The La Charrette movie theater, which was known as the smallest cinema in Wales, finally had to shut down its operation recently.

It was started up in 1953 by the late Gwyn Phillips in the little town of Gorseinon near Swansea. The townsfolk had no local cinema to attend during those golden days of the movies, so Phillips purchased an old railway carriage and had it dragged into the yard behind his townhouse and converted it into a 23-seat movie palace.

The scrap railway carriage was brought
up this passage into the back yard.

It has served the community well for over 50 years, lately operated by his widow. But the old railcar has been crumbling and reached a state where it wasn’t feasible to repair it any further. So it announced that it would have to darken its projectors and shut down.

The 23-seat theater served the town
for over 50 years.

A noted BBC film critic, Mark Kermode, heard about it and organized a grand exit for the old flickerhouse. After contacting all the movie moguls in the UK, he arranged for La Charrette’s final screening to be a World Premier of a science-fiction comedy starring Kenneth Branagh and Courtney Cox. And they did it up right, with Mr. Branagh attending the formal affair. They even had the wide, red carpet laid from the street, through the spacing between the houses up to the theater, along with the big searchlight sweeping the sky overhead.

The Red Carpet was rolled out
for the World Premiere

Mark Kermode (l.) and Kenneth Branagh (r.)
pause outside the theater lounge.

This BBC News video report covers the story of the theater’s final night.

Read the BBC story and see more photos HERE.

THE SENECA (SOUTH CAROLINA) FIRE DEPARTMENT WILL BE CONDUCTING a novel public education campaign next week.  It’s being promoted as part of the annual daylight-saving time reminder to set clocks forward one hour March 9 and replace the batteries in all smoke detectors.

Teaming up with the Seneca Domino’s Pizza shop, they will be delivering pizza orders on a random basis from 5 pm to 7 pm on Monday thru Friday all next week.

If the customer gets a fire truck delivery, then the FF’s will check their smoke detectors on the spot.  And if they are all working, the pizza will be free.  If any of them aren’t operating, the FF’s will either replace the batteries or leave a new detector to replace the faulty one.

Domino’s has always had a good reputation for response times.  Now it’s up to the Seneca Fire Dept. to maintain it.

Read about the promotion in the Anderson Independent Mail HERE.

OUR FRIENDS IN THE SELIGMAN, ARIZONA, FIRE DEPARTMENT beat Donna to the scene of this rollover yesterday.  The truck driver blacked-out, causing the wreck.  But they thought we’d enjoy the “gallows humor” generated by the wording on the sign that he went through.

If you have a caption for the picture that you’d like to share, post it in the comments.

Seligman FD photo

WHEN THE HOME OF WILEY, ALABAMA, FIRE CHIEF TOMMY COLLINS burned down last week (Firegeezer report HERE), the family lost everything, including the house.

You may recall the incident because at the time of the fire all of the volunteer firefighters of the tiny, rural community were away at their jobs and Chief Collins had to dash to the firehouse and respond with a pumper back home to begin firefighting operations alone until the next-in departments arrived.

During the week since, his family has been staying with relatives and in hotel rooms while they search out a new home.  They have found a good deal on a double-wide, but the cost of purchase and transporting it to their homesite is $25,000.

So far, a fund to assist them has raised $6,000 and they need to close the deal within a week.  The Wachovia Bank has an account set up for donations.  Please consider helping out.

Tuscaloosa TV station WVUA has the complete details and a video report HERE.

LAST THURSDAY DETROIT, MICHIGAN, HAD TWO FIRE FATALITIES in two separate fires on that same day.  While they were in separate parts of the city, they both had one thing in common:  The nearest engine company to each fire was closed that day due to lack of staffing.

Engine 47 - closed last Thursday
www.detroitfirefighters.net image

Overall, the FD’s “firehouse roulette” was operating on that day with 27% of the department’s fleet either out of service or running while not properly operational (such as eight ladder trucks “in service” even though the aerials won’t raise).

This has been an ongoing problem in the DFD for several years now, especially the matter of vehicle maintenance.  We have mentioned previously that the only firehouse in the city that is fully functional is the airport station and that is because Federal law requires it.  At one point last year, more than half the ambulance fleet was parked due to maintenance reasons because the city would not repair them.

Bill McGraw of the Detroit Free Press has a biting column in today’s paper that addresses this disgraceful operation.  While recounting the fateful events of last week, he elicited from the beleaguered mayor’s chief spokesman the statement that  if the (firefighters) union cares so much about safety, “Why don’t they take fewer days off?”

That’s what they’re working with, folks.  Read the entire article HERE.  Also, be sure to read McGraw’s other column from this week on the same topic HERE.

