IN RAVENDEN SPRINGS, ARKANSAS, A MAN WHO HOLDS A GRUDGE AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT crashed his car into the local post office.  And not for the first time.

Glenn Sparling has held for years that the Federal government owes him money in a wage dispute.  This past Sunday he had his restored 1984 Chevrolet Blazer out for a spin and decided to “get even” with Uncle Sam.  He drove into the post office lot and backed the truck into the building, leaving an 8 ft. by 8 ft. hole in the wall.

Then he drove off, leaving the wreckage behind.  A little ways down the road his Blazer broke down and wouldn’t go any further.  So he got out and walked the rest of the way home where he got his 1972 Ford Mustang sports car and headed back to the post office.

Meanwhile, a policeman who was en route to the post office to investigate the crash saw Sparling driving very erratically and tried to stop him.  After a high-speed chase for a few blocks, Sparling flew into the post office lot again and plowed his Mustang into the same hole that he had made earlier.

Ravenden Springs Police Chief Kevin Montgomery said, “He drove it in the hole he made earlier. This time he really crammed it in there. We barely got him out.  The Mustang held up well, but he scratched the paint up real bad.”

This is not his only anger-management problem with the post office.  He has been charged before with breaking out windows at the facility and driving his car into mail boxes.

Sparling was taken to jail and charged with a long list of violations.

Jonesboro TV Ch. 8 has the story and a VIDEO.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette has MORE.

THE WINDSOR, ONTARIO, FIRE CHIEF HAS ELECTED to periodically put one of the department’s ladder trucks out of service rather than pay overtime to keep it in service.

Truck 3

The city has a minimum of 57 on-duty to operate all units.  Up until recently, whenever a leave situation left fewer people on duty, the department would call in firefighters on overtime to maintain the staffing.  But now the chief has elected to just shut down Truck 3 and reassigning its personnel instead of running up overtime costs.

The firefighters’ union claims that it is a negotiating ploy because they have been working without a contract for over two years and are still in prolonged bargaining hearings.  The firefighters have written a letter to the city council protesting the decision, claiming that it affects the citizens’ safety.

Told of the letter from the firefighters association, Chier Dave Fields said he stands by his decision. “I really respect their opinion. They’re partners in this business,” Fields said.

“However, if they want to ask council to turn around that decision, they can certainly do that. I’m not upset with them asking. My indication to council is that I think we have two choices: you can support your fire chief, or you don’t support your fire chief. Either let me run the place, or don’t. If you want someone else do it — well, go get him.”

Chief Fields

The Windsor Star has the STORY.
Windsor Fire & Rescue WEBSITE.

A FIRE IN THE 3rd FLOOR OF A 26-STORY APARTMENT BUILDING in Manhattan Thursday night sent as many as 30 people to the hospital with smoke inhalation problems.

Fox News image

The fire was confined to the apartment where it started, but the thick, billowing smoke spread throughout the building.  The smoke affected the people in their apartments as well as in the stairwells.  Unfortunately, two people attempted to take the elevator down to the lobby and when it stopped on the fire floor they were trapped in fire conditions.  They were both taken to the hospital in critical, life-threatening condition.

The occupant of the apartment was not at home when the fire started, so the cause is still unknown.  The nearest fire station is only a half-block away and allowed for a fast attack on the fire.

There are several widely-varying reports on the number of injuries.  We will update with better information when it comes available.

Fox News TV has a VIDEO report.

Lately we’ve been bringing up topics here and there that usually end with:  “Talk with your citizens and let them know what you are doing,” or something similar to that.  It seems like the list keeps getting longer.  But if you keep putting it off, the list does get longer, and you’ve lost an opportunity.

Fire and rescue is a public service that is wholly dependent on the generosity of the people who receive it.  We rely on them, one way or another, to fund it and provide the people to operate it.  If we don’t point out to them where their resources are going and what the alternatives are if they refuse to provide them, then that will slip away.

I was reminded of this when I saw the results of Duxbury’s voting last week (HERE) where they nixed the funds to start planning replacements for their police and fire stations.  On the surface it looks like the FD was aggressive in pointing out their problems and even picturing them on their website.  But somehow it still hasn’t gotten through to the taxpayers.  That was evident at this same balloting when they readily approved the funds to overhaul the community swimming pool.  Now, up in Massachusetts, just how many days during the year is the pool usable?  If the weather is perfect every day without any thunderstorms, etc., probably 90 at the most.

