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Suspicious Fire Suggests Murder in Houston

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HOUSTON, TEXAS, FIREFIGHTERS WERE CALLED OUT SUNDAY NIGHT to a commercial fire in a 2-story building.  They found fire in the grocery on the lower level and in an apartment above the store.  The Houston Chronicle reports:

The Houston Police Department received a call about 7:15 p.m. of gunshots near the intersection of Brooks and Common. About 10 minutes later, the Houston Fire Department received calls of a fire at a two-story building in the area.

houston a KHOU

KHOU-TV

While firefighters were searching the charred apartment above the Family Grocery-Washateria in the 1100 block of Brooks, they discovered three tenants dead inside.

Bodies were found in a closet, a bedroom and near the balcony. Officials said it also appears that fires were started in different parts of the building.

“All indications thus far are that foul play is involved,” HPD spokesman John Cannon said, “and that the fire was set to cover something up.”

Neighbors are saying that they heard gunshots a few minutes before the fire broke out and one witness told police that he saw one of the apartment’s tenants leaving the building and carrying a pistol at the same time.

KRIV-TV Ch.7 has a video report:

Posted by on November 16, 2009 • Filed under: arson, crime, News • Tagged: , ,

Hey Loo, can I …

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IT WAS A SUMMER SATURDAY AND THE LAST DAY OF THE TOUR.
I was a new engine officer at an engine-aerial-ambulance house.

damagedtireFirefighter Doe reported a problem at the 7 am line-up. One of his tires was damaged on his way to work.

Virginia had blue laws – meaning that retail stores would be closed when we got off duty Sunday morning.

Doe could not get his tire fixed until Monday. Starting a family vacation Sunday morning, he wanted to know if it was OK to get his car to the tire shop this morning.

Doe wanted to take the truck company portable radio with him. The aerial would pick him up on the way to a call. The informal leader of the group was filling in as the truck officer and said it was fine with him.

What would you do?

CAULFIELD REQUEST LEVEL

This is the second of five leadership levels described by Hugh Caulfield. The firefighters already checked your credentials and now what to know how you will play the game.

This request clearly violates departmental regulations. You have three choices:

  • Permit the activity
  • Refuse permission
  • Provide a vague response (i.e., “just this once”)

Often a new supervisor does not provide a clear answer, an understandable effort to work within the unique fire station work environment.

Providing a vague response forces the supervisor to play this game on every issue. This saps energy and results in an unhappy and unproductive work group. Allowed to fester, this escalates to confrontation, open warfare or conquest.

WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU

Caulfield says that the fire officer wins the leadership game when the station runs on his or her terms. Only the individual knows the importance of five leadership style elements:

  1. Compliance with rules and regulations
  2. Firefighter satisfaction
  3. Productivity
  4. Risk
  5. Leader satisfaction

The first time I read Winning the Fire Service Leadership Game I was surprised at this assertion.  Months (or years) of preparing for a promotional exam creates an extreme supervisor behavior.

EXTREME SUPERVISOR VERSUS REAL LIFE

Most promotional exams reward the candidate who demonstrates an extreme supervisor behavior when confronted with issues requiring a company officer action.

Consider this situation: C-shift firefighter who is running 20 minutes late calls the station to get a B-shift firefighter to cover his position at the start of the work day.

The department requires FRD 375, an exchange-of-shift form, to be submtted 24 hours in advance, signed by both company officers and approved by the affected battalion chief.

The fire officer candidate will dock the C-shifter for 20 minutes of leave-without-pay, propose discipline for the C-shifter for not following the exchange-of-shift policy and notify the B-shift battalion chief of the failure of the B-shift firefighter and company officer to comply with the regulation.

That may be the expected response for the promotional exam.

If this is the real life response by the new C-shift company officer at the first occurence, it certainly is not a vague!  This may be an over-the-top response that damages the new company officer’s credibility.

On the other hand, this may be a severe but acceptable response in some fire departments. 

CONFRONTATION

Vague, fuzzy and inconsistent supervisory responses often lead to the third Caulfield supervisory level:  confrontation.

Supervisory responses that do not match the fire station culture, even if it satisfies the department’s operational requirements, will lead to confrontation.

Changing a supervisory response, like denying future requests to take care of personal issues on a Saturday AFTER allowing Doe to go to the tire shop, will lead to confrontation.

