the ambulance. This was covered in an earlier column, EMS Health and Safety: http://firegeezer.com/2007/08/14/ems-health-and-safety/

INFORMATION FROM A TRUSTED SOURCE

Chief Goldfeder’s email service goes to most of the fire service movers and shakers. At 12:20 an updated email was sent out by Goldfeder:

Hey…

We were initially advised (and confirmed twice) by officials that hospital staff had advised that the Paramedic in Sussex County had passed away, but now the good news and updated information is that the Paramedic is still alive. We will keep you advised. Please keep all in Delaware and especially Sussex County, the Paramedics family and all affected, in your prayers and hope for the best following this very positive news.

Take Care,
BillyG

Chief Skip Kirkwood sent the following email on the National EMS Management Association list server at 13:42 pm:

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Chief Larry Tan (New Castle County, DE) has asked me to pass along this updated information and to ask your assistance in rumor control.

The Sussex County paramedic injured in this crash is alive and in SICU.

Please pass the word along - the rumor has gotten out of control and uncomfortable stuff (like condolences to Sussex County EMS) is happening.

I’m sure our colleagues in Sussex County will appreciate your thoughts and prayers for the well-being of our colleague.

Billy - thanks for getting the corrected info out so quickly.

Skip Kirkwood, M.S., J.D., EMT-P
Chief, Emergency Medical Services
Wake County Department of Public Safety

The problem of accurate information after an awful event has always remained a challenge. The first incorrect information is repeated again-and-again, going from journalism’s “first draft of history” to a fact.

Very few emergency service agencies are prepared for the impact of a member’s on-duty death or serious injury. It IS personal, painful, with both the formal and informal organization grinding to a slow pace as the ramifications of the event are processed.

The tyranny of instantaneous news is that no time is allowed for an organization to even begin to respond to such an event. None of the NIOSH reports, training events or magazine articles prepare the organization for when the real event hits. 

BAD OUTCOME RAPID DEPLOYMENT ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM
( The BORDATs)

While there is some effort to support the members after a bad event happens, there is another need for some type of rapid administrative deployment team that would assist the impacted agency during the first 48 hours of a bad event. Crisis specialists that have both emergency service credibility AND the knowledge to help the organization process the event.

AS FIREGEEZER READERS HAVE SEEN, IT’S A WORLD-WIDE PROBLEM.  Today’s episode comes from Harare, Zimbabwe.

At the Chitungwiza Central Hospital a meningitis patient jumped into an ambulance that was at the loading dock and drove off with its patient still in the back.

The allAfrica Media reports:

Eyewitnesses say the patient shook off two male nurses who were looking after him, jumped into the ambulance parked at the hospital and sped off. The driver of the ambulance - which belongs to Marondera Hospital — had left the keys in the ignition while looking for a stretcher to carry a patient he had brought to Chitungwiza Central Hospital when all hell broke loose.

 The thief drove straight to his parents’ home where the police tracked him down quickly.

The ambulance driver had left the engine running so he could use the lights from the headlamps because the hospital has no electricity.  Times are tough in Zimbabwe.

The full story is HERE.

JUST NORTH OF SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, A TRACTOR-TRAILER crashed into a retaining wall and caught fire this morning.

ABC TV

The truck was carrying scrap paper and rags which extended the extinguishing efforts considerably because of the need to pull apart the load.  Complicating the process was the ruptured diesel fuel tank that poured along the shoulder and burned also.

The driver, in an interveiw with SevenNetwork, said:

(He) had only taken his eyes off the road for a moment.

“I was reaching down to get a drink out of my fridge,” he told the Seven Network.

“I was sort of coming along and hit the gutter there and that’s when I’m into the wall.”

Sydney Morning Herald photo 

It is the middle of summer there and the extended road closure created an additional problem for the police as people’s patience and health both deteriorated.  Over 9 hours after the fire the last of the wreckage and debris was cleared from the roadway allowing traffic flow to resume.  But the entire area is still gridlocked and it will be hours before normal movement can be expected.

There is some concern whether the rock-face retaining wall has been compromised and the highway dept. is examining it.

Sydney Morning Herald story HERE.
ABC TV has a good VIDEO.
New South Wales Police press RELEASE.

This upcoming Sunday is the date of the sports spectacle that calls itself the Super Bowl.  The championship game of the National Football League that generates massive sales of snack foods, party supplies and pizza deliveries as millions of people gather around their tv sets watching six hours of endless commercials interspersed with about 10 minutes of actual football plays going on.