But since those swimmers will most likely go through life without ever seeing a house fire, let along experiencing one, the FD automatically drifts back in their mental priority list.  But, dang, all summer without a pool?  Noooo way.

Many of the people who are homeowners now are born and bred in the Yuppie movement.  And the primary characteristic that distinguishes that sub-section of their generation is a certain self-absorbtion that puts their own personal instant-gratification ahead of everything else.  Sometimes even to the detriment of their own children.

When they have to choose between healthy working conditions for their firefighters or a better “pool experience” for themselves, they’ll put themselves at #1 every time.  So we have to demonstrate that our ability to perform is important to them most of all.  Tomorrow we’ll talk about how we can do this.

But now, we need to get this equipment checked out.  I will go start our coffee.

THE TRAGIC LANDSLIDE IN AALESUND, NORWAY, YESTERDAY (Firegeezer article HERE) that destroyed an apartment building has not yet been abated.

The 3-ton propane tank continues to burn and rescue crews will not be able to enter the rubble until the gas has burned off.  In addition, the building is still moving.

Reuters

Geologists said as much as 7,300 tons of stone — some of it in huge slabs — slid down a steep hillside near downtown Aalesund in the early hours of Wednesday. The rocks slammed into the back of the six-story building, causing the lower floors to collapse as the whole structure was jolted up to 23 feet forward.

Photo by Odd Mehus

Firefighters have knocked most of the fire down from remote nozzles and believe they can keep the fire from spreading.  The five missing occupants are believed to be still inside.

Aftenposten

Aftenposten has the latest updated REPORT.

THE WASHINGTON POST’s 2nd ANNUAL BEER MADNESS BREW-OFF IS CURRENTLY RUNNING.

Washington Post image

The paper’s dedicated beer reporter, Joe Helm selected 10 experienced beer drinkers to judge this year’s competition.  They started with 32 chosen brews that were sorted into four categories:  Lagers, Ales, Specialty & Fruit beers, and Dark beers.  With eight beers in each category, the taste-off began three weeks ago with head-to-head eliminations much like the NCAA tournament brackets.

This year one of the entrants in the Dark Beers category is a representative of the Hook & Ladder Brewery, its Backdraft Brown has beaten its competition in the first two rounds and is now in the Elite Eight quarter-finals.  This week they are going up against the Samuel Adams Honey Porter.  That’s tough competition for sure.  But they’re all tough from here on out. Last year’s overall winner, Brooklyn Lager was bounced in the second round this year.

Hook & Ladder Brewing Company is based in Silver Spring, Maryland, and was founded by a volunteer firefighter and his brother.  Hook & Ladder was founded on the mission of building a business while giving back to each community in which its beers are sold.  Hook & Ladder and its wholesale partners donate a portion of all sales to local burn centers and firefighter burn organizations through the A Penny in Every Pint™ and A Quarter in Every Case™ programs.  A Quarter in Every Case™ donates 25 cents from each case sold and A Penny in Every Pint™ donates $4 from each barrel to local burn organizations.  These efforts have raised over $30,000 in the past 18 months alone.  

When asked about their first two victories, Hook & Ladder CEO Matt Fleischer said,  “It was a total team effort, no question about it.  It was a hard-fought contest, and we gave it 110 percent. But we can’t rest on our laurels or start patting ourselves on the back just yet. We’ll enjoy this win tonight, and then begin preparing for next week.”

The winners of this round will be announced on Sunday and Firegeezer will bring you the results as they happen.

Hook & Ladder Brewing’s website is HERE.  Check ‘em out, they have some neat stuff in the “company store.”
For a clearer view of the bracket and to read more about the competition, go the the Post’s webpage HERE.  They also have information on all 32 brews entered in this year’s contest.

AFTER LAST YEAR’S WILDFIRE DISASTERS in Southern California, the people who have chosen to live in those remote areas have come to the realization that “remote” also means “remote from fire protection.”

A new industry is springing up (isn’t entrepreneurship wonderful?…..FG) that utilizes private firms who come around to their contracted customers and prepare homes for protection from oncoming fires.  They do this by spraying the threatened homes with a fire-retardent gel that effectively deflects radiant heat and just about always saves the home.  Then it can be safely washed away with a garden hose.

Firegeezer posted an article last August HERE about one of these products and how it is already being used by many communities for protection from rapid-moving wildfires.