Later colums will cover the confrontation, open warfare and conquest levels. Also discuss Caulfield’s benevolent dictator approach.

Michael “FossilMedic” Ward

URBAN COMMANDER is an irregular feature aimed at career staff working in metro-sized fire departments. It will cover topics that were too esoteric, short-term or “sharp” for the Fire Officer: Principles and Practice textbook. Click “Urban Commander” under Categories to get all of the articles.

Posted by on November 16, 2009 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, Fire Rescue Topics, Urban Commander • Tagged: , ,

Morning Lineup – November 16

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I’m still mulling over this ridiculous situation in Massachusetts where the state charges outlandish fees to people wishing to take entrance examinations for fire department eligibility lists.  (See our earlier chats HERE and HERE.)  It’s more than just entrance exams, as it turns out. 

  • Applicants for taking the entrance exam are charged $250 just to be permitted to take the test.
  • Firefighters on the job are charged the same amount to take any promotional examinations.
  • Anybody, paid, volunteer or citizens, are also charged that much to take the EMT-Basic certification exam.

This is what happens when you have sleazy politicians take a responsibility away from the localities and turn it over to a bunch of clueless bureaucrats who have no idea how the fire and EMS departments operate.  In most other states the hiring and promotional process is a local process and the hiring authorities take care of getting tests prepared and administer them.  There are several private firms in the country that specialize in constructing effective tests that are reliable and relevant to the position.  Many larger municipalities have the resources to develop their own tests and tailor them to their local needs.

Volunteer FD’s usually require new members to take the Firefighter-I course, and then continue through the FF-II and FF-III training.  These processes are normally handled in regional fire schools that are funded by a variety of tax revenues.  But I have never heard of anybody charging their volunteers an outlandish sum just to take the final examination.  The same goes for people who are participating in the various levels of EMS training and certification.  And this practice of the state horning in on a city’s promotional process by requiring the department’s employees to pay for and participate in a centralized testing scheme is just outrageous.

I’m sure that some towns welcome the opportunity to avoid having to lay out their own funds for testing programs, but ducking responsibility is really no excuse for this.

I am wondering why the Massachusetts state-level IAFF board sits still for this muddle of a promotional process?  Why do they accept the tests being prepared by bureaucrats who don’t know which end of a hose line the water comes out of?

And why do the volunteer organizations hang back and accept these confiscatory practices of charging $200 and more just to allow their volunteers to get certified to render basic first-aid?  In most places, volunteer departments and rescue squads have a measurable political influence and they should be using it in Massachusetts.

Now let’s take care of out own business and get this equipment checked out.  It’s Monday, so the “long” check sheet has to be filled out.  I’ll get some more coffee started and we’ll meet in the day room in a little while.

Posted by on November 16, 2009 • Filed under: morning lineup • Tagged: , ,

Monstrous Cruise Ship Begins Service

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WHAT IS FAR AND AWAY THE LARGEST-EVER passenger cruise ship entered service last week as the Royal Caribbean Lines’ Oasis of the Seas steamed into its home port in southern Florida.

The monster has a 225,000 ton displacement and has 16 decks containing a complete resort city afloat.  The staterooms can house 6,300 passengers served by 2,000 regular crew members in seven different “neighborhoods.”  The ship, which is 40% larger than the next biggest cruise liner, is designed so that people can spend their time in the section that most fits their lifestyle, such as a separate neighborhood for families with smaller children.  There is a water-theme park, an ice-skating rink, more than 20 restaurants and in the center is an outdoor park complete with trees and shrubs and paths with benches. 

oasis a park

The ship was built in Turku, Finland, and took just over six years to complete.  On the first leg of its shake-down cruise, it carried several hundred shipyard workers to Southhampton, England, who finished up the trimwork and then debarked to return home while another squadron of workers traveled across the ocean testing all the systems under sailing conditions and getting everything tuned-up for operations.  The initial revenue cruise will depart on December 1.

The massive ship cost about $1.5 billion and was contracted when all looked well for the cruise industry.  But as the Oasis of the Seas begins service, the entire industry is suffering and none of the early scheduled cruises are sold out.  On top of that, Royal Caribbean has a sister ship, Allure of the Seas under construction that is identical to Oasis and will be completed in a year.

