Welcome to June, folks. I don’t know what more to say about it, other than make sure your air conditioner is checked out ok.
Over the past three days we’ve been reporting on the fire at the Matt Brewery in Utica, N.Y. There was something that struck me as a bit odd and I wonder if you noticed it, too?
There were about a half-dozen fire departments involved in helping the Utica FD with the fire and I can’t tell just by looking at the pictures who was who on the scene. And I wasn’t there, so I don’t know very much of what actually went on during the fire. But in none of the pictures that I have seen was there ever anybody wearing an SCBA.
Now I understand that when you’re on outside operations many people tend to drop the air tanks in order to be more mobile and less fatiguing, despite what the safety experts keep telling us. But still there are times where you need to put self-preservation ahead of comfort. One of the videos shows a clip of an entire company standing on the roof of the fire building, and not a one of them had his air-pack on. Not one.
“But wait, there’s more….” as that guy who yells at us on the tv likes to say. Here’s what I was wondering whether you noticed it. In the video report from the first day (HERE) the tv reporter is interviewing Utica’s Public Safety Commissioner and throughout the interview he is stressing to the citizens why it is important to stay away from the fire, telling them that they think there may be dangerous levels of ammonia in the smoke. And after telling us that the people have been cooperative in the evacuation he repeats: “Don’t go near the black smoke….it could be toxic.”
All the time I’m thinking the people must be wondering, “If the fire department doesn’t believe this guy, why should we?” Indeed.
Well, believe me that we need to get this equipment checked out this morning. I’ll go start the coffee.
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