Some of these companies are now contracting with insurance companies to respond to threatened properties that are covered by the insurance and apply the gel.  Generally, they will only do this to properties that have a value of $1 million or more.  But many of protection companies will independently sign up homeowners ahead of need for about $1,800 per year.

The San Diego Union-Tribune recently ran an article that reports on this burgeoning business in their county.  You can read about that HERE.  The article gives extensive coverage to the various types of services being offered.

Also, last August we ran an article about some private fire engines being dispatched by insurance companies to protect mountain mansions HERE.

In the past there have been many part-time businesses run by off-duty firefighters that were benefited by their fire dept. training.  There have been sprinkler fitters, fire extinguisher services, and chimney sweeps.  Is gel-spraying the next opportunity for moonlighting firefighters?

STEPHEN A. GOTELAERE, THE FORMER FIRE CHIEF OF SUPERIOR, WISCONSIN, was sentenced to prison Monday for stealing nearly $240,000 from the department between 1999 and 2005.

Chief Gotelaere

Working in collusion with a fire equipment vendor, they would fabricate phoney invoices and then submit them to the city Finance Dept. for payment, splitting the proceeds.

Suspicion was first raised in 2005 when city officials discovered that he had falsified travel records, even creating an imaginary flyer for a training seminar that he claimed to attend.  It turned out that the hotel he “stayed” at was actually closed for remodeling at the time.  When that was uncovered he was forced to resign after 30 years on the department, with 13 as chief.

His successor to the position launched an audit in preparation for a grant application and it was then that the extent of the embezzlement scheme came to light.  At that point, the city approached the Wisconsin Dept. of Justice to request a criminal investigation.

After nearly three years, the trial concluded with Monday’s sentencing when the judge ordered six years of prison with two years of confinement for thefts between 1999 and 2003; five years of prison with 1½ years of confinement for crimes committed between 2003 and 2005, and three years of prison with one year of confinement for misconduct in public office, all to be served concurrently. Gotelaere was also ordered to pay $239,676 in restitution.

It came out during the trial that Gotelaere had a gambling addiction which is where his ill-gained proceeds had gone.  With his savings gone, he said, he ran up large credit card debts, refinanced his home and took out large loans but ran out of options to pay for his addiction.

Current Fire Chief Tad Matheson said,  “I would hate to think he was lining his pockets while firefighters were being cut,” Matheson said in a statement to the court. “During his tenure as fire chief, I also witnessed our fire stations deteriorate. I’ve seen the purchase of lower-grade equipment. I’ve heard him say we would have to bypass the training of firefighters because of overtime costs. I have witnessed Steve not purchase firefighter gloves required by the NFPA [National Fire Protection Association]. … The firefighters purchased the gloves on their own. This in a period of time he was stealing from the department.”
The Duluth (Minn.) News tells the story HERE and HERE.

Hat tip to Frank B. for assisting.

DUXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS, VOTERS went to the polls this past Saturday to cast their ballots on the Town’s tax measures.

One of the proposals was to begin design schedules to replace the overcrowded and inadequate police and fire station.  Currently it is one building shared by both agencies.  The planning would include exploring the option of replacing it with another dual-use building, or construct two separate facilities.

The estimated cost for two new buildings is approx. $16 million.  The Board of Selectmen even prepared a slide presentation for the citizens showing the inadequacy of the police and fire dept. offices.  Designed for 11 officers forty years ago, the PD now has over 30 officers.  Both departments also suffer from the inability to fully utilize modern equipment for lack of space and infrastructure.

The fire department’s slide show is online and you can view the appalling working conditions HERE.

Photo showing that diesel exhaust
blasts onto the gear racks

EMS de-con and gear-cleaning area
(Firegeezer wonders why the State Health
Department hasn’t been brought into this.)

Click the above link to view all 30 photos.

However, the votes failed to approve the $1 million tax-override measure to begin the replacement process.  Andre Martecchini, chairman of the Board of Selectmen says, ”When people have the opportunity to say no to raising their taxes, many people take advantage of that. I don’t blame them.”

But to illustrate just what their priorities are, the taxpayers approved only two measures.  One of them  was  a $163,000 debt exclusion override for design plans to renovate the town swimming pool.

The Boston Globe has the STORY.
The Quincy Patriot-Ledger has MORE.
Duxbury Fire Dept. WEBSITE.

Los Angeles City L.O.D.D. 