Posted by on November 16, 2009 • Filed under: current events, fun, News • Tagged: , , ,

Mystery Minute 02.14

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Off the Map …. begins at Part One HERE.

Part Fourteen

Just then, Red came around the corner from the kitchen, looking just as beautiful as ever, even with her apron draped over her sweater and slacks outfit.  Turning on that winning smile, she asks,  “Is a beef roast with potatoes and carrots ok with you?”

“Definitely,” Jimmy responded.  “That’s my favorite dish.”  He was about to ask her how she knew that, but held back.  She seems to already know everything about him.  A strange wave of some sort of …. something ran through him.

He was brought back to now when Red starts, “While we’re waiting for dinner to finish,  how about an appetizer?  I know just what you like…”

Jimmy catches his breath at that.  What will be next?

Red holds out her hand and says, “Take my hand, Jimmy.  I have your treat upstairs.  Come with me.”

With that invitation, Jimmy’s head goes into a spin.  He asks himself, “Is this…what?  Is it really…?”  As he follows her up the stairs and into another cloud of lavender, he knows that he’s going to find out if his dream will be coming true.

Read Part Fifteen HERE.

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Posted by on November 15, 2009 • Filed under: Mystery Minute

Poconos Furniture Store Fire Declared an Arson

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Pocono Record

PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE HAVE DECLARED a fire that burned down a soon-to-be-opened furniture store Friday night/Saturday morning to be an arson.  The store was fully loaded with mostly wicker-style furniture and was expected to open within the next few days.  It was in a free-standing building which is part of an outdoor shopping mall in Monroe County, near Stroudsburg.

As the fire was starting, three state police troopers arrived on the scene and observed three males running from the scene.  Instead of chasing them, the troopers elected to attack the fire with their portable fire extinguishers.  The fire was set along the outside wall of the store, but it did not extend to the occupancies on either side.  One is a movie house and the other is an Army/Navy store.

The Pocono Record had a videographer on the scene who recorded the fire:

The shopping plaza has several other buildings, all of which are vacant.  The fire hydrant system for the complex is dry and prevented the Marshall’s Creek FD from attacking the fire in a timely manner.  A full tanker response was called and a row of portable tanks set up for the relay drafting water from a pond nearby.  Later a 5″ supply line was connected with a main a ways distant to feed into the dry yard hydrant system.

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Pocono Record

The building along with at least $200,000 in stock was completely destroyed.

The Pocono Record has the full STORY HERE along with an excellent photo gallery HERE.

Posted by on November 15, 2009 • Filed under: arson, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , ,

All Bugatti All The Time

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IT IS HARD NOT TO BE NOTICED IN A NEAR $2 MILLION DOLLAR CAR

Last month Total Pro Sports posted this picture of a Veyron that was illegally parked and booted:

bugatti-veyron-parking-fail

October 27

 

Click HERE or on picture to see the blog entry.

Tomas TTTTT, commenting in the original blog:

Hurrrayyyyyyy SLOVAKIA!!!!!!!!
Yep ya all, this was done in the city of Bratislava, capital of SLOVAKIA.
How do I know, live here and was passing by that night.
Was amazing to see a Veyron live and the boot just made this so funny.

Mike “FossilMedic” Ward

Posted by on November 15, 2009 • Filed under: cars, Vehicle Operations & Apparatus • Tagged: , , , ,

2 Die in UK Ambulance Crash

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A COLLISION BETWEEN A FORD ESCORT AND AN AMBULANCE in Derbyshire, England, Saturday afternoon has left two people dead.  Both of the fatalities were passengers in the automobile.  A man in the front seat was killed in the crash and a 10-yr.-old boy who was in the back seat died today (Sunday) from his injuries.

The ambulance was operated by the East Midlands Ambulance Service, but it has not yet been disclosed whether it was on an emergency call at the time.  Investigators’ reports on the crash have not yet been released, including the cause of the wreck.

BBC News has the early REPORT.

Posted by on November 15, 2009 • Filed under: ambulances, Vehicle Operation & Ambulances • Tagged: , ,

Indoor Shooting Gallery Fire in South Korea Kills 10

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AN INTENSE FIRE AT AN INDOOR SHOOTING RANGE BURNED 10 people to death, eight of them Japanese tourists, Saturday in Busan, South Korea, the country’s 2nd-largest city.  The other two victims were both Korean, one of them the visitors’ tour guide and the other an employee of the business.  Six more people are in the hospital with severe burns and it is expected that the death toll will rise.  DNA samples are being used to identify the bodies.