Update:  Apparently the staffing cuts have affected the public relations department, too.  The FD’s official WEBSITE still has the stock Christmas tree safety message on the front page.  (seriously, now…. are the citizens really so dumb that they need to be told to “Trim the lower branches to avoid eye injuries to small children.” ?)  The overall contempt this city administration has for its citizens is reprehensible.

For a more competently run website and to learn more about the DFD go to the Detroit Fire Fighters WEBSITE.

Beware the publicity hack, part 2

We were talking yesterday about how public relations people try to steer the coverage of a controversial topic in a different direction when it’s not going their way. Carri Schmidt of the National Home Builders Association (NAHB) issued a public statement the other day that illustrates this.

The topic was the extensive use of “lightweight construction” methods on most new housing these days. She responded by saying, “Homes are, in fact, significantly safer today than 20 years ago because of advances in technology and changes in building codes.” We dissembled that statement yesterday. She also directed us to two references that are supposed to be supporting the NAHB’s stance on this current practice of flimsy construction. One is the NIOSH Publication No. 2005-132: Preventing Injuries and Deaths of Fire Fighters Due to Truss System Failures. But it turns out that the paper actually supports what we have been saying.

This morning I’d like to comment on NAHB’s other suggested reference, their own web page dedicated to smoke detectors called Smoke Alarms Work (http://www.smokealarmswork.org/).  It leads off with this statement: In 1960, 7,645 Americans died as the result of fires. By 2001, the total had dropped 56 percent to 3,326 in 2001. Now whenever I see somebody using an arbitrary set of beginning and ending dates to use as an example, I automatically wonder why they chose those particular dates? What happened in 1960 that caused them to choose that as a starting point?

But it doesn’t really matter in our case because, once again, that’s not what we’re talking about. We are concerned with a) firefighter safety, and b) rapid fire spread coupled with increased property loss because of it. I would like to point out one more thing about that previous statement that tends to skew the argument. The claim ends with the words died as the result of fires. Notice the absence of the word “house” in there. It’s including all kinds of fires. I would also add that in the mid-1980’s the newly-created U. S. Fire Administration stopped classifying deaths in automobile fires that had resulted from crashes as “fire deaths” and there was an immediate drop in fire death numbers.

But all that really doesn’t matter because the NAHB is using this website to convince us that building construction is better now than it was 20 years ago. But it turns out that this website is apparently a vehicle to dissuade governing agencies from requiring home sprinkler systems. The site begins with how good smoke alarms are, and how some home building methods have improved, such as circuit breaker boxes instead of fuse boxes (and I have no argument with those claims), they devote an entire section to what they call Facts About Fire Sprinklers.

Now I will remind you again ….. our concern is what happens AFTER the fire starts. Smoke detectors save lives by alerting you in time to get out. But there has never been a smoke detector that has put out a fire. Now back to their fire sprinkler fact sheet. They make the statement: No matter if there are sprinklers in a home, should a fire be reported, the fire department will send the same number of responders. There is no fiscal advantage or cost benefit to the individual or the community by mandating fire sprinklers. You got that? There is no fiscal advantage to having the fire extinguished immediately in the room where it started as opposed to having the entire house burn down. Gimme a break.

Here’s another one: Poorer, less educated Americans are more likely to live in substandard housing than wealthier, educated Americans. It’s more likely that a wealthier person will be in a position to buy a new home. That means that residential fire sprinklers, usually mandated in wealthier communities where their cost is less of a barrier, are least likely to protect those who could benefit by them the most. So let’s not start.

This report is full of jewels like: Having sprinklers is also no guarantee that fire fighters will not turn on their hoses. Claims that less damage will be caused by a sprinkler than a fire hose are unsubstantiated. Here’s the link to that section: http://www.smokealarmswork.org/firesprinklers/index.html. Find your favorites, there are plenty more.

Now you see, they have successfully diverted my attention away from the primary issue that is facing us: Rapid, catastrophic fire spread and firefighter safety. I’m bringing this out to show you what is going to happen once the debate gets out into the public arena. And don’t expect many politicians to be on our side. Our campaign contributions can’t match the builders’. Don’t get steered away from the issue!

Ok, enough for today’s rant. Let’s get the equipment checked out. I’ll start up the coffee pot.

THE TOWN OF MILTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE, WAS ORDERED BY THE STATE back on February 6th to vacate its Fire-Rescue building within 15 working days.

Firgeezer reported the situation to you HERE.

Milton FD photo

Their old fire/rescue station, which began its life as a horse barn in 1830, was condemned.  When the deadline arrived at noon on the 22nd, they moved all their belongings and office supplies into a work trailer that has been set up alongside the old building.  They are permitted to continue storing the vehicles (they have 9 of them) in the old building and can enter it only to start up a truck and drive it out.

But the trailer is so small and uncomfortable that the FF’s have no room to move around or congregate.  And the facilities are so poor that they are ready to hang it up.  While they are running more calls than ever before, Fire Chief Andy Lucier says that morale is at an all-time low.