I was away from Communications Central all of last evening, so I missed the initial reports coming out about the LODD in Los Angeles.  A powerful explosion at what appears to be an electrical vault caused fatal injuries to FF Brent Lovrien, age 35, and severe injuries to Eng. Anthony Guzman, 48.

From what little I have read so far, it seems to be one of those situations where there was no indication that this event would occur when it did.  One of those things where, as fate would have it, the FD arrived on the scene a little too soon.

Dave Statter was keeping up with it last night and he has a full set of reports and video links HERE to bring you up to speed on the story.  No doubt there will be plenty more later today.

*  *  *  *  *

Everybody has experienced the strange occurrence of a thought or memory suddenly sailing in from nowhere.  You don’t have any idea why it arrived or why it was timed to yell out at you then.

That happened to me yesterday when the concept of the Crosley automobile charged up to the front row of my brain cells.  Most of you have probably never even heard of the Crosley until I just now mentioned it.  But Geezers like myself will have a recollection of it.

Powell Crosley, Jr. was one of those innovators who was constantly seeking ways to improve the affordability of products for the average consumer.  In the 1930’s he made radios that sold for only 10% of what other models cost.  And when people complained that they couldn’t hear any radio stations (because there were so few), Crosley built some stations, becoming the first radio network owned by one company, Crosley Broadcasting.  Home refrigerators was another of his products that brought progress into the American household at an affordable price.

But his pride and joy was the Crosley automobile.  First put into production in 1939, the 2-door convertible was powered by a two-cylinder engine that got 50 miles-per-gallon and the total weight of the car was less than 1,000 lbs.  This was the first American compact car and it sold for $350.

After WWII, production resumed at the Cincinnati factory with some upgraded models but the focus was still on low-cost and efficiency.  The newer engine was a four-cylinder, 2-cycle engine made out of stamped sheet metal instead of cast iron.  When it was fully assembled, the entire engine weighed 133 lbs. 

The car, while stylish, was always bare-bones in design.  The windows didn’t roll up or down, but were just slid open.  There were no interior ammenities like door panels.  The windshield wipers were hand cranked and the glove box was literally only large enough for a pair of gloves.

The post-war model was the first car ever to have disc brakes.  But the Crosleys, being cheaply made, wore out fast and instead of getting repaired they were usually just thrown away because buying a new one was so cheap.  Therefore you will see very few surviving Crosley cars.  The production line shut down forever in 1952 and the plant was sold to the General Tire and Rubber Corp.

There is an active Crosley owners’ car club with over 1,000 members.  If you’re interested in reading more about this unique automobile, here are some links for you:

Wikipedia ENTRY.
A history of the Crosley car along with a large photo gallery HERE.
The Crosley Automobile Owners Club WEBSITE.

But before you get engrossed in all that, let’s get the equipment checked out.  I’ll go run the coffee maker.

JUST AS I SUSPECTED.  At least, right or wrong, he agrees with me.

Jon Chase at Popular Science’s blog page points out that those high-dollar speaker/headphone/HDMI/Firewire, etc. cables are a rip-off.  A cable is a cable and to spend hundreds of dollars on “upgraded” cables for your new HDTV or tuner is a waste.

The money quote:

However, an $8 HDMI cable is as good as any other—for instance this $220 beauty from Monster. One digital signal (it’s just ones and zeros!) works exactly like any other digital signal. Manufacturers will show you oscilloscopes attempting to prove otherwise, and speak of bandwidth and nitrogen-infusions and gold-plating and precious herbs and berries, but that’s all complete nonsense. The human eye (and ear, for that matter) can’t tell the difference and anyone telling you otherwise is selling something—like these $7,250 speaker cables. 

You can read the full entry HERE.

Just as interesting are most of the comments posted to the article.  There is some good advice on making sure that your cables have a good quality of manufacture.  Read it all.

THE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT IN RATANA, NEW ZEALAND outgrew their little firehouse long ago.  Built in 1963 when fire engines were much smaller than now, the building is too small for modern fire appliances.  The current engine has to have its ladders removed before it can be backed into the one-bay hut.

Ratana Chief Fire Officer Bill Rourangi
with the town’s sole fire engine in front of
the current fire hut.  (Chronicle photo)

Finally, work began yesterday on a replacement station.  Besides having enough room for modern fire engines, the new building will have changing rooms, cleanup facilities, two offices and a social room.

The new half-million-dollar facility should be ready for the 18 volunteers in about five months.

The Wanganui Chronicle has the full REPORT.