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AFP

Police and fire officers, along with National Institute of Science Investigation officials, are at the site today trying to determine what started the deadly fire.  It began around 2:25 pm in the 2nd-floor shooting range which is located in a 5-story building in the commercial district.  Busan firefighters had the fire knocked down in 40 minutes.

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Xinhua

Korea Times is reporting that:  Witnesses say an explosion was followed by sparks.
“A black column of smoke soared into the sky right after a sudden bang from the shooting range,” Yonhap News Agency quoted witness Keum Seong-hwan as saying. ‘”A group of Japanese tourists ran out of the building with fire on their bodies.”

The Busan Fire Brigade said that this gallery had been warned previously about the high use of toxic soundproofing materials on the walls.  These type of businesses are normally without windows, also.

Posted by on November 15, 2009 • Filed under: fire, Fires • Tagged: , , , , ,

Morning Lineup – November 15

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On Friday we posted a video report (HERE) about how Massachusetts is now charging a large sum of money just to take the statewide firefighter entrance examination.  The story said that they are charging $200 for applicants to take the test.  But one of our readers who is signed up for the next testing, tells us in a Comment that the cost is even higher.  The state has added on a $50 “fee” for some innocuous reason, which jacks the cost up by another 25%.  Our correspondent adds that when he took the test four years ago, the cost was $75 at that time.

This really bothers me.  First of all, I have never heard of  anybody charging people to apply for a job with the government.  I can suppose that there will be the occasional $5 fee for some basic administrative cost, but even that is rare.  But for Massachusetts to levy such a burdensome cost on people, many of whom are currently out of work, is just unconscionable.  At the very least, the fee should be waived for anyone who is on the existing list that is expiring.  It exposes the state’s finances as being in such a mess that they are stooping to trying to balance the budget on the backs of their own unemployed people.

For the Governor, the beauty of this scheme is that this effective tax can be implemented without getting permission from the public through their legislators.  Probably by using some convenient wording that allows the state to charge an unspecified amount for “administrative costs”, they can tack on these exhorbitant fees without going through that unpleasant matter of passing a law.  No doubt this is not the only agency where they are doing this stunt.

This is nothing more than a despicable and desperate deception being foisted on an unsuspecting populace.  Shame on you, Governor Patrick.

Update: 
The state is using the same confiscatory tactics against firefighters already on the job by charging similar fees for promotional examinations.  Read the Comments section.

Now let’s get this equipment checked out.  I’ll see how the Sunday breakfast is going and start a fresh pot of coffee.  We’ll meet later in the day room.

door shine

Posted by on November 15, 2009 • Filed under: morning lineup • Tagged: , , , ,

Mystery Minute 02.13

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Off the Map …. begins at Part One HERE.

Part Thirteen

As Jimmy walked down the woodland path, he found his way without any difficulty.  But that was to be expected, firefighters constantly find locations at day and night.  After going to the right at the fork, it wasn’t but a few minutes before he came across a quaint cottage that had a “period” look to it.  It was more of a 19th-century look than a modern appearance. 

But the mailbox proved his discovery with some faded lettering on the side:  Ryde Hood.

Striding up to the door, he found a note taped on the front, “come on in.”  As he walked through the entrance, he noticed that the home was nicely furnished, yet cozy, and notably tidy.  But he was kind of surprised because instead of smelling the expected aromas of a dinner, there was a faint whiff of lavender all through the house.

Read Part Fourteen HERE.

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Posted by on November 14, 2009 • Filed under: Mystery Minute

Two FF’s Killed in Blast at Russian Military Base

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ulyan a RIA novosti

RIA Novosti

AN EXPLOSION AND SUBSEQUENT FIRE AT A MILITARY DEPOT in Ulyanovsk, Russia, Friday has caused significant damage while killing two military firefighters and injuring at least 20 others.  At first there were thought to be more than 30 missing, but they were found later sequestered in a bomb shelter and escorted to safety.  The facility is a Russian Navy arsenal where weapons and ammunition are stored.  Officials say that there are “thousand of carloads” of ammunition kept in the depot.