The Foster’s Daily Democrat reports:

In the makeshift trailer headquarters, this will no longer by physically possible — the total area is 350 square feet, but much of this space has to be taken up with filing cabinets containing records, a dispatch area, a table for report writing, a computer and Internet hook-up, and a small office area. This leaves room for perhaps four chairs, estimated Lucier, as he eyed the space last week, as plumbers were trying to defrost water pipes and a toilet — but scarcely room for a crew coming back in the middle of the night after dealing with a nasty auto accident or a house fire.

 
Fire Chief Andy Lucier makes a final dispatch shortly before the vacate deadline last Friday.
(Jim Nolan / Times photo)

“Morale in the whole department is a problem. Everyone is discouraged,” said Lucier.  Last year an article on the town warrant seeking to raise $950,000 for a new station was rejected by voters, with 451 opposed and 350 in favor. It would have required a 60 percent majority (481 in favor) to pass.  The members of the department feel that they are getting no support at all from the community.

The Foster’s Daily Democrat tells the whole story and even more problems that are possibly dooming the FD’s future HERE.

Milton Fire - Rescue Dept. WEBSITE.

A MASSIVE BLAST SHATTERED A SHOPPING PLAZA IN WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS, early this afternoon.  One store in the center has collapsed and several others suffered major damage.

WMAQ image

The initial reports say that six people have been injured and transported to hospitals.  From the preliminary reports it has the indications of a natural gas-type explosion.  The blast occurred between noon and 12:30 Central time.  After the explosion a fire started and the FD was initially occupied with that while searching the rubble for victims.

Five of the injured were in the shop where it occurred.  Currently there are no reports of any fatalities.  Heavy debris coupled with the FD operations has hindered the gas company’s efforts to shut down the gas service in the area.  There is great concern with the potential of gas leaks resulting from the blast.

WMAQ is running a brief raw VIDEO HERE.

Update, 5:00 pm Central:
The situation is calm and under control at the present time.  The Vista Medical Center East has reported that they have received at least five casualties, one in serious condition.  A sixth victim was treated at the scene and not transported.

An unconfirmed report says that one person may still be missing.  Although there is no report of people being trapped, the Lake County urban S & R team members have been brought in to search the buildings.

Rescue workers told Ch. 5 that they were “99 percent sure” that everyone was out of the building at 2:45 p.m., although there was one person who remained unaccounted for.

WMAQ image

Chicago Tribune

The Chicago Tribune has a story and another video report HERE.

Click to play CNN video report:

Lake County News

LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENTS FROM THE DEPT. of DEFENSE AND THE AIR FORCE made an early-morning raid of the main offices of AIR TREK yesterday.

Air Trek is one of the country’s oldest air ambulance firms, operating since 1978, and also one of the largest. Based at the Charlotte CountyAirport in Punta Gorda, Florida, they are licensed by the FAA to operated anywhere in the Western Hemisphere, including Cuba.

Air Trek photo

Their Defense Dept. contract calls for them to carry injured military personnel to anywhere in the Western Hemisphere.  The raid was a complete surprise to all of the employees and nobody knows what the suspicions are of the agents.  The only response from the agent-in-charge was that they are  ”executing a search warrant as part of an ongoing criminal investigation.”

Operations are continuing normally while the search is being conducted.

Later yesterday Air Trek released the following statement:

“This morning agents from the Department of Defense arrived to execute a search warrant to conduct and analysis of billing practices for DOD related transports completed in 2006.

These authorities have informed us this investigation is the result of a complaint issued by a competitor – someone who themselves is not licensed to operate in Florida.

Air Trek shall initiate and investigate to determine who falsely and maliciously initiated this process and seek compensatory and punitive damages against all involved individuals. As evident from the activity on the flight line, we are conducting business as usual while cooperating with the Department of Defense.

Air Trek is proud to be celebrating 30 years of service to the residents of Southwest Florida. Air Trek’s has also received national accreditation status from the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems, the industry’s highest standard for patient care and flight safety.”

Fort Myers ch. 2 has the updated story and a video report HERE.
Air Trek’s corporate WEBSITE.

WHEN A LONDON AMBULANCE  RESPONDED RECENTLY to a shortness-of-breath call in the suburb of Hackbridge, they positioned the ambulance in front of the closed gates of a school next to the scene.

While they were spending approx. 20 minutes working on their patient before transporting him, the headmistress of the school approached the ambulance driver and asked him to move the ambulance.  The problem, you see, was that the gates are a designated fire exit.

The driver wisely refused to move it and they went about their life-saving business.  Now the school is embarassed about the whole deal.  The London Ambulance Service spokesman said:  “In the interests of patient care, the crew parked the ambulance in the safest available location to tend to the man as quickly as possible.”

The Guardian has the STORY.