But for the fans of speed, skill and hard, physical play, this week also marks the beginning of the stretch drive in the National Hockey League’s run to crown its champion.

This past Sunday they held the annual All-Star Game and the league paused for four days to let the rest of the players rest and heal before beginning the big push to the playoffs which begin in about two months.

It is now that the entertainment value of the games really picks up.  The coaches have sorted out the various line combinations that are working best and the players really pick up on the intensity of their game.  You get to see the teams at their best now.

Getty images

Even if you’re just a casual fan of the league, I think it would probably be worthwhile to sign up for the 1/2-season plan of Center Ice which telecasts every game  each night.  This year promises to be one of the classics in competition and here’s why:  Take a look at the league standings and check out the “Wins” column.

Of the 30 teams in the league, the 3rd-place team has 28 wins.  The 27th-place team has 22 wins.  That’s a mere six-game spread for almost the entire league with just over 30 games left to play.  A total of 16 teams will be in the playoffs.

The league resumes play tonight.  So after you clean up from your Super Bowl party, get ready for some real action.

While we’re waiting, let’s get this equipment checked out.  I’ll make sure that the coffee is going.

DALLAS, TEXAS, FIRE UNITS AND POLICE ARRIVED AT a grass fire around 3:30 AM on Monday morning.  The police observed a man nearby get into a truck and drive away.

 They followed him and pulled him over.  After finding alcohol in the cab and a gasoline can in the truck bed, they gave him a field sobriety test which he failed.

It was then disclosed that he was Michael Taylor, an off-duty Dallas firefighter who has been on the department for seven years.  The police have charged him with driving while intoxicated.  He has been placed on administrative leave while the DFD investigates his role in setting the fire.

Channel 5 has a VIDEO REPORT.

AMERICAN LaFRANCE FILED FOR CHAPTER 11 PROTECTION under the Bankruptcy Act this morning in Delaware, according to the Charleston Post & Courier.

Filings under Chap. 11 allows a company to continue operating while enjoying temporary relief from its creditors.  However the corporation has to submit to the Bankruptcy Court a plan to re-organize its business structure and recover from its financial difficulties.

American LaFrance headquarters

The company has operations in six states and about 1,000 employees.  It also has more than 1,000 creditors and over $100 million in debt.

According to the P & C, American LaFrance listed its major creditors as ACE USA/ACE Bond Services who are holding $44.5 million in paper.  The other major debt-holders are its present and previous owners, Patriarch Partners and Freightliner.

When ALF furloughed 20% of its North Charleston plant workforce just before Christmas, there was some industry speculation that they were planning on finishing out the existing production run before shutting the assembly line.  However, close watchers are sensing that ALF is still accepting orders and as of last week were planning on continuing assembly-line operations.

Post & Courier photo

This bankruptcy filing will also give them enough breathing room to acquire additional funding to refill their parts inventory and keep the production line in operation.

The Post & Courier article is HERE.

Update, 2:20 pm:  Analysts at KeyBanc Capital Markets have upgraded Federal Signal Corp. stocks from “hold” to “buy” as a direct result of this morning’s filing.  Federal Signal is the owner of beleaguered E-One.

newratings.com reports:

In a research note published this morning, the analysts mention that the company’s share price is likely to be boosted in the near term by the appointment of a CEO and potential dealership and market share gains as a result of troubles at its competitors, American LaFrance & Seagrave.

The appointment of Guile as the CEO of E-One is likely to lead to a rise in orders and improved profitability going forward, the analysts add.

For some background of the fire apparatus industry’s current difficulties, review LightRock’s recent article Turmoil In The Fire Apparatus Industry HERE. 

RESIDENTS IN WEYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS, WERE AWAKENED early Sunday morning by blood-curdling screams for help coming from Whitman’s Pond.

A 27-yr.-old man had fallen through the ice as he was walking across the pond on his way home.  His desparate cries were heard and the fire department was called.

There is a fire station 1/2 mile from the pond that is equipped with a specialized ice rescue boat that was purchased by a citizen for that purpose.  But…. the station has been shuttered by the town to “save money.”  The next-due station responded and the FF’s were able to get a canoe and skid it out over the ice to the man.

WCVB image

The rescue was a success and the victim is expected to fully recover, even though he was in the frigid water for nearly 30 minutes.

WCVB Boston Channel 5 has a dramatic video showing the entire rescue effort HERE.

Firegeezer asks:  Knowing ahead of time that the boat was in a closed station, why didn’t the FD either re-locate the boat to an active station, or carry a key to the boat house and have one of the other units retrieve it during the call?