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NTV

The Russian Defense Ministry said the initial explosion took place around 4 pm local time (8 am Eastern time) “apparently during the disposal of ammunition.  The explosion in one of its workshops led to a fire which spread onto adjacent buildings of the military units,” the statement said. “The surrounding area is cordoned off. Fifteen fire brigades … are trying to localize the fire.”   The fire response was later upgraded to 20 companies.

CNN has this raw video from VESTI-TV:

Local hospitals were flooded with civilians suffering from cuts by broken glass caused by the long succession of explosions that at one point were occurring every 30 seconds.  Two trucks loaded with gunpowder also exploded.  Provincial governor Sergei Morozov said 3,000 people were evacuated from the area.

Russia Today has this excellent English-language video report that goes into more detail of the fire and the causes:

The two firefighters that perished were part of a team that was working to keep the fire from spreading within the compound.

This report will be updated if and when any further information is released.

Posted by on November 14, 2009 • Filed under: explosion, Fires, In the Line of Duty, Major Incidents, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , ,

Longview Fires the Chief

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ONE WEEK AFTER ASKING FIRE CHIEF MICHAEL PRUITT to resign, the Longview, Texas, city council terminated his employment following his refusal to comply with their request.

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Chief Pruitt (KLTV)

Firegeezer reported HERE that Pruitt has been experiencing a continued degradation of respect and working relations with the department’s 150+ firefighters and it came to a head three weeks ago when they presented the mayor with a formal complaint.  The base of the problem is a lack of training and failure to exhibit interpersonal skills or generate respect from the uniformed force.

Following a public hearing where the city manager formally proposed that the council discharge him, they voted 4-3 for the termination.  He will receive two months severance pay.  Pruitt was hired in November, 2007, after serving 30 years with the Dallas Fire Department.

The Longview News-Journal has the STORY.

Posted by on November 14, 2009 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, labor • Tagged: , , ,

Denver Paramedic Sentenced to 12 Years for Assaulting Patient

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ALAN MILLER, 31, WAS SENTENCED TO 12 years in prison following his conviction for assaulting and severely injuring a patient in his Denver Health EMS ambulance last January.

Alan Miller

The patient was suffering from seizures and was being transported under restraint to the hospital, but when they arrived at the ER the patient had a fractured skull, nose and eye socket, inuries that he didn’t have when they left the patient’s home.  Miller at first said that he was only defending himself after the patient had broken free from his restraints.  He later claimed that the injuries had been inflicted by a police officer that had responded to assist him.

KUSA-TV Ch. 9 REPORTS (HERE):

According to court documents first obtained by 9Wants to Know, Miller responded to a call at the home of Tim Smith in southwest Denver on Jan. 3. Smith had suffered a seizure.

When the ambulance arrived at Denver Health Medical Center, Smith’s skull was fractured and his nose and eye socket were broken. Smith’s wife said he didn’t have those injuries when he left their house.

During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence from another paramedic who was on the call that night. Shaunna King told investigators Miller overreacted to Smith’s struggling against his restraints. She said she witnessed Miller repeatedly punch the patient in the head and stomach.

A police internal affairs investigation concluded that the officer had not contributed to the incident or injuries.

Miller was convicted last month of 2nd-degree assault causing serious bodily injury and filing a false report.  Yesterday, Friday a judge sentenced him to 12 years imprisonment noting that not only did Miller injure someone he was supposed to be caring for, he also had tried to avoid responsibility by blaming the assault on an innocent law enforcement officer.

Posted by on November 14, 2009 • Filed under: ambulances, EMS Topics, Law & Justice • Tagged: , , , , , ,

Huge House = Huge Fire

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 scotts a ch15

ABC15

AN 8,236-sq.ft.HOUSE IN SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA, WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED in a spectacular fire early Friday morning.  The fire was discovered around 4 am by neighbors who smelled smoke and took  firefighters from Scottsdale and Phoenix nearly eight hours to completely extinguish.  The owner was at home sleeping and was safely evacuated by the FF’s.

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KPHO-TV

The owner/occupant is a real estate agent who has been trying to sell the property for more than a year.  After being listed for $3.9 million, the price has been lowered and relisted since this past February.  Before yesterday is was scheduled to be auctioned this coming February to satisfy a mortgage lien of just over $2 million.  The fire department says that the house is a total loss.

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ABC15

This video report from KSAZ-TV that includes an interview with an FD official gives a good indication of just how large this house was:

AZCentral.com reports:

A Scottsdale ordinance mandates that all single-family homes built after Jan. 1, 1986, be outfitted with sprinkler systems as a safety measure.

(Although) the home, built in 2003, was outfitted with the proper sprinkler system, there were no sprinklers in the attic where the fire appeared to have originated. Firefighters will not be able to determine whether the sprinklers were activated until they return this weekend for their investigation.

There is no early indication of what the cause of the fire was.  Nor was it reported whether the house was fully furnished or not.  The investigators are beginning their work Saturday morning.

The Associated Press has some raw video of the fire shortly after the FD’s arrival:

Posted by on November 14, 2009 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos

Morning Lineup – November 14

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We’ve talked about this several times before, but I continue to be wildly impressed with the manner and speed of information dissemination in this era of the internet.  On Thursday we posted a story about some guy who drove a mult-million-dollar car into the drink down in Galveston, Texas.  (Firegeezer report HERE.)  Somebody stopped by with a video camera and recorded the recovery of the car out of the lagoon and on that same day uploaded it onto the YouTube site.  Before the car’s owner had even dried off, the world was watching his 16-cylinder baby being chained up by the tow truck operator.

Galveston Daily News / Paschenko

Then yesterday FossilMedic finds a companion video on YouTube showing the actual accident take place.  Again, here is somebody who happens to be there recording the wreck and within hours the world is watching again.  Mike posted the video here last night…. just scroll down to the next posting to watch it.  It got me to thinking, just what are the odds of all this happening?  Let’s consider:

  • A car just happens to be traveling along a parallel highway as the Bugatti is crusing down the frontage road.
  • The occupants just happened to have a video camera with them and decided to record the clip showing the car.
  • They also quickly thought to get the video uploaded to YouTube.

And before your old Win95 machine could complete a boot-up, the entire episode was being watched literally everywhere.  An amazing set of circumstances that was just a whisper away from being shown on live tv.  A fortuitous set of coincidences, eh?

The Galveston newspaper that wrote up the story said that the driver of the Bugatti is from Lufkin, Texas.  So yesterday I brought up the Lufkin newspaper’s website and found out that the driver/owner is a local used-car salesman who bought the Bugatti a few months ago from another dealer in Arkansas for $1.2 million.  It’s safe to assume that his intention is to  resell the car for a tidy profit, or at least it was his hope.  So that calls for a re-thinking  of this situation.  Let’s review:  a) A used-car saleman; b) cruising along a near-vacant roadway; c)  A video camera operating alongside at the same speed that just happens to be turned on.  Too much of a coincidence for me.

What do you want to bet that these amateur videographers were employed by the used-car salesman to make a “demonstration” video for advertising purposes?  Maybe the answer to that will surface later.  As Mike pointed out, though….. it’s too bad the camera didn’t catch the “low-flying pelican.”

Before we have to start ducking charging birds, we’d better get this equipment checked out now.  I’ll get the coffee started.

Posted by on November 14, 2009 • Filed under: morning lineup • Tagged: , , , , ,

As it happened …

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Bill “Firegeezer” posted an article about an off-road adventure of a Bugatti Veyron (HERE)

Now there is a YouTube posting of the crash … where is the pelican?

Mike “FossilMedic” Ward

Posted by on November 13, 2009 • Filed under: cars, Videos • Tagged: , , , , ,

Mystery Minute 02.12

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Off the Map …. begins at Part One HERE.

Part Twelve

“Your place?  Ok.  You’ll have to show me where that is because I don’t think I know how to get there, do I?” Jimmy answered.

“You won’t have any problem,” Red told him.  “I have to pick up a couple more things, so why don’t you drop by in about a half-hour?  It’s easy to find the house.  I live with my grandmother just down the lane.” she said, pointing toward a narrow pathway leading off to the west.  “When you get to the fork, bear right.  Our name is on the mailbox:  Hood.”

Almost as an afterthough, she added:  “Don’t worry about Granny, she’s away this week.”

Read Part Thirteen HERE.

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Posted by on November 13, 2009 • Filed under: Mystery Minute

Around the Fire Web

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*  FirefighterNation has an unusual story in their Forums section about a contingent of firefighters from Palestine who are traveling to England for some advanced training.  They will take what they learn back to Nablus to train the other 70+  FF’s in their department.  Read it HERE.

*  Wildfire Today is always worth checking, but today Bill has an intriguing story about the country’s first “smokejumper” who passed away this week at age 98.  Earl Cooley and another man, Rufus Robinson, made that first jump back in 1940.  You gotta’ read the story HERE.

*  On Wednesday STATter911 ran THIS STORY about a cretin in Australia who was using the photo of an American FF who was an LODD to illustrate a story about an Australian child molester.  If you missed it, then read it now and then go to today’s posting HERE where Dave tells how the picture was forcibly removed.

*  FireNews.net has a story about a fire in an industrial occupancy that comes complete with some great “hot shots” HERE.

Posted by on November 13, 2009 • Filed under: Fire Blogs

Friday Shopping Tip

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THE DULUTH TRADING COMPANY, an online and catalogue clothing and soft-goods merchant, sells several items that are made from what they call Fire Hose fabric.  This is a 100% 12-oz. cotton canvas that is constructed identically like the old cotton fire hose with the same close weave plus being treated for stain resistance.

They offer several Fire Hose products, coats, jackets, pants, wallets and another 60 items.

One of these is their fleece-lined FireHose robe:

firehose robe

It’s made from the same 12-oz. cotton fabric that has been pre-washed for softness and has a polyester fleece lining.  It sells for $69.50.  You can read more about it and order by clicking HERE.

You can also view the other 60 Fire Hose fabric offerings on THIS PAGE.

Posted by on November 13, 2009 • Filed under: shopping • Tagged: , ,

Entrance Exam Blues

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IN THESE TIGHT-BUDGET TIMES, WE’VE heard of municipalities trying to balance their books on the backs of their emergency workers by cutting wages and furloughs.  Now it looks like the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is attempting to boost their bank account using people who WANT to be emergency workers.

The state firefighter eligibility list as expiring and a new examination is scheduled to create the new list and everyone who wants to take it is required to pay $200 for the privilege.  The trouble is, most fire departments have been on a hiring freeze, including Boston, and virtually nobody has been hired off the old list.

That affects people like Jason Murray who got a near-perfect score on the test, but was never hired.  Now the state wants to charge him and everybody else another $200 to start all over.

WCVB-TV Ch. 5 Boston talked to Mr. Murray and he expressed his opinion in this video report:

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IN JACKSON, TENNESSEE, A STATE COURT OF APPEALS ruled that an evolution which is part of the physical agility test required before being placed on an eligibility list, does not discriminate against women.  A suit was brought in 2005 by Teresa Hayes when she failed to complete the PA portion of the test within the alloted time because of her difficulty in picking up a  ladder and placing it on the ladder racks of a pumper.

The Jackson Sun explains:

In the lawsuit Hayes stated that a requirement that she replace a 24-foot extension ladder on the fire truck discriminated against women because of the method demonstrated to her prior to the exam.  In a demonstration of the test by a fireman, the ladder was picked up from the center and placed overhead onto the truck, according to the ruling.

According to the opinion, in 2005 Hayes struggled to replace the ladder when she grabbed it at its center and lifted it over her shoulders.  Hayes took two minutes and 19 seconds to complete the task while the men ranged from 37 seconds to 1 minute and six seconds, the ruling said.

In 2007, Hayes took the physical exam again and passed the timed exam after using another method where she hooked one end of the ladder onto the truck before lifting the other end.

The court ruled that her successful completion of the test in 2007 demonstrated that she was able to lift and place the ladder.

Read the entire article in the Jackson Sun HERE.

Posted by on November 13, 2009 • Filed under: current events, News, Recruiting, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , ,

Restaurant Block in Vancouver Burns Down

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A STRIP OF RESTAURANTS AND AN OFFICE BUILDING were destroyed in an early-morning fire Thursday in Vancouver, British Columbia.  The fire was first reported shortly after 4 am in the row of connected wood-frame commercial buildings that were about 80 years old.

vancouver a CBC

CBC

The fire had gotten into a common void and spread throughout the complex quickly.  The FD concentrated on containing the fire to the block as the roof collapsed on the businesses.  The fire was brought under control by 8 am.

Fire officials say that it will be impossible to tell where it started until after an investigation into it is completed.

vancouver b theprovince jason payne

The Province / Jason Payne

CBC News has a good video report HERE.
CTV.com has the full STORY.

Posted by on November 13, 2009 • Filed under: fire, Fires • Tagged: , , ,

Backyard Fire Displaces 13

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A PILE OF DEBRIS BURNING IN A SAN DIEGO, California, back yard has displaced ten adults and three children that were living amongst the piles of trash.  The house has been condemned and was supposed to be vacant, but it is believed that one person was squatting inside.  The other thirteen people were living in tents that had been set up within the debris piles when the fire started in the garage early Thursday morning.

KGTV Ch. 10 had their video camera on the scene at the height of the fire:

The fire spread from the junk to a fence and then the rear of the house that had been scheduled for demolition.

After the video report was made, the Red Cross determined that they would not be providing any assistance to the vagrants because they had been on the property illegally.

Posted by on November 13, 2009 • Filed under: fire, Videos • Tagged: , , , ,

Morning Lineup – November 13

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Ah, yes….. another Friday the 13th.  This is one of the few years that had three of them, the other two months were February and March.  The last time we had this triple-curse was in 1998.  The next one comes around pretty soon, though in 2015.  After that there is another long wait until 2026, if you really give a whit about it.  At least it’s a good lunchtime trivia morsel to toss out.

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STATter911 posted a story overnight that makes you wonder how some people ever achieved their lofty positions of leadership.  The story that you can READ HERE tells of a firefighter in Hartford, Connecticut, that was banned from parking his car on FD property while he’s a work because he has bumper stickers that portray a political viewpoint that differs from the city’s mayor and/or fire chief.

Now, as you’ll see, there is nothing obscene or immoral about the stickers.  It’s just that they don’t agree with the city’s official line.  And I’m thinking to myself:  Just how blindingly stupid can some people get?  There is no question that what he is doing is expressing his own opinion in an acceptable and legal way.  But somebody up the chain of command has taken upon himself the duty of thought-policeman and ordered the FF off the property.

The firefighter, Mike Di’Giacomo says that he was told that the union, corporation counsel, and “downtown” were all in agreement on this decision.  You know that’s a bunch of hooey in the first place because no union would accept that sort of discipline.  And you can bet your bippy that the corporation counsel never said any such thing.  When it’s over, Di’Giacomo will get to park behind the firehouse again, but will the force ever learn who it was that came up with this gem of a decision?  Now that the fire chief has caused a national embarassment for the city, he will not doubt be invited to a private meeting with the mayor.

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Have you been following the adventures of the trans-oceanic medics?  Justin Schorr (The Happy Medic) and Mark Glencorse (Medic 999) have gotten their reporting in high  gear now, posting their daily activities on both of their blogs and now video journals, too.  They’ve built up a Twitter following of over 1,000 so far.  It’s a fascinating story they’re telling, and from two different viewpoints that start out only a couple of feet apart.  So be sure to click on the links that I just gave you and then each morning go to FireEMSBlogs.com and launch your reading from there.

Ok, it’s time to get this equipment checked out now.  I’ve got to get some more coffee started and we’ll send the rookie out to get rid of the black cat.  See youback  in the day room.

Posted by on November 13, 2009 • Filed under: morning lineup

For $2 Million, It Oughta’ Float !

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A LUFKIN, TEXAS, MAN WAS VISITING GALVESTON Wednesday and driving back home around 3:30 pm with one hand on the steering wheel and his other hand holding his cellphone when he suddenly piloted his $2 million Bugatti Veyron off the road and into a salt-water lagoon that is about 2 ft. deep.

The unidentified man told police that “a low-flying pelican” distracted him, causing him to jerk the steering wheel and drop his cell phone, which led him to run the car off the road into a muddy patch of ground preventing him from correcting his path.  The car then ended up in the lagoon.

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Daily News / Paschenko

Witnesses said that the car’s 16-cylinder engine, equipped with four turbo-chargers, “gurgled like an outboard motor for about 15 minutes before it died.”  The highly-tuned Veyron is the world’s fastest production automobile, capable of going 250 mph.  The car is also one of the rarest production cars, selling new for more than $2 million.  There were only 200 Bugatti Veyrons made, and of them only about 15 are in the United States.

This video shows how to pull two million dollars out of a marsh:

The Galveston Daily News has the STORY.

Posted by on November 12, 2009 • Filed under: cars, Videos • Tagged: